In the morning, the young High Priestess Aurora read Rivern's letter once more before tucking it away into a drawer beneath her desk.

"Are you truly planning to visit the girl mentioned in the letter and her black panther?" asked Miranda, her female secretary, who stood beside her.

"Yes, I trust Rivern's judgment. So, I must meet that girl and her companion in person." The young High Priestess stood up, revealing dainty ankles from beneath her pristine priestly robe. Despite the lingering traces of youth on her face, she had already assumed a heavy responsibility unbefitting her age from the late Nafal.

Miranda, the female secretary, adjusted her glasses and said, "I already spoke with the head of the Beast Tamer Guild yesterday." It was as though she could always anticipate the High Priestess's decisions and make preparations well in advance.

"Thank you, Miranda," Aurora said with a gentle smile. She knew that even though this secretary appeared reserved and as cold as ice, she was her most reliable and trusted assistant, who understood her the best.

"I've already informed Nevarus, and he should accompany you today," Miranda followed Aurora's footsteps as they walked out of the study, "But considering his usual behavior, I think it's highly likely that he'll be late today."

Aurora sighed silently. The only paladin within the Dawn Prayers who had a habit of arriving late was nothing like the typical image of a paladin. He was known for his sharp tongue, arrogant actions, and his talent for offending and provoking. If it weren't for his exceptional combat skills, Aurora might have found no reason to persuade the other members of the Dawn Prayers to keep him by her side.

Nevarus, although aware of his unlikeable demeanor, continued to be unruly and dismissive of others. The only person who could make him obey completely was Aurora.

"Forgive my bluntness, but if you continue to keep him in the guild, he will only bring a worse influence to his colleagues," Miranda stated the facts, but there was a hint of accusation in her tone. "The day before yesterday, I saw him take Akman and Mord to the tavern. All three of them got utterly drunk. As you know, Akman and Mord never drank before. As servants of the divine, we must always remain sober, exercise restraint, and humility. But Nevarus, he..."

Before Miranda could finish, a flippant voice interrupted her, "What's wrong with Nevarus, my dear secretary?"

Aurora and Miranda halted their steps and discovered a man lying on the corridor's bench. He leaned leisurely against a pillar, long legs crossed, and held a bottle of liquor with only half of its contents left. His dark short hair was tousled by the morning breeze, but he didn't seem to mind. He simply raised the bottle and greedily took a swig.

"Drinking in the early morning, how unbecoming," Miranda couldn't help but feel irked by Nevarus's appearance.

Nevarus set the bottle aside and stood up. He disregarded Miranda's anger and approached Aurora. "Going to visit the Beast Tamer Guild's qualifying rounds today?"

Aurora nodded, about to say something, but Nevarus interrupted her. "Before that, you probably need to take a look at this." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Aurora. "It arrived just this morning."

The young high priestess accepted the envelope and couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

"The sender is Gray Davin, the tavern owner in Echowater Town," Aurora said as she tore open the envelope.

Miranda, holding her notebook, quickly checked and added, "Gray Davin is one of our sponsors in Echowater Town."

Nevarus, sitting nearby, had no curiosity about the contents of the letter. Instead, he returned to his seat and started drinking from his bottle.

Aurora read the letter swiftly, her eyes finally focusing on one name. After a long pause, she spoke, "Krystiz... still alive..."

"Krystiz Wrynn?" Miranda recollected the name from her memory. "The emissary dispatched by Lord Nafar to the other side of the Black Jade Sea twelve years ago? She's been missing for years, and I thought she was dead."

"She's alive. But what worries me," Aurora's gaze focused on the words, "some dark forces may be gathering in The Northernmost..."

This ominous news plunged the three into a brief silence.

"The Northernmost?" Nevarus was the first to break the silence, clearly unaware of this location.

Miranda took the letter. "If Krystiz is alive, why hasn't she returned? And what's with this other emissary? He was supposed to carry the item and simply visit. No need to inform beforehand, unless there's a reason he can't come. Additionally, this letter was written on behalf of Gray. Does this person not write in the Common Language?"

Aurora examined the somewhat awkward handwriting:

[Shinya]

"Also, this doesn't seem to be a commonly used name in the Common Language. We can't wait for him to show up; we must find this person as soon as possible."

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Should I contact Grey?" Miranda inquired.

Aurora turned the paper over and noticed several more lines on the back. "It seems that won't be necessary."

Miranda leaned in and quietly read out the contents of the letter: "Respected Lady Aurora, I am Gray Davin, the tavern owner of the Echowater Town. Late tonight, a young stranger came to my establishment and requested me to write this letter for him. He introduced himself as a messenger for Miss Krystiz. I'm not privy to the internal affairs of the Dawn Prayers, so I cannot confirm the veracity of his words. All I can do is convey the message to you. This man has come from the other side of the Black Jade Sea, and he is a Werewolf."

"Werewolf..." Aurora murmured. "The fact that she sent a werewolf messenger suggests that she might still be in Togekaze. I hope she's safe there. I remember the Bloodwolves are a powerful and bloodthirsty race."

Hearing this, Nevarus's lips curled slightly. "Oh? Werewolves? Interesting. I'd love to see just how formidable this legendary warrior race truly is."

Miranda, without interrupting, continued to read the letter.

