While he was leading her to home, they stopped by the market to buy ingredients for lunch and dinner. While they had chicken, he needed to buy some herbs to season the chicken with.

Konoa followed him and observed him with interest.

“What are we doing here?”

“I need to buy ingredients to cook for master.” He turned the baraka leaf in his hand, deciding that it looked fresh enough to buy. “She has an appetite as big as mine.”

“You can cook?” She sounded surprised. “Not to be rude, but you look like the type of scum you would find in a back alley hitting on vulnerable women.”

“Rude!” Remy turned around, pointing to his chest using his thumb. “You might not know, but I am a Hero. I am one of the fourteen people that has that title in the world, and I am the strongest out of all of them.”

“What rank are you?”

Remy smiled with confidence. “Numbers don’t mean anything.”

“From that response, you’re the fourteenth, aren’t you?”

Even though it was summer, a cold wind passed by them. Remy turned around, bought the herbs he needed and stomped his way towards the house. They did not speak another word until they got home.

#

“Oh, you’re back.” She was leaning against the windowsill and took a deep drag on from her pipe. She puffed out the smoke and got up to greet her daughter with a hug. “Nice to see Konoa.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The daughter closed her eyes and embraced back. “It’s good to see you too mother.”

The first thing Remy did was put the bag down next to the door. Just in case, if his master snapped.

“Hey!” Remy stood there with folded arms, tapping his arm impatiently. “Move! I gotta cook-”

He was grabbed by the shirt, but he was ready for it. He tried to resist, but she kicked his ankles and he lost his balance.

“Don’t!” She said as he went over her shoulder.

“Ruin!” He was flung through the door.

“The moment!” He rolled through the streets barely missing several carriages that passed through. Remy righted himself up after the third tumble and stood up. His master was already standing right in front of him. “It’s been a while since that worked. I guess that means you got weaker. So, I am going to send you to the Blackiron Forest now. You are to kill five bears and bring them back here to make a bear hot pot.”

“You just want to eat bear now.” He muttered as he stood up, patting his pants.

“I did not say that.” She didn’t need to. Drool was dripping from her mouth. “This is training. Go and do it.”

“What about the chicken?” Remy complained. “I bought all the ingredients.”

“Chicken can wait.” She turned away in mock sadness. “I have to sacrifice my desire to eat chicken, just so I can train my pupil. Even though I may not want to eat blackiron bear, you must do it, so you can be strong. Number fourteen.”

His lips were trembling. He felt heated anger rise up his throat as he stood up.

“Numbers don’t mea-”

“It does mean everything.” She gave him a knowing look. “After all, they wouldn’t have given you a rank if it didn’t matter.”

Remy bit his lips and slammed his fist to the ground. “Damn it!”

“Now, go ahead and go then. Bring back five bears.” She shooed him off.

“Wait!” Konoa came down the front steps. “Let me come to. I could use a crystal from a blackiron bear.”

“Oh, that’s right. That would be useful.” His master nodded to her and then looked down at him. “Protect my daughter. She isn’t as strong as you.”

She then went back into the house and closed the door. Remy scratched the back of his head and sighing.

“Alright. Come on. Let’s go to the forest.”