The Laws of Werewolf Hunting

Chapter 385 Rejection of Patients
By the early hours of the morning, the party was still going on and the guests had forgotten the time and were drinking to their heart's content.

Some werewolf couples even transformed into pairs of wolves and danced in the open space in the center of the hall.

Opiros continued with his work. In order not to disturb Jule's interest, he invited Ya one by one to talk in the dark, and now it was the turn of the last one - Lind.

When Opiros and his close right-hand man walked into a corner on the side of the hall, the black cloak behind him began to wriggle and stretch, wrapping around their bodies like a flowing flag, sheltering them in a shadow world that was isolated from the outside sound and light. To the outside world, they seemed to have disappeared at this moment.

Those without the ability to see the Shadow Cloak cannot touch its owner, and if they still want to harm Opiros, they can only touch him from one angle - from inside the cloak.

Therefore, Opiros would only bring people he trusted into the place.

As the two of them squeezed into this small, quiet space, Opiros was finally able to mention the new guest.

"Linde, my dear uncle, I have received your information before, but it is not very detailed. Perhaps you can repeat the origin of this visitor now so that I will not miss anything."

Lind reorganized his answer, "Edwards used to be a soldier, and is now a forensic investigator for an insurance company. He became a werewolf only two years ago - but this part is his own account. He came to Berdalabik to find a trialist who was bitten by wolf blood."

"Do you think this could be a coincidence?" Opilus asked.

"I think so." Linde said. He had also thought about this question. "They can't be in the same group, otherwise those two people would just go to him to start the trial. Maybe the roar still needs to be learned, but passing on wolf blood is our instinct. Even wild wolves can do it."

"But he is so strong. Apart from you and the other fangs, I believe no one can match him."

"But there is only one possibility for a newborn to grow to this state in less than two years. He already possessed the secret power and knew how to use and improve it. This is not something that a single person can obtain, at least not a small clerk in an insurance company."

"My daughter has tested him. He lacks a lot of common sense and doesn't seem to be pretending. Maybe he has been contacted by some underground cult." After thinking for a while, Lind added: "Although Lydia has never been to school, she is still smart."

Opiros did not comment on the last sentence: "Well, I believe her. It's just that our situation has not been very good recently. Those damn three big families have put pressure on us again. I tried to resolve it the last few times, but I know they will not give up and will definitely send people to test our situation. So I have to be cautious. I hope you can forgive my suspicion."

"Of course." Linde said respectfully.

Although the branch to which Lind belongs is the main branch of the Konglione family in the eyes of outsiders, since the werewolf of the Red Eye branch ascended to the throne of the patriarch through a challenge, he is absolutely qualified to obtain the highest power of the clan.

Opiros had received higher education at the university. He might not have enough strength, but he had enough foresight to be qualified for this position.

At least that's what Lind thinks.

Opiros thought for a moment and concluded to his guest: "Edwards may not be one of them, but he is definitely problematic. You should feel his potential. He has been on at least twenty dangerous hunts, maybe more, because operating muskets and other projectile weapons to kill people is not something that our nature approves of."

"He was a soldier," Lind repeated.

"That's the problem. You know what kind of people our kingdom's army is. He accused us of our bloodthirsty nature and acted like a righteous man. After knowing the clan's 'business', he sat between us without showing any tension or disgust. He even looked very comfortable."

After a moment's delay, Opiros made an assertion: "I am sure that he has serious mental problems."

"Maybe it was caused by the binding ritual. Those wizards are willing to do it for money." Linde said.

Although this ritual can enhance the power of the Darkin, it can also easily cause weak-willed people to be influenced by the thoughts of their past ancestors and become mentally ill.

But Opilus rejected this possibility.

"No, that's not possible. The principle of the binding ritual is to trace back to the bloodline and absorb the power that our ancestors once possessed. However, this ritual is ineffective for newborns born in the past two years under the influence of the Dark Moon. They don't have 'ancestors' at all."

The patriarch showed a worried look: "I am worried about another situation."

A month ago, a crazy ex-soldier in the north was inspired by the Dark Moon and turned into a werewolf. Then, he raped his sister and niece, killed them and his wife, boiled his son with their blood, and finally set the house on fire and danced at the door. If it weren't for the local werewolf clan, this scandal would have been published in ordinary people's newspapers.

