“Hey! It’s Big Brother Brek!”
“Big Brother Garrett’s back, too!”
In the front yard of a familiar orphanage, the children abandoned their play, racing over to greet the returning trio who had taken it upon themselves to become hunters. Their faces beamed with anticipation—until their eyes landed on the single, pathetic Horned Rabbit dangling from Brek’s grip.
“Ehhhh?” One of the younger kids groaned in disappointment. “We only got one today?”
“A-Are we gonna starve?” another murmured, nervously clutching his stomach as if it was already shrinking.
“Is that even enough for everyone… including them?” a third whispered, casting wary glances at the others.
Garrett’s eye twitched. Then without warning—
WHAM!
He punched Ribbit in the arm.
“See that?! This is all your fault, you bottomless pit!”
“Oww!~” Ribbit howled, clutching his arm. “What did I do?!”
“What did you do? You scared away half our prey with your nervous farting, you walking gas leak!”
“I-I can’t help it!” Ribbit whined. “It just happens when I’m stressed!”
“Yeah? Well, the rabbits sure as heck didn’t appreciate it!” Garrett snapped. “One whiff of your stink bomb and they practically grew wings and flew outta there!”
Brek, who had been walking ahead, stopped mid-step and pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly.
“I seriously need a break before I completely lose the rest of my brain cells,” he muttered under his breath.
Unfortunately for the Wolfkin, the roller-coaster ride of his day was far from over. Just as he stepped toward the doorway—
Sniff. Sniff.
“Wait!” Ribbit’s head snapped to the side, his nostrils flaring as he took a sharp whiff of the air. His expression hardened, eyes narrowing like a predator locking onto its prey. “I know that scent. There’s no mistaking it!”
Without a second thought, he barreled past Brek, shoving him aside without so much as a glance. Like a wild boar set loose, Ribbit charged into the building, his eyes gleaming with excitement, intent on glomping the silver-haired boy inside.
“HAXKS!” he bellowed, launching himself forward with all the grace of a desperate hog diving headfirst into a muddy watering hole.
Hands tucked into his pockets, Daisuke lazily lifted a single leg, letting Rabbit’s face collide squarely with his boot, halting him mid-air. The boy comically slid down in a heap, his momentum utterly crushed.
Daisuke sighed, casting him a tired glance. “It’s nice to see you, too,” he muttered.
“Haxks?!” Garrett’s eyes widened in disbelief. “This is insane! How did you even find us? I never thought we’d see you again so soon!”
“That’s my line,” Daisuke gestured, glancing at Casper and the other three boys. “I can’t believe you guys made it all the way here from Wonderelle on your own.”
Ribbit groaned, lifting his head from the floor, a glaring red footprint stamped across his face. “You said you were coming here, so we figured we’d follow. Plus, staying far from the village seemed like a good idea.”
Daisuke nodded. “Can’t argue with that.”
“With that said,” Garrett shrugged. “Once we got to Lunarel, we had no clue where to even start looking for you. One thing led to another, and, well… we ended up here.”
“It really is a small world, isn’t it?” Tiphanna stepped forward smiling. “To think you’re the infamous leader they’ve been talking about.”
“Weeh~ Haxks!” Ribbit wailed, clutching his foot. “I’m so happy you’re here! I was terrified on the way to the city—I thought for sure we were gonna get eaten by monsters!”
Annoyed, Garrett smacked him over the head, sending his face straight into the floor. “Get a grip, you idiot! That non-stop bellyaching of yours is exactly why we almost got eaten in the first place!”
Tiphanna let out an awkward laugh.
Brek’s tawny eyes narrowed in exasperation. After all the struggles and burdens—he shot a glance at Ribbit—he had endured to secure tonight’s supper, not a single word of thanks was uttered. No acknowledgment. No gratitude. It was as if his very existence had gone unnoticed.
Meanwhile, all eyes were on Haxks.
Annoyance simmering beneath his skin, Brek’s gaze shifted to the girl standing brazenly beside his rival. Garbed in an ostentatious gown that complemented her beauty, she exuded an air of nobility so potent it made everything and everyone around her seem dull in comparison.
From the elegant tilt of her chin to the effortless grace in her posture, every atom of her being screamed aristocracy—exactly the kind of person he despised.
