"Are you heading out today?" Monica asked as Luke nearly finished his breakfast.
"Yeah. But not for hunting. I’m just going to look around for a house," he replied.
He had been constantly on the move lately, first with Synthia and then because of everything that happened during the contest.
Today, he intended to take it easy and give his body some time to recover.
Gustav looked at him.
"So you’re really moving out after all, huh?"
Luke gave a faint smile.
"We talked it through. Besides, it’s not like we’re leaving the village."
The two of them had already discussed his decision earlier that morning. While Gustav wasn’t particularly happy about it, he understood Luke’s reasons.
"Mother..."
Dalia’s voice drew everyone’s attention, including Ginna’s.
Realizing all eyes were on her, Dalia hesitated before saying, "Let’s go to the well house after I finish eating."
Ginna already knew why her daughter wanted to speak with her there.
She wanted to talk about Luke moving into another house.
It wasn’t going to be an easy conversation, but Ginna had already made up her mind.
Leaning back in his chair, Luke glanced at the two empty seats.
Neither Terek nor Zuri had come out of their room yet. They were probably still asleep after staying up late the previous night.
"I’ll take them some food once I’m done," Gustav said.
Luke shrugged.
"It’s not like I’m worried."
After finishing his meal, he stood up and headed for the door.
He had several things to take care of, and now that he felt fully rested, he planned to get them all done before returning home.
Monica approached him as they headed for the main door.
Luke turned to face his mate and said, "Don’t interact with Terek unless he apologizes first, okay?"
Monica smiled, "Okay, I understand." While she herself doesn’t think about the incident anymore, her mate clearly wasn’t going to let the matter off the hook so easily.
Luke hummed in satisfaction before he gave her forehead a gentle kiss before whispering, "Take care. I will be back by afternoon."
Stepping out into the warm sunlight, Luke took a deep breath.
The moon gave him strength, so he had naturally grown fond of the night. Still, the sunlight didn’t feel bad either.
"Soon it’ll be monsoon season," he murmured. "Things always get messy once the rains begin."
There was no proper drainage system in the village, but fortunately, the surrounding forest absorbed most of the rainwater. Unless a storm brought an unusually heavy downpour, the village would remain safe.
Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to make a few preparations in advance.
"Oh, Luke."
Hearing his name, he turned to find Gary walking in the same direction.
"Heading to work?" Luke asked as the two fell into step beside each other.
"Yeah. I stayed out late yesterday, so I ended up starting later than usual today," Gary replied with a grumble, clearly annoyed that his routine had been thrown off.
Luke had come to recognize Gary as one of the most diligent men in the village. He never failed to spend the entire day at the workshop, and his active involvement in village affairs showed just how devoted he was to the people.
"What happened yesterday?" Luke asked. "I don’t remember much."
On his way back home, he had barely noticed what was happening around him. His mind had remained blank until he reached his front door.
Only then had he realized he was drenched in blood and unconsciously releasing such an oppressive aura that he would have frightened his own mate.
"It was a mess. The mood was completely ruined because of the giant wolf you brought back. More than that, everyone was unsettled by the thought that something so massive had been living so close to the village without anyone knowing."
Luke chuckled.
"It was actually the Hunter Killer’s pet."
Gary almost tripped over nothing.
"W... What? The Hunter Killer? You actually met that thing?"
Luke nodded.
"Yeah. He turned out to be a man."
He then briefly explained how the man hunted his victims and used the beast he had tamed to finish them off.
Gary listened to the entire story with his lips slightly parted.
Who would have imagined that the monster they had feared for so long was nothing more than a despicable man?
"So that’s how he did it," Gary muttered. "He made people see what they feared the most. No wonder none of the eyewitness accounts ever matched."
Luke nodded in agreement.
Gary fell silent for a moment before asking, "Would you mind telling the Chief everything? I’m sure he’d want to know the truth behind the Hunter Killer."
Luke folded his arms.
"I will, but only if you show me a good house first. I hope you haven’t forgotten."
Gary immediately laughed.
"Right! After you asked me to keep an eye out, I remembered one that’s actually very close to your current place. It’s right beside the well house, and it’s quite spacious."
Luke raised a brow.
"The one near the village border? Yeah, I’ve seen it."
If he remembered correctly, it was even larger than the house he was currently living in.
"That’s the one. And guess what? It even has a proper bathing room. It’s so big you could fit a bed inside if you wanted."
Luke grinned.
"Now that sounds nice."
A large bathing room meant only one thing.
He could finally install a bathtub.
At long last.
Luke then asked, "What about the toras? How much do I need to pay?"
He currently had around four hundred stored in his inventory. It definitely wouldn’t be enough, but he still had a few unclaimed rewards and could always sell some items to the System if necessary.
Gary simply waved it off.
"Don’t worry about that. Just come with me to the Chief’s."
.....
Baldon stood in the open yard before his house, sharpening the edge of his axe while resting one foot on a large chopping block.
"Are the preparations finished?" he asked the warrior standing nearby.
"Yes, Chief. The cart is ready, and the horses have been well fed for the long journey."
At his mate’s request, Baldon had already prepared everything needed for traveling a long distance.
Apparently, as compensation for saving the village, Luke had asked to visit her birthplace for reasons unknown.
He had noticed it before as well. Luke seemed to share a good relationship with his mate.
Roxanne had spoken highly of him too, calling him a good man who had helped her on more than one occasion.
Because of that, Baldon sincerely hoped Luke would remain connected to the village even if he eventually decided to leave.
Just then, another warrior approached.
"Chief, Gary and Luke are here to see you."
Baldon gave a small nod and rested his weapon on the side
"Alright. Send them inside."
He assumed Luke had come to collect the reward for the giant wolf he had brought back the previous day.
Little did Baldon know...
The wolf wasn’t the only thing Luke had hunted yesterday.
~~~~
A/N:- I hope you liked the story. If you haven’t joined discord send a friend request to
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