The people were bustling around the Grand Hall of the Castle of Lion early in the morning. Most were drawn there because of the gossip spreading like wildfire outside about the Teumessian fox they had caught. Ryden had no idea who had the itchy tongue to spread the word—certainly not their Captain. Possibly Nick, but why would he do that? It was a confidential matter.
He ran into Glecy, who was one of the busiest people in the guild today. She was cooperating with the investigation team to gather more data about the Teumessian fox before handing it over to the palace. She looked more haggard than before, as if sleeping was not her thing. He remembered Glecy rushing to see the fox the very night they told her the mission was over.
"Hey! Have you even considered sleeping or eating?"
Glecy glanced at him. "Ah, later," she answered. It was the exact same answer she had given Verna.
Ryden sighed, scratching his temple with his index finger.
"I'm telling Nick to hand over that beast to the palace right now." It was a direct threat, and Glecy knew it.
"What?" Her eyes went wide, unable to believe Ryden would actually do that to her.
"Don't 'what' me. We're not losing our support type over that beast, Glecy. You're falling back into your bad habit of immersing yourself too much in things you don't actually need to handle. Tell me, what is the use of the investigation team? Aren't they enough? Do they have a deficit in their skills to do the job?"
Glecy swallowed hard. That was the longest Ryden had spoken to her in a single breath, and he was clearly angry this time. He might share some of their Captain's quiet intensity, but he was far more expressive. He was usually a silent type, but he never hesitated to speak when it was truly needed.
And Ryden was completely right. The investigation team did not need her there. It was just her obsessive fascination with learning about things that were new to her. In her excitement, she had forgotten that she had other duties to fulfill and a team that actually needed her.
"S-sorry... but just one more hour? I'm about to finish my report," she tried to plead.
But Ryden simply shot her a dead-eyed stare and walked away, heading straight toward the Grand Master's office. She was left standing there, her heart pounding violently in her chest, knowing full well that Ryden was a man of his word.
Upon reaching the Grand Master's office, Ryden stopped. Internally, he hesitated to knock, but he could not stand Glecy's obsession any longer. He was not against her pursuing what she wanted, but this was too much. Prioritizing things that were completely unnecessary over her own well-being was insane to him.
"Such a hardheaded woman... but I have to do this," he muttered to himself before finally knocking on the door.
He felt sorry for her, but this was for her own good. Glecy was their support and healer—the one member they absolutely couldn't afford to lose. Maybe later, he'd think of another way to make it up to her.
"Enter," a man's muffled voice called out.
Ryden pushed the door open. Inside, Nick was puffing on a thick cigar. Another hardheaded person who didn't care about his own health. Ryden quickly brushed off the urge to lecture the Grand Master. It was already difficult enough disciplining people his own age; it would be pointless with an old man who practically wore a placard on his forehead reading I Know It All.
"What's with you?" Nick asked, noticing Ryden's visibly pissed expression.
"The guild hall is getting too crowded. Outsiders are pouring in just to pry and see if we really caught the beast. It's not doing us any good, either—some of them are already trying to infiltrate the premises."
Nick placed his cigar on the edge of the ashtray, his brows furrowing as he analyzed the report.
"Mm..."
A massive crowd meant business growth, but if there were troublesome people slipping through the cracks, it would become a massive headache for them to clean up.
But the real question was: how did the news about the Teumessian fox leak out of this office in the first place? It certainly wasn't from any member of the Grand Abyss. Solari was notoriously strict with his orders.
Nick sighed. What was done was done. There was nothing left to do but find a fix. Left to his own devices, he wouldn't dream of handing the fox over to the palace, knowing the royals would rather claim the rights of the capture than acknowledge the true contributors.
"I will discuss this with the elders," Nick said dryly, speaking out of sheer responsibility.
He avoided the guild elders as much as humanly possible, finding their politics completely exhausting and boring. His original plan to keep the beast for a week of thorough investigation was officially dead now that the information had reached the ears it shouldn't have.
"Anyway, why are you even here? I thought Nikolas requested a two-day leave for your party. Even Glecy pulled an all-nighter with the investigation team last night."
Ryden let out a heavy sigh.
"I was just passing by, but then I noticed the commotion outside the building and came in to check," he explained, intentionally ignoring the mention of Glecy's sleepless night. "That was my only concern. I'll take my leave."
