Valor was as reliable as ever. If the current circumstances had allowed it, Allen would've rewarded him with a small bag of premium owl treats. Unfortunately, after spending so much time around the owls at Hogwarts, Valor had inexplicably developed a taste for their snacks.
Allen, being the seasoned RPG player he was, naturally took a moment to search the bodies for loot. But alas, these vampires clearly didn't share the good habit of carrying coins into battle, making post-fight clean-up so much more satisfying. In short? Another batch of broken undead.
Even Allen himself was a little shocked by how fast the fight ended. These vampires were absurdly weak! They just kept mindlessly chasing him without even bothering to cut him off or try a pincer attack.
They had powerful magic at their disposal, yet insisted on running down the path like mindless NPCs. There were only a few tents around, if they were worried about Allen hiding in one to ambush them, they could've just set them on fire with a simple spell! But they didn't even try to cast magic while chasing him!
No recon. No tactical maneuvers. No spellcasting to force him into a corner. No threats or mind games. Not even the most basic level of coordination.
If vampires were really like this, then this species was doomed. Or to put it more gently: Their days are numbered.
Not that Allen cared whether vampires went extinct or not. Honestly, he'd prefer they just disappeared already, the best enemy is a dead enemy, after all.
Logically speaking, Allen should've made a clean escape by now. He had no reason to help the werewolves, none of them had done him any favors. If anything, because of them, he'd missed the perfect opportunity earlier to beat that persistent Auror into the ground. It's not like he was some shining golden hero with irresistible charm!
As for that so-called "promise" not to turn him over to the Auror? Yeah, right. If Allen hadn't helped them, they'd have all been captured by now.
The only thing giving him pause was that strange object the vampire leader had on him, something that had triggered a massive reaction from the system. What exactly it was, Allen didn't know.
His first instinct had been to run. But now, seeing just how pathetically weak these vampires were, he began to hesitate.
Leave... or take a risk and stay?
Allen weighed the pros and cons.
But before he could decide, Valor gave a warning signal!
Allen immediately drew his wand and pointed it toward the area Valor had indicated.
"Wait, don't!!"
A sudden shout made Allen freeze mid-cast. He recognized the voice, it was the same person who had shoved a bunch of food into his hands earlier that afternoon.
"Come out," Allen ordered coldly, wand still raised. There was no way he was letting his guard down, especially in this situation. And especially not for someone who happened to be a werewolf.
Wait, a werewolf?
Then how was he still speaking normally?
Sure enough, the one who emerged with his wand raised in surrender wasn't a transformed beast, but a wizard, the same one from that afternoon.
"A wizard? You're not a werewolf?" Allen stepped forward and swiftly snatched his wand.
"No, I'm not. I just... wanted to be one. But I wasn't accepted." The man shook his head, a look of disappointment in his eyes.
He wanted to become a werewolf?
Was this a joke? There were weirdos every year, but this guy really took the cake. Or was it just that the world was big and full of strange birds?
Still, Allen didn't care one way or the other. If the guy wanted to be a werewolf, that was his business. Allen tossed his wand aside.
"Do what you want. Good luck. But before I go, here's a bit of advice: hide well. The vampires are in. Sure, the werewolves will probably win, but with your skill level, you should stay far, far away from the battlefield."
He turned to leave, and of course, Valor kept a sharp eye on the man in case he made any sudden moves.
Allen had already figured it out, greed leads to ruin. He'd nearly let his curiosity get the better of him. Better to walk away than die chasing some shiny unknown.
But just as Allen started heading away from the battlefield, the man suddenly shouted, "Hey! The battle's the other way!"
Allen didn't even look back. "I know. That's why I'm leaving it."
"You can't! They need you!"
The man came running toward him, clearly agitated.
A spell from Allen's wand exploded in the ground at his feet, halting him in place. Allen turned around.
"I don't care what your relationship is with them. They mean nothing to me.
If not for them, I wouldn't be stuck in this mess.
I wasn't invited here. I wasn't treated like a guest.
And I sure as hell didn't appreciate getting drugged with mist and potions.
So tell me, why the hell should I help them?"
"But... they're really good people..."
"Good people?" Allen scoffed. "Good people who drug strangers? Good people who say 'you're our guest' and then knock you out?"
The man had no answer.
Then, to Allen's surprise, he suddenly dropped to his knees.
"Coward."
A Stunning Spell hit the man squarely in the chest, knocking him flat. Allen despised people who resorted to emotional blackmail with no logic behind it.
"Pick up your wand! Begging on your knees? What's the point of that? If you want to protect someone, then stand up and fight!"
"I can't! I can't even beat the weakest vampire! I'm, I'm practically a Squib!"
The man screamed in frustration and pain.
"So I'm begging you... please, save Nelly! I can't live without her! I know you can do it, you wiped out those three vampires like it was nothing!"
He struggled back up, then dropped to his knees again, bowing his head deeply.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Squibs.
The most tragic existence in the wizarding world.
They know of magic, can see it, feel it, but it's always behind glass.
Born from magical families, they were the ones with no talent. All they could do was watch others cast spells and endure the world's cold stares.
Among wizards, Squibs were seen as... disgraceful.
After a long silence, Allen finally asked:
"Nelly, she's a werewolf?"
"A sweet girl. My lover."
The man lifted his head sharply, and for the first time, Allen saw something in his eyes, hope.
"How long have you been staying here?" Allen asked without much thought.
"Three years. I only had a little talent in potion-making, so..."
Allen cut him off.
"Three years, huh? And you said you wanted to become a werewolf?"
"Yes. But Nelly... she never agreed to bite me..."
This lovesick idiot...
Allen turned and started walking, toward the battlefield.
Suddenly, the mysterious object on the vampire leader felt a lot more enticing again.
Yep. He was still too greedy.
But so what? If a few weakling vampires were enough to scare him off, then what kind of wizard was he supposed to be?
==========
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