《Care and Combat》


 01 - The Lone Seeker

    In this world, adventurers come in pairs.


    There''s the seeker: the battle unit. He is in charge of offense, defense, hunting, scouting, and virtually any outdoor acivity you think of.


    On the other hand is the keeper: the care unit. She is in charge of making sure the seeker is alive and well. Heals, buffs, crafting, enchantments, and virtually any indoor activity you think of.


    But as I said, they come in pairs. The seeker''s growth is only unlocked once he finds a keeper, and the keeper''s abilities are only unlocked once she finds a seeker. Of course, they have to undergo this thing called the Marriage ceremony to actually unlock those.


    And yes, the emphasis on pronouns mean that seekers are male, and keepers are female.


    Ayo, sounds sexist-- shut the fuck up.


    Because while I did say what I said earlier, we have a special case.


    A young woman with black hair could be seen in a clear area in the forest. Her hair was short, and was uneven. It was obvious she cut it herself.


    She wasn''t that muscular, but the muscles under the skin of her arms shifted as she skilfully skinned the hare she hunted. Her hazelnut eyes glared at the poor creature, her rough hands mercilessly clutching at its dead body.


    Yes, yes, this young lady right here is a female seeker. And there are a whole lot of problems that arose just because she was a female seeker.


    One problem was that most keepers did not want a female seeker. Seekers were meant to be strong-- brutal. Men were just born stronger and tougher by default.


    And even for the few that were willing to pair with her, the marriage ceremony always failed. The result? Well, she was a solo seeker.


    And being a solo seeker meant, she didn''t have any access to most of the things she would have been able to do. No level-ups, no skills, no heals, no home-- all things which require a keeper.


    But who cares? She''s gotten used to it. She''s escaped death dozens of times already, with her raw knife skills and superior nimbleness.


    And if she dies, then that''s it. No more having to suffer alone, with nothing but enemies around you.


    With a heavy heart, Clest finished removing the innards and skin of the hare she caught. All that was left was a bloody, decapitated body of what was once a hare.


    Clest looked around, looking for a water tree. No, it''s not a tree made of water. It''s a tree that bears waterfruit. It was a fairly common tree around her area, so water was never a problem.


    Upon noticing one, she placed her still raw dinner down at some rock, and hastily climbed the thick, green trunk of the watertree. Hanging upon one of its branches was an egg-like fruit, the size of a coconut. Or an ostrich egg.


    It really was egg-like, with a hard shell coating.


    Clest carefully picked off the egg-shaped waterfruit, and then went back down. Retrieving her bloody knife, she made a small opening at the top of the water fruit, before using the clear water within to clean her knife and the hare meat she just treated.


    Of course, she was very careful, not wanting to climb a tree again to get another waterfruit.


    With the meat clean, all that was left was to start a fire. This was one of the more troublesome tasks. When she first started out, it took her around an hour before she could get an ember going. Sometimes, the ember would even die before she got to feed it any fuel.


    Recently though, it took her around 10 minutes to make an ember, which is still a pretty long time, as she had to rub dry sticks together for the entire duration.


    She had also learned various tricks to help herself.


    First, she would prepare all the things she needed. Thin twigs, thicker twigs, and of course, tinder. Around her waist was a string, with several clumps of tinder were tied around it. She retrieved one of the tinder clumps and began the process of starting a fire.


    In roughly ten minutes, smoke could be seen, rising from her position. The fire she started was now going.


    Not wanting to waste time and fuel, she quickly stabbed a washed stick through the meat, before beginning to roast it above the open flame.


    Since the meat was lumpy, she had to take the cooking process slowly. It might take more than an hour of waiting before it was done.


    Still, all she had to do now was wait, keep the flame going, and occassionally turn the meat so it doesn''t burn.


    And so, Clest did that. Although she was a bit depressed, as a keeper could do all this with not even half the effort. But what could she do? These were the cards dealt to her.


    As the surroundings started to get basked in the orange sunset light, the forest grew dimmer. Clest sat there, her eyes reflecting the flickering flames in front of her.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    But then suddenly, a faint rustling came from the nearby bushes.


    Clest was thrown out of her trance, realizing that quite some time had passed, and the forest was starting to get even darker.


    Brandishing her knife, and taking a burning branch from the firepit, she turned towards the sound.


    "Who''s there?"


    Immediately, a male voice rang. "Woah, woah, woah, wait, wait!"


    The bushes then rustled some more, before a young man revealed himself. He had dark hair and dark eyes. And as expected of a male, he had prominent muscles and a wide stature.


    The first thing Clest noticed was the shortsword hanging from his waist, which made her frown.


    Running into seekers like him never resulted in a good outcome. Sometimes, no conflict would happen, but most of the time, she would have to deal with something troublesome.


    You see, when a free seeker sees a free keeper, they would always try to get familiar with her, in hopes to get her approval for Marriage. He would show off his raw power, his raw hunting skills-- it was a mating ritual.


    The problem is-- she wasn''t a keeper. She couldn''t enter Marriage with a seeker even if she wanted to!


    She once entertained a seeker that was courting her. When they were at the point where the seeker knelt and offered his heartlight to her...


    If a keeper touched that heartlight, the contract would be established, and Marriage would follow soon after. But as for her--


    She couldn''t take it. Literally. She was unable to. When she touched it, her own heartlight flowed into the tip of her fingers and clashed head on with the heartlight of her suitor.


    Eventually, the guy discovered that she was, in fact, a seeker too.


    Upset about the fact that he wasted many days courting her, he left, leaving some harsh and nasty words for Clest, which is better left unsaid.


    She could feel herself getting a headache just thinking about this guy in front of her.


    With a scowl, Clest asked him. "What do you want?"


    "Yeesh, so hostile," the guy was confused and slightly peeved. "I just wanted to know if you''d let me start my own fire with yours."


    "O-Oh." Clest was surprised. Lowering her knife and torchwood, she continued, "Well, sure. You can get some burning firewood from my fire..."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Sweet. Thank you." The guy went towards her fire and bent down to get a burning twig. "Now if you''ll excuse me," he said, walking away a few meters before setting up a fire of his own.


    Clest was still cautious of the guy, so she watched him intently. And after their brief conversation, it seemed that to him, she didn''t even exist. He was ignoring her completely.


    ''...Is he taken?'' Clest thought to herself, but she inwardly shook her head. ''Nah, it doesn''t seem like he is. He''s too carefree to be in a fight with his keeper, if he had one. I guess he just isn''t interested in me then.''


    Clest actually breathed a sigh of relief. The guy''s demeanor and lack of desire to interact with her, made Clest relax.


    For a good half hour, they both sat there, a few meters apart, in complete silence. The only sounds that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, the chirps of cicadas, and the occasional hoot of an owl.


    Okay, here''s the thing. Clest was lonely. Surviving alone had taken its toll and her, and having someone to talk to without having to worry about courtship and the like-- it was extremely relieving for Clest. As such, she couldn''t help but initiate conversation.


    "Hey," Clest called out to the guy.


    The guy perked up and looked back at Clest, his eyes devoid of any desire to bond with her. It wasn''t a bad thing, however. He looked at Clest like you would look at a person asking for directions-- with a kind disposition but no real intent.


    "Yes?" he replied.


    "You''re not with anyone?"


    The guy paused, turned his head a few times to look around him, as if looking for someone, before slowly saying, "...I don''t think so?"


    Clest awkwardly smiled. "No, I mean--"


    "Nah, I''m messing with you," the guy suddenly cut her off, not letting her explain. "Yes, yes, I don''t have a keeper."


    Clest just made a subtle nod, and silence followed. Moments later, the guy broke that silence.


    A sly expression on his face, he teased her. "Why, you wanna be my keeper?"


    Clest''s hairs stood on end. Not in terror or horror or anything.


    "Ew, no."


    The guy''s sly expression hardened as his heart shattered into a million pieces.


    And they said the worst she could say is no...


    Depressed, the guy stopped interacting with Clest and just poked a twig into his fire, waiting for his meal to roast.


    Clest felt awkward. She only reflexively said that because of the nasty face he was making earlier. Also, she was surprised this guy could take rejection so peacefully. ''This is a first...'' she thought.


