Ch 31: Hunter Association

We just arrived at the hunter association at 7:27 AM, as we stepped out of the car, the building loomed over us, as if to remind us of the gravity of the situation. Although I knew what dangerous situation we're in, I couldn't stop thinking about the kids.

I mean, what kind of parent won't worry about their children? I know some parents might do that, but to be honest, can they even be considered as parents?

What I'm trying to say is, I'm DEAD worried about the children at home. Though we left them to Jake, I just met the man today. I don't know if he can take care of the children all by himself.

I trust Valerie and her judgement, but still.. there's this nagging feeling inside of me that I can't get rid of. 'Did Rodan wake up already?'. My poor son, he usually hides his pain with that bright smile of his.

'What about my baby, Chrissy? Has Jake fed her yet? Was she crying for me? For us?'. She's just two months old, and here I am, leaving her behind for work. Not just her, but my baby boy Rodan too.

'And Leon? From what I have observed, he's a shy child. What if he didn't ask Jake for food, and ended up starving?'. All of these negative thoughts are gnawing at me, and I feel nauseated at myself for leaving them behind.

I know that it is for the greater good but... 'Argh! I don't know'. I looked at Valerie, she was wearing a calm look on her face, but the strength of her gripped on my hand, says she's anything but calm.

Although she looks like she's just walking out for a stroll, her mind must be in a turmoil. She must be worrying about our children too, maybe more troubled than me.

I was then reminded again of our children, more negative thoughts swirled in my mind. Just then, I felt Valerie gripping my hand even tighter. I looked at her, and she gave me a reassuring smile. I gave her one too in return and forced myself to stop thinking about those thoughts and focused up ahead.

Brianna and Cecilia were ahead of us. As I glanced at Brianna, I noticed her brows furrowed in a worried expression. She was undoubtedly thinking about Leon too. Before I could approach her and offer some words of comfort, Cecilia beat me to it. She placed a hand on Brianna's shoulder, speaking in a voice I couldn't quite hear, but it clearly softened Brianna's expression.

I smiled as I watched the two of them, 'Maybe.... They'll develop something'. I smiled amused by my own thoughts. We were just a few walks away from the entrance and saw a large crowd.

Ignoring the crowd and following Brianna and Cecilia, we were greeted by stares and whispers. "It's the S-rank hunters!" someone hissed. 'Oh, boy. Here we go again'.

I could hear people fawning over Valerie first, as expected. "She's so beautiful! And her skills with a sword… incredible!" I smirked inwardly. 'You're absolutely right, but sorry to disappoint. She's already taken'. Then came Brianna's turn. "The Dark Mage herself. She's stunning!" Oh, Brianna deserved every word of that. She was intimidating and gorgeous—a lethal combo.

And, of course, Cecilia got her fair share of admirers. "An archer like no other, and so elegant!" 'Yep. That's our Cecilia'. Pride swelled in my chest as I heard them praise my teammates. As I listened to the people's whisper, I felt multiple eyes looking at me, 'Oh no'.

"She's THE Serena Bellus, isn't she? Look at her—so beautiful, so graceful. And her aura—so gentle!"

'Well, you're not wrong about the beautiful part'. I thought, biting back a laugh. 'But "gentle aura"? That might be pushing it. If they only knew the sarcasm bubbling in my head right now…'

Still, I decided to let it slide. It's not every day you get showered with compliments before heading into a potentially life-threatening mission.

I adjusted my mask—a soft cloth draped over my face that swayed slightly with the breeze. Valerie noticed my slight fidgeting and asked, "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah." Her hand gripped mine again, and just like that, the world felt a little less daunting.

Brianna and Cecilia headed inside first, and the whispers began to die down. Just as I was about to breathe easy, a blue car pulled up. Out stepped… whatever monstrosity of a man that was. He might be considered handsome to some, but to me, he radiated bad news.

'OH SHIT! It's him!'. I recognized him immediately from the novel, Aron Axol, he was Reed's master—the harem-seeking protagonist. He's a natural flirt and a certified jerk. He was one of the reasons the protagonist's character went downhill.

He looked around, and his gaze fell on Valerie. He walked up to us and greeted us, "A fine morning to you, beautiful ladies." He said, he glanced at me and returned his gaze on Valerie. 'What's this jerk up to now?' I thought as a frown came to my face.

"Do you have a sunburn, or are you always this hot?" He said to Valerie, and was looking at her up and down. I looked at Valerie and saw her brows twitching, clearly looking displeased. As if not being able to read the room, he still continued to flirt with Valerie. In front of me! Her fiancee!

Not being able to hold it in anymore, I interrupted him my voice sharp and to the point. "*Kuff* Apologies, but Valerie's already taken. In fact, she's already engaged." I tapped my ring finger for emphasis.

Aron looked at me, blinking in confusion, then down at my hand. "Oh? I see," he said, and then, without missing a beat, turned back to Valerie. "Well, congratulations. Though, I have to say, it's a shame. You could do so much better than—"

Valerie's icy gaze stopped him mid-sentence. "Careful," she warned, her voice low.

But Aron, being the idiot he was, didn't take the hint. Instead, his expression twisted into something ugly, his tone turning mocking. "Wait… don't tell me your fiancée is another woman."

The crowd around us grew quieter, conversations dimming as people began to turn their attention to the growing tension. I could feel their eyes on us, could sense the collective intake of breath when Aron continued.

"That's disgusting," he said, his lip curling. "You're wasting yourself on something so unnatural. Women loving women? It's no wonder the world is falling apart—"

The crowd went dead silent, every pair of eyes locked on him like he'd just sprouted horns. For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. Then the anger hit. Hard.

Valerie's hand tightened around mine. I glanced at her and saw the storm brewing in her eyes. She looked ready to deck him, and honestly, I wasn't sure I'd stop her if she tried.

Before things could escalate, more cars arrived, and we moved inside to take our seats. Valerie and I sat next to Brianna and Cecilia, trying to shake off the earlier incident.

Luckily, Brianna and Cecilia weren't there. If they were, I'm sure a fight would have broken out. Will I stop them? Of course—not! I'll just watch him get beaten up, heal him, and let them beat him up again.

"Something wrong?" I heard Brianna ask, "It's nothing. I'm just worried about the mission." I said, and smiled at her. Her face said she didn't believe it, still skeptical she talked to me again, "Serena, want to hear a joke?" She questioned, I nodded at her and she continued, "Why don't demons ever get lost?" I pondered about what the answer could be, but gave up, "Why??"

She smiled and said, "Because they always know where the HELL they're going!" We both laughed at her joke, and somehow some of my displeasure went away.

We were talking about some things, when we heard a loud bang.