Everyone has a plan.
That is, until they see dozens of people turn to dust right before their eyes.
The man who had stood at the forefront of the protest, shouting for the hero's downfall, bit his lip hard and stepped back. The people, consumed by madness, dropped the stones and clubs they were holding and cowered like beaten beasts. No one dared to speak in front of Wolf.
Only after witnessing the overwhelming destructive power firsthand could the people truly feel the weight of the hero's name.
"Why is no one speaking? The filthy hero Wolf you're looking for is right here! Come on out and speak up! Try and attack me!"
Wolf shouted thus and swung his sword mightily. A blue aura gathered around his sword, and with every swing, whip-like energy poured out. The mansion to Wolf's right collapsed with a deafening roar, and a panicked person leaped from the second-floor balcony.
"Ughhh......!"
"Aaaah......!"
Justice was distant, but Wolf's sword was right beside them. The anger that had filled their minds was now suppressed by fear. All that remained in this place were fragile beasts subjugated by overwhelming power. Wolf cocked his head and spoke.
"What's wrong? Why the silence? Wolf is right here! Isn't there anyone brave enough to attack me!"
Hearing his voice, someone stepped forward. His face was pale, and his legs trembled, but he gripped a club with both hands and shouted at Wolf.
"Wolf! You damn-"
The rest of his words were unheard by anyone. As if a receiver had lost power, the man's valiant cry vanished, swallowed by a dull roar and vibration. The moment Wolf swung his sword, a sharp scar once again scraped across the ground in the capital, and everything in its path turned to dust.
The space, blown open as if for a victory parade, was now just a deep chasm. There were no bloodstains, no corpses.
"Hh......!"
Wolf wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily. He looked quite exhausted, yet there was still no one who could dare attack him. Two massacres. The moment it became clear he would undoubtedly swing his sword a third and fourth time, people began to flee.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"The hero's gone mad! The hero is killing people!"
"Where do you think you're going! I'll kill you all!"
Wolf raised his sword once more. Just as he was about to bring his sword down, intending to split the capital in two again, people screamed in despair, trampling each other as they fled. Then, someone wrapped their arms around Wolf's waist and shouted.
"Oh dear! Wolf! Stop it! Stop! What is this madness you're doing!"
Wolf, who had been poised to strike at any moment, stopped. Only after hearing the voice of family did the violent butcher manage to catch his breath and look around. A trembling old man was holding onto his waist. His close relatives had all joined forces to stop him.
Wolf's movements ceased, and another member of the hero's family shouted to the crowd.
"Alright! Everyone! Disperse! Disperse!"
Regardless of his instruction, the people flowed away like the receding tide. Perhaps wanting to feel the authority of having given the order, the man climbed onto the now empty platform and stood imposingly. Wolf remained standing blankly, still clutching his sword, while the wrinkled old man, veins bulging in his neck, yelled at him.
"You fool! Even if your friend is dead, does the King of this nation have to be brandishing a sword in the capital? Huh? Do you intend to kill us all? Snap out of it, you fool! Are you really going to kill everyone in this country!"
Wolf gritted his teeth and looked at the old man. However, Wolf couldn't swing his sword at him like he had with the other citizens. He took a deep breath, scratched his head, and let out a yell.
"Aaaaaargh!"
As he swung his hand through the air once more, the church was smashed as if hit by a giant pickaxe. Wolf threw down his sword and started walking back towards the royal palace.
As soon as he was gone, the people who had blocked Wolf's path collapsed, their legs giving out. Some were patting themselves down, feeling the reality of being alive, while others were muttering curses, drenched in cold sweat. They exchanged glances, thinking they had somehow averted a major disaster, and, without needing anyone to initiate, headed towards the luxurious mansion Wolf had built for them.
"Wolf has lost his mind. He seemed unstable after that Fabian fellow died, but now that the pig is dead, he's completely lost it."
Inside the dark conference room. Wolf's relatives, who had benefited from his grace, were conversing with faces full of anger and bewilderment. The man who first voiced his opinion was dressed in luxurious attire, adorned in gold that clashed terribly with his skin tone, giving him a bizarre appearance, as if his face had been pasted on separately. Several rings, each adorned with gems as thick as a calf's eyeball, were on his fingers, and he wore so much perfume that the scent stung the nostrils. An old man, dressed more modestly, nodded at his words.
"There's no such thing as an eternal king. No matter how strong Wolf is, if he starts acting like a lunatic like that, his fate is sealed. If Wolf kills all the people, what will we have left to rely on to make money? Huh? If this continues, war will break out soon. Tens of thousands of people will die just trying to capture one Wolf. And what will be left afterward? Will we still be able to enjoy our lavish lives? We have to run. We need to escape before Wolf causes any more trouble!"
The man nodded at the old man's words and said,
"That's right. Just today's killings by Wolf have completely destroyed public opinion in the capital. Good grief, what a lunatic. Wielding a sword in the middle of the capital, does he have any sense? He should have handled it politically instead."
They judged Wolf's response to be incredibly crude and foolish. All the wealth they possessed was rightfully theirs to enjoy, and the misdeeds Wolf had committed to protect them served as their justification for abandoning him.
A younger relative cautiously raised his hand and spoke.
"Well....... Still, Wolf hyung wasn't trying to hoard it all for himself....... His friend died....... And he's been doing all this for us......"
"Who asked him to do it?"
The old man asked, thrusting his shameless face forward. As the intimidated boy fell silent, the old man looked around and shouted loudly.
"Isn't that right? Did we ever ask him to do any of this? Huh! When did we ever ask him to extort and take care of us? It's all his fault! He's the one who got into trouble doing things beyond his station!"
He was the man who, as if it were his due, took the largest share whenever Wolf provided for them. From his sons to his grandsons, not one child was without a position in the knights or a key role in the kingdom; his seemingly simple attire was, in fact, a luxury item meticulously hand-spun by a royal designer. He claimed he was not at fault for accepting everything Wolf had arbitrarily provided and that they were merely recipients, despite never having refused any of the privileges bestowed upon him. Every luxury item adorning his body refuted his claim, but since clothes and possessions have no mouths, all such evidence was rendered meaningless.
The hero's relatives ignored all the dazzling evidence before their eyes and nodded in agreement with the old man.
"What the elder says is true. It's all Wolf's fault. We just received it."
"Who knew he would do such terrible things? Wolf is finished now, more or less. We each have to survive on our own. Isn't that how it's always been?"
"If Wolf hadn't done something so stupid, we could have lived even better."
"Exactly. We supported Wolf, and didn't we try hard to stop him from becoming like this? Wolf walked into hell all by himself."
Everyone nodded along. They didn't truly believe that only Wolf was at fault. They simply wanted to survive. To survive, all they needed was the shamelessness to deny their own guilt and the audacity to blame their own kin.
Amidst the people scrambling to shift blame, someone brought up a rational point.
"But how are we going to escape? Where else can we run? The world is so small. Abandoning our wealth, where on earth are we supposed to hide?"
The old man pursed his lips and looked around at the people. He spoke in a low voice.
"Let's flee to another continent. From now on, we divide the family in two. One side will stick close to Wolf, buying as much time as possible to prevent him from acting erratically. And those who come with me will secure passage and prepare to cross the continent."
The old man said, focusing his gaze.
"Remember this. We must not be discovered by Wolf. We will pretend to support Wolf while leaving this country."