Was that... a werewolf?
It was roughly of medium height, dressed in simple clothes sewn from coarse cloth.
On that canine head, the fur was a mix of black, white, and gray, with ears pricked alertly.
A pair of ice-blue eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the dim light, and within that gaze was a clear sense of... cluelessness?
It was carrying a large wooden basin with an old cloth draped over the rim, just stepping out of a courtyard gate.
It looked as if it intended to dump whatever was inside the basin.
It seemed not quite awake yet, walking with a bit of a wobble.
It wasn't until it reached the ditch by the side of the courtyard that it looked up in a daze.
Those ice-blue canine eyes happened to meet the gaze of three stationary figures standing on the street, staring straight at it.
The air went silent for a moment.
The werewolf blinked.
It looked down at the basin.
Then it looked up at the three strangers.
Then it looked down at the basin again.
Suddenly, as if it had finally registered the situation, it let out a soft "aow."
Its hands shook, and the wooden basin nearly slipped from its grasp.
On the other side,
Lin Gui stared with a strange expression at that furry dog head.
Wait... isn't that a Husky?
Had a Husky attained human form?
He gave a light cough, preparing to say hello.
He planned to ask where Avalon's municipal office was.
After all, he had a white-haired half-demon elf who wanted to move into Avalon and become one of its residents.
Instead, with a "swish,"
The werewolf scrambled back into the courtyard on all fours.
The wooden basin hit the ground with a loud "clatter."
Lin Gui and the other two watched in bewilderment as the creature ran toward the central Demon King Pillar like a dog.
A few seconds later,
A loud and sharp wolf howl echoed from the center of Avalon!
"Awoooo—!!! Enemy attack—!!!"
That howl was incredibly piercing, instantly shattering the silence of the early morning.
In the next second,
The entire small city seemed like a disturbed beehive.
One window after another that had been dark suddenly lit up!
The previously silent streets quickly filled with the sound of chaotic footsteps, doors being thrown open, and shouting.
"What happened?!"
"Where?! Where's the enemy?!"
"Grab your gear! Fast!"
"The City Lord isn't here, so we will protect Avalon!"
The tranquility was completely destroyed.
On the mud-stone road, figures poured out from every house.
Most were disheveled, some even wearing only their pajamas.
They held a motley assortment of "weapons."
Hoes, pitchforks, wood-splitting axes, and even rolling pins.
Their faces held the dazed look of people who had just woken up, combined with obvious tension.
Soon, the Husky werewolf returned at the head of a group of a dozen or so people.
It charged over from the corner of the street with an aggressive momentum.
It extended a furry paw and pointed straight at Lin Gui and his companions.
"It's... it's them! They're strangers!!"
"I remember the scents of every one of Avalon's 3,732 residents clearly!"
"The three of them definitely aren't residents; they're outsiders!"
The residents brought by the werewolf immediately stopped, forming a loose semi-circle.
The "weapons" in their hands were pointed in unison at Lin Gui and the others.
Their eyes were filled with vigilance, unease, and a trace of... ruthlessness?
Theia saw this display and instinctively took half a step back.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned her head to Lin Gui and whispered:
"Um... should we run?"
"Avalon's residents don't seem very welcoming toward us..."
"Run? Run where? Didn't we come here specifically for Avalon?"
Unlike the nervous Theia, Lin Gui's expression was relaxed, even carrying a hint of curiosity.
After all, the composition of the residents surrounding them was incredibly complex.
There were humans, beastkin, gnomes, and even a dark elf.
There were also...
His gaze swept over the residents holding farm tools as weapons. He pointed toward a specific spot and whispered to Theia:
"Theia, look at them."
Theia looked in the direction he indicated.
Her gaze landed on several figures in the crowd.
Immediately, she froze.
Those people...
Their eyes faintly glowed dark red in the dim morning light.
Demon markings were clearly visible on the sides of their necks, arms, or cheeks.
Those were very typical, impossible-to-faking half-demon characteristics.
A burly half-demon beastkin with curved sheep horns.
A pale half-demon human youth with dark red pupils.
And even a half-demon elf with long ears!!
Unbelievable!
There was actually a half-demon elf here!