Before reason could temper his tongue, the words slipped free—
“Who’s this snob getting all buddy-buddy with Zephyr?” he muttered, sneering at the girl as the pup lounged comfortably on her shoulder.
The entire room fell into stunned silence, broken only by the sickening sound of the devil horns that started sprouting from Lyndoria’s head. Then she rolled up her sleeves and promptly molded a dagger made of ice. “I’ll skin him alive,” she snarled murderously.
Brek scoffed, completely unfazed. “And who’s this washboard-chest girl supposed to be?”
““…!”“
A cold gust swept through the room.
Lyndoria flinched and fell frozen, the insult hitting her like a slap in the face. Before her fury could melt the chill in her veins, she cringed when her gaze dropped to Ribbit who had taken up residence by her leg—on his back, casually licking the blade of her weapon with all the indifference of a cat grooming itself.
“It kinda looks and tastes like ice cream,” he murmured innocently. “Ah—your panties are filly-filly. It kinda looks like icing,” he muttered while drooling profusely.
““…!”“
The room seemed to hold its breath, no one daring to speak as the awkward scene played out before them. Lyndoria’s sharp intake of breath was the only sound, her face flushed scarlet, veins bulging as if her anger might burst through her skin.
Ribbit, however, seemed to be in another world entirely, gazing up at Lyndoria as she raised her leg. A gleam of awe shone in his eyes as he got a better view, entranced by the imprint of the fantastical treasure tucked away in the garden above. The moment felt surreal, almost divine, until it was suddenly shattered by hellish pain.
“Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!” Lyndoria roared, stomping him into oblivion. “Just hurry and die already, you overgrown turd!”
With a beastly grunt, the fiend’s head snapped to the side, her glare shifting to the Wolfkin now, hair swirling with demonic energy.
“Uh-oh,” Brek murmured, his eyes widening in dread.
He barely had time to stagger back before a raging uppercut to the chin sent both him and the lifeless Horned Rabbit slamming into the ceiling like a pair of pancakes.
They hung there for a moment before drifting back down like weightless leaves caught in a fickle breeze. Then a single tear slid from the rabbit’s vacant eye. Even in death it was being mistreated—surely, becoming a hearty stew would’ve been a far more dignified fate than this outright desecration.
Before Brek could push past the haze of pain and disorientation, Garrett and Ribbit were unceremoniously launched into the growing pile.
“Hey, that’s not fair!” Garrett protested, tears welling up in his eyes as a large bump steamed on top of his head. “Why did I get clobbered too? I didn’t even do anything wrong!”
Lyndoria bared her fangs, her eyes blazing with fury. “You three came in together, right? That makes you an accomplice!”
“HUHH?!” Garrett snapped.
Before either boys could retaliate, Tiphanna crouched in front of them with an index finger pressed across her lips.
“But Tiphanna—” Garrett groaned.
“Just leave it at that,” she interjected with a smile. “The women you just disrespected are the princess of the kingdom and her personal assistant. They’re Haxks’ special clients… and our honored guests.”
“EHHHHH?!” Garrett and Ribbit yelped in unison.
“A-Are we gonna get beheaded?” Ribbit whimpered in a hushed tone, snot dribbling from his nose.
“The p-princess of Lunarel?” Garrett stammered, his face paling. “What could she possibly want with Haxks?”
“I don’t know the full details myself,” Tiphanna whispered back. “But I doubt she would harm Haxks’ childhood friends. That said, you should both be more respectful moving forward.”
Brek’s eyes quivered. He’s… absolutely serious, isn’t he? he thought, glancing up at his silver-haired rival in disbelief. He’s gained so much power that even royalty sees value in him? And no matter what he’s been commissioned to do, just having a member of the royal family indebted to him is an insane advantage.
All of a sudden, Sister Aeliana led twelve elven girls into the living room, their hesitant footsteps barely making a sound against the wooden floor.
Though now bathed and clothed, their unease clung to them like shadows, their wide eyes darting around as if waiting for danger to strike.
Garrett and Ribbit, who were still lounging on the floor, froze at the sight of them. Garrett’s jaw went slack. Ribbit, chewing on a biscuit, forgot to swallow.
“Whoa…” Garrett murmured, blinking as if to clear a haze from his vision.
“They’re like… fairies from a storybook…” Ribbit added in a whisper.