His Breeding Obsession

 

Mirania bent her knees slightly as she stretched her protective witch coven through the tree.

 

Crouching at the base of the tree, Grecan did not take his eyes off Mirania.

 

‘He looks like a baby bird, just awakened to the world, following its mother around.’ 

 

When awakened, they’re as vulnerable as a newborn, so I’m sure Grecan’s instinct was to lean on someone to protect him.

 

Mirania let out a small laugh. It was strangely calming, and yet again, regretful.

 “I know this is an important event in your life, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.” 

Mirania ruffled Grecan’s hair, not wanting to risk a potentially unpleasant argument with the humans.

 

His black hair turned into a magpie’s nest, but he didn’t complain.

 

He just growled, his ruddy eyes half-closed as if in pleasure.

 

Mirania poured the chill in the air into Grecan.

 

It wouldn’t completely cool his fevered body, but it would make him feel more comfortable.

 

Grecan squinted, and whispered through feverishly chapped lips.

 “Feels good.” 

She laid the back of her hand on his forehead, which had grown only slightly lukewarm, and locked eyes with him, whispering…

 “Stay here and be still, for I will be back soon to keep you company.” 

Her voice was soothing, as if the unfamiliar title of ‘child’ would follow.

 

Mirania shrugged a little when she saw Grecan blink in confusion.

 

She had done something out of character.

 

Perhaps it was because he felt more like a weak, vulnerable wolf pup than a big, bad-tempered wolf pack leader.

 

Mirania’s slumped shoulders drew a soft line, as if she’d been transported back to the first time she’d met him.

 

‘The end must be near, if these old thoughts keep coming back.’

 

Unaware of what she was thinking, Grecan smiled and rubbed his head against Mirania’s hand.

 

But when Mirania pulled her hand away, his eyes widened like a child whose treasure had been taken from him.

 “Why?” “I’m leaving.” “Huh?” “Wait for me.” 

Suddenly understanding what Mirania meant, Grecan frowned.

 “No.” 

Even though she called him a baby bird, he was usually worse than a baby bird chasing its mother.

 

Mirania wasn’t offended by his stubbornness in a time of need.

 “I knew it.” 

Grecan smiled, pleased. But Mirania didn’t mean to take him with her.

 

Shrugging, she snapped her fingers.

 

Half expecting, half doubting, Grecan’s eyes fluttered open. Sleepiness began to strike like a thunderbolt.

 “Mi…rania!” 

Grecan forced his eyes open and glared at Mirania, but not for long.

 

His eyes glazed over as he relaxed once more.

 

Mirania stroked his hair, tenderly guiding the back of his head against the tree.

 

With trembling eyes, Grecan pleaded desperately.

 “No… don’t… leave me… don’t go.” “…” “My, my…” 

His head touched the tree. The drowsiness he’d barely fought off washed over him indescribably.

 

Like water pouring from a hole in the ground, Grecan was engulfed by sleep.

 

Seconds later, fully asleep, Mirania, who had held his hot body from collapsing, listened to his breathing, and then pulled away.

 “It is better to sleep.” 

If she had listened to him, she wouldn’t have had to deal with Grecan for nearly two decades.

 

‘This is not the greeting I expected, and I am not at ease. Still, if you’re going to follow me, I’d rather not have you slip out of the circle and fall victim to a blind sword.’

 Thud, thud, thud! 

The sound of hooves shook the earth.

 

Mirania looked up. An army of humans surrounded her.

 “The strength of the humans is alarming.” 

Flying up on her broom, Mirania thought back to Grecan’s moment of awakening.

 

‘Something has happened to Balkan.’

 

It was a premonition, almost a certainty. In his previous life, Grecan had become the leader of the wolves upon Balkan’s death.

 

It was different with Leverianz.

 

While the Bat Clan was a kinship-based system in which a noble-blooded leader inherited the power of the Bat Clan through a ritual, a wolf could become a leader without being the child of a leader.

 

The law of the strongest. The strongest wolf leads the pack.

 

As such, the wolf chief rituals had more to do with bringing the clan together than with transferring power.

