Bloodfang wiped away the tears that had welled up from her laughter, composed herself, and then began to speak.

"Truth be told, Bloodaxe is not my biological sister. Our blood - relation is rather distant. However, we became acquainted at an early age, and the bond between us is as strong as that of true sisters. Nevertheless, her misfortunes ultimately led to our separation.

"I remember that day vividly. Had I not heard those words spoken by the family elders with my own ears, I might never have known that our family harbored such infuriating secrets. There was an elder within the family who, perhaps bearing some grudge against Bloodaxe's family, concocted a plot targeting her parents.

"In order to achieve his aim, that depraved individual even sacrificed his own son, with the intention of framing Bloodaxe's parents, thus providing a pretext to kill them. Eventually, he succeeded. Bloodaxe lost her parents, was expelled from the family, and left with her younger siblings."

After listening, Glen asked at an opportune moment,"Did you uncover all these details through your own investigation?"

Bloodfang, already weary, smiled upon hearing this and said,"Bloodaxe told me before she left. After learning about it, I was enraged and went back to inform the family elders, but their reaction was rather indifferent, for they were all aware of the truth."

"How could this be?" Glen could actually surmise some aspects, but he asked to prompt her to continue.

"Indeed, how could this be? I angrily confronted them, but they merely stated that since they knew the truth, they allowed Bloodaxe and her family to leave. Otherwise, they would surely have perished."

"This is truly exasperating!" This time, it was Leaves who spoke.

Bloodfang glanced at her, and upon seeing the adorable, indignant expression on the little girl's face, she couldn't resist scooping her up and planting a kiss on her cheek.

Leaves struggled, wiping the saliva from her face while exclaiming,"Oh! Let me go! You reek!"

Children speak without restraint. Bloodfang was taken aback, sniffed herself, and indeed, she detected a rather strong odor. Instead of releasing her hold, she tightened her embrace, deliberately subjecting Leaves to her body odor.

Leaves' face contorted in disgust as she cried out for Glen to come to her rescue.

Glen, too, was amused by the girl's pitiable state, yet he still interjected,

"All right, stop teasing her."

Bloodfang finally set Leaves down. The moment her feet touched the ground, the girl scurried behind Glen, eyeing Bloodfang warily.

Mushroom had long since hidden behind Glen, also fearful of being seized by the woman.

"Are they your sisters?" Bloodfang inquired curiously.

"We are all apprentices of the same teacher. In fact, they began learning magic earlier than I did," Glen explained.

Bloodfang nodded in understanding.

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At this juncture, Glen resumed the previous topic, saying,"From your account, it appears that your family has some rather dark aspects?"

"One could say so. My ill - fated sister was the victim," Bloodfang replied with a sigh.

Gurgle~

The sound of a rumbling stomach emanated immediately after Bloodfang finished speaking.

"Apologies. The provisions we originally carried have long been exhausted. We've been hungry for quite some time," Bloodfang said, rubbing her stomach and scratching her head.

Glen was about to say something when he felt a tug at his clothing. Looking down, he heard Mushroom say,"I'm hungry."

"Hmm..." Glen surveyed the rather sizeable group present. He had sufficient food to feed them all, yet they were now far from any populated area, and there was no way to replenish their supplies.

Seemingly sensing Glen's predicament, Bloodfang smiled and said,"Don't be troubled. We'll be fine going without food for a few days."

Only then did she realize that Glen had not yet told her his name. So she asked once more,"By the way, you haven't told me your name yet, sir."

"You may address me as Glen," Glen replied casually. Then, he suddenly walked towards the large deer munching on hay in the distance.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Glen retrieved several pieces of raw meat wrapped in special paper and returned.

"This is the extent of the assistance we can offer. You can divide it among yourselves later," Glen said, and tossed the meat directly to Bloodfang, who was compelled to reach out and catch it.

"You truly needn't have gone to such lengths to assist us..." Bloodfang said, feeling the weight of the meat in her hands, her tone tinged with a complex mix of emotions.

She had witnessed the malevolence of various individuals. The only ones she truly trusted were her companions.

Yet, individuals like Anlim, who initially seemed reliable, had actually betrayed her.

This had subtly altered her perception. When she first interacted with Glen, although she appeared affable, it was merely a pretense, as she knew her group was no match for him.

It was only after learning that Glen knew Bloodaxe that her attitude shifted, and she became willing to disclose the family scandal.

However, this person, whom she had just met and with whom she had only exchanged a few words, was actually willing to extend a helping hand.

Just as Bloodfang was contemplating what to say, Glen said,

"When I make friends, I rely on my intuition. If I feel that you're someone I can get along with, I'm willing to befriend you and offer my assistance to the best of my ability. There are no ulterior motives."

These words were straightforward, yet they sounded most agreeable to Bloodfang's ears.

"I can't quite put into words how I feel at this moment, but I still wish to express my gratitude," Bloodfang said, nodding towards Glen.

Glen accepted her gratitude with equanimity.

After a brief pause, he inquired,"What became of the person who framed Bloodaxe?"

Bloodfang's face contorted with disdain."What else could have happened? His life has been steadily improving, and the family shows no inclination to hold him accountable for his misdeeds."

"Didn't you take any action?"

"I intended to, but the elders, aware of my close relationship with Bloodaxe, have been keeping a vigilant eye on me, fearing that I might do something to harm that individual."

Bloodfang spoke through gritted teeth.

"If the opportunity presents itself, it would be best to eliminate him. Such a calculating and ruthless individual is highly suspicious. He might even be plotting against you as we speak," Glen warned deliberately.

Upon hearing Glen's words, Bloodfang furrowed her brows in thought. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.

She considered Glen's words entirely plausible. Lately, she had heard virtually no news of that person. He might well be up to some new machinations.

"Thank you, Glen. I believe we must be on our way. I shall remember this kindness," Bloodfang said. Then, she summoned her attendants and had the two battered noble youths carried.

The two were still barely alive. Due to their noble status, Bloodfang refrained from killing them, as it would cause significant trouble for her family.

"You don't seem to be in the best condition. Are you certain it's advisable to set off in such a state? This place is fraught with danger," Glen said, his eyes betraying his doubt.

Bloodfang, however, turned around nonchalantly and said,"I'm fairly familiar with this area. As long as we take care to avoid certain areas, we won't encounter any dangers beyond our ability to handle."

With that, the group departed, their bodies weary. Evidently, the person who had instilled such a profound sense of unease in Bloodfang was no ordinary threat.