Seeing the lady in front of him staring as if he had fallen straight out of a heroic ballad, Kevin couldn't help feeling… smug. He knew he's handsome and often someone looked at him like that, but not someone this breathtaking.
Acting as if this was all perfectly normal, he lifted his hand with a flourish, like a gentleman offering a dance.
"My name is Kevin," he said, warmth slipping into his tone. "May I know your name, Lady?"
Lady Celize blinked, as if breaking free from an enchanted moment. She hesitated only a heartbeat before lifting her hand to meet his. "My name is Celize. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kevin."
Kevin gently took her fingers, pulled her hand toward him, and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her palm. Somehow, it felt natural here, almost expected. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Celize."
Her cheeks flushed a delicate rose. Kevin felt a little victorious spark light up inside him.
Then he released her hand and turned back toward the battlefield.
Calm down, Kevin. Not the time to flirt. End the battle first.
He inhaled deeply and glanced down toward his feet. Two small red eyes glimmered within the edges of his shadow, watching him expectantly. They didn't speak, but Kevin felt the unspoken question. The silent readiness.
"Yeah," Kevin muttered. "Let's finish this."
The red eyes blinked. agreement.
And Kevin surged toward the chaos.
Inside the wagon, Lady Celize stared at her palm, still warm from his lips. A strange, fluttery emptiness pooled in her chest.
"Don't be impulsive, Celize," she whispered to herself. "You're going to Que'tol to meet your fiancé. Stop… stop thinking things like that."
But her gaze drifted back to Kevin anyway—bare torso, messy hair, that reckless confidence as he sprinted straight into danger. No matter how she scolded herself, she couldn't look away.
Captain Brandon's remaining soldiers were struggling. The wolves, huge, grey-furred, and foaming with rage, circled and lunged in a relentless rhythm.
Kevin didn't slow down. He plunged straight between two guards just as a wolf leaped toward their unprotected flank.
"Move!" he barked.
His dagger flashed.
The wolf's skull cracked under the strike, and it slumped to the dust.
The system's voice echoed in Kevin's ear.
"Congratulations. You killed Scourge Wolf."
"Congratulations. You obtained Wolf's fang blade."
The blade materialized in Kevin's empty hand. Kevin grinned, now he has another dagger.
The soldiers stared—just long enough to forget they were still in danger.
"Eyes front!" Brandon thundered.
The wolves surged again.
Kevin ducked under a swiping claw. A second wolf lunged at him from the left. But before it reached him, a blur of darkness peeled away from his own shadow.
The black rabbit shot past Kevin's heel, invisible to anyone. The wolf attacking from the left stumbled, its hind leg suddenly slashed by something too fast to catch with human eyes.
Kevin saw it. He grinned.
"Nice one."
Another wolf jumped at him. Kevin sidestepped, dragging its momentum past him and ramming his dagger into its ribs. The dagger remained at the wolf's body as it howled, staggered, then collapsed.
"Congratulations. You killed Scourge Wolf."
Shadows rippled again.
The black rabbit darted out from beneath Kevin's feet, aiming for a wolf ten times its size. It didn't attack directly; it aimed for the eyes, darting up the wolf's body like a streak of ink. The wolf screeched, blinded, thrashing violently.
Kevin seized the opening.
He kicked off the ground, grabbed the wolf by its muzzle, and drove his dagger straight down into its skull.
It dropped instantly.
The soldiers, panting and disoriented, only saw Kevin's bizarre bursts of speed and uncanny timing. They didn't notice the small shadow weaving under his feet.
"Regroup! Push forward!" Captain Brandon shouted.
With Kevin carving a path and the hidden black rabbit sabotaging every wolf that tried to flank, the battle shifted rapidly. What had moments earlier been a losing fight now felt survivable.
Another wolf broke formation and tried to run. The black rabbit flashed beneath it with one precise slice. The wolf toppled mid-sprint, sprawling in the dirt.
In less than three minutes, the remaining wolves lay defeated or fled into the trees, yelping their panic into the fading light.
Kevin exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"Done," he said simply.
The black rabbit slipped soundlessly back into his shadow, red eyes gleaming like two embers beneath his feet.
The battlefield quieted into an eerie stillness. Soldiers slumped against damaged wagons and battered shields. Some groaned, some cried, some simply breathed in shaky relief.
Captain Brandon wiped blood from his cheek and approached Kevin, disbelief in his eyes.
"You… you arrived just in time," he said. "If you hadn't—"
Kevin waved a hand, brushing off the heavy gratitude. "Hey, I just happened to be passing through."
Brandon blinked. "Passing through? Shirtless?"
Kevin shrugged. "Laundry day."
The captain stared at him, not sure how to respond.
Behind them, Sallie ran around checking the injured, healing where she could. Her green robe was stained with dirt and wolf blood. She paused in front of the fallen wolf Kevin had killed with a single dagger strike.
She whispered, "What kind of strength…?"
Kevin didn't hear her. He went to a wolf's corpse and retrieved his dagger. His attention drifted back to the wagon.
Lady Celize had stepped out, holding her skirt delicately above the blood-stained grass. Her face was pale with remnants of fear, but her eyes—those soft, curious eyes—found Kevin immediately.
Kevin noticed Lady Celize. The surge of libido erupted from inside.
He smiled warmly, but deep down.
Damn… she's really a ten. Calm down, little one, you'll get your chance. Let me handle the talking first.
She approached, stopping just a few steps away.
"You saved my life," she said.
Kevin rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly awkward. "Ah… well, wolves are rude. Can't just let them charge at a lady."
Her lips parted in a small, quiet laugh. The sound hit him harder than he expected.
Captain Brandon cleared his throat loudly, reminding Celize she was not supposed to wander too far from safety. She snapped back to her composed posture, though her gaze lingered on Kevin a moment longer.
"Mr. Kevin," she said, "thank you truly. If there is anything I can do to repay—"
"You can let me see that smile again," he said without thinking.
Celize froze. Sallie almost dropped her staff. Brandon choked on his own breath.
Kevin's face burned. "I—I mean—uh—never mind, forget—"
But Celize didn't look offended. Instead, she looked away shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I… will try," she murmured.
Kevin felt the victory echo somewhere deep inside him.
But another thought crept in.
Great acting, Kevin. Act innocent and pure, but still hinting something. Well done.
Brandon eventually composed himself. "We must move. The wolves won't return soon, but this route has become unstable."
Celize looked back at Kevin again. "Will you travel with us, Mr. Kevin?"
Kevin didn't even think.
"Yeah," he said. "I'll go where you go, Lay Celize."
Celize smiled, "Do you even know where we going, Mr. Kevin?"
Kevin shook his head, "No, my Lady. But as long as you want me to join your caravan, I'll go with you."
Celize's face turned red, and hurriedly moved back to her wagon.
Brandon tapped Kevin's shoulder, "You have a sweet tongue, young man. But you're aiming at the wrong person. She's going to get married soon."
Kevin glanced at the older man, "Thank you for the heads up, but I'm still going with you, Mr..."
Brandon smiled, "Looks like you chose trouble then. By the way, call me Brandon, and the one with the green robe is Sallie."
Kevin bowed, "Nice meeting you, Mr. Brandon, Miss Sallie. I hope we enjoy each other's company during the trip."
Kevin wasn't dissuaded by Brandon's revelation. He knew he was attracted to her, and with a bit of sweet conversation. He might get a chance to be with a beautiful lady as Lady Celize.
He thought, she's not married yet. She still has the right to fall in love with other man, and I still have a chance.
And deep within his shadow, two red eyes blinked knowingly.