That leads to me having to call her out to meet them, they have never seen an angel before. Victoria seems curious about the beastmen so I explain to her how I know Grimgar. To my relief, she is polite to them and doesn’t show any sign of being prejudiced.

  Lenora says “So, was she granted to you by these goddesses that you serve?”

  Victoria says “No, I wasn’t. Ash is my only master.”

  Grimgar says “I thought only deities could have angels? Ash, is there something you haven’t told us?!”

  “No. I am not a god. I am not that powerful. I was granted the ability when I reached max level in my class.”

  Lenora says “That is an impressive ability! I have never heard of a class that could grant such a powerful ability.”

  “It wasn’t the normal ability for the class, the goddesses changed it for me.”

  Lenora says “It sounds like your goddesses really like you!”

  “Well, I would hope so! After all, I am their champion!”

  Grimgar says “Fair enough. So, getting back on topic, are you planning on keeping the puppy now that you know how dangerous they are?”

  “Of course I am! Barring any unforeseen factors, he will be one of my children.”

  Grimgar says “I guess the danger doesn’t really apply to you. Are your other children going to be safe around it though?”

  Asuna laughs and says “All of us are beasts that humans would consider extremely dangerous. You don’t need to worry about us. Ash has raised all of us with love and we love him in return. The puppy won’t be any different.”

  Lin says “Asuna is right, the puppy has already bonded with him. I highly doubt that there will be any problems.”

  “Anyway, all that aside, is there anything else you can tell me about rage hounds? Do you know how intelligent they are?”

  Grimgar says “When not in combat they are fairly smart. They will set ambushes and use tactics. That vanishes once the fighting starts though. Other than that, I can tell you they are fairly social amongst themselves, about the level of wolves. That’s all I know.”

  “So, I will have to make sure he learns to control his temper. Of course, he may already be different from absorbing holy power. I will just have to wait and see what happens. While we are speaking of beasts, do you mind if I hunt in your territory? I promised Lizzy some fresh meat.”

  Grimgar says “Sure! Go right ahead!”

  “Thank you. How populous are the beasts?”

  Grimgar says “We do our best to keep the areas around our villages clear. Other than that, they are fairly numerous.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Good. How strong are they?”

  Grimgar says “I doubt there is anything that would give you problems, unless you enter the mountains.”

  “Well, I might do that. If I do, how would I recognize the fruit that grants a class?”

  Grimgar says “They grow on bushes with black leaves. The fruits themselves are about a foot around and are bright red with orange markings.”

  “Oh, that sounds easy enough to spot.”

  Grimgar says “Yeah, they are. Just be careful, powerful beasts also like to eat them and sometimes they guard the bushes.”

  “Even better. I want something strong to fight. Didn’t you mention giants earlier?”

  Grimgar says “Yes, I did. They are rare on the edges of the mountains, but one of the most dangerous things you can run into. They range in height from fifteen to twenty feet and the taller they are the stronger they are.”

  “Do they get more common if you go deeper into the mountains?”

  Lenora says “We don’t know. No one from the clans has ever gone that deep into the mountains and returned.”

  “That makes me even more curious!”

  Lin says “I really wish you hadn’t told him that! Ash, remember why you are here and what responsibilities you have!”

  “Fine! I won’t go exploring right now, but a quick look shouldn’t hurt!”

  Lin says “No! You can look for the fruit, but you should put off any exploring until you have figured out a way to get a second class and can gain experience again.”

  “Ugh, that is logical, but also boring!”

  Lin says “Then be bored! No running off and disappearing!”

  “Alright, fine, but I am still taking Lizzy hunting and looking for that fruit!”

  Lin says “That’s fine, but no entering the mountains.”

  “What if I can’t find the fruit without entering the mountains?”

  In response Lin just growls at me, which makes me laugh, but only then do we realize things have changed. Asuna is still next to me, but all of the rulers as well as Grimgar and Lenora are gone. It seems they all decided to leave to turn in while Lin and I were bickering.

  Unfortunately, that distracts me enough that Lin takes it as her winning the argument. Once she has made that decision, I know that trying to continue the argument is pointless. Not that it was a real argument, more of a flirty prelude to what will happen soon.

  The guards made sure to leave plenty of space for me to set up the cabin near the camp. The beastmen set up a camp of their own a little ways away from the caravan camp. It is probably best to keep the two groups separate for a while to prevent misunderstandings.

  I make sure Asuna and Victoria are settled, but I keep the puppy with me and follow Lin into the bedroom. She gives me just enough time to put the puppy in his nest before she attacks me. She is aggressive and takes complete control for our rounds of fun, not that I mind.

  Lin is a lot more enthusiastic than normal and she keeps going until she passes out. It doesn’t surprise me, she is leaving tomorrow and wants all the affection that she can get. Once she is asleep, I open the two soulscapes as usual and then sneak out of bed.

  When I open the cabin door, I find Lizzy right outside with Leylisha already in the saddle. I climb into the saddle without a word and Lizzy doesn’t even give me time to settle before she takes off. We quickly leave the camps behind and I steer her northeast towards the mountains.

  Other than the general direction, I leave everything else to Lizzy and Leylisha. Lizzy sniffs out prey and then she and Leylisha kill it, I don’t get involved. Once they have killed something, I jump down to collect the essence, but I don’t bother looking for materials.

  Lizzy takes a bite out of everything she kills and if she likes the taste she stores the rest. If she doesn’t, then the corpse is just left there as we move on looking for the next beast. It is a slightly wasteful way to do things, but normal materials don’t really interest me anymore.