The Silent Pact of a Wolf Babysitter-Chapter 129: The Depth of Abyss

I, along with Vilskapa and Valhugr, was currently in the Chief’s room—one that I had recently and politely requested be equipped and converted into my personal office.

Seated in a finely crafted chair with soft, comfortable cushioning, I rested behind a massive, polished table. Placing my clasped hands on the surface before me, I began to speak in a low but steady voice.

"I want to know what possessed you all," I said slowly, letting the weight of my words sink in, "and made you attempt to eliminate Master Raven and me."

The two Nor-dwarves flinched at my accusation, exchanging quick, uneasy glances between themselves.

I had my suspicions from the very beginning, but everything became clear once we returned from the mission. Valhugr and Vilskapa had been visibly unsettled from the moment we stepped back into the village. It was now apparent—they had sent us into that cave as an offering to the Kaiserfoot, fully expecting that we would perish in the clash.

"You have only five seconds to convince me," I said with cold finality, "before I pass judgment."

"Ah, actually," Vilskapa stammered, "w-we didn’t know of any other way to get rid of the Kaiserfoot without destroying the village in the process. We truly sought your help!"

"Please, enough with the act!" I struck the desk with my palm, the sharp Bam! echoing across the room. "Do you not know who I am? I have observed you both, studied your movements—ever since the second day of our arrival, you have been plotting our termination."

Vilskapa opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, remaining silent. I shifted my gaze to Valhugr, silently demanding his own explanation.

He, unlike Vilskapa, seemed less shaken by my presence.

"I completely understand your anger, Lady Levina," he said, bowing his head in acknowledgment. "In fact, it was I who conceived the idea. Have you face the Kaiserfoot: if you won, good. If you lost, also good. And if you both destroyed each other in the process... even better."

I narrowed my eyes at his blunt admission, my suspicion deepening.

He continued, "It is not out of personal hatred toward you or Lord Ruben. I simply believed this to be the best course for our village. Your powers are far too great for us to control, and when an opportunity to thwart it presents itself, it would be foolish not to use it."

Both men then fell to their knees before me.

"But... whatever wrath you have gathered from our foolish attempt, I beg you to pour it upon us alone, and spare the rest of the Nor-dwarves. I implore you."

I released a long, slow sigh.

These fools still have no true understanding of the situation. Yet, I cannot deny they possess the courage to challenge even me if it means protecting their people—and I find that admirable in its own way.

I had once assumed Valhugr was nothing more than a creature of base, carnal desire... but it appears he possesses far more intellect than I initially gave him credit for.

"My rage is not directed at your scheme alone," I told them in a steady voice. "What fuels my anger is the fact that you would dare betray Master Raven, even after he extended mercy to you and your people. In case you were unaware, Jobina and I had, in all seriousness, considered... No, not merely considered—we had genuinely intended to wipe your race from existence in its entirety."

They bowed even lower, their silence heavy in the air.

"Haaah... Fine," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. "I will restrain my emotions for now. You may continue your lives, but do not ever forget this: you belong to us, now and forever. It would be far wiser for you to learn to fit in."

I took the time to explain to them just how absurd and ill-conceived their plan truly was. In the first place, Master Raven’s specter wolves alone would have been more than enough to annihilate that Kaiserfoot.

And if, by some strange twist of fate, Master Raven had actually been defeated, Alicia and the others would have reduced this entire village to rubble without hesitation. It was, in every possible way, a poor plan.

Well... I had received my answers, and my doubts were now cleared. I needed to determine whether these Nor-dwarves were worth keeping. I believe they are.

"Listen closely to me," I said as I approached them, lowering myself into a squat so my eyes were level with theirs. "Valhugr, look at my face—not my crotch." I reached forward and gave his forehead a sharp pinch.

"Master Raven, if you come to know him as I do," I continued, "is a truly remarkable Lord—one whose very existence should be impossible. He is the embodiment of warmth and kindness. While I do fully intend to work your race to the bone for my cause, I also want you to feel the warmth of his heart. You see... Master Raven used to be very lonely."

With that, I declared that they would still be punished for going against their taskmasters. But at least that particular matter was now settled.

For the time being, my attention must turn toward the genocide I have planned for the townsfolk in the nearby human lands. According to Nico, the target lies roughly five miles from here. We will bypass the fortress city ahead, circling around to approach the town that flanks it from the side.

Which means, the next item on my agenda is to secure Jorō’s cooperation. Unlike Tamayō, I share no close bond with Jorō, and thus cannot easily reach her through mental communication. That leaves me with no choice but to meet her in person.

To do that, I will have to enter the Shadow Realm—the domain where all of Master Raven’s summons reside. Tamayō had told me of this place some time ago, explaining that it could be accessed only by Master Raven’s summons.

However, she also shared with me certain parameters and details of its structure. With that knowledge, and with a few enhancements of my own design, I have crafted a spell that should grant me passage.

"What is the Shadow Realm?" Vilskapa asked, his voice trembling. "It sounds like a kind of underworld to me."

"It is essentially that," I replied, watching him shiver.

"I... Is that our punishment? Are you sending us off to the underworld?"

"Calm yourself," I assured him, my tone steady. "We are only going to meet someone important."

I walked to the far corner of the room, where the shadows gathered and tangled with one another, far from the reach of the flickering candlelight.

Then I began to speak, my voice low but clear: 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"From the land of light, I ask for passage.

Grant me permission to the depths of the Abyss, where my Master holds dominion."

As the final words left my lips, the darkness in that corner stirred, shifting and folding in on itself. The black mass gradually aligned into the shape of a tall, foreboding door, from which dark mist began to spill into the room.

The weight of the magic could be felt even from where I stood. To any ordinary soul, this would feel like the very mouth of hell itself.