Chapter 110

Chapter 110
Chapter 110: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The situation is grave.

Rikson clutched his shattered blade and swung it with all his strength.

Screech!

The short blade managed to push back the claws for a split second, but that was the absolute limit. A broken weapon could not stop Barg.

Yet, the young master stands directly behind me.

Rikson’s gaze remained entirely steady. In this exact predicament, what choice must a true knight make?

There was only one logical answer.

“Sacrifice a part to preserve the whole.”

Evading the strike was never an option.

Because he was a knight.

Because he was sworn to shield others from whatever peril manifested.

Both the young master and the raging Barg before him were lives entrusted to Rikson’s protection.

Rikson’s eyes locked onto those feral, bloodshot pupils, and instantly, crimson-stained claws flooded his field of view.

Raising his arm, Rikson met the assault head-on.

Thwack!

A chilling impact echoed as something tore into flesh.

The heavy, metallic stench of fresh blood drifted from a point even closer than his own shoulder.

“Rikson! Get a grip!”

Rikschel’s voice boomed urgently from behind.

“……!”

Rikson suddenly registered the utter absence of agony in his limb.

Instead, a secondary set of claws, reinforced by glowing shield sorcery, had closed in directly toward his eyes.

‘The first strike was merely a feint!’

What a terrifying battle instinct.

Had the young master not cast protective barrier arts in time, Rikson would not have merely lost some flesh; those claws would have reaped his life in an instant.

“……”

Rikschel stared with icy intensity at the talons that had pierced straight through his defensive magic.

Even attempting to analyze the combat detachedly sent a shiver through his veins.

It felt as though those claws had summoned a howling blizzard across the training grounds.

No, every single blow carried escalating momentum.

The fact that the barrier had been breached meant their strengths were evenly matched, or perhaps that the beastman, Barg, was unleashing an even greater tide of force.

In short, it was a razor-thin margin where a single misstep meant death.

Yet, Rikschel did not waver.

‘Dealing with an opponent who lacks an easy way out is far more troublesome than I anticipated.’

After all, he had never been sheltered during his upbringing.

Sparring matches within the Asteri household were conducted strictly independent of social standing or raw power.

Consequently, the training was brutal, frequently leaving him bedridden for months due to injuries regardless of the match’s outcome.

Therefore, young though he was, he was by no means a stranger to actual combat.

Precisely because of that background, Rikschel keenly felt the razor-thin margins at play right now.

The slightest discrepancy in mindset. A mistimed distribution of mana. A momentary lapse in focus.

If even one of these slipped, the final outcome would instantly flip.

Thus, he had to retain absolute composure.

‘Calm your mind.’

The defensive barrier, punctured by Barg’s onslaught, was rapidly failing.

In moments, the spell would shatter completely, shredding the magic to pieces like fragile parchment.

However, launching a reckless counterattack now would only hasten the child’s demise.

Think.

Rikson had already been disarmed.

No matter how skilled a knight he might be, he could not brawl bare-handed against a foe whose entire physique had become a lethal weapon.

Hence, he needed to dodge and maneuver within this confined space.

At least until his older brother arrived.

Even so, it remained uncertain whether his older brother could secure a restorative elixir in time.

What method could temporarily halt that creature’s momentum?

If it were the Family Head himself, how would he resolve this crisis?

Rikschel’s thoughts raced frantically, yet ultimately, he could only land on a temporary maneuver to buy a breath of time.

‘For now, I’ll use brilliance sorcery to blind him momentarily…’

The very instant that thought formed.

Barg’s gaze, previously locked solely on the pair, suddenly shifted.

Abruptly, the beastman abandoned his assault on the barrier magic and retracted his talons.

‘He backed off?’

That could only mean he had spotted a target even more vulnerable than the caster.

No one else was nearby… Could it be?

“Brother!”

Just as the warning “It’s dangerous!” rose in his throat, Lion plummeted rapidly from the sky.

“Aargh!”

Followed by a thunderous KABOOM!

