Early the next morning, Freyen set off, bringing with him the white snake that had survived the danger to its life. After yesterday's treatment, the white snake no longer resisted Freyen as much. This eased his mind, as he no longer had to grip the snake's jaws and shake it back and forth.
Freyen planned to first visit the Hunter Association's task selection window to look for a low-level mission. However, he unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.
"Charles, what are you doing here?"
Freyen, seeing Charles just coming out from the dungeon window, was a bit surprised, and Charles appeared similarly taken aback.
"Ah, I just wanted to check on the vampire from last night, but it looks like things didn't go well," Charles said, trying to appear casual. However, his golden eyes betrayed him, unable to meet Freyen's gaze and even avoiding it slightly.
Freyen pursed his lips, said nothing, and simply nodded before selecting a low-level task and leaving.
Noticing the coldness from his partner, Charles wasn't sure what to say, only watching Freyen walk further away, his eyes hiding an unnoticeable emotion.
Low-level tasks were usually simple. The task Freyen took on was to gather some herbs and animal body parts needed for making magic potions. The task requester was likely a magician.
Freyen was very familiar with the terrain of North Mountain Town, as he had completed several contracted tasks near the Dark Forest. It didn't take long for him to find Cynthia's residence, recalling the area from memory. The white snake in his storage bag seemed to react, as if it sensed something, moving slightly.
Freyen stood before a simple wooden door, but the lock was made of steel, intricate and hard to break. He stood there for a while, but the white snake in the bag seemed impatient, and it poked its head out. After yesterday's treatment, it no longer rejected Freyen.
Freyen raised his hand to knock, but hesitated for a moment and chose to knock softly. It seemed the sound was too faint, as no one came to open the door. He knocked twice more but still got no response. Was Cynthia not home? Where could she have gone so early?
"Stop knocking, you'll break the door, and no one will open it for you," came Cynthia's clear voice from behind him. Freyen turned around and saw the woman in a red dress, the form-fitting gown accentuating her curves. Cynthia seemed to particularly favor long dresses.
"If you want the little rabbit to open the door, you'll have to ask it," Cynthia smiled playfully, revealing her little tiger teeth.
"Freyen," Freyen's deep voice uttered her name.
Cynthia, holding a jar of milk, walked over and unlocked the door with her key.
"I told you, we're not that familiar. Don't call me by my nickname. My name is Little Rabbit," she said as she opened the door, preparing to enter.
She froze, sniffed the air, and after a couple of sniffs, she looked up at Freyen with excitement in her eyes.
"Wait, you found Little White, and you also found... found Anriye?"
Seeing that Cynthia had already figured it out, Freyen didn't bother hiding anymore.
"Yes, in the dungeon."
Cynthia's eyes sparkled with joy, her nose nearly touching Freyen's neck, but Freyen immediately sidestepped to avoid her.
"Yes, it's Anriye. And Little White, you must have sensed it too, right?"
The white snake hissed in response, flicking its crimson tongue.
"Finally, finally, there's news!" Cynthia exclaimed, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement.
Freyen, somewhat puzzled, didn't understand why she was so happy. After all, this was only a piece of news, and behind this news...
Before Freyen could finish his thoughts, the red-haired woman excitedly hugged him. The red dress outlined her tempting curves, and the sweet fragrance from her body enveloped him.
For a brief moment, Freyen felt like he was back in the morning after Cynthia had saved him, the scent from the pillow seemingly filling his nostrils again.
In that brief daze, Freyen forgot to push Cynthia away. It wasn't until she ended the brief hug that he came back to his senses.
Her soft, sweet body left his, and Freyen couldn't quite describe what he felt. But it wasn't unpleasant.
Cynthia invited him inside and poured a glass of milk for him, also filling a bowl for Little White.
"Tell me, how is Anriye doing?" she asked, and hearing her name, Little White raised its head to look at Freyen.
"I saw her in the dungeon research facility... She was locked in a room, being kept for display."
Freyen still didn't tell the full truth. He couldn't bear to shatter the hopeful look in Cynthia's eyes.
As he expected, Cynthia sighed in relief. At least Anriye was still safe for now, and Cynthia now knew where she was being kept.
"Little White, did you hear that? Anriye isn't in any danger, so you don't need to always think about going on an adventure. If Freyen hadn't saved you, you'd probably be in a stew by now."
Cynthia looked seriously at the white snake, and the way she looked made her seem adorably cute, which unexpectedly tugged at Freyen's heartstrings.
He recalled the earlier hug, and the soft feeling hadn't quite faded yet.
"By the way, as thanks, I've prepared some things for you," Cynthia said, running to a cupboard to grab a bag. From the sound of it, it seemed like bottles and jars inside.
"These are things I don't really need. I hope they'll be useful to you."
Cynthia smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling with a sense of accomplishment as she glanced at Freyen.
Freyen pretended not to notice, and opened the bag, finding it full of materials for making magic potions. This was perfect for the low-level task he had taken today, saving him the trouble of looking for ingredients, and his sister's supplies were running low.
"You've helped Little White a lot. Since I don't need these, I'll give them to you!"
Cynthia tried to act casual, but Freyen knew these materials weren't cheap.
"Thank you," Freyen said coldly.
"Mr. Hu, why so formal? Little Rabbit is shy!" Cynthia exaggerated, covering her face with a hand.
Freyen didn't think Cynthia was overly dramatic. Was he losing his mind? Since when had he gotten used to being called Mr. Hu? It was almost starting to feel like a habit.
Realizing something was off, Freyen thanked her again and left with the things.
Standing at the door, Cynthia waved enthusiastically, calling out a friendly goodbye.
"Dear Mr. Hu, make sure to visit me next time!"
It was the same familiar scene, but this time, Freyen didn't rush to leave. Instead, he looked back at the little red-haired woman. The early spring snow seemed to melt away under her radiant smile.