"Ehehehe... this is a great catch," Javier mumbled softly, standing in a forest clearing filled with monster bodies. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at the monsters lying on the ground.
He wiped sweat from his forehead and held his dagger tightly.
"Man~ Today's haul was good. I wonder if this is enough to buy my Pekko~"
"Now... time to put these into my magic storage. I can't leave a mess," he laughed, moving his fingers as glowing symbols appeared in the air. With a wave, the first monster vanished into his magical storage.
One by one, the monster bodies vanished into his dimensional storage.
His eyes paused on a unique creature with shiny fur and antlers that glowed softly with blue light.
He crouched down to look closer.
Hmm? I wonder what kind of monster this is?
He shrugged and waved his hand.
Whatever. As long as I can turn this into gold coins, it's good.
The monster vanished into his dimensional storage with a soft shimmer of light.
After a while, he put both hands on his hips and grinned.
"Woo! Great catch today. Can't believe I managed to hunt more than sixty monsters! Not bad for a genius like me." Javier grinned while rubbing his palms together.
He glanced up at the sky.
Guess it's time to get back to the manor before someone notices I'm gone.
I don't want Liana dragging me back by my ear again.
Just as he was about to move, he paused when he heard a rustling sound from the nearby underbrush.
Hmm? Is that a monster?
Javier grinned.
Well… guess I'll add another loot to my dimensional storage… again~
He crouched down, gripping his dagger, ready for another battle.
Alright… time for a sneak attack.
Javier leaped forward, but dropped his weapon mid-air when he noticed Liana glaring up at him from the shadows, her unique blade held at the ready.
"Y.O.U.N.G M.A.S.T.E.R~" Liana cooed with a terrifying smile.
"Ekkkk!! Liana!!" Javier froze, panic creeping over him as he landed awkwardly.
"Err... umm... good day?"
"Good day!?" Liana's eyes flared with anger as she put away her weapon and crossed her arms. "You're not supposed to be here alone in the forest! What were you thinking?"
"Ehehehe..." Javier rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Don't 'ehehehehe' me!" Liana snapped, her voice sharp. She walked toward Javier and grabbed his ear hard, dragging him out of the clearing.
"Ow ow ow! L..liana! Not too rough. My ear's going to fall off!"
"I don't care!" She kept dragging Javier out of the forest while holding firm onto his ear. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here? What if something had happened to you? What would I tell your father?"
"But I was doing fine... really. I even got a lot of loot! Want to see?"
"Absolutely not!" Liana huffed, pulling him along with even more determination. "Now we're going straight back to the manor before anyone notices you're gone!"
"Hehe, you're so cute when you're mad, Liana."
Liana paused and glared back at him. "Do you think I'll let you off just because you're trying to charm me with your words? Hmm?"
Javier, trying his best to find a way out of this trouble, noticed a beautiful bow slung on her back. "What's with the bow?"
Liana shot him a sharp look. "What do you think it's for, Young Master? Hmm?" She gave him a terrifying glare.
"Ehehehe... I'm just asking, you know... don't be that mad..."
Liana let go of his ear and crossed her arms. "This bow is for protection. To fight enemies and monsters. What else would I need this blade and bow for? Hmm? To play around like you?"
Javier narrowed his eyes. "Eh? You can fight?"
"Huh!?" Liana stopped and faced him, hands on her hips. "Of course I can fight! Do you think the Armand household hires random people off the street to serve the family?"
"Errr... maybe?" Javier replied, pretending to be innocent with a shrug. "I mean, you're so gentle and graceful all the time." He mumbled softly. "And sometimes too cold... It's hard to imagine you going all whoosh-whoosh with a weapon~"
Liana sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose to suppress her growing frustration. "Young master, every maid in the Armand household is trained in combat to ensure the safety of our charges. We're not just here to clean and cook."
"Ohhh!" Javier clapped his hands together as if he'd just discovered a great secret. "So, my lovely Liana is a warrior maid too, huh? That's kinda cool."
"'Kinda' cool?" Liana echoed, narrowing her eyes.
Javier leaned closer, his grin widening. "Does this mean you'd protect me if a monster showed up?"
"But trouble's my middle name. Javier Trouble Armand~" He said with a cheeky smile while slowly reaching for Liana's hand and holding it. "This is kinda like a date, huh?" he teased, winking at her.
Liana gave him a cold glare. "Date your ass! No one in their right mind would call wandering through a monster-filled forest a date!"
Javier chuckled, kept holding her delicate hand while walking. "Well, I think it's romantic. Just you, me, and a bunch of scary monsters. Who needs candlelit dinners?"
Liana glared at him. "If you have this much energy to joke around, you should use it to get us back to the manor safely!"
Javier gave her hand a playful squeeze. "But you know, if this were a date, I'd totally win you over with my charm."
Liana shook her head and exhaled. "Your so-called charm is the reason we're going to be in trouble to begin with! Now keep walking, or we'll be in real, huge trouble if the Lord finds out what his youngest son just did!"
Once they arrived at the hidden path leading to the manor, Liana raised her hand to signal Javier to stop. She stepped forward first, scanning the surroundings for any signs of movement. After ensuring the area was clear, she gestured for Javier to follow.
Javier strolled up casually, leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Why do we have to sneak around like this? You know I can just use an invisibility skill on both of us, right?"
Liana froze for a moment, blinking in disbelief. "Eh? You have that skill?" She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "Why do I bother going through all this effort if you can just do that, young master?!"
"What?" Javier crossed his arms behind his head, walking casually with an unbothered expression. "Don't blame me for this. You should know me by now, we've been together since I was small~"
Liana bit her lower lip while following him from behind. "Ugh… let's just head to the study room before someone notices you're missing," Liana grumbled.
"You know, today was a great haul. Tons of monster bodies stuffed into my magic storage."
Liana groaned quietly, lowering her voice as they walked. "Young master, you need to stop casually mentioning those kinds of skills in front of others! Do you know how rare magic storage is? That's something only summoned heroes or exceptionally talented people can use."
"Eh? Really?" Javier said, tilting his head, genuinely surprised.
"And those fast-casting abilities of yours," Liana continued in a whisper, her tone stern. "Don't talk about them openly, either. It'll only draw unnecessary attention."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Javier said, shrugging while glancing sideways at Liana, a playful glint still in his eyes.
( End Of Chapter )