They Knock the Prince Down, Surely to...

Are you looking for trouble on purpose?!

Grandmother likely realized that Alkin was on her guard, so she stopped insisting the girl come closer. Instead, she let out a couple of dry coughs.

"My dear child, didn't you bring me a gift?"

"Ah, that's right. Grandmother, since when did you start liking these little snacks?"

The wolf-eared girl placed the black box and golden cup onto the room's carpet, resting a hand on her hip. "Cake and wine... Hmm, what kind of snacks require a special delivery? I've never seen these before."

Grandmother lowered her head. Her voice trembled, laced with a wheezing, airy sound. "Of course you haven't seen them. How could I ever show my thirst and hunger to my dear child? For you children, I always wanted to present a kind and gentle image. But why... why must you be so rebellious?"

"You leave me no choice but to swallow you whole, even if it pains me!"

The old woman's nightgown was instantly shredded. Black mist erupted from within her body, filling the entire mansion in a split second. In the darkness, scarlet wolf eyes gazed greedily at Alkin.

Then, the shadows surged.

Having been prepared, the wolf-eared girl drew her sidearm with lightning speed. Her blade clashed against Grandmother's claws in the darkness. She used a parrying technique to leap backward, narrowly neutralizing the lethal strike.

Alkin twirled her blade, her lake-blue eyes wide as she asked with childlike innocence, "Grandmother, what are you doing?"

The ancient one, having completely shed its human skin and now dripping saliva within the shadows, let out a raspy, hideous voice. "Eating you, my lovely child. The scent on you is simply unbearable!"

Accompanying Grandmother's roar, the black box and golden cup on the carpet trembled, merging with the rampant shadows to sprout scarlet fangs toward Alkin.

Just by being near them, the wolf-eared girl felt her soul and flesh being peeled apart. A terror akin to being flayed alive screamed a warning through her mind.

Those were clearly a pair of occult relics.

"So it turns out I'm the cake. You should have just said so; I was planning on staying for a casual meal."

The white wolf laughed. Even facing betrayal from her own ancestor, she showed no fear. Instead, she was in the mood to joke. "I heard that before the pack was enlightened by the Moon Deity, there was indeed a tradition of cannibalism. But what about now? Hasn't our pack long since shed its bestial nature and embraced civilization?"

"It should have been so..."

The pitch-black shadows writhed, and the entire mansion seemed to have been assimilated into a living, eerie, and gloomy entity.

The voice of the wolf ancestor echoed from all directions. "I am just too hungry. I have suppressed my nature for far, far too long. But in the end, we are wolves. Even if we are enlightened, even if we are tamed, we are still wolves. And wolves can never find liberation!"

【Grandmother's】 form was now completely beyond description or definition. Only a faint silhouette of a wolf could be seen within the shadows. Her raspy roar carried a sobbing tone.

"My Lord! Why did You cast down Your light of mercy to enlighten us from our desolate savagery? But we... we are not worthy. Wolves only know how to bite greedily. After devouring our former kin, we then gnawed upon our Master. We... how base and pathetic we are!"

"Huh?!"

Alkin's pupils shook. She realized she had just overheard some incredible information.

But she didn't have time to process the shocking news from Grandmother's mouth, because the wolf ancestor immediately launched a tempestuous assault.

The white wolf had to focus entirely on dealing with the attacks of the beast god, darting left and right within the collapsing mansion to evade Grandmother's strikes.

The wolf ancestor didn't seem to be trying very hard. She was in a delirious state, swinging her claws wildly while muttering in a deep voice, "My most beloved child, you shouldn't have refused to inherit the family. You shouldn't have been so... unconventional."

"How can I resist such a fragrant and delicious scent of freedom?"

"So run, child. Run. Let me enjoy the pleasure of the hunt after all this time."

...

In the sea of roses outside the mansion, Faust was also locked in a bitter struggle.

To be sure, the Prince, armed with the 【Great Thunder】 and the experience of a martial saint, could be equated to a 【hero】. He was confident in facing any elite of the pack.

But he was being ganged up on.

As the guards of the family ancestor, these wolf-kin were the elite of the elite even among Hunters. Furthermore, they coordinated perfectly, acting with absolute discipline.

Specifically, Sylvia, a candidate for Champion Hunter, was only slightly inferior to Faust in raw strength.

But with the support of the others, she swung her crimson sickle-chain with fluid grace, keeping the Prince tightly entangled. Faust truly hadn't learned how to deal with such an unconventional weapon from Teacher Mystoria.

The blade, empowered by orange-yellow lightning, clashed with the sickle-chain. Amidst the bursting electric arcs, Sylvia maneuvered nimbly, evading all the concussive thunder.

An alluring flush appeared on Sylvia's charming face as she sighed. "Ah, so brave and powerful. As a male, you are truly high-quality. I can't wait to begin your breeding and training, Your Highness."

But for now, Faust could only keep a straight face and snap, "Since when did you start practicing cannibalism? Is this the rule of the pack?"

Sylvia stroked the edge of her weapon with her index finger and answered slowly, "Generally speaking, Grandmother doesn't eat the pack's kin. The commoners in the kingdom are enough. But unfortunately... Alkin is too much like a human."

"The wolf ancestor must consume humanity. This hunger even outweighs loyalty. Now that the Great Moon has been mostly devoured by the pack and is on the verge of collapse, the Ancient Ones like Grandmother are our only reliance."

"We are indeed god-slaying sinners. This is the pack's original sin, the family's wicked deed. No one denies it. But things have already come to this, so there is nothing more to say."

Sylvia showed no intention of hiding it, openly sharing this massive amount of information with the Prince.

Before Faust could process it, Mephistopheles realized the truth. 【Ha! Just as expected. Did my fellow kin actually think he could tame wolves? Whether as a Son of the Beast or a son of man, wolves are impossible to tame. But failing like this... perhaps the factors of the witches' feast are involved as well.】

Faust frowned. "So that's your reason for sacrificing your kin? I'm telling you, it's disgusting."

The wolf-kin didn't deny it, nodding calmly. "To maintain the existence of this nation, it is a necessary sacrifice."

Faust was blunt. "To hell with your entire family tree!"

Sylvia spread her hands. "Oh? You want to go after my mother? Unfortunately, the pack practices collective rearing. Even I am not very familiar with my biological mother, so I cannot fulfill your wish."

"However, as a substitute, my sisters are all here. I don't mind calling them over. It just so happens that none of us have mates. Your bloodline is sufficient to strengthen the family's next generation."

Hearing this, the breathing of several slender wolf-kin nearby became noticeably heavy. The Prince suddenly felt scorching gazes sizing him up.

Gah... if these beast-eared girls knock Faust down, they’re definitely taking him back for some "hard labor"!