Ginna noticed countless villagers glancing in their direction as they walked through the streets toward the forest.

Though in truth, those gazes weren’t aimed at her.

They were looking at the man walking beside her.

Luke had become the savior of the village.

The man who had fought alongside the chief and protected the villagers against a magical beast.

Naturally, word about him had already begun spreading, perhaps even reaching neighboring villages by now. After all, it wasn’t every day that a magical beast appeared and yet the village survived where it arrived.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Luke asked after noticing her repeatedly looking around. "We can move faster through the village if you want."

Ginna shook her head gently.

"No, I’m fine." A faint look of amazement lingered in her eyes. "I’m just surprised no one has come forward to show their gratitude yet."

Luke let out a quiet chuckle.

"My reputation in this village only started improving recently," he replied casually. "Most of them probably still can’t fully believe I actually fought in the defense."

He shrugged lightly afterward.

"Well... it doesn’t really matter to me."

Ginna stared at him quietly for a few seconds.

In that regard, Luke truly felt different from most people.

Who wouldn’t want fame, influence, and connections?

A good reputation didn’t just earn respect. It opened doors, created opportunities, and brought wealth.

Yet Luke seemed utterly uninterested in any of it.

He was strong enough to earn his own living.

And as for recognition...

He clearly didn’t care.

Rumble.

Both of them instinctively lifted their eyes toward the sky as thunder rolled above the clouds.

The weather had remained gloomy since morning.

The sun hadn’t appeared even once, hidden entirely behind the thick blanket of dark clouds overhead.

"Hopefully it doesn’t rain anytime soon," Ginna muttered quietly.

Hunting during rainfall was never pleasant.

Luke hummed in agreement while briefly glancing at her.

Though whatever thought crossed his mind remained unspoken.

Soon, the two arrived at the village entrance where a pair of warriors stood guard.

The guards exchanged brief looks upon seeing them approach.

But neither attempted to stop the duo.

Once they entered the forest, Ginna glanced toward him and asked,

"Are you hunting too?" She adjusted the strap resting on her shoulder before adding, "Though we already have enough meat to last at least three days."

In weather this hot, storing too much meat would only cause it to spoil.

Luke shook his head lightly.

"I came here mainly to gather herbs." Then a faint smile appeared on his face. "But before that, let me observe your hunting methods."

Ginna gave a sheepish smile in return.

"You’ll probably end up disappointed."

She didn’t refuse to show him.

Still, standing beside a warrior as strong as Luke made her feel like a child playing at hunting rather than an actual hunter.

Regardless, the two continued moving deeper into the forest.

The outer regions only housed small prey like hares and moles, so if they wanted anything worthwhile, they needed to venture further inside.

Before long, they arrived at a wide clearing, causing Ginna to suddenly halt in her tracks.

Her eyes lowered toward the ground.

A large beast footprint was embedded into the damp soil.

Luke observed it as well, crossing his arms while trying to identify the creature without relying on his special eyes.

His first guess was a wolf.

"A Thornback Lynx," Ginna said confidently.

Luke glanced at her. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"How can you tell it’s a Thornback?"

Instead of answering immediately, Ginna pointed toward a nearby tree across the clearing.

Luke followed her gesture.

Black spikes were lodged into the bark alongside faint bloodstains scattered around the trunk. Several spikes had even pierced into the branches themselves.

However, the depth wasn’t significant.

"It’s a young one," Ginna concluded calmly.

Luke narrowed his eyes slightly.

The bloodstains rested only about a hand’s height above the ground, meaning whatever prey the lynx had hunted was relatively small.

Which further supported her deduction.

"Alright."

Ginna suddenly took out the rope she had been carrying and skillfully tossed one end over a thick branch high above the clearing.

Pulling the other side downward, she immediately began setting up a trap.

A circular snare.

Once triggered, it would tighten instantly and hoist the beast upward, trapping it before it could properly react.

Luke watched closely as she worked.

The way she tied the knots.

The precise width she maintained so the trap wouldn’t appear unnatural.

Every movement was careful and practiced.

Once the snare was prepared, Ginna crouched down and plucked small patches of grass before draping them over the rope to conceal it completely.

After that, she scattered dry soil across the area, erasing every visible sign of disturbance.

Only then did she unhook the small pouch attached to her waist and flip it upside down inside the center of the trap.

Several chunks of raw red meat fell onto the ground.

Fresh with blood oozing.

The scent spread almost instantly through the clearing.

Ginna deliberately scattered the meat around before tossing a few smaller pieces further away as well, creating a scent trail to lure prey from a distance.

Luke quietly nodded in appreciation.

She genuinely knew what she was doing.

Then suddenly—

The nearby bushes rustled.

Both of them immediately tensed.

Ginna grabbed Luke by the arm and yanked him behind the thick trunk of the nearby tree, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the end of the rope.

Her heart raced as she pressed her body close to the rough bark and carefully peeked around the edge, eyes narrowed in focus toward the moving bush.

Luke’s breath caught in his throat. She was so close that her plump, round ass was practically pushing back against him.

The thin dress clung to her curves like a second skin, the soft fabric stretched taut over her full cheeks and clearly outlining the lacy edges of her panties.

The faint line of her ass crack was visible, teasing him mercilessly with every tiny shift of her hips.

He couldn’t resist. Taking a small step forward, he let his growing erection press firmly against her soft rear. "See anything?" he whispered, voice low.

Ginna shook her head, still completely unaware. "No... but the bush is still moving. Though I don’t see any movement."

Luke’s hands slid around her waist, gripping her gently as he leaned over her back, pretending to look past her.

His chest pressed against her shoulders while his now rock-hard cock nestled deeper between her plush ass cheeks.

The thin dress did almost nothing to hide how thick and hot he felt rubbing against her.

He rocked his hips ever so slightly, letting his throbbing length slide up and down the cleft of her ass, savoring the incredible softness.

"Be careful," he murmured against her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin.

His fingers tightened on her waist, pulling her back against him a little harder.

The heat radiating from his heavy cock made the fabric between them feel almost nonexistent.

He could feel the way her body yielded to him, her round cheeks molding perfectly around his rigid shaft as he gave another slow, deliberate grind.

Ginna’s breath hitched, but she stayed focused on the bush, oblivious to how Luke’s thick erection was now fully nestled between her ass cheeks, twitching and pulsing with need.

The thin dress had ridden up slightly, letting him feel more of her warm, bare skin against the bulge in his pants.

He fought the urge to pull her dress higher and take her right there, instead content to keep slowly rubbing his hardness against her plush rear while whispering, "Stay right here with me... just like this."

However, the damn beast interrupted his fun as it lunged towards the meal.

Ginna didn’t miss the chance and pulled the rope with all her strength.

"Khieeek!"

And caught the prey.

With a grin, she approached the trapped lynx, leaving a bothered Luke behind who was currently looking at Ginna with a predatory gaze.

And much to his delight,

[Quest: Comfort the lonely woman]

[Reward: 20GP, Love chocolates.]