Chapter 10

"Geere, you're overreacting," the paladin's wife and the party's cleric, commented as she walked alongside him. "I'm sure Dicky and the others vetted this man properly."

Arlo came into their sight, and the paladin walked furiously towards him with large strides.

"Who the hell are you, really?" the paladin pointed at Arlo, his finger close to his face.

"Hi. I am Arlo."

The paladin grabbed Arlo by his collar and pulled him up.

"Do you dare treat this as a mere joke?"

Buddy became alarmed upon hearing the man's voice and started growling frantically as the paladin held his master. He looked ready to attack at a moment's notice if his master commanded it.

In response, the paladin drew his sword and pointed it at Buddy, keeping his eyes focused on Arlo.

"Control your mutt, or I will slay it here and now!"

Arlo's face turned sour. He began contemplating whether he should eat any of these humans. He wondered if consuming them would make him stronger. He was confident he could kill at least two of them with a sneak attack, and he could return to finish the job if necessary.

The cleric wife furiously reached out to her husband and slapped him on the head, causing him to release Arlo from his grip.

Arlo observed the paladin's eyes darting from side to side. It almost made him burst into laughter, instantly diffusing the tension in the air.

"Aria, what are you-" the paladin started to say.

Aria, the cleric wife, hit him on the head again in a huff.

"If you want to question him, do it in a civilized manner! I didn't reject a barbarian just to marry a brute!"

She quickly added after composing herself, truly in the image of a noble cleric, "Moreover, we have yet to find a trail for the divine beasts of the Noble Stag and the Vain Wolf. We might need to abandon our expedition and return."

Seemingly distracted momentarily from Arlo, the paladin responded dismissingly to his wife, "We killed some Deathwalker Wolves, we will surely find their nest soon."

Arlo meekly raised his hand with a mocking smile directed at the paladin who had just roughed him up. "I know where they both are."

"You do?!" the entire group exclaimed in shock.

This kind of information was incredibly valuable to them.

"I also know when the Deathwalker Wolves leave their nests each day."

Geere fell silent, and his stern face suddenly broke into a large smile, which almost creeped Arlo out. "Arlo, was it? My friend, that was just a test. Just a test, trust me! How can you be an evil person if my reliable party members personally vouched for you?!"

Everyone in the party aside from Reinhardt seemed embarrassed for their leaders' actions. Not only was Arlo not hostile to their group, he could further provide exceedingly valuable information to them.

Aria smacked her husband on the head again and asked kindly, "Mr Arlo, would you be willing to share with us what you know? We promise to compensate you fairly if your information proves accurate."

With the entire party gathered, they sat down to talk. Arlo wasn't sure about letting them claim his prey, but he had an idea. They probably didn't want the corpses, as far as he understood. If he could consume them with the help of these adventurers, it would be a joyous day for him!

Geere and Aria both seemed to be in their forties, emanating a mature aura, but they showed no signs of succumbing to age.

The cleric, in particular, had glistening skin and a slender frame. Her kind face had a quality that compelled anyone around her to protect her, although she clearly didn't need protection.

Geere had a chiselled face and a strong jawline. His imposing physique dwarfed everyone else in the group, embodying the very idea of a paladin. He could easily pass as a Barbarian, given his physicality, but Arlo supposed his wife's faith had also influenced him over time.

Arlo learned of their plan to take down the beasts as they conversed. Aria even offered him a chance to join the hunt if he could fulfil the role of a tank. She recalled that druids were skilled in the magic of Aspect of the Beast, allowing them to imitate the abilities of various beasts to aid them in combat.

Having learned more about druids, Arlo decided to masquerade as one. His abilities weren't too far off from what druids could do, and he was confident he could pretend well enough to be one to fool the adventuring party.

This also meant he wouldn't be left defenceless since he didn't possess any magical or martial arts skills to aid him in battle. Although they initially assumed his affinity with beasts stemmed from being a ranger, as both were intertwined with nature; it still made more sense for him to be a druid. They quickly accepted this as fact.

Arlo knew that mere humans could never fully embody the aspect of the beast the way he could, so he decided to hold back during his transformations.

However, when they discussed his potential aspect abilities, Reinhardt suggested testing his durability with their weapons. Arlo thought he would definitely eat this man if he got the chance.

As the idea didn't receive much support, it was quickly abandoned, and they focused on their plan instead. Arlo also shared his knowledge of the beasts, carefully hiding the details of how he was the one who damaged the Stag he encountered. But he told them of its power.

Initially, he had hidden behind a rock while observing the wolf, and the way he encountered Buddy seemed feasible as well. The more he shared his experiences, the more his story seemed plausible to the group.

In return, Geere shared what he and his wife had discovered during their impromptu "excursion." They had come across an immense door hidden behind large sigils pulsating with great power.

Thanks to that door, they had found information about the Vain Wolf and the Noble Stag as they explored the engravings on the wall.

At this moment, one question burned in Arlo's mind: Did that enormous door mean that the key from the Crystal Room was behind it?

He wanted to know. He needed to know. He wanted to open it.