“You!” Daisuke hissed in a dangerously low tone as he slowly encroached upon a familiar woman. “You’ve been following me ever since I got into town! You’ve got some nerve! Do you have any idea what I went through because of you people?!”

  Quivering like a leaf, the woman cautiously backed away, her movements hesitant and fearful. Then she promptly prostrated herself before him as Daisuke stalked toward her imposingly, a murderous aura rolling off his body.

  Passersby slowed to a stop, drawn to the unfolding drama with gasps and whispered ents. But the woman who had preteo be Reeza’s mother didn’t care, nor could Daisuke reize anything outside of his absolute disdain for the deceitful medusa before him.

  In his rage, he palmed his face, his expression distorted, golden eyes peeking out from between his fingers. “Choose your words very carefully,” he warned.

  The woman’s nervous gulp was audible, tiny beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. “I-I’m sorry,” she pleaded, cautiously keeping her gaze down.

  “Sorry?” Daisuke replied mogly, the word dripping in venom. “Do you holy believe that words are enough to erase what you’ve done?!”

  “Please! I really need your help!”

  Daisuke’s eyes widened in e, then his scowl deepened, fingers curling into tight fists as he drew closer.

  “M-My husband’s being held prisoner,” she whispered urgently, her voice trembling with fear. “I have no choice but to ply with their demands, or they’ll kill him. I never meant to hurt you,” she cried, “I never meant to hurt anyone. I’m truly sorry. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  Daisuke stilled, his fingers slowly uncurling as the storm of emotions within him began to calm. Yet, the unyielding liched into his face remained unged.

  “You didn’t bat an eye when I was beien half to death, or when my friend was killed,” he said, his voice tinged with icy rese. “So tell me, why should I care about you?”

  As Daisuke’s bitter words echoed in her mind, a memory resurfaced—a versatioween two guards that she had fortuitously overheard:

  “Have you heard? Reeza’s been pushing the boundaries tely.”

  “Too bad it’s all going to e crashing down soon,” the uard remarked nontly.

  “What do you mean?”

  The man flicked his half-smoked cigar to the ground and crushed it beh his boot, his demeanor indifferent. “Besides getting dangerously close toal, her ret activities have been attrag a bit too much attention. If we want to keep the lord’s support, we o put a stop to it.”

  The young guard’s eyes widened in arm. “And so?”

  “That’s above our pay grade,” the other man replied sharply. “We’re not paid to think; just stick to your duties and guard the door. It’s not our pce to pry into matters beyond our station.”

  Finally, the womaantly raised her head, meeting Daisuke’s cold gaze with nervous determination. “Something dreadful is unfolding in that pce right now,” she admitted softly, her words a whisper meant only for his ears. “I desperately need assistao escape with my husband.”

  Daisuke frowhe glint of the Evil Eye stirring within his pupils as he weighed the truth of her words.

  “This is our best ce to act,” she uttered, her voice urgent. “The longer we wait, the harder it will bee to escape. Their operation will only grow more entrenched, and their numbers will swell. If you agree to help, I’ll assist you in rec the gold you lost. I’ll lead you to the hideout and show you how to bypass the traps.”

  Daisuke averted his gaze; he had firmed she was telling the truth, but the sight of her stoked an intense anger within him. “No thanks,” he refused, striding away. “I think I’ve had enough of your kind of help.”

  “No, wait!” the leaded desperately, her trembling fingers clutg his cloak. “You’ll never be able to find their hideout on your own. And, even if you do, you would have wasted too much time in the process. Like I said, this is a very time-sensitive matter.”

  A muscle worked in Daisuke’s jaw as he weighed his options. Turning around, his gaze bore down on her with unwavering iy. “Fine,” he ceded abruptly, wreng his cloak from her grasp. “But if you eveely think about double-crossing me…”

  The woman bowed her head, her demeanor a mix of apprehension and gratitude. “Thank you!” she excimed, tears tipping her eyes.

  ***

  TANG-TANG-TANG!

  The din of stru echoed throughout Fleecia Forest as skilled builders worked tirelessly to expand a familiar vilge. Trees, undergrowth, and rge boulders were cleared to make way for the vilge’s growth, and an impressive wooden wall began to take shape, encirg the settlement.

