Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 104: The Decision

The other members of the team also noticed that Luna was acting strangely, and even Jella, who was closest to her, could not figure out what had happened.

Ashura looked even more baffled, tilting his head as he stared at the absent-minded Luna.

After a long while Luna finally stepped forward, her eyes drifting between Ashura and her wooden bow, and when she stopped in front of him she stared at Ashura for a long time.

It was the first time she had looked directly into a man’s eyes; she opened her mouth as if to speak, yet in the end she simply snatched her wooden bow, cradled it in her arms, and ran back to her tent.

The team were all at a loss, and Ashura spread his hands innocently and asked, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

Only Jella seemed to understand a little of her best friend’s odd behavior; she stood up and said, “I’ll go check on her, she should be fine!”

Seeing this, Ashura felt that the campfire chat could no longer continue, so he quickly said, “I’ll skip the night watch tonight; if I stay up, none of you will sleep soundly anyway, so why don’t you arrange a different shift?”

The others exchanged knowing smiles, secretly admiring Ashura’s insight into human nature.

In fact they had not dared to sleep soundly on the journey; no one in Beast Forest would entrust their safety entirely to others.

In the end Rock and Clay took the watch that night, and the camp remained unusually quiet.

Only in Luna’s tent did the girl toss and turn with the wooden bow in her arms, unable to sleep; she could not believe that this was fate’s arrangement.

Since she had been traveling for more than a year, it was not the first time a man had asked to draw her bow.

Yet only this black-haired boy with the wicked grin had pulled a perfect full moon on his very first try, and it seemed even easier for him than for her.

According to the War Tree’s guidance, was this laughing black-haired youth really the partner destined for her?

Luna buried her reddened face beneath the pillow, her feet pointed straight, and her mind became a chaotic whirl.

In the neighboring tent the wood-element mage Jella, whose perception was keen, also looked in puzzlement toward Luna’s tent, for she had never thought of her friend in romantic terms.

Luna had never shown the slightest special feeling toward any man before, so today’s behavior was truly odd.

Jella also pondered what to do tomorrow; to be honest she did not really want to go, because as a physically frail mage, if the party collapsed who would stand before her and protect her?

That Gais who declared his love for her every day, or the lecherous Ashura?

The moment she thought of Ashura she grew angry; throughout the journey she found that the black-haired boy always took advantage without losing anything, and her little tricks were useless against him.

He was craftier than a spirit fox of the forest, which irritated Jella so much that she punched her pillow hard.

With such thoughts each person rested until dawn; they silently left their tents and gathered again by last night’s fire.

The fire had already gone out, and Ashura leaned against a log gnawing on a meat pie.

He did not rush to speak; instead, he slowly finished the pie, rinsed his hands with water from his canteen, then stood up, offered the group an elegant noble’s morning salute, and said, “Good morning, everyone; judging by your faces, you didn’t sleep well.”

The members kept their expressions unchanged and did not reply, as though waiting for someone else to speak first.

Ashura then looked at Christine and asked with a smile, “Noble lady knight, do you still want that level-6 beast core?”

Christine lifted the golden hair that fell over her chest and said, “My brother and I are willing to follow you into the canyon, provided the situation is as you described; if the information you give is correct, I swear on my knightly honor that I will do my utmost to slay the Red-Lotus Serpent King!”

Satisfied by that guarantee, Ashura nodded, then extended his right hand, for a handshake meant cooperation on the King’s Continent.

Yet Ashura’s real goal at that moment was to touch the fair hand of the big-waved blonde beauty.

Before the sly smile could spread across Ashura’s face, a powerful hand gripped his right hand tightly.

Clay said earnestly, “Relax, as the two strongest among us my sister and I will hold the Red-Lotus Serpent King head-on, but remember to sell us the beast core once we succeed.”

Ashura nodded with displeasure to show agreement, while Christine behind Clay turned her head to hide her suppressed laughter.

Clay, however, wore an inscrutable expression, for he had long noticed the black-haired kid sneaking glances at his sister.

Since childhood he had beaten up countless boys with ulterior motives, and only after his sister’s strength matched his own and she hit those perverts harder than he did did he finally feel at ease.

So when that Warrior named White in the tavern tried to harass his sister, he watched the show from the side, knowing she would never fancy that trash and wondering whether White would be skewered by her spear.

But this black-haired youth before him was impossible to read; although he claimed the cultivation of a 1st-rank Grand Martial Master and his aura matched it, Clay still sensed a faint danger.

Especially when he said he had wounded the Red-Lotus Serpent King… Clay himself would never dare boast of such a feat… yet since his sister had decided, he would support her unconditionally, and they did truly need that level-6 beast core.

As for blocking the handshake, it was because Clay noticed the lecherous kid peeking at his sister, and she merely glared back a few times without further reaction; Clay could not figure out when his violent sister became so easy-going.

Since the siblings had not changed their minds, Ashura looked at the remaining three, but before he could speak…

Gais shouted in his booming voice, “If you want to follow him to your deaths, go ahead, but I won’t join you!”

Ashura looked at the nose-upturned Gais and said understandingly, “Fair enough, we won’t force you; we’ll divide the spoils in a moment. What about you two ladies, are you going with him?”

Unexpectedly, the usually invisible Luna spoke softly, “I’ll go with you; I can help.”

The others stared in surprise at the bow-carrying girl, not only because she spoke first, but also because her answer sounded a bit ambiguous.

Ashura did not mind; with such a master archer joining them, their chance of success would rise greatly.

He extended his right hand again, and Luna bit her lip, met his gaze, and placed her delicate hand in his.

The instant their hands touched, Ashura felt that much of the girl’s lovely face emerged from behind her hair.

Stared at by those clean, limpid eyes, he blanked out for a heartbeat.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie