Unveiling the Truth and a Wolf’s Jealousy

“Y-yeah. Of course I should give it to you.”

“…….”

“…I’ll give it to you! W-wait a minute!”

I hurriedly blocked the man’s face, which was getting closer and closer, with my hand.

As if gagged, the man whose lips were blocked by my palm furrowed his brows.
His raised eyebrows fluctuated like angry waves.

“What is it now.”

“First, let me go give the elixir to the Suras. Monodu said he hurt his leg, but I couldn’t make one for him because I didn’t have the ingredients. He’ll be really happy.”

“…….”

“Do you want to come with me? Everyone will be happy to see you.”

His suggestive face instantly became expressionless, and his tightly clenched jaw twitched slightly.
At some point, the man started showing obvious displeasure whenever I brought up the Suras.

I completely couldn’t understand it.
The Suras vehemently denied it, but whenever I brought up Karvan, instead of being proud like before, they looked troubled and gauged my reaction.

‘…But you said they were family.’

Even if feelings were hurt, you shouldn’t turn away when you’re sick and injured.
Why are they acting so cold to each other.

“Go and give it to those guys you cherish so much.”

While I was looking at him with sullen eyes, a cold voice was thrown at me.

“I will wait in the room.”

Spitting out those words expressionlessly, he turned away without any lingering attachment.

‘…Why does he act so sharp just at the mention of the Suras.’

They used to be his subordinates whom he cherished so much that he hated it when I even showed interest in them.

I looked at Karvan’s receding back with a troubled mind, then started trudging down the opposite hallway.

“Well, even though you’re usually scatterbrained, an Awakener is an Awakener.”

Loktis’s reaction to Karvan and me defeating the rank 1 Awakener was short and impactful.

“You gave that s*ave a divine relic and had him use ice magic, right? Since you can only carry one weapon each, you used him as a weapon stand. It was an excellent strategy.”

Although he was half wrong, Loktis, who left a rather elaborate review, showed his respect through his swift and accurate work processing.

He pulled the Vargs out of the mine and sent them to a separate guest room.
In a room the size of a large hall, completely covered with plush carpets, familiar faces were lying or sitting down resting.

‘Oh, Shinbi-nim!’
‘They said we don’t have to mine rocks anymore!’

The Suras, now with neat appearances, wagged their tails vigorously upon seeing me and were glad.
Thanks to that, my troubled feelings eased a bit.

“I won in the Coliseum!”

‘Aigoo, of course we saw it!’

Tegen, his tone filled with excitement, pointed to the hologram projected on the wall.
They indeed called it a ‘Grand Festival’, so it seems they even broadcasted this.

I looked at the massive projection like a movie theater screen with curious eyes.

‘Slamming that burly Destro…. Ah, no, Awakener bastard by joining forces with the Valta, kiyah! You were truly amazing!’
‘Our Valtael is the best, the best!’

Perhaps having learned from seeing me do it whenever I was in a good mood, he smiled brightly and gave me a double thumbs-up.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but laugh along.

‘I came to bring you this. Apply it to where it hurts and it will heal quickly.’
‘Ohhh! Is it really okay for you to give us such a precious thing?!’
‘Of course.’

When I took out the Special Elixir I received as a winning prize and handed it over, the Suras flocked with sparkling eyes.
They looked like puppies who found a new toy.

‘But, is the Valta okay?’
‘Of course it must have been a strategy, but that wicked Awakener bastard laid a hand on his noble face!’
‘…He’s fine. He’s perfectly fine.’

Unwittingly, my troubled emotions must have mixed into my answer.

The boisterous atmosphere of applying the elixir and exclaiming ‘Wow!’ instantly went quiet.
I could feel the Suras stealthily gauging my reaction again.

‘U-um, perhaps, did something happen between you and the Valta?’
‘…I think Karvan has changed.’

Seeing them like that, I suddenly blurted it out like I was tattling.

‘Are you saying he’s become neglectful towards you, Shinbi-nim? The Valta would never….’
‘He hates it when I bring up you guys.’
‘…Pardon?’
‘Every day I ask how the Suras are doing, but he avoids answering every time, tells me not to worry about it, and later even gets serious and tells me to stop asking, you know?’
‘E-every day… you say? Wait a minute! Shinbi-nim, s-so.’

As I poured out my complaints, Tegen’s expression, who was listening seriously, became increasingly strange.

‘Are you saying you asked the Valta about our well-being, …every single day?’

He finally rubbed his face vigorously and asked back with difficulty.

‘In front of him, you brought up our story ev-every time…?’

“Yeah. Because I was worried.”

I nodded as if it were obvious, but the faces of the Suras listening with perked-up ears turned pale.

