Chapter 273: Let’s refine it
"I am going to sleep," Laila said after finishing her meal.
"Laila, are you feeling well?" Monica asked, concern evident in her voice. Ever since her daughter had returned from the forest, she had looked completely drained.
That didn’t make sense.
Monica knew her mate wouldn’t have let Laila chop the firewood, nor had she carried the heavy sack back.
Could she actually be falling sick?
"I... I’m just tired from all the traveling," Laila replied, briefly glancing at Luke, who deliberately acted as though he hadn’t noticed.
Monica gave a small nod. "If you don’t feel well, tell me, okay? We still have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, so get some rest."
Laila nodded and quietly walked into the tent opposite the one Thea was staying in.
Thea had already gone to bed after finishing her meal.
Roxanne noticed how unusually quiet the woman had been throughout meal. She had spoken only when asking for something on her plate or announcing that she was going to sleep.
It was unlike her.
The change made Roxanne wonder if Luke had said something to her.
Roxanne’s gaze drifted to the young man sitting across from her.
Had he warned Thea because of her?
The thought alone made her heart flutter.
"Roxanne?" Monica called, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She quickly shook her head. "It’s nothing." Lifting another bite to her mouth, she smiled. "This tastes wonderful. You’ve balanced the herbs and spices perfectly."
A faint blush spread across Monica’s cheeks.
"I just add whichever herbs I think will keep the salt and spices from becoming too strong."
Luke nodded in approval. "That’s how every meal should be."
Roxanne smiled softly.
So it was his preference that had shaped Monica’s cooking.
They truly complemented each other, she thought.
Not long afterward, everyone finished eating.
Luke gathered the dirty dishes without a word. Leaving them in the basket overnight would only make them smell by morning.
"I’ll help you carry them," Roxanne offered, picking up the clay pot before following him.
Luke didn’t argue.
"You should go inside and get some rest," he told Monica.
She nodded, but instead of heading into the tent, she busied herself putting everything back in order. From the way she kept moving around, it was obvious she had no intention of sleeping anytime soon.
Luke could only sigh before kneeling beside the stream.
Roxanne crouched beside him, and together they began washing the utensils.
"How are you feeling?" Luke asked, his eyes fixed on the dishes in his hands.
"About the trip?"
Luke gave a quiet hum. "Are you comfortable?"
Ever since he had agreed to let Thea accompany them, a part of him had felt guilty toward Roxanne, knowing how excited she had been for this journey.
Her answer eased that burden.
"Having Monica with me makes the journey quite enjoyable," Roxanne said with a gentle smile. "It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this... alive."
She wouldn’t have spoken so honestly to anyone else.
But Luke was different.
"I’m glad to hear that," Luke replied with a smile.
Before long, they finished cleaning the utensils and stood up.
Monica had already packed away everything else, and after they returned, the cooking pots and dishes were neatly stored inside the basket.
Once everything was in place, Luke looked at the two women.
"You should both get some sleep."
"And you?" Monica asked.
Roxanne spoke up immediately.
"Rel can keep watch for a while. You should get some rest, Luke."
Luke sighed before reassuring them. "I’m neither tired nor sleepy right now. But the moment I feel like I need to rest, I’ll wake him up. I promise."
Monica still looked uneasy about leaving him alone.
She was about to offer to stay awake with him when Luke gently nudged her shoulder.
"Go on and get some sleep. No more wandering around. We need to leave early tomorrow, so everyone should get as much rest as possible."
Monica let out a quiet sigh and nodded.
"I understand. But please, make sure you rest too."
Luke nodded before turning to Roxanne.
"If you’re not comfortable sharing a tent with Thea, you can stay with Monica and Laila."
Roxanne hesitated for a moment.
"Please join us," Monica urged warmly. "There’s plenty of room."
Roxanne looked back at Luke.
"But what about you?"
The tent could comfortably fit three people, but squeezing in a fourth would leave everyone cramped.
Luke simply smiled.
"It’s fine. I can manage."
He hadn’t hesitated for a second.
From the way Roxanne had almost immediately agreed to stay with Monica and Laila, it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable sharing a tent with Thea.
And honestly, he couldn’t blame her.
Before long, the two women disappeared into the tent together, their quiet conversation fading into the night.
Luke smiled faintly.
He was happy to see Roxanne making a friend in Monica.
Just as he’d expected, his mate’s gentle and warm nature made her easy for anyone to get along with.
Taking a slow breath, Luke sat down on a nearby log and used a stick to nudge the firewood deeper into the campfire.
The flames crackled softly, burning bright enough to keep the campsite bathed in warm light.
After settling in, Luke spoke inwardly.
’System, care to explain what that was?’
[The system fail to realise what the host mean.]
Luke clicked his tongue.
"Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about."
Letting out an irritated huff, he lowered his voice.
’I was about to smack some sense into that midget, and you suddenly gave me a quest to kiss her.’
[...]
’What? Nothing to say now?’ Luke thought, irritation clear in his voice.
And he had every reason to be annoyed.
He couldn’t stand Thea’s personality.
Back in the tent, she had even bitten him, handing him the perfect excuse to knock some sense into her.
Luke wasn’t the type to go easy on someone just because they were a woman. If someone came after him, he would respond in kind.
Thea had practically invited that response.
Only for the system to douse his anger like a bucket of cold water by throwing a completely absurd quest at him.
Kiss her.
Seriously?
Was the system actually trying to protect Thea?
First, it had suggested bringing her along.
Now it had stopped him from teaching her a lesson.
Luke narrowed his eyes.
Did the system actually have a thing for her?
He wasn’t one to judge. Plenty of people liked loudmouthed midgets who barked at everyone, only to turn into timid little cats the moment they were cornered.
[Host, different circumstances cause the target to release different hormones. At that moment, extracting the soul fragment was the easiest. That is why the system assigned the quest.]
Luke narrowed his eyes.
’So I got something out of it, right?’
[Indeed, sir. You have successfully acquired 45% of the Legendary Physique. Just a little more, and you will finally awaken it within yourself.]
Luke let out a quiet hum, his mood improving.
At least something worthwhile had come from sparing that runt.
’Now then...’
Since he had nothing pressing to do, Luke reached into his inventory and pulled out a star-shaped gemstone.
Rolling it between his fingers, he muttered,
"Let’s refine this thing first."
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