Thundermane
"That... looks a lot more dangerous than I thought."
Rudell, who had climbed the ramparts with the Nord warriors, saw a black fog approaching from afar.
The fog spread, imbued with purple thunder and lightning.
In the midst of the fog, a pair of eyes emitted a purple gleam.
The Nord warriors watched the scene with tense faces.
For the Nord warriors, who considered dying in battle the highest honor, to react this way meant that the creature was truly dangerous.
"Kyle. I'll leave the others to you."
"Understood."
Rudell couldn't risk the villagers getting hurt.
At Rudell's words, Kyle bowed and headed towards the plaza.
And the moment Kyle disappeared from Rudell's sight, a form emerged from the fog.
A massive body the size of a house, with a lush black mane crackling with purple sparks.
A large horn protruding from its forehead, like a narwhal.
A gigantic wolf-like magical beast, with purple electricity emanating from its eyes.
"That's the Thundermane."
Its overwhelming presence made it clear that it was no ordinary magical beast.
At Kurt's words, Rudell gazed at the Thundermane in the distance.
-AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
-Rumble…!!
Along with the Thundermane's roar, purple flashes began to flicker in the dark night sky.
The next moment.
-Crackle, Boom!!
With a deafening roar, purple lightning bolts rained down everywhere.
The lightning bolts, indiscriminately striking the ground, people, and buildings, destroyed everything in their path.
"Oh…"
Rudell let out a low exclamation as he watched the scene unfold.
An overwhelming display of power that most mages couldn't even dream of matching.
It was truly a creature worthy of the name "magical beast."
"Wait a minute. This isn't the time to be standing around."
But that was only for a moment.
Rudell shook his head vigorously and threw himself down from the ramparts.
This was his first trading partner, a hard-won achievement.
He couldn't let it turn to ashes.
"Flame Lance."
Rudell chanted a short spell as he slowly walked forward.
Simultaneously, a burning spear of flames formed above his head.
As if drawn by the sudden appearance of the flames, the Thundermane turned its head towards Rudell.
"Ha!"
With a short shout, Rudell launched the Flame Lance.
The blazing spear of flames, leaving a long trail, cut through the darkness of the night…
-AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
As the Thundermane watched, it roared, and a wave of sparkling purple lightning erupted around it.
The Flame Lance collided with the wave of lightning and exploded in mid-air, the resulting flames illuminating the surroundings.
-Grrrr!!
A moment later, as the flames dissipated, the Thundermane growled at Rudell.
As if wary of the unexpected formidable opponent, it began to circle around Rudell.
As Rudell watched and prepared his next attack…
-Roar!!
The Thundermane, its body shrouded in sparking fog, charged straight towards him.
The distance between them closed in an instant, and seeing this, Rudell waved his hand in the air.
The shadow beneath Rudell's feet spread wide, and sharp thorns shot up.
However, the Thundermane dodged the thorns with nimble movements and lunged straight at Rudell, opening its massive jaws.
-Clang!
In an instant, the hemispherical shadow surrounding Rudell blocked the Thundermane's teeth, creating a sharp metallic sound.
Sparks flew in all directions with a screeching sound, and Rudell looked at the Thundermane with a surprised expression.
"It's much faster than I thought…"
He hadn't expected it to dodge that attack and charge at him.
He thought that it might be a much more dangerous magical beast than he had anticipated, and Rudell channeled his magical power.
As if sensing something, the Thundermane let go of Rudell and retreated.
And, in the nick of time, countless thorns erupted from the shadow surrounding Rudell.
"It seems to be quite perceptive too."
If it had been an ordinary monster, it would have been skewered by that attack.
The fact that it retreated right before the attack was probably due to the beast's instincts or its heightened sensitivity to the flow of magic due to its magical influence.
-Grrrr…!!
The Thundermane glared at Rudell, letting out a low growl as if on guard.
"I guess it's time to end this…"
Rudell muttered as he channeled his magical power, feeling that letting it go would only lead to more trouble.
As if sensing his intentions, the Thundermane stopped in its tracks and stared at him.
And then, the next moment…
"Huh…!?"
A dumbfounded voice escaped Rudell's lips as he watched the Thundermane suddenly turn and flee.
In an instant, the Thundermane disappeared into the distance and the fog that had been spreading with sparks dissipated as if it had never been there, scattered by the strong winds of the snowy plains.
"WOOOOOOOOOO-!!"
At the same time, the Nord tribe, who had been watching the scene, erupted in cheers…
"What the…?"
Rudell muttered, feeling a sense of emptiness.
* * *
A few hours later, at the chieftain's house.
"Thank you so much, Rudellheit Weinstein."
"It was nothing."
Kahran spoke from his throne, and Rudell replied with a light bow.
"If it weren't for your help, our tribe would have returned to the embrace of the great winter tonight. You are truly a brother to our Winterfang Tribe."
Brother.
It was a title the Nords bestowed upon outsiders whom they truly accepted.
Essentially, it meant recognizing them as part of the tribe.
"I am honored by your kind words."
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. The Winterfang Tribe will always be there when you need help."
The unexpected attack of the Thundermane.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Weinstein County had gained a tremendous advantage.
Not only had they secured a friendly relationship with the Winterfang Tribe, but they had also established a foothold to interact with more Nord tribes through them.
If only he hadn't let the Thundermane escape, Rudell would have been overjoyed.
"What are you going to do about the Thundermane?"
"It probably won't come near here for a while. Thanks to you."
Most predators would readily abandon their prey if they sensed a situation where they might get hurt.
If they were to sustain an unexpected injury, it would increase the likelihood of survival issues later on.
Perhaps the Thundermane's immediate retreat was due to its remaining beastly instincts…
"And what about after that?"
"We'll have to think of other ways… We might have to consider bringing in shamans…"
Kahran said, seemingly impressed by Rudell's performance as a mage.
Even he, with his warrior-centric mindset, was seriously considering the use of magic.
It showed just how significant the presence of a magical beast was.
"If you don't mind, I'll have our territory send some mages… I mean, shamans, along with the next trade."
"Is that true?! If you do that, I couldn't ask for more!"
He couldn't afford to lose the hard-earned trading partner.
Kahran's face lit up at Rudell's suggestion, and he approached him.
Then, he took off the bracelet he was wearing and handed it to Rudell.
"Take this."
"This is…"
"It's an amulet made by weaving the teeth of a magical beast. It will be more helpful to you, a shaman, than to me, a warrior."
"Oh my… Such a precious item…"
Even as he spoke, Rudell's eyes were glued to the bracelet.
It was a bracelet that radiated an unusual magical power at first glance.
Even if he sold it to the right person, it would fetch an exorbitant price, but Rudell had no intention of selling it.
'The more magic power, the better.'
No matter how skilled a mage Rudell was, his magical capacity was limited.
However, having this amulet was like carrying around a spare battery.
"Thank you for your kindness, Chieftain Kahran."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who should be grateful."
"Then I'll take my leave."
Rudell stepped out of the chieftain's house…
"Are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, what about you?"
Rudell nodded at Kurt's question, who was waiting outside, and asked him back.
In truth, the answer was already decided, but he asked for final confirmation.
"My answer hasn't changed. I'll follow you."
"Good, then it's settled."
With a bright smile, Rudell extended his hand towards Kurt.
Kurt, after a moment's hesitation, cautiously reached out and took his hand, and Rudell shook it lightly.
"Let's get along well from now on, Kurt."
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