‘Oh my goodness,’ some covered their faces as if they had seen something terrible and even groaned.

…As I thought, there’s definitely something. I couldn’t hold back anymore.

‘Did Karvan use the SL weapon I gave him…. no, the divine relic, to just kill anyone? Is that why everyone is walking on eggshells and scared?’

‘No! That’s…. absolutely not! It’s not like that….’
‘Then please tell me clearly what happened! Please!’
‘Th-that’s, because the Valta….’
‘I’m going to die of curiosity at this rate! Ah, ahh…!’
‘…U-um, Shinbi-nim. The thing about Vargs is!’

‘Just what is it that I don’t know, what are you hiding.’
As I panted exaggeratedly as if I were about to lose my breath, Tegen, not knowing what to do, finally opened his mouth like a scream.

‘They are innately very possessive, and especially their affection and obsession towards their one and only mate is immense. That is also the reason why a Varg’s only weakness is their mate!’

With an expression as if he were taking the bullet, he poured out the words rapidly, tat-tat-tat.

‘But, how agonizing must it have been for him to be separated from his mate for such a long time! After searching until he was out of breath, you finally reunited, yet you, Shinbi-nim, kept looking only for us with the Valta right in front of you, so, s-so….’

Tegen, hesitating with an expression pondering a million times whether he dared to say such a thing, squeezed his eyes shut and finished his sentence.

‘…He seems to have been jealous of that sight, and his feelings were hurt!’

At the shout echoing loudly through the hall, I was momentarily speechless and my jaw dropped.

‘Stop talking about the Suras.’

I remembered his face hardening coldly every time I asked how the Suras were doing.

‘Did their relationship go bad? Did he lose the trust of the clan?’ I made all sorts of bad assumptions.

And all of that was.

‘Why don’t you think about me even half as much as you worry about them.’

Because of jealousy?

Karvan, jealous of the Suras?
Of his top subordinates, whom he cherished even more than me?
With that cold and calm face?

‘…Actually, after you became like that, Shinbi-nim, the Grim Reapers came in droves.’

As I just blinked, unable to believe it, Tegen hesitated and continued.

‘They persistently followed and threatened him, asking where you were, Shinbi-nim, and then fearlessly attacked the Valta.’

‘I was looking only for you the whole time. Chased by the Grim Reapers.’

It seemed Karvan had said something like that when we first met. That he was chased by the Observers.

‘Don’t lie. They don’t even chase me anymore, so what….’

But I didn’t believe him.

Ever since I respawned in Midvalen, the Observers were afraid of me, and they would always just stare at me from afar before disappearing.

In the first place, the power that repels these Observers was his, so why would they suddenly chase him?

It was exactly as if our roles had reversed.

…Huh? Wait a minute.

【…Irretrievable… Assimilation….】

…Don’t tell me, did they mistake that man for me?

Because our magic had become similar due to the imprint, and Karvan even had my exclusive weapon, ‘Leviathan’?

‘Th-then! What was the reason for fighting with the beast-kin? You said Karvan told you not to tell! Isn’t it because he has a guilty conscience about something?’

‘Ah, that is, well…. It’s the opposite!’
‘…The opposite?’
‘Yes. Those guys took advantage of the Valta being busy dealing with the Grim Reapers and attacked, so he made an example of them. As you know, he is not one to avoid a fight that picks him.’

Tegen, reading my reaction as I stood frozen, quickly added.

‘He seemed to have hidden it because he thought you would worry if you found out, Shinbi-nim. Since you also suffered from being chased by the Grim Reapers once.’

Even if I were hit in the back of the head with a gong, it wouldn’t be this stunning.

‘I heard you’ve been indiscriminately attacking beast-kin villages with my Leviathan!’
‘It’s the opposite. I will explain everything later.’

As the conversations with the man came to mind one after another, I felt like mud was rising up to my chin.

My throat choked up, and no words came out.

‘I’m the one holding your leash right now. I am the master!’
‘…It seems you are misunderstanding something. You have always held my leash. Always.’

I still couldn’t believe that the man had been tamed by me.

Just like he pushed me into the Forest of Trials in Bahalgras.
Just like he didn’t look for me for three months.
I thought he would reveal his true nature and push me off a cliff at any moment.

‘Take me, Bi. You just have to reach out.’

However, Karvan had always been handing his leash to me.

If I, being clueless, dropped it, he would bite it himself, return, and place it in my hand, and if I dropped it, he would bring it back again.

‘Admit it now. Bi. That you want me too. That you have become like me.’

It was as hazy as the mist skill he used, so I could only notice it when I looked closely, but he had always been showing me his raw, burning sincerity.