Nick nodded. "Okay. Enjoy your day off."
Once the heavy door clicked shut, Nick let out a deep, exhausted sigh. He had anticipated this problem arising eventually, but he simply hadn't possessed the energy to resolve it in advance. Playing a little game was always fun, but not when it completely spun out of control.
He reached up and aggressively scratched his own damned head.
Meanwhile...
Cana was done braiding her hair when someone knocked on the door.
"Are you done?" It was Erus, checking to see if she was finished changing her clothes.
"Yeah!"
It had been their routine ever since they started sharing the same room. When Erus changed clothes, Cana would simply turn around. But if it was Cana's turn, Erus would always step outside and take a stroll around the pub.
Erus walked back in with a platter of chips in his left hand, casually tossing a few into his mouth. The crispy crunching sound was loud enough for Cana to hear clearly.
She suppressed a laugh.
This was the first time he had ever brought food up from the pub to his room. They had just finished their lunch—was he really hungry again?
"Still hungry? I thought we were going to the city?"
"I'm bringing a sample for the guild's pub," Erus mumbled, munching on another chip. "Plus, I don't really understand how you make food. This is kind of addictive."
"I'll just write down the recipe for you," Cana teased, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Because I don't think that actual sample is going to survive the trip to the pub."
"Great."
But minutes passed, and Erus remained standing on the exact same spot. He was staring at Cana intently, his unmoving gaze starting to make her feel self-conscious.
"Erus, are you trying to scare me?" Cana asked, turning to face him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"How can you do it alone?" Erus asked bluntly.
Cana blinked, utterly confused. "What did I do?"
"Your hair. Did you ask the Judgment for help?"
"Ah." Cana forced a wry smile, not quite understanding why the fearsome top hunter had suddenly become so captivated by her braids. "I'm just used to doing it. It's actually pretty easy."
Erus stared, genuinely unable to comprehend how Cana had styled her hair to look like a high-born royal. He knew for a fact that every female from the royal family and the high nobility required three to four personal handmaids just to achieve the kind of intricate design Cana had just done by herself.
He quietly studied her. Did having a Triple-S rank really make a person capable of mastering everything so effortlessly? Plus, standing there looking at her youthful, perfectly styled self only made him feel like he looked significantly older than her.
"Your hair is a bit long. I can do it on you too, but a male version," Cana offered, casually gesturing toward his hair in case he wanted her assistance.
"Pass," Erus answered immediately, handing Cana the platter of chips. "I'm changing."
Cana just nodded and didn't retort. She took the platter from him, her fingers brushing against his just long enough to leave a lingering warmth, before she turned her back to give him his privacy.
When Erus finally spoke up to signal he was done, Cana turned back around—and the sight made her jaw drop. She swallowed hard, her eyes wide.
What a sight to behold for her not-so-innocent eyes. Although she had seen his upper body before while tending to his fever and blocked energy paths, seeing him wear such daring clothes now felt completely different—almost dangerous. His sex appeal was at the absolute top of the pyramid.
Erus was wearing a dark, form-fitting, high-collared leather vest that was deeply cut and completely open down the center of his torso, buckled tightly at his waist. He looked even stronger and more powerful than usual, his muscular physique on full display with sharply defined, iron-carved abs and a broad chest. A physique that intense naturally radiated the raw aura of a predator who could effortlessly dominate anyone in his path.
She had not expected Erus to have such good taste in fashion.
"Something wrong?" Erus asked, noticing that Cana had inadvertently clamped her hand over his when he tried to take the platter of chips back from her.
Though he eventually realized what she was staring at, he tried to ignore the sudden wave of self-consciousness hitting him. His cheeks heated slightly, and he briefly rued his choice of clothing. He remembered all too well how this specific style had often made him a target for persistent women in the past—encounters that usually ended in his cold brutality against them.
"My babies..." Cana squealed out of the blue, immediately clapping both hands over her mouth in shock at her own sudden outburst. Guilt hit her instantly, snapping her eyes right up to meet his.
Fortunately, Erus already held the platter, saving his chips from a disastrous spill.
Cana's entire face flushed a deep, embarrassed red. Those words were supposed to stay strictly inside her head.