"This werewolf speaks Common fluently, despite a peculiar accent that doesn't hinder communication. It's hard to believe that even after seven centuries since the Cataclysm, some werewolves can still speak Common. He most likely has spent quite some time in the human world, which is why he's so knowledgeable about human matters. He knows that Lord Nafal is the High Priest of Dawn Prayers but is unaware of Lord Nafal's assassination.

Although he claims to have no ill intentions, it's wise for Lady Aurora to remain cautious. Werewolves usually don't venture far from their territories, so his presence here isn't a good sign. He appears to be about twenty years old, youthful and handsome, tall in stature, with black short hair, tanned skin, and a distinctive feature: a pair of extraordinarily rare deep purple eyes for a human."

Miranda relayed the information from the letter.

"Sincerely, Gray Davin，May 30, 1264"

"Deep purple eyes?" Nevarus toyed with the empty bottle in his hand. "I haven't seen such eye color before."

Aurora handed the letter to her secretary, Miranda, and then walked briskly ahead. "Let's go, Nevarus. You might get to meet him sooner than you think."

The paladin tossed the wine bottle aside and got up to follow the High Priest. His curiosity got the better of him. "How are werewolves different from humans? Can they transform? Do they run on all fours like beasts?"

The young High Priestess had a serious expression. "I believe you will find out."

***

"Not her, not her either..." Aurora sat on the edge of the judges' stand, watching the morning's test. Group after group of Beast Tamer Guild trainees and their combat pets passed in front of her, but she had yet to see the person she was looking for – a girl with the Dawn Prayers emblem headband and a black panther.

"Lady Aurora, it's a great honor to have you grace this test with your presence," seated beside her was Soye, one of the Vice Presidents of the Beast Tamer Guild. He was a slender man, known for his sycophantic nature.

Originally, given Aurora's position, she wouldn't have qualified for a seat on the judges' stand, but Miranda found Soye, and he didn't mind doing a personal favor for the Dawn Prayers' High Priestess.

The entire Northsail was eager to foster good relations with the Dawn Prayers. This ancient neutral organization enjoyed a high reputation in the human world. Its members were the apostles of the Holy Light, the earthly enforcers of the Goddess of Light, Hekarian. The priests of the Dawn Prayers healed the wounded, saved lives, and played vital roles sought by every organization within Northsail City.

Even so, the Vice President wasn't expected to cling to her like an unrelenting plaster after meeting her in person. "Vice President, you're too kind," said Aurora. She had no favorable impression of Soye but still maintained basic respect. "Just call me Soye," he leaned in close to Aurora's ear and whispered.

The strong scent of perfume mixed with Soye's tobacco-laden breath, creating a strange, nauseating odor that left Aurora repulsed. Just as she was contemplating how to politely distance herself from Soye, a pair of leather boots suddenly appeared between them. They kicked Soye's arm away and rested on the armrest between the two of them.

The two of them turned around to find that Nevarus had, at some point, brought a chair and seated himself behind them. He had put both of his feet up, in such a rude manner that it infuriated Soye. Soye turned his head, cursing at the least paladin-like paladin in the world, "Nevarus, damn it, put your feet down!"

Nevarus paid him no mind. He comfortably stretched, swapping the crossed legs up and down, saying, "Oh, come on. I've got long legs. Putting them on the ground doesn't suit me."

Upon hearing this, Miranda who were standing on the side, and Aurora, both revealed imperceptible smiles.

Nevarus's name was infamous in Northsail, known to everyone. He had been openly hired as a personal bodyguard by the High Priestess of Dawn Prayers. After officially joining the Dawn Prayers, his unruly personality became even more pronounced.

There were plenty of people who disliked him, but few dared to genuinely oppose him. After all, getting into a real fight with him left very few people as his equals. Moreover, having a falling out with him was essentially the same as having a falling out with Dawn Prayers.

But in Northsail, who dared to have a falling out with Dawn Prayers?

Soye could only swallow his pride and allow those arrogant boots to rest on his armrest.

Nevarus, seeing Soye had given up arguing, appeared somewhat disappointed. He tilted his head back to gaze at the cloudless sky and added, "my dear Vice-president, you don't need to be so warm towards us. After all, we're not here to be judges, nor are we here for a friendly visit."

At this moment, a voice rang out in the arena.

"Next group!"

A girl with a black panther entered the arena. The "Feather of Blossom" on her silver headband shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

"The girl mentioned in Rivern's letter, that's her," Miranda stood behind Aurora and whispered softly in her ear.

However, Aurora's attention was no longer on the girl; she was fixedly staring at the black panther. A subtle dark energy emanated from the panther, causing Aurora to shudder.

It had been a long time since she had felt this kind of power in Northsail. This power was different from the necromancy used by human necromancers and the dark magic used by sorcerers. It seemed to come from the deepest, purest, and most insane depths of darkness.

This power could only make Aurora think of the entity that stood at the pinnacle of dark creatures – demons.

Even though it emitted only the slightest trace, it didn't escape Aurora's notice. She stood up instinctively, entering a state of spellcasting.

"Aurora, my lady?" Soye looked at Aurora's actions with puzzlement, not understanding what she was doing. It's no wonder because only high-ranking clerics could detect lurking demons; regular individuals couldn't achieve this.

Finally, Nevarus retracted his long legs. He approached Soye and spoke in a low tone, "I've mentioned it before, we didn't come to be judges, nor did we come for a friendly visit."

With that said, he straightened up and reached for the cruciform sword on his back.

"We're here to cause some trouble."

The paladin unsheathed his sword, a faintly wicked smile curling his lips.