    "I''m sorry, uh, I didn''t mean to be rude," said Clest. "It''s just, it''s not like we can enter Marriage anyway."


    The guy looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"


    Clest was about to open her mouth and say something, but she suddenly stopped herself. She had noticed a presence behind her, not too far away from their location.


    The same went for the guy. They were now both wary, looking at the same direction, while clutching the handles of their weapons.


    Among the crackling sounds of fire and the chirping of cicadas, you could hear a faint gargling sound, along with the occasional rustle and crackle of the leaves on the forest floor.


    The guy signaled for Clest to stay completely quiet, before gesturing for her to start retreating to his direction. They had to make some distance from the fires they made, so that they could clearly see the creature first before it could see them.


    This was one of the risks of starting a fire in the wild. Adventurers risk attracting predators and monsters by setting up a fire. After all, it was a light source, and the aroma of meat could be enticing.


    The two watched their surroundings intently, hiding behind bushes a few meters away from the fire. On the other side of the fire, the bushes were rustling. The creature was about to show itself.


    Then from above the bush, one tendril, two tendrils, three tendrils popped out. Looking and sniffing around as if the tips had eyes and a nose.


    Then stepped forward a stout flower creature that had several legs, a huge digestive mouth above it, and an unsettling amount of tendrils coming from that hole.


    "...What is that thing?" the guy whispered, horrified.


    "A Mutated Rafflesia," Clest whispered back. "You''ve never seen one?"


    The guy shook his head, going on to watch the creature.


    It walked towards their fires and their dinner, its tendrils curious. In its curiosity, however, it accidentally put one of its tendrils directly into the fire. Making a loud gargly noise, it quickly took back its tendril.


    However, the other tendrils were still going. It hovered over Clest''s dinner, which made her twitch visibly.


    The tendrils then started wrapping around the roasting lump of meat. And when the tendrils lifted the meat off away from the fire, Clest finally couldn''t hold it in.


    "This creature..! That''s my dinner!"


    And with that, Clest charged at the Mutated Rafflessia with her knife.


    "Oh, no." The guy frowned, but he brandished his shortsword and followed suit.


    Clest used her free hand to grab the roasted hare, while using her knife to cut off the tendrils holding onto it. With some of its tendrils cut, the creature made disgruntled bubbling sounds from its mouth, which Clest was very familiar.


    It was about to release its toxic spores into the air.


    Not missing a beat, she jumped back in retreat. However, the guy was right behind her, so they crashed into each other, throwing both of them into the ground, their weapons knocked down beside them.


    Clest also looked at the soil-caked dinner in her left hand, and was fuming mad. She was about to berate the guy in fury, but then the Mutated Rafflesia released a plume of thick, purple smoke into the air. The smoke immediately started to spread outwards.


    Clicking her tongue, Clest firmly said, "Don''t breathe. Let''s go."


    She then held her breath right away, grabbing hold of both her knife and dinner. As for the guy, he quickly did as told and followed.


    -----


    "What the fuck was that?!" Clest was angry. "Rafflesia poison isn''t deadly on its own, but it''s enough to incapacitate a person! And it''s not like I can heal us if we got poisoned!"


    The guy was slightly remorseful, but he still felt like he wasn''t in the wrong here.


    "Look, I didn''t even know they released poison like that. Plus, I couldn''t let you fight it on its own--"


    "I wasn''t gonna fight it, you idiot. I was just gonna get this thing--" Clest raised the soiled roast hare beside her head, "--but now it''s seasoned with earth."


    "Well then, I''m sorry. At least you still have dinner." The guy spat out, turning away to leave.


    Clest watched the guy walking away, noticing his muscles and the shortsword hanging from his waist.


    "Tch, some seeker you are." She mumbled, also turning away, dusting off some dirt on her dinner.


    Unfortunately, the guy heard what she said.


    "What did you just say?" He stopped and turned around to look at her.


    Clest felt a bit of fear. Perhaps she shouldn''t have said that. She knew about the advantage of male seekers over her, with them having better strength and toughness.


    "What? I didn''t say anything." She wore a ferocious expression, not showing a hint of being scared at all.


    The two just stood there in the dark, looking at each other in anger. After a while, Clest was the first one this time to turn away. And as she did, the guy then said something.


    "I bet that''s the reason you''re alone. No Seeker wants you."


    Oh, it''s on. Now Clest is actually mad. She faced him again and said;


    "Well, I certainly wouldn''t want an incompetent Seeker like you. What were you planning there, charge right into me, huh?"


    "It was dark!"


    "I jumped backwards! Why the hell were you trailing right behind me?"


    "Why the fuck did you even charge ahead? You''re supposed to sit back, not put yourself in danger like that."


    "Oh?" Clest laughed at the audacity. "Are we Married now? Are you my Seeker now? As far as I''m concerned, you''re just some Seeker that was too lazy to make his own fire anyway."


    "..." The guy was left speechless, his face contorted into a hateful expression.


    Seeing his silence, Clest used this opportunity to finish him off with words. "I bet it''s you that no keeper wants."


    And with that, Clest actually turned and started walking away.


    Just after taking a few steps, she could hear the guy sniffling.


    ''He''s crying?'' Clest stopped without turning around, and focused on her hearing. She started to feel bad, not even able to believe that she made this guy cry.


    Through her heightened hearing, she then thought she heard something.


    "...''m not even... seeker."


    Then followed the guy''s footsteps as he started to walk away.


    As for Clest, her heart had skipped a beat. Her mind was madly trying to interpret the words she was able to barely make out earlier.


    ''There''s no way, right?'' she thought.


    Her heart was racing at this point, and the guy was starting to gain distance, the crunch of his footsteps fading.


    Clest swore in her heart, swallowing her pride and turning around once again.


    "Hey!" she called out to the guy.


    The sound of his footsteps halted immediately, and Clest could still barely see that the guy stopped walking.


    Seeing that he at least stopped for her, Clest was able to swallow her pride completely, briskly walking towards him.


    The guy was just looking over his shoulder as Clest caught up to him. He made a subtle sniffle, before asking, "...What?"


    "Um..." Clest didn''t know what words to say at first, but she eventually managed to ask, "You are a seeker... right?"


    The guy sniffled again, looking down at the ground in shame. "I... No, I''m a keeper."


    What came next was just silence, which was very awkward for the guy. With nothing else to say, he started to walk again, but Clest stopped him.


    "Wait."


    "What?"


    Now, the guy was starting to get annoyed too.


    ''She''s driven her point home, what does she want now?!'' he thought.


    "Um, can you please forget everything I said earlier..? Please?"


    And now, the guy was just confused. He turned around again to face her, unsure about why she was suddenly acting like this.


    Clest looked at the guy''s confused face and sighed. She put her left hand on her chest, and her right hand in front of her, as if asking for him to hold her hand.


    "I-- I''m a seeker," she then said, a yellow light manifesting from her chest and flowing through her arm, into the tip of the fingers of her outstretched hand.


    Her heartlight illuminated the immediate surroundings, turning the dark forest into an almost enchanting sight.


    And she could see his face clearly, his glistening eyelashes, and the sheer disbelief in his eyes.


    "And will you please marry me?"


    ...


    It''s crazy how Clest would give her heartlight to someone without even knowing his name. And its crazier how any keeper would even dare take that heartlight, to finally establish the contract.


    But that''s exactly what the guy did.


    Entranced completely by the warm glow of Clest''s fingers, he hovered his right hand in front of hers, hesitating if he really should take her heartlight.


    Then he looked at her eyes, the ones whom he was staring daggers at just a minute ago. They were hopeful; they were meaningfully looking back at him.


    And that''s all the guy needed. While he may be the keeper of the two of them, he wanted to be headstrong and resolute as a man. Dispelling any doubt within him, he touched the heartlight on the tips of her fingers.


    The light then started pulsating, growing brighter, and even becoming blinding for a split second. And like a shooting star, that light split and flowed through his arm, vanishing into his chest.


    -----?-----


    Proposal Complete!


    Please find a Lotus to initiate the Marriage Ceremony.


    ------------

 02 - Pine

    The alien sight of the floating, glowing panels appeared in front of their eyes. Both of them had only heard of these panels from the paired adventurers they have met in their separate travels.


