The Next Morning
The next morning, Arion woke up feeling exhausted but oddly content that the kids had slept comfortably. "At least they're well-rested—even if I'm the real victim here."
He suddenly remembered the leftover 5 kilograms of Greater Shadow Wolf meat. "Today, we feast on wolf meat!"
Arion pulled the 5 kg chunk of wolf meat from storage. Leora's eyes lit up at the chance to cook something other than soup and potatoes for once.
"Brother… are you sure this meat isn't… a bit strange?" Leora asked as she tried to cut the tough meat with their small kitchen knife.
"Don't worry, Leora. It's meat from a strong beast!" Arion said with fake confidence. "Monster meat is tougher, stronger… more... chewy!"
Leora started cooking while Arion offered his usual bizarre "cooking advice." Soon, the whole house filled with an odd smell. It wasn't exactly appetizing.
When they finally set the meat on the table, Arion tried to bite into a piece—only to find it tough as stone. He could barely chew it.
"Seriously?!" Arion muttered. "Did this wolf snack on rocks before it died or what?"
The kids tried to chew the meat too, but the look on their faces said it all.
"Leora, are you sure you didn't accidentally cook this with a rock?" Arion asked.
Leora laughed shyly. "No, brother, that's all I did."
Arion sighed. "Looks like Greater Shadow Wolf meat isn't meant for direct cooking. It's… stubborn meat! No wonder that clerk was so happy—this meat probably isn't for eating at all. Probably used for something else! That greedy witch!"
Thanks to Leora's basic cooking skills, she added wild herbs and potatoes to the stew, trying to soften the meat. In the end, they managed to eat a small portion mixed in with the soup, but Arion decided he wasn't cooking the rest.
"Stupid meat!" he grumbled. "I'm selling every last bit of it. Whoever buys this crap must be insane! But hey, it sells for a high price—proof that there are plenty of idiots in this world!"
He noted that he still had 4 kilograms of uncooked Greater Shadow Wolf meat left. "This meat isn't for eating. I need to find a way to cash it in."
---
A Rough Day Without Arion
The next morning, after the kids had slept soundly on their new cozy mattresses, Arion woke up. His body still ached slightly from Kalin's nightly kicks, but his mind was wide awake. The leftover tough meat, the money in his pouch, and the nagging suspicion about that Guild deal were all weighing on him.
"Time to gather some firewood," he muttered to himself. "Can't let the kids freeze."
He grabbed his new steel sword from storage and slipped quietly out of the house. His plan was simple: collect fallen branches and dry wood from the nearby forest. It wouldn't take long, but it would keep him out for a few hours.
---
While Arion Was Gone: An Unexpected Trouble
Back at home, Leora and Kalin woke up. After a simple breakfast of leftover bread and potatoes, the kids started playing in the cramped room. Leora was trying to build a blanket fort while Kalin ran around her, making weird noises.
The sun had risen high when Leora suddenly heard loud banging on the door. It wasn't a normal knock—it was closer to kicking. She froze.
"Open up, you filthy rats!" a rough voice shouted from outside.
Leora trembled. She remembered Arion's words about the "evil prince" and bad people. Slowly, she crept to the door and peeked through a small crack to see who it was.
Two guards stood there in rough leather armor, their faces scowling, rusty spears in hand. They looked exactly like the guards Arion had seen when entering the village.
"Where's the master of this house?" one of them barked, his face half-hidden behind a thick beard.
"My brother's not here," Leora whispered, fear creeping into her chest. "He's out gathering firewood."
The guard growled. "Where is that bastard? He's late paying his tax! Tell him if he doesn't pay today, I'll beat him to death! Got that, you little trash? I'll make him wish he was never born!"
Leora's eyes widened. The guard's harsh words and furious glare were terrifying. Tears started to well up.
The other guard peeked inside the house and spotted the piles of potatoes and vegetables Arion had bought. "Oh, what's this? Stockpiled food? That'll do for late tax payment!"
Without warning, the two guards barged into the tiny house. One grabbed the potatoes and vegetables while the other laughed loudly. "Hahaha! This'll make a fine dinner for us!"
The guards stormed out, leaving Leora frozen in place, trembling. She feared her brother would be beaten to death—feared that she and Kalin would be alone again. Her small heart shattered as she sat down, sobbing quietly.
Kalin hadn't been inside when it happened—he'd been playing outside with pebbles. He came back minutes before Arion returned, only to find his sister crying. He rushed to comfort her, but he didn't really understand what had happened.