"Good morning, My King," a middle-aged owl beastman perched on a tree at the edge of the cave greeted as Kael walked out of the darkness. He was still in his wolf form, a sign that he was in a terrible mood and had no intention of showing his more regal beastman form today.
"Tell how the search party is going, Vestor," Kael said to the wise owl beastman who had beco his advisor about two months ago. "Has there been any developnt yet?"
Kael wanted to ask whether they had finally found Jojo. But months had passed without a single trace. He didn’t want to raise his hopes, only to be disappointed again.
After all, as a powerful cursed creature, Kael possessed a dark aura that sotis seeped out of his body when his mood soured. This aura alone was enough to suffocate his subjects, forcing them to their knees no matter how strong they were.
"We... haven’t found the little prince yet, My King," Vestor said regretfully.
Kael’s mood was already sinking low, especially after waking up from a tornted dream, but Vestor quickly added, "However, there has been so developnt regarding the search."
Kael’s ears perked up.
Finally, after wave upon wave of disappointnt, he could see a glimr of light. He fixed his gaze on Vestor, waiting for the news.
Of course, Kael knew Jojo was still alive. As long as he himself lived, Jojo would too, since their lives were bound together as cursed beings.
But he worried endlessly about Jojo’s well-being.
The boy was not even five yet, and he had already endured such trauma. He hadn’t learned the survival skills Kael had planned to teach him once he reached that age.
Maybe Jojo was surviving on scraps by now, living like a vulture, feeding on leftovers just to stay alive.
The thought filled Kael with dread. He had raised the boy like a pearl in his palm, protecting him painstakingly from harm, only for him to be stolen away by filthy tiger beastn.
"The eagle beastn’s search party spotted a little white wolf in the far south of Roc Forest, where the temperature is warr than in the north," Vestor reported.
"Then that must be Jojo," Kael declared.
Though Kael described Jojo as having "white hair and fur," it was actually more silvery, like fine powder sprinkled across his head.
Furthermore, the far south of Roc Forest was significantly warr than Rantel Hill, where Kael currently resided. It was impossible for the eagle beastn to mistake Jojo for an arctic wolf, which only lived in the coldest regions beyond Roc Forest.
Vestor frowned. "But, My King, there is sothing unusual about this little white wolf. According to the report, he has been seen hunting hares in the southern region while being accompanied by an intimidating tiger beastman."
"A tiger beastman?" Kael echoed.
"Yes. They appear to share a close bond, almost like father and son. The eagle corps even reported that the little boy called him ’uncle’ several tis," Vestor continued.
He studied his king’s expression and quickly realized that Kael had grown agitated at the ntion of a tiger beastman. The dark aura around him thickened, and his fangs bared unconsciously.
The wise owl had served as Kael’s advisor for so ti now, yet still knew little about his past. Seeing such a strong reaction to a re tiger beastman surprised him.
Was it so deep-seated hatred known only to their king? After all, they hadn’t even confird the white wolf’s identity yet.
Kael’s anger flared at the idea of a white wolf befriending a tiger. It reminded him of his failure to protect Jojo from the tiger beastn before.
"Tell the eagle beastn to continue their search. That is not my son," Kael declared abruptly. "He would never get close to any tiger."
After what had happened, Kael was certain Jojo would be traumatized by tigers, even ones without ill intent. That white wolf could not possibly be his son.
Vestor was about to conclude the report when he recalled another detail.
He hesitated briefly before adding, "My King, that little wolf also has another companion. No, she appears to be more like a mother figure. The eagle corps saw the wolf clinging to her."
Kael’s brow furrowed even deeper.
He was nearly irritated by such unnecessary details. All he wanted was Jojo’s location, not the life story of so insignificant wolf.
"So the little wolf was raised by a pair of tiger beastn?" Kael asked.
"No, My King. The female companion is human."
"A human?!"
"Yes. She has no beastman traits, no ears or tail. The eagle corps reported that she wears a bear pelt for warmth, suggesting she is rely a human unable to withstand even the southern cold," Vestor explained, emphasizing her fragility.
"A little white wolf, a tiger beastman, and a human mother... living peacefully together?" Kael asked incredulously.
"Yes, My King."
The idea struck Kael as utterly ridiculous.
It made no sense for such a group to coexist without killing one another.
A tiger beastman should have devoured both the white wolf and the human during winter, when food was scarce and tigers grew especially ravenous.
Tigers were also cold-blooded, far more so than wolves, who at least maintained bonds within their packs.
A tiger was a solitary creature by nature.
Logically, Kael should have dismissed this absurd family and moved on. He still hadn’t found Jojo and couldn’t afford to waste ti on irrelevant matters.
And yet—
Sothing in his heart urged him to look deeper. At the very least, he needed to see this strange family with his own eyes.
Besides, he hadn’t been searching for Jojo himself for a while as he got busy with kingdom matters. Now that his kingdom had been more or so established, he had the authority to go around and search for his son.
After mulling it over, Kael finally said, "Tell Grishaw, the leader of the Eagle Beastn, to bring to this... peculiar family. I want to see it myself."
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