    It was said that through this, they could harness the powers unlocked through Marriage.


    And now, these powers were one step away.


    With the proposal finished, Clest''s heartlight also started to fade, until they were both back, enveloped by the darkness of the forest.


    "..."


    "..."


    Awkwardness then filled the air. This was far, far from the idea they had of a Marriage proposal.


    The guy cleared his throat, scratching at the back of his head. "Uh, so what''s your name? I''m Pine."


    Her face was barely visible in this darkness, but her eyes seemed to light up because of his initiative. "My name''s Clest."


    "Clest." He repeated, before chuckling. "I guess we''re engaged now, haha..."


    "Haha, yeah..."


    ...


    ...


    Okay, this is really awkward.


    "Well," Clest cleared her throat. "If we''re going to be Married, then we have to learn how to coordinate."


    Now given a logical thought, Pine was suddenly able to respond naturally.


    "Yeah, we definitely have to learn how to get along..."


    They did, in fact, need to learn how to get along.


    -----


    The two found an outcrop in the forest, wherein they settled down. After setting up a fire, they agreed on taking turns to stay up and do watch duty, while the other focused on resting.


    As for Clest''s roasted hare, she must have dropped it in the darkness of the night, in the heat of their moment. She''s already tried looking for it using her heartlight, but she couldn''t find it. Plus, it''s been on the ground too long. They both just had to skip dinner for now.


    Around an hour before sunrise, where the forest was still mostly dark, the two started getting ready to move again. The only indication that it was almost morning is the energetic chirping of birds in the forest.


    "Where do we go next?" Pine asked Clest the moment they were ready to get going.


    "Well," Clest took in a deep, satisfied breath. "I saw a Lotus to the west of this forest a month ago. I would wanna go there right away but..."


    And as if timed comically, her tummy made a long groan.


    "Yeah," Pine smiled wryly. "We need to eat."


    "Oh, but even before breakfast, let''s head back to the place where we met the rafflesia." Clest then brought out her heartlight, using it like a torchlight as she started walking.


    "Hm, why?" Pine asked, before noticing a faint glow coming from his chest. It seemed to appear because Clest''s heartlight was out.


    "What do you mean ''why''?" she stopped and turned around, shining her heartlight at Pine. She had a somehow bashful expression, but she tried to look unfazed. "It isn''t official yet, but you are my keeper now. It''s my job to get you as much materials you need for later."


    "...Oh, okay." Pine was a bit speechless. He would be lying if he said he didn''t like what was happening.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The two then started to back track their way into their previous camp grounds, and when sunrise came, they had found the remains of the fire they started last night. The meat Pine was cooking was also gone.


    Clest ran her fingers along the leaves of the nearby bushes, picking up barely visible purple dust. This dust was the poison spore that the Mutated Rafflesia released last night.


    "Hey, are you sure you should be touching that?" Pine noticed her action, so he asked.


    Clest dusted her hands off on her pants, saying, "Yeah, it needs to enter the body to have an effect."


    The two went on a search for the Mutated Rafflesia, which, according to Clest, should be dormant when the sun is up. Also, she said that it should be easier to find, because it was out of place in a forest like this.


    She didn''t even know why a Mutated Rafflesia would be here, since they propagate in wetlands like swamps or mangrove forests.


    After just 10 minutes of searching, they found the Mutated Rafflesia, which looked just like a tall but otherwise normal Rafflesia, now that it was daytime.


    "There''s our guy." Clest eyed the flower from a safe distance. "It probably ate your meal."


    Observing right beside her was Pine. "Is it edible?"


    "Do you wanna try eating that thing?"


    "No, not really." Pine made a horrified expression, imagining eating such a morbid-looking creature.


    Clest couldn''t help but chuckle at this guy. "Give me your sword. I''m gonna kill it."


    "It''s yours now."


    Pine unbuckled the belt that the sheathe was attached to, and then handed it to Clest-- belt, sheathe and everything.


    "Wait, are you sure?" Clest held the sheathed sword, but she didn''t really take it yet.


    "Yeah." Pine then let go of it, leaving it in Clest''s hands. "It was more of an intimidation tactic for me anyway. So that people would never imagine that I''m actually a keeper. I didn''t actually know how to use that."


    Clest found him a bit strange. She didn''t understand why he''d pretend to be a seeker, when he wasn''t one. However, she just shrugged it off for now.


    She tied the belt around her waist, drew the shortsword and carefully approached the creature, so as not to wake it up. And then, when she was right beside it, she brought down the blade into the center of its gaping hole, twisting it afterwards.


    The beast made a gargling noise, its tendrils rising outwards, which made Clest jump back. The tendrils shook and looked around, as if panicking. Some also wrapped around the sword hilt. It was a pretty bizarre sight to behold.


    After a few seconds, the tendrils all became unmoving.


    "Phew, well that looked creepy." Clest mumbled, approaching the dead Rafflesia. "Come here. Help me dissect this thing."


    Pine quickly walked towards where the Raflessia was. Clest then told him to hold the edges of the mouth, while she sliced downwards with her knife, to easily reveal the inside of its mouth.


    "Okay, hold down that part open, but make sure your face doesn''t get too close."


    "Got it." Pine nodded rapidly.


    Opening up the sliced mouth like a banana peel, the Rafflesia''s digestive organ was fully revealed. There were rings within rings of small, worm-like protrusions on the bottom, covered in thick slime. On the edges, there were dark purple sacks, with a few puckered tubes coming out of it.


    Clest used her knife to carve out the spore sac from the digestive wall, but to both of their surprise, the creature shook for a bit and made a short gargle.


    The spore sac opposite of Clest shivered, its puckered tubes twitching, before it shot out a fume of spores into Clest''s face. It was a direct hit.


    Clest quickly let go of the Rafflesia and retreated, making sure she did not breathe any spore at all.


    She used the hem of her tunic to wipe the majority of the spores from her face, and using the corners to clean her nose and eyes from any spores that might have been inside.


    "Shit!" Pine cursed, grabbing his shortsword and using it to stab the flower a couple more times. He then ran towards in front of Clest. He tore off a hanging piece of cloth from his tunic, and used it to help wipe the spots Clest missed.


    "Clest, here, wait, don''t open your eyes yet."


    Clest stopped moving and just allowed Pine to do the job for her. She was still holding her breath while Pine gently, but quickly brushed off any remaining spores from her face, her hair, and her clothes too.


    "There, I don''t see anymore purple." Pine told her, which instantly made her exhale sharply, and then breathe back in deeply.


    She also opened her eyes, squinting them.


    "Oh, no..." she mumbled, her expression turning sour. "I got some in my eyes."


    "...Is that bad???" Pine worriedly asked her.


    "It depends on how much entered my eyes." Clest bit her lip, her eyes still squinted. Her sclera was starting to develop redness. "Quick, get me a waterfruit. We have to wash my eyes."


    "Okay, okay. Sit down." Pine helped her sit down on the ground, before hurriedly climbing a watertree to get a water fruit. The moment he got down, he rushed back to Clest''s side and made her turn her head backwards.


    "Hold your eyelids open." Pine told her, which she did without hesitation. Pine then poured a stream of water directly into her eyes, one at a time.


    After that, Clest straightened her neck and said, "Okay, that''s enough."


    She had closed her eyes now, and it was obvious her eyelids were swollen, especially her right eye.


    Pine knelt down before her and brushed some wet hair away from her eyes. "What''s gonna happen now?"


    Clest forced a smile. "It should only be some swelling and redness. I think I''ll be fine."


    Pine breathed a sigh of relief.


    But that wasn''t the entire truth.


    Clest was not sure at all if swelling and redness was all that could happen to her eyes. With enough spores that got into her eyes, she could start to bleed from her eyes. And worse, she could even be visually impaired permanently.


    She just didn''t tell Pine that, because one, she didn''t want him to worry; and two; she didn''t even want to consider that possibility.

 03 - Poison

    "Achoo!"


    Clest was rested against a tree, her eyelids swollen so much you''d think she got stung by a bee. Discolored tears were dripping out of her eyes, and snot was oozing out nonstop from her nose. She was breathing audibly from her mouth too, because her nasal passages were completely blocked.


