NABC Chapter 4: Deceiveing Looks
Chapter 4: Deceiveing Looks
Chapter 4: Deceiveing Looks
Liam was particularly annoyed today. Ignoring the young lady he had to babysit in the mission, the backwater village at the very fringe of the empire was already bothersome enough.
However, the most infuriating of them all, he had to search for the missing pet spirit beast of the young lady.
Just kill me already, he thought and bit his tongue. He had to be careful about what he wished for. The simple mission already turned out to be quite difficult. If it were to take a bad turn, nobody would know he died here.
Probably not, he supposed. Considering how young lady Kiara came from a prominent house if she were to fall here, some investigation would be made. ," called Young lady Kiara, a tinge of worry in her tone, "did you find Little Cupcake?"
Well, there she was. Liam groaned inwardly and looked up at the young girl of her late teens. She was a fair girl with a picturesque oval face and blonde hair—the very type of girl young lads would fight for. Unfortunately, her personality was shitty.
"Liam?" Kiara asked again, a little irritated that he didn't answer promptly.
"Apologies," he said, "I didn't even find the trails of where the little bunny ran off to."
Kiara's face darkened immediately. "My poor Cupcake," she cried out, clutching her chest. "She spent the entire night alone. I can't imagine how scared she is."
"I can," Liam mumbled, too low for her to hear. It is probably in the belly of some wild beasts.
Of course, he couldn't admit that to her. Not yet. He needed to spend a few more days in the village, solving their problems, and only then could he break the news to the dispirited young lady. Until then, he would act like he was concerned for that bunny and search for her, even if it was dead and digested already.
If this wasn't babysitting, what was?
It took some effort for him to lift the young lady's spirit, as they crept back to the village they were to protect. And we're doing so fucking fine a job of it! Only half a dozen people died just yet.
Before they even reached the vicinity of the village, he found a few worried glances their way. Among them was the young lad of the village chief, and a couple of others who awakened classes related to combat. Of course, they would be only a little better than a disaster if they faced the threat of tainted beasts.
They came flocking towards them as they entered the village. The lad gave Kiara a good, appreciating look—as her figure was a sight for sore eyes—and turned towards Liam.
"Master Adventurer," the young lad of no more than fifteen asked, "what did you find about the beast tide?"
Of course, they think we're working out their problem, Liam thought, not looking for a stupid rabbit.
"It hasn't been a full day," Liam said, not looking at her face. "There's still a chance—"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" she whimpered, clutching her palms to her face. "Of course, you think I'm stupid. A pampered girl who knew nothing about the world. Perhaps you're right. Cupcake, I should have bonded you when I had the chance. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"Why didn't you?" Liam asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
But the girl was already not hearing him, bursting into tears completely before the villagers.
"I'm sorry," she cried, "I didn't mean what I said. I know it's my blunder that Cupcake is lost."
Well, what do you know, even a pompous noble could surprise you at times.
***
Warden's eyes narrowed, palms clasped in the hilt of [The Divider], his eyes boring into the dire wolf, as the thick dark purple power oozed into his blade.
However, he didn't even have to lift his weapon, as an animal several times smaller than the wolf crashed into the predator, hurtling it backwards. The little bunny didn't let go after that, it chased after the wolf and rammed its whole body into its head, ripping out the painful groan of the bigger animal. Blood already oozing out of the poor dire wolf.
"Alright, you have done enough," Warden told the bunny. "Don't get any more bloody, or I won't let you stay near me."
The rabbit stopped and looked at him, tilting its head intelligently. It gave the pitiful creature one last look and leapt off from on top of it.
[Inferior Grade energy harvested.]
Warden had seen too much of the bunny's swagger to be surprised by its behaviour. He let out a breath and plunged his blade into the head of the wolf. It died relatively easily after the bunny wrecked it.
He cut open its head to bring out the small gem, only to find the glutton bunny lunging up in the air, discovering the beast's core.
"Here you go." he tossed the small gem as the bunny gulped it, leaping in the air.
It had already eaten the other beast cores he had with him. Warden was unaware if it were natural for spirit beasts to be this greedy after beast cores, but since he wasn't losing much he didn't bother educating it.
The little bunny was all he had close to a companion in this land.