"Hey."

Reece, who just came back from meeting Hugh and barely escape, found Azure in one of the trees. He does not have a house, even a room. Thankfully, the tree where he was staying was quite far from any house so no one will surely notice them talking.

Azure, who was looking down at the 2 bird children playing, looks up to Reece as he replied.

"How did it go, Reece?"

'Ugh.'

Reece makes face remembering the Lion Mutant Hugh who he barely escapes from as it keeps on clinging to him like a damn glue.

"It went well, I think?"

Reece sighs and continued.

"Honestly, we hardly had a decent conversation apart from introducing ourselves."

He planned to talk to Hugh seriously and is going to make an offer to be his Spirit Guardian once they escape the tribe so that Reece does not need to hide anymore. Basically, a fairy is something that would disturb the entire forest, unlike a Spirit Guardian where everyone seems to treat normally.

However, Hugh was difficult to talk to because he was too preoccupied with playing with Reece and making threats.

"Haha..."

Azure, who does not know how to respond as he had deceived Reece, simply laughs.

"Anyway, let's not talk about it."

Annoyed by Azure laughing at his sufferings, Reece glares at him but promptly tried to dismiss the topic. Just thinking about Hugh makes his head hurt.

Noticing the fairy making faces several times just by mentioning Hugh, Azure chuckle.

"You must have had it hard."

Reece clicks his tongue as he sat down on one of the tree branches near enough for Azure to hear him talk in his low voice.

The bluebird must have already been aware that Hugh actually has an obsession with cute things and not a simple 'soft side' they all claim he possesses.

"Well, there is a certain someone who did not warn me."

Although he meant Daniel, Azure did not know that so he responded with a guilty expression.

"I am sorry about that."

"Hmm? You don't need to apologize though? It is not you."

It is not him who Reece was mad at anyways. His esteemed informational source, Daniel, was becoming useless again so he did not want to blame the bluebird.

"It is not me?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

Azure smiled and thought Reece was a fairy with a good heart because he was making excuses and admit he got mad at him for lying.

But Reece is yet to finish his complaint in his mind.

'That boy is a disaster. If I could, I don't want to be near him again.'

If he could but could not because of his job.

"Hugh's obsession with cutesy kinds of stuff arose when his father who once visited him in the tribe gifted him a ring. Though it was not cute, it was cute in size."

Before Reece could complain and grumble more in his head, Azure began to share concerning Hugh's obsession and how it triggered.

"Hugh knew it was full of his father's affection for him, that is why he treasured it dearly but it was taken by his grandparents after his father left."

As Azure began to tell Hugh's story, Reece has no choice but to listen. He did not ask Daniel about Hugh's background anyway so it is fine to listen.

"He begs them to return it but his grandparents sold it instead. Hugh was 5 at that time and I am sure it is where his obsession, as well as his twisted personality, began."

"Hmm. In the first place, why did he not come with his father and choose to suffer?"

Azure showed a bitter smile as he explains Hugh's situation.

"He loves his mother dearly and recognized her sacrifices just to bring him to the world. This is why he doesn't want to leave the tribe where his mother grew up and gave birth to him. Plus, he was still a child at the time and believe his grandparents will one day show affection to him which never happen."

"That's..."

Reece recalled his mother who had a hard time carrying him.

His mother's pregnancy was sensitive and she almost falls into depression when his twin brother disappeared in her stomach a week after finding out she will be having a twin. That is why Reece loves his mother dearly because of how much she suffered by carrying him in her stomach.

Besides, if he were to choose between his parents, even if his mother has died giving birth, of course, it is still his mother. Reece wants to stay where his mother has grown up and carried him so he will feel more connected to her. Hence he understands Hugh's feelings.

"I understand now."

Azure looks at Reece, who has a strange expression on his face and smiles brighter.

"Yeah..."

Though Azure's story is quite different, he still can relate to Hugh. Because they are both mutants, the 'cursed children.'

"Do his father never visits anymore? Does he not care for his son's wellbeing?"

It is a father's job to look after his son since the mother has already passed away.

"He does. However, traveling here alone from the lion tribe takes years of difficulty."

Daniel followed Azure's explanation.

[Hugh Ibrahim's father lives in the far south, which takes approximately 2 years to reach from here. Furthermore, even if he was a dominant lion, traveling alone or even with some companions is extremely challenging especially if he enters this forest which is a total suicide for outsiders who are not yet familiar with the forest.]

Reece nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Indeed, Daniel was accurate.

Even if the lions are one of the strongest species, it doesn't mean they could fight alone notably in other animal territories. They will only end up being the prey.

'Hmm. But they've been here once?'

[Yes. However, he has 5 lions, 5 tigers, and 20 other specialists from the feline tribe accompanying him at that time. Furthermore, as it is a mission, he could bring others freely but if it is only to visit his child, it will be harder to bring others with him. He will likely end up with only 3 to 4 companions.]

'Seem sensible.'

Most animals do not want to risk their lives just so one lion could visit his child from another species.

However, the 2 years of travel captured Reece's full attention.

He was already aware that lions of this world were a few times bigger, faster, and with greater abilities and pure strength combined. And even with all that, it still takes years of traveling just to get to the forest. It only signifies that the world he was currently in was truly terrifying and scary.

'But this world is truly gigantic. I am getting worried.'

He was getting worried about his future the more he learns about the world.

Reece sigh as he shrugged his thoughts off. He should not pay attention to anything unrelated to his job yet. He will only end up with a bigger problem.

"I understand."

He finally replied to Azure who in return, gave him a slight nod.

"But I do not understand your deep grudge. Your treatment is still a lot better than Hugh who has to suffer since birth."

Reece looks at Azure who was staring at him and added.

"Perhaps an explanation?"

He was asking for Azure's reasons.

Although Reece was fully aware of Azure's past as he was more intrigued by him than Hugh, the latter will be suspicious of him if Reece will not seek the reason why Azure wanted to annihilate his tribe.

Every being should understand that a simple grudge just because he was humiliated for being stupid despite being part of the bluebird, is not something that would lead to annihilating his tribe.

As a matter of fact, someone with a healthy mind will not request someone they just meet to help them with murder. There is always a reason for an action.

Naturally, Reece has to be curious.

Azure, who was taken aback by the sudden question of his past, paused for a moment. He did not expect that Reece would be curious about a lowlife like him.

"Uh... Well..."

Azure looks away from Reece and clenched his intertwined fingers.

"I first learned that I was a snake mutant when I was just 8."

The bluebird started.

"At that time, I was living with my mother and my father who has a high position within the tribe. But when I turned 8, my mom suddenly told me the truth and desperately ask me to run away before it is too late. However, I did not understand why my father is not my real father and why my mom was calling me a snake mutant."

Lowering his head, Azure laugh before he continued.

"It was funny because I really despise mutants without knowing I was one."

Before Azure could continue to his story, Reece interjected at the moment. He was very curious about something.

"Hold on, do you know why you hate mutants?"

"Yes? Wait, no...? Uh, I don't know the answer but I am sure I hated them."

Azure responded as if he really did not know why he hates mutants too. Additionally, his expression was complicated. He doesn't seem to be lying.

'Is he lying again?'

[Negative.]

'Hmm... This is very suspicious.'

[Do you want my help—]

"Please continue with your story."

Reece quickly cut off Daniel as he knows what he would say.

'This is bad. My curiosity is getting stronger.'