New World with Four Husbands

Chapter 408: Whispers and assurance

The guards by the city gates went wide-eyed when they saw a monster on Coco’s shoulders, carrying it like it weighed nothing, but paper.

The flying pig, which was bigger than her, didn’t have any wounds in its skin, but the way it lay completely still on the woman’s shoulders and swaying as Coco walked tells them that it was indeed dead.

"Is she a monster?" One of the guards whispered to his friend, his voice slightly shaky.

"No.. But I heard that she was the one who placed first in this month’s batch of hunter examinees." Another chimed in, watching as Coco walked up to them.

"That explains why she can carry that monster and not sweat over it—" One of them started, but stopped talking when someone cut him off with a warning.

"Shh! She’s getting closer! Pretend that we’re busy!" Another guard chastised and immediately, the three of them scattered before Coco could open her mouth to ask for help, making her stop in her tracks.

"What are their problems?" Lala asked, frowning.

"Beats me." Coco mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she observed the way the guards scrambled to get away from her.

"Cowards!" Lala screamed, but it’s not like the guards would be able to hear her.

Fortunately, Coco spotted a familiar person walking out of the city gates to look at the commotion that the guards had caused when they started running away from her like cry babies.

"Mister! Uhh.." Coco brightened up and waved over to the familiar man, but she quickly stopped when she couldn’t remember his name.

The man in question walked over, his eyebrows raised in astonishment with his eyes glued to the monster on her shoulder. "You must be the reason why my men were running off like they saw something.. Fascinating."

"Yes, yes, yes.." Coco laughed nervously, forcing herself to smile towards him. "I just wanted to ask for a favor, but they ran away."

Like little pussies. Coco thought, finishing her sentence in her mind.

She flashed the man a smile and gestured towards the flying pig she was carrying. "I have another one I have to hunt, but I didn’t want to leave this one unattended in the forest.."

"So you’re asking if you can leave it here while you hunt for another one?" The man finished what she wanted to say, rather quickly to catch on to what she wanted to do which made her nod eagerly.

"Yes!" She confirmed and her smile went wide. "Only if you don’t mind, of course!"

"I don’t." The man hummed and turned in his heels. "Come put it in the office. I’ll look after that monster myself to make sure nothing will happen to it."

"Thank you, sir!" Coco expressed her gratitude and scrambled to run after him.

The walk to the office was short and relatively quick because it was just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t encounter whispers and looks from the guards they walked past.

"Look at her running after the captain.."

"She looks quite happy.. But no one would want a monster like her."

"I heard she’s married, but is it really true?"

"She’s covered in dirt and looks like she struggled to fight that flying pig so how is she able to carry it like that?"

"I heard she cheated during the examination."

Coco heard a lot of different whispers coming from the guards they walked past, but as usual, she ignored them and continued running after the man she was familiar with.

"I’ll correct their rude behavior later." The man started as soon as Coco caught up to him. "I just want to let you put the flying pig down first because it looks like it’s quite heavy, but I assure you, I’ll punish them for being this crude."

Coco blinked, not expecting such words from him.

"I’m fine." Coco said, a small genuine smile emerging in her face. "I’m used to it so I don’t mind."

"Doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do." The man grunted out, glancing at Coco over his shoulder, a look of disapproval on his face. "You’re one of the best hunters in the kingdom and you shall be treated like one."

"Hey now." Coco laughed nervously, but honestly, she also felt a little embarrassed. "I passed just the other week so that doesn’t make me one of the best hunters out there."

"I disagree." The man tutted out, holding his chin up high and turned his head stubbornly.

However, despite the fact that she was used to the whispers and had ignored them until now, she felt assured and at ease when the man in front of her told her that he will correct them for her sake.

Would he be a good friend perhaps?

Coco wanted to befriend him, but she felt like the people in her life are enough for now.

Besides, she has other things she must prioritize rather than make new friends while she is out working her ass off to earn money.

Not to mention, she can’t remember the man’s name even though he was a friend of Alithe’s—

"My name is Aamon Orlan." The man spoke up and made Coco’s attention snap back to reality, her ears barely catching the man’s words.

"Pardon?" Coco blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"My name." The man repeated what he said as he pushed the door open and held it open for Coco. "It’s Aamon Orlan. Alithe’s friend. The captain of the order of the knights."

Coco’s lips parted when she processed the information, nodding her head absentmindedly.

She dropped the flying pig on the floor of the office, just in time for her body to freeze and her eyes to go as wide as saucers from shock.

"The.. Captain of the order of the knights?" Coco asked, her voice weak and timid.

Captain Orlan raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Oh, goodness.. Why am I surrounded with blue collars? Coco’s face turned pale, her heart dropping to her stomach.