How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 256. Monster (3)

Unfortunately, Raphael’s plans did not go as well as he hoped. It wasn’t easy, wandering vast mountains in search of a single monster, and as soon as he found it, the damned thing immediately vanished somewhere else.

Stifling his impatience, Raphael tried to ignore it, setting up camp by the spring. But the waters took two full days to replenish themselves, and as soon as they did, the peacock-thing appeared again, gulped them down, and then vanished again.

“Haa…”

He really was going crazy. Having lost four days, Raphael glared furiously at the muddy bottom of the empty spring.

“Damn bird…!”

He had to accept that he was not going to solve this problem with simple force. But stubborn people would always find another way, and Raphael’s impatience quickly improvised a new strategy.

At once, he went back down the mountain to a small market, where the farmers instantly surrendered their entire crop of tomatoes to the ferocious-looking Master of Swords.

Dragging several wagons back up to the spring, Raphael carefully loaded the tomatoes onto the branches of the nearby trees, until they were all drooping like willow trees.

Ready.

Raphael flung his sword down, impaled into the ground. It was useless against an animal that could teleport.

Instead, he drew out a sickle on a long chain, yanking the links appreciatively to make sure it the blade was properly connected. Experimentally, he swung it.

There was nothing in the world more terrifying than the sound of that blade cutting through air. Except, perhaps, the bloodthirsty grin on Raphael’s face as he caressed the weapon.

All his preparations were ready. His eyes glinting with a kind of merry madness, Raphael sat down in front of the spring and waited for the pest to appear.

A full day had passed since the monster had last drunk from the spring, and the water had risen slightly. Raphael woke early to check it again, and then brought out his canteen and pretended to fill it.

Light flashed. The monster appeared, flapping colorful wings.

By now, it had drunk so often that it had become obsessed with the spring, no doubt enjoying the way its strength increased. As soon as it seemed Raphael was about to take that precious water, it appeared at once to stop him. Normally, it would watch for Raphael’s attack with one head while the other drank; a frustrating tactic.

Raphael had considered poisoning the water, but then he could hardly use it for Annette’s medicine afterward. Even if the water really was blessed, it would be stupid to risk endangering Annette with a difficult birth.

So he had come up with another plan.

Swinging the chain sickle with all his might, he sliced through the branches of all the surrounding trees, so the tomatoes thudded down in a rain.

The monster could dodge the sickle, but not all those tomatoes, smashing onto its back, dripping juices on its precious feathers.

But that was not sufficient. Raphael swung again, loosing another barrage that hit the bird’s heads. More tomato juice, and as one head jerked, the other turned away.

Sensing death approaching, the monster screamed.