Theia's emerald-green eyes widened into round circles, filled with a mixture of shock, excitement, and disbelief.
Her gaze was locked onto the half-demon elf, her stare so burning it almost seemed capable of searing the air.
Her lips parted slightly, and her chest heaved violently as if she couldn't catch her breath.
It was as if she had seen her closest kin.
That raw, almost undignified reaction was so intense that even the residents who were aggressively surrounding the trio instinctively followed her gaze...
As one, they all looked toward a cowering figure in the corner of the crowd.
It was a petite female Forest Elf.
She had slightly messy, soft green hair and a pair of timid, dark red eyes.
Right now, she was trying her best to hide behind the broad back of the horned half-demon beastkin.
She only showed half of her pale face and a pair of eyes filled with confusion and... fear.
She looked at the trembling, excited Theia with a completely stunned expression.
She even shrank back a little more because of Theia's "scary" gaze.
"Win—Winnie?"
A human woman holding a hoe nudged the green-haired Forest Elf's shoulder and whispered.
"Do you... know this white-haired girl?"
The other residents also cast curious glances.
The green-haired Forest Elf known as Winnie hurriedly shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement.
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, carrying obvious tension.
"No, I—I don't know her... I've never seen her before."
She stole a glance at Theia to confirm before quickly lowering her head again.
Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
"I really, really don't know her."
I'm just a despised half-demon elf.
How could I possibly know such a majestic existence from the Moonlight Royalty?
Winnie muttered softly in her heart, her head drooping even lower.
Even in the morning light, Theia's silver hair was dazzling. After just one look, Winnie was certain.
That was absolutely a trait of the elven royalty, the Moonlight Clan.
Only Moonlight Elves would have such pure, flawless silver hair...
Wait, actually.
It seemed like... the Windrunner Clan had silver hair too?
Winnie's thoughts were a bit of a mess.
But seeing Winnie clearly state that she didn't know Theia, the suspicion of the surrounding residents instantly transformed into more direct hostility.
"You don't know her? Then what's with this girl?"
"Is she intentionally trying to act familiar? There's definitely something wrong!"
"They must be spies sent by people from the outside who want to destroy Avalon!"
"Yes, spies! Spies sent by those demons who want to destroy Avalon!"
Several residents holding pitchforks and hoes stepped forward.
Their weapons crossed, forming a barrier between Theia and Winnie.
The sharp wooden poles and iron tips nearly touched Theia's chest.
"Back off! No moving closer!"
Seeing this, Theia grew even more anxious.
She ignored the farm tools that were nearly pressed against her.
She suddenly reached out, but instead of pushing the weapons away, she reached for the edge of her own cheek.
She gripped with her fingertips and pulled!
A thin mask, light as a cicada's wing, was torn off.
The effect of the Mask of a Thousand Illusions was deactivated.
In an instant, that beautiful face that had been hidden by magic was revealed without reservation to the morning light and the crowd.
Her silver-white hair flowed like moonlight, her skin was fairer than snow, and her pointed ears stood tall.
But what drew the most attention were those eyes.
With the disguise gone, they were no longer emerald green.
Instead, they were as vibrant as rubies, with chilling slit pupils that held a demonic radiance...
Blood-colored eyes.
"Hiss—"
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rang out around them.
Every resident's eyes widened in astonishment.
Even Winnie, who had been hiding behind the beastkin, couldn't help but raise her face, her red pupils staring blankly at Theia's eyes.
That blood-red color... she was all too familiar with it.
Because of it, she had been abandoned by her mother and despised by her tribespeople, driven out of the forest to wait for death alone in the wilderness.
But... how could these eyes, despised by countless elves, appear on a member of the noble royalty!
"I am not Moonlight royalty!"
Theia's voice rose with excitement, sounding exceptionally clear on the quiet street.
She pointed at her own eyes, then urgently pointed at Winnie.
"I am a Windrunner! Just like her."
"I am a half-demon elf too!"
"I am not your enemy!"
Theia looked around and spoke softly to everyone present.
"I also... came here seeking the Avalon from the nursery rhymes."
"Only hoping that here, I could find a haven... a place that will accept me."
Rate on N.U.