    "Guh... Hey," she panted. "Am I bleeding from my eyes?"


    Pine just finished washing a piece of cloth, which he was gonna use to wipe away Clest''s facial discharges. Kneeling down beside her, he carefully wiped away her discolored tears.


    She raised her hand to her eyes, planning to rub them, but Pine gently stopped her. "Oi, no rubbing your eyes. It''s just gonna make it worse.


    "Also, no, you aren''t bleeding anywhere."


    "Ogey."


    After Pine tended to her, he washed the cloth once again and gave it to her so she could wipe her face whenever she wanted to.


    "I''m gonna get us breakfast. You stay put there, alright?" said Pine.


    "You''re jus'' gonna leave me here?" Clest wheezed.


    "No, no, I won''t go far, okay? I''ll just set up some bird traps and hope I can give you something to eat by lunch."


    Clest didn''t immediately say anything in response, and her face felt too swollen for her to make an expression. The only word she managed to croak out was a weak, "Thabks."


    "Mhm, so stay put, alright?"


    Clest nodded weakly, and Pine went off, taking Clest''s knife with him.


    Making a bird trap was something Pine was very familiar with. The lure he was gonna use were wild berries. To humans, these were borderline inedible. They were non-toxic if you ate one or two, but eat more and you''ll start to feel nauseated.


    Birds liked to snack on these wild berries, but they couldn''t just peck at them while still attached to the plant. After all, wild berry bushes had small, prickly thorns on their branches, discouraging any birds from prematurely picking off the berries. When they mature and fall off, that''s when the birds get to enjoy a tasty snack.


    In no time, Pine found a wild berry bush, and he picked off just a few wild berries. He then looked for spots in the forest floor that was visible from the sky, and those are where he''d set up his traps.


    After taking an hour or so to set up three snare traps, he returned to where Clest was.


    As soon as she heard his footsteps, Clest tried to open her eyes as much ad possible to see if it was Pine. After realizing that it really was him, she let out a sigh of relief.


    "How are you feeling?" Pine asked her.


    "Bad."


    Pine smiled wryly. "How long is this gonna last?"


    Clest let out a gargly sigh. It appeared that her lung secretions were also affected too. Clearing her throat, she said, "Hopefully, the symptoms are gone before nightfall."


    Pine took in a deep breath and said, "Yeah, hopefully." Pausing to look at Clest and the cloth in her left hand, he also said, "Here, let me wash that cloth again."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    -----


    While Pine was waiting for any yield from his traps, he kept himself busy. After tending to Clest, he went to the corpse of the Rafflesia and retrieved his shortsword.


    And since the body was no longer firm, he noticed that the spore sac was now visible. He didn''t even need to hold down the mouth, because it had alread collapsed.


    Being extra, extra, careful, he used Clest''s knife to cut the remaining tissue that still attached the sac to the withering digestive wall.


    With his sword in his left, and the spore sac in his right, he started making his way back to Clest.


    On his way, he gently squeezed the spore sac, while making sure his face wasn''t anywhere close. The protruding tubules twitched, and a small amount of spores flew out, dispersing quickly in the air.


    ''Oh, so if I squeeze it, the poison spores come out.''


    Yeah, that was pretty obvious.


    Pine carefully store the spore sac into one of the pouches hanging from his belt, and then continued on his way.


    "Pine?" Clest called out immediately when she heard his footsteps.


    "Hey, what''s up?" Pine immediately responded, picking up the pace towards her.


    Again, Clest let out a sigh of relief. She then said, "I think one of your traps caught something."


    And as if on cue, frantic chirps erupted, accompanied by the sound of desperately flapping wings.


    "Okay, okay. I''ll check it out." Pine excitedly said, rushing towards the direction of the trap.


    When he came back, he was holding a lifeless bird in his hand by its feet. He was quite happy, not expecting to catch a bird while it was still pretty early. Now he didn''t have to worry about what to feed Clest while she was incapacitated by the poison.


    Pine quickly and carefully prepared the bird meat, setting up a fire too, so he could begin roasting the meat as soon as possible. All the while, Clest''s inflammation still showed no sign of going away, but at the very least, it seemed like it wasn''t getting worse.


    To speed up the cooking, Pine decided to further cut the carcass into pieces. This way, it''d cook much faster than if he did it rotisserie-style.


    A few minutes after Pine put the processed parts close beside the fire, the aroma of cooking meat started to spread, which inevitably made Clest''s tummy groan audibly.


    "...This is gonna take a while." Pine smiled awkwardly at her.


    Clest was embarrassed, her face blushing. Wait, no, her face is just red because of the toxin reaction. "Please, take your time," she said.


    Around an hour later, the bird meat was well-roasted, and Clest''s tummy had been rumbling way too often at this point. Naturally, Pine was also very hungry.


    Pine got two parts for himself, giving the rest to Clest. It was a pretty small meal, after all. Clest argued about wanting to share equally for a while, but she eventually gave up. Pine wanted her to focus on recovering, telling her to hunt for better food once she''s better in return.


    After they stripped down the meat all way to the bone, Pine didn''t really have anything else to do. He checked to make sure his traps were still up, and then returned to Clest''s side.


    "You wanna lie down?" he asked her.


    "Can''t. I have to keep my head elevated or else I''ll drown in my own mucus."


    Pine raised his eyebrows, noticing something.


    "Hey, you sound slightly better now."


    "Yeah," Clest sniffled, "I can kind of breathe through my nose again now."


    Pine smiled. "That''s great, you''re getting better."


    "Mhm."


    ...


    After a short moment of silence, Pine brought up the topic of lying down again.


    "If you rest your head on my lap, will it feel any better?"


    "Hmmm." Clest forced her swollen eyes open, looking at Pine sitting beside her, his laps ready for her to lay her head on.


    She shrugged, as if to say, ''Why not try?'' before slowly laying down her head on his lap.


    When Pine felt her relax, he asked her, "Can you breathe?"


    Clest inhaled deeply and replied, "Yeah."


    Eventually, Clest managed to fall into a deep sleep, unlike the sleep she''d usually have when she was travelling alone. She couldn''t get proper rest when she had to stay alert after all.


    Last night''s rest was okay at best. While she didn''t have to stay alert, the sleeping conditions were pretty awful.


    But this, with a lap pillow for her head and the assurance of someone watching over her, she rested very well.


    -----


    Around an hour and a half later, Clest was woken up by the thwip of a twig-- one of Pine''s traps were triggered. The sound of bird cries and wings flapping followed.


    Clest woke up not only feeling energized, but also better. She quickly raised her head up from Pine''s lap, realizing that she was drenched in sweat.


    As for Pine, he was just sleeping lightly with his arms crossed. When he heard one of his traps get triggered, he opened his eyes too.


    "Hey, you''re awake," said Pine.


    "Mhm..." Clest mumbled, rubbing her neck.


    "Your eyes are starting to deflate," Pine chuckled.


    Clest also smiled. "Yeah, I can see a bit better now."


    Pine grunted as he stood up, stretching his body, before saying, "I''ll check out our traps."


    "Mhm, go do that." Clest fondly smiled at him. "Thanks for letting me rest."


    "Of course."

 04 - Banter

    Clest was back in action.


    Her eyelids were still mildly swollen, but it had calmed down to the point where she could see pretty well again.


    With her able to function normally again, they quickly got ready to continue with their travels after they ate another one of Pine''s catches.


    After that, Pine retrieved the rope he used for the traps, and they were ready to go.


    "Eugh, I feel really icky. It''s been days since I last had a full bath," said Clest.


    Okay, pause. When it comes to Unmarried adventurers, there aren''t many options for hygiene. Clest would clean her body using one or two waterfruits, soaking a piece of cloth in water and then wiping herself down.


    If she wanted a full bath, she needed to go near a body of water, like a pond or a lake.


    "Let''s hurry then," Pine urged her. "I think we can reach the stream before nightfall if we hurry."


    Clest''s face slowly brightened. "Wait, yeah! I forgot how I crossed a stream when I wandered here. Come on, let''s hurry. I really wanna take a bath."


    Clest then started walking briskly, taking off and leaving Pine behind.


