Chapter 78: Dart’s place(1)

The guards came rushing in as soon as they heard the commotion.

The explosion wasn’t large, but it was loud enough that it didn’t take them long to locate the duo. And when they did, the guards immediately raised their voices at Luke. “Do you understand the consequences of your actions? Shouldn’t you have alerted us first?”

Luke frowned, but before he could respond, Rhea stepped in. “It was me who ran off first. I didn’t want any support during the hunt. Luke just followed and stayed nearby in case I needed help. There’s no need to get so worked up about it.”

The guards exchanged glances. Since the young lady herself admitted to going against usual routine, they had no choice but to lower their spears.

Luke huffed before turning to Rhea. “Are you done for the day, or do you want to explore a bit more?”

Rhea smiled faintly and shook her head. “I had fun. Let’s head back now.”

They approached their horses, and the guards once again kept their distance. This time, however, it was at Rhea’s request, as after the earlier incident, they had been reluctant to leave her side.

Once the horses began moving and the guards were far enough away not to overhear, Rhea spoke. “That was thrilling. I loved every second of it.”

Luke grinned. “Right? There’s nothing like fighting without a safety net, with your life on the line.”

Rhea’s smile deepened. “I’m never going to forget this day. I’ve secretly hunted a few beasts before, but nothing compares to what I experienced today.”

Luke hummed before asking, “What was that small orb you threw at the creature? It really gave you an upper hand in the battle.”

Rhea took out a similar dark orb and said, “I got these from my father. They’re made from a very special ore and are quite expensive. He gave them to me for emergencies… didn’t think I’d end up using one today.”

She would have to explain it to her father, since she knew the guards would report everything that happened. Still, she wasn’t too worried. She could simply tell him that Luke had been helping her learn self-defense, in case something unexpected happened and she had no one to protect her.

Luke took the orb from her and brought it close to his nose. There was a faint scent of gunpowder, but something else lingered beneath it.

’Whatever they’re adding to it… or maybe it’s a natural property of the material, it’s dampening the firepower of the powder. This is a useful discovery.’

Having explosives at his disposal would give Luke a valuable element of surprise on the battlefield.

Luke handed the orb back to her, knowing how expensive it was. He would rather visit the chief village and study its creation more closely there.

Just then, the system pinged.

[Quest: Reach the chief village—Gangaur]

[Reward: 200G

Falcon Boots]

Luke grinned. Nice. He had already planned to visit the head village soon, but now the system had given him a reason to go even earlier.

As they neared the village entrance, Luke asked, “How is the new member of the family?”

Rhea looked down. “…She’s fine. Though I’d say she doesn’t have good intentions toward mother.”

Luke sighed. Well, that was to be expected.

A new woman would always try to claim the position of the most important lady in the household. As their mate, it was the chief’s responsibility to maintain balance, but instead, he had begun to neglect Roxanne.

Well… that worked in Luke’s favor. The madman was making things easier for him.

“Luke… I know you get along with mother quite well… so, can you try to comfort her? She’s become very quiet these days,” Rhea asked, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Luke hummed. “I don’t get many chances to meet her, but when I do, I’ll try to lift her mood.”

Rhea looked at him with a soft smile. “Thank you, Luke… not just for my mother, but also for what you did for me today. You really made this the best day of my life.”

Just then, the system notified him.

[Quest achieved.]

Luke was slightly surprised. A quest this simple had taken him quite some time to complete.

They had already reached their destination, so both of them dismounted and stood facing each other.

Luke crossed his arms. “Are you having second thoughts about your mate? Maybe you should try talking to your father about it. Tell him what you really want.”

He wasn’t trying to claim her for himself or anything like that. Yes, she was beautiful and came from a powerful background, but that wasn’t enough for him to manipulate her into going against her family.

After watching her today, he felt she had the potential to become a great hunter if she continued down this path. But being bound to that man would likely strip away that potential and confine her to the role of a housewife.

Rhea smiled and shook her head. “No, this is for the best. Having a connection with the head village will help my father, and my future mate is a good man. I’m sure if I ask him, he’ll take me out like this once in a while.”

Luke sighed, then shrugged. “Well, if you’re sure about it… though let me know if you ever need help running away from your mate. I’m quite good at stealing women.”

Rhea chuckled at that before nodding. “I understand. I’ll contact you once in a while.”

Luke smiled as he watched her walk toward the house.

She waved at him one last time before stepping inside.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from the left. “Luke!”

He turned and saw Dart waving at him.

Right… he was supposed to visit his house today.

Well, a free meal, and he’d get to see the wife he adored so much.

’Let’s see how I can lift another woman’s mood.’

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A/N:- Thanks for reading and for all the support you have shown till now.

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