Chapter 296: The Tigerfolk (part 2)

“Me? I’m just an adventurer,” Wu Qingsong replied, slightly startled.

Was there any need to take such harmless boasting so seriously?

But Sertans simply regarded him thoughtfully without saying more.

By the latter half of the night, there was still no sign of insectoids, and the tigerfolk had completely relaxed. The tigerfolk who had earlier given him clothes invited him to rest. Due to the perceived danger, most of the villagers gathered in the two largest houses, sleeping directly by the hearth.

Nina was placed in the other house with the tigresses and children, while Wu Qingsong stayed with the male tigerfolk. Although the belief in a threat had waned, everyone still kept their weapons close at hand, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

These tigerfolk were born warriors.

This thought crossed Wu Qingsong’s mind as he observed them.

In his eyes, wolffolk were already excellent fighters, but the tigerfolk surpassed them in raw strength. Their robust limbs and massive hands left no doubt about their combat prowess. The earlier display, when Sertans had sprinted into the village from afar, showed that speed was another of their strong suits.

However, something puzzled Wu Qingsong. Why had he rarely encountered tigerfolk working as mercenaries or soldiers in regular armies? It seemed odd, given their evident strength.

Pondering this question, he gradually drifted into sleep.

The next morning, Wu Qingsong was awakened by the tigerfolk’s movements. Some younger tigerfolk were already armed, seemingly ready to head into the forest with Sertans to scout the area. To Wu Qingsong, however, they looked more like they were going hunting.

Meanwhile, Nina was helping the tigresses prepare food, and Wu Qingsong finally found a chance to speak with her.

“What kind of questions did they ask you?” Wu Qingsong asked softly.

At the village entrance, Sertans was standing still, gazing toward the forest. Wu Qingsong found his heightened wariness of insectoids unusual. Was it due to his military past?

“Nothing much,” Nina said, her face slightly reddening.

Here, no one treated her as a princess. She was simply seen as an ordinary adventurer. For the first time in her life, she mingled with others as a commoner, chatting about mundane topics.

The younger tigresses were fascinated by her tales of adventure. Their combat skills were on par with those of ordinary wolfmen, and any one of them could have taken up the mantle of a warrior, making them eager for a taste of the adventurer’s life.

The older tigresses, however, were far less reserved. One had even bluntly asked, “Is that half-elf really your husband? How does someone so scrawny satisfy you?”

Nina had been utterly at a loss for how to respond, but fortunately, the younger tigresses quickly shifted the topic, sparing her further embarrassment.

“The nearest town is to the north, about sixty or seventy li away, according to them,” Wu Qingsong shared what he had learned earlier. “We’re in the Sam Duchy, about a thousand li from Esola. We spent all that time wandering underground, only to end up this close.” 

He sighed, somewhat bemused.

The undead were no longer an option for transport. They would have to rely on walking to return, and with no outposts of the Silvermoon Wolf Clan nearby, nor any valuables to barter for horses or a ride, the situation was ironically pitiful.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and run into some clueless bandits or thieves,” Wu Qingsong joked. 

The idea of an imperial baron and the princess of the Silvermoon Wolf Clan being forced to work odd jobs for travel expenses was absurd enough to make him chuckle.

“Shall we set out now?” Nina asked.

The tigerfolk, after their brief encounter, showed no inclination to detain them. Trading their remaining dried meat for fruits, backpacks, and waterskins, the pair also fashioned simple staffs and followed the tigerfolk’s directions northward.

Nina had already figured out the current date. They had fallen into the underground trap in October. Now, it was June. They had spent eight and a half months in the depths of the earth.

What had become of the Silvermoon Wolf Clan and Orgrimmar in their absence?

Though they knew there was little they could do if catastrophe had struck, both felt an urgent longing to return, quickening their pace.

After traveling over twenty li, Nina abruptly stopped.

“Nina?”

“Someone’s following us,” she whispered.

“Then let’s take a break,” Wu Qingsong suggested.

They pretended to rest by a small stream, drinking water, washing their faces, and refilling their waterskins.

“Do you see them?” Nina murmured.

Though it was hard to spot, Wu Qingsong eventually caught a faint shadow moving through the woods to their side. If not for Nina’s warning, he would never have noticed.

“Brown and yellow stripes on their face. Must be a tigerfolk,” Nina said. 

Her heightened perception and reflexes, improved by her spiritual training, made her especially attentive.

“How strange,” Wu Qingsong said. 

Bandits didn’t typically work alone, nor would they target travelers in such a remote area. The only plausible explanation was Sertans. What was his deal? Why was he tailing them?

“What should we do?” Nina asked, always deferring to Wu Qingsong’s judgment when they were together.

“Let’s not confront him yet. Let’s see how long he follows us,” Wu Qingsong said.

The two continued their journey, aware of the tigerfolk trailing them at a steady distance.

Their tracker was an adept hunter, without Nina’s keen senses, they might never have realized he was there.

Despite taking several breaks, they managed to reach their destination by nightfall—a small town called Lovige.

With no money to pay the entry tax, let alone afford lodging at an inn, the two set up a makeshift shelter outside the town, using branches and leaves for cover. It was a common practice among poor mercenaries.

“Is he still following us?” Wu Qingsong asked casually after night fell completely.

“He’s about forty meters to the south. No fire, probably doesn’t want to expose himself,” Nina said.

Even with decent night vision, the tigerfolk’s sight would still be limited in the darkness. Given the proximity to the town and the potential risk of losing them, their tracker had closed the gap.

“Well then,” Wu Qingsong said, a cold smile forming on his face. “Let’s deal with him.”