The scheduled performance was replaced by a mysterious silhouette. As the music and spotlights converged upon her, the eyes of the crowd turned toward her in curiosity.
"Everyone! Some of you may know me, and some may not. But in this moment, please allow me to introduce myself."
Even without an amplifier, Alkin's voice carried clearly across the riverside streets.
The silver-haired girl held her cape with one hand and placed the other across her stomach, performing an elegant bow.
"I am Alkin, the one who fulfilled the conditions for this grand celebration from the Great Moon. I hope these past weeks of the Winter Hunt Celebration have satisfied you."
"!!!"
The moment the words left her lips, the crowd erupted in a clamor of astonishment.
The reason the celebration organized by the Fenrir family had proceeded so smoothly and been accepted by everyone was precisely because it was a decree issued by the Moon Deity.
During this period, people did not have to worry about the intrusion of the night of the hunt or the distance between them and the hunter troupes; they could lose themselves completely in the revelry and festivities.
Unless one dared to stand up and oppose the god of the Fog Moon, this was absolute political correctness that no one could question.
While enjoying the festivities, everyone had been curious about who exactly had exchanged a blessing from the Great Moon for such grace.
In the Fog Moon Kingdom, everyone knew that only by hunting beasts could one receive rewards and blessings. In the past, all hunters used this to gain power, or at the very least, some occult relics.
The highest honors were used by the wolf packs to exploit a loophole, repeatedly resurrecting their own Ancestor to maintain order.
No one had ever used this grace to redeem anything else. It was only power, and power alone, until this festival.
However, the Fenrir family had remained tight-lipped about it, keeping it a complete secret, which had only added a veil of mystery to this hero.
As Alkin revealed herself, the crowd, after a brief moment of shock, showered her with cheers.
"I recognize her! She is the latest champion hunter!"
"Alkin! Alkin!"
"Lady Alkin! We love you!"
...
Bathing in the ocean of cheers, the white wolf raised a palm beside her furry ears, closing her eyes to listen to the crowd's acclaim.
Once the tide of cheering subsided, Alkin lowered her hand with satisfaction and spoke loudly.
"Ah, hearing so much laughter is a sufficient reward for me. However, I imagine many are still wondering what I did to earn such grace, and why I used it here?"
"There is no need to guess. To be perfectly frank, I subjugated one of the Ancient Ones. With that achievement, I sought the reward of this celebration from the Great Moon."
"!!!"
If Alkin's previous statement about being the architect of the festival had caused enthusiastic cheering, this announcement left them dumbfounded.
The noisy crowd fell into a momentary silence under the weight of this bombshell news.
Seeing this, Alkin curled her lips into a smile, took a step forward, and raised her head high.
"That is right! You did not hear wrong. An Ancient One! The Ancient Ones that have entangled the Fog Moon Kingdom for over a century! Our great enemies! The leaders of the beasts of the wilderness!"
"I cut off its head, and thus earned the opportunity for a blessing."
"That was the first Ancient One I have slain, but it will not be the last. Everyone, you should understand what this means."
Of course they understood! They understood perfectly!
In the perception of most people, the reason the Fog Moon Kingdom was isolated was to trap the Ancient Ones within the realm. But after so long, the night of the hunt came again and after again, and while the corpses of frenzied beasts piled up like mountains, news of an Ancient One being slain had never come.
Over time, the entire kingdom had lost hope, becoming lifeless and stagnant.
And now, someone actually claimed to have slain an Ancient One?
A hunter who could kill an Ancient One for the first time in a century—if she could do it once, she could surely do it a second time, a third time...
Wouldn't that mean... if the people previously saw Alkin as a benefactor who brought the festival, they now saw her as a hero capable of saving the world.
A strange excitement and agitation surged in their chests, making everyone's gaze burn like torches as they looked at the white wolf under the spotlight.
Watching the countless expectant gazes, Alkin felt no pressure at all. Instead, she became even more enthusiastic and waved her hand.
"Why remain silent? Sing out loud! This decaying nation, this boring order, should be filled with song and laughter!"
The silver-haired girl's stirring words drifted over the river.
"Why live in fear? Let me speak plainly. The order of the wolf pack has already collapsed, and the isolation of the kingdom should end. After a long night of hardship, people of the Fog Moon! We have had enough of this day-after-day rot! Now is the time to rise up and resist!"
"Or are you willing to return to your dull, tedious lives once this interlude ends?"
"If you are unwilling to endure suffering any longer, if you wish to break the chains and shackles... then what follows is the highlight of the Winter Hunt Celebration!"
The white wolf drew her blade and slashed through the air, and black and white fire poured from the edge.
Sizzle—
The Flame of the Wolf-Hour flew past, tearing through the sky and sweeping across the riverbank, igniting every bunch of roses.
From behind the cruise ship, the prince saw this scene and his pupils shrank. He remarked with emotion, "She actually developed it. She really is a natural. Sigh, talent."
A witch's talent could be further developed. If she felt it was necessary or felt enough pressure, the talent would continue to extend until it could solve the crisis at hand.
And Alkin's Flame of the Wolf-Hour had undoubtedly developed a mechanic that could be bestowed upon others.
After granting the torches to everyone, the white wolf spread her arms and laughed wildly.
"Come! Whether you are wolf-kin or not, whether you are hunters or not, what I need is your passion and courage! The paradise you long for has descended tonight! I shall initiate the true night of the hunt! Raise the torches in your hands, ride with me, and hunt with me!"
"Burn all the wilderness! Burn down all the forests! Subjugate the Ancient Ones who should have been swept into the trash long ago! Tonight, let us all join the hunt! In the wake of the fire, we shall forge a brand-new nation!"
"The revelry is calling, freedom is crying out! Cast aside your forms and burn your lives! This celebration is like a dream, and it shall never end!"
"In the midst of such a grand event, I will not permit any act of cowardice!"
Faust thought for a moment and concluded, "She's blown it wide open!"
The wolf-girl had not mentioned these speech contents to him before; she had only said she was going to do something big.
Now it seemed she had indeed done something massive.
Alkin had gone mad; she wanted to create a new Fog Moon!
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