Chapter 102

Chapter 102
Chapter 102: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Barg stayed concealed within the dense shrubbery, trailing quietly behind Lion. His original intention had been to offer an immediate apology, yet his innate shyness caused him to miss the ideal moment entirely. Consequently, he found himself dragged along in this awkward surveillance…

‘He moves around far more than I anticipated.’

During that brief interval, Lion had walked through multiple areas. First, he stepped into the kitchen, emerged by the stone well, and concentrated on rinsing those particular grains of barley.

‘They tasted quite nutty and remarkably pleasant in their own unique way.’

Barg swallowed hard as he observed the process. They were merely plain, raw cereal kernels that he had chewed on as if they were a grand banquet, yet the flavor was surprisingly appealing. The tough stalks were not even difficult to break down, and the entire batch was free of any insects. Granted, Barg possessed the robust jaw strength and digestion required to consume grass and bugs, but…

‘S-still, it feels a bit…’

I only eat such things to stay alive, it is certainly not my personal preference!

However, this particular instance was different. Barg had assumed it was an act of thoughtfulness from the Knight Commander. He believed they had been prepared in a state fit for easy chewing and digestion. Yet, it turned out to be the handiwork of someone else entirely—not the Knight Commander, but an individual who had dedicated genuine effort to each separate kernel… The mere recollection made his complexion burn.

‘What on earth were they trying to create that required such painstaking attention for individual grains?’

And why would an ordinary servant—no, the Young Master of the Asteri Family himself—bother with such a task? Barg could not comprehend it. Regardless, he needed to apologize for making off with food that someone had poured effort into…

“Huk.”

While he was lost in contemplation, Lion retreated back inside the kitchen. Barg stepped out from the foliage and reached out a hand, but only a few stray green leaves drifted down from his garments. Even as a member of the Knight Order, Barg held the rank of an apprentice knight and lacked the clearance to wander freely through the manor.

“I-I suppose I have no choice but to wait…”

Barg cast a sidelong glance toward the training grounds of the Knight Order. Even though he had ventured out specifically to offer an apology, skipping mandatory training without leave pricked at his conscience. The Knight Commander had welcomed him into the ranks with the best of intentions…

‘Should I head back for now?’

Barg blinked slowly, his gaze shifting back and forth between the kitchen entrance and the distant training grounds while maintaining an awkward stance among the bushes. Just as the leaves tangled in his hair drifted down to the soil…

*SLAM!*

*RUSTLE!*

The door swung open once more, prompting Barg to instinctively dive back into hiding. The Young Master reappeared, soaking the barley grains in the basin just as before, covering them with a cloth in a shaded nook, and then scribbling a short message nearby.

* Belongs to Owner.

“……”

Reading those words made his sense of guilt flare up intensely. Yes, I can simply step out right now and apologize! …Or so he imagined. Then, a fragment of conversation he had overheard while attending to menial chores drifted back into his mind.

“…Anyway, if you get on the Young Master’s bad side, you are in serious trouble. You know how he is?”

“Exactly. Word is he is as sharp as a blade, so if you commit a single slip-up, there is zero mercy.”

“Right. They say he takes after the Family Head completely. That is why within the Asteri household, you dare not take anything behind anyone’s back!”

“……”

He had not caught the entirety of that exchange from the beginning, but he had gleaned one vital truth. Staying put was the safest way to avoid entanglements with either the Young Master or the Family Head. He resolved to simply keep his head down like a corpse and secure some food.

‘What if… what if he genuinely refuses to forgive me?’

It was entirely possible that his trespass would not be overlooked. That terrifying thought made him hesitant to reveal himself, especially since he was clearly in the wrong.

“Ah…”

While Barg tortured himself with indecision, Lion stepped away from the basin and returned indoors. He had a strong intuition that the youth would not emerge again for the rest of the day.

“Sigh. What an idiot.”

Barg struck his own forehead with a clenched fist and forced himself out of the bushes. Continuing this way meant missing out on training entirely while failing to apologize anyway. Even excessive timidity had its limits… As he trudged forward with the intention of heading back to the training grounds, late though he was, a sudden scent hit him.

