ALL NOVEL Chapter 19.1 – I’ll See You Next Year
"I wasn't aware you didn't even have a Class," Vargathrian, the Matriarch, said, her voice full of surprise and curiosity. "Not that I'm looking into your true identity. I am sure you have reasons for keeping such things private."
Yeah, well. I remained silent, letting her gaze linger on me. I had no idea what she was on about. Did she think I was some Demon King pretending to be a human, or what? After a moment, her massive head tilted in what seemed to be a shrug, the movement almost unnoticeable.
“Regardless, if you’re worried about your body, you needn’t be,” she continued in a softer tone. One of her enormous paws was raised, and she gently placed it against my chest. The heat of her touch seeped through my skin, and I silently thanked the heavens that she didn't exert full pressure. I would have been crushed like a bug under a boulder.
I was glad she didn't let loose of her weight, otherwise given its size, my chest would have caved in. Her eyes flashed, and her paw flashed brighter. A green aura rippled out of her paw, spreading across my body. I took in a sharp breath, feeling the ache around my body lessen.
For what felt like an eternity but was only ten seconds, the Matriarch kept her paw against my chest. When she finally withdrew it, I flexed my fingers experimentally, marveling at the sudden ease with which I could move. The stiffness was gone.
“That would have been troublesome without me around,” she said, “such self-inflicted injuries could have taken years to fully heal. You're lucky.”
I guess I am, to roll such a good timeline. It made up for my insane bad luck so far in Lockdarn. I pushed myself up, slowly, carefully. This time, I succeeded. Lilian, who had been hovering anxiously nearby, rushed over to support me. I didn’t really need the help, but I accepted her assistance anyway, allowing her to hold my shoulders as I stood.
“Careful…” she whispered, her voice tinged with concern.
Her grandmother observed us, an oddly pleasant look on her face. I wasn’t a master of canine faces, but she seemed pleased. What's up with her?
“Ah right,” I suddenly remembered, startling Lilian. My heart thumped in my chest. “My knights, have you seen my knights?!”
Sir Carlos and Sir Lucas—they had been locked in a deadly fight with Jacob, the vampire. The thought of them lying breathless sent a chill of dread through me. We had traveled together and fought together. If something had happened to them, it would sour the victory I had just achieved.
“They live,” the Matriarch responded, her voice steady and reassuring. “In fact, they defeated the vampire Jacob. They are impressive men.”
A sigh of relief escaped me, my shoulders sagging with the release of tension. They were safe. I’m glad.
“Since you're awake, they might wake up soon as well. However, I wish to wrap things up before that happens. To add on that, I sense a large portion of troops heading toward here from the west. They must be the Romani reinforcements that you've called for,” the Matriarch said.
"It seems you have received word from Professor Amelia,” I said, adding with a curious tone, “But why the urgency? The enemy’s already been defeated."
Before she could respond, footsteps approached us, and soon a group of figures emerged from the shadow of the wreckage. I recognized them as members of the Moon Wolf Tribe, led by Ralian Lunewolf. They weren’t the only ones, though. Professor Amelia walked beside the acting Matriarch, her presence soothing my mood a little.
The werewolves bowed respectfully to their Matriarch while Amelia offered me a warm wave of her hand.
“The star of the night's up now, hm?” Amelia smiled at me, twinkling in her eyes. I rubbed the back of my head, unsure how to reply to that.
Ralian was more straightforward. “As the Matriarch just told you, our tribe needs to leave. It’s unwise to confront the knights. Even if you vouch for us, they’ll ask questions we’d rather not answer. It’s better to avoid them altogether.”
“Are you sure they’re my knights? It took us four days to get here, and it hasn’t even been a day since I sent for reinforcements. How could they be here so soon?” I questioned, furrowing in confusion.
“There are many ways to speed up travel—runes, spells, enchanted gears. They’re kinda expensive, but for an emergency where the youngest Romani heir’s life is at stake, they wouldn’t hesitate to use them,” Ralian explained, her voice calm and matter-of-fact.
“It is as she says. So there’s no point in lingering here any longer,” the Matriarch looked at me and said. “We would have taken our leaves already if we weren't waiting for you to wake up.”
“I see,” I replied, nodding as the gravity of the situation settled over me. I guess they wanted to see their savior wake up before they left. “I’ll handle the knights. When they see the state of the city, it won’t be hard to convince them of whatever story we need to spin.”
“Hopefully. I apologize for burdening you with this,” the Matriarch said, her tail swaying gently behind her, moving in harmony with the breeze. “Another reason we must leave quickly is that our numbers are severely diminished. Including myself, the Moon Wolf Tribe consists of only ten members now. The Obsidian Vampires have suffered similar losses.”
“Yep. I managed to kill Ravenor Obsidian, the third child, while they were escaping. That rat had been hiding it out through the battle.” Ralian added.
The Matriarch continued, “In a situation like this, they will likely join or take over another vampire household. We plan to do the same—gather strength by absorbing other tribes.”
“Sounds reasonable,” I agreed, though curious about something. “But with you here, does it really matter if they increase their numbers? They don’t have anyone on your level, after all.”
