New World with Four Husbands-Chapter 240: A friend’s concern [2]

"Yeah! That’s right, human! Give Coco a weapon to protect herself from the bad people!" Lala cheered from the back.

But I have the unbreakable hoe with me, Lala! Coco hissed in her mind as she forced a polite smile in her face, clutching the butchering knife tightly and closely to her chest.

She doesn’t want to drop the knife, her feet would be the victim of the sharp edges if she were to drop it accidentally.

".. That’s rather brutal, don’t you think?" Coco laughed, forced and nervous, as she darted her gaze away from the butcher, "I don’t think I’ll be needing such a lethal weapon.. I already have a trusty weapon with me anyway."

"And where is this trusty weapon of yours?" Renaldo asked, shifting his eyes away from Coco’s frame to look around the interior of the butcher shop.

"There’s no trusty weapon except for the butchering knives of my husband, Coco." Jacques said, backing Renaldo’s statement with her own as she stepped closer to Coco, "Why don’t you go and carry that knife with you? I’m sure the village chief will understand."

"Let’s go and let them see that knife, Coco!" Lala exclaimed, agreeing with Jacques’ and Renaldo’s wishes for Coco to carry the knife.

"But seeing this knife is like me threatening the guards sent by the main city’s guard caption, right? I don’t want any conflict to arise between me and them." Coco rebutted Renaldo’s, Jacques’, and Lala’s wishes for her to bring the knife with her.

My fist is enough to kill monsters! I don’t need a knife because it will only make the scene bloody! Coco thought to herself, tightening her grip on the butchering knife’s handle.

"Ohohohoho.." Jacques laughed as she placed a hand on her mouth, "Conflict? Why are you talking about conflict, Coco? Don’t worry about it, okay? Just bring the knife as a safety measure."

"Agree! Agree!" The garden fairy squealed as she flew over to Coco’s shoulder, "Give in to their wishes, Coco! You’ll be fineeeee!"

No.. I have to refuse. Coco mused in her mind as her heart raced inside her chest.

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat slowly and tightened her grip on the weapon to gather enough courage to refuse her friends’ wishes.

Then, she opened her mouth and—

"So.. You brought the knife with you because your friends were worried that you would die somewhere in the forest?" Chief Salamandara asked, raising an eyebrow as she stared at the butchering knife’s sheath hanging in Coco’s hips.

Coco shook her head and groaned. "No, they were worried that one of the guards would do something funny."

Alithe scoffed, an amused laugh escaping his lips as he stood up from the couch. "If they did try something, you can just go and kill them. The main city is slowly getting overpopulated anyway so we have to find a way to lessen them."

"I don’t kill humans." Coco said, a frown settling on her face as she glanced at the dark haired man, "I only hunt and kill monsters."

"I’m just saying." Alithe shot Coco a cocky smirk while he shrugged his shoulders, "If you don’t want to do it yourself, then just tell me and I’ll handle it, okay? Can’t let the good for nothing guards mess with my party members."

"I’m sure that they won’t do anything funny." Coco laughed nervously and turned away from Alithe, "Anyway, I saw the guards lining up outside the village hall."

She was quick to change the topic. "Will the rescue mission start today?"

"Ah, yes." Chief Salamandara hummed out as she stood up from her office chair, "Unfortunately, I can’t come with you and Alithe for this rescue mission, but I can offer assistance giving you information about the monsters you may encounter in the forest."

The village chief took something beneath the wooden desk and let out a disgruntled noise as she straightened her posture.

"I know that you have been catching monsters since you came back with the tiger, but haven’t ventured deeper in the forest." Chief Salamandara said as she walked into the center of the room, her footsteps soft against the carpeted floor.

She knew about that..? But then again, she’s an owl hybrid so she must have seen it from the window. Coco thought, amazed at the ability of the woman before her.

"I was planning to give this map of the entire Jire Forest to you a few days ago, but decided against it because I didn’t know how to approach you.. I have a reason now though." The village chief chuckled.

She reached the coffee table and she knelt down as she began to spread out a map across the surface of the table.

Her movements were methodical and precise, her hands flattening while moving over the surface of the map with practiced ease, the paper crinkling slightly as it unfolded before her.

Once she had the map fully spread out, she stood up and examined it with a smile, her gaze roaming over the inks and lines.

"This map is yours now, Coco." The village chief stated and gestured towards the large paper on the table, "It may not be as good as the butchering knife your friends gave you, but as a friend, I’m also concerned.. So, take that with you."

Coco kneeled down and scanned the map, her eyes widening in surprise as she brushed her fingertips on the surface.

"It looks like we haven’t been that far off from the village whenever we go out." The garden fairy commented, staring down on the map with a large smile as she giggled and pointed at a certain spot, "The waterfall is right over there and it’s not that far!"

"Thank you." Coco said with a smile, a grateful expression on her face as she looked at the village chief, "This means a lot to me."

"Don’t mention it." Chief Salamandara didn’t hesitate to return the warm smile, "I’m just another friend who’s concerned."

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