Chapter 382: He was with me

Leaving Thea behind, Luke decided to head home and rest. Later, he would patrol the village for any possible follow-up threats, and if he still had the energy, he would delve into the dungeon that night.

Though he had said he would take it easy for a while, Luke was not nearly tired enough to remain idle for long. Thankfully, there was no immediate need for a large sum of money. Otherwise, the dungeon would have been his second priority.

’Well, I still have those plates.’

Luke had been handsomely rewarded by the head chief when he saved that village.

So, yes, toras were hardly a concern.

"Hmm?"

As he continued walking, Luke sensed someone approaching from behind.

He turned around, and there she was.

The Witch of Flames.

Ilya.

"Caught you this time," Luke said with a smirk.

"I was never trying to hide myself," Ilya replied with a shrug as she stopped before him.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

Shaking his head, he asked, "So? You can move around already?"

Ilya nodded. "I didn’t have much work last night after you left, thanks to all the support I had."

Luke hummed thoughtfully. "But you fought for quite a long time too. You can’t convince me that using that much magic doesn’t take a toll on someone."

Ilya did not refute him. "You’re right. I haven’t used my flames in battle for such a prolonged period before. And fighting that many men at once? It was my first time."

Luke nodded. "Same here. I was quite... skeptical about whether we would survive the night or not."

Ilya’s brows rose. "But we did. Thanks to that beast you saved back then, and then what you caused on the battlefield. It didn’t merely turn the tide of the battle. It completely erased the possibility of us losing."

Luke chuckled. "Well, your father didn’t seem nearly as thankful as you do."

Ilya frowned. "Did he say something rude to you?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but he looked rather cautious around me. And I can’t blame him. Not everyone who saw me fight last night could look at me and still see an ordinary human."

"Oh, but I do."

Ilya added the words almost instantly, her eyes never leaving his.

Luke fell silent, simply watching her.

In a quiet voice, he said, "I’m thankful for that."

A faint smile touched Ilya’s lips before she asked, "Have you eaten yet? Because I haven’t."

Luke chuckled. "Then come with me. I was about to have a meal. I’ll introduce you to my family too."

"Oh, you mean your mates?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah... You know them?"

"Not really. I’ve only heard that you have multiple mates, and that the former chief’s mate is one of them."

Luke smiled wryly. "Exactly where did you hear that from?"

Ilya shrugged. "I’m very observant, and I tend to listen quietly when others are talking. A lot of people talk about you."

Luke sighed. "Do they have nothing better to do?"

He shook his head before adding, "Well, they’re right, though. I have four mates, and Roxanne is one of them."

He felt no hesitation in saying it. It was the truth now.

He had already accepted Roxanne as part of his family, though he would still need to speak with both her and Monica about it later.

He would never force either of them to accept the arrangement immediately. If they needed time, he would give them all the time they required.

"Hmm, I hope they like me," Ilya quietly muttered.

Luke, already lost in his own thoughts, completely missed what she had said.

....

As they neared his house, Luke noticed a certain violet-haired woman entering through the door.

’Why is Nadia going there?’

He assumed she had come to check on Roxanne and thought nothing more of it.

"Your house is full of women, isn’t it?" Ilya commented from beside him.

Luke smiled wryly. "And I’m bringing another one."

Ilya hummed softly. "True. But unlike them, I’m yet to be marked."

Luke raised a brow. "What do you mean, ’yet to be’?"

Ilya did not look at him. She merely shrugged.

"I meant I’m possibly the only one here who isn’t mated. What did you assume?"

Luke snickered but said nothing as they continued toward his house.

Knock.

The door opened almost immediately after he knocked. Whoever was inside had apparently been standing nearby.

And the person on the other side was...

"Ah, Luke... and...?"

Nadia asked with a smile, tilting her head curiously.

Ilya nodded. "My name is Ilya. Luke spent last night with me."

"..."

Luke slowly turned to look at Ilya.

Beside him, Nadia’s lips parted in shock. Her expression froze for a moment before her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare directed straight at Luke.

Rolling his eyes, Luke said, "Let us in first."

Nadia wordlessly stepped aside, though her eyes remained fixed on Ilya.

Luke and Ilya soon stepped inside, where they found Monica, Roxanne, and Ginna sitting together.

Ilya immediately spotted Monica and greeted her.

"Hello. I am Ilya, Lord Kalish’s daughter. I fought alongside Luke yesterday."

Monica instantly perked up and rose from her seat. "So, it’s you!"

With a bright smile, she approached Ilya and took her hands in hers.

"I’ve heard about you from Luke. Seriously, he never talks this much about someone he’s only known for such a short time. But now I understand why."

Ilya smiled sweetly at her words before glancing toward Luke. There was something almost endearing in her gaze, though to Luke, it was equally annoying.

Luke simply shook his head and walked over to Ginna and Roxanne.

Meanwhile, Nadia remained on the sidelines, watching Ilya with narrowed eyes.

Something about this girl was definitely not right.

All of them eventually settled down, and as the conversation continued, Laila and Dalia soon joined them as well.

Seeing the blue-haired woman step out of the room, Luke turned toward her and asked, "How is he?"

Lex had returned to his room after briefly coming out that morning.

Luke suspected that, since Lex was not a magical human, the potion must have affected him much more severely. The same seemed to be true for Gustav, who was still unconscious. He had woken up that morning only long enough to eat before retreating to the warmth of his bed.

"He... is doing better. He should recover by tonight," Dalia replied.

She chose her words carefully. Her mate had already told her not to blame Luke for what had happened, and she had no intention of reopening that matter.

Luke hummed thoughtfully before reaching into his belongings.

"I have a healing potion. Give it to him after he has eaten. It should help clear the lingering effects of the potion and restore some of his energy."

Dalia’s brows rose slightly at that. She nodded and accepted the vial Luke offered her, holding it carefully between her fingers.

"Thank you," she said after a brief hesitation.

Luke merely nodded, his attention already returning to the others.

With that matter settled, the conversation resumed, though Dalia remained somewhat quiet as she examined the vial in her hand.

Then Luke turned toward Nadia and asked, "Is Dart at home?"

Nadia looked slightly surprised that the conversation had suddenly shifted toward her, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. He was resting when I came here."

Luke hummed before saying, "Mind calling him over? It’s an urgent matter."

A hint of worry crossed Nadia’s expression, but she did not question him. After giving a small nod, she rose from her seat and headed outside.

Monica watched her leave before turning back to Luke. "What happened, Luke?"

Luke shrugged. "Someone has to deliver the news of everything that happened, including Baldon’s demise."

The mention of Baldon’s death caused the atmosphere in the room to grow heavy for a moment. The casual conversation that had filled the room only moments ago faded into silence.

Roxanne was the first to break it.

"You... have chosen Dart for it?"

Luke nodded in assent.

"Who better than the man who started working as security for this village, gets along with his comrades, and is well-liked by the villagers?"

His reasoning was simple. Dart knew the village, understood its people, and had already earned their trust. If anyone could deliver such grim news without causing unnecessary panic, Luke believed it was him.

Roxanne slowly nodded in agreement.

Just then, Ilya spoke up.

"I heard you don’t intend to become the next leader?"

Luke nodded, confirming her assumption. "That’s right."

Ilya hummed thoughtfully, seeming to consider his answer for a moment. Then, almost out of nowhere, she made an unexpected suggestion.

"In that case, you won’t have any problem coming with me to my village, will you?"

"...."

~~~

A/N:- Thank you for reading the Chapter. Check my new story, it’s similar to this one.

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