I dislike the look on the priests' faces.
"It means that the moon withdrew our authority to use her power. The blame is yours, Moon Priestess! If you did not disrespect the goddess, if you aren't too inclined with your emotions, this will never happen! You always act on your own, vaunting about your scholarship. This is why women shouldn't be privileged in mages. Too dramatic! You are no different from your fraud friend!"
"Nonsense!" Manjiro exclaims unexpectedly. "Don't put the blame of your goddess's will on my friend!"
The young priest takes the right to speak too. "She deserves what she has done. That enchantress brought nothing but trouble to this profession. And it is her fault why the wolves and people around her are affected by her blasphemy! Everything she does is for the satisfaction of her desires!"
Then Linly couldn't hold her tongue anymore and stood up firmly. "My aunt is doing this for the whole werewolf race! She's doing the real job of a moon servant, someone who doesn't pick their favorite pack and that is what the moon needs! She's been serving the moon thoroughly not just the Vengeance pack or the Moon's Order pack, but for all breeds of werewolves unlike you! who sees the black wolves as the only wolves worthy of the moon's compassion! You never cared about the white wolves or about the silver wolves, unlike auntie! If there's any moon servant who doesn't perform their duties well, it is you!!" she points at the old man. "You only see the welfare of Vengeance pack!"
I stood up and grasped her hand, "Linly..." I'm proud of you! "That's enough. It's pointless to dispute—"
"You, girl, you know nothing about enchantment!" And the old priest fires back with a pointing finger.
"Don't point a finger at her!" Manjiro threatens.
The young priest manifests his spellbook. "You, uneducated kids, should know your places."
Manjiro bravely defended us from the young priest's cheap menace. I transfer the enchast underneath me to that priest and it shakes his balance. "Stop this. We will not achieve anything if we continue disputing." I pulled the couple out of this room. "Let's think about the solution rather than the problem."
"You are the problem, Moon Priestess," the old priest isn't through barking. "All of the moon's servants are condemned because of you."
"Fine! I am the problem and your problem is to think about me as a problem!" I yelled when I lost my grip on patience. Manjiro continues pulling to the doorway. "I will solve this problem, and you can never solve yours because I am your problem! That problem will rot your age!"
"Auntie, calm down!"
"L-Let's talk about the problem outside!"
The couple pacified me. I slammed the door and walked out farther from that chamber like a raging professor to her student. This couple is tailing until I end up on the palace balcony to refresh my mind and recharge my patience.
"A-Auntie, do you have any plans by now?"
"Linly, there's no need for you to submerge yourself deeper into this issue. You're just the vessel."
"I am the vessel. I want to help you, this is for the whole werewolf race and that includes you. I don't want to lose you..."
I tucked his hair behind her ear, and in an instant, my annoyance disappeared. We hug each other sincerely together with a short moment of silence until I lay eyes on Manjiro who's watching us. "How about you? You're now aware of what kind of person you're planning to marry. It's a part of the package."
"I can't imagine my married life if it's not with Linly so yes, the plan remains the same nevertheless," he announces with his hands on his waist. Linly hums with a pout and tickles her fiance. They flirt in front of me and I form a jealous smile.
"By the way, auntie, do you have a plan?"
"The main idea of my plan is to delay the moon's plan. This will be about aiming the goal with a guard for both opponents. She calls herself mother, I am a mother. She has children, and I have future kids too. She doesn't have any hopes anymore while I have my own dreams. This is an enchantress against a goddess. But this is a mother against a mother. I don't need her power. Empty supplication will not work on her. So I need a grant proposal. I know someone who can help me."
"We can help you anytime."
"This is nuts..."
Linly glares at Manjiro.
"Nuts! I mean, peanuts!" he toys around.
"I won't put too much pressure on you," I said. "Thank you very much." Then I dismissed them for good. I asked for the young Delta's escort to my father-in-law to his prison room. Chann also informed the small commotion Haiban made when he met Biaco, it was eventually resolved by Elibur.
“Father…”
"Dandeline! So you've met my son? How is he? It looks like you filled the past hollow nights with him last night?"
"What?"
He taps his finger on his neck, then he freezes an enchast before he gives it to me as a mirror. When I saw my reflection, I dropped the mirror and it shattered into glitters. I enchanted the blanket from the bed to make it a scarf while Haiban is laughing and lying there. "My son is a grown-up man now~!"
