The appearance of the words [Final Quest] was rewarding for all of them in a way. It served as a long-awaited confirmation that all the blood, sweat, and tactical maneuvering they had put into this world really did lead to sothing. Throughout their ti in this past era, a part of them had constantly wondered whether they should just blindly trust the system's prompts or if they were rely being led deeper into a trap.
At the sa ti, the moral weight of their actions was driving Kai crazy. He was a man who preferred to know the exact consequences of his moves, and the ambiguity of doing the "right" or "wrong" thing in a historical simulation was a heavy burden. Gary could tell that Kai felt a massive sense of relief just seeing another quest pop up on the interface. It ant they hadn't hit a dead end.
The previous quest, [Save the Red Wing Kingdom], had been particularly stressful because the paraters were so vague. They didn't even know what "saving" the kingdom truly ant. Did it an if a single human individual had died, they would have failed? Did it an the entire city had to be saved from total annihilation?
It made them think: what would have happened if they weren't there to intervene? Without them to warn Jack and the others about the inevitable curse that was coming, the kingdom would have been blindsided. If this was a true recreation of the past, did the original tiline end in a massacre? Although Bluebird and his knights were strong, Gary couldn't imagine them being enough to hold back the combined, uncontrolled fury of Jack, Steve, and the entire pack. It was a dark thought, but one not worth dwelling on for too long. They needed to stay focused on the objective.
The issue was, never in a hundred years did they think they would struggle with a quest as simple as "Speak to Jack Dem." They had spoken to him countless tis already. It seed like the easiest task the system could possibly give them.
Originally, after the sun rose and the transformation was broken, they considered cornering him imdiately. However, Jack was in the middle of a disaster zone. He was tending to the wounded, organizing the survivors, and trying to manage the grief of those who had lost pack mbers. There simply didn't seem to be a right ti to butt in with their own questions. Even when he had finished the imdiate cleanup, he had t up with his wife, Lilly. He appeared completely drained, looking like a man who just wanted to rest and find a mont of peace.
It was understandable. No matter how many tis Gary, Kai, and Lupus told themselves this world was fake or just a mory, they couldn't see it that way anymore. The emotions were too real, the blood was too warm, and the stakes felt life-or-death. If they only had to wait one more day to speak to him, it wouldn't matter much in the grand sche of things, considering how long they had already been stuck there.
When the next day arrived, the three of them were ready. They knew that after this last conversation, they could be sent back to the present at any mont. They wondered what they would find. Would they appear at the exact mont they disappeared? Would they appear in so random location, or would the ti they spent here have passed in the real world as well? They had to be ready for anything—ready to intervene in a war that might still be ongoing, or to face the consequences of whatever had happened while they were gone.
They reached Jack’s office and pushed the door open after hearing a familiar voice tell them to co in. But when they stepped inside, they were t with a surprise.
“Uhh... Where’s Jack?” Gary asked, looking around the room.
The man behind the desk wasn't the legendary Alpha. Instead, it was Galdark.
“I thought you guys would be here to see him,” Galdark said, leaning back in the chair. “Unfortunately, he’s been called out to an ergency eting with the council. You see, the people are incredibly worried after what happened last night. It was an unprecedented event—an attack on that scale from the werewolves they’ve lived side-by-side with for years.”
Galdark sighed, looking a bit exhausted himself. “There was already a large amount of people who were against the idea of werewolves being in the kingdom, and as usual, politics gets in the way. There are those in the council who just want to win votes by looking like they’re ‘doing sothing’ for the people. Others are just looking to weaken the opposition's position. Since council seats can be replaced if soone gets enough votes, it’s good for so to try and turn everyone against Jack to serve their own ends.”
The council's inner workings sounded almost like the start of modern-day politics, only on a much smaller, more primitive scale. The three of them wanted to laugh about what this system would eventually beco in their ti, but they decided to keep quiet. It wasn't important right now.
“Anyway, you three look disappointed,” Galdark noted. “Is there anything I can help you with? I can do essentially whatever Jack can do in terms of authority.”
“No,” Lupus said bluntly, turning around to head back toward the door. “You can’t do what we want.”
“Huh?” Galdark said, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “What does that even an? Of course I can. I an, at least let try.”
“Well, Lupus does have a point,” Kai said, offering a diplomatic but firm smile. “Unless you can literally turn into Jack, there’s nothing you can do for us right now. If you could just let us know as soon as he’s free, that would be a big help.”
They walked out, but it was only the beginning of their troubles. Trying to get a hold of Jack was becoming a lot harder then they thought.
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