Chapter 141: New task update

Anaria had barely settled back into life in Wolfrine when the System decided to disturb her peace.

She was sitting beside Ana, watching her daughter turn the little wooden toy over in her hands. The servants had finished clearing the meal, and the house was quiet for once. Kenai was nearby, keeping an eye on Ana while Anaria enjoyed a rare moment without anyone asking her to solve a problem.

Then suddenly a familiar annoying noise chime sounded in her head.

[Ding! Welcome back, Host!]

Anaria’s fingers paused.

"Oh, no."

[The System has not said anything else yet.]

"That greeting never comes alone. What do you want?"

[The System welcomes Host back from her holiday. We hope Host enjoyed her time away and feels refreshed.]

Anaria stared ahead. "Holiday? We were helping people rebuild their settlement."

[Host was away from her usual duties for several days. The System has therefore classified the period as a holiday.]

"Of course you did. I was tired, worried, and busy the entire time, but sure. Lovely holiday."

[Host has rested enough. It is time to resume her duties.]

Anaria leaned back slowly. "I knew it, just tell what is it?"

A panel appeared in front of her.

[Ding! New Husband Candidate Detected!]

[Husband Candidate No. 4 has been detected within Wolfrine’s territory.]

"Candidate number four?"

[That is correct.]

"Four as in one, two, three, four?"

[The System is glad Host can count.]

"Don’t get smart with me!"

Ana looked up at the sudden outburst. Anaria immediately softened her voice and brushed a hand over her daughter’s back.

"Not you, sweetheart. You haven’t done anything wrong."

She returned her attention to the panel, her disbelief slowly turning into indignation. She already had three husbands. Three! Rylan, Kai, and the complicated life she was still learning to manage with them were more than enough to keep her busy. She had responsibilities in Wolfrine, people who depended on her, and a daughter who was learning to stand. She had only just returned from helping another settlement.

And now the System wanted to add another man to her life?

"Why?" she demanded.

[The System has detected a suitable husband candidate.]

"That tells me what you found, not why I need him."

[The candidate is compatible with Host’s husband objectives.]

"I have three already. What exactly is wrong with the three I have?"

[There is nothing wrong with Host’s current husbands.]

"Then why are you looking for another one?"

[The System’s candidate detection function operates independently of Host’s current satisfaction.]

Anaria pressed her lips together. "So you can just keep finding men and throwing them at me forever?"

[The System cannot confirm that this is the final candidate.]

"I’m getting ahead of myself? You’re the one who just announced a fourth husband!"

[The System recommends that Host remain calm.]

"Then stop giving me reasons not to be calm."

Anaria watched Ana for a moment. This was the kind of thing she wanted more of: time with her daughter, a chance to breathe, and days that did not turn into a string of emergencies. She wasn’t against helping people, and she certainly wasn’t against meeting someone who needed help. But the System had a habit of presenting life-changing news as though it were announcing the weather.

"Fine," she said at last. "Where is this candidate?"

Before the System could answer, another chime sounded.

[Ding! Emergency Task Issued!]

[Task: Rescue Husband Candidate No. 4.]

[Objective: Locate the candidate and rescue him from his current predicament.]

[Location: Within Wolfrine’s territory.]

[Time Limit: Six hours.]

[Reward: 1,000 Spirit Fangs and one Mystery Gift.]

[Failure Penalty: 500 Spirit Fangs deducted.]

Anaria’s expression changed as she read the task. The irritation remained, but the mention of an emergency and a time limit made it harder to dismiss the matter as another ridiculous attempt to interfere with her life.

"What’s happened to him?"

[The candidate is in danger.]

"That much is obvious. What kind of danger?"

[The System cannot provide a complete assessment at this time.]

"Is he injured? Trapped? Has he been attacked?"

[The candidate’s condition is unstable.]

Anaria frowned. "Unstable how?"

[His life signs are weakening. Host must locate him before the time limit expires.]

She looked at the six-hour limit again. Wolfrine’s territory was large enough that finding someone could take time, especially if the System’s idea of help was to give her a vague direction and expect her to work everything out herself.

"Can you tell me his exact location?"

[The System will provide a directional indicator when Host begins the search.]

Anaria exhaled through her nose. She wanted to argue further, but she knew how these exchanges went. The System would keep repeating itself until she either gave up or did what it wanted. Neither option made her happy.

She set Ana’s toy beside her and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

Six hours. A man somewhere within Wolfrine’s territory was in danger, and she had no idea who he was or what had happened to him. She couldn’t even picture what she was supposed to look for. The System had given her a task, a deadline, and a penalty, but very little else.

She rubbed her forehead. If she ignored the task, the candidate could die. If she failed, she would lose Spirit Fangs, and she had no intention of throwing away resources because she was annoyed. More importantly, she couldn’t comfortably sit at home knowing someone was suffering nearby when she had the chance to help.

That didn’t mean she had to be happy about it.

She thought of Rylan, who was occupied with his duties as Wolfrine’s leader. Kai had gone to check on work around the settlement, and Kenai was spending time with Ana. They had only just returned home. If she left without knowing what she was walking into, she could end up needing help herself. If she told Rylan she was going to search the territory, he would probably ask questions she couldn’t answer without revealing the System.

Anaria groaned and let herself fall back against the seat.

"How am I supposed to handle this stress? I haven’t even had a proper chance to settle back in, and now I’m expected to rescue a stranger who apparently belongs on my husband list."

[The candidate is not a stranger to the System.]

"Well, he is a stranger to me!"

[That distinction does not alter the task.]

"I wish I could mute you."

[Host may submit feedback through the appropriate channel.]

Anaria stared at the panel in complete disbelief.

"You are enjoying this."

[The System does not experience enjoyment in the human sense.]

"That means yes."

Anaria took another breath and looked at Ana, who was now holding the toy in both hands and tapping it against her lap. At least one person in the house was having a peaceful afternoon. Anaria wished she could borrow some of that innocence and forget about the candidate for a few hours.

But the countdown was already ticking.

She didn’t need to rush blindly out of the house this very second, yet she couldn’t pretend the task would disappear if she ignored it. She needed to think clearly, decide how to explain her absence if she had to leave, and make sure Ana was settled before she went anywhere.

First, she would ask the System for whatever information it could give her. Then she would work out the safest way to search. She had six hours, and wasting them arguing with an infuriating panel would not help the injured man. She could argue with the System after the rescue instead.

"All right," she said reluctantly. "I’ll look for him. But when this is over, you and I are having a very serious conversation about the meaning of the word holiday."

[The System looks forward to Host’s feedback.]

"Don’t."

The panel disappeared, leaving Anaria in the quiet room. She stayed where she was for another moment, gathering her thoughts instead of jumping up in a panic. She had a task to complete, a daughter to consider, and a fourth husband candidate she had never asked for.

All she knew was that the System had once again placed a problem in her hands and expected her to deal with it.

Anaria picked up Ana and kissed her cheek, holding her close for a little longer than usual.

"Your mother really needs a holiday," she whispered.

Ana answered with a happy little babble and grabbed a lock of her hair.

Anaria sighed.

"At least somebody in this house appreciates me."

She settled Ana comfortably with Kenai before finally getting to her feet. She wasn’t heading into the forest just yet. First, she needed to get her thoughts in order and find a way to begin the search without raising unnecessary questions.

The candidate was somewhere within Wolfrine. The clock was running, and Anaria was already regretting every decision that had brought her to this point.

And she still hadn’t even met the man.