  Simir to Elmridge Vilge, there were numerous other remote settlements inhabited exclusively by Beastfolk. To safeguard the secrecy of these locations, the inhabitants refrained from divulging their existeo other races. However, this secluded lifestyle brought its ow of challenges. When faced with rge-scale projects that demanded manpower or specialized skills beyond their unity’s reach, a sense of frustration and helplessness crept in.

  To cater to this unique market, a pi solution emerged: the establishment of a business venture prised solely of Beastfolk artisans—the Beastbuild. With a local branch tracted to oversee operations, the development of Elmridge was already well underway.

  Vilgers eagerly followed the artisans’ guidance, wholeheartedly tributing their bor to the endeavor. Even the you among them stepped forward, whatever assistahey could manage.

  Neigh~

  A horse-drawn wagon rolled into the vilge, winning the attention of the locals. Milo stepped out, greeted by friendly smiles and nods. He had ceously taken on the role of intermediary between the vilge and the humans of Wonderelle, handling busiransas and supply runs.

  Today he was returning from one such trip with vital provisions—food, equipment, and supplies. His cheeks flushed with satisfa as Elena and Rexar ended him for his efforts.

  At the rear entrance of the vilge, beh the f shade of a rge tree, Feng and Sylvia observed April with heavy hearts as she wept beside the tombstohey had erected for Sheba.

  The girl’s sorrow reverberated through Feng’s ow, and a muscle twitched in his jaw as he recalled the haunting words Sheba had muttered in her final moments. With a solemn vow to find the girl’s siblings, Feng turned away to join Sylvia, leaving April to mourn in solitude.

  Just before entering the vilge, the duo froze iracks at the sound of rustlih nearby shrubs. Feng instinctively positioned himself protectively in front of Sylvia, his hand h he hilt of his sword, his body a jet-bck attire. However, their apprehension dissolved as a familiar e emerged from the foliage, his tail wagging in friendly greeting.

  “Is that Zephyr?” Feng asked cautiously, sing the area for any signs of danger. “But where’s Haxks?”

  Sylvia’s expression darkened. “Do you think something happeo him?”

  With a cheerful bark, Zephyr approached and sat patiently before them.

  Feng furrowed his brow in thought. “I don’t think so,” he cluded, noting the pup’s calm demeanor. “Pretty sure Zephyr would be in berserk mode, if that were the case.”

  Sylvia scratched her cheek awkwardly. “You’re probably right about that.”

  Sylvia approached the tiny wolf and gave him a ge on the head. “Hey, Zephyr. What are you doing all the way back here? Where’s Haxks?”

  The pup responded with an exuberant bark before running around in a circle and then sitting back down.

  Feng’s keen ears caught the faint jingle of metal as Zephyr moved, and his eyes flickered down to the accessory ad the pup’s neck. “Sylvia,” he called, nodding towards the curious item. “Take a look at that.”

  Intrigued, the girl leaned in closer and noticed the neckce. She reached out to touch it, feeling the weight of the pendant in her hand. With a geug, she opehe locket and discovered a folded piece of part led inside.

  “What is it?” asked Feng curiously.

  “It… looks like a note,” she responded, delicate fingers carefully unfolding it.

  Feng homed in close and they both began to read. While they were thankful the simplicity of the message took into at the fact that their literary skills had a lot to be desired, they were still fbbergasted by the information tained within:

  —Harmless demihuman goblins and their human mothers. Please look after them until I figure something out.

  Haxks

  “Goblins? Human women? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Feng excimed, his frustration evident. “It’s only been a few days, and he’s already getting mixed up in everyone’s business.”

  Sylvia chuckled, finding Feng’s reausing. “So, what do you want to do? Now that you’re our vilge chief, it’s your decision to make.”

  Feng ran a hand through his hair with a groan. “First, let’s get Zephyr out of sight. It would be painful if April had to say her goodbyes a sed time.”

  “Good idea,” Sylvia agreed with a nod.

  “Zephyr,” Feng called, standing up and sing the area. “ you lead us back to them, the ones Haxks wants us to protect?”

  “Kyuu~”

  As the e disposed himself to the request, he pondered whether Daisuke was keeping himself out of trouble as promised.