New World with Four Husbands

"Coco!" Sinclair called out, eyes wide in worry as he ran down the stone staircase.

After laying down on the arena's ground for a good second, Coco gradually rose to her feet, her movements sluggish and slow compared to before.

With each step, she felt her grip on the hoe loosening; the adrenaline that fueled her earlier had now dissipated, leaving only exhaustion in its wake, making her release consecutive huffs through her nose.

As she neared the gate where the other examinees had gone into, she hoisted the hoe over her shoulder, resting its blade against her shoulder while holding its handle.

Coco stepped through the large gate and was met with the unexpected sound of Sinclair's voice calling her name.

Sinclair's gaze was fixed on her the moment he descended the stairs and he was quick to rush towards her, his hands shooting out to place his palms on her shoulders.

The hybrid's expression was one of worry and disbelief, his words hurried as he repeated, "Are you okay?!"

Coco merely nodded her head slowly, her movements slow, not having enough energy to match the franticness of her familiar.

"Peachy, but fine." She replied, her tone neutral, and despite her seemingly calm and blank demeanor, the exhaustion was still evident in her voice along with the glint in her emerald eyes.

She carefully shrugged Sinclair's hands from her shoulders, her body moving slow due to the previous battle.

Sinclair reluctantly let go of his master's shoulders, his gaze fixed on her as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall from the staircase.

The sound reverberated off the surrounding walls, the sound of multiple pairs of footsteps growing ever closer.

"What the heck was that monster?! Didn't you realize that you almost killed her?!" The voice, which Coco recognized as Alithe's, sounded mad and defensive as they got closer.

"Which is why I'm running down here to check on her myself!" Came a response from the other person.

Alithe and Mr. Covez descended the stairs, their conversation filled with heated exchanges, their faces morphed into frowns and one-sided menacing glare.

Alithe was the first to arrive and his voice filled the space, his words sharp and cutting as she argued back and forth with Mr. Covez. "You should have thought of that before you screamed to your hunters to release whatever that is!"

"That monster wasn't that big when I caught it, okay?!" The gunter guild master's voice soon joined in, creating a rhythmic bickering and disagreement.

The two of them were too caught up in their argument to notice Coco and Sinclair already looking at them.

"Wasn't that big?" Alithe mumbled, his eyes housing a dangerous glint.

"There's no way that a monster whatever size you caught it with would have grown big overnight— wait.. Don't tell me that you deliberately did something for it to grow that big?" The hybrid stopped walking, eyes widening as if he realized something earth shattering.

"Did you feed it something to just put Coco in danger?!" Alithe hissed, the words of accusation getting thrown towards the other guild master as he pointed an accusing finger his way.

"What?" Mr. Covez stopped walking and turned in his heels, facing Alithe. "Where did that conclusion come from?"

"Well, that monster wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you—" Alithe stepped forward, jabbing his finger on Mr. Covez's chest with a glare.

"Stop it, Ali." Sinclair, thankfully, stopped his husband before their argument could escalate into a fight.

Alithe stopped and pulled away from Mr. Covez as soon as he heard his husband's voice, his eyes widening in surprise before he stepped away from the guild master.

Then, his eyes shifted to Sinclair which soon darted towards Coco's bloody form. "Coco!"

Alithe rushed towards the black haired woman, his eyebrows furrowing in concern as he did the same thing his husband did earlier— hands shooting out and grabbing Coco by the shoulders.

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt— my goodness! You're covered in blood!" Alithe said with a sense of urgency, immediately pulling his hands away.

"Quick! I'll have Aldrick check on you!" Alithe stated, grabbing Coco's wrist.

"Aldrick?" Coco asked, not even bothering to stop Alithe from tugging her towards the staircase and just letting him drag her wherever he's planning to take her.

"He's the physician of the Astin's." Sinclair answered Coco's question, following behind the two of them.

"Oh.." Coco mumbled, blinking owlishly, "I'm fine though."

"Nonsense!" Alithe stated, disagreeing with Coco's statement quickly as he tugged her forward, "Come! I'll carry instead to ensure that you won't be put in a much dangerous state."

Coco protested weakly, her voice hoarse. "I can walk."

However, Alithe and Sinclair were not convinced, dismissing her protest with a shake of their heads as they gave her a disapproving glance.

"Carry her, Ali." Sinclair stated, shooting his husband a look.

Alithe listened to his husband, gently yet forcefully lifting Coco into a bridal carry, his grip strong and confident.

"I seriously can walk.." Coco mumbled, her protests slowly dying down, too tired to continue fighting against the hybrids who insisted and were too worried about her well-being.

Sinclair stepped forward and carefully took the hoe from Coco's hand, hugging the farming tool to his chest.

The two men continued walking, but Alithe halted suddenly.

His gaze darted towards Mr. Covez, his expression sharp as he spoke, "I'm sure Coco passed the second stage with the show she put on, right?"

The question hung in the air, Alithe's voice filled with frustration and anger.

Mr. Covez, not flinching under the intense gaze, simply responded firmly which was accompanied with a polite nod, "Of course she did."

Alithe shot Mr. Covez one last harsh glance before continuing on his way, with Sinclair following closely behind, his steps cautious, but his gaze focused on his husband's back.

Alithe's grip on Coco tightened as he ascended the stairs, his movements quick and light, making sure to keep Coco secure in his arms.