Chapter 76: I can’t hunt

Riding the same horse wasn’t an option since his hunting companion today was Rhea, the Chief’s daughter and a maiden. Of course, they had to maintain their distance.

The three guards followed behind them, keeping a respectful gap so she had room to breathe.

Rhea didn’t like being crowded during a hunt, which was why she agreed when her father asked if a companion would suffice. She usually accompanied him, so this was the first time she was going out on her own.

Glancing at the young man, who seemed about a year younger than her, she asked, “I hope you aren’t putting anything important aside for this.”

Luke hummed and shrugged. “Well, I would’ve rested at home today, but Gary trusted me with this job, so I figured I might as well earn a few coins.”

Rhea’s brows lifted. “Aren’t you already one of the richest people in the village? Why take on something this trivial?”

Luke grinned. “I get to spend time with such a pretty girl, so that’s a bonus.”

Her expression faltered. For a brief moment, her cold mask cracked, but she quickly coughed and composed herself. “I’ve heard men admire a woman’s manners, her cooking, or her gentle nature. You might be the first to appreciate only her appearance.”

Luke shrugged. “I’m a little different from the people you’ve met. Anyway, this might sound a bit alarming, but this is only the second time I’ve stepped outside the perimeter, so I don’t really know where we might find a decent hunt.”

Rhea’s brows lifted. “I’ve heard you only recently started taking hunting jobs seriously, so it isn’t that surprising.”

Luke tilted his head. “Don’t you feel any regret? I mean, you could’ve chosen a better guide and protector.”

Rhea fell silent for a moment before replying, “As a guide, you might be unreliable. But as a protector, I know I can trust you.” As the words left her lips, warmth crept into her cheeks. She nudged her horse forward, urging it into a quicker pace before Luke could turn and look at her.

The green-haired youth followed her along the muddy trail and said, “So it was you, after all.”

Rhea hummed softly. “What are you talking about?”

Luke grinned before muttering, “You’re the cloaked figure people saw the day the wolves ambushed, aren’t you?”

Rhea nearly slipped off her horse. Her face turned pale with horror as she looked at him.

Luke remained indifferent. “I figured as much since you were keeping an eye on things that night when I was guarding your house. Honestly, I’m grateful you didn’t int—”

“Please, stop for a moment!” Rhea cut in sharply, pulling her horse to a halt.

Luke followed suit, confused, and turned toward her.

Rhea glanced at the guards. They immediately grew alert as she said, “We’re taking a short break. Keep watch.”

The guards exchanged glances before spreading out to patrol the area.

Rhea looked back at Luke, her eyes slightly glossy. In a restrained voice, she said, “We need to talk.”

Luke wasn’t sure what had stirred her so much, but he didn’t dwell on it. He began to dismount when, suddenly, the system chimed,

[Quest: Comfort the target]

[Reward: Smoke Bomb x3

Mosquito Repellent x1]

Luke gave a wry smile. Maybe this was the first time the system had assigned such a simple quest. Judging by the difficulty, it hadn’t even bothered offering a single G point.

Stingy system.

Shaking his head, Luke decided to hear her out first. He didn’t like loud, complaining girls, so if she turned out to be one, he’d drop the quest and move on without a second thought.

However, when Rhea finally turned to face him, she didn’t speak. Instead, she lowered her head, her posture dipping forward as her chest shifted with the motion, unintentionally offering him quite the view. She was well stacked, truth be told.

“Please don’t tell anyone that I fought those beasts that day.”

Luke crossed his arms. “Why though? Wouldn’t your parents be proud? You protected the villagers and fought bravely. If anything, I should be thanking you that the beasts didn’t reach our house.”

Rhea felt her heart skip a beat. He was the first person to discover what she had done in secret, yet his reaction carried a warmth she hadn’t expected.

The genuine admiration in his voice left her momentarily speechless. Then she shook her head. “No… my father would be furious if he found out what I did.”

Luke frowned slightly. “Explain.”

Rhea kept her head lowered. “I’m already arranged to be mated to someone.”

“…Huh? For real?”

She continued, “He is the third son of the head chief. We’ve met a few times. He’s a good man and a strong warrior. From those interactions, I feel he would make a decent partner.”

Luke sighed. “And what does that have to do with you saving people or your father being against it?”

Rhea gave a wry smile. “It’s not exactly my father. It’s my future mate’s family. They expect all the women in their household to remain within four walls, focus on cooking, care for their mate, and bear children.”

Luke nearly cringed. The world he came from had largely moved past such customs. Women had begun raising their voices against unfair practices, choosing to live independently rather than follow imposed roles.

So yes, hearing someone expect a young girl to become nothing more than a child-bearing, cooking machine felt strange to him.

However, in this world, it was all too common.

In fact, a woman taking up hunting was considered extremely unusual. Women like his aunt were rarer than rare. So what Rhea said shouldn’t have felt strange to someone born in this world. And even she didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with the arrangement.

“Ah!” Rhea gasped in surprise as Luke suddenly took her hand.

“Since you’ve got this rare day to be yourself, let’s make the most of it.”

•••••••

A/N:- Thank you for reading. I have a discord server but can’t post the link here.

Search my username hayden_greyhart on discord and I will give you the link.

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