    "Yes, yes, of course," Pine just smiled. "That''s what I just said," he mumbled, before running after Clest.


    ---


    The sky was tinted orange again by the time they reached the stream they were talking about. Pine was starting to feel the fatigue of keeping up with Clest, who seemed to be just a little bit out of breath. Her stamina was definitely something.


    As for her face, it had gone almost completely back to normal. Pine could see her beautiful hazelnut eyes once again.


    "What are you staring at?" Clest asked him after


    ?


    Pine realized he was staring at her eyes, so he quickly averted his eyes. "Sorry about that," he told her, which she just shrugged off.


    "Alright!" Clest suddenly said, starting unbuckle the belt Pine gave her. She then looked at Pine, "I''ll take a bath first. Can you start a fire so we can dry faster later?"


    "Uh, yeah, sure."


    Taking the belt off, she dropped it just beside her and started to walk towards the stream. When her legs entered the stream, she started to become excited, mumbling things under her breath about how she finally gets to take a bath and how awesome the water feels.


    When she reached the center of the stream, she was submerged to the waist-level. She grabbed the hem of her top, beginning to pull them up to take it off, but she remembered to look back at Pine first.


    And yes. He was, in fact, there. Watching rather intently, his face slightly red. The moment Pine saw her look back, he again averted his gaze and started walking away.


    Clest also blushed slightly, realizing that she was this close to being seen naked. She barked, "Hey! We''re still not married so get the hell out of here! Go make that fire right now!"


    Embarrassed, Pine went back deeper into the trees and obediently started gathering wood for a fire. As for Clest, she waited for a good minute or two, looking at Pine''s direction, before deciding to go on with bathtime.


    She then took off all her clothes and washed them along with her body.


    -----


    The sun was setting when Clest finished her bath, and the forest was getting rather dark. After dressing up, she started looking for Pine in the forest.


    In no time, she noticed the fire Pine set up.


    "I''m done. Sorry if I took too long." Clest immediately spoke upon making her way towards Pine, who had already made a fire and gathered enough firewood to last them for a few hours.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Yeah, it''s fine. I''ll just take a bath tomorrow before we go."


    Pine watched Clest as she started looking around the area in search for something to sit on. She was still dripping wet, and her movements were scattering droplets all around her.


    Her hair was fingercombed into straight clumps, much unlike her usual hair. Her face and skin looked pretty, the water droplets on them making her glisten in front of the dancing flame.


    Honestly? Pine found her very pretty. He''d just been so detached from reality when they first met, unable to even believe that he actually found a female seeker. And earlier this day, she was a total mess with her swollen eyes and her nasal drip.


    Now? Fuck yes, she was gorgeous. He might have been unlucky to probably be the only male keeper, but he sure as hell was lucky to have a beautiful female seeker.


    Clest had found a rock a few meters away from their fire, brought that up to her belly while making sure she didn''t dirty herself, and hauled to in front of the fire. It made a heavy thud as she dropped it on the ground, serving as a reminder for Pine that she was definitely quite strong.


    Clest sat on the rock and held her body close to the fire, seeming very comfortable to be heated up after her bath.


    "Ahhhhh... this feels nice," she said with eyes closed, and palms facing the fire. She almost looked like she was gonna melt like a marshmallow.


    Pine just kept on admiring her relaxed face, before he realized that her sword was nowhere to be found.


    "Wait, Clest, where''s the sword I gave you?"


    "Hm?" Clest opened her eyes, Pine''s question not immediately registering in her brain. And when it did, she went, "Oh, shit."


    Her eyes then widened some more, and she stood up.


    "Oh, shit." She worriedly cursed out loud, before looking at Pine in a begging tone of voice. "I forgot that I caught some fish in the stream for our dinner. Can you get it please?"


    She looked like this ?? saying that. No way Pine could even say no.


    "How did you even forget about that..." Pine seriously wondered out loud, looking at Clest funny, who just made a cute ''hehe'' in response.


    Well, since Clest already dealt with dinner, he of course would be more than willing to pick up Clest''s items from the lost and found.


    As he stood up to go to the stream, Clest added, raising her voice as Pine walked away, "The fish are on a rocky area near the stream, and they''re still alive so make sure you don''t throw them back into the water!"


    ---


    Pine soon came back with seven dead fish. It seemed like he killed them before bringing them back for ease of carrying. The fish weren''t big, their cross-section spanning only around the width of two fingers.


    While this won''t make them full for tonight, it was a hundred times better than going hungry again for an entire night.


    As for his belt and sword, it was around his waist again.


    Pine did all the food preparation without a word of complaint. Mostly because he didn''t really hate this job since he was rather accustomed to it, but also because he knew he was the keeper.


    Clest just watched him in mild adoration, finally speaking up when he finished putting the cleaned fish carcasses beside the fire to roast them.


    "You seem like you''re gonna be a very good keeper," she said, smiling as if teasing him. "Very obedient."


    Pine smiled back at her, not backing down. "You seem to fancy the idea of getting Married to me. I was sure you thought of me disgusting when we first met..."


    Clest pursed her lips in defense. "Hey! That''s because you made this weird malicious face back then!"


    Pine made a frowning face and shrugged, as if pretending he never did that.


    "Also!" Clest continued, smirking again, "Of the two of us, who really fancies the other? I can''t pretend I don''t notice the admiring looks you give me."


    She then jokingly face-palmed and shook her head. "You even attempted to watch me bathe earlier, tsk tsk."


    After a brief pause, Pine said, "So what if I do?"


    ...


    "Huh?" Clest was pulled out of her teasing mood by that serious voice.


    "So what if I like to look at you? I mean, honestly, you''re very pret--" Pine stopped himself, and then started to grin teasingly. "Well, you don''t look bad for sure."


    "HAh?" Clest couldn''t believe it. "You were about to say I was very pretty!"


    "Was I??" Pine pretended not to know.


    "Tch," Clest clicked her tongue in playful annoyance, which made Pine laugh.


    "Okay, okay, you''re pretty."


    Clest''s expression turned into that of a lovely young lady, straightening her posture as well.


    "Uh huh, tell me more," she said, with her eyes closed.


    "And I find you rather charming."


    "Mhm hm," she tucked her hair behind her ear confidently.


    "Yeah, can''t wait to Marry you."


    Clest slowly opened her eyes to look at Pine, her expression strange.


    "...I have a feeling you just want to do lewd things to me."


    "WHAT? Why is that suddenly what enters your mind?!"


    "I mean I highly doubt you ''can''t wait'' to marry me because you want the powers of a keeper..."


    Clest then gasped, as if confirming something. She then started hold herself by the chest, looking horrified at Pine.


    "You''re just after my body..."


    "That is a FALSE accusation."


    It was not completely false. He did like her that way too.


    "...So you mean you don''t actually like me?" Clest looked disheartened now.


    Pine was appalled. He looked at the night sky with palms open, as if asking for an explanation from the gods.


    Seeing how Pine looked, Clest couldn''t hold it anymore and burst into laughter. Pine just looked at her strange, slightly relieved that she was only joking.


    After a few moments, Clest''s laughter died down. She crutched her belly and let out a satisfied sigh.


    "Phew... Seriously though, no lewd stuff ''til marriage, alright?"


    Pine seemed exasperated at how Clest was reminding him. "I know, I know."


    Their banter continued on into the night, even as they ate their dinner. The night was peaceful. There was no need for them to take shifts in resting, but they still did out of caution.


    And this marks the 24th hour after our two special cases meet.

 05 - Lotus

    After more than a week of travelling by day and resting by night, Pine and Clest finally saw the edge of the thick forest.


    They were still a few hours away from the actual edge of the forest, but they could see the area where the trees begin to thin out.


    The two could be seen standing beside each other on the edge of a steep cliff. A fall from that height would be lethal for sure. Still, it was a good vantage point.


    "The stream winds up into that way." Clest pointed to the horizon in front of them, "If we go along the stream, we don''t have to worry about the not having access to water anymore."


    "Is it in the same direction as the lotus you found?" Pine asked.


    "Pretty much. Once we reach the foot of that hill over there, we stop following the stream, and go behind that hill instead."


    "That''s still around a day''s worth of travelling."


