"Brother Orion! Sister Flora just saved my life!" lora Moretti sensed the danger in Orion’s voice and quickly moved to shield Evangeline. She spread her arms wide, afraid Orion would suddenly lash out.
At her words, Orion frowned and looked lora Moretti up and down.
When he saw the bleeding wound on her, his expression changed. "You ran into a Falcon?"
The ntion of it made lora Moretti recall the terrifying encounter from just monts before.
Her face instantly went pale and her body trembled slightly, shimring tears welling in her eyes. She then stumbled over to Orion’s side, pressing close to him, the very picture of vulnerability.
Her voice choked with tears. "Brother Orion, I... I almost died! You have no idea, it was a vicious Four-star pattern Great-headed Eagle! I was *this* close to being torn to shreds!"
Evangeline glanced at lora Moretti but didn’t interrupt her flirting.
She turned to survey the fractured earth around them, and her heart sank.
’The male lead’s killing intent is growing stronger. This little world is on the verge of collapse, and the earthquake is just the beginning.’
As Evangeline was lost in her heavy thoughts, Orion’s clear voice suddenly rang out. "You’re the female who disrupted the Grymdale Tribe’s totem sacrifice last night?"
Evangeline looked back to et Orion’s eyes and shrugged. "If you already know, why ask?"
Orion t Evangeline’s perfectly calm gaze, a flicker of surprise stirring within him.
Unlike the males who struggled to find a female for a Contract, he had always been incredibly popular.
Yet the female before him seed completely immune to his charm. Such a cold attitude was a first for him, and an unfamiliar feeling stirred in his heart.
Completely uninterested in Orion, Evangeline tilted her head with a nonchalant expression. She looked at lora Moretti, who was staring at Orion, completely smitten, and said, "Alright, I’m heading back. Are you coming or not?"
’This girl is simple and kind. A decent ally,’ Evangeline thought. ’I don’t mind looking after her a bit.’
At her words, lora Moretti shot a reluctant glance at Orion, her eyes practically glued to him.
Orion noticed her gaze, turned to face her, and said coolly, "I’ll walk you back."
"Really??" For a second, it was as if lora Moretti’s eyes had been set ablaze, and they instantly began to sparkle. A wide grin stretched across her face, brimming with a joy she couldn’t hide.
"Mhm. The Beast God was enraged again today. I need to visit the Grymdale Tribe to prevent..." He trailed off, glancing at lora Moretti before adding vaguely, "Thorne and I are good brothers. I have to help him."
Evangeline shot him a glance. ’This guy is loyal enough, daring to stand up to the Grymdale Tribe for Thorne’s sake.’
’Orion is a Six-star Beastman, powerful indeed, but not enough to take on an entire tribe. After all, a single Elias Moretti, who is also a Six-star, could keep him tied down.’
lora Moretti, being rather naive, didn’t catch the underlying aning in Orion’s words. She just clapped her hands happily. "That’s wonderful! I was so worried. With Brother Orion here, Brother Thorne will definitely be okay!"
Looking at the guileless lora Moretti, Evangeline shook her head and turned toward the Hunting Grounds.
She still needed to hunt two rabbits.
On the way, lora Moretti stuck close to Orion’s side, chirping incessantly like a happy little bird.
Evangeline walked ahead by herself, constantly searching for any sign of rabbits. Unfortunately, the earthquake had sent them all into hiding. She checked burrow after burrow to no avail, wondering where the crafty creatures had gone.
"Brother Orion, will you be able to stay in the Grymdale Tribe for a few more days?" lora Moretti asked timidly.
"Don’t know." Orion shrugged, his reply just as carefree.
He chewed on a blade of grass, answering lora Moretti’s questions distractedly. His eyes, however, were fixed on Evangeline, studying her. ’A female who can defeat a Four-star pattern Falcon, summon rain, and even hold her own against the Grymdale Tribe’s Witch... She’s impressive. A pity she’s a female with no Star Pattern.’
Just as lora Moretti was about to speak again, she saw Orion stride toward Evangeline. "What are you looking for?" he asked.
Without turning her head, Evangeline replied, "Herbivores. Do you know where they’re hiding?"
lora Moretti hurried to catch up, just in ti to hear Evangeline. "Sister Flora, why are you looking for Herbivores?" she asked, surprised. "They must have been scared back into their burrows."
Evangeline replied succinctly, "I promised Thorne I’d hunt two Herbivores today to make him a nice al."
Hearing this, lora Moretti’s eyes filled with emotion. "Sister Flora, you don’t mind that Brother Thorne is a Beastman who already has a Contract? With Evangeline still alive, he might never be a free male again."
As she spoke, her expression fell.
Orion froze, casting a surprised look at Evangeline. Doubt surfaced in his mind. ’She likes Thorne?’
’He knew she’d saved Thorne at the totem sacrifice last night, but that didn’t necessarily an she liked him. A female of unknown origin, and a Witch at that. On the Beastman Continent, the identity of a Witch was inherently special—full of unknowns and variables. No matter how you looked at it, there was sothing odd about this Flora. It wasn’t just him who had his doubts. After what he went through with Evangeline, there was no way Thorne would open his heart and trust another female so easily.’
Orion’s thoughts were cut short by Evangeline’s voice. "It’s fine. I don’t mind. The fact is, I like him."
Her tone was steady, each word clear and forceful, carrying an irrefutable determination.
Orion’s eyes flashed as he stared at Evangeline in astonishnt. ’She really does like him?’
"Sister Flora... if only Brother Thorne had t you first... how wonderful that would have been." lora Moretti’s eyes grew red. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs she couldn’t hold back.
Evangeline froze, glancing back at lora Moretti.
It was a complicated look, but only she knew why.
Orion seed moved by Evangeline’s declaration as well. "As for the Herbivores," he said, "I can help with that."
Hearing this, Evangeline looked at Orion. "Great! Thanks! You can stay for dinner tonight."
Orion thought nothing of it. In an instant, a brilliant light enveloped him, and he transford into his beast form!
The Wyvern threw its head back and let out a furious roar in the direction of the Hunting Grounds.
The roar was like rolling thunder, a powerful wave of intimidation spreading out in all directions with the Wyvern at its center.
Unable to withstand such a terrifying sound, the rabbits hiding deep in their burrows began to tremble. They bolted from their holes in a mad panic, scattering across the open ground in every direction.
"Brother Orion is so powerful! Brother Orion is amazing!" lora Moretti gushed, her eyes sparkling with adoration.
Evangeline glanced at the ecstatic lora Moretti beside her, and the corner of her lip couldn’t help but twitch.
’This girl is like her own personal cheerleading squad. The females of the Beastman Continent are one more boy-crazy than the last,’ she thought. ’Still, matters of the heart are personal. It’s lora Moretti’s business, and I have no intention of interfering.’
Evangeline’s attention was quickly drawn to the rabbits scattering all over the ground.
With a light flick of her finger, several streaks of light shot out like arrows loosed from a bow, blazing with sharp energy. In the next instant, three waist-high rabbits shuddered violently before collapsing, twitching for a mont before going still.
Orion shifted back to his human form. He glanced at the fallen Herbivores, and a flicker of sothing passed through his eyes.
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