The Primal Hunter

Jake was no expert in friendships. He would never claim to be. But what he did know was that the scalekin called Nella was definitely not a friend of Meira. Now, while Jake did want to just barge in and raise hell, he chose to listen to Izil and acted with thought. At the very least, he should give them a chance to explain themselves.

The door was already ajar, and they soon detected Jake as he got closer. It was almost comical how the facial expression of the scalekin changed when she detected Jake and Izil coming. Rather than a sneer, she turned to a neutral smile, trying to look like less of a bitch.

“My Lord,” Meira greeted her once he entered. He had seen her running back and forth collecting books, and yet she didn’t carry even a hint of discontentment.

“Ah, good to meet you-“

“Shut the fuck up,” Jake said to Nella the moment she started speaking. His aura flared for a moment with killing intent as Izil took a step back along with Nella. The only one of the newcomers who stayed unaffected was the half-ogre, and the reason for that was simple enough.

[Scalekin – lvl 152]

[Half-ogre – lvl 190]

Utmal, as she was called, was far stronger than any of the others, and Izil’s assertion she was more of a bodyguard than anything else was very likely accurate.

Nella still stood frozen as Jake spoke and Meira looked extremely surprised, if not downright horrified.

“Meira, have you ever had any friends before?” Jake asked her.

The poor elf now looked even more confused as she stuttered. “I… I don’t think so?”

“Then let’s have a brief lesson on what friendship is,” Jake said as he turned to the scalekin. “Tell me, do you consider Meira here a friend?”

Nella, surprisingly enough, didn’t raise a ruckus but merely responded honestly. “What a nonsensical question. Of course I don’t. Now, if you weren’t so rude despite it being our first meeting, I would maybe consider offering you the honor of my frie-“

“You can shut up again,” Jake cut her off once more, getting a very angry glare from the half-ogre, which he completely ignored.

Meira looked entirely taken by surprise after Nella answered. Jake nearly felt like she was about to cry, but instead, she just nodded with realization and bowed. “I apologize if I misunderstood, and-“

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jake also cut Meira off.

Izil finally decided to also get involved after the initial shock of the situation. “Nella, at least admit you did purposefully make her believe you were friends, even explicitly stating it to make her give you things.”

“You just have to get involved?” Nella scoffed. “And yeah, I did. What of it? This is the Order of the Malefic Viper, if you haven’t noticed. Are you seriously trying to act like lying for personal benefits is some kind of heretical sin or something? You people are beyond me; it is her fault for being a gullible idiot, not mine.”

She then turned to Jake and smiled. “Don’t blame me for taking advantage of your little pet project. Is it not your fault for being too wasteful?”

observant of the trash I allow her to drag home,” Jake said

began, and Jake was honestly a bit frustrated as he

Stop thinking you are lesser than them. I am not having you learn and take lessons for fun but for your own sake. It is about time you have some damn self-confidence and take some charge of your own Path,” Jake said in

two are nothing. Trash by the wayside. If you allow trash to treat you as lesser than them, what does that make you? What does that make me who choose to believe in you? What does it make

simply too different from what it had to be to survive. Not just in the Order but in the multiverse. If his gentle approach didn’t work, he would go a bit harder. Even after everything, Meira still viewed herself as lesser than practically everyone else. He hadn’t really

was just disappointing to see

unwelcome visitors clearly weren’t fans of Jake’s

initiate who just entered the Order. Do you think you are suddenly a genius unlike any other just because you managed to get a black token? People like you tend to just squander and have their feeble egos broken as they

already showing your weakness when you bother with a little whore like her. You waste time and resources on useless things. I don’t even get what you are trying here? Sure, yeah, sorry for hurting your fragile ego by messing with what’s yours. I had my fun with your whore while it lasted, and I will of course respect it if you

you-“ Izil began but was cut

are even more tiring than the human,” Nella said with scorn. “I wanted to approach you to do some networking with the Altmar empire, but you are just too damn infuriating to deal with. Always having to be the hero and protecting the little elf but never even daring to really speak up. At least you were smart enough not to make

allowed her to keep talking. The reason was simple enough: he needed Meira to hear. While she had initially seemed like she wanted to explain things away and even excuse Nella, he now saw a far different expression. It was hard to read but definitely a mix of anger

own lack of truly standing up for Meira. Jake chose not to judge this particularly harshly as at least it seemed like she had her heart in the right place. He also wanted to keep making

“The confidence to walk

checked, we were allowed to come here. Are you so daft to not even know the

telepathy. “Be careful. Any violence, especially killing, goes against the rules, and even if

Meira. He saw her still looking utterly lost with tears in her eyes as he spoke. “Meira. These two aren’t your friends. They never were. Don’t consider this a tragedy but merely a teaching moment. Believe it or not, in spite of our unconventional relationship due to the contract, I consider you a friend, which is also why I want to give you

about. “Izil and I spoke just before coming here. She offered to buy your freedom and make you a part of

relieved at the subject change, and surprisingly, Nella

official decree to free any elven slaves, and the second I found out you were one,

added. “That is the price for her freedom - for the complete annulment of the contract. We can discuss the details, sure, but I do not

but not as much as Meira. She stared between Jake and Izil before asking Jake. “You want me to

become a member of the Order and then annul the contract. I want you to be free and make your

Thayne” and not any of her usual go-to’s. Her decision was also not what he had expected,

help you and make sure you can go to the Altmar Empire safely. You will be able to finally be your own person. Meira, you

stay,” she said decisively again before finally

turned to Jake. “Damn, you must be

a man,” Meira said,

your dear master some limp-dicked loser who can’t even get it up? Or does he swing the other way and bought the wrong product when he went slave shopping? This must be one of the funniest days in

you suck!” Meira practically

being freed and becoming a member of the Order is non-negotiable unless you can find another way to safely be freed. We can talk about all that another day, though, as we have some trash to take

the one they

think you can even do anything? Want to call your backer or what? While I don’t want to talk badly about my seniors, I am beginning to question what error in judgment one must have made to pick you. I also find it laughable how you think you are some big-shot who is in charge here. If you truly try to start shit, it won’t just be your ass, but your backer’s on the line, as I am certain my ancestors will

stared at Nella and Utmal as the scalekin spoke. Utmal just smiled at Nella’s side, making it clear she also found this entire situation funny. Jake had the clear read on them that they were truly just taking this as some kind of

of no one talking, Nella finally shrugged and looked at Jake. “I am bored of this. Oh well, fun while it lasted, and I shall consider sending someone to ask for compensation for wasting my time. The level of delusion you people have is astonishing. I hope your backer