CHAPTER 300: GUILD MASTER

"Come on, Coco." Sinclair called, his fingers wrapping around Coco’s wrist.

"This place looks amazing." Coco mumbled, clearly in awe.

Coco and Sinclair had made their way into the hunter guild, the heavy wooden door creaking shut as Sinclair let it creak on its hinges.

Upon entering the building, they were met and greeted with several activities, the guild hall busy with hunters and other guild members going about their business.

As they navigated the crowded hall, Coco’s eyes flickered with curiosity, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds.

The interior of the hunter guild was a sprawling network of rooms and halls, each section dedicated to a different aspect of the guild; a couple of hunters went in and out of the rooms while engaged in a hushed conversation.

The main hall, where Coco and Sinclair currently stood, was filled with hunters— all kinds were present, some returning from missions, others preparing to embark on a new quest.

The air was filled with the sound of voices, the racket of conversations creating a commotion that bounced off the walls as hunters chatted amongst themselves, sharing stories of their recent exploits or strategizing for their upcoming hunt.

Some groups of hunters milled about, engaged in conversations with the person standing behind the front desk or practicing with their weapons.

Coco’s eyes flickered to the side, her gaze catching the sight of the walls of the hall where it was adorned with trophies, the gleaming gold and silver of the various token of achievements glinting in the soft light.

The air was thick with the scent of sweat and steel, the smell mixing together in a distinct scent that was only known to a hunter’s guild.

"We can look around later." Sinclair said to Coco, dragging her across the main hall down to the hall.

He led Coco towards a door located at the end of the main hall, his stride confident and brisk, with Coco trotting behind him and being much shorter than him, her legs shorter and having no choice, but to hurry to keep up with his pace.

They passed a few groups of hunters loitering by the door, each of them eyeing Coco and Sinclair warily as they neared.

When they reached the door, Sinclair quickly opened it and ushered Coco inside before following in himself.

"Sinclair!" Coco yelped and stumbled as she was forced to enter the room, her lack of familiarity with the new surroundings causing her to lose her balance.

Before she could fall though, Sinclair quickly caught her, his arms encircling her waist and steadying her.

The hybrid held her firmly in his arms, his grip strong and tight, and Coco let out a quiet gasp, her eyes widening at her almost falling face first on the floor.

"Sorry." Sinclair apologized halfheartedly, "They were a couple of hunters tailing us so I had to make a run for it."

"Tailing us? What—" Coco echoed, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Ahem." A sharp sound of someone’s throat caused Coco and Sinclair to look up, successfully cutting through their hushed conversation.

There he was, standing at the back of the room was Alithe, his eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed over his chest in a disapproving manner.

His eyes were fixed on the master and her familiar, his expression stern, but slightly unreadable, the sound of his discontentment cut through the air, capturing their attention immediately.

The sight of the displeased Alithe made her heart skip a beat, her hands instinctively clutching at Sinclair’s arm as she took in the hybrid’s stern expression.

As for Sinclair, he merely raised an eyebrow, his expression remaining undisturbed, albeit with a hint of annoyance.

"Hello..?" Coco said, breaking the silence.

However, instead of answering, Alithe let out a huff of frustration and immediately snatched Sinclair away from Coco.

"You two had been so close to each other ever since my dearest decided to follow you." Alithe grumbled through gritted teeth, his expression was stern and unforgiving, a mixture of annoyance and jealousy etched on his features.

He pulled Sinclair close, his grasp tight and possessive, as if to claim him as his own.

The sight of his husband holding another woman— who was obviously stronger than me— was clearly upsetting to him, and his emotions were evident in his rigid stance.

So, to assure his husband, Sinclair turned around and pressed his lips against Alithe’s.

The blatant public display of affection made Coco visibly cringe and reel her body away from the married couple, her attention snapping away and landing on the man who was sitting stiffly behind a mahogany desk.

He had green hair, its vibrant color matching the intensity of his green eyes.

He sat there, observing the situation with a calm and calculating gaze, his expression was passive, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes as he observed the unfolding scene.

His eyes were on Sinclair and Alithe for a moment, then it landed on Coco.

"Hello?" Coco greeted the man, laughing awkwardly.

She was trying to break the tension in the room, but her laugh trailed off as the man only raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze fixed on her face.

There was a sense of authority about him, a quiet intensity that silenced her abruptly.

"Oh.. Sorry." She apologized and felt a small shiver run down her spine, her heart skipping a beat at the intimidating presence of the man.

Thankfully, Sinclair had pulled away from his husband and broke free from the embrace, just in time to save Coco.

Alithe took a moment to recover from the kiss he received from his beloved, a flustered expression on his face— cheeks slightly flushed and seemingly momentarily disoriented, his usual stern expression melting away and all.

Then, Alithe composed himself, taking a deep breath before turning to Coco.

"Coco, meet Dahilian Covez," He said, gesturing towards the man seated behind the desk. "He is the guild master of the hunter guild."

Dahilian sized her up with a scrutinizing glance.