A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night

Chapter 82 82: The Alchemist Request

After a while, Kael walked through the woods, his lord's attire now back in place. His hand moved in a casual wave, and from the shadows, Nyx—his spectral wolf—emerged, padding silently beside him. Its presence wasn't to scare the monsters that could be roaming around, but a part of acting as Lord Moonstone.

Their camp was about twenty kilometers away, nestled in the same mountain range. As he approached, he could already hear Laura's voice, sharp and filled with frustration. She was pacing back and forth, complaining to herself.

The moment she spotted him, she rushed forward, fuming.

"Hubby, where have you been?!" she snapped, hands on her hips. "You said you'd be back in a few minutes, and now it's been over half an hour!"

Kael rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Uh… I just went further away. It felt a bit… embarrassing to go pee, nearby."

Laura narrowed her eyes. Not convinced.

"You disappeared into the woods, alone, for thirty minutes. What if a monster attacked you? What if assassins were waiting? We didn't even bring any knights with us!"

Kael gave a small shrug, gesturing at Nyx. "I had Nyx with me. She would have looked after me. She is a Tier-7 monster you know."

The spectral wolf grunted in response, as if it was complaining that it wasn't a guard. Kael gave a side glare to it and the monster averted its gaze with a low whimper.

Meanwhile, Laura crossed her arms. Still unimpressed.

"Nyx is a lone beast," she retorted. "No matter how strong it was, what could it do if there were multiple enemies? A pack of monsters? A group of assassins? You can't just disappear like that!"

Kael sighed, knowing he can't get out of this argument that easily. Instead of arguing logic with a woman, it is best to admit defeat and stay silent.

Just as Kael was about to give an apology, Brianna, the mercenary team captain, let out a chuckle and crossed her arms.

"Look, I get it, Lord Moonstone," she said, tilting her head. "Being the only guy in a group full of women, you probably wanted some privacy and walked a bit far away from the campsite. That's understandable. But wandering off so far that none of us could sense your presence anymore? That's just reckless and foolish."

She gave him a pointed look.

"You're just a Tier-1, Lord Moonstone. Do you have any idea how many toxic plants grow in these mountains? Even a simple venomous vine could kill you if you weren't careful. The monster could handle monsters but it cannot handle toxic plants and gases."

Before Kael could even open his mouth, Laura whirled around, eyes flashing.

"Butt out, Captain Brianna!" she snapped at the captain, all of a sudden.

Brianna frowned, taken aback, but Laura wasn't done.

"It's not your place to lecture my husband," she said firmly. "Only I get to scold him. Got that?"

Silence fell over the group. Even Brianna, a Tier-7 warrior, seemed momentarily surprised.

Nearby, Penelope, Laura's friend and the client who hired the mercenaries, sighed and gave a quick bow. "I apologize," Penelope said. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

Laura turned to her, voice cool but sharp. "As your friend, I expect you to ensure that none of your hired goons make these kinds of comments in the future."

Brianna said nothing, her frown deepening, but she didn't argue back.

Kael, who still hadn't said a single word, barely had time to react before Laura grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward their tent.

"Come on," she muttered. "Let me check if you were exposed to any toxins."

Kael sighed as he was dragged away.

As Laura disappeared into the tent with Kael, the air remained tense between the remaining group.

Penelope let out a small sigh and turned to Brianna. "I'm sorry for Laura's reaction," she said, offering an apologetic look.

Brianna, arms crossed, merely shrugged.

"None taken," she replied. "She's an imperial princess, after all. It's obvious she wouldn't want 'commoners' like us speaking in such a tone to her husband—the Queen's son-in-law."

Her words were calm, but there was a hint of bitterness beneath them.

She then glanced toward the tent, her voice lowering slightly. "But… she should remember where we are. This isn't the capital. This isn't some noble's estate where her word is absolute. We're in the wilderness. Monsters are everywhere. If something happens, she'll have to depend on our team for protection."

Penelope could only give an awkward smile, not sure how to respond.

She understood both sides, but this situation was a mess.

After spending the night in the mountains, the group descended from the wilderness without encountering any trouble. The journey back was uneventful, and by the time they reached the nearest town, the sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the horizon.

As soon as they entered the inn, Penelope turned to Kael, adjusting her satchel, her expression shifting to one of business rather than casual conversation.

"As you already know, I need your help with two things," she stated firmly.

Kael nodded, remembering the contents of the quest, although it only contained vague information.

Basically, this person named Penelope isn't just some random traveler tagged along with them. She was a re

"This is harder than I thought," Laura commented, scanning the signs outside each shop.

Kael nodded in agreement, already feeling the weight of the task. Most alchemy labs either charged too much or were too close to public areas. He'd have to negotiate hard if they wanted a decent deal.

As they continued their search for an alchemist lab, Laura suddenly stopped in front of a clothing store. Her eyes gleamed as she gazed at the luxurious fabrics displayed behind the glass.

"Let's take a look inside," she said, pulling Kael in without waiting for a response.

Kael sighed but followed along. Shopping wasn't exactly his idea of fun, but he knew better than to argue.

Inside, the store was filled with rolls of exquisite fabric, each shimmering under the warm lantern light. Laura ran her fingers along a deep blue silk embroidered with golden threads, her face lighting up with appreciation.