Monster Girl Menagerie - Celestial Archive-Chapter 44 - 43 - Tender; Probe

The air felt heavy, the mana chaotic. The ground quaked as the monsters led a thunderous charge against the line of soldiers. The men looked weary, and though they retaliated with a frenetic assault, their movements were sloppy. Crude.

Against the heavy tide of monsters, these men, though overcome by fatigue, still held their ground. For they protected more than their pride and honor; they defended their homes.

Weak though as I was, my senses were adept at picking out the critical factor on either side of the conflict. I momentarily shifted my gaze toward the defense line before focusing back on our captain.

Athea pursed her lips as she regarded her entourage, ultimately fixing her stare on Amara. "We need to help them."

That was all she needed to convey before her squad adopted a firm posture, weapons ready and expressions determined. Amara looked between the group and the captain and offered a curt nod. Suddenly, all the tension on her shoulders seemed to melt away, and though they remained firm, I could see the visible relief on her features.

After our long march through the forest—which supposedly cut across the Prune Town—we had finally arrived near the southwestern borders of the Barony. What greeted us upon our arrival was a barren plain, devoid of the corrupt vegetation, and a battlefield where monsters charged the enervated stronghold.

"You have to stay," Amara said, addressing me. All I needed was one look to determine her worries. I couldn't fight, not only because I was weak, but also because I was unstable. I offered a stiff nod, my heart beating a cantankerous beat.

"I will stay with him," Tania suggested, meeting my eyes with a firm determination. The vampire spared a glance the dwarf's way before turning.

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"Ready whenever you are."

Athea nodded and raised her arms, "To the battle!"

I watched as the feisty captain rushed in the midst of the monstrous horde, the troops following a step behind. Amara spared another glance our way before she too followed them into battle. Though with the addition of the silver-haired vampire, I doubted they needed anyone's help. My conjecture was proven correct when my companion launched herself straight at the eye of the storm.

With her current attributes, Amara should be able to stand on equal footing with an A-rank hunter. A mere C-rank orc was but a mote of dust, blown away at the faintest of gestures.

Tania and I spectated the battle, watching as Amara summoned a crimson spear and slaughtered her way through the dozen monsters in an instant. To his benefit, the orc managed to sense her charge and reposition himself, though all for naught.

The vampire drove her spear straight through its neck, tearing its head off as a sharp wind buffeted its body, knocking it to the ground. The battlefield went silent, monsters and humans alike stunned at the event. Then the cheers erupted.

From behind the line of human defense, a stream of soldiers marched up. They drove past their brethren, massacring the monsters who had descended into chaos. With their leader dead, the monsters scrabbled left and right, attacking with relentless frenzy. In the midst of all this, the silver-haired vampire swept her spear with a cold, detached silence.

"She's awesome," Tania muttered for the umpteenth time, her eyes glinting with awe and longing. To be honest, she wasn't weak at all. She could easily secure her place among B-Rank hunters, even those near the top. The only reason why she appeared downcast was mostly because the dwarf constantly compared herself to the vampire in terms of usefulness.

"And so are you," I assured her, tugging on her arm. A soft blush coated her visage as she stole a discreet glance my way, only to recoil instantly after finding my gaze locked onto hers.

I pulled her to the side, right behind a tree, and slid my arm around her waist. Tania stifled a yelp, clearly surprised by my sudden and unexpected move. I moved my hands to cup her face and stared into her light brown eyes that seemed deeper than the oceans.

"W-we can't... Amara said that you can't—" I cut her off by pressing a finger against her lips.

"I'm fine," I said, smiling, "besides, Amara won't know if you don't tell her."

Her breath hitched, coming out short and ragged. I could feel the tenseness flee her body, leaving her to lean on me. Her face was so close that I could see her limpid eyes with crystal clarity, her unpainted lips that enticed me to claim them, and a deep blush that only seemed to add to her natural beauty.

I leaned in; Tania closed her eyes.

Her lips were soft, ripe, and juicy. The kiss seemed to have siphoned all her body's strength as I felt her quake and fall limp in my arms. Her arms fanned around me, pulling me in.

A deep-seated urge to ravish her threatened to emerge; I pushed it down with an iron will and simply focused on savoring her soft and pliable lips.

Distantly, I became aware of the constant level-ups, though I never let them break my focus. Only the heat of her body pressed against mine registered to my senses.

"And here I thought you left on your own."

The sharp voice broke me from the trance, Tania slipping away from the embrace, nearly fleeing away. She halted a distance away, covering her mouth with her hand. I cleared my throat and addressed the vampire with an awkward smile.

"Amara, you're done?"

Amara pressed her brows together, glancing between me and Tania, before shaking her head. "Lame," she commented.

I offered a shrug and moved past her. The battlefield was silent, save for a number of armored men and women scouring the monster bodies. My gaze locked onto the figure of a man advancing our way; Athea was right beside him.

He wore a genial smile as he arrived before us, greeting us with a thump against his chest. "Thank you for your help, Hunter. My name is Ark, and I supervise this section of the borders."

Amara grunted an acknowledgment, which prompted an awkward glance from Ark to his companion. Athea offered a shrug in return. I decided to step in at that point.

"I'm sure Amara is happy to have her achievements recognized," I spoke, finding the duo's attention shift to me. Athea was probably under the impression that Amara was our little group's leader, and Ark had considered her the most relevant. It wouldn't surprise me if Amara's dismissive attitude stemmed from their lack of attention toward me. "I'm Markus, by the way."

Ark shook my proffered hand and peered over my shoulder at Tania, his eyes shining with a thinly veiled interest.

"This is no place to converse, and surely you must be feeling tired. Why don't you come with me somewhere more comfortable?"

We didn't refuse the man's request and were soon led toward the stronghold. They had constructed a collection of hovels near the back, most of them filled to the brim with injured and fatigued soldiers. Near the center lay a couple of tents, and Ark led us inside one.

"I heard from Athea that you have come from the Hunters Guild?" Ark said, the moment we had taken our seats around an oak wood table. His attention was fixated on Amara, though I could almost sense the skepticism in his voice.

All guilders were duty-bound to aid the guild in times of need, and those who disobeyed would face more than just expulsion. Even the Royal Court would turn their gazes the other way when the guild decided to hand out the punishment. It made sense that Ark would consider our argument dubious.

I smiled and said, "Actually, we came here to find our friends, whom the guild informed us had undertaken the mission to provide aid to the Barony."

Ark narrowed his eyes, turning his head to regard me. It seemed the man still found it hard to acknowledge my words or that I was speaking on behalf of our leader. "Either way, we cannot deny the help you've provided, and for that I'm eternally grateful," he said, offering a shallow bow.

"That said," Ark added, "if you would be willing to disclose some of your friends details, then perhaps I could provide some help."

He's fishing for information, I thought; that's good for us.

"Sure," I said and offered a detailed description of the four. The armored man pretended to think for a moment—while Amara and I watched on in amusement—before shaking his head.

"Unfortunately I can't seem to think of anyone that matches the description you provided," he said, and I adopted a sullen posture. "However, I can tell you that your friends are not at our post."

"At your post?" I perked up slightly at the revelation and intently eyed the man sitting opposite me. "Would you care to elaborate on what you meant?"

Ark smiled. "Sure."

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