*Sniff, sniff!*

A novel fragrance captured Barg’s complete attention.

“Huh?”

It was a rich, nutty, and heavy aroma characteristic of something roasted to a deep golden brown. The scent was potent enough to make him crave an immediate bite, desperate to savor the flavor on his tongue right then and there…!

*Gulp.*

Barg wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and crept slowly toward the source of the odor. There was no need for careful searching. Positioned right beside the barley basin was a brand-new item. It was…

‘Meat!’

A massive, incredibly appetizing cut of meat sat there! The fatty portions were crisped to a golden perfection, while the remaining lean sections glistened with juices pooling inside the container. It was simple roasted meat, yet it had been cooked to an absolute masterpiece. The preparation was so magnificent that anyone would instinctively think, ‘It would be a crime not to eat this right now!’ The person who prepared it likely felt the exact same way. To go through the immense trouble of producing the ultimate roasted dish, only to leave it out in the open where it might go cold? Furthermore, leaving it outdoors? That was simply not something a rational person would do…

‘Huk! Barg, get a hold of yourself!’

His eyes spinning as if he were under a spell, Barg stared fixedly at the meat and delivered sharp slaps to his own cheeks. What are you even thinking! Even if he had been ignorant the first time, repeating the act knowingly made this offense far graver. Besides, the note next to it clearly stated ‘Belongs to Owner’! Therefore, this meat unquestionably belonged to the Young Master.

“Let us… let us pull ourselves together.”

Had he not diligently practiced ‘Wait Training’ during his youth for moments precisely like this? Barg clamped both hands over his mouth and nose, forcing his head away.

“…Ah.”

Then he let out a heavy sigh. His hyper-sensitive vision, heightened further by sheer starvation, had swiftly spotted yet another piece of parchment. It was a small note tucked neatly beneath the bowl holding the meat.

* No Owner.

“…”

Barg, think this through carefully. The act of writing ‘No Owner’ explicitly indicated that the Young Master was fully aware his property had been pilfered previously. Consequently, this setup had to be a trap. It would be infinitely wiser to pretend he had noticed nothing and walk away…

* No Owner.

That extraordinary fragrance continued to drift across the air, directly stimulating his primal instincts. Moreover, it looked far more delectable than any meal he had ever encountered in his life. It was not mere chicken or pheasant, but actual pork. He felt as though his physical vitality, completely drained from recent grueling training sessions, would instantly return if he simply consumed it. Barg’s logic and his wolf instincts warred fiercely. And at last…

*ROAR!*

Barg clamped the massive chunk of meat between his teeth and darted back into the empty shrubbery. Moments later, he emerged with an expression blending deep satisfaction with lingering guilt, glistening droplets of pork fat shining brightly on his lips.

✦✦✦

『An unknown entity has consumed your prepared food and expresses profound satisfaction!』

『Your cooking experience has increased by 5 percent.』

“Just as expected.”

Lion curved his lips into a satisfied smile at the auditory notification that chimed shortly after.

‘Resisting that must be quite a challenge.’

If the recipient were a normal human, they might have managed to exercise restraint. However, beastmen operated under slightly different rules. Due to their innate racial traits, their tether to pure logic and reason was somewhat thinner than that of ordinary people. Naturally, under standard circumstances, they behaved much like humans—they could even conceal their ears and tails with sufficient practice. Yet, when placed within specific temptations, their patience tended to vanish entirely.

‘I wonder if this comparison is entirely accurate…’

It bore a strong resemblance to leaving fresh fish unattended in front of a cat, or placing treats right under the nose of a gluttonous puppy. Unless they had endured rigorous discipline or were already completely full.

‘That is precisely why I prepared meat.’

Well, the fact that they actually ate it is a positive development. This marked merely the initial meal. Lion harbored no immediate plans to confront the werewolf face-to-face just yet. Fostering a genuine bond of friendship could not be achieved through a single offering of food. However, repeating the process twice, three times—or perhaps ten times—would change that. Once they grew accustomed to receiving meals regularly, they would inevitably return.

