Rurik was gradually leaning toward refusal. The Black Flag Territory was in the process of recruiting talent, and with the current sensitive atmosphere in the city, he didn't want to invite trouble or disaster in.

  However, when he turned to look at Dorian and his two brothers, his hesitation began to waver. Their eyes were filled with a mix of anticipation, humiliation, and complex emotions—something that struck a deep chord within him.

  He and Bran had once looked at their own leader in the same way. At that moment when their leader was forced to kneel and surrender his hard-earned prey, their eyes were filled with bitterness and rage.

  Back then, they had also silently vowed in their hearts: black werewolves would never tolerate such humiliation. If not for their leader stepping in to stop them, things would've turned out very differently.

  Rurik eventually swallowed the words of refusal and simply said,"This is a big deal. I can't decide on my own."

  "Don't worry. Tomorrow is the full moon night. In just a couple more days, our leader will be arriving in the city. Then I'll take you to meet him. Whether this works or not depends on how you perform."

  Draven didn't know it yet, but Rurik had already stirred up a mess for him in Selene City.

  Normally, by this time, he would have been wrapped up with the little fox girl Viola, enjoying their private pleasure.

  But now? The stone house was dimly lit by a few beast-oil lamps, their fumes sharp and pungent. Viola and Sylvia were huddled over a rough wooden table, their faces almost touching, completely absorbed.

  Draven stood in the doorway, watching them, an irritation rising in his chest. What on earth were those two so engrossed in?

  They were hogging his Viola! Ever since they developed the array for the drying chamber, he had casually mentioned the ideas of hot springs and air conditioning. To his surprise, they had taken his offhand words seriously and dived into research.

  After every meal, Sylvia would stay to discuss with Viola, and the tabletop was now littered with stone tablets filled with intricate array symbols—clear evidence of their recent progress.

  The problem was, they weren't making any actual breakthroughs, and they were dragging him into staying up late too!

  Even worse, little Liliana had been acting strange lately. The moment she finished her food, she'd loudly declare herself a tree.

  "What kind of tree eats several bowls of food in one sitting?" Draven glanced at the little girl. She had her arms spread out, swaying slowly from side to side, completely serious in her tree impersonation.

  Draven rubbed his temples in frustration.

  Since they were all staying up late, he didn't idle either. A detailed map was spread before him, and his fingers moved back and forth as he furrowed his brow, planning road routes.

  The terrain around Black Flag Territory was hilly and uneven—laying straight roads was out of the question. He aimed to first build roads connecting the three villages to facilitate transport and communication.

  It looked simple on paper, but in practice it was anything but. Every road had to avoid hills, streams, and boulders. Each curve on the map tugged at his thoughts.

  Just as he was deep in thought, Sylvia stretched and declared,"That's enough research for tonight."

  Draven quickly folded the map, walked over, and gently lowered Liliana's arms, pushing her toward Sylvia."Go on now. And don't let me catch you pretending to be a tree again—it's creepy at night."

  No sooner had he spoken than Liliana stuck out her tongue defiantly, clearly unconvinced.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Once the two girls were gone, a slave girl came in to help Viola clean up. Viola now held a prestigious position in the city—wherever she went, a group of slaves followed, radiating noble elegance.

  Looking at Viola, Draven felt his affection deepen. Her calm and confident demeanor made him willing to guard her with his life.

  When the night finally quieted down, Draven held Viola in bed. She didn't resist, letting him gently caress her.

  Before long, her eyes turned misty and tender. He leaned close to her ear and whispered,"Tonight, do you want to play the knight?"

  Viola's cheeks flushed, but she obediently rolled over, pinning the werewolf chief beneath her.

  Meanwhile, back at the stone house, Liliana fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. Sylvia lay on her side, her ears tinged pink, and muttered under her breath,"Can't even settle down at night, huh!"

  Early the next morning, the stone house was already bustling with activity. A few slave girls, under Viola's command, were busy preparing breakfast.

