Chapter 115

Chapter 115
## Chapter 115: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

An overwhelming agony swept over me in an instant!

It felt far more punishing than the morning after running countless laps around the practice yard and doing endless rounds of weighted squats with heavy boulders.

Hot tears sprang to Barg’s eyes.

There was no room for any other feeling; it simply hurt down to the marrow!

I would have sworn furiously if I knew any curses, but my mind was a blank slate.

“Hyaaa! Hyaaaaaa!”

Screaming at the top of my lungs was my only outlet.

As I wept uncontrollably, Rikson completely misread the situation, his expression turning grim.

“To carry such a heavy burden in your heart all this time… this is entirely my failing.”

“Huuuuuuh….”

“Barg. You are safe now!”

Large, calloused hands etched with faint scars clapped reassuringly against Barg’s trembling back.

“Thankfully, you pulled through unharmed, and your life was spared.”

Lion observed the scene unfold, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth.

‘Goodness gracious. That has to sting terribly.’

Barg currently looked like a man on the very precipice of passing out once more.

Yet, perhaps because his mental resilience had been tempered as his lunar sickness subsided, unconsciousness eluded him.

At this rate, the man is going to shock the poor boy to death!

Lion cleared his throat deliberately before speaking up.

“Ahem. I am genuinely pleased to see you regain your wits so swiftly.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did Rikson snap to attention, realizing Lion was present, and shot upright.

Thud.

Barg’s exhausted frame slumped back against the mattress.

Even so, he managed to raise a thumb in what was likely the utmost gesture of gratitude he could muster.

“Young Master. Words fail to express how I might ever repay this profound grace.”

Rikson bounced back as if nothing untoward had happened moments prior, bowing deeply and respectfully toward Lion.

“What else could I have done? It was only successful because of Barg’s sheer tenacity.”

Naturally, Lion had devised the remedy, but had Barg lacked the willpower to hold on even marginally, he would have breathed his last right then and there.

Rikson was profoundly moved by Lion’s modest framing of the event.

‘To accomplish such a miraculous feat and remain so remarkably humble!’

Executing this trial certainly could not have been a simple task for the Young Master, either.

After all, no prior accounts existed of anyone overcoming lunar sickness.

When consultations had been sought far and wide, the unanimous advice had merely been to let the child slip away peacefully.

That had been the stance of the Family Head, alongside every other Beastfolk consulted.

He certainly had not anticipated this boy conquering the affliction.

Moreover, the berserk state had not triggered prematurely as feared.

When the blade had shattered, he had truly believed all hope was lost.

‘From that point forward, simple containment and evasion were no longer options.’

Yet, at that exact juncture, the Young Master had descended like a shooting star.

…Though, in truth, he had literally arrived like a shooting star.

“I, Rikson, swear never to forget the Young Master’s immense kindness.”

“Haha, I merely did what needed to be done.”

Lion flicked his hand dismissively.

He was acutely aware of how tirelessly Rikson, serving as the Knight Captain, dedicated himself to the household.

“If anything, I should be thanking you. Have you not shielded me from peril until this very day?”

“That is…”

As Rikson prepared to offer a rebuttal, Lion waved a hand again, presenting a bottle of sikhye he had brought along.

“Regardless, I merely dropped by to deliver this.”

“What might this be…?”

“It is a beverage I recently concocted. It features ingredients that Barg happens to enjoy.”

At those words, Barg seemingly forgot his aching muscles, snapping upright once more.

“Could this perhaps be…”

“Indeed. It is brewed using barley.”

Barg’s complexion flushed crimson, reminiscent of a Salamander’s blaze.

“There is no need to stand on ceremony, go ahead and drink.”

“I am deeply obliged.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

The pair accepted the bottle in a daze, promptly downing its contents in large, simultaneous gulps.

Well acquainted with Lion’s culinary prowess, Barg polished off his portion in a single breath, smacking his lips at the lingering sweet and refreshing finish.

“Ah, this is extraordinary…!”

The soft grains of rice suspended within the drink instantly summoned memories of that past encounter.

‘This is cooked, and it clearly resembles rice, yet…’

The profound sense of satiation, coupled with the sheer astonishment of that day—every detail of meeting the Young Master for the first time came rushing back.

And he felt deeply grateful that he could revisit those memories anew.

Barg clutched the empty bottle tightly with both hands.

‘How on earth am I supposed to repay a debt of life?’

Naturally, the Young Master would likely instruct him to cast such thoughts aside and concentrate solely on his recuperation, but Barg refused to do so.

He was determined to render assistance somehow.

To prove himself useful… and if fortune favored him, perhaps secure a position as the Young Master’s personal guard down the line.

‘Even if that day remains a distant dream for now.’

Still, if he persevered relentlessly, would he not eventually become someone capable of aiding the Young Master, if only once?

However!

Quite apart from that ambition, he wanted to offer something tangible right away.

Barg racked his brain, scanning his limited possessions, until a sudden realization made his ears perk up instantly!

Yes. He possessed just the thing!

—

“It is both fascinating and remarkably savory. Having rice incorporated into a beverage like this is quite unique, and it feels as though it would excel at restoring stamina.”

Cooking experience increased by 10 percent.

“Haha. I am glad it suits your palate.”

Lion mentally calculated the sugar content hidden within the sikhye and forced an awkward smile.

Though he had reduced the sweetener compared to standard recipes, it still contained far too much sugar for someone pursuing physical conditioning and muscle growth.

‘It is essentially pure carbohydrate.’

Still, an occasional treat could hardly hurt, could it?

With that comforting thought, Lion pushed himself up from his chair.

“I ought to take my leave now that I’ve confirmed Barg is on the mend.”

“Allow me to escort you out.”

“There’s no need for that. I know the way perfectly well, so put your mind at ease.”

“Even so…”

“Captain Rikson’s primary allegiance belongs to the household, not to me. I offered my assistance with a light heart, so there is no need to read too much into it.”

“Ah.”

Rikson was struck by a fresh wave of admiration!

Thus, the Young Master Lion’s words implied that instead of focusing on repaying personal favors, he should channel that energy into unwavering loyalty toward the Asteri Family!

‘To display such profound thoughtfulness when he isn’t even the designated heir…!’

Of course, Lion had harbored no such grand intentions whatsoever.

“In any case, Barg. I shall check in on you again later, so get plenty of rest.”

With his farewells concluded, Lion stepped out of the infirmary.

“Goodness, it has grown quite late.”

A glance upward revealed a blanket of deep darkness overhead. The household servants had likely all retired for the evening.

“I suppose delivering this will have to wait until tomorrow.”

Lion glanced down at the final flask of sikhye tucked securely against his chest.

Ideally, he would have preferred to hand it over fresh, but bursting into the trainee servants’ quarters at this hour would cause unnecessary disruption.

Indeed, presenting it at daybreak tomorrow would be far more sensible.

Just as he settled on that plan and took a step forward…

“Pardon me a moment, Young Master!”

A hesitant voice chimed from behind.

‘That voice