Andras smiled.
"No one ever said she lacked talent.
It's more that she's too timid for a dragon.
That's why she must have seemed clumsy to the others."
Florian stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"If a dragon's courage and aggressiveness influence their instinctive dragon magic, that would explain why she hasn't been able to breathe fire yet."
Noelle sighed.
"She still can't.
Instead she's learning the old fossil's fire spells — and faster than I learned your water spells.
It's a little annoying."
Andras grinned at her.
"Are you jealous of a dragon, Noelle?"
"That's not it.
It's just irritating," Noelle muttered.
Florian waved dismissively.
"What does it matter whether the fire comes from her hands or her mouth?
Maybe the other dragons can't release fire from their hands."
Andras nodded.
"Later, once her mana capacity grows stronger, she might even be able to summon a fire elemental on her own."
Noelle turned to him with wide eyes.
"How many fire mages does it take to summon a fire elemental?"
Florian sighed.
"Ten. Sometimes twelve, if they're average fire mages.
I can't summon one alone, but Albert and I together can manage it — though it drains almost all our mana."
Fireburp Reaches a New Level
The little dragon girl ran up to them, her tail swishing excitedly.
"There aren't any wooden dummies left for me to shoot at!
What's the next task?"
Andras smiled.
"I think you're ready for slimes and goblins.
Moving targets are much harder to hit.
But firepower won't be a problem for you."
Fireburp's eyes lit up.
"Bring them on!"
The training grounds came alive again — and filled with fire.
With every spell she cast, the little dragon girl stepped closer to becoming a truly fearsome force.
And no one in Wolfwood yet realized that the shadow of the first demon had already appeared on the horizon.
The air still shimmered with the heat of Fireburp's fireballs when suddenly the thunder of hooves shattered the calm.
Anita was galloping toward them at such speed that even her storm‑swift horse struggled to keep its balance.
The mages immediately turned toward her — Anita never rushed like this.
The horse skidded in the dust, and Anita leapt off before it even stopped.
"Young Wolf, we have trouble!
Demons have appeared in Wolfwood!
Hurry, the Captain is calling for you — it's urgent!"
Andras' eyes narrowed.
"So they've finally shown up.
It was about time.
Noelle, I'll go ahead with Anita — you two follow us."
"Got it!" Noelle replied.
Florian spat angrily into the dirt.
"Filthy demons! Just what I needed today."
Andras was already vaulting onto the horse behind Anita, and the two warriors charged back toward the castle at full speed.
The Castle Courtyard — Full Alert
The courtyard of Wolfwood Castle was already in full battle readiness.
Blacksmiths rushed about, horses snorted restlessly, and the Wolf Knights stood lined up in formation.
Arpad and Janos waited at the gate, impatience and worry mixed on their faces.
Arpad immediately barked at Anita:
"Finally! What took you so long, Anita?!"
"I rode as fast as I could!
My horse can't run any faster!"
Andras dismounted.
"Report. Where did the demons appear?"
Arpad stepped forward.
"One of the Wolf Hunter units — the ones scouting goblin nests in the Forest of Wolves — was checking the old ruins.
That place is a good hiding spot for the little pests.
The problem is, this time they didn't find goblins…
they found demons."
Andras' expression hardened.
"How many?"
"Enough that the hunters didn't dare get close.
They observed from a safe distance, then returned immediately for help."
"I see. Where is that unit now?"
Arpad pointed to the far side of the courtyard.
"Over there. Those four."
The four hunters stood there, dusty, panting, fear and shame mixed on their faces.
Even seasoned hunters were shaken by the sight of demons.
Andras began walking toward them slowly, and the air itself seemed to shift.
A new chapter in Wolfwood's history was beginning.
And this chapter would be written in demons.
The Four Wolf Hunters
The four Wolf Hunters still stood at the edge of the courtyard, dusty and breathless.
The sight of demons had carved such terror into their faces that even the most hardened knight would have sensed their fear.
One of the hunters stepped forward.
"Young Wolf!
There are demons hiding in the old ruins!"
Andras' eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
The hunter swallowed.
"There was one big one… and several small ones.
About twenty of the little demons."
"And what exactly did they look like?" Andras asked.
Another hunter took over.
"The big one was about a head taller than a strong Wolf Knight.
Its whole body was red, it had wings… and horns."
Andras nodded.
"A Fire Demon.
You're lucky it didn't notice you.
And the smaller ones?"
"They were about the size of goblins, but red, and they all had wings.
They were flying around.
Some carried sabers, some axes… but a few had no weapons at all."
Andras sighed.
"Imp spawn.
The unarmed ones are the dangerous ones — they can throw fireballs.
Were there any blue or grey ones among them?"
"We checked carefully," the first hunter replied.
"All of them were red."
"Good.
No ice‑users among them."
Arpad stepped forward.
"How many knights should I prepare? A hundred?"
Andras snorted.
"Not a chance.
The imps can fly — we need archers against them.
Besides, if there's only one demon among them, they're probably just scouts.
I'll take my elite team and hunt them down."
Arpad stared at him in shock.
"You're not taking Wolf Knights with you?!"
Andras paused for a moment.
"Hm… true.
If the imps try to escape, Ironclaw can't chase them into the sky.
We'll need some archers… and a few knights to protect the archers."
Then he continued firmly:
"All right. I need twelve archers and twelve knights — preferably the skilled ones!"
"I'll see to it immediately!" Arpad replied, already moving.
Janos stepped closer.
"How strong is a Fire Demon?"
Andras grinned.
"Worried about your daughter?
You saw her fight in the tournament — she tied with the Hero.
She could defeat a Fire Demon on her own."
Janos nodded proudly.
"Yes, you're right.
She's prepared for demons."
Across the courtyard, bows were being strung, armor clattered, and everyone in Wolfwood Castle understood:
The demons had arrived.
And the Wolves would now have to prove they were worthy of their name.
Full Readiness in the Castle Courtyard
The Captain of the Wolf Knights, Arpad, quickly and decisively selected the twelve best knights and an equal number of archers.
Tension filled the courtyard of Wolfwood Castle: everyone knew this would be the first clash with demons — something generations had trained for.
Meanwhile, the members of the elite team lined up, ready to depart.
They were the strongest warriors of Wolfwood — the pride of the house.
Wolfwood's Elite Team
Andras Wolfwood – Young Wolf, Archmage, leader of the team
Noelle Wolffood – battle maid, healer, water mage
Andrea Wolf – Wolf Knight champion, Andras' personal knight
Anita the Whirlwind – Wolf Knight, Andras' self‑appointed personal knight
Ironclaw – battle maid, bandit‑hunter hound
Fireburp – battle maid, novice fire mage
The elite of Wolfwood was ready.
Let the demons come.
Armor clinked softly, bowstrings tightened, and the battle maids prepared themselves — everyone knew this would be their first confrontation with demons.