"Could you answer me why you're standing here, sir? If you don't want to, it's fine," Glen asked, still cautiously probing.
He didn't expect an answer, but to his surprise, the man spoke, his voice deep and raspy.
"I'm considering whether I should save her. If I save her, I'll have to go back to Dud to find a clinic. If I don't, it doesn't feel right…"
Glen blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected him to be so torn about it. After a brief pause, he suggested, "Maybe I can help. If you're willing, you can take these things to my house, and I'll take this... lady to the clinic. How about that?"
The man was silent for a few seconds before simply nodding.
Seeing this, Glen smiled and extended his hand, "Hello, my name is… Glen Nibankru."
Considering he likely wouldn't need to interact with the original owner's acquaintances anymore, Glen decided to use his own name. It wouldn't sound out of place in the local language either.
The man looked at Glen's hand and slowly shook it, replying, "Black Raven."
Black Raven? What a strange name. Glen thought it didn't sound like a nickname, judging by his demeanor. He couldn't help but silently scoff but didn't show it on his face.
Glen then gave Black Raven his address and where to find the house key. He wasn't worried about the man doing anything. First, there wasn't anything valuable in his house, and second, based on the fact that Black Raven had tried to help the woman, Glen could tell he wasn't a person of low character.
What's more, Glen had already memorized Black Raven's scent. With his enhanced werewolf sense of smell, finding him again would be easy.
Once Black Raven took the items, Glen immediately turned to check on the woman lying in the grass.
She appeared to be in her fifties, with slightly graying hair, deep wrinkles on her face, and simple clothing—clearly a commoner. There was a small trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her exposed arm had several bruises, indicating she'd suffered heavy blunt force trauma. The tears and bloodstains on her clothes suggested she'd also been cut with a knife, but the wounds weren't deep enough to be fatal.
Glen quickly treated her injuries and then lifted the injured woman onto his back, turning to Black Raven, who was still standing quietly nearby.
"I'll be leaving now, Mr. Black Raven. Please remember to drop off the things at my house."
After Black Raven nodded, Glen turned and started heading toward Dud Town.
After bidding her friends farewell, Layla returned home, only to stand frozen in shock when she saw the state of her house.
The furniture was scattered everywhere, and the place was in complete disarray, as if it had been ransacked.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that her mother was nowhere to be found.
"Mom! Mom! Where are you? Oh God, please let her be okay!" Layla cried, tears streaming from her eyes as she searched frantically for her mother.
But the house was small, and there was no sign of her.
She rushed outside and asked the neighbors.
Just then, Mrs. Mann, who lived across from them, opened the door. She seemed to understand what was going on when she saw Layla's frantic state, and waved her over.
"Dear girl, it's Bob. He came back drunk and beat Mrs. Derry in your house. I saw him chase your mother down that way."
Dad!? Layla's heart tightened. Who knew what that madman would do to her mom!
Without a second thought, Layla lifted her simple skirt and dashed toward the direction Mrs. Mann had pointed.
Carrying a 100-pound woman for over ten kilometers wasn't difficult for Glen, at least not now.
Of course, ten kilometers was an exaggeration; it was actually only two or three kilometers from the outskirts to the town.
After some inquiries, Glen finally managed to get the injured woman to a private clinic.
Inside, there were three doctors and two nurses. Once the nurses had taken her inside, one of the doctors approached and asked:
"Is this gentleman a relative of the injured woman?"
"No, I just found her on the road," Glen quickly replied and explained.
"I see. Would you be willing to cover the costs, sir?" the doctor asked.
"Sorry, I don't have any money on me. Let's wait for the lady to wake up and let her pay," Glen responded.
"...Alright, sir," the doctor said, seemingly resigned.
Glen waited for a short while, feeling it was better to leave after the woman woke up.
Not long after, a doctor came to inform Glen that the woman had regained consciousness, so he stood up and said, "I'll be leaving now..."
Just then, a familiar figure rushed into the clinic. The moment she entered, she grabbed Glen's hand, her eyes red and filled with tears, breathless.
"Sir, are you the one who just carried an injured lady here?" she asked anxiously.
Layla? How did she end up here? Glen was surprised but nodded in acknowledgment.
Dud Town wasn't particularly big, and many of the townspeople knew each other. It was hard to miss someone carrying a half-dead, bloodied person around while looking for a clinic.
Layla had been searching the town for a long time, nearly out of tears. Just when she was on the verge of despair, someone informed her of Glen's actions. She quickly wrote down his physical features and, despite being exhausted, ran to the clinic.
After confirming the information, Layla rushed into the treatment room.
Upon seeing the weakened woman on the bed, she immediately collapsed at her side, crying uncontrollably.
"Mom..."
The woman on the bed tightly hugged Layla, also crying, "My poor child..."
Glen and the doctors stood outside quietly, watching the emotional scene unfold.
"What a touching moment!" one of the doctors exclaimed.
"Yes, indeed..." the two nurses murmured, wiping away tears in agreement.
Glen, however, stood there, deep in thought.
What a beautiful girl. Her eyes, her face, her nose... no wonder the original owner had noticed her. He even remembered her name so clearly... Glen recalled the scene, quietly evaluating her.
Perhaps thinking of the benefactor, Layla forced herself to regain composure, adjusted her breathing, said something to her mother, and then slowly walked over to Glen, her eyes still swollen from crying. She bowed slightly and said, her voice trembling:
"Thank you so much, sir. Really, if it weren't for you, I can't imagine what would have happened. So, could you please leave your address? I would like to thank you in person."
Seeing such a beautiful girl looking at him with such gratitude, Glen thought to himself that it was Black Raven who should be thanked. But explaining that would require more effort, so he decided against it.
My house? She wouldn't want to go there... She'd probably be terrified. Glen initially planned to refuse but saw how determined Layla was. He finally nodded and said:
"Byek Town. Enter through the main gate, walk straight, and you'll see a villa and a three-story house in between. That's my place."
At that time, he'd have the beasts protect her secretly. It should be fine, he thought to himself.
Upon hearing the address, Layla's face lit up with joy, and she bowed to Glen again, saying, "You're truly a kind gentleman."
Heh, you have no idea what you're about to go through... Glen thought mischievously.
"Byek Town?"
The doctors and nurses around them exchanged confused glances. They seemed to have never heard of such a place. Glen had anticipated this.
Seeing their puzzled looks, Glen simply explained that it was a more remote location before excusing himself and leaving.
The two towns were so close. He didn't believe no one in Dud Town would know of it. As long as Layla asked around, she'd find it.
4o mini