The Black Raven’s Wife

"That's because they were sneaky! And there were three mages working together! That's how they captured me!" Gotaya stomped her foot, clearly frustrated.

Glen chuckled dryly, and then suddenly punched forward. His fist cut through the air, stopping just in front of the elven girl's face, her hair ruffling from the gust of wind. Her pupils flickered in alarm.

"Let me tell you something," Glen said calmly. "The three mages you're talking about? I killed them. And last night, that mercenary group that showed up nearby? They're all dead too. Including a third-tier dark mage."

He patted Gotaya's shoulder lightly, his tone indifferent.

After that, the elven girl stopped resisting Glen's plans, listening carefully to everything he said. Seeing she had understood, Glen left with Raviel, riding a deer cart toward the tavern he had purchased in Dood Town.

He handed Raviel a key. "Your task for today is to oversee the hiring process."

"Hire? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I'll set up a hiring board outside the tavern. Anyone interested in work will come for an interview, and you'll choose the best ones."

Glen briefly explained his criteria—no disabled, elderly, or weak applicants. After Raviel seemed to grasp the idea, Glen added, "I'll check your results tonight. Don't mess it up."

Raviel nodded vigorously.

Inside the tavern, Glen found a suitable wooden board and used his wolf claws to carve a simple hiring notice. Not satisfied with its appearance, he purchased some paint from the town and added colorful doodles. The board's unique style quickly attracted attention, especially from children between ten and fifteen years old, due to the cartoonish drawings Glen had included.

"Looks like the kids are out in full force today. Is there a school break?" Glen muttered as he watched the crowd.

The Kingdom of Zayn provided subsidies for schooling, so as long as a family's income was somewhat stable, they'd send their children to school. Glen thought the policy was a wise one.

After observing the scene for a while, Glen went back into the tavern. No one had entered yet, and Raviel was still sitting by the door, chin in hand, waiting.

"Oh, and if anyone causes trouble or something unexpected happens, go to the police station. The sheriff there is a friend of mine. Don't act like a noble and get yourself into trouble," Glen reminded him.

"Got it..." Raviel nodded again.

Glen stepped out of the tavern and went to the deer cart. He shooed away a few kids who had been playing with the large deer and was about to leave when a familiar scent hit him. He turned, seeing a couple hurriedly turning their backs to him.

He recognized them immediately and stopped in his tracks, walking toward them.

"If you want to take a look inside, feel free. I won't stop you," Glen called out.

The couple froze, then slowly turned around. Both were dressed plainly, with their faces wrapped in scarves, leaving only their eyes visible.

"Lord Channis and Lady Sophia, we meet again," Glen teased with a smile.

"How did you... never mind, it doesn't matter. We just wanted to check on our son. We absolutely meant no offense," Lord Channis's voice was cautious, almost nervous.

"Yes, yes, we have no intention of causing trouble!" Lady Sophia echoed.

Glen laughed softly. "I already said it. You're welcome to go in, but don't cause any trouble. I don't like nobles like you, so my patience is limited. Understand?"

The couple hurriedly waved their hands, shaking their heads. "We swear on our family's honor, we won't cause any problems!"

"Then go ahead," Glen said, turning to leave.

The couple exchanged a glance, and seeing Glen driving off, they no longer hesitated. They joined the crowd, heading into the tavern.

Later, back at home, Glen quickly gave Tiya instructions before heading out with a box of cakes, following the familiar scent that had led him this way.

"The Black Raven's scent is faint. Could it be the fog?" Glen wondered aloud, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

As he passed a few buildings, he saw some figures through windows—some stared at him curiously, while others barely gave him a second glance.

Continuing on, the scent led him to a weathered gray house.

"This is where the Black Raven lives? Quite a unique place..." Glen muttered as he approached the door and knocked gently.

Thud, thud, thud...

The door creaked open, revealing Black Raven's emotionless face.

"You came. My friend, please, come in," he said, stepping aside.

"Apologies for disturbing you. This is a gift for the visit." Glen handed over the box of cakes.

Black Raven took the box without a word and stepped back to allow Glen inside.

The interior of the house was decrepit. The walls and furniture looked like they had aged for many years, and the wooden floor creaked underfoot. A dim chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting the only light in the room.

Glen found a long bench and patted the dust on it before sitting down. Black Raven disappeared for a moment, only to return with a glass of wine, which he handed to Glen.

"Thank you." Glen took the glass, sniffed it, and asked, "What kind of wine is this?"

"I bought it in Dood Town. It's for you, but I don't know what it is," Black Raven answered briefly.

Glen took a small sip, the flavor as expected—light, but drinkable.

"I remember you mentioned you have a wife. Is she not here?" Glen asked casually.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a faint, elderly voice came from an adjoining room.

"Darling, who is it?"

"It's Glen, my friend. He's come to visit," Black Raven responded in a tone slightly higher than usual.

He turned back to Glen and added, "My wife is bedridden and can't come out."

"Oh, I see..." Glen nodded, understanding.

But then the voice called out again, "Oh, it's him. Glen, would you mind coming in so I can see you?"

Glen looked at Black Raven, who nodded in approval.

"Of course," Glen said and followed Black Raven into the room.

As he stepped inside, Glen had prepared himself for a shock, but even then, he couldn't suppress the slight flicker of surprise when he saw Black Raven's wife.

She was lying on the bed, her body horribly contorted, like twisted roots of an ancient tree. Her limbs were so tangled together that it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended. Her face was obscured by her long, messy hair, and the only thing visible was her eyes, which seemed dim yet alert.

"Forgive my appearance, honored guest," the woman's voice was tinged with self-deprecation.

Glen snapped back to reality and immediately apologized, "My apologies, Lady. I didn't mean to offend."

Her voice was soft, but there was a sharpness to it. "It's quite alright. I've grown used to it over the years."