    "Yeah, so that''s why we have to rest up early. If we go by daybreak, we can probably reach the lotus by tomorrow night."


    The two went back to their camping spot, not too far away from the cliff area. They had smoked boar meat with them, so they didn''t need to bother with cooking for a while. They just sat by the fire, talking.


    "Are you familiar with the Keeper System?" Clest asked Pine.


    "...Not really," Pine replied. "I know the common knowledge, like how we craft things, enchant things, et cetera, et cetera. But apart from that, nah, I have no idea."


    "Surely, you at least know that keepers can create a Shelter on a lotus bloom?"


    "Of course I know that."


    "But what about the proficiencies?"


    "...I don''t really know much about them."


    "Let me tell you all about what I know then!" Clest puffed out her chest in pride, beginning to explain things to Pine.


    Upon Marriage, Keepers can choose one of the several proficiencies to be their main proficiency: Synthesis, Metallurgy, Enchantment, Inscription and Alchemy.


    Synthesis was the go-to for many keepers picking their first proficiency. It allows for advanced crafting skills. Using the strangest and most exotic of materials, the possibilities of crafting were limitless.


    Metallurgy allowed keepers to use metals and minerals to create weapons and armor. However, metals were quite scarce compared to the abundance of synthesis materials, so only very few keepers would choose to begin with this proficiency.


    Enchantment allowed keepers to infuse abilities and attributes into objects, requiring runes from magical creatures.


    Inscription also required runes, which could be turned into special substances to be inlaid into the seeker''s body, allowing them to cast a variety of spells.


    And finally, Alchemy. This proficiency allowed for advanced potion and elixir brewing, as well as the creation of mystic artifacts.


    "So yeah!" Clest finished talking about the five keeper proficiencies. "What''s your plan? You wanna be an alchemist? A scribe? An enchanter maybe?"


    "...Don''t you think the Synthesis proficiency is gonna be the most helpful of all?"


    "Hmmm, I mean yeah? There''s a reason why so many keepers choose to be a Tinkerer..."


    "Then I might go with that."


    "Ehhh but it''s so boring... I kind of want you to be an alchemist."


    "An alchemist?" Pine made a confused face. "Potions and artifacts? That doesn''t sound like it''s gonna be very useful..."


    "Whaaat? It''s definitely gonna be useful. Just imagine making hundreds of strength potions and making me drink it-- I''d be unstoppable!"


    "I have a strong feeling that''s now how it works."


    Yes, that''s not how it works.


    Pine just sighed and allowed Clest to ramble on about what she''d like for him to be.


    -----


    The past week had been largely uneventful for Pine and Clest, but the following day was full of misfortune.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They ran into this gigantic spider, which preyed on bullfrogs. It wasn''t planning on having them for dinner (it wasn''t so big to dare fight a human), but it did spray the duo with its adhesive webbing.


    Clest also accidentally stepped on a wasphill, so they had to dive into the river and swim along the current to get away.


    When they came out of the water, they also discovered a few leeches attached to them.


    ...


    "Grah!" Clest stomped in anger. "This is all so irritating!"


    "Hey, hey, chill out. We''re close to the lotus now, aren''t we? We just gotta go over this hill, you said."


    Clest still looked frustrated. Some bits of her clothes were dyed red from the small, open wounds the leeches left her.


    "...Yeah."


    "Yup, so let''s continue on while the sun is still up."


    The reason for the frequency of the creatures was the fact that there was a lotus nearby. For a few good kilometers around the lotus, creature activity and quality of available materials were higher.


    Thankfully, for the immediate area around the lotus, most creatures wouldn''t go near, so the duo''s trip over the hill wasn''t as eventful. By dusk, they had gone over most of the hill.


    "Hup," Clest grunted as she dropped down from higher ground, before looking back at Pine. "Careful going down."


    After Pine slid down after her, the two gathered themselves once again and looked at the area in front of them.


    Unlike most of the other areas in the forest, this place was glowing. The trees branches had yellow, glowing specks littering them. The bushes and grass didn''t look invasive, which made the area look spacious.


    There was a very shallow brook running through the area, winding down into a recessed area behind the hill.


    "We just follow this stream and we''ll have reached the lotus." Clest nodded at Pine before heaving a deep breath. "I hope it''s not occupied."


    The two picked up their pace and followed along the stony brook. The brook kept going on, even entering a cave with a wide opening. As it was dark, Clest took out her heartlight.


    Just after a minute of careful walking through the cave, the two finally saw a faint, yellow glow.


    "We''re here," said Clest, looking back at Pine before starting to walk faster.


    As the tunnel widened into a large, underground chamber, the brook also joined a shallow, but very wide pool. Numerous vines clung from the ceiling, with what seemed like yellow, glowing berries hanging from them.


    The shallow pool also glowed pink from the numerous lotus flowers floating on its surface. But the strongest glow came from the giant water lily sitting on the far corner of the pool. On it was a cylindrical house, almost like a human-sized smurf hut, except the roof was made of thatch instead of a mushroom cap.


    "...It''s occupied," Clest mumbled, clearly disappointed.


    "Can''t we just take over it?"


    "We can, but--" Clest sighed. "There''s an hour-long process when it comes to taking over a Shelter. Assuming they aren''t here to stop us, once we start doing that, the keeper that owns this Shelter will know someone''s here. We''d be making unnecessary enemies if we did that."


    Pine fell into deep thought, and Clest just sighed again.


    "...I guess this means we''re gonna continue looking for another lotus?"


    "We don''t have a choice." Clest was looking a little grumpy, but she consoled herself. "Plus, it''s okay. Lotus areas are more common here. We don''t have to travel for weeks to find one."


    Clest chose to be in the forest they were in a week ago, because there were basically no nearby lotuses. Meaning, less beasts and less adventurers.


    "Let''s find a place to camp now." Pine gently gave her a tap from the back. They then turned around and began their walk back outside the cave.


    As they were walking back, Clest sensed someone approaching from outside the cave. It was two people, and they seemed to ba chatting.


    Clest made a serious face and gestured for Pine to not make any noise. She then grabbed Pine''s belt and started undoing it.


    "What are you doing?!" Pine exclaimed under his breath.


    "Switching belts!" she answered. "Go take that off and wear mine!"


    Ever since Pine gave Clest the belt used to carry the shortsword, she''d been wearing it. He had another belt which had pouches attached on it though.


    Pine didn''t ask why and just went with what Clest wanted. Eventually, Pine was back with his shortsword belt and sheath, while Clest had several pouches hanging from her waist.


    "It might be a good idea if we pretend you''re the seeker." Clest finally explained, but giving Pine no time to react, she positioned herself somewhere behind Pine and pushed him to start walking, making him take the lead.


    Near instantly, the footsteps of the two people Clest heard started echoing into the tunnel. Likewise, the two from the outside could also clearly hear the two''s footsteps.


    "Who''s there?" a man''s thick voice rang into the tunnel, followed by a splash. Something seemed to have fallen into the brook. "Show yourself."


    Pine and Clest both gulped, looking at each other as if reassuring themselves. They then carefully walked forward, while Pine took out his shortsword and held it in front of him.


    By the opening of the entrance was a middle-aged man and woman. They seemed to be a couple. The man looked battle-hardened and rough, while the woman hiding behind him looked rather scholarly, adorned in glasses and robes.


    As the two parties came into view of each other, the man released a sigh of relief. "Phew, they''re just kids."


    The woman behind him placed a hand over her chest and heaved a sigh as well. The man then let go of the hilt of his sword and apologized.


    "I''m sorry if I scared you." He smiled at Pine and Clest, who then in turn relaxed a little. Pine lowered his sword, but didn''t put it back to its sheath yet.


    "I... we apologize as well. We were just checking if the lotus here was occupied," said Pine.


    "Haha, there''s no need for you to be so cautious." The man chuckled, bending down to pick up the dead deer on the brook, putting it over his shoulder. It seemed to be his hunt. "It''s okay, we don''t intend to hurt you."


    Pine looked back at Clest for a second, communicating with just a gaze, before relaxing completely. He sheathed his sword and held Clest''s hand.


    "We''re really sorry to bother you, we''ll be going now," Pine said, starting to walk out the cave.