A shockwave as loud as a felled timber echoed across the grounds.

Clouds of dust billowed upward once again.

“……”

“……”

The two watchers of this chaotic spectacle finally cried out in unison.

“B-Brother!”

“Young Master!”

Lion, the recipient of everyone’s sudden anxiety…

“Oh dear…”

Was covered head-to-toe in grit, but thankfully breathing.

‘It was smart of me to ask Elvia to cast shock-absorption magic on me beforehand.’

Riding the currents of wind with nature’s assistance had worked well enough.

It was an adaptation of the acceleration techniques their grandfather used, though it seemed he still lacked the finesse to land it smoothly.

As Lion casually brushed the grime from his clothes, a voice called out from the distance.

“It’s dangerous!”

“It’s fine.”

Naturally, he had not arrived entirely unprepared.

Lion flashed a grin as he watched Barg charge headlong into the dust cloud.

“This isn’t just ordinary dust.”

Reaching into his pocket, Lion extracted a handful of sparkling powder and scattered it into the air once more.

It was powdered Moonlight Pill.

* When utilized by a beastman, it permanently enhances vitality. (However, adverse reactions occur if Eclipse symptoms are present.)

For someone suffering from Eclipse syndrome, particulate matter imbued with lunar essence acted much like a lethal toxin.

‘Though it’s bound to sting quite a bit.’

With the berserker frenzy already underway, this represented Lion’s sole viable approach to get close.

Merely being exposed to moonlight caused him agony, so if the substance entered his system through his acute sense of smell and open wounds…

“Whimper!”

Barg emitted a miserable groan and collapsed straight into the dust.

‘My entire body…’

It felt as though it were being consumed by fire rather than merely aching.

Yet, perhaps driven by the sheer intensity of the shock, his muscles momentarily went limp, allowing his clouded mind a moment of clarity.

The pain was far more direct and acute than mere lunar exposure.

“……!”

Witnessing the collapse, the two who had been rushing forward froze in their tracks.

Though they lacked the details, it appeared their brother had somehow subdued the rampaging beast.

‘Speaking of which…’

The haze he had kicked up shimmered with an eerie luminescence.

Thump. Thump.

Lion stepped forward slowly until he stood directly in front of Barg.

Because Lion was thoroughly coated in the Moonlight Pill residue, Barg’s frame writhed in renewed torment, curling tightly inward.

“It… it hurts. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

“Barg, you’re going to be alright.”

“I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

I’d rather die. I was wrong. Please forgive me.

Barg incoherently blurted out whatever crossed his mind.

He was in an absolute state of panic.

Understandably so, as the effect felt precisely like pouring coarse salt straight into open lacerations.

‘Still, there was no alternative if I wanted to treat him swiftly.’

It was certainly unfortunate.

Lion knelt to inspect Barg’s condition.

His garments hung in shreds, and his frame was matted with cuts and bruises.

If the external injuries alone looked this severe, one could only shudder at the internal damage.

‘At least widespread surface wounds make application easier…’

Lion produced a vial of honey elixir and poured the contents generously over Barg’s cowering form.

While the substance within the bottle was thick and viscous, it flowed smoothly like a standard restorative liquid the moment the cork was pulled.

The descending potion immediately seeped into the raw gashes.

At the exact same time.

“……!”

Barg’s eyes, squeezed shut from the preceding agony, snapped wide open.

Bizarrely enough.

The stinging torment vanished, and his hazy consciousness rapidly sharpened.

Instead of the coppery stench of fresh blood, his senses were filled with a rich, sweet honey aroma.

The powdery substance that had previously obstructed his breathing now felt as soothing as the pure essence of the moon.

The pain melted away.

The terror of losing control began to recede.

He knew it by sheer instinct.

I am alive.

I… didn’t kill anyone.

A single tear spilled from Barg’s eye, tracking down his face through the clinging lunar powder.

“You’ll feel much better shortly.”

Just close your eyes and rest for a moment.

He heard the gentle, reassuring voice of the young master.