 

‘Grecan will be the leader.’

 

According to the law of the strongest wolf being the leader, Grecan would be the strongest wolf leader in history.

 

‘I can’t help but think of my previous life.’

 

Her mind hardened slightly, and she became nervous.

 

Grecan was the leader of a once-in-a-thousand-year wolf clan. No, I don’t know if it’s possible to come out once in a thousand years.

 

Not since I was born has there been one like him.

 

Grecan has gained power once again in the form of Awakening.

 

The once-in-a-thousand-year rule meant that he would be the most powerful wolf clan leader for a thousand years.

 

‘Should I have told him that the witches are in good hands?’

 

It’s where I was born and raised, and if he had a conscience, he’d look out for the witches.

 

‘Conscience is not something to be expected of him. For old times’ sake, I hope he doesn’t touch them.’

 

Mirania looked serious. She decided that she’d have to make a new commitment when this was over, and put thoughts of Grecan on hold.

 

Below, the humans scurried about.

 

‘We don’t have much time to spare, so we’ll just have to finish this once and for all.’

 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a middle-aged man in armor slip away from the human horde.

 

He bowed to the old man behind him.

 “Tower Lord, may I ask a favor?” “Don’t worry about it. If the Great Witch comes, we’ll take care of her.” 

They hadn’t realized there was a Mirania overhead.

 

‘The Great Witch?’

 

Mirania frowned slightly. She could feel the old man’s power, or what the humans called mana.

 

‘Tower Lord. The head of the Wizard’s Tower.’

 

A blow to the head for a quick end.

 

Mirania glanced at the still-unharmed Alice and the wagon and snapped her fingers.

 

The Plains of Razhl are a plain of nothingness, but only in the eyes of humans.

 

Mirania could mobilize any number of weapons in this nothingness.

 

Huge chunks of stone erupted from all directions, crashing down on the heads of the mages as they recited their casts.

 “What’s this power? Futile! Take cover! The enemy is here!” 

The wizards, who had noticed the fierce aura in hindsight, cried out in alarm at the approaching boulders.

 

Even as they did, shards from the flying boulder rained down on them.

 Boom! 

A huge, eardrum-bursting sound echoed in all directions.

  

In truth, when faced with the humans, Mirania had thought she would be able to clean up quickly and leave.

 

For as far back as she could remember, the humans were far too weak to have made the progress that the Archmage Adensha had made.

 

What they excelled at was dexterity and the making of conveniences, but they were a thousand times less powerful than she was.

 

Mirania, who had hoped to stun, if not kill, them all, raised an eyebrow at the sight of the whitish dust settling to reveal the figure.

 

‘Huh.’

 

Surprisingly, the mages were all unharmed.

 

Breathing raggedly, but none of them fainted.

 

The mage master, who had been caught off guard by the single blow, shouted behind him.

 “Cough, prepare your cast!” 

‘They were prepared for it.’

 

Convinced, but still, Mirania’s pride was slightly wounded.

 

She wasn’t one to flaunt her natural strength, but she wasn’t so prideful as to be intolerant of being blocked by a human who was significantly weaker than her.

 

“The enemy! The Great Witch has appeared!”

 

The commander-in-chief sounded the alarm in a calm voice.

 

Mirania looked around. Everyone was moving in unison at the command of the lofty-looking leader.

 

There are too many humans. In this situation, we need to shoot everything within reach, and I don’t want Alice to get hurt.

 

‘For now, we need to get her to a safe place.’

 

Mirania nodded, knowing this was right.

 

Come to think of it, there was no point in fighting them.

 

Just stall them long enough for Grecan to be able to move.

 

After that, we could simply take Alice and, as a bonus, the Prince and fly to the Witch Castle.

 

‘Though we’ll have to be careful with the water dragons.’

 

I was about to move toward the carriage.

 Boom! 

A roaring fireball came at me, and it was traveling very fast.

 

Swinging her broom upward to dodge the fireball, Mirania looked back in the direction of the wizard.

 

A group of about twenty elderly men were lined up in a row, their lips pursed.