Chapter 440: Unexpected reunion

After returning home, Luke headed straight for his house, or rather his workshop which he has built on the back side.

Before doing anything else, however, he checked on Ginna. She had fallen asleep while he was beside her, and he wanted to make sure she was still resting comfortably.

With that taken care of, he returned to his work.

As he stirred the contents of the pot, his thoughts drifted back to the peculiar image he had seen in the pond.

Seeing his ex-girlfriend’s face, especially when he had no lingering feelings for her, had caught him completely off guard.

He couldn’t think of any reason why such an image would appear, and after giving it some thought, he decided there was little point in dwelling on it.

He was happy where he was, with his mates and family members. And he had a lot to explore in the world to worry about the past.

"Hmm, this is good."

He examined the mixture in the pot. He was currently brewing a slow-acting poison, using the base and ingredients he had recovered from the cave, along with a few additional components of his own.

The combination seemed to be working rather well, and he was satisfied with the results so far.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about the recovery potions, despite them being the ones he would need to prepare in the greatest quantities.

He intended to carry a portion for himself, but at least fifty would have to be handed over to his family. Hopefully, they would never have to use them.

But well, this world was filled with uncertainty so there was no shame in being extra cautious.

He then went ahead and started brewing some other, and truthfully fun potions like, sleeping potion or itching potion.

They could be created by using simple ingredients but their impact surely would be amusing...if only he doesn’t somehow end up spilling some of it on himself.

"Hello... Is someone inside?"

Luke paused at the unfamiliar interruption.

He recognised the voice, or at least thought he did, but couldn’t immediately place the person it belonged to.

Setting aside his work, he made his way out of the workshop and found a woman standing outside his house.

She had short brown hair that rested just above her shoulders, round, drooping eyes of a warm coffee shade, and a slender figure. There were certain features about her that he could hardly forget, particularly that narrow waist and those rather perky breasts.

"Rhea?" he called out, approaching her.

The woman looked thoroughly surprised.

"Luke! Ah, of course, you would be here." She shook her head with a small laugh before stepping closer.

Luke met her halfway and welcomed her with a gentle hug.

"It’s been a while, hasn’t it? When did you arrive?"

He had indeed heard some movement near the entrance earlier, but since no alarm had been raised, he had assumed it was simply the new unit preparing for their patrolling.

"Just now. I heard Mother was here, so I came looking for her." Rhea paused to examine him more closely. "Is it just me, or have you grown taller? And... well..."

She seemed to be searching for the right words to say that he grew charming.

Luke grinned and shrugged. "A lot has happened. I suppose I went through a growth spurt. What about you? You look thinner than before. Is your mate not taking proper care of you?"

Rhea was mated to Claw, the youngest son of the Head Chief. He was a fierce warrior, though his personality was rather simple and straightforward.

The last time Luke had seen her was shortly after the incident involving the magical beast that had attacked the village. Back then, he and Baldon had been hailed as the village’s saviours, and Claw had even presented Luke with a token of gratitude on behalf of the Chief. It was something Luke would soon find an opportunity to put to use.

"He is very caring and attentive," Rhea replied with a fond smile. "He wanted to come with me as well, but he has other duties to attend to."

Luke raised his eyebrows.

"You travelled all this way on your own?"

Rhea blinked at his surprise before letting out a soft chuckle.

"It’s not that far anymore. Previously, the forest was too dense and infested with magical beasts, so we had to take a much longer route. But after the recent expansion of the warriors, they managed to clear the forest and establish a direct connection between the Head Tribe and the surrounding settlements. Now, travelling between them is much easier."

Luke hummed thoughtfully. That was a news to him, and something he didn’t realise on his own. But then again, he doesn’t go out often much so it was understandable.

But the question lingered.

"The Chief considered this village important enough to have the passage cleared as well?"

It was certainly an unexpected development. Baldon was a brave warrior who had fought alongside the Head Chief on numerous occasions, but even that didn’t seem sufficient to warrant such special treatment for this village.

After all, there were much larger settlements that could offer the Head Tribe considerably better trading opportunities and other benefits. From a purely practical standpoint, prioritising this village made little sense.

Not to talk about, the passage clearing happened in a rush. So Luke assumed a whole lot of warriors must have been utilised in the process. And that further solidified his question.

However, Rhea’s next words took his thoughts in an entirely different direction.

"I’ve heard something else, though I can’t say how reliable the information is. My Lord mentioned that you did something in Tilivor that caught the Chief’s attention. Apparently, he has invited you to visit him as well, much like my Lord."

Luke was taken aback.

Tilivor was Roxanne’s birthplace, one of the four pillars of Gangaur. He had visited the town some time ago, and while he had certainly been involved in a few unexpected incidents there, he hadn’t imagined that any of them would have attracted the Chief’s attention to such an extent.

He had known about the invitation, of course, but he hadn’t realised the Chief was interested enough to go this far. Having an entire passage cleared to make travelling between the settlements easier was no small undertaking.

’Well, it would be rather rude of me not to visit him now.’

A wry smile spread across his face as he turned towards Rhea.

"How long would it take to reach the Head Village on horseback, assuming the horse doesn’t get tired?"

Rhea gave him a faint smile, seemingly amused by the idea that he might be considering himself an inexhaustible horse. Nevertheless, she answered without hesitation.

"A day at most."

Luke nodded.

"Good. Tell me, how long do you intend to stay here?"

Rhea looked slightly surprised by the sudden question.

"I mean... I’ve come all this way after such a long time. Surely, I’ll stay for a few days."

Luke nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect. I’ll be away for a few days myself. Once I return, we can head to the Chief Tribe together."

Rhea was caught off guard by his decision. However, the prospect of bringing Luke along with her was rather appealing. She could already imagine her Lord’s reaction when he saw him. That alone would make the journey worthwhile.

"All right, then. I’ll wait for you."

She glanced towards the entrance before turning back to him.

"Now, would you mind if I went to see my mother?"

Luke smiled and reached for her hand.

"Come on. I’ll take you to her."

Rhea’s gaze fell upon their joined hands. Her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush crept across her cheeks.

She didn’t say anything, though. Instead, she allowed him to lead her inside.

...

"Have you finished your patrol?" Dart asked.

The young knight immediately straightened his posture before answering. "Yes, Guardian."

Dart offered a wry smile. Apparently, the tribe had a habit of addressing their superiors as Guardians. He still hadn’t quite grown accustomed to the title, and hearing it directed at him always left him feeling a little out of place. Nevertheless, he saw little reason to comment on it.

"Did you notice anything suspicious or out of the ordinary during your patrol?" he asked.

The young knight nodded. "I noticed some unusual movement around the lake region and decided to investigate. However, it turned out to be nothing more than a herd of deer grazing near the water."

"Is that so?" Dart mused, briefly considering the report. "Very well. You may return to your duties."

He looked in the direction of the lake. It was in the same direction where the Hunter Killer lived. Humming, he muttered,

"Should I inspect myself?" The thought crossed him but he delayed it for later.

~~~

A/N:- Thank you for supporting the work thus far. Join the discord for images I can’t post here.

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