    The couple outside made space for their exit, but before they could walk any further, the woman suddenly spoke.


    "Um, you know, if the two of you don''t mind, you could stay the night."


    "What???" The man suddenly looked at his keeper, as if against her idea.


    The woman only stared back at her seeker very meaningfully. It appeared like she won''t back down.


    The guy paused for a moment, trying to read the meaning in his keeper''s eyes, before going, "Ohhh, right."


    He then let out a sigh, before telling Clest and Pine. "You heard ''er. You can stay the night if you want."


    Not waiting for their response, the guy continued walking into the tunnel. As for the woman in glasses, she patiently awaited for the two''s response with her lips puckered into a modest smile.


    "So? Would you mind?"

 06 - Vials

    The two couples were seated roughly in front of each other, around a raging fire. The one closest to the fire was Emily. Instead of a scholar''s robe, she was wearing a less stuffy outfit this time, with an apron on top.


    She didn''t look as young as Clest. She was probably around a decade older, but she still looked rather charming. Clest actually wondered how gorgeous she were in her prime.


    Meanwhile, Emily was swiping her fingers methodically in the air. It might seem strange to those unfamiliar, but she was simply interacting with the System. Naturally, her displays were only visible to her and her seeker, so she looked like she was just swiping her finger in midair.


    Pine and Clest watched curiously, when a butcher table materialized out of a bright silhouette beside the fire. A butcher knife and a few other meat-dressing tools also materialized on top of the table.


    Emily stopped interacting with the System after her seeker placed the deer on the table. Instead, she picked up a skinning knife with her right hand.


    "Watch carefully, okay?" she smiled confidently at Clest, as if hinting that she wanted to pass on her knowledge to her. As for the young Clest, she vigorously nodded a few times, her eyes almost sparkling.


    Emily mercilessly, yet masterfully skinned, gutted, and separated the carcass in the next few minutes.


    When Emily was done, her apron had a few streaks of blood on it, but that was it. She had done all of it so fast, and so precise, that the carcass actually looked so beautiful now. It was perfectly separated-- the skin, the innards, the extremities, and the meaty chunks.


    Emily smiled proudly as she put down her tools. "As a keeper, you should learn to be able to prepare meat as fast as possible."


    Clest''s excitement almost bubbled over, seeing Emily''s skills. She then enthusiastically affirmed, "Please teach me how to do that!"


    Pine looked at Clest with an unreadable expression. He had no idea if Clest was acting or was actually this excited over the woman''s keeper skills. At the very least, Pine figured out that they were going to keep pretending that Clest was the keeper, and he was the seeker-- just the way it should be.


    As for Emily''s seeker, he wasn''t hostile towards the young couple, sure, but he wasn''t to keen on getting to know them. The entire time Emily was bonding with Clest, he was just sitting against the cave wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He seemed to be comfortable enough in such a position, that he was able to nap.


    "And you, young man!" Emily suddenly addressed Pine. "You have to take great care of your keeper, okay? Keepers aren''t slaves!"


    Pine was initially startled, but he relaxed. "I intend to do just that," he said, wrapping his arm firmly around Clest. The gesture surprised her. Pine didn''t really initiate much of these kinds of things after all. Oh, but she actually kinda liked it-- her cheeks blooming slightly red.


    Emily looked fondly at the two, before letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, the burning hot passion of youth. Where has it all gone to?" she asked aloud, which made her seeker open his eyes.


    "Hey, I heard that," he mumbled, closing his eyes again right after.


    Emily just started to laugh aloud from the minimalistic reaction. "I''m just kidding. This guy couldn''t live without me for a day. He''s just embarrassed because you guys are here. Isn''t he cute?"


    The seeker, although attempting to maintain a neutral expression as he tried to rest, had an expression that hinted a little bit of bashfulness.


    As Emily started to treat the meat with herbs and oils and condiments, the young couple''s mouths of course watered. It had been forever since they managed to get a taste of a properly seasoned meal. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    For a while, Emily engaged the two in small talk. Eventually, when the meat started cooking, the two were basically drooling.


    She only grinned in amusement at the two. "You two are not Married yet, right?"


    Clest and Pine glanced at each other for a split-second, before Pine replied, "Yes. We were actually looking for a lotus exactly for Marriage."


    "Hmmm," Emily thought for a bit. "What about this? I''ll finish some stuff I need to do tonight, and tomorrow, I can lend this lotus to the two of you temporarily so you can get Married. Sound good?"


    "Wait, seriously?" Clest couldn''t help her surprise. "You''d do that for us?"


    "Why not!" Emily laughed. "Adventuring without any keeper and seeker skills is extremely difficult after all. Instead of an adventure, it becomes more of a survival instead."


    The young duo looked at each other, clearly happy with the way things turned out. At least they wouldn''t have to set out again to search for a different lotus.


    "Anyway," Emily suddenly said, "I''ll just get some stuff from the shelter. You two watch the meat. Make sure it doesn''t burn, okay?"


    Emily went into the shelter for a few minutes, and the entire time, awkward silence reigned over the three that was left behind. Thankfully, Emily quickly came back, with two glass vials in her hand. She took one of the vials and applied its contents to a brush she had, using it to lather the liquid on the cooking meat.


    As the two curiously watched her do her thing, Emily said, "It''s a new condiment I created! Hehe, I hope it tastes alright."


    "You must be an alchemist then, Miss Emily?" Clest noted. Glass tools like bottles and vials were difficult to create without having the Alchemist or Metallurgist system. Clest guessed that Emily was one of the two, and she was inclined to believe that she was the former.


    "You got that right!" she replied, storing away the emptied vial. As for the other vial, she gently nudged her seeker so he could open his eyes and hold onto the vial for her. She then addressed the young duo again, "I''ll just get the tea I prepared. We can start eating in a few minutes."


    The two respectfully nodded, doing their best to not seem like they wanted to devour the deer meat in front of them right now.


    Emily came back outside with a wooden tray. On it was a simple, metal kettle, and four glass cups. Steam was rising from the kettle.


    "Here you go." Emily cheerfully distributed the cups, pouring everyone tea, then pouring herself some too. She then took the vial from her seeker, before saying, "Please excuse us. We actually have throat problems, so we take this medicine twice a day."


    "Oh, no, it''s okay." Clest rapidly shook her head, not minding it at all.


    "Yes, please take your medicine." Pine also chimed in.


    Seeing that the two didn''t have any averse reactions, Emily poured half of the contents of the vial into her tea, while the other half, she poured into her seeker''s cup. Storing the empty vial away, she immediately took a sip and released a satisfactory sigh. As if that was the cue to start sipping, the remaining three people also took a sip, also releasing a satisfactory sigh. The tea was good, for sure.


    "Alright, let''s eat!"


    The four of them shared the deer meat among themselves. They savored the taste of the meat, especially Pine and Clest. It was so good that they would made delighted noises when they first took a bite, the juices of the meat filling their mouths.


    In just a few minutes, the large chunks of roasted deer meat was gone. All that was left were bones.


    "Ahhhhh," Pine let out a long sigh, reclining in his seat while holding his belly. "I haven''t eaten that much in so long."


    "Right???" Clest agreed. "That was so good, Miss Emily."


    "Hehe, I''m glad you liked it!"


    "...Ugh, sorry, Miss Emily," Clest suddenly forced a smile. She grimaced, bringing a hand up to her head. "I feel a bit dizzy."


    Pine instinctively held on to Clest, seeing her suddenly start to sway. "Hey, you okay?"


    "Oh, no," said Emily, "Clest, is something wrong?"


    Pine glanced at Emily. She looked worried.


    ...


    Pine''s glance turned into a stare. Was it just him, or was there a streak of excitement in this lady''s eyes?


    "Nghh," Clest groaned, her weight leaning more and more into Pine. "Pine..."


    Pine briefly glanced at Clest, who he was holding beside him, before staring back at Emily, his expression turning grim. "...Miss Emily?"


    At this point, the excitement in the older lady''s eyes were starting to shine bright. The flames in front of her flickered across her glasses, right into her crazed eyes. Even her lips started to lose its innocent smile. It was being replaced by one of amusement, as if something hilarious was going on.