I shouldn't have worn this open-neckline dress! Not even Linly or Manjiro warned me about these marks of my pleasure with my mate! "It's been months without seeing each other so don't make fun of it!" Then I cleared my throat. "I have an important issue to discuss with you, father. I bet you know about the moon's extermination plan. Will you... take a part of it?"
He ceased his mischievous laugh. "... Yes."
"Because you're a silver wolf, but are you willing to do this?"
"Yes."
"Even if you'll have to kill your son again? including me and your grandchildren?"
"... Did you know what death is like for werewolves?" he asks and sits properly on that bed. "Once a werewolf dies, that's the end of it. I knew it because I have tasted death and simply enchanted myself to overcome it. That is why if we die, we will have no regrets. It's advisable to live your life while you're here, but by the end of your life, it's pointless. Once the moon exterminates us all, we will be reduced to naught."
"I'm not talking about the salvation for the next life, I want salvation for the werewolves' lives here. Think about it, father."
"Are you encouraging me to rebel against the Moon Goddess?"
"... If that means saving the werewolf race, then yes."
He manifests his spellbook, tears an empty page, and tossed it on the floor. The paper stands on its own, enlarges, and becomes a door. Haiban opens the door but showering water sprinkles on him, making him close the door and open it again. What's waiting inside that enchanted door is a river. "Come," he invites. We left the door open as we walked on the surface of the deep river. "You have seen my world, right?"
"I did." We follow the path of the river several steps away from the door standing on the water. "And I absolutely adore it. I wish I could be like you since the day I discovered this."
"You can never be like me. But one thing is your advantage," he gives a glance at me, "I can never be like you." Then he continues walking. "Have you seen it thoroughly?"
"You mean the reflection of the woman under this river?"
He smirks at me. "I really shouldn't underestimate you." He stops in the middle, looking at the river where the reflection of the woman is. I saw that before Hessuel confessed his love for me. And I'm unsure of the mysteries of this world so I kept my mouth shut. Haiban sat down on that reflection; a beautiful woman with white hair and skin clothed in a white robe. "This river crosses two worlds I created. This is connected to the pond in Asfara. Overflowing with memories to remember."
He plunges his hand to reach the woman's hand, raises it from the water, and kisses it. "Not even death made me forget about you... Lerouka." When he mentions the name, his voice sounds like a resonating gentle river.
"Is it true? You will follow the moon's order... to kill all the werewolves."
He casts his look upon me before he stands up, puts his hands behind, and stares at the woman again. "... To bring them where they brought my wife." I was literally stunned by his answer. He slowly forms a smile. "Werewolves are corrupted beings. My family suffered because of their bloody traditions. Greedy in honor. Boastful in power. And the mere fact that I hate it is we're one of them."
"I'm sorry but I can't allow it." My eyes are feeling hot. His smile vanished and my guts as well. I bit my lip to refrain my feet from stepping backward. "Don't close your eyes to the bigger picture of the werewolf race. I've seen how they grow, how they struggle to live for their loved ones, and how happy they are with their life right now. Don't take it away from them. Please, father. What you're thinking about is revenge, and that will never save your wife."
"Every werewolf is beyond saving now. Saving anyone is not my intention in the first place, either. Why are you trying to convince me anyway?"
"Because I need your help! The moon wishes to destroy the werewolf race out of this world. I need your help to create an official world for werewolves to spare them. They may live purely. They can have their own home. We can create different creatures like the pishnies, who can be a companion. We can create life after death for them. We can create a home with the Moon Goddess wherein she can dwell with her children and prolong unity! We can expand the world of Asfara! Don't you think it's better than exterminating them? I dream for that kind of world for them too."
He chuckles out of the blue. "You dream of it? From what is about to happen, don't you think it's a huge slap of realization that you cannot achieve such dreams?"
That was a heart wrecking question. Giving up on my dream and dying is the easiest way to avoid discouraging my hope. But with a deficient resolution, I said, "I won't let death take my life without living it yet to the fullest."
"... Wow. My son has standards when it comes to women." He smirks. "I adore your proposal. It's unexpected and extraordinary. I can crown you as an Eldar. But your only mistake is to ask for my help." After a second when he said that, I sank into the river! I struggled to reach the surface, enchanted the water so I could step on it, and found Haiban at the door. "You've altered the rightful alignment of time! It's the super moon! If I were you, I'd stay in bed."
"Father! Hey—!"
He came back to the palace using that door and when it closed, it fades! He purposely trapped me! And what's with the super moon!? I have no details about the moon's plan!