‘I should express my gratitude.’

An overwhelming wave of exhaustion pulled at him.

His limbs, grown blissfully limp, refused to respond.

The only action he could still manage.

Slowly.

He managed to give his tail a couple of faint, weary wags.

—

『You have preserved a life through exceptional talent.』

『You have unlocked the ‘Superior to the Master’ achievement!』

『You have been awarded 50,000 Shillings.』

『Alchemy Proficiency has increased to Level 4.』

“Phew!”

As the system notification marking the crisis’s resolution surfaced, Lion let out a long breath of relief.

‘Even brewing a hot spring didn’t push my alchemy skill upward this much.’

And fifty thousand Shillings was a massive windfall.

It was easily the largest payout he had ever secured from a single achievement.

Clearly, saving a human life carried immense weight.

‘Indeed, it’s far harder to pull someone back from the brink using a production class.’

While combat classes saved lives as a routine byproduct of fighting, preservation through a non-combat path was exceptionally distinct.

“Well, it’s not like I was chasing the reward.”

Lion chuckled softly, glancing back and forth between the sleeping Barg and the two figures hurrying toward him.

“Knight Captain Rikson, you held your ground admirably.”

“Not at all. Are you entirely unharmed, though, Young Master?”

“As you can see.”

Lion waved his arm casually to demonstrate his well-being, prompting Rikson to exhale a heavy sigh of relief as he slumped to the ground.

“Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness.”

“You must have been frightened out of your wits.”

Frightened? When the young master dropped straight out of the sky, I honestly thought the world was ending.

No ordinary healer could salvage someone on the verge of death.

If the clash with Barg had felt chilling, the young master’s sudden aerial descent felt like my heart stopped entirely.

“Relax. I’m someone who values my own skin above all else.”

Offering a flimsy excuse about being in a rush, Lion patted the sleeping beastman’s shoulder.

“The treatment is finished. He’s fast asleep now, so you can carry him back.”

Rikson, whose expression had remained tight with worry over Barg’s state, finally relaxed his shoulders completely at those words.

“Thank you… thank you so much, Young Master.”

“You should thank Rikschel instead. Rikschel! This entire outcome is thanks to you. I brewed this restorative using your evening primroses.”

“……”

“Hm?”

An abrupt, heavy silence settled over the area as Lion turned to look at his younger brother.

Yet.

‘Gasp.’

Seeing Rikschel’s sullen expression for the very first time, Lion drew in a sharp breath.

I may have genuinely stepped over the line this time.

No, wait, I had valid reasons.

If I had to drop from the heavens like that, I could have at least scattered the powder more evenly, and Elvia’s shock-absorption spell should have cushioned it—

He scrambled internally for justifications, but under that icy glare, the words refused to form.

“Um, little brother?”

“……”

“I—I’ll explain everything on the walk back to the estate! Specifically why my entrance had to look like that.”

“…I intend to report this incident precisely as it occurred to the Family Head.”

“Oh, come on.”

He didn’t even want to imagine the endless nagging he would receive from his grandfather if word got out.

“Ahem. I’ll take Barg and head ahead of you.”

True to his rank as the Asteri Knight Captain, Rikson quickly assessed the domestic tension, hoisted the sleeping Barg onto his shoulder, bowed stiffly, and departed at a brisk pace to make himself as invisible as possible.

“……”

Before long, only Lion and an intensely displeased Rikschel remained amid the ruined training grounds.

Whoooosh.

For some inexplicable reason, a chilling gale swept past.

…No, the ambient air was actually warm, yet it felt as freezing as winter courtesy of Rikschel’s mood.

“……”

Without another word, Rikschel spun sharply on his heel and walked away entirely alone.

Sluuurp.

This isn’t going to be pleasant.

Truthfully, he had only intended to check whether his malt was drying properly after finishing up.

It looked entirely certain that a formal reprimand awaited him upon returning home.

That very evening.

Just as he anticipated, Lion was forced to offer a mountain of excuses in front of his entire family.