  Draven stood at the doorway, arms crossed, eyes cast toward the gray, overcast sky, his brow tightly furrowed. A sense of unease stirred in his chest.

  Tonight was the full moon—a time meant for the most important rituals. But outside, it was pouring rain. The relentless drops pounded against the wooden eaves, making a constant patter-patter sound.

  He had no idea when the rain would stop, and he was even more worried about whether it would interfere with the ritual.

  At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was a little tense. Draven casually asked,"Are the preparations for summoning the little spirits ready?"

  It was a simple question, but to his surprise, Sylvia shot him a sharp glare.

  Draven clicked his tongue in frustration, thinking to himself, Why is this girl so explosive first thing in the morning?

  After breakfast, the rain still hadn't let up. With this kind of downpour, all outdoor activities were off the table, making the room feel especially stuffy.

  The slave girls began clearing the dishes, and the room grew a little quieter. Sylvia took down the rune-inscribed stone slab from the leather cord on her wrist and pulled Viola back into their research on the complex magic circle.

  The two of them huddled close, heads nearly touching, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they discussed. Draven watched from the side, feeling both annoyed and helpless.

  Ever since they discovered the magic circle for the drying chamber, it was as if something had lit a fire under them. Even concepts like hot springs and air conditioning had become part of their obsessive exploration.

  Liliana, the little girl, no longer pretended to be a tree during the day—though who knew if she had some new plan brewing. She came running up, full of excitement, holding a chessboard and tugging at Draven, insisting he play a few rounds with her.

  Draven groaned inwardly. If I'd known this would happen, I never would've taught her chess.

  He remembered that rainy day when boredom had driven him to carve out a board and teach the game to the girls.

  At first, everyone had enjoyed it—even the usually calm and rational elf Sylvia had been intrigued for a few days. But it wasn't long before no one wanted to play with Liliana anymore.

  The little girl loved playing but had terrible skills and an even worse habit of refusing to admit defeat. To her, chess felt more like torture than a game. When the others ignored her, she clung to Draven.

  Every time she pulled out that board, dread crept up Draven's spine. If he lost, she mocked him. If he won, he had to cheer her up. Her chaotic style of play gave him constant headaches.

  By noon, the rain had finally started to ease. Draven couldn't sit still any longer. He scarfed down lunch and found an excuse to slip out of the stone house.

  The ritual beasts had already been prepared—wild magical creatures that had been captured alive and fed toxic mushrooms. Once sedated, they were placed under Titus's watch.

  The damp scent of earth lingered in the air, and the forest after the rain felt especially fresh.

  Soon, Liliana came bounding up with joyful steps. As long as she wasn't dragging a chessboard around, she was actually a very likable kid. Draven took her with him to check on Flower and Fruit Mountain.

  The treants under Acorn Oak really were impressive. They had gathered all the wild fruit trees together, forming what looked like a natural orchard.

  Beyond Flower and Fruit Mountain, a number of other fruit trees had been planted in the surrounding area. Liliana excitedly told Draven,"We don't have to go looking for wild fruit anymore—we're planting trees from the seeds now!"

  Draven couldn't help but praise their work. Then, seeing Acorn Oak and the other treants carefully gathering droppings from the Short-Horn Demon Bulls using wooden shovels, he was even more impressed.

  The demon bulls were in good condition, living in areas with natural caves, eating grass, and even receiving fresh wild fruit from the treants. Compared to the chaos of free-range grazing, their current lifestyle was much better.

  Draven had brought Liliana here for a reason—he needed to communicate with the demon bulls. After tonight's ritual, they were to be bled.

  It had all been agreed upon in advance. There could be no last-minute changes. Draven gave Liliana a brief explanation to make sure she understood what was about to happen.

  Without hesitation, the little girl transformed into a giant brown bear and began to grunt deeply, conversing with the two demon bulls. The bulls mooed in response, and after a moment, Liliana shifted back into human form and patted her chest confidently, indicating that they were fine with it.

  Hearing that, Draven finally let out a breath of relief. Now, he could begin to look forward to tonight's ritual.