“Don’t worry,” Glen said bluntly, stepping straight into the old man’s house.

  Tia followed closely behind, timidly bowing to the old man. “Sorry to intrude.”

  Gothaya, on the other hand, carried herself with far more pride, entering without a word.

  As soon as they stepped into the old man’s spacious kitchen, Glen began giving orders, directing the two girls with practiced ease.

  Lighting the fire, washing the utensils—each task was executed methodically.

  During the process, Glen patiently explained every step—the purpose, the principle, and the result—to the two girls.

  The kitchen was soon filled with lively clatter and the occasional burst of laughter. Upstairs, the old man, long accustomed to solitude and quiet, sat with a weary expression, his face a portrait of silent despair.

  Because of these unexpected guests, much of the day had been delayed. As a result, the time Glen had reserved for baking the cake stretched far into the evening.

  It wasn’t until ten o’clock at night that he finally finished a birthday cake he was satisfied with.

  Tia and Gothaya both stared in awe at the delicate, beautiful creation before them.

  It was a two-tiered cake, covered in pure white cream and adorned with the unique fruits and confections of this world—its decorations inspired by Glen’s memories of his previous life.

  The entire thing looked less like food and more like a mouthwatering piece of art.

  “Mr. Glen, is this for someone’s birthday?” Tia asked curiously, noticing the words ‘Happy Birthday’ elegantly written in cream.

  “Yes, for a friend of mine in town. Her birthday is tomorrow.”

  While preparing the gift box for the cake, Glen confirmed her guess.

  “Tomorrow? Then can I come too?” Tia’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

  “Uh…” Glen hesitated. He wasn’t sure if the Raven’s wife would allow him to bring guests, but it probably wouldn’t be a problem.

  After a brief pause, he replied uncertainly, “Most likely, yes…”

  Tia immediately grabbed his arm and shook it excitedly. “I want to go!”

  “My friend’s a bit… peculiar,” Glen warned. “Her birthday party might not be as fun as you imagine. Are you sure you want to come?”

  “That’s fine! I still want to go!” the little maid said without a moment’s hesitation.

  You just want to eat cake, don’t you? Glen thought, seeing right through her intentions, but he didn’t refuse. “Alright. But mind your manners. The birthday lady has an unusual appearance—don’t offend her.”

  “A maid’s first rule is etiquette! I won’t mess up!” Tia promised earnestly.

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  By then, Glen had already finished packaging the exquisite cake. After bidding farewell to the old man, the trio stepped out into the dark streets.

  Several lurking shadows, too slow to retreat, were caught in the open. Seeing their grotesque forms, both Tia and Gothaya flinched.

  “This is normal around here. Haven’t you gotten used to it yet?” Glen said with a small smile.

  Tia only nodded.

  “I just wasn’t paying attention!” Gothaya said, straightening her back proudly.

  “Then pay more attention,” Glen replied simply.

  By the time their conversation ended, the lurking shadow had vanished into the night.

  When they reached home, Glen noticed that Laville was already asleep, so he told the two girls to rest early as well.

  As they entered the house, Glen turned and caught sight of Gothaya, who seemed hesitant, as though struggling with something. “Miss Elf,” he asked, “if you have something to say, just say it. Don’t tell me you also want to come to my friend’s birthday party?”

  “No!” she denied at once.

  “Then what is it?” Glen asked, puzzled.

  After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke the truth. “I just want to know—what will it take for you to teach me how to fight?”

  Glen was surprised. He hadn’t expected her to still be thinking about that. Studying her carefully, he asked, “Do you truly wish to learn?”

  Gothaya nodded emphatically, her expression completely sincere.

  After a moment’s consideration, Glen replied, “Since you’re so determined, I suppose I can’t just refuse. Here’s the deal: soon, I’ll be buying more livestock. The pigsty will become a proper farm—with a chicken coop, a duck pen, a cattle shed, and more. Your workload will increase a lot. If you can handle the farm work well, I’ll test your aptitude and teach you something suited to your ability. How about that?”

  The elf girl froze for a second, then clenched her teeth and declared firmly, “I accept!”

  Glen chuckled. “Deal.”

  Just as he was about to go upstairs, he noticed her still hesitating. He raised a brow. “What else?”

  “The birthday party tomorrow… may I come too?” she asked, her cheeks faintly flushed.

  Glen rolled his eyes and turned away. “If you go, who’s going to watch my pigs?”

  …

  The night deepened into silence.

  After Glen and the others had gone to bed, several unfamiliar figures crept into town under the cover of darkness, slipping quietly toward its center.

  No townsfolk noticed their arrival—only the wandering, half-mindless shadows still prowling the streets.

  By dawn, Glen had already taken Laville to Dood Town to continue hiring workers.

  When he returned home, he changed into clean clothes, picked up the cake, and set off with Tia toward the Raven’s house.

  As they walked, Tia noticed Glen sniffing at the air from time to time. “Mr. Glen, what’s wrong?” she asked curiously.

  He glanced down at her and shook his head. “Nothing.”

  But in truth, he could smell several unfamiliar scents in the air.

  Having lived in this area for quite some time, he was well acquainted with the residents’ usual odors. These new ones definitely didn’t belong to anyone from Bayek.

  Thoughtful, Glen continued on.

  “Mr. Glen, why is this place so… strange?” Tia suddenly asked.

  “That, I can’t tell you,” he replied casually.

  “How did you become a werewolf? And so powerful, too!”

  “Secret.”

  Their idle conversation carried them forward until the gray-blue house came into view.

  Then, Glen abruptly stopped and placed a hand on Tia’s shoulder, halting her as well.

  She looked at him, puzzled.

  Glen was staring at the sky. Following his gaze, Tia looked up—but saw only an expanse of dull gray, nothing unusual.

  Yet she noticed his eyes lock onto something unseen, his gaze slowly lowering until it rested on the house before them.

  Thud!

  A heavy sound struck the ground ahead, followed by a rush of air that forced both of them to squint.

  Before the Raven’s home stood a white, dragon-shaped creature. It raised its long neck and turned its head, its golden-amber eyes fixing intently upon them.

  “Mr. Glen… is that—?” Tia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

  A dragon? But it was far too small—not quite a hatchling, but nothing like the towering beasts of legend either.

  At first glance, Glen too had mistaken it for a dragon, but quickly realized something was off.

  The creature was only human-sized, pure white from snout to tail, yet in form it was almost identical to the Western dragons he remembered.

  The dragon lifted its proud head higher, those amber eyes reflecting the figures of Glen and Tia. After watching Glen in silence for several seconds, it finally spoke—

  “A werewolf… attending Regila’s birthday?”