My Fusion System: Fusing Weak Soldiers with Direwolves at the Start-Chapter 33: Graystone Town

Strings of glowing symbols spun slowly, weaving three overlapping circles, one vertical, one horizontal, and one slanted. They shimmered briefly before dimming out, leaving twelve figures standing where there had once been only air.

Kaelor, Hound, nine of their Guardsmen, Vi, and Mildred had arrived.

"We’re here. The town shouldn’t be far off," Vi said, lowering her hood. Kaelor gave a nod.

"Hound," Kaelor said, turning. "Make sure none of you are seen."

Without hesitation, Hound nodded and led the others into the woods, vanishing between trees like wolves slipping into shadow.

Kaelor, Vi, and Mildred continued forward, cloaked in hooded robes. A short walk later, they stepped onto the well-worn road. Kaelor came to a halt as his eyes widened.

Wagons pulled by horses. People on foot. A few carriages, even a merchant’s cart. The road had become a procession.

"So many people," he whispered to Vi as they merged into the moving crowd.

"Of course," she replied, her fingers subtly brushing the focus crystal hidden deep in her pocket. "Most of them are coming from nearby villages. Graystone’s the center of trade here, practically the capital of the Baron’s estate."

Kaelor nodded, but his eyes were fixed ahead. The massive walls of Graystone Town loomed in the distance, twenty-two feet tall and made of colossal tree trunks bound together with thick iron bands. The walls were wide enough to host dozens of soldiers on the ramparts. It was leagues beyond anything in Redwood.

As they drew closer, the crowd slowed. Voices reached his ears, gruff, mocking tones. They didn’t sound like disciplined soldiers. More like bandits in armor.

Eventually, Kaelor saw the reason. The guards at the gate bowed deeply whenever a carriage passed, but when it came to the common folk... they demanded payment. Two copper coins for entry.

Those who couldn’t pay were shoved aside without a shred of mercy.

Kaelor’s sharp eyes scanned their outfits, leather armor beneath gambesons, long swords strapped to their belts, reinforced wooden kite shields at their backs. These weren’t just thugs. They were real Footmen, armed, armored, and decently trained, judging from their posture.

A hundred of them could pose a genuine threat to Redwood. Not because of numbers, but because of experience and structure. Wolves could tear through ranks, but humans... humans learned and adapted.

Still, Kaelor’s mind drifted. What if he had his own beast troops? Dreadclaws paired with their own mounts, trained to fight in sync, such a force could tip the balance in any battle. The thought ignited a spark in his chest, though no beast came to mind yet.

His thoughts snapped back as they reached the front of the line. Six guards stood at the gates. The one in front stepped forward. Square-jawed, built like a boulder, with an expression that read ’trouble.’

"Pay your entry taxes," he barked.

Mildred frowned. Vi’s eyes narrowed. Kaelor raised an eyebrow.

"Ordinary travelers are exempt," Vi said sharply. "We carry no goods. Why are you demanding a tax?"

A sneer spread across one of the guards behind the leader. "Feisty one, huh?"

"You’re no better than a bandit," Kaelor said calmly, his voice smooth as glass. "If you’re taking from people who can barely feed themselves."

It was bait and the people in the crowd were listening. Vi was planting the seeds, and Kaelor was giving them something to grow on. The trick wasn’t to fight, just to let them know he could.

"You dare talk back to a soldier of the Baron?" the lead guard growled. He stepped forward, puffing his chest like a rooster. His posture screamed intimidation, but Kaelor had fought direwolves bigger than a man, this was nothing.

Vi scoffed, not bothering to hide her contempt. "Get lost," she said coldly.

Kaelor’s eyes slid to her. He was learning more and more about the woman beside him. Her past, her pride, her power, she had all three. And she didn’t take nonsense lightly.

Still, this was where it ended.

He turned and raised a hand, whistling to one of the other Footmen nearby, one who looked slightly smarter than the rest. The guard looked up, his eyes flicking over the cloaked strangers.

Kaelor flipped a silver coin into the air. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

Clink.

The silver flashed in the sun, then landed smoothly in the man’s hand.

"Let us pass," Kaelor said.

And just like that, the man stepped forward and waved them through, his posture snapping upright with sudden respect.

Wolves only followed the strong or the well-fed.

The lead guard’s expression twisted into a scowl, and he took a step forward, clearly ready to make trouble but two of the other Footmen grabbed his arms.

They leaned in, whispering urgently into his ears.

A silver coin? That was worth a hundred copper! Only a fool would pick a fight with someone who could casually toss that kind of wealth just to enter a town.

With that coin, they could drink themselves stupid, sleep in a feather bed, and maybe even visit the brothel for a night.

The guard spat to the side and stepped back, cursing under his breath.

Kaelor led the way through the towering gate. As the crowd swallowed them up once more, he glanced sideways at Vi. "We both know you would’ve had to fight your way through," he said in a low tone, his voice cool but edged. "And that would’ve meant revealing yourself as an Acranist."

Vi didn’t respond right away. Her shoulders were still high, her hands tucked beneath her cloak. Then Kaelor saw it, the subtle twitch in her brow, the flicker of realization in her eyes. Guilt. Frustration. Pride. And finally... resignation.

She looked away, silent in her defeat.

Kaelor sighed inwardly. ’You still see yourself as the leader of a guild 5,000 strong.’ He shook his head, letting the thought trail off. ’You haven’t yet realized you’re no longer the woman who used to walk into ballrooms filled with nobles and make Counts pause to greet you.’

He didn’t blame her.

Not entirely.

Her strength was still there. Her aura, her bearing, her pride. But here, in this world of hidden powers and watching lords, discretion was survival. And if Vi wasn’t careful, the Baron’s men wouldn’t just be collecting silver at the gates.

From what Kaelor had seen and deduced, Vi wasn’t just a capable mercenary. She was a force. An Acranist of her caliber could rival a Swordmaster, which meant...Only a full Master, armed with enchanted gear like Ignis, could even think of bringing her down.

She was dangerous.

But so was he.

And now they were both walking into a town run by a Baron who considered the rice farm his, a farm in his own domain.

To put it plainly, he was in the enemy’s territory.

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