Despite Kaiser's tendency to tease Ariella and act mean toward her at times, it was just his peculiar way of expressing affection for the goddess. Deep down, his protective instincts ran strong. Anyone foolish enough to threaten her safety would quickly learn that they’d unleashed his wrath. When it came to Ariella, Kaiser would not hesitate to kill, no matter what or who stood in his way... Not really.

As if sensing his possessiveness, the hound growled louder, baring its teeth in a show of hostility. It seemed displeased that Kaiser was blocking it from getting closer to the lovely goddess. Yet, Kai remained utterly unfazed by the beast's aggression. He had faced far worse threats than an angry dog, even multiple deaths itself; there was no reason to back down to a mere hound.

'Come at me, dog,' he thought with a dangerous glint in his eyes. 'Let's see who ends up running away, bleeding, if you're still alive by then.'

Although, killing a hunter’s hound might earn him yet another punishment from Alfred later. However, if it attacked first, he could easily use the excuse of self defense.

Though, the beast seemed intelligent enough to understand the potential consequences and chances of winning against armed opponent, holding back despite its growling. Its eyes held a mix of rage and calculation, which was unsettling given that it was just a Beast—or was it? Looking at the creature, the sense of amiss touched his heart again.

The tension between them remained thick in the air, broken only when Ariella stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Kai’s in a gentle hug. There wasn’t even a hint of fear in her eyes as she looked at the hound, like she was simply letting it know whose side she was on to end their silent argument.

Kai’s lips curled into a smirk as he cast a glance at the defeated creature. "See that, beast? Did you really think you stood a chance against man?"

The hound's defiant growl died down, its intense eyes now tinged with something like heartbreak. It lowered its head in resignation, the proud look fading from its gaze as it slunk back to its corner. This time, it didn't sit straight but instead, curled into a ball, almost as if trying to console itself from the cold, biting feeling of rejection.

Seeing the pitiful display, Ariella can't help but shoot a disapproving look at Kai, her expression saying more than words ever could.

"What?" he asked, feigning ignorance, though he knew full well what she meant.

She glared at him some more, her silent reprimand bore into him, like she was waiting for him to admit his mistake. Reluctantly, he scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, my bad," he mumbled. "It's just that I don’t like the dog refusing to be patted by me while trying to lick you. I’m... not okay with that," he confessed, feeling a bit guilty for crushing the poor hound’s heart more than it deserves. And using Ariella in his mischief.

Ariella's disapproval melted into a soft smile, clearly pleased by his honesty and acknowledgment of his own mistake, which would hopefully change him for the better. Her delight at his admission made Kai frown slightly in confusion, feeling something wrong in the situation.

Wasn’t he supposed to be her guardian? The one teaching her the good ways of humanity and appreciating mortal values? To raise her to become a good goddess?

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How did it turn into her guiding him on how to be a better person?

Kai slapped his face with a palm, groaning inwardly. 'Good job, idiot. The gods really did pick the wrong guy for this job. Damned them!... On second thought, I take that back, so please, don’t take Ariella away from me.'

With that silent plea to the higher powers, his mood suddenly shifted upon remembering their deeds to Ariella.

They abandoned the goddess in his care after giving her the blame, which isn't completely true, but likely to be one. Making him unknowingly lose care of the task they made him handle. His not even sure if they're paying attention to his performance, giving him the option of running away with his immortality and dropping his responsibility.

However, despite that. Kai doesn't feel like choosing his own selfish freedom.

'Nah, I like being with them.'

Smiling, he ended the insignificant matter there.

With nothing else to do while they waited, Kai found himself locked in an unintentional staring contest with the hound. The beast had eventually resumed its rigid, upright posture as it sat straight, its intense gaze fixated on Kai with an unreadable expression, it's eyes holding unknown intent. Despite the challenge, Kai refused to back down. He stared right back, determined not to blink, treating it like those staring games he used to play back in his university days.

But as the seconds passed, he soon realized something frustrating—the hound didn’t seem to be required to blink at all!

'Cheating fox,' Kai thought, gritting his teeth as he was forced to blink, losing the silent battle of wills. Followed by a vague glimpse of the Hound smirking.

'Did that dog just smirk at me?' He blinked again, frowning in confusion. Was he imagining things, or was this beast actually mocking him?

That couldn’t be right.

Shaking his head to clear the absurd thoughts, he let his eyes wander back to the hound. This time, though, he knew the game was lost, so he shifted his focus to a closer inspection of the creature rather than playing.

Kaiser narrowed his eyes, noticing something.

His attention was caught by a collar hanging around its neck—a simple leather band with a small, wooden plate attached.

Curiosity piqued, he leaned closer to read the engraving on the plate. The text was rough but legible: "Ba, ra's... Property." He read.

'Bara's property? Seriously?' Kai mused, raising an eyebrow. 'Who on earth names their dog something like that?'

As the name "Bara" echoed in his mind, though, his thoughts drifted. Feeling like he heard that name before, but when exactly?

Digging deeper through his memories. The name felt oddly familiar, like a piece of a puzzle he couldn't quite place. Then it hit him—Bara was the name of the hunter who had died not long ago during a Patrol after a villager's disappearance. That meant this hound once belonged to Bara, which was presumably passed down to Brick care after its former owner's death.

Knowing that, his view on the Hound changed from dislike to pity.

'Poor thing, your former owner didn’t bother to give you a real name, and now you're stuck with that dumbass. Talk about a rough life. Better luck next time, I guess.'

His thoughts briefly turned to the upcoming patrol, and an idea sparked in his mind. If another hunter were to meet an untimely end—perhaps even Brick, not like his hoping for the arrogant bastard to die or anything—maybe he would get a chance to inherit a hound of his own. Now that would be pretty cool, having a loyal beast at his side. But he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing it was unlikely to happen anytime soon. Earning a hound wasn’t something that happened overnight; it required time and dedication. Probably taking months or years in service as a hunter.

Kaiser's attention snapped back to Ariella, who was now inching closer to the hound, though she kept a respectful distance. The creature's gaze softened when it looked at her, but it remained still, evidently remembering the earlier lesson about getting too close. Furthermore, it is evident that the young man is prepared to charge anytime, if it got too close again.

Ariella gave the hound a gentle smile and, in a gesture of peace, rolled one of her blue fruits toward it. The fruit stopped right at the creature’s paws. It was one of the fruits she had received from Ethan when they left the inn. Kai couldn't help but feel a little envious. After all, the kid had given fruits to Cia and Ariella but had ignored him completely. And now the dog was getting one too?

Where's the justice in that? Even though Ariella is simply giving it as an apology to his earlier rudeness. Kai felt dejected.

As if sensing his jealousy, the hound turned its gaze to Kai, then promptly lowered its head to gulp down the fruit in one swift motion, almost as if to taunt him. It even lick it's lips, implying the deliciousness of the fruit given by a goddess.

Ariella chuckled, sparking an urge within him to murder that damned Hound.

Kai clicked his tongue, glaring at the smug creature.

At that moment, the blacksmith finally returned, wiping the sweat from his brow and carrying a fresh pair of vambraces. He placed it on the table with a clamor of steel.

"Took a while, it's really messy in there and thanks to you, I have to repack it all up again. So make sure to not order again, cause I won't be digging in my packed luggage again."

Kaiser was just about to nod when the blacksmith interrupted. His eyes fixed on Kaiser's hand, holding a white object.

"Oh-boy, oh-boy... Do you have any idea what that is?"