Sang inquired about the recent situations of Shika and Aisha.
Shika replied, “We’re all settled in fine. Whether it’s me, that Pink Hair fellow, or even Little Chicken Red, we’re doing great.”
In the ensuing casual chat, Sang gained a better understanding of their campus lives.
Whenever Shika had free time, he hung out at the arena. Knightly etiquette and noble refinement meant nothing to him—he was nothing but a muscle-headed brute. Aisha Hodhua spent part of every day handling letters from her territory. As for Little Chicken Red, she served as their errand-running messenger pigeon.
Everyone has their dreams, each living their own vibrant life, right?
Sang teased Shika a bit. “To be honest, I haven’t seen you around much lately. I was starting to think you’d been secretly dating someone…”
“Enough! Stop grossing me out, human. A free werewolf warrior has no need for women!” It was clear this came straight from Shika’s heart—he truly had zero interest in the opposite sex.
What a bit of a waste.
Shika was kinda handsome, after all…
Then Shika turned and headed back to the arena for more training.
Gazing at Shika’s retreating back, Sang felt a sudden wave of emotion. They’d been together for three semesters now. As if struck by a thought, he called out, “Hey, A-Wolf!”
Compared to using his full name, Sang and Aisha preferred calling him A-Wolf—or Stupid Wolf.
“What’s up?” Shika asked, hands clasped behind his head in his usual carefree, roguish pose.
“I just wanted to ask: it’s been almost a year since you left your tribe. Don’t you want to write a letter home or go back for a visit?”
At those words, a flicker of complicated emotion crossed Shika’s formerly carefree face. He wasn’t alone—family back in the Northern Region was waiting for him. It was mainly the battle up north, where so many childhood friends had died because of him. He felt too ashamed to face the elders and folks from his village, which was why he hadn’t gone back.
After a long pause, he snapped irritably, “None of your business!”
With that, he strode off again.
Sang didn’t press the issue. Everyone has their own hurdles in life, and if they can’t get over them, there’s nothing to be done.
Oh… he’d forgotten again. He really ought to remind that guy to study some culture classes. The dude couldn’t even read yet—being illiterate was truly terrifying.
Afterward, Sang returned to the dorm. There he found Aisha Hodhua still buried in a pile of letters, replying to each one meticulously. Sang finally understood why so many lords turned corrupt. Even managing his own tiny plot of land had him swamped; imagine handling several cities as a great lord.
Being a wise and just lord was exhausting. Might as well slack off—way more relaxing.
“You’ve got it rough…” Sang said, a twinge of guilt in his voice.
Aisha Hodhua shook her head. “I don’t mind. You’re just a human with such a short lifespan—you really should enjoy it. But I have a much longer life ahead of me…”
“Ugh… I can’t handle it when you get all sentimental like that…” This reminded Sang of Shika, so he asked, “Little Lolita, don’t you ever want to go back to the Hodhua Family?”
Well…
The Hodhua Family hadn’t been wiped out; it still existed.
Aisha was practically free now, yet she’d never once mentioned wanting to return.
Aisha Hodhua fell silent for a moment, averting her gaze. “If the chance comes up…”
Come to think of it, the three of us really were alike. For all sorts of reasons, none of us could go home, yet we’d gathered together, growing and living side by side.
Plus one Little Chicken.
What a complicated mix… human, Blood Race, werewolf, Titan…
“But… Aisha, if one day I die—y’know, natural old age—what will you do?”
Aisha looked at Sang, momentarily stunned. For once, she dropped her tsundere act and answered frankly. “If you have descendants, I’ll continue serving them. If not, I’ll probably go off alone to find some place…”
“What place?”
“Well… I’ve heard there’s a spot in this world called Mixed-Blood Village. Whether it’s mix-bloods of Blood Race and humans, werewolves and humans, or even Blood Race and werewolves, they all live there. It’s like an ideal paradise… though it’s unconfirmed, I’d go look for it…”
Sang was a bit surprised by her words.
He never imagined there was such a perfect place in the world.
A brief silence followed.
Aisha Hodhua realized she’d said something odd and quickly changed the subject. “Oh, right—today I got an invitation from the Academy Mutual Aid Society. The sender’s name is Spencer Campbell, son of a viscount…”
“Mutual Aid Society?”
“Yeah, a campus group made up of human students. It doesn’t say so outright, but it’s really at odds with the Student Council.”
Sang got the picture. Student Council this, Mutual Aid Society that—he had zero interest in getting dragged into factional squabbles. He waved it off. “Decline it for me.”
“Pfft… I already did.” Aisha Hodhua showed a rare spark of playfulness.
Sang couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re really starting to get me.”
“You just seem slippery on the surface, but you’re actually pretty easy to read…”
Sang wasn’t an idiot. His little schemes might fool the kids at the orphanage, but in front of real schemers, he was as transparent as a puppy.
Just like the first time he’d confessed to the True Ancestor. He’d thought he’d tricked a being who’d lived thousands, even tens of thousands of years, but she’d seen right through him—she was just playing along.
Innocent as we were, we were actually quite afraid of this world. And that was precisely why we needed to huddle together for warmth.
The next moment, Sang stepped forward and gently ruffled Aisha Hodhua’s hair, smiling. “Nice weather today. Wanna go stroll around the streets? My treat—candy.”
Her eyes lit up instantly. This Blood Race girl had zero resistance to sweets. She turned into an adorable little bunny, though she still held onto a shred of poise and feigned calm. “If it’s an order from my master, I’ll gladly accompany you.”
“Yeah, yeah~ An order from your master… You and Shika are polar opposites. You keep treating me like your master, while he flat-out refuses to admit it.”
Strictly speaking—from an objective view, from an outsider’s perspective, from this world’s standards—Sang really was the master of both Aisha and Shika… though to him, they were more like family and friends.
“Oh, right—where’s that Stupid Wolf?” Though Aisha Hodhua and Shika were like fire and water, they both saw each other as their own. Whenever something good came up, they’d think of the other.
“Probably practicing at the arena. He’s gotten into swordsmanship lately…”
“Huh? Aren’t werewolves proud of their bodies and claws? Why swordsmanship all of a sudden?”
“According to him, know thyself and thy enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.”
“Sigh… that Stupid Wolf…”
