Monster Girl Menagerie - Celestial Archive-Chapter 56 - 55 - Together

Tania arched a brow, nearly squeezing the warm appendage in her hand, and stared ahead. It wouldn't do to appear anxious or jealous in front of Markus—he had enough problems to deal with already.

The trees they passed were singed at best, flat-out scorched at worst. The further they moved from the center, the less apparent the destruction became. Yet the smell lingered.

The rancid stench of burnt meat and corrupted flora made her scrunch her nose in frustration—though, thankfully, her flames handled the problem with ease. Truly, the Flame of Creation was the purest fire in existence.

Unlike the bewitching half-breed trying to woo her master.

It took all of Tania's willpower not to yank Markus' arm away, freeing him from the clutches of that evil woman. Even now, she could see the Ifrit pressing the side of her bosom against his arm.

Not that she was jealous, mind you. Between the three of them, none could truly boast a bountiful bosom. Yet somehow, the woman's coquettish nature made her seem... aloof.

Tania did not like that.

Ahead, Amara walked with squared shoulders and crossed arms. Though the vampire appeared grumpy—as always—Tania knew the silver-haired woman had even less restraint than she did. If their roles were reversed, Pyra would probably be coughing up dust and grass, half-buried in some sodden mound.

Amara was just that scary.

Though, over time, Tania had come to understand that the vampire would never actually harm her—or any of them, for that matter. Amara loved them too much to truly wish them harm.

Her grumpiness wasn't born of jealousy but envy. Tania couldn't help but find that ironic. Amara might have been the strongest of them in raw power, yet she was also the most socially inept. Or was that just when it came to love?

Whatever the case, it was clear Amara's strained behavior was a choice rather than a consequence of Markus' ignorance. At least, Tania refused to blame Markus.

Sure, he had doubted their affections, but any sane person in his position would have done the same. The way Amara had handled the matter felt too harsh to her. And her continued alienation only seemed to make things worse.

For some reason, Tania felt there was more to the problem than met the eye.

"What are you thinking about?"

The voice was sudden and too close. She nearly jumped, almost tripping over a rock. A warm hand pressed against her back, steadying her before she could fall. Markus stared at her with an amusing smile.

Only then did she realize he had escaped Pyra's interlocked arm. Tania would have felt giddy—if she weren't so close to him.

She could see his warm eyes, the handsome curve of his features, the faint tug of a smile at his lips. The warmth of his breath brushed against her chin, and she couldn't help but lift up slightly, seeking... something.

"Ahem!"

The sharp cough shattered the moment. She pulled away from Markus before she even realized what she was doing. And in that instant, she recognized it—she still held a measure of apprehension toward the vampire.

Markus straightened smoothly, rolling his eyes. Then, with an expression that was both alien and familiar in a way Tania couldn't quite place, he shifted his gaze to Amara.

It was gone before she could analyze it, leaving her wondering if she had imagined it entirely.

"I'm fine now, thanks," Tania said, taking a few steps forward. Markus eyed her for a brief moment before nodding and following along.

"Are you able to summon more?" she asked. Seeing his quizzical expression, she clarified, "Now that you've ascended to C-Rank, you should be able to summon one more, right?"

"Oh, that," Markus exclaimed, his grin widening. "Not just one—two, actually."

"Hmm." Tania raised a brow in surprise, catching the thoughtful expression on Pyra's face. Amara, however, remained as unfazed as ever. Still... two new summons.

Pyra might have joked about this being Markus' harem, but Tania didn't consider it a joke. Amara had already confirmed that all summons would be female and that their relationship with Markus was inevitable. It didn't make her jealous, exactly... but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was losing.

More women meant less time and attention for each of them, which in turn meant fewer intimate moments. Of course, their relationship was only one aspect of their lives—the most important and dominant one, but still just one.

For Amara, it would probably mean bossing others around while she lounged on a throne, sipping her blood beverage. For Pyra, it would translate to potion brewing. But for her...

Tania closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the heat of the forge, the grip of the hammer, the clang of metal.

She didn't remember much of her past before Markus summoned her, but she felt—deep in her soul—that she had once lived as a forge master. It was a warm, nostalgic feeling without any concrete memories, yet it brought her comfort.

Tania longed to hold that hammer again, to feel the waves of heat radiating from a blazing hearth, to smell golden, wrought metal waiting to be molded, shaped, and given purpose.

Perhaps this wouldn't be as bleak as she expected.

"Aren't you one lucky fella?"

An annoying voice interrupted her thoughts, and she shot a glare in Pyra's direction.

"Having beauties of all varieties at your beck and call. Ever wonder you might just die of love overdose?"

Even if things weren't so bad, this woman was sure to make them worse, Tania thought with an inward growl. Then, she caught Amara eyeing the Ifrit with an intense look and suddenly understood the source of her aggression.

She was afraid.

Pyra had been more direct than either of them had dared to be before. And Tania had no doubt the Ifrit would have already jumped Markus' bones—if not for the fact that he was teetering on the edge of disaster. As it was, Pyra might leave both of them in the dust, securing that coveted lap before Tania could even muster a protest.

At least I'm not alone in this, she thought, glancing at Amara.

"Mark," she said, stepping forward and hooking her arm around his. "I wanted to ask you something—if that's alright?"

She blinked up at him for added effect, though she needn't have bothered—Markus simply chuckled and flicked her nose. "Sure. Ask away."

"Well," she drawled, glancing at Pyra, "once all this is over and you're all better... would you give me a tour around the Barony?"

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Pyra's eyes widened. Even Amara looked conflicted.

But Tania kept her gaze on Markus, finding him unusually silent.

Before she could say anything, though, he finally smiled. "Sure. I promise to show you around once we've dealt with this mess."

As they resumed their traipse, Tania shot a smug look at Pyra, causing the Ifrit to raise a brow in surprise and acknowledgment. But a moment later, that surprise morphed into a feral grin, provocation burning in her eyes.

Tania faltered, briefly wondering if she'd just kicked a hornet's nest. Shaking the thought away, she pressed herself closer to Markus, savoring his warmth.

"Hmm?"

As they walked, Tania caught Markus absentmindedly scratching his hands—then his wrists, then his arms.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

Markus glanced at her, then shook his head and gestured vaguely behind him. "Nothing much. I think the smoke made my skin irate..."

Can smoke even do that? she wondered, her expression blank. She knew plenty about the material composition of rocks and minerals, but biology? That was another matter entirely.

"It's possible," Pyra said, drawing her attention. "The flora in this forest is too strange—not to mention the mana itself is poisoned."

"That's probably right," Markus added with a nod. "I've seen hunters with similar symptoms whenever they wandered the End Forest."

They hadn't stopped walking during their conversation, and as they moved, Tania found herself picturing their group as it continued to grow.

New people—strangers at first—who would, in time, become friends. Their friends. A family that would share in both joy and sorrow, growing together.

A wonderful family indeed.

Tania smiled to herself, knowing she would be a part of that family. She might not have a past, but she would carve out a future—one worth remembering.

And they would make it possible.

Together.

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