CHAPTER 113: UNEXPECTED GUESTS

Jaya startled at the sight of unexpected guests. These two were clearly no ordinary men.

One of them wore a white robe, the kind reserved only for those of high standing within a territory. And the emerald stone set at the front of the robe was an even rarer sign.

He could only invite them in politely, though he quickly realized after a closer look that they weren’t human at all, but of another race he couldn’t quite place.

Two more men in gambesons stood guard outside the door, broad-shouldered and stern-faced.

"D-did a druid, or anyone resembling one, appear around here?" Rais asked abruptly, skipping any pleasantries.

Ah. Druids! Jaya finally understood who he was dealing with.

As Jaya was still processing the question, the older one stepped in to explain their identity.

Turned out they were official envoys of the druid race, stationed in Raksa County, and were currently carrying out their duty.

"No, sirs. No druids have been seen here," Jaya shook his head quickly.

Silvan narrowed his eyes but said nothing, letting Rais continue the questioning.

"Has there been any word of a newborn child?"

"Any suspicious couples in the area?"

"Anyone move out of this village recently?"

"Only a Liner and his family left, my lords," Jaya answered carefully. "He took his mother to town after his success. Honestly, there are no young people left here. Most have moved away. Perhaps only one could still bear children, but he divorced eight months ago."

Silvan seemed more interested in that last part.

After all, stories of Liners leaving their villages after success were common, but the matter of a divorce tied to eight months ago was far more similar than what they were looking for.

After speaking a little longer with Jaya, the two druids finally stepped out of the wooden house.

"Look into Albin and his wife," Silvan ordered curtly. "Then we’ll continue up the mountain."

...

Wina left Bota Village right after Gara returned from the Liner camp, riding along with town guards who just ’so happened’ to be heading in that direction.

Fian, meanwhile, had gone with the other Liners to fetch water from the mountain.

Gara could have filled Fian’s quota, but it was better for Fian to do the task himself rather than draw too much attention from the others.

Besides, Gara felt confident he could manage the triplets with Madha, Rea, and Rea’s children helping out.

Once he finished changing Ava’s diaper, Gara gently laid his daughter back into the crib.

Taly, Rea’s third child, immediately climbed in after her, snuggling his little squirrel body against Ava’s cheek. Slowly, the baby drifted into peaceful sleep.

"Good job, Taly." Gara flashed a thumbs-up at the white squirrel child, now almost as big as his mother.

Truthfully, if Gara weren’t busy with missions, he and Wina could have cared for the children themselves without needing a babysitter. But he still had duties to fulfill, as did Fian and Madha.

Even Wina should have been free to pursue her own life instead of being tied down by the triplets. That was why he decided on taking a new slave.

When Gara stepped out of the room, he found Madha slumped at the table, fighting off sleep.

"Go get some rest, Madha. Mother already washed the diapers, and I’ll take care of the milk," Gara said with worried eyes.

Madha rubbed his face and shook his head. "I’m fine."

"I’ll wake you if I need you. Seriously."

Gara walked over to Madha and grabbed the man’s muscular arm.

Madha couldn’t resist when Gara tugged at him, and in the end, he was dragged into the room.

Gara back to his room, just as Rea let out a sharp chittering sound toward her children.

"What did you bring for your kids to eat?" Gara asked, knowing well that Rea’s call meant she was summoning them for mealtime.

Rea turned her big round eyes on Gara, blinked a few times, but didn’t answer. Instead, she simply turned away and hopped off.

"Hah? You won’t tell me?" Gara muttered, then looked toward Taly, who had just managed to get little Ava to sleep. "Taly, what food did your mother bring?"

Taly, the youngest of the white squirrel children, chirped an answer honestly, with great enthusiasm.

Gara’s face instantly turned red. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to shout in the room.

Confused, Taly scampered off anyway. Gara followed right after, storming out of the house.

The moment Rea saw Gara coming, she squeaked at her children and quickly stuffed the seeds laid out on a leaf into her cheeks. Her children copied her, puffing their cheeks full just the same.

Then Rea leapt into the air, spreading her arms as she glided toward a tree. Her children couldn’t fly yet, but they still managed to jump high after her.

"Rea! Don’t you dare run!" Gara shouted, hands on his hips.

That squirrel had once again fed herself poisonous plants, not just eating by herself, but actively giving them to her young.

The problem was, for months now Gara had been struggling again and again to purge poison from the children’s inside. Many times they had hovered right at death’s door.

Sure, little by little they were building resistance, but Gara knew one thing for certain: without him, Rea’s children would have been dead long ago thanks to their mother’s recklessness.

Hiding up in the branches, Rea wanted to say, It’s only because I know you’re here that I dare act like this.

...

Wina returned in the evening, accompanied by a young woman with deep blue hair, matching dark-blue eyes, sun-kissed skin, and a slender, delicate frame.

"Her name is Della. She’s an omega werewolf," Wina introduced, presenting the shy young woman to the three young men waiting inside.

Della trembled under their intense stares. The woman who bought her had said her job was simple—babysit the newborn triplets.

That sounded safe enough.

She had assumed she’d only need to deal with Wina, the grandmother, and the babies’ mother.

So why were there three young men here? The last thing she wanted was to be treated like some toy for men again.

Just as panic swirled through her mind, a cup was offered to her, steam curling upward with a soothing aroma.

"I’m the father who gave birth to the triplets," the young man said.

...