41 Frain's Big Toy

After the two men finished their conversation, Jack and Lupus prepared to leave the defence tower with Rhok. As Jack followed the young Wildren, David McDonald approached him, extending a hand not to Jack, but to his companion.

"Miss Hoffmann," David began, his voice earnest, "please take care of Jackie. He's an old soul, but he's a good man. A great man." His eyes, brimming with admiration, shifted to Jack before he snuck a charismatic wink.

Jack chuckled, a light-hearted retort on his lips. "Heh, I'm not that old."

Lupus, taken aback for only a moment, broke into a warm smile and firmly shook David's large hand. "I know he is. I'll keep him safe, I promise." Turning back towards the silver Armatus, she added excitedly, "Please come visit Hasenwald, okay?"

"I shall see you again, lady and gentleman!" David announced with an elaborate, almost theatrical bow.

In a far corner, cloaked by the shadows of the grim fortress wall, Aurelia stood alone. She scuffed the tip of her boot against the stone ground, her gaze fixed on the departing pair.

A hot wave of shame washed over her. It had been a sudden, desperate surge of emotion when she thought, when she hoped, Zetius had returned.

That hope had crumbled to dust the moment it turned out to be some handsome, silver-haired stranger.

"Z'Smite me," she cursed under her breath, berating her own foolishness.

"Is something troubling you?"

Aurelia jumped. Friederich had emerged silently from the dark tunnel beside her, his expression a mask of concern. A white towel was slung over his neck, and he dabbed lingering droplets of water from his sharp, elven features.

She whipped her head away, pressing her palms against her flushing cheeks. "Nothing!"

"Suit yourself," Friederich said, his tone flat. He moved to stand beside her, his height casting a long shadow over the princess. For a moment, they both watched quietly as the Armatus became a silver glint in the sky, disappearing over the horizon.

"I… I sensed a large flash of green light," the prime guardian stated, crossing his arms. "What happened down here?"

Aurelia's mood brightened instantly, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. "Oh! Triss and I performed Astral Iasis. We channelled our mana together!"

Friederich's calm expression evaporated, replaced by one of pure shock. His blue eyes widened, glaring down at her. "You did what?!"

***

That night, Jack and Lupus arrived at the Hoffmann estate, the grand white manor looking as though it had been carved from the very rock of the mountainside. Their footsteps echoed in the large accessway as Jack strode forward with Lupus following close behind.

A few metres ahead, two familiar figures stood waiting.

The first, a bunny Wildren with a high silver ponytail, was Lunice, the eldest sister of the Hoffmann family. She wore a long navy cloak that fell to her ankles over dark, high-heeled boots.

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Beside her stood the only lion Wildren, in Hasenwald. Dressed in a bright grey cloak that complemented her proud blonde hair, Frain carried something immense on her back — a three-metre-long instrument wrapped in a leather pelt and secured with black rope.

"Hiya!" Lupus waved enthusiastically.

Frain turned, her expression deadpan, offering no reply.

"Lupy! Mr. Squire! You're home late," Lunice greeted them with a cheerful wave.

Jack moved to Frain's side and lightly tapped her shoulder, causing her to flinch. "What?" she finally grunted, her tone laced with a familiar mix of pettiness and sorrow.

"I'm so sorry," Jack said, his voice softening as he smiled at the lioness. "I didn't know Lupy would dupe you like that."

"I'm sorry too!" Lupus interjected, hopping forward to wrap the girl in a tight hug. It didn't take much for Frain to forgive her friends. A moment later, a contented smile graced her face, and a low, happy rumble started in her chest.

For a good while, the two of them purred in delight, a pure display of affection that brought smiles to Jack and Lunice's lips.

Finally, Lupus pulled back, cupping Frain's shoulders. "Thank you for forgiving me! Next time, we'll definitely bring you along, okay?" she promised, locking eyes with her friend.

"Mm! Mm!" Frain hummed and nodded vigorously before Lupus pulled her into another warm embrace, complete with a barrage of affectionate head pats.

"By the way…" Jack spoke up, glancing from Frain's curious cargo to Lunice. "What is that on her back?"

"Oh, that!" Lunice's eyes lit up, but she waited for Frain to present it herself.

Recognising her cue, Frain slid the object from her shoulders, setting it down with a heavy, metallic clank. "Lunice is a nice big sister," she said, her voice full of pride as she untied the ropes. "She bought this for me."

She pulled away the leather, unveiling a weapon of incredible scale: a massive battle axe. Forged entirely from a single piece of shimmering, silver-hued metal, its design was brutally simplistic yet majestic in its sheer size.

The only ornate feature was a deep blue arcanite harnesser, embedded like a third eye in the axe's head.

"Luckily, we ran into a wandering arcsmith today," Lunice added, resting a hand on Frain's head as if she were her own child. "So I figured, why not?"

"Wow… Is it heavy?" Jack crouched, inspecting the craftsmanship in awe.

"Very," Lunice replied with a cunning smile. "Try it, Mr. Squire."

Jack glanced at Frain for permission. She nodded. Gripping the handle with both hands, he attempted to deadlift the weapon. "Hngh!" He heaved, his muscles straining, but it didn't budge an inch.

"Yaaah!" He tried again, putting his entire body into it. Something snapped, an old joint as he suspected, and a sharp pain shot through his lower back.

"Ah!" Jack yelped, squeezing his eyes shut as he gently rubbed the sore spot.

Lupus and Lunice burst into unrestrained laughter.

Frain, however, simply wrapped one hand around the handle. With an effortless grace that defied logic, she swung the colossal axe over her shoulder, settling into a cool, confident posture.

"I like heavy things," she declared nonchalantly.

With the battle axe in her grasp, Frain appeared transformed, radiating an aura of formidable power. No sane person would dare challenge her now.

That thing must weigh over 500 kilos, Jack's mind reeled in disbelief. How does she swing it like a toy?

Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, Lupus turned to Lunice. "It's an arc battle axe, right? What essence does it have?"

"Atramnéon, the Unyielding Edge!" Lunice replied, clasping her hands with satisfaction. "I handpicked it for her."

"Wow, the perfect essence for Frain's monstrous strength," Lupus mused, kneading her friend's biceps.

To Jack's surprise, they had grown noticeably firmer. He recalled Frain overeating since their arrival in Hasenwald, yet she hadn't gained an ounce of fat.

"I want to train," Frain admitted, a hint of a pout on her lips. "But Lunice said I should rest for the day."

The bunny Wildren returned a soft, empathetic smile.

"Aww, we'll train soon," Lupus promised, before scanning the room and breaking into a wide grin. "But first… let's eat!"

"Yay!" Lunice exclaimed, bouncing on her heels, her ample bust jiggling with the motion.

Jack could only sigh, resigning himself to the lively night that awaited them.

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