“Hmm. Excellent.”

Lion grinned, cracking his knuckles lightly. In time, he intended to attempt taming a wolf on a daily basis. He mapped out a strategy to present a variety of meat-based dishes to the mysterious werewolf. The internal designation for the operation would be something along the lines of ‘I Come in Peace.’ True to his plan, over the next several days, Lion continued crafting fresh meat dishes and leaving them out precisely on schedule. Some days featured savory pork belly, while other sessions involved roasting an entire chicken. Fortunately, every single time…

『An unknown entity has consumed your prepared food and expresses profound satisfaction!』

『Your cooking experience has increased by 5 percent.』

The anonymous recipient cleaned the plates thoroughly, while his own culinary expertise continued its steady climb.

‘Roughly five days have passed now, haven’t they?’

During that brief span, he had managed to deduce a few key details. First:

‘They possess a clear preference for pork.’

While they consumed the alternative meats with great enthusiasm as well, pork clearly reigned supreme. He arrived at this conclusion because on the occasions when different meats were used, the qualifying descriptor ‘very’ was absent from the system notification.

‘Ah, could it be due to their lupine nature?’

Lion recalled a traditional fairy tale wherein pigs famously brought down houses with a mere huff of breath. Considering that the witch Elvia excelled at baking various snacks, the notion suddenly felt surprisingly plausible. Furthermore, they did not appear to be suffering from constant starvation. The volume of meat Lion provided each day was quite generous—easily enough to keep not just a human, but even a full-grown werewolf satiated through the entire day and well into the next. He had initially assumed they were desperately malnourished, but they simply possessed an extraordinary appetite. Additional evidence supported this conclusion: the descriptions of the beastman’s pelt, which Nature quietly retrieved samples of daily, remained entirely consistent. If they had been suffering from chronic illness due to a lack of nourishment, the quality of their fur should have shown noticeable improvement upon receiving regular meals, yet that was not the case.

‘I have a strong suspicion…’

Since they had not formally crossed paths yet, and there was no urgent medical crisis demanding immediate intervention, he knew he should avoid rushing to conclusions. Acting too hastily would only serve to heighten their wariness. Beastmen existed in remarkably low numbers. Particularly rare variants, such as red wolves, were frequently targeted by ruthless slave traders to be sold off as combat slaves or kept as exotic trophies by high-ranking nobility.

‘They are lingering here currently because they perceive this space as safe, but…’

If they ever suspected the environment was compromised, they would vanish instantly. Then again, given that they had been consuming the left-out meals without a shred of suspicion for several days, they did not seem excessively paranoid; nevertheless, caution remained the wisest approach.

‘Therefore, the time has come to initiate the serious enticement phase.’

The barley grains had successfully developed roots and sprouted, reaching an ideal stage for malt production. Lion gently separated the clumped mass of malt with his fingers, spreading it out evenly before stepping outdoors. This time, instead of placing the batch in the usual shaded spot, he positioned it directly beneath the brightest sunlight.

“Oh? Young Master! Are you skipping the usual shaded spot today?”

An apprentice servant, who had grown quite comfortable around him after days of routine encounters, called out.

“Yes. I need to dry it out properly now.”

“Ah. Come to think of it, those sprouts came in quite well. Hmm?”

The young servant’s expression turned slightly peculiar as he stared down at the basket Lion was holding. Should I speak up or keep quiet? The servant scratched the back of his head and ventured,

“Doesn’t it look like they have sprouted a bit too much?”

“Does it?”

Lion offered a proud response, but the servant’s demeanor grew visibly more troubled.

‘I was completely certain he intended to brew alcohol with that…’

In the process of producing beer, encouraging the barley to germinate was an essential step. However, allowing the sprouts to grow longer than the actual barley kernels themselves was problematic. If all the starches were depleted during excessive germination, creating the alcohol—the very soul and core of the liquor—would become entirely impossible!