Chapter 29: The Appearance of the Demon Wolf

When Johan was a doctor, patients and their families always liked to emphasize the consequences and injuries caused by “accidents.”

For example, accidentally sitting on the mouth of a beer bottle, causing the entire bottle to be lodged inside the intestine.

Or, after taking a shower, sitting idly on the balcony to cool off when suddenly a golf ball came flying from afar, striking precisely at the newborn passage of a human infant.

Situations like these.

All “accidents” were in fact caused by human error.

So when Lady Aldos hurriedly arrived, saying something major had suddenly happened, Johan’s first reaction was to be cautious.

He observed Lady Aldos carefully.

Soon he made a judgment and said in a softened tone, “Alright, you’ll accompany me.”

Lady Aldos was unlikely to be secretly conspiring with the mayor; she had been spending these days closely with Johan, leaving no time for intrigue with others.

Moreover, betrayal always stemmed from interests. Currently, Lady Aldos could only control the family by cooperating with Johan. Was there anyone else offering a better plan to grant her more gain?

If she willingly accompanied him, the chances of that were even slimmer.

“That’s great. Actually, the person the mayor sent didn’t tell me what the big matter was. I get the feeling he hasn’t realized that I’m the one who calls the shots in the Aldos family,” Lady Aldos said with some displeasure.

“Hahaha—” Johan laughed heartily, letting her link her arm through his, “Don’t be too hasty, lest people reflect on it later. But why would the mayor consult me? I’m just an outsider.”

Lady Aldos found it only natural. “You’re a magician. You could be said to be the most learned and insightful person Red Hazel Town has seen in decades. It’s normal for the mayor to seek your advice and insights.”

That was true. Governance at the grassroots level couldn’t rely solely on authoritarian commands; inviting respected residents and intellectuals to consult was more common and convincing.

The key was to share responsibility. If something went wrong, it could be blamed on collective decision-making, leaving no room for complaints.

After spending the morning as a subject for magical experiments for Johan’s research, Lady Aldos had carefully dressed up again. Beneath a cashmere shawl, she wore a bare-shoulder evening gown with a tightly cinched waist and form-fitting fabric that accentuated her graceful curves.

She radiated mature, alluring femininity—a true knockout in Red Hazel Town.

The former top beauty had not lost popularity or attention; on the contrary, she had gained a new aura of mature charm.

Many thought that Celia had not truly taken her mother’s title of “Red Hazel’s First Beauty.”

Having a woman arm in arm felt quite pleasant.

Johan and Lady Aldos entered the town hall, drawing everyone’s attention. All rose to greet them.

Johan saw Old Dingdang and sat beside him, while Lady Aldos took a seat at the head of the room, seated equally with the mayor.

On the way there, Lady Aldos had told him that Mayor Barbarov had been sponsored by the Aldos family in his youth to study in Rain Collapse City. Later, he returned to the town and married a woman from the family, solidifying his position as mayor.

He could be said to be the Aldos family’s spokesperson; to put it bluntly, a puppet.

“First, let me welcome our esteemed guest to Red Hazel Town, Mr. Johan, a magician,” Barbarov introduced Johan.

Johan stood and nodded to those around him, embodying the public’s image of a magician: humble and elegant, unlike the priesthood’s often haughty demeanor.

Besides Johan and Old Dingdang, the others present were all prominent figures of Red Hazel Town.

“Cleric Gejieff braved the heavy snow and has not returned, so he is absent from this town meeting. Lord Bobol is ill and also absent,” Barbarov said, gripping the armrests as he completed the formalities.

Everyone stared at him intently, eager to learn what “big matter” had suddenly summoned them.

Barbarov scanned the room to ensure everyone was present, then closed the doors.

An unusual atmosphere filled the air.

Johan instinctively cast a status spell on himself and established a magical link with Lady Aldos, allowing him to summon her instantly with magic without hindering his movements.

This process took less than a tenth of a second, and only a high-level magician could cast that fast, especially targeting Lady Aldos immediately.

She was unlikely to be the target of a high-level magician—no such value. Johan’s caution was mainly because their local cleansing magic was still incomplete.

During research, she seemed to have a hidden talent and potential in this area, which piqued Johan’s interest further.

Barbarov clapped his hands.

Like the beating of drums, footsteps echoed from the left side of the hall, striking like a blow to everyone’s hearts, sending chills through Red Hazel’s elite.

Old Dingdang beside Johan instinctively gripped his massive iron hammer tightly, his square chin trembling with his rapid breaths beneath his white beard.

The others stood up one after another, looking anxiously toward Barbarov.

Oddly, the calmest was Lady Aldos. Though a little afraid, Johan had given her a reassuring glance.

A magical wolf bent low and slipped in through the side door, then stretched its body. Standing three meters tall, it seemed a colossal beast within the small town hall, its blood-red eyes scanning the crowd with intimidating force.

Behind it followed a trembling woman—Nina, Barbarov’s wife.

“Oh my god—a monster!”

Red Hazel Town hadn’t seen a monster in seventy years, yet they remained unforgettable as nightmares and figures to frighten children.

“Barbarov, what have you done? Did you summon it?”

“Has the altar really failed?”

“We’re doomed. We’ll all die here!”

“Madam, what about the magic bullet gun? Did the lord take it before he left?”

The hall descended into chaos.

Only Old Dingdang lowered his voice and calmly discussed with Johan, “Magician, I’ll charge into battle to buy you time to cast spells. You use magic to strike it.”

No wonder he was a blacksmith; he seemed to possess a will as strong as steel. Daily hammering of iron had tempered both his craft and spirit.

“No need. The mayor summoned us here, not to feed the magical wolf,” Johan said, completely composed.

His strong mental power had long detected the wolf’s presence. At the instant it appeared, by analyzing the frequency and intensity of its magical fluctuations, he confirmed it was not a high-level magical creature in disguise.