The forest trembled with every explosion.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Flashes of light cut through the darkness between the trees, followed by a growl sharp enough to raise goosebumps.
"Damn it, they keep slipping into the shadows!" Kazien muttered, fingers already crackling with lightning.
"My dear, where is it?" Alvin's voice rose above the chaos, high and anxious, yet somehow still dramatic enough to sound adorable.
"Three meters behind you."
Crackt!
A lance of lightning shot past Alvin's shoulder and slammed into a Shadow Tiger lunging at him. The impact tore a crater into the ground, the surrounding trees shaking violently as roots snapped and soil lifted.
Kazien blinked at the devastation. "My future wife is truly amazing," he said with a proud grin.
Alvin chuckled softly. "If you didn't scream every time you sensed danger, I wouldn't even know where to aim."
And then, Kazien walked toward the monster. With a casual flick of his hand, he healed the creature's wounds.
Alvin stared. "Why are you healing dead monsters?"
"So the price doesn't drop. Corpses with holes in them sell for less," Kazien replied without shame.
After storing the tiger's body in his dimensional storage, the two continued deeper into the forest. Their mission today was simple—at least on paper. Collect grifola mushrooms, the main ingredient for healing potions.
Finding them, however, was a nightmare. The mushrooms blended almost perfectly into the dark forest, their shapes swallowed by shadow.
Kazien finally lifted his hand.
Bling!
A radiant glow erupted above them and banished the thick darkness. When the forest brightened, Alvin gasped.
"My dear, you're brilliant! Look at all of them!"
Alvin practically bounced in place. Mushrooms, hundreds of them covered the forest floor like a hidden treasure glimmering under the light.
Kazien let out a tired sigh. "Honestly, I was frustrated. I threw out the light magic just to vent."
"And yet you solved everything. As expected," Alvin praised, gazing at him with stars in his eyes.
Kazien smiled, a warm, subtle curve of lips. "If you look that happy, I might start spoiling you on purpose."
"You've already spoiled me!" Alvin replied proudly. "How about we have sex when—"
Snap! Kazien flicked his forehead—hard.
"Ow! That actually hurt!"
"Stop thinking weird things!" Kazien warned.
"But you're handsome! How can I not think—"
"You want it now but never again later, or you want to wait and have me do it anytime you want in the future?"
Alvin froze, then declared, without hesitation, "Second one! Always the second one!"
"Good! Then, please be patient."
"I'll behave for now! But after we get married, you're mine whenever I want."
Kazien laughed quietly. "Anything to make you happy."
"Then after we collect these mushrooms, carry me home!" Alvin grinned mischievously.
"That I can do, my beloved Alvin deserves at least that much."
With a delighted hum, Alvin began gathering mushrooms with new energy. For the first time, he would be carried home. His heart fluttered at the thought of resting against Kazien's warm back. Handsome, gentle, attentive—Kazien was everything he wanted in a husband.
After collecting thirty mushrooms, Kazien crouched in front of him. "Get on. I'll carry you all the way home."
Alvin was about to climb onto his back when—
Kazien stiffened. Something moved fast.
"Okay, I'll—"
Kazien grabbed Alvin and jumped, holding him tight as a dark blur shot past where Alvin had been standing.
Alvin looked up, unimpressed. "Why did you pull me? Aren't we both immortal?"
Kazien stared at him in shock. "Immortality doesn't stop pain! I won't let you get hurt, not even a small scratch!"
Alvin's eyes lit up. "Overprotective husband-to-be. Fine then—let's crush everything that comes our way!"
The forest erupted once more.
Boom! Crackt! Bam!
A few moments later, silence returned. Kazien walked out of the forest with Alvin on his back, unfazed by the defeated monsters behind them.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Your back is heaven. I'm never getting down."
"That's impossible." Kazien glanced over his shoulder with a teasing grin. "But if you want to cling, sleep on top of me tonight."
Alvin gasped dramatically. "Can I?"
"As long as you don't request anything strange."
"I won't! Not until we're married!"
"I figured," Kazien chuckled.
Alvin rested his cheek on Kazien's back, hugging him tightly as they approached the city gate. Two soldiers spotted them and flinched.
"Young master! Is Young Master Alvin hurt?"
Kazien waved. "No injuries. He's just sulking and demanded a ride."
Alvin flashed the soldiers a proud smile. They relaxed immediately.
Inside the city, their unusual entrance drew more attention. People whispered, worried, curious, amused. Kazien had to repeat his explanation several times.
Alvin only tightened his hold, enjoying every second of being carried like a spoiled prince.
"You like being the center of attention that much?" Kazien teased.
"They're just jealous of how warm your back is."
Kazien hummed, then added mischievously. "Should I carry other cute boys too, then?"
Alvin's arms instantly locked around his neck like a death trap.
"A-Alvin, please loosen your embrace! I can't breathe."
Alvin loosened immediately, flustered. "Don't joke about that."
Kazien laughed and kept walking. "Okay, my cute price."
At the guild, they became a spectacle again. Adventurers stared, whispering.
"He's just sulking," Kazien announced before anyone could ask. "I'm not allowed to put him down until we get home."
Rosalia at the reception desk blinked. "I thought something happened…"
"Only to my dignity," Kazien said, amused, unloading the mushrooms on the counter.
Rosalia counted. "You two collected this many? For an E–rank mission?"
Kazien opened his storage dimension and dropped twelve Shadow Tigers on the floor. Gasps filled the hall.
"They were gathering near the mushrooms," he said simply.
Rosalia hurried to the back room and returned with a stern-looking woman in her forties.
"I'm Welma, guild leader of Lazavis city!" she introduced. "Is that report true?"
Kazien raised an eyebrow. "Why would I lie? I should be the one questioning your mission ranks."
Welma had watched countless liars walk through the guild's doors, but the boy standing before her wasn't one of them. Every word he spoke rang true, and that alone troubled her more than any lie could have.