Kaya had been working hard hunting the Shadow Forest Snakes.
By now, she'd caught a lot and tossed the corpses into Azrael's dungeon. She didn't know how it worked, but she felt stronger. Maybe it was just motivation, now that such a huge role had fallen on her.
Keeping Azrael close wasn't her only concern. She also couldn't let others find out about him. The stakes were high. She had to stay alert and make sure he felt comfortable enough to invest in her world.
To cover it up, she built a makeshift tent around the dungeon's entrance in the outside world. A bonfire and a few camping supplies helped sell the lie, like this was her usual spot and she was simply camping out here to hunt.
For the moment, it was her best choice.
When a few adventurers spotted her, they turned away without bothering her. It was an unwritten rule not to encroach on someone else's hunting grounds, and the Beastblood Clan and other clans respected it. Only loners who walked the thin line between morality and the underworld didn't care.
Just then, a familiar face walked over to Kaya's tent.
"Kaya?" he called, as if he needed to confirm it.
A few women trailed behind him, part of his team. None of them showed Kaya or her tent any warmth. If anything, they kept their distance, like they were worried their lover might give Kaya extra attention.
"Yeah, it's me. Didn't expect to see you around here, Marmo," Kaya said, turning to face him properly.
"Likewise. What are you doing camping out here? It's far from the River Damases, which everyone's talking about right now." Marmo flashed his signature handsome smile and stepped closer. "You should come with me to check it out. Word has it that—"
The tent flap rustled, and Azrael stepped out.
A yawn escaped him as he cracked his neck, way too carefree for their surroundings and his own strength.
After scratching his messy hair, he took in the scene: Kaya, the tent, and several people with what looked like Beastblood features. One of the women behind Marmo even had adorable animal ears.
I've got another reason to go to the Beastblood Clan now. She looks good with those ears. I bet she's got a freaky tongue, too.
His stare lingering on the woman didn't sit well with Marmo.
Marmo's voice rose. "He is?"
Azrael finally looked his way.
Oh, there's a dude. I didn't notice him. He seems mad, so I guess I stared at his girl too long. Well, she doesn't look pleased either, but who cares? Still, it's bad… Mary isn't here, so I can't go all out. I need her to watch over me so I can show off how cool I am.
Surely it wasn't because she could boost his power, too.
Meanwhile, Kaya swallowed hard. "He's… Azrael. He's from far away, and we met here."
"I see. A foreigner, then?" Marmo's gaze sharpened. "Isn't it a bit intimate for you two to be in the same tent?"
Azrael chuckled. "There's plenty of space inside. If you need to put one of your teammates up, you know where to look."
Marmo glared. "You're a foreigner, so I'll let this slide." He looked back to Kaya. "You should come with us. The River Damases' secret's out. A new dungeon has appeared there, and rumor has it it's an S-ranked dungeon. Our clan's best teams have already been deployed. There'll be room for us too!"
At that, Azrael's eyes lit up.
Without another word, he ducked back into the tent.
Kaya took the hint and flashed her serpentine smile at Marmo. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll stay with Azrael. We'll see each other at the River Damases!"
She slipped back inside and zipped it shut.
Marmo stood there, clearly snubbed.
Relief softened his girls' faces. Marmo's didn't.
Under his breath, he muttered, "I'll murder that Azrael in the dungeon for looking at you with lecherous eyes."
Wide smiles spread across Marmo's harem.
—
Back at his house, Azrael burst in with a grin. "Big news, Mary! There's an S-ranked dungeon nearby! It's new, so there's plenty of room for us to score a good haul!"
Mary was sitting on her sofa with her eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought.
Slowly, she turned to him. "An S-rank dungeon might be too much for you to handle. But if enough people go at once, you're free to take advantage of them."
"Exactly! And there's a guy who'll want to kill me there for sure, so we've already got our first target! Haha!" Azrael laughed, remembering Marmo's stare.
"Oh? Why?" Mary asked.
"I took a liking to one of his girls' animal ears and stared at her like a pervert. He'll come after me to prove to his harem that no one else gets to eye his girls. How do I know?" Azrael's grin widened. "Because I feel the same! I want to show off even more for you, Mary, my little guardian. Let's head over there ASAP!"
Mary returned his smile. "Yes. In that kind of chaos, you'll be able to pick up reliable teammates and potential allies for this world's dungeon conquest."
Their next destination was clear!