“About that… My injury is still severe. I’m only alive because I leveled up. But my power is far from what it once was. The damage wasn’t just physical; it reached my soul, even contaminating my status page. I need time to recover my true strength,” the Matriarch admitted, although I didn’t notice any hint of vulnerability in her voice.
Her words made me frown. She wasn’t as invincible as I had assumed. I thought all worries had ended since she’s healed, likely being the person who landed the last blow on the Vampiric Father. Well, it doesn't matter to me. We aren’t going to be in the same city anymore, I’m free from any trouble she’ll come to face in the future. I noted in my head, nodding at her.
The Matriarch’s gaze turned to Lilian then. She didn't say anything for a minute. A strange mix of affection and decision was in her eyes. Then, in a tone that was too casual for the words that came out of her mouth, she said, “You’ll stay with him.”
Lilian blinked, taken aback. “What? Why in the hell—”
Before Lilian could finish, the wolf shrugged, gesturing toward Amelia, who was now watching the exchange with mild interest. “I spoke with the little dragoness here,” the Matriarch explained, her tone as nonchalant as if she were discussing the weather. “It seems the Romani young master is going to enroll in that academy soon. And it seems that in that academy, the students need a strong and capable maid.” She paused, eyeing Lilian’s outfit. “I noticed you’re already dressed for the role, so…”
Lilian stared at her grandmother, stunned into silence. “Grandmother… this… this was for the facade. I'm not suitable for a noble household’s maid duties! I-” She tried to protest more, but the Matriarch turned her head to the side and looked away. She wasn't changing her mind.
“...” My thoughts raced as I tried to process the situation. Why would the Matriarch leave her granddaughter with me? And where was my consent in this whole thing?
Was this some kind of test, or did she truly see some benefit in this arrangement? I looked at the girl. She was a little loud, but other than that, she was impressive. She wasn't much older than me, and she was already at Level 40. She didn't have my strange boons so that growth was surprising.
I couldn’t deny that her presence might be more of a boon than a burden—her skills, and her possible loyalty could be useful, especially in a place like the academy. In a place like that where I couldn't trust anybody, with eyes and ears always spying on my every move, a loyal and capable maid wouldn't be a burden.
Plus, my father had said he'd find me a maid after I returned from Lockdarn. Having Lilian would erase the need to find someone else.
The Matriarch’s decision wasn’t made lightly, that much was clear. But why me? Was she just trying to repay me, or did she have any ulterior motive? Regardless, leaving her granddaughter with a possible 72 Demon King was bizarre.
“Hey, I don't mind keeping her, but are you sure?” I asked, purely out of politeness. Whatever the reason, I already decided to not refuse.
Lilian was here now, and it seemed she’d be staying. The thought was both amusing and annoying. I had enough on my plate without playing babysitter to a wolf girl who didn't know how human society worked. But the decision was made.
“I am certain,” the Matriarch said. Her daughter, Ralian, walked over to Lilian and ruffled her hair. The mother-daughter pair chartered among one another, while I looked at the Matriarch.
Just as I was about to reply, she hesitated, her massive form moving toward me. Her eyes softened slightly, and for the first time, I saw something almost… nostalgic in her gaze.
“Mhm, it has been a while but…” Her voice trailed off as she leaned down, her enormous head lowering toward me. Before I could react, her tongue slipped out, and she licked my cheek in a gesture that was both shockingly tender and profoundly unsettling.
I froze, completely caught off guard. My mind scrambled to understand what had just happened. Why was this ancient, powerful being—who had just survived a battle that nearly ended her—acting like a dog? That confusion burst into light as a light shone from the spot she had just licked. Before I could even react, the light vanished.
A familiar chime echoed in my mind, and a system message flashed before my eyes.
[You've received The Mark of Vargathrian.]
What…?
What did that even mean? I stared at the notification, trying to make sense of it, but no further details appeared. What the hell was the Mark of Vargathrian? The Matriarch didn’t offer any explanation, either. She simply straightened, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite decipher.
Around us, the others stared in varying degrees of shock. Lilian’s mouth hung open slightly, her eyes wide with disbelief. Ralian looked stupefied, while Amelia’s normally calm demeanor cracked just a little, her brows knitting together as she tried to understand what had just transpired.
The rest of the Moon Wolf Tribe wore stunned expressions too. The Matriarch looked almost amused by their reactions. With a final glance at me and then at her granddaughter, she turned away.
“Take care of him, Lilian,” she said over her shoulder, her voice carrying a weight of unspoken meaning. “He’s more important than you realize.”
With that, she began to walk away, her massive form moving with a grace that belied her size. The rest of the Moon Wolf Tribe stared at me for a bit longer before they followed her. Ralian stopped beside me for a moment, putting a hand on my shoulder and nodding at me. “Make sure my daughter isn't hurt, you understand?”
Ralian joined the rest of her tribe, their figures slowly disappearing into the distance as the first light of dawn fully broke over the horizon.
“...Safe journey,” I watched them go silently, as the rising sun cast long shadows over the ruins of Lockdarn. The sun climbed higher, bathing the destroyed city in a warm, golden light, as they vanished into the horizon.
The Matriarch and her tribe were gone, leaving me with Amelia and Lilian And as the silence of the morning settled over the ruins, I heaved out a sigh. Finally, there was peace.