The growl of the wolf was now vibrating within my ribcage. It bent its hind legs, muscles tensed. It was ready to attack. I gently pushed Mirel behind me.
"Stay behind me," I whispered, but the command in my voice was absolute. "And no matter what happens, do not risk yourself for me."
Mirel wanted to object, but upon seeing the seriousness in my eyes, she fell silent. She pressed the basket against her chest and cowered at the base of the tree. The wolf leaped into the air.
Its massive bulk fell over us like a shadow.
Time slowed down. I extended my hand forward. Editor... Give me light. But this time, not to illuminate. I constructed that familiar formula in my mind.
Light is not just brightness; light is energy. Scattered light merely dazzles the eyes, but focused light vibrating at the same wavelength... that cuts.
"Close your eyes, Mirel!" I shouted. I squinted my own eyes as well. First, I created a blinding explosion. FLASH!
The dimness of the forest lit up like a supernova for a split second. The wolf was stunned in mid-air, losing its balance as it lost its vision.
But that was only a distraction.
The real magic was coming now. I compressed the light particles—the photons—in my palm into a single point in my mind, a line as thin as a needle tip.
Do not scatter the energy; concentrate it. Imagine a lens. Infinite focus. Laser.
From my palm, a beam of light unlike anything in nature—perfectly straight, incandescent—shot forth. There was no sound.
Only the thin CZZZT sound of the air burning could be heard.
The beam of light passed through the wolf's thick fur, muscles, and ribs like a hot knife cutting through butter. Straight to its heart.
The wolf fell to the ground. It didn't thrash. It didn't growl. Its heart had stopped before it could even realize what had happened.
When it collapsed, there was a fist-sized, charred hole smoking in its chest.
I let out a deep breath. The light in my hand faded. A trembling voice came from behind.
"Sir..." Mirel had risen from the base of the tree, staring at the dead wolf with eyes wide open. Then she turned to me.
"You... You were amazing. That light... What was that? I've never seen magic like that. It was perfectly straight and... burning."
I shook my hand. "Laser," I said briefly.
"Laser?" Mirel rolled the word in her mouth. "Is that an ancient language of magic?"
"You could say that," I said. "Let's call it the tamed form of light."
Mirel nodded in admiration. "Light magic... Only those carrying the sacred blood of the Elyuneth house can use this. Even Temple Knights can only make shields or blind with light. But you... you used light like a spear."
So it really is unique to my blood, Leon thought. And they waste it making shields. What a great loss not to know the physics of light.
I walked over to the wolf. It was a massive beast. Its pelt would be wonderful for winter. Just as I was about to bend down, I heard thin, high-pitched sounds coming from the bushes.
Squeak... Squeak... I paused. I parted the bushes with my hand.
There, huddled together, stood two small, gray balls of fur. Two wolf cubs, trembling, their eyes not yet fully open. They were waiting for their mother.
The mother whose heart I had just pierced through.
A heavy stone settled in my gut. "Damn it," I whispered. "Hunger wasn't the reason she attacked us. She was protecting her nest." Mirel came to my side.
Her hand went to her mouth when she saw the cubs. "Oh... She had babies."
My eyes shifted from the dead wolf to these defenseless cubs. Leon's conscience ached. I had killed to survive, but the burden of these orphans was on my shoulders.
I reached out to the cubs. One sniffed my hand, trying to suckle my finger, thinking I was its mother. "We are taking them with us," I said.
Mirel flinched. "Sir? But they are... monsters. Won't they attack us when they grow up?" I took the cubs into my arms; their warmth passed to my chest. "Not if you train them well," I said.
"Dogs were once wolves too, Mirel. If you teach them love and loyalty, they won't bite you. I took their mother... I have to give them back their lives. This is the compensation for my mistake."
We worked silently in the forest for the next hour. I skinned the wolf's pelt—using a stone I sharpened with magic—removing it in one piece, like a jumpsuit.
Meanwhile, Mirel gathered edible roots, red berries, and herbs that rabbits would like from the forest.
On the way back, I walked with two wolf cubs in my arms and a massive pelt on my shoulder. Mirel walked beside me with her basket.
At one point when I stumbled, Mirel immediately took my arm. She held on tight to support me. "You are tired, Sir," she said affectionately. I looked at her.
The girl trembling before the wolf was gone, replaced by an assistant who supported me while keeping her cool. "You're doing good," I said, smiling at her.
"You didn't drop the basket despite your fear. You didn't panic and run." Mirel's cheeks flushed, and she rested her head on my shoulder. "You were there," she said.
"When you are there, fear is just a feeling."
"You are not useless, Mirel," I said, squeezing my arm slightly. "Having you by my side today... felt good. I'm glad you exist." Mirel stopped.
Her eyes filled up, but this time with happiness. She hugged my arm tightly, her steps lighter as she walked.
When we arrived home, it was about to get dark. Sera opened the door. She had a huge, proud smile on her face. Behind her, Lysa was jumping excitedly. "Sir!"
Sera said, ushering us in. Then she saw the cubs in my arms and the bloody pelt on my shoulder.
"God, did you hunt again? And are those... wolves?"
"Long story," I said, leaving the cubs on an old blanket near the hearth.
"Mirel, you feed the rabbits. I need to arrange some milk or broth for these little ones."
Sera immediately ran to the table and dropped a leather pouch in front of me with a jingle. CLINK! The mouth of the pouch opened.
Five shiny gold coins spilled out.
"We sold it, Sir!" said Lysa joyfully. "We did as you said. I walked down the street of nobles. Baroness Valeri saw the bag on my arm and loved it! 'Where did you get it?' she asked. Sera immediately said, 'Custom design, from abroad.' The woman didn't even ask the price, she gave the money immediately!"
Sera puffed out her chest with pride. "She even asked, Sir... 'Are there any more? Other colors, other models?' She has a tea party next week, she wants to make her friends jealous."
Leon looked at the gold on the table. Five gold. This was money that could sustain them for months, fill the pantry, and even pay off some debts.
And it had all happened with a few rabbit skins deemed worthless and a bit of modern design. "Great," I said, smiling. "You didn't say we didn't have any, did you?"
"No, Sir," said Sera with a wink. "I said; 'Thanks to our Master's connections, new goods will arrive next week. I can reserve them for you.'"
I laughed. Sera was learning trade and manipulation quickly. "Well done," I said. "Truly, well done."
My eyes drifted to the two orphaned cubs murmuring by the hearth. I had killed their mother, skinned her.
But now, with the money earned from that skin, I would buy them milk, I would raise them. Life was a strange cycle.
"Mirel," I called out to the kitchen. "Feed those rabbits well. We have a lot of work next week. This house is no longer just a ruin..." I looked over at Sera, Lysa, and Mirel.
"...this place is now a workshop. And we are going to be the new fashion icons of this kingdom."