chapter 13

“Wolfred, I’m glad, as long as you’re alright . ”

“Captain Grad, my sincerest apologies for causing so much trouble . ”

Wolf, who had finally been released from the infirmary, arrived at the monster subjugation unit’s captain’s office .

A man with a rock solid body turned his red-eyed gaze towards Wolf from the other side of the office desk .

Captain of the monster subjugation unit, Marquis Grad Baltrone .

Already around 50 years old, he is an active knight, not only working as the captain, but also participating in subjugations .

“You seemed to have been taken to the infirmary, although, how’s the injury?”

“No problems . It’s just a slight inflammation of the eyes due to the monster blood . ”

From the return, Wolf was immediately taken to the infirmary .

He was diagnosed with mild fatigue and anemia . As for his eyes, they were mildly irritated, so they were flushed clean and given eye-drops .

Although Wolf had told them it wasn’t anything major, his comrades made a huge uproar which incited the doctor’s rage, and other than Wolf, they were all lying beaten in the corridor .

“Sit down there . I’ll make a full report . ”

The captain pointed to the guest area in the room with his chin and the two sat down there .

Wolf sat on the sofa facing the glossy black table . It was just the two of them in the large room .

“Reporting . After being captured by the wyvern, I stabbed it while we were mid-air and fell into the forest . I confirmed the death of the wyvern . In the two days following, I headed towards the capital, was helped by a citizen, given potions and food, and taken to the capital by carriage . I returned to the castle using the west gate . ”

“Above all, it’s great you had strong luck . The wyvern was confirmed to be killed, right?”

Yes, I confirmed it’s death, twice . ”

Grad nodded with affirmation at Wolf’s words .

“Wyverns are a dragon subspecies . Even if it was previously captured and being transported, you took it down on your own, so you’re now a prestigious dragonslayer . ”

“No, it had been fighting the squad and had only died since it had been weakened . Being responsible for letting myself get captured by the wyvern and for the two-day search, I will accept any suspension . ”

Wolf told Dahl that it would be a letter of reflection at best, but if the wyvern had reached the village, it would have made a large problem . Wolf believed there was a high chance of being suspended .

However, the captain shook his head .

“You stopped it properly, so there’s no problem . On the contrary, since you finally became a dragonslayer, should I write a recommendation for the royal guards?”

“If I may graciously reject your offer . ”

“You’re just about the only person to run away from a recommendation to the royal guard . ”

“… If I’m recommended I’ll consider retiring . ”

“If the person in question doesn’t want it, there’s no helping it . ”

Grad smiles wryly as he sees the troubled expression disappear from Wolf’s face .

He had offered this before when Wolf had taken down a big target, but the man had refused with the same words .

The royal guard, which was admired by the knights, seemed like the kind of place he wanted to run away from .

“Now, about when the wyvern took you during the fight . Do you think it wanted to use a human as a ‘shield’?”

“I can’t tell . However, if you use a person as a shield, mages can’t shoot their magic and knights can’t use their reinforced bows, so I believe it was an effective solution . ”

“This is the first such case within the subjugation unit . It would be best if those lizards don’t develop troublesome wisdom but…”

As he brushed his thinning dark grey hair with his hand, Grad made a bitter expression .

“If I get caught again, I’ll tell them to shoot without hesitation . ”

“Idiot . If you get caught, you’d probably already have been shot, I won’t forgive that . Rather than that, no matter who gets caught, it would be fine if they became strong enough to take down the likes of a wyvern on their own . ”

“My sincerest apologies . ”

Grad sighed .

The man with a too well-ordered look in front of him – Wolfred Scalfarotto .

He enlisted at the age of 17, aiming for the dangerous ‘Scarlet Armor’, and in just half a year started fulfilling that role .

To date, he has been in several dangerous situations, but has never suffered a serious injury .

In the first few years, he was called reckless by people, but nowadays he’s praised as a ‘competent and courageous knight’ .

