"A person capable of defeating a fourth-level mage, and you only offered such a meager reward? Are you on intimate terms?" Lady Deffa inquired with a peculiar tone.

"Far from it. He even killed one of my dogs," the old man said, his features contorting slightly with barely suppressed anger at the recollection.

Lady Deffa's expression grew even more peculiar. "So, you deceived him? Aren't you apprehensive that he'll seek retribution once he discovers the truth?"

The old man's demeanor stiffened slightly. He gave a soft cough and said, "I was unaware of his true worth initially. I can't be held accountable for that."

Lady Deffa was momentarily at a loss for words. Then, she carefully chose her words and said, "Very well. Then... Is he also a mage? Or perhaps a fourth-level knight?"

The old man cast a glance at her and said indifferently, "He's a werewolf."

"A werewolf?" Lady Deffa furrowed her brows.

As an orthodox mage, she instinctively harbored an aversion towards such malevolent creatures as werewolves.

Sensing her misgivings, the old man explained, "Although he is a werewolf, he is unlike other members of his kind. He is truly unique. After transforming, he not only retains complete rationality but is also able to speak."

"That's utterly impossible!" Lady Deffa retorted instinctively.

"But it is an incontrovertible fact. I witnessed it with my own eyes," the old man declared resolutely. "I would never deceive you, Lady Deffa, the esteemed mage. You are well aware of this."

"Perhaps it is a new species..." Lady Deffa murmured as she regained her composure.

"I cannot say. However, he has only been a werewolf for a short time. Prior to that, he was a timid and spineless individual. But after being infected with wolf venom, he has undergone a complete transformation. He now exudes confidence and a carefree demeanor, qualities that were entirely foreign to him before."

"You've piqued my interest in him," Lady Deffa's eyes glimmered with a look of curiosity.

"I would advise you against taking any action against him. You stand no chance of defeating him," the old man cautioned.

"I'm not planning to resort to force. I'll adopt a more subtle approach," Lady Deffa said, her expression softening from its previous severity as she adopted a coquettish air. Coupled with her mature and exquisitely maintained features, she presented an alluring sight.

The old man's eyelids twitched. "He is merely a youth."

...

The sound of axes biting into wood echoed through the serene forest.

With a series of sharp cracks, another towering tree succumbed to Glen's efforts and crashed to the ground.

In a bid to increase his income rapidly, he decided to diversify his business ventures.

While pig farming had the potential to yield a substantial income, amassing the sum of money Glen required would necessitate a significant investment of time.

Moreover, the number of black pigs in his care was relatively limited. Even if he slaughtered one every other month, the supply would soon dwindle.

Although he could venture deeper into the forest to capture more pigs, this was not a sustainable solution.

Therefore, he decided to allow the remaining black pigs to breed freely and delay slaughtering and selling them until the herd had reached a more substantial size.

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In the interim, he needed to find alternative means of earning a living.

The solution he hit upon was carpentry.

Before his transmigration, one of his childhood neighbors had been a carpenter. As he was childhood friends with the neighbor's son, they frequently visited each other's homes, and Glen had inadvertently picked up a great deal of knowledge about the craft.

He also had hands-on experience working with wood.

Consequently, Glen was quite confident in his carpentry skills.

After processing the felled trees into rough logs, Glen set about crafting some simple pieces of furniture.

Tasks such as cutting, drilling, and polishing were now a breeze for Glen.

He could accomplish most of the work without relying on traditional tools, instead utilizing his werewolf claws and hair as sharp as steel needles.

Before long, a finely crafted chair emerged from his efforts.

Glen compared it with his memories of the furniture his neighbor had made in his previous life and found it to be almost identical.

Satisfied with his handiwork, and with the sun still high in the sky, Glen increased his pace and proceeded to craft a dozen or so additional chairs, tables, and stools.

Now that the pigsty was entirely under Nightroar's care, Glen only needed to pay occasional visits to check on the animals.

He could thus devote his full attention to his current task.

...

"Why are you making these things?"

As the sun began to set, Aina, the puppet clad in a pale pink princess dress, perched on a rock and suddenly posed the question to Glen, who was engrossed in his work.

This non-human entity had been observing Glen's activities for some time, her eyes wide with childlike curiosity.

She found this new resident of the town, who had only recently arrived, to be quite different from the others. Unlike the townsfolk, who were prone to silence, he was remarkably active, a trait that both puzzled and intrigued her.

Glen had been aware of Aina's presence from the moment she appeared but chose to ignore her and focus on his task.

Now that the other party had posed a question, Glen could not very well ignore it.

"Of course, I'm going to sell them," Glen replied nonchalantly.

Aina seemed to understand and nodded slowly. After a moment's pause, she said, "Are these pieces of furniture? They're so beautiful..."

Her eyes fixed on the diverse array of furniture, a hint of longing evident in her gaze.

"Do you like them?" Glen glanced at her briefly and inquired.

Miss Puppet nodded affirmatively.

Glen smiled and said, "Then would you like to have one?"

The other party nodded once again.

"Forty copper coins each," Glen said, extending four fingers.

Aina was taken aback. She touched her clean and neatly arranged dress, then lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum. "I don't have any copper coins..."

Glen was not overly surprised by this. Seeing the puppet girl's dejected expression, he said softly, "Considering how much you appreciate my work, I'll give you one for free this time, my fair lady."

I'll give her something first and then try to get some information out of her. That should work... he thought to himself.

These words were like a divine decree. Aina looked up in surprise and exclaimed, "Really? That's wonderful!"

With that, she nimbly leaped a few times and reached the spot where Glen had placed the finished products.

Witnessing her agile movements, which resembled the art of lightness kung fu, Glen couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Such was the wonder of magical creations. Despite being a puppet, she moved with no hint of stiffness.

After a moment of internal struggle, Aina selected a folding table, which was one of the most exquisite pieces among them.

"I'd like this one. Is that all right?" Miss Puppet said, holding up the relatively small folding wooden table with anticipation.

"Sure, that's fine," Glen nodded.

Upon receiving confirmation, Aina was overjoyed and twirled around a few times while holding the folding table.

Is there really any need to be so excited? Glen couldn't quite understand, but he didn't dwell on it.

"I remember you have a companion. Isn't he here?" Glen suddenly asked as he looked around.

The excited puppet girl stopped in her tracks. A mischievous expression, remarkably human-like, appeared on her delicate face. "I snuck out. I heard the commotion here and came over. My brother is still asleep."

This is just like a real person! If it weren't for the obvious joint and axle structure, it would be impossible to tell she's a puppet! However, the description of her brother seems rather perfunctory.

Glen was momentarily startled by this vivid expression, but he only showed a brief moment of surprise on the surface.

With these thoughts in mind, he carefully phrased his next question. "You and your brother are both magical creations, aren't you? Who created you?"

He was genuinely curious and didn't care if it might upset the other party.

Sure enough, Aina looked hesitant. She lowered her head slightly and pursed her lips. After a few seconds, she said in a low voice, "My brother said I shouldn't tell anyone about our master..."

"It's okay. I was just asking out of curiosity. Don't worry about it," Glen said, waving his hand tactfully.

To alleviate the awkwardness, he changed the subject. "By the way, I'm Glen Nibankru. Nice to meet you. We're friends now."

Miss Puppet was clearly taken aback for a moment. Then, she suddenly became excited and, feeling a bit flustered, curtsied in a noble manner. "Mr. Glen. I'm Aina Tismorn. I'm also very glad to meet you."