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A cold wind chilled Laws's heart. As he faced death, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
'This is... too sudden...'
'Lufie... Noda... I haven't even...'
The forest snake's ferocious mouth came closer to his face, its fangs now just inches away.
And then, it split apart.
In mid-air, before Laws's horrified and regretful gaze, in a manner that absolutely guaranteed death, it shattered into more than ten pieces in an instant. The fragments fell from in front of Laws's face like kitchen scraps being tossed into a garbage bin.
At the same time, he felt a breeze pass by his cheek.
A streak of light lingered in the air.
The foul blood spurting between the snake's fragments splashed across his face with a wet sound.
Only then did waves of shocked exclamations spread around him like a tide.
Laws had no time to acknowledge the concerned calls of those around him. He turned his head toward the figure that seemed to have suddenly "squeezed out" of thin air beside him.
"Are you alright?!"
This voice was one he had heard every few days over the past half year.
The wind he felt hadn't come from anywhere in the snowy mountain forest.
It had been carried by a person.
"Dad!!"
Sylphie's panicked cry gradually approached. Laws looked at the absolutely dead forest snake on the ground, then raised his head to see Allen's concerned face. He was stunned for a moment before snapping out of his daze.
"Thank you... you've been a great help..."
With adrenaline surging and then receding, Laws felt a wave of delayed fear. His legs weakened and he nearly fell, but Allen caught him with one hand.
Allen examined Laws's body from top to bottom, left to right, and only let out a light sigh when he found no problems. By this time, Sylphie and Rudy had already run over through the snow.
When Sylphie saw the snake's corpse on the ground, she immediately understood what had happened. Her lips trembled as she buried her head in Laws's embrace, while simultaneously reaching out to firmly grip Allen's sleeve.
Laws, still shaken, stroked Sylphie's head and quietly comforted her.
Allen, watching this scene, relaxed slightly. Looking at the small hand on his sleeve, he couldn't help but smile.
'Good thing I made it in time...'
Paul, who had flashed over to them, looked frustrated.
"Are you alright?! I was paying attention to movement on the other side, damn it..."
"A close call, but no harm done."
Paul sighed in relief, looking at the snake pieces on the snow that were practically ready to be cooked and eaten. He couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
"Your Silent Sword technique is becoming increasingly refined. You moved so quickly..."
"Just lucky..."
"What was that reaction earlier? You noticed it faster than I did?"
"I've been maintaining my awareness. Didn't you say there might be magical beasts, Uncle?"
"You kid, always so thorough."
Allen patted Sylphie, who had turned and flung herself into his arms, and exchanged a helpless smile with Laws and the head-scratching Rudy.
——
The hunting preparations had taken a full five days, with almost the entire forest securely surrounded. Allen had learned about the specific hunting methods:
The area was divided by hunting nets, and torches would be thrown into the forest to awaken hibernating magical beasts. Then, they would hunt from behind the nets with bows and arrows. This would effectively reduce the population of weak magical creatures that survived in the forest through impressive reproductive abilities. As for higher-level creatures like the black boar, they were few in the forest, and their black fur was too obvious against the snow, so they could easily be avoided if encountered.
No, they didn't even need to avoid them.
Because... Chef Allen had nearly eaten all the wild boars in this forest.
This seemed like a good thing on the surface, but in reality, Allen's actions had eliminated the natural predators of the weaker magical beasts. According to Paul and Laws's estimates, there might be thirty percent more of them this year compared to last year.
Groups of weak magical beasts posed a greater danger to the winter crops planted around the village and to ordinary villagers than individual powerful magical beasts did.
So setting up the nets needed to be done more carefully.
Five days later, snow began to fall again, and everyone left the forest to return to their homes.
The day the snow stopped would be the day they would begin their extermination campaign.
"Darling! You're back!"
"I've missed you so much, Zenith~"
As Rudy and Allen simultaneously covered their faces in embarrassment, Paul, like an excited dog, lost all pretense of the calm demeanor he had maintained outside. He rushed to Zenith's side and pressed his face against her belly.
Zenith, long accustomed to flirting in front of the children, simply smiled at Allen and Rudy before giving Paul a light flick on the forehead.
"If you missed me so much, why didn't you come back?"
Paul looked up at Zenith with a grin.
"The forest is too far away, and it's inconvenient to go back and forth... We went deeper this year, and Roa almost had an accident. I needed to stay and watch."
"Alright, time to eat~"
Lilia emerged from the house with food at that moment. She smiled at Rudy and Allen, who had just returned, and set the table.
Dinner was very warm and pleasant.
Except that Allen kept looking back and forth between Paul, who was pawing at Zenith's side, and Lilia, who kept her eyes lowered and her mouth shut. Allen smiled with an ambiguous expression.
——
The Greyrat house did not have good soundproofing.
Especially not for a Water God style swordsman who had refined his senses.
The first night.
Next door, Zenith and Paul flirted, and by midnight, some strange noises arose.
Unlike the usual moaning, it sounded more like someone smacking their lips while eating.
In just a short while, Zenith seemed to have gotten tired. She bantered with Paul in low voices for a while, and then there was silence from next door.
Half an hour later, the sound of a door opening came from next door.
Paul went out to use the bathroom for a very long time.
The second night.
Again, there were sounds of midnight snacking. This time, Zenith seemed eager to please, but she still gave up after a short while.
Paul still went to the bathroom after Zenith fell asleep.
Only this time, he also took a hot bath.
The third night.
The winter nights in Buena Village were particularly quiet, and the soft sound of falling snow outside could be heard clearly.
Next door was the same as before.
Tonight there was also the sound of curtains being drawn. Perhaps when the snow stopped and they could go out to hunt magical beasts, it would allow Paul to release his excess energy.
...
The snow continued for a week.
...
So naturally, things spiraled out of control—starting from the fourth night, when Allen went out to use the bathroom, he found Lilia wrapped in clothes heating water in the kitchen late at night, then returning to her room to bathe.
As if winter made one's room particularly cold.
And every night, there was the sound of a door opening next door.
Finally, on the seventh night.
After the door opened next door, the male homeowner's footsteps were not heard for a long time. Soon, Allen, lying in bed, heard unusual sounds.
There were faint voices of conversation traveling through the wall to Allen's ears—very light, very fragmentary—so much so that even Allen, a Saint-level Water God style practitioner, couldn't hear clearly.
But, without a doubt, these were not the sleep-talking murmurs of Zenith next door.
Allen got up and opened his door, stepping silently into the hallway.
The sound could be captured now, coming from the maid's room at the end of the second floor.
"...you've... been holding back for a long time, haven't you?"
"...nonsense... I haven't..."
"Oh... really?"
"Ah... yes... ah... no..."
"Do you like it?"
"..."
The subtle sound of the bed frame knocking.
"Ah... I... I like it..."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 115 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.