    "What is it?" Emily asked Pine, attempting to feign concern, but she accidentally let a laugh escape her lips.


    "...You! " Pine growled. He was already supporting Clest''s entire weight. She was already unconscious. "What did you do to her?"


    Emily flashed a big, amused grin. Her glasses shone as she stood up. Her seeker stood up as well. Together, they towered over the two.


    "I did the same thing for you too."


    Pine''s vision blurred for a second. It was finally kicking in.


    "...What..?"


    He tried to resist the urge to fall asleep, but his eyelids were too heavy. Together with Clest, they both fell backward into the moist cave ground with a thud.

 07 - Turning Point

    The sound of heavy footsteps against the grass woke Pine up. His head was still spinning and his vision was still very cloudy. He could still hear things rather well so he just closed his eyes, trying to collect himself while he listened for information.


    "...and I thought we agreed on never visiting that hydra ever again!" said Emily''s seeker.


    A hydra?


    "Yes, but we have sacrifices now! Surely, the hydra will forgive us with two unmarried bodies as offering," Emily replied, clearly excited from the tone of her voice.


    The seeker sighed, "Alright, fine. But, don''t blame me for anything."


    ...Oh, crap, we''re being used as tokens of apology.


    Pine''s senses were returning¡ªslowly, sluggishly. The ache in his limbs, the rough texture of rope biting into his wrists and ankles, the rhythmic bouncing¡ªhe pieced it together. He was bound. Trapped in something tight.


    From the way his body bounced with each step, he realized;


    A backpack? His stomach twisted at the realization.


    He cursed in his head as he opened his eyes, struggling to see anything as it was dark.


    But then, a face suddenly came from that tight darkness.


    Pine gasped in shock, but then he realized that the face was making a ''shhh'' gesture, its finger on its lips.


    Pine paused and looked at the face clearly, only now realizing that it was Clest.


    As relief and familiarity washed over him, he slowly and silently breathed a sigh.


    "Are you tied up?" Clest whispered right into his ear.


    "Yeah," Pine answered in the same hushed voice.


    "I can''t untie you yet, we''ll make too much movement. They''ll notice."


    "...How are you even untied?"


    "My ties were loose. I guess they only wanted to make sure you would be incapacitated."


    As the two were talking in a whisper, their carrier suddenly stopped.


    "...Wait."


    The single word sent a bolt of panic into Pine and Clest, their hearts skipping a beat. They refused to even breathe.


    The heat inside the bag had been suffocating before, but now, it was unbearable. Every drop of sweat sliding down their skin felt magnified, each second stretching too long.


    "What is it?" Emily''s voice rang out for them to hear.


    "...Get your concoctions out. Your offerings seem to be awake."


    As he said that, Pine and Clest''s eyes widened. Their weights shifted and their world spun as the seeker flung the bag they were in, into the ground.


    Emily sighed, "I have to get better materials for my potions. The effect duration is too short." She then took out two vials of the same concotion she lathered on the meat, walking towards the bag.


    Opening the bag, it revealed the disoriented Pine and Clest. They were laying on the ground, in pain after being thrown suddenly like that.


    Clest made an effort to pretend as if she was still bound, putting her wrists together behind her. With only a lamp as a light source, it wouldn''t be easy for Emily to notice that Clest had managed to untie herself.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Well, well, well. Look at my precious little adventurers," said Emily as she approached the duo, vials in hand. "We''re very sorry to have interrupted your good night''s sleep. Why don''t you two continue resting? Good idea, yes?"


    Emily knelt beside Pine, her fingers pressing against his jaw to force his mouth open. He weakly resisted, but his sluggish movements only amused her. With a smirk, she tipped the vial against his lips. The bitter liquid slipped past his tongue before he could muster the strength to spit it out.


    Clest watched, heart hammering. Pine coughed after being forced to drink the concoction. Now that it was in its pure form, it affected Pine instantly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Emily then let go, satisfied, allowing Pine''s unconscious body slump to the ground.


    Pine..!


    Clest watched Pine intently, a severe expression present on her face.


    "Now, it''s Miss Clest''s turn to sleep."


    Clest looked at the vial in Emily''s hand and the sleeping Pine back and forth, and slowly, Emily drew closer.


    She had absolutely no idea what to do, but allowing Emily to put her to sleep like that would mean death.


    Left with no other choice, she shifted, rolling onto her side, and then pushed herself up to a crouch.


    Emily and the seeker both froze.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Emily¡¯s brow furrowed.


    The seeker¡¯s eyes narrowed. His stance shifted.


    "I untied myself." Clest then stood fully, her hands balled into fists as she scanned the surrounding area despite the forest''s darkness.


    Think.


    Pine is down. His belt? Gone. They took our weapons. I have nothing.


    ...


    I have nothing.


    Emily recovered from her shock. Briefly sending a look at her seeker before smiling devilishly. "That''s cute. And now what?"


    Her voice was laced with mockery. What was a frail girl like her supposed to do against a full-fledged keeper?


    Clest stared daggers at Emily, who also stood up to match her level.


    Think! What do I have? I have my belt but they took my knife! What else is--


    Clest felt something brush against her fingers. Something small. Soft. A pouch hanging off her belt.


    She tried to subtly get a feel for the pouch, but Emily and her Seeker still noticed.


    "Didn''t you take all of her weapons?" Emily barked at her Seeker without taking her eyes off Clest. As a precaution though, she stepped back a little.


    "I double checked," he replied, getting ready for a fight.


    Seeing the older couple grow wary, Clest''s heart started to beat madly. She didn''t have any more time to think.


    She dashed-- straight at the seeker. Emily jumped back instinctively.


    The seeker, however, barely reacted.


    The seeker side-stepped, caught her arm, and twisted her down toward the ground.


    For a second, silence.


    Emily let out a small laugh.


    "I overestimated you! I thought you were onto something there, but I guess that''s all you amount to. We are but frail Keepers, after all."


    Clest''s face twisted into a snarl despite her predicament, looking up at Emily and her captor.


    Emily smiled. "It''s okay, you did very well for your age."


    "Oh, you bet I did," Clest grinned maniacally.


    She revealed the dark purple spore sac in her free hand.


    With a sudden, violent twist, she wrenched against the seeker¡¯s hold¡ªnot to break free, but to shift her momentum. Her entire body followed the movement, spinning toward him as she smashed the sac into his face.


    Poof.


    Purple smoke burst around him. The seeker immediately coughed and staggered back, his grip loosening as the spores flooded his lungs.


    Emily¡¯s eyes widened in horror. "No!"


    She lunged forward, her hands glowing with Keeper Magic, reaching for her seeker.


    But Clest was faster.


    With a desperate yank, she pulled the seeker''s sword from its sheath¡ªnot smoothly, not perfectly, but with enough force to tear it free. It was heavier than she expected. Unfamiliar. But she adjusted her grip without hesitation.


    "W-Wait, we can still talk this¡ª"


    Clest lunged.


    She didn¡¯t aim for a perfect cut¡ªjust a single, brutal slash across the throat.


    Emily''s words choked into silence. Blood gushed from the deep wound, her hands instinctively clutching at her neck as she staggered back. She let out a broken, gasping sound before her legs gave way.


    Her body hit the dirt with a dull thud.


    The seeker choked on his own breath. "Khh... Emily--!" His trembling hands clawed toward her fallen form, his body wracked with violent coughs as the poison spores consumed his lungs.


    Clest simply watched, silent and unmoving.


    His breaths grew heavier. His movements weaker. Until finally, he could do nothing but crawl.


    Clest stepped forward and raised the sword. She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before driving the blade down, ending his misery.


    Silence only then returned to the forest.


    The weight of it all hit her at once. The rush of battle drained from her body, leaving her breathless.


    She turned to Pine¡ªstill unconscious, still breathing.


    He''s alive. I''m alive. We live for another day.


    With the last of her strength, she staggered toward him and collapsed into a sitting position. Her hands clenched the hilt of the sword as her shoulders trembled, the echoes of the fight still rattling through her bones.


    When her breath finally steadied, she reached for Pine¡¯s bindings and untied him. Then, slowly, she hauled his limp body away from the corpses. They needed to rest.


    They had survived. But barely.