WLWES 6

Traveling with An made the journey much more enjoyable. She was clever and always seemed to understand the stories being told. At least, that’s what it looked like. She would nod in approval or shake her head in disagreement, following along as if the tale made perfect sense. The puppy would come running without fail whenever her name was called. She ate the same food as Rio and seemed to enjoy almost everything except vegetables, which she regarded with a distinctly disgusted expression. Clearly a carnivore, An seemed more like a wolf than a regular dog, or perhaps even a creature closer to a monster in wolf’s clothing. Whether such monsters actually existed was uncertain. Still, whatever she truly was didn’t matter anymore. She had become an important friend.

It had already been ten days since they first met. Now, the two of them were approaching the border of the neighboring state.

As they got closer to the border, they kept hearing more rumors about the terrifying Wolf Lord. He was said to have a fearsome face and piercing eyes that resembled those of a wild wolf. His very presence was enough to send shivers down one’s spine, and few dared to approach him. In fact, the knights and servants who serve the castle often come to town to shop and frequently talk about how “he’s a very strict and scary man.”

A maid at the inn had shared many such stories with Rio the night before, speaking freely while serving dinner in his room. When she finished her tale, she paused, looked Rio in the eyes, and shook her head.

“What?” Rio asked.

“You don’t seem like someone who can defend themselves,” the maid said with concern. “Be careful not to catch the Wolf Lord’s eye, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’m good at getting out of tricky situations with just my words.”

“Well, you are very pretty, and that kind of face can get you in trouble. So be extra careful so you don’t get kidnapped.”

“I got it. Thanks for the warning.”

“Then rest well. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Still visibly worried, the maid quietly closed the door. Rio waited until her footsteps faded, then locked it. Lying back on the bed with hands folded behind the head, he stared up at the ceiling.

“The Wolf Lord, huh. I’ve heard stories, but what kind of person is he really?” The warning had only made things more intriguing. “Alright then… once I reach the neighboring state, I’ll make my way near the Wolf Lord’s castle.”

A new objective had taken shape. Being told to stay away only made the mystery more enticing, something to look forward to. Rio folded his hands over his chest and closed his eyes.

But no sooner had he done so than Gideon’s face appeared in his mind. Startled, Rio opened his eyes again.

“Huh? Why am I thinking about Gideon? …Ah, maybe because he had a scary face too? Could the Wolf Lord be someone like Gideon?”

Rio laughed to himself and closed his eyes.

Gideon’s face was intimidating, and his aura just as intense. The dark circles under his eyes made him look especially fierce. And yet, when he slept, his expression softened into something gentle. Rio tried to recall what Gideon looked like while sleeping, but before the memory fully returned, sleep took over.

To travel between states, a pass was required.

It was a metal plate, about the size of a child’s palm, with a hole drilled through one end. A leather string looped through it so it could be worn around the neck, like an identification card. Rio had been using the same pass his mother had made for him long ago.

Rio headed toward the state border with a big backpack on his back. An sat comfortably inside a smaller bag he had slung over his shoulder. As he walked toward the border, he was holding the identification tag in his hand. Two horsemen appeared from behind and stopped in front of the officials who were checking passes, speaking to them about something.

The people waiting their turn to cross the state border began to make a fuss, wondering what was happening. Merchants pulling large carts shouted, “What’s going on? Hurry up!”

Curious, Rio stuck his head out from the line to see what was ahead. A knight dismounted his horse, and several officials approached, looking troubled.

For some reason, Rio started to feel uneasy. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet his chest tightened with anxiety.

A while after, an official positioned himself in front of the border gate and shouted towards the noisy crowd, “We are looking for someone! A boy with blond hair and red eyes. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will need to examine everyone’s appearance before you are allowed through the gate!”

“What did that boy do?” a voice rose from the crowd.

The knight replied loudly, “I don’t know the details, but we’ve received orders to ensure that we find him. If anyone has any information, please come forward!”

The crowd, which had been listening quietly, began to whisper and look around.

Rio pulled his hood further over his head, covering his face.

Wait a minute, blond hair and red eyes? That describes me! Why am I a wanted man? Did I do something wrong? I didn’t do anything.

If he stayed in line, his face would be recognized, and someone around him would arrest or turn him in.

Quietly, Rio left the line and stepped away from the gate at the border. Blending in with the commotion, he ran back towards the city.

Rio walked quite a distance and sighed. He thought it would be safe now that he was far away from the border, but that wasn’t the case. People were even talking about Rio here in the city.

“Someone said there was a boy with blond hair and red eyes. Was there a boy like that?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see him.”

“I wonder what he did. Did he steal?”

“What? You’re kidding, right? Did he kill someone?”

Rio almost exclaimed. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands and hid in an alley, clutching An while sitting down.

Shit, shit, have I become a terrible criminal? I didn’t steal anything. It’s actually me who was robbed. And now I’ve been accused of murder. That’s a lie… If I get caught, won’t I be sentenced to death?

I probably shouldn’t stay in this city, or rather, I shouldn’t stay in this state. I have to get to the next state quickly. But the officials are blocking the gate, and I can’t get through. And if I’m found, I’ll be arrested.

“What should I do… An”

An licked Rio’s nose with her warm tongue as he made a pathetic sound.

As she licked his nose and cheeks, his confused feelings calmed down a little.

There’s no point in crouching here. I don’t really want to do it, but I’ll dye my hair. I’ll change the color so it stands out. I don’t want my hair to get damaged, but I don’t want to be caught and sentenced to death even more.

Rio pulled his hood back on tightly, whispered to An, “Be quiet,” and headed towards the street lined with shops.

He entered a general store selling various items and picked up a container of dye extracted from plants. He called out to pay, but no one came out, perhaps because the shopkeeper had heard the commotion happening all over the city and went to check it out. He had no choice but to put the copper coins on a small plate on the shelf and hurry out of the store. He hurried out of the city and entered the forest. After walking a little, he found a river, so he put An on the ground, removed his cloak and jacket, and poured the dye all over his head. He wiped off the excess liquid with a cloth and washed his hands. He looked at his reflection in the river and saw his newly dyed black hair.

“This should be fine. An, what do you think? Does it look good on me?”

“Woof!”

An was momentarily confused, but then jumped into Rio’s lap.

“Hehe, we’re matching.”

“Woof!”

Rio patted her head. He put on his jacket and cloak, put An in the bag around his neck, and hurried back the way he came.

He entered the city and started walking again towards the gate at the state border.

He had wasted a lot of time and wanted to get through the gate as quickly as possible to get to the next state. He walked quickly while checking his surroundings.

It’s okay. No one is looking at me suspiciously. Even magic can’t change the color of your eyes. That’s why I changed my hair color.

He tried to reassure himself, but this was his first time being a wanted man, and he instinctively tightened his hands as he held An. She looked up at Rio from inside the bag, making a worried whining sound.

Rio whispered, “It’s okay.”

I stopped and wondered why I had dyed my hair black. There are a lot of people with brown hair out there, I thought for a while, and then the face of a particular person popped into my head.

“Ah… I see. Gideon’s image was stuck in my head. I thought his black hair glowed blue when the light hit, and it was pretty…”

However, he knew he would never see Gideon again. Shaking his head as if to erase Gideon from his thoughts, he took a deep breath and stepped forward again.