The Huntress is the Wolf's Bride - Part 1

Recently, torn-apart carcasses of herbivorous animals have been appearing in the forest near the village.

“It looks like the hunting traces of a wolf. It’s strange that they left their prey uneaten, but it’s highly likely to be the work of a wolf.”

Experienced hunters anticipated this upon seeing the carcasses, but wolves didn’t inhabit that forest. To suddenly find traces of wolves in a forest where only foxes and badgers lived seemed odd to everyone. Despite the skepticism, the seasoned hunter confidently asserted, “I couldn’t be wrong.”

“We should prohibit unarmed people from entering the forest for the time being.”

It would be fortunate if the prediction turns out to be wrong, but if wolves have truly appeared, the villagers are in danger. The villagers decided to follow the hunter’s advice and soon erected a sign.

[Until the suspicious carcasses stop appearing or until the wolves are caught, entry into the forest is prohibited for everyone except hunters.]

That notice had already been hanging at the entrance of the forest for a week.

Though a tense atmosphere weighed upon the village, the residents continued to carry on with their lives as given to them.

“Hey, Leti! Come here for a moment!”

Instead of responding to her mother, Leti quietly stuck out her tongue.

In the midst of being busy fixing her bow, being called for another errand was the last thing she wanted.

In her heart, she wished she could pretend not to hear, but she couldn’t do that. Terrified more of her mother than any wild beast, she obediently responded to her mother’s call.

“You called for me?”

“Take this to your grandma. Be well-armed! And don’t take a different path!”

She knew it would be something like this. It was indeed another errand.

Suppressing her grumbles that rose up to her throat, Leti received the sturdy basket.

After checking outside the window, Leti grabbed her cloak and bow, and went outside. The sun was already starting to set behind the mountains. Grandma’s house was deep in the forest, and it was too dangerous to go there at night, so she had to leave now.

‘Why am I the designated errand runner?’

She mumbled to herself as she stood by the door, but perhaps her mother heard it all. Looking at her daughter, who was adjusting her cloak, she muttered.

“With that kind of temperament, I wonder who would want to marry you.”

To say that her temperament was problematic was a huge misunderstanding. If anything, it might be the men in this village who have issues with their personalities. Leti thought that way. She couldn’t feel the least bit happy about the idea of getting proposed to by such men.

Turning twenty-five this year, she was the best hunter in the village.

Leti was renowned as an archer since she was young, with skills that were nothing short of miraculous; word of her talent even spread to a village beyond the mountains.

However, being a female marksman wasn’t seen as a significant advantage, at least not to others besides the parties involved.

In the hunting grounds, Leti was hailed as the goddess of archery, yet there were no men proposing to her.

“If I had a wife like Leti, I’m sure I’d have a tough time.”

She was a beauty who didn’t fit the conventional tastes. From her chocolate-colored hair that reached her waist to her clear green eyes resembling fresh leaves, there was nothing about her that wasn’t charming.

Normally, such looks would attract countless suitors. However, ironically, Leti’s God-given archery skill had obstructed her path to marriage.

The only fortunate thing was that Leti didn’t have much interest in marriage or dating. However, that didn’t mean she was okay with men flirting with her. What she found unpleasant was their attitude of evaluating her as they pleased.

“They are so incompetent, yet they make a fuss about me. They should all live as bachelors till the day they die!”

If they had merely evaluated her hunting skills, she would have laughed it off and moved on. She could have ridiculed them for being skill-less and still showing such petty jealousy. However, the fact that they were evaluating her as a potential wife when she had no intention of getting married – wouldn’t it be strange if it doesn’t make her angry?

“Unbelievable…”

As Leti chewed on the unpleasant memories that resurfaced with her mother’s words, she suddenly stopped right in the middle of the path.

Was it just her mood? Ever since she entered the forest, it seemed like there was an extra sound of footsteps, but now she could clearly sense a presence.

Was it an herbivore or a carnivore?

If it really was a wolf…

It would be fortunate if her worries were unfounded, but there’s no harm in being cautious. Leti took out her bow and arrow from the basket and cautiously moved in the direction where she felt the presence.

Swish.

With the sound of the wind parting, her arrow flew towards the thick bushes.

“Gasp!”

The arrow was embedded in the ground, but it seemed like the threat had been successful.

The problem was that the identity of the presence that emerged from the bushes was not an animal but a person.

“… A person?”

The one who revealed themselves, avoiding the arrow, was undoubtedly a human.

Around her age, or perhaps slightly younger.

Judging by their build, they didn’t seem like a child, but Leti couldn’t determine their exact age. She scrutinized the unfamiliar young man from head to toe.

He wore a peculiar and unfamiliar outfit, with dried blood smeared here and there. His short-cropped hair was as red as roses, and his curious, shining eyes were a deep golden shade, resembling that of a wolf.

He truly had a striking appearance. To be honest, even if he were called handsome, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration. In over twenty years of her life, Leti had never seen a man so handsome.

“That arrow just now, did you shoot it?”

The young man, who had been standing idly, pointed towards the bushes. There was no sense of hostility or malice in the young man’s tone.

“So what if I did?”

In response to Leti’s answer, the young man gasped in awe. With a mixture of surprise and curiosity, he alternated his gaze between Leti and the arrow. He then sneaked a glance to his bloodstained hands.

Unlike the black bloodstains on his clothes, the blood on his hands still retained a reddish hue.

The vivid stench, the smell of death, caught Leti’s attention. Upon closer inspection, she noticed bloodstains on the young man’s lips as well.

It was as if he had been tearing into raw meat with his mouth, leaving distinct marks.

It finally dawned on Leti.

“You must be the rumored wolf.”

Her hunter’s instinct was telling her.

That this unfamiliar man was the cause of the recent strange occurrences in the forest.