Wolfred didn’t have the offensive magic or healing magic most nobles did .

He only had his body strengthening magic .

With just that, he’d confront, chase, cut, avoid monsters and then repeat .

And when it was effective for subjugation or when it was for the squad, he’d run in as a sacrifice as though it was normal . Recklessness instead of courage, or rather, as though he was seeking death .

At first, Grad wondered whether Wolf wanted a coat of arms, or was just the self-sacrificing type, but as they fought together, he realized that wasn’t it .

This man had no enthusiasm . He had no fear . He didn’t even have a desire for merits .

Just, if he felt ‘this is how it ought to be’ in his line of duty, he would unstintingly carry that action out .

Since it was the monster subjugation squad, he’d fight strong monsters as though it was obvious .

Since he’s a Scarlet Armor, he’d be in the dangerous vanguard, or even become the bait, or even the rear guard as though it was obvious .

For him it was his duty, and thought nothing less nor anything more than that .

Grad was worried Wolf didn’t value himself as much as he should .

“Take a break till your eyes have completely healed . For the time being, take six days off starting tomorrow and return after getting a doctor’s diagnosis . If it doesn’t seem to heal, go to the temple . I’ll pay the amount it’ll cost . ”

“Understood . Thank you very much . ”

Wolf lightly got up from his seat, and corrected his clothes .

“Captain Grad, I have a request, though…”

“What is it, do you want a magic sword now that you’re a dragonslayer?”

“It’s not regarding that . ”

Whenever Wolf spoke of a matter regarding himself, it was always about a magic sword .

Grad had a magic sword, Ash-Hand, and had shown it to Wolf several times even outside of subjugations .

In the year he entered, despite being warned on multiple occasions; ‘the Ash-Hand burns anyone other than the wielder’, Wolf excitedly requested to touch it and brilliantly burned himself .

If you talk about magic swords, you can drink with Wolf all night long .

However, it seems he had a different wish today .

“The person who helped me out in the forest seems to be a merchant, so I’d like to ask for an introduction to the merchant’s guild . I have yet to pay back for the potion too…”

“Did you forget the name of the store?”

“No, the person himself said he didn’t need it . I was told to think of it as a form of support from a civilian since I’m serving in the monster subjugation squad . When I tried to continue the conversation, the carriage reached the capital…”

“And then he escaped . Couldn’t he have had special circumstances?”

Wolf’s eyebrows dropped slightly at Grad’s words .

“What would those ‘special circumstances’ be do you think?”

“An illegal immigrant or a foreign spy… There isn’t much of a point in being in the Western forest . ”

“I don’t think he was such a person . ”

“Or… Could be he didn’t want you to come to his home and meet his wife or sister?”

“I… don’t think so . ”

Unfortunately, Wolf’s hesitant voice, confirmed his assumption .

Unexpectedly, the half-jokingly made statement might have hit the nail on its head .

This man’s appearance attracted gazes, after all .

He had the rare combination of a tall height, black hair and golden eyes .

A face ‘so neat one would start to hate it, rather we don’t need it to such a high degree’ teased so by the members

Even if he doesn’t want to, his face is good at taking women’s breaths away .

According to the members, there was a manual on how to refuse female relatives’ and friends’ requests to meet Wolf .

To be honest, if one had a daughter, they’d try to keep her away from Wolf as much as possible .

“… I would request so after all . I want to thank him properly if I can .

“Got it . I’ll write one right away, so just sit tight . ”

Slightly pitying the young man who had had a subtle downcast presence wash over him, Grad returned to the desk and ran his pen .

The parchment ink was dried immediately using a dryer .

“I’ll pray you find the benefactor again . ”

Upon receiving the letter, Wolf gave a deep bow .

Then, with a slower pace than when he arrived, he left the captain’s office .

“… If Mr . Dahl has a lover, it’d be fine if we met up in a restaurant or bar somewhere, right?”

The corridor was the only one that was around to hear Wolf’s muttering .