Chapter 37: The insane proposal.

The silence following the unexpected proposal lingered for a few seconds, allowing everyone to process what they had just heard.

Finally, Zyra broke it. "Marry you?!" She squawked, staring at Hunter as if he had just suggested they both sit on the eagle and fly into the sun directly. "That is insane! Are you kidding me right now?" If he was truly the legendary fighter everyone feared, maybe he had taken one too many blows to the head. "I think you might be crazier than me."

Hunter neither flinched, nor denied the accusation. It was crazy indeed, but he had goals to accomplish and she was the key. A slow, knowing smile spread across his handsome face. He looked like a wolf that was getting ready to pounce.

"Insane?" Hunter repeated smoothly, leaning closer. "Now, why would a poor regular girl say that? I am quite the catch, I believe. It would only be insane if you were a precious, sacred Soul maiden, born to continue the task of keeping humanity safe from Somnivores." He finished his words with a devilish, mocking smile. "You are not one, are you?"

Zyra’s heart did a nervous little flip. She quickly reached up and pulled the upper half of her scarf lower, trying desperately to cover the red mark between her brows. It was hidden by her hair and part of a scarf, but under his sharp eyes, she felt undressed on the forehead. "Don’t be ridiculous!" she snapped, blinking rapidly. "What kind of Soul maiden would come to a place like this? Aren’t ordinary girls allowed to reject you? Hmph! you are not as hot as you think you are."

He chuckled.

Achilles rubbed his temples. Hunter was chuckling!! It was official, the world had turned upside down.

Suddenly, Zyra’s head gave a painful throb, twisting around as if she were coming down with a massive migraine. "Listen to me, you crazy man," Zyra toughened her voice, trying to regain her footing. "What I want is a bodyguard and trainer, not a husband! I will feed you, clothe you, and give you a good life. I heard whispers that your boss takes every single stone you earn from the fights. You’re broke! Listen, if you work for me, you will be rolling around in money. I will make you the richest man in the world. You will be earning one hundred stones per hour."

Hunter raised his brow. He earned more than that per second across many business ventures. "Sounds tempting. Are those low grade, mid-grade or high-grade stones?"

Achilles, who had been standing there completely ignored, finally snapped. He waved his hands between them, interrupting their furious back-and-forth. "Wait, wait, wait! What the hell is going on here?! We are not negotiating Hunt. Nobody is buying you and nobody is getting married."

Hunter didn’t even look at his cousin. He kept his eyes locked on Zyra. "I am getting married. Achilles, go call the magistrate."

"NO!" Zyra and Achilles shouted at the exact same time. They stared at Hunter as if he had completely lost his sanity and grown a second head.

"Think about it," Hunter told Zyra, completely ignoring their protests. "There is a specific clause in my fighting contract. The moment I get married, I am legally set free from my agent, and I can retire. It’s the perfect loophole. It’s the only way I am following you out of this place."

Achilles scoffed.... loudly. He nearly choked on his own spit. Clause? What clause?! There was no contract, no agent, and absolutely no clause! Hunter was lying through his teeth just to trick this poor girl into marrying him. What the hell did he want from her?

"Hey! You literally said thirty minutes ago that you didn’t want to get married!" Achilles reminded him sharply, crossing his arms.

"I changed my mind," Hunter said without blinking. "I think this stranger and I are the perfect match."

"Think about the consequences, Hunter." Achilles hissed, his voice dropping into a tense whisper. "What would people think? You know exactly which people I am talking about."

"I don’t give a damn, my life, my choice." Hunter replied coldly. He smiled at Zyra, "I can rip high level monsters apart with my hands. Are you sure that you are not in need of my services? My voluntarily offered services?"

Achilles blinked. "She doesn’t need them."

"I beg to disagree." Hunter replied confidently. She was on the run, obviously. She had no real-world experience. At the moment, she was like a tiger cub in need of protection and help. Only then would it grow to become a tiger king, dominating a mountain.

While the two men bickered, Zyra was tapping her foot on the floor, her boots clicking against the wood. She was desperate, yes, but marrying a total stranger? Even if he was breathtakingly handsome and good fighter, it felt like jumping out of a frying pan and straight into a fire.

To make matters worse, Beauty was still screaming inside her head like an annoying alarm clock. [Host! Bond with the human beast! Do it now! You could use him!]

"Why won’t you give me any more information on him?! " Zyra yelled back in her mind. "Why does your database only say he identifies as a beast? Humans don’t marry beasts."

But Beauty had no answers, [No data on the beast man but....]

"SHUT UP!" Zyra finally screamed out loud in sheer frustration.

The room instantly went dead silent. Hunter and Achilles both stopped talking and stared at her, thinking she was screaming at them.

"Hmmm," Hunter murmured, the smug smile returning to his face. He actually loved seeing the panic and desperation on Zyra’s face. She was like a little bird caught in a net.... she was going to fall into his trap whether she wanted to or not.

Meanwhile, Achilles was staring at Zyra intensely. He kept squinting, wondering who this strange girl was. Hunter had turned down proposals from daughters of great clans and Soul maidens. He was not the kind to marry a stranger for no reason. Unless....And then, like a lightning bolt, it clicked. The hidden face, the commanding arrogance in her voice, her body structure, the giant wanted pictures spreading from town to town.

Achilles let out a sudden, triumphant laugh. It was the laugh of a man who had finally been let in on a massive secret. "Zyra Scorpion," Achilles said loudly with a gasp. "The dead Soul maiden!" He shook his head, "Or not soul maiden."

"Hmm" Hunter smirked, "Figured it out, have you? Took you long enough."

Zyra froze. She turned and looked at him and then Hunter. He had known her identity all along! After a long moment, she let out a heavy, defeated sigh. There was no point in hiding it anymore; her cover was blown.

"Yes," Zyra said, looking directly at Achilles. "I am Zyra. And since you know who I am, you should know exactly why I am in desperate need of a powerful bodyguard. So, sell me the man."

Hunter chuckled, leaning back in a chair. "I am not for sale, but I am up for grabs or keeps."

Zyra’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. "It is not up to you to decide."

"I don’t understand why you are being so hesitant," Hunter said, making a clicking sound with his tongue. "My deal is much softer. You get a bodyguard, and I get my freedom."

Achilles threw his hands in the air, completely washing his hands of the situation. "Zyra, don’t look at me. It’s up to him."

Zyra glared at Hunter whom she had come here to save. The joke was on her! She couldn’t understand his intentions. Why was this man so absolutely hellbent on marrying her? What was he after? Suspicious, she activated her soul sight.