Two days passed in a quiet, fulfilling rhythm.
Arthur spent his mornings helping Martha with heavy labor around the estate—reinforcing the perimeter fence with stone, hauling fresh water from the stream, and mending the roof tiles. In the afternoons, he vanished into the safe forest boundary with Robin.
Under the shade of the towering green canopy, Robin took his role as Arthur's guide seriously.
"Always check the wind direction first," Robin whispered, crouching beside a mossy boulder and pointing toward a set of tracks in the damp soil. "If the wind carries your scent, even a low-tier beast like a Horned Hare or a Forest Mole will bolt before you pull your bowstring."
Arthur squatted beside him, his black eyes focused as he studied the shallow imprints. "And if it's a higher-tier monster?"
"Then you don't hunt it at all," Robin said grimly, looking back at Arthur. "My dad always said F-Rank and E-Rank hunters stick to gathering herbs and catching small game. If you see a beast with glowing mana veins, you run for the nearest guild outpost."
Arthur nodded slowly, absorbing every word. "Tell me more about the Guild ranks, Robin."
Robin’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Well, everyone starts at F-Rank! You get a copper guild card. Once you clear enough small contracts, you move to E-Rank and D-Rank, where you start earning real Silver Coins! But the high-tier adventurers—C-Rank and above—get Gold Coins! They take down massive beasts and guard noble caravans."
Robin looked up at Arthur, a bright, hopeful grin spreading across his face. "Arthur... are you really going to stay with us for a while? It's... it's been really nice having you here. Grandma smiles a lot more now, too."
Arthur smiled warmly, placing a firm, reassuring hand on Robin's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere until I know you two are safe and taken care of, Robin. In fact, my plan is to earn enough gold to buy us a massive estate closer to the city—somewhere with high walls, beautiful gardens, and zero monster attacks."
Robin’s jaw dropped in awe. "A real mansion? Really?!"
"Really," Arthur promised quietly, his eyes resolute. "We're a team now."
That evening, the atmosphere inside the cabin was warmer than ever.
Martha had prepared a rich roast stew, and throughout the meal, her gaze lingered on Arthur with a soft, affectionate glow. She noticed how gentle he was with Robin, how tirelessly he worked without ever complaining, and how his lean, muscular frame seemed to fill the home with a sense of security it had missed for years.
After dinner, Robin quickly fell asleep in his bed, exhausted from their afternoon trek.
Arthur lay down on his wool blanket near the fireplace, listening to the crackle of dying embers. The house fell into a tranquil silence, broken only by the gentle rustle of the night wind against the timber walls.
Around midnight, Arthur woke up feeling a sudden dryness in his throat. Parched, he quietly pushed his blanket aside and stood up, careful not to make a sound on the wooden floorboards.
He walked over to the kitchen area to draw a cup of cold water from the clay pitcher. As he took a slow sip, a faint, muffled sound echoed from the upper floor.
Arthur paused, tilting his head.
It was a soft, rhythmic gasp—tender, breathless, and heavy with restrained passion.
Thinking Martha might be having a nightmare or feeling ill, Arthur stepped quietly up the wooden staircase, his black eyes searching the dark hallway. The sound grew clearer as he approached the door at the far end, which was left slightly ajar. A thin strip of warm candlelight spilled out onto the floorboards.
Arthur stepped closer to knock, but through the small gap in the door, his eyes froze.
Inside the softly lit room, Martha lay back against a heap of feather pillows. Her long, silky white hair was spread wildly across the sheets. Her dress was pulled up past her voluptuous thighs, and her soft linen bodice was loosened, exposing her heavy, breathtaking curves to the warm air.
Her head was tilted back, her eyes half-closed in pleasure as her delicate fingers moved rhythmically to her pussy. Soft, trembling moans escaped her lips as her chest heaved with every shuddering breath.
Arthur stood frozen in the shadowed doorway, his heart pounding violently against his ribs as an electric heat surged through his veins.