Even though it was not published in books or newspapers, the matter had already spread from mouth to mouth and had now spread to the South.

Although this werewolf was eventually publicly tried and hanged on the execution ground, the negative impact of its actions on the entire werewolf community is immeasurable.

Many people thought that this was the effect of Moon Madness. They no longer believed in the credit and rationality of werewolves. From an intuitive point of view, this would cause the clan to lose future customers.

This is obviously unfair. The werewolf was first a madman among humans, and then a madman among werewolves. But now all intelligent creatures will only blame the werewolves. This is clearly racial discrimination!

But the situation is irreversible, and the other werewolves can only bear the consequences together.

"The war a few years ago caused a lot of mental disorders in the army. They were either extremely violent or very quiet. Some people looked normal on the surface, but a broken plate at their feet could induce them to kill people."

That was all Opiros could say. "Don't let these people participate in the Wolf Blood Trial. They will easily attract unnecessary attention, and we can no longer influence Viodi." Lind understood his opinion: "I understand. Next time I see a lone ranger, I will ask them if they have military experience."

“Also ask about their family history,” Opiros adds. “Some mental illnesses can be passed down the bloodline.”

The Black Claw clan makes their living mainly through murder, but they choose their businesses very carefully.

Since the clan's subordinate lords and their families left Weiaodi, their political status has plummeted. They can no longer recklessly regard Weiaodi as their hunting ground, lest they be caught by the tail and beaten by the growing local church. The damn three families have also been looking for their handles to squeeze their space smaller and smaller.

And if their new member is mentally ill and makes his "business" public during the operation, causing a public opinion storm, the Black Claw Clan will have no choice but to abandon everything and start over elsewhere.

"Send Edwards away tomorrow morning. Don't let him stay any longer."

"Yes."

The conversation seemed to have come to an end. After Lind made his promise, he waited for Opiros to let him leave the space, but Opiros did not move. He still had something to say.

After hesitating for a moment, Opiros continued.

"Linde, I know a mechanical engineer named Alexander has been contacting you. Does he need anything?"

Without any hesitation, Lind immediately explained to him: "It's just secular business. So I didn't report it. He wanted us to load the machine he invented on the boat and parade along the river once a day."

"I checked the machine. Its structure is somewhat similar to a prospecting machine. Maybe he wants to use it to find a shipwreck."

Opiros frowned, not looking very serious: "Just like that?"

"Yes," said Lind.

Opiros looked at his loyal face and sighed, "Alexander may not be a local celebrity, but he still has a place in the academic world and is an alchemist with profound attainments. I heard that the Basbe family wanted to fund a research project of his, but he refused. Perhaps this research is related to what he wants you to do now."

The Basbe family is also one of the three major families in Weiodi. It was the last to intervene in Weiodi and is a local railway giant.

Lind was alert again. "I'll keep an eye on this. If his research is complete, I promise to let you know about it sooner than anyone else."

"So be it," said Opilus.

The shadows around them dissolved and they were back in the castle.

After returning to his original position and resting for a while, Opiros, at the invitation of some clan members, walked up to the high platform of the ceremony hall to serve as a notary for an entertainment duel.

While speaking, he began to observe the werewolf who called himself Edwards. Edwards was also looking at him. He could vaguely see something unreasonable and some contradictory emotions in those yellow eyes, which made Opiros more certain of his thoughts.

Just as he was about to announce the start of the duel, a strange howling sound came from above the hall.

“Gurgle——”

The powerful sound penetrated several floors and vibrated in the empty ceremony hall.

The howl began like a gentle breeze beside a stream in spring, then became a strong wind that blew leaves in autumn, and finally became a strong wind in winter that made even the black iron gates tremble.

Including the two guys who were about to duel, the werewolves looked up in surprise and looked at the ceiling where there was nothing.

Above that, is the castle’s tallest tower.

Opiros carefully distinguished the message in the howling, and when the sound finally stopped, he changed his mind and walked straight towards Clayton at the table.

"Perhaps you would like to meet an important figure from our clan."

Although it was an invitation, his tough attitude was already obvious - this was a notice, and whether Clayton wanted to go or not, there was only one final result.

And when all the werewolves surrounded him, what else could Clayton say?

"Who wants to see me?"

"It's our Elder Maximus," said Opilus.

(End of this chapter)