And here came Erus encountering another not-so-unfamiliar word, but the way Cana used it confused him entirely. Why would she look at his abs and call them her kids? Was she trying to imply something about him? Did she just launch a surprise courtship ritual to claim his body for future offspring? Right here in this room?
"Pervert," he mumbled under his breath before he straightened to his full height.
"What?" Cana blinked. She realized that despite her massive slip of the tongue, her eyes remained locked onto his, her face still burning furiously.
"I said, let's go."
Cana mentally slapped her own face before standing up and hurriedly rushing out of the room. Erus let out a rare smile at the empty doorway before finally following after her.
She was incredibly bold with him, yet her antics never irritated him the way other women did. Perhaps because Cana truly cared for him, meaning no real harm despite her chaotic behavior. He found her interesting—and in a way, completely crazy.
When they arrived in the city, Erus dismissed the coachman and told him not to wait, having already paid his full day's wage. He planned to bring Cana along to his hunting grounds tonight, just as he had promised. It was an odd request from her—asking to watch him hunt as compensation for clearing his blocked energy paths. But that was exactly why they were in the city now. He needed to buy her hunting gear.
As they began walking on the lined, heavy, interlocking gray stone slabs, packed tightly together to form a smooth, seamless road that easily withstood the heavy iron wheels of passing carriages, gazes started to fall on them. No one could blame the crowd; seeing a tall and lean physique brooding with absolute dominance was a rare sight. Even the way he walked resembled a lawless king, treating every road as his own personal runway. His golden dragon mask only made him appear more handsomely mysterious.
Cana tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she matched Erus's pace. They walked side by side, and her presence helped shoulder the attention, keeping him from standing out entirely alone in the crowd. She was actively sharing the burden of the public eye with him.
"Who is that girl walking beside Solari? Isn't she afraid to die?"
"She is walking too close to him. Isn't she a new member of his squad?"
Cana picked up the whispers through her enhanced hearing, fighting the urge to laugh right in these people's faces. Though she had yet to witness exactly how brutally Erus dealt with women who had the audacity to touch him, she knew he had no intention of hurting her. She was fully aware that she kept unintentionally breaking every single one of his rules—yet he had never shown an ounce of intent to kill her, let alone harm her.
"Poor girl. She is too beautiful to die at the hands of a monster," an elderly man chirped from a distance, acting as if he deeply pitied Cana and wanted to pray to the gods just to save her soul.
Cana stopped dead in her tracks. Erus took two more strides before stopping too, glancing back at her.
"A mere mortal..." she muttered beneath her breath, a near-whisper laced with a dark, lethal intensity.
Erus had no idea what she was about to do, but he instantly closed the distance between them and grabbed her hand. He knew whatever she was planning, it would end poorly for that old man.
"He just called you a monster!" she sneered, glaring up at Erus.
He froze—shocked not by her outburst, but by the way her eyes shifted colors. They bled into a deep, abyssal darkness, like an entire universe holding the stars. He had no idea what it meant.
"So, do you want me to kill him?"
That simple question snapped Cana right back to reality. Killing a man nearing his grave was an absolute waste of time.
She looked back at the old man.
He was utterly terrified now, his eyes wide with the disbelief of someone who couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Cana shot him her coldest glare—a look so piercing it seemed to reach the smallest, deepest veins in his body. The old man sank to his knees, trembling violently as if he had just looked past the monster and seen a real, living demon.
"He doesn't deserve our mercy," Cana said coldly. "Let him wait for death to come his way."
Erus had nothing to say to her last line, but the weight of it left a lingering, bothersome curiosity in his brain. Her words held a depth he could not fathom.
Around them, the crowd stood frozen in the alleyway, their terrified gazes locked entirely on the girl's hand held firmly in his own—the hand of the man they whispered about as a tyrant, a monster, a walking curse. They had never imagined this day would come. To see the Tyrant Solari standing this close to a woman, and yet, not a single drop of blood had been spilled on the cold stone street.
"Very regal of you," he said, trying to lighten the mood—and he didn't fail. Cana's eyes instantly bled back to normal. "Thanks, Cana."
"No. You owe me," she answered, her tone entirely serious.
Erus chuckled, raising a hand to pat her head. "Very clever."
They walked away, completely ignoring the townspeople who remained frozen under the bright sunlight, utterly paralyzed by what they had just witnessed.