Netori Harem: New life as a hunter and gatherer

Next morning, both Monica and Laila remained sleeping when Luke woke up.

Looking at their hugging self, all bare and exposed, he smiled.

Laila had her face snuggled in her mother’s breast and Monica had her hand resting on Laila’s waist.

Looking at the two hot brunettes like this made his already morning wood give a strong flinch. However, they were sleeping and he didn’t want to use them like toys...well, at least not his mate.

So he decided to control himself for the time being and get changed.

He had important matters to deal with today.

After getting dressed, Luke stepped out of his room, only for a rich, mouthwatering aroma to immediately greet him.

The smell led him straight toward the kitchen.

There, he found Ginna standing by the stove, quietly cooking something in a pan.

Luke walked up behind her and asked,

"What’s for breakfast?"

Ginna visibly startled at his sudden appearance before letting out a small sigh. Then a gentle smile bloomed across her face.

"I tried pan-frying the meat with herbs instead of boiling it," she said. "I wasn’t sure if you’d like it."

Luke raised his brows slightly in surprise.

"Even if it’s tender meat, this must’ve taken quite a while to prepare." He glanced at the pan. "Are you sure I can eat it?"

Ginna nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Of course. I made portions for Lex and Dalia too, so this one is for the third child of the house." A faint chuckle escaped her. "Oh, and I prepared some for Laila as well."

A warm smile appeared on Luke’s face.

"Thanks, Ginna." His voice softened genuinely. "You really are a kind woman."

Ginna giggled softly at the compliment before serving the meat onto a plate and handing it over to him.

Luke took a bite right there in the kitchen.

The moment the flavor hit him, his eyes lit up.

"Ah... this is delicious."

The outside was perfectly crisp, seasoned just right, while the inside remained tender and juicy.

A flawless balance.

Boiled meat often lost that raw richness in flavor, so this felt refreshingly different.

Ginna wiped her hands on a cloth and smiled.

"I’m glad you liked it."

She then picked up another slice of meat, carefully rubbing herbs and salt across its surface before placing it onto the sizzling pan.

As she spoke, Ginna casually asked,

"I’ll be heading out in a little while. Do you want me to bring anything back?"

Luke blinked, visibly confused.

"Why are you going out?" he asked. "If you need something, you can just tell me. I was going out anyway."

Normally, Monica or Ginna would simply inform him whenever the house needed supplies, so her wording caught him off guard.

Ginna responded with a faint, wry smile.

"I... was actually planning to go hunting."

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing,

"Staying at home for so long has made me feel rusty. Since I have some free time today, I thought I should use it for something productive."

"Oh..."

Luke nodded in understanding before absentmindedly licking his thumb.

Before moving in with them, Ginna had lived alone for quite some time. Naturally, surviving by herself meant hunting, cooking, and managing everything on her own.

In this world, it was uncommon for women to carry axes and hunting knives into the wilderness.

But when circumstances demanded it, people learned to do whatever was necessary to survive.

Luke hummed softly as he finished the last piece of meat before saying,

"I’m actually heading into the forest. Want to come along?"

Ginna blinked in surprise.

"Wouldn’t I just slow you down?" she asked hesitantly. "I usually hunt by setting traps, and that takes a while. You’d probably get bored."

Luke shook his head without hesitation.

"Nah. I might even learn something from you." A faint grin appeared on his face. "And after the recent incident, it’s probably better if I stay nearby."

He leaned back slightly before adding,

"The chief’s gotten ridiculously paranoid lately, you know."

Ginna immediately understood what he meant.

The atmosphere around the village had become incredibly tense after what happened recently.

If she wandered alone through the forest at a time like this, people would inevitably grow suspicious of her.

Ginna flipped the meat over the pan before saying,

"Then... give me some time. I’ll finish cooking and clean the dishes first before accompanying you."

Luke nodded lightly.

"I’ll look forward to it."

With that, he stepped out of the kitchen and made his way toward the main hall.

There, he found a lone figure seated at the table, quietly eating.

Lex.

The man briefly lifted his eyes toward Luke before returning his attention to the food on his plate.

Having nothing else to do for the moment, Luke pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

His thoughts naturally drifted elsewhere.

He was planning to visit Nadia the day after tomorrow.

The previous day had been rather... intense, so he had no intention of seeing her today. Tomorrow, meanwhile, would be entirely devoted to the dungeon.

So yes.

The day after tomorrow sounded perfect.

’And it’s better to let her starve a little...’ he mused inwardly with a faint grin.

"Are you planning to move out?"

The sudden question pulled Luke from his thoughts.

He hummed softly.

"What do you mean?"

Lex casually cut another piece of meat while speaking.

"You’ve got connections now. Enough money too." His tone remained indifferent. "You could easily find a better place to live. Maybe move to a larger village."

Luke let out an amused snicker.

"Do you want me to?"

Lex raised his eyes toward him.

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

Luke leaned back in his chair slightly.

"Well... yeah. Of course."

Lex stopped eating altogether and rested against the back of his chair as well.

For a brief moment, silence lingered between them.

Then, looking directly into Luke’s eyes, he spoke.

"Having you in this house gives me a sense of relief."

Luke’s expression subtly stiffened.

Lex continued quietly,

"After everything that happened recently... I honestly feel like, out of the three men living here, the one most likely to survive until the very end is you."

Luke was completely unprepared for those words.

This was the same man who had spent most of his life mocking him, cursing at him, and treating him like a burden.

Yet right now...

Lex sounded as though he genuinely relied on him.

And that realization unsettled Luke far more than insults ever had.

What exactly had changed?

Was it simply because Luke had awakened magic?

Or had the recent events finally forced Lex to see him differently?

Lex didn’t say anything after that and a confused Luke turned silent, not knowing how he should continue this conversation.

So, has Lex finally admitted the fact that he wasn’t the almight being of this house?

Luke didn’t think about it for long and got up.

He had some preparation to do. And for that, he needed to do some herbs collection.

••••••••

A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter.

Reminding again, 200 PS or 100 GT means an extra Chapter.

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