Chapter 109 [Fairy Tale] He Has a Little Gray Wolf (35)

Although it was called the Knight Recruitment Office, those who took on missions were by no means limited to knights. Long, long ago, many ordinary folk also claimed tasks simply to earn a living.

Yet ordinary people completed them far less efficiently than knights. Of course there existed a few extraordinarily capable commoners, but they were rare.

Moreover, the deaths and injuries among ordinary people ran far too high.

Thus by the present day everyone generally believed that only knights ought to accept such missions. Ordinary people could still try, of course, yet all regarded it as courting death.

In the eyes of the knights of Red Hat Town, Led was precisely that figure who was courting death.

None of them possessed much certainty of defeating the evil dragon—Led?

Impossible.

The moment Harris stepped beside him, Led shrank his neck like a frightened chick.

The hands hanging at his sides trembled faintly.

“W-why… why can’t I…”

He had kept his head lowered, yet the little girl stood right at his side.

He could not remain so cowardly.

He must not.

With reddened eyes Led met Harris’s gaze; tears surged wildly in their depths.

Harris frowned. “You have no magic at all. Have you come here to die? Get back at once!”

“No!”

Led fixed Harris with stubborn eyes.

The sense of inferiority that had risen at the sight of the Red Hat Knights slowly faded.

He would go to Dark Valley Swamp. He would earn a great deal of money.

He would raise Little Wolf plump and fair.

“Absolutely not…”

The surrounding Red Hat Knights all regarded Led with disapproval.

Though they usually disliked him intensely, they were, after all, from the same town, and Led’s parents had both been Red Hat Knights. How could they simply watch him throw his life away?

Their gazes fell upon him as upon an ignorant child, and that look only deepened the sorrow in Led’s heart.

Suddenly the hand hanging at his side was taken and held.

Led turned with reddened eyes and saw Asi gazing at him with gentle warmth.

“Led, I am with you. Did I not tell you that you must not cry?”

Asi wiped away his tears; her soft gaze shifted to Harris.

In a quiet voice she said, “Uncle, I shall go with Led. Neither of us will come to harm.”

Asi blinked, radiating quiet confidence.

In the eyes of the others it was nothing but youthful ignorance.

Two children scarcely bigger than a fist—where did they find the gall to claim they would be safe?

Harris’s brows knitted so tightly the folds of skin might have crushed a fly.

“Little girl, from your attire you are a newly enrolled knight of Red Hat Town, are you not? Red Hat Town has always been dominated by male knights; few girls awaken magic at so tender an age as yours. Yet that is no cause for pride. Sending you both home is for your own good.”

Asi nodded, her fingers gently stroking Led’s hand. “Thank you.”

Harris and the other Red Hat Knights looked upon her with relief, believing she had agreed to return with Led.

Smiling, they said, “Good child, it is well that you are obedient. Hurry home; this place is dangerous.”

Asi shook her head, her eyes innocent and pure.

“I will not leave. I shall fight the evil dragon together with Led.”

“…”

“Nonsense! This is no game—it can cost lives!”

However much Harris disliked Led, he had no wish to see people of his own town perish needlessly.

Yet these two children proved so utterly unheeding.

It was enough to drive a man mad.

“I know,” Asi nodded, her manner soft and gentle. “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Led and I will both be safe.”

Asi still remembered that this very man had once led knights to hunt her down.

Yet Asi never bore grudges.

Unless she was truly provoked.

Harris’s eyes bulged. “Why the hell would I care about the two of you? Don’t flatter yourselves!”