Chapter 141 – Small Changes (3)

“Give me the money.”

As a child, Wolf was a vicious alley leader who was expressed in one word, ‘Give me your money’. He sat in the back alleys, lured in stupid people, and extorted money with his natural size and strength. Those who resisted were beaten until they became idiots, and those who did not listen were literally smashed.

As a child he was like a chariot. He is a chariot with spikes that breaks everything that approaches him. People were afraid to see Wolf walking around and avoided it, and even the peddlers could not make eye contact with Wolf.

The guards, who took a lot of bribes from him, pretended not to know about Wolf’s evil deeds. He even instigated those who didn’t want to look bad to beat them.

Wolf’s family lived in a similar way. His father was a swindler of inexperienced country travelers, and Wolf’s relatives ran a pickpocketing and begging business using young children.

Garbage.

Everyone who knew Wolf and his family called them that. I lowered my voice quietly so that I couldn’t hear it in Wolf’s ears, and held my breath so that I wouldn’t be hit by his punches.

It was after meeting Angela that Wolf changed. Wolf went down to the countryside to collect the money he accidentally stole, and there he met Angela, who lives with her father. She is a beautiful woman with a bright smile. She handed her fruit despite Wolf’s bloody appearance, and Wolf, who was not good at dating her, asked her straight up when they first met.

“What kind of guy do you like?”

Angela seemed to be a woman who knew nothing about dating or male relationships. Because she replied with a smile.

“I like people like knights. A wonderful knight who wears armor and flutters his cape.”

Since then, Wolf has changed. He stopped hitting people, and he stopped taking money out of town. His family was worried about the sudden change of Wolf, but he didn’t care about his family and devoted himself to his studies.

For the Wolf family, who were in charge of illegal work, money was overflowing. He officially enrolled in the training ground, received the name of a knight trainee, and learned the sword.

Realizing that Wolf was sincere, the family supported him with both mind and heart. The begging business, which could be a source of trouble, was cleaned up while it was caught in the crackdown. Wolf’s father also stopped cheating. He paid a bribe to erase records of the worst crimes and gave them expensive instructors.

Even if he was a king in the back alley, the reality was that he was treated like garbage outside. As much as Wolf wanted to be proud for Angela, his family wanted to live in the sun through Wolf. I wanted to eat at a luxurious restaurant and try to do this and that while holding the power.

Wolf wanted to be a really good person.

Years passed like that.

Wolf continued to meet Angela, and he tried to prove that he was a nice and good person. He saved Fabian, who was an unknown slave, and made him his subordinate, and showed off his swordsmanship in front of Angela. He even wiped out bandits and helped Angela’s parents.

Wolf wanted to be a really good person.

It was because he had great skills enough to be ignored even when he was ridiculed as a low-level family. One day after such a long period of time, Wolf proudly proposed to Angela with his academy admission certificate.

Angela blushed and accepted Wolf’s marriage proposal, believing that she would be able to live a happy life.

She believed when she said that once she graduated from the academy, she would put on her armor and proudly ride her horse.

Wolf said he really believed he could be a good person.

She believed that Angela would be able to make her happy.

On that day, all beliefs in the academy warehouse were shattered like pieces of glass. In front of the twisted aristocratic possessiveness, an academy student from a bad family was nothing. No matter how ‘good’ he was with his sword skills and his grades weren’t bad, he couldn’t challenge the aristocrat’s authority.

Angela disappeared like a flower in spring.

Wolff said he really believed he could be a good person.

And now all he had left was his family.

*****

“Wolf.”

Fabian.

Wolf looked at Fabian. A colleague he met a long time ago. He was another family member, a close friend, and an understanding of Wolf. He stood in the room with a gloomy face, as if he had received the northern cold.

Since rescuing him as a slave, Fabian had never shown such an expression in front of Wolf. It seemed like an echo of the depth that had fallen on his face the moment he was chained. Wolf asked Fabian.

“How did things go?”

There was talk that forces threatening Wolf’s family had fled to the north. It was a story about trying to punish friends living in the east by using the petty corruption committed by the family as a pod.

Even when Wolf saw Fabian’s sorrowful expression, he had no doubts about the success of the task. Because Fabian has always been the perfect friend. Because he was a colleague who would do anything for him.

“Failed. He must have run away further.”

Wolf blinked. In silence, I reflected on the meaning of the word ‘failure’ that came out of Fabian’s mouth. The fact that a terrible criminal had escaped ran through Wolf’s mind. Blinking his eyes and thinking over and over again, Wolf opened his mouth.

“By the way, why did you come back?”

Wolf couldn’t understand. This was something that could not fail. Because Fabian was always perfect. When he was in danger in the Pandemonium, Fabian always had a hidden room. He saw through the traps and neutralized the enemy’s raid, and he counterattacked by digging into the enemy’s secrets.

If it was the Fabian that Wolf knew, there was no way he would report that he had failed. Will he remain in the North until he succeeds? Saying it was easy, he should have brought the news of his success lightly. After that, Wolf complimented him, and over a light drink, they had to talk about the future.

“Wolf.”

Fabian’s gloomy expression didn’t improve even after he told me about his failure. Rather, he called out Wolf’s name with a more distressed expression. Wolf asked Fabian again.

“Why why. Did you just come? Even at this moment, someone is trying to harm my family. Why did you just come back? Fabian.”

“Wolf. Now, let’s stop doing this.”

Wolf couldn’t understand Fabian. Fabian tried to understand Wolf.

“I understand your feelings. Wolf. But, but it’s over now. The revenge is over and there is no one to threaten you. We are… I think you are going the wrong way.”

Wolf stared at Fabian. There was faint anger in his wide-open eyes. Fabian thought he was seeing Wolf’s eyes like that for the first time. The only thing he showed hostility was always his enemies.

Wolf’s brow trembled. He somehow tried not to show his anger, but his every action felt like the word ‘anger’ to Fabian. Said Wolf.

“When I was little, everyone was afraid of me. ‘Cause I’ve been punching you with my fist I had the power, and my whole family was down the backstreets. No one dared to stab me, and no one dared to touch my woman.”

When Wolf recalled the past, he had a habit of looking at the ceiling with a strange expression on his face, whether he was laughing or crying. As if the past was being played on the ceiling, his eyes twinkled at that time.

“And when I made up my mind to live a good life, a stronger force gripped me. Fabian. You know how Angela died, right? Why was she taken away, and you knew very well how I lived after that?”

Fabian had nothing to say to Wolf’s question. But Fabian could tell. Now, the crimes committed by Wolf’s family are never good for him. The way he will remain as a warrior is to cut off his family and work hard for the country.

“Fabian. In the end, only strength can protect us. After Angela died, I felt it desperately. Power is morality. Being nice doesn’t mean anything. A person with power will wrap it up as a good thing even if he does bad things. Look at my family my father. My relative. My friends. Look at those people who comforted me when I was having a hard time and helped me get into the academy. Are you telling me to throw away all those people? Let them all die? Fabian. If I live like that, do you think people in the world will praise you? Uh?”

“Anyway, this has gone too far. That the country is going to collapse. Wolf. You know. That it can’t go on like this.”

Wolf shouted.

“More power! Only power! You can protect us! Just like when I lived in that back alley! Only a stronger power can protect us! The day I came back If I lived quietly, I think those filthy bastards would have saved me! Angela is dead! Angela is dead! I still see Angela smiling in my dreams! It reminds me of the day I swore to live a good life! What did I get from that past? Nothing! Now, now it’s only you! It’s just your family and you!”

Wolf’s face contorted. He heard a booming voice, the servants opened the door, and ran away in haste. Wolf sobbed. Wolf’s mind continued to wear out. He couldn’t get out of the recurring memories, he was still living in hatred and anxiety.

Unreasonable misfortune destroys people. Wolf said while holding Fabian’s hand.

“Fabian… ! You have to tighten it tighter. We need to clamp people down harder and make sure nobody looks down on us. Just like when I was the king of that back alley… ! Right now, now it’s just a transition period. Let it go now, and if we have full control… ! Nothing can stop us anymore. Uh?”

Fabian shook his head.

“Wolf. We have to change.”

Wolf looked at him again and gnashed his teeth. Fabian looked at the warrior’s hand with bulging tendons. It was clear that Fabian’s hand would be shattered if Wolf gave him strength now. Wolf threw Fabian’s hand away and said.

“…Let’s talk later.”

Fabian nodded and walked away from Wolf. The only sound was the sound of the door closing in the dark room.