ROARRR!

Well, anyway, all the fighting in this area seemed to have gathered more monsters.

"Damnit!"

And so, Finn's side had no choice but to defend against both beasts and halfkins, with the latter being idiotically rash that they did not care whether they were attacking a monster or a human.

Clank! Slash! BANG!

"AHH!"

Finn's eyes widened when he saw that some of his guests were injured even further. He drank a healing potion and a mana potion as he ran to them and blocked the way.

The idiot halfkins then decided it was time to lunge at him, because Katnia's scent was probably strongest with him.

"FUDGE!" he gasped, barely avoiding an attack with his [Feather Step].

Panicked, he blurted out what he thought would help clear his charges. "We're not part of the mercenary team from before! We won't fool you!!"

"Why would you know that!" the halfkin growled, especially annoyed when a monster appeared midway to attack whoever. The wolf halforc's sharp claws gouged a monster's throat out.

"Only those who were with them would know that!!"

"..."

Okay, he had to admit that was stupid.

And he might have taken the whole 'beastkin are simple-minded' a bit too literally.

With this, they couldn't use the recent stories he heard from Katnia either because that'd just make them look like they were with the people who did this to them in the first place.

"She is fine! And I can take you to her!" he yelled. "If me or my people get hurt, do you think we'll have the strength to take you to her?!"

This made the halfkin finally pause their attacks. He, to their surprise, then turned his back against them, which in their eyes was leaving his back open to them.

This made his friends flinch and pale, and even Leiah almost jumped down to go to him.

Finn smiled, unbothered by his defenseless state. "We need to take care of the monsters first before we can talk. My friends are injured. I'm sure you can understand," he said, before attacking the beasts as if there were no more serious threats right behind him.

Leiah and the others were extremely concerned, but the number of monsters near them blocked their way, and they could only focus on getting rid of them first.

Fortunately, to everyone's surprise, the halfkin didn't attack again after that.

Halfkins were indeed simple creatures to a degree. If he showed them he was no threat, then they wouldn't treat him as one.

The halfkin had just been scammed, so they naturally are cynical of humans, and he couldn't blame them for attacking so easily.

Things calmed somehow, and when Leiah and the others focused their attacks on the beasts, the halfkin did the same.

A couple of brootrats managed to bypass several fights with their size, and they headed straight to Finn, who was nearby. Finn was looking away and busy with a grindlejaw. He did not notice how one of the halfkins—another cat—arrived to kick them away.

Those rats never lifted their heads after a single kick.

When that cleared out, Finn went ahead and stabbed the beasts at the heart to see if there were cores. He did get a few, though his delay made the halfkin look annoyed at him.

But what could he do? A single core was worth a lot!

Before they could step forward and grab him though, Leiah jumped down from a nearby tree and blocked their way.

She had been guarded against Katnia. On top of a good memory, she remembered most about the small talk she had while they were having lunch.

"You must be Katnia's brothers," she said, looking at one one with similar features. "And you must be her blood brother."

This made the halfkins flinch, especially those up front, obviously leading the pack.

"We are…acquaintances, and she is indeed safe. She told us about how you two would often pull a few friends and throw them in the river to play." "As revenge because they did the same to you."

This story was something Katnia would never tell to their captors. Rather, it was a fond memory she'd tell to people she actually liked.

At this, the remaining doubts and annoyances among the halfkin completely dissipated.

When Leiah saw that the halfkin's guard had completely lowered down, she immediately headed to Nona and Macrus, whom she helped drink a healing potion they bought back in town.

Nona looked at her, smiling weakly due to injuries. "Who'd have thought romantic rivalry could save our lives?"

Leiah flushed and let her go, making her bump back to the soil.

"HEY!"

...

The party arrived half an hour later in an extremely poor state that alarmed everyone who was left behind.

Tumble, who was tending to the front garden, gasped and immediately ran to them. "W-What happened!? Big bad mob?! Boss and friends are ok? No? Yes?!"

His exclamation alerted the others. Katnia also stood up, worried for Finn, but her eyes widened when she saw other familiar people instead.

"Brothers!!"

They didn't enter the barrier like the others, feeling the difference purely by instinct. Katnia just greeted them wherever they stood. After a long hug with both of them, she jumped off and gracefully skipped next to Finn, happily holding his arms. "He is my mate!"

"What?" the others reacted, though mostly out of curiosity and gossip. Not Leiah, of course. She looked at Finn, who raised both his hands as he escaped Kitna's grasp.

Finn wanted to prove his innocence. "I never touched her that way!" he said. "We did save her, though. Don't wrong me like this!"

The brothers looked guardedly at him. "He saved you?"

"Yes!" the cat bobbed her head. "I would've been damaged by those mercenaries if it weren't for him."

Finn's eyes twitched. She was exaggerating, really. She wasn't weak, just fooled. If he could take a guess, if they really touched her that way, she could've punctured their chests or their crotches instead.

Katnia's brother, Katton, looked deeply at Finn, before nodding. "I can reluctantly agree."

"..."

"YAY!" Katnia cheered, immediately wrapping her arms around Finn, rubbing her bountiful chest on him.

This was a sight that triggered Leiah in particular. "Wait a minute."

She couldn't keep quiet anymore. "A relationship is two-way. Obviously, it is not in your case."

"Well, it can change!"

"I doubt it," the half-elf said. "Stop imposing yourself where you're not needed. You're being burdensome."

Nona was carried by Marcus. She was embarrassed to death by being carried, but seeing Leiah like this amused her.

Regardless of what would come out of this, her feelings for Finn made her… brighter. Nona decided to comfort her well if she got dumped.

The two women continued to argue, and the others were either awkward or amused.

The brothers Hudson and Herbie immediately surrounded Finn, taking a shoulder each. "Damn, if I could get women so easily, I'd have 10 children by now!" Hudson said.

Herbie grinned, teasing. "It must be difficult to be so handsome."

Finn sighed, genuinely feeling wronged. "It is."

So tiring.

"..."

The brothers' eyes twitched as they looked at him, their arms on him unconsciously tightening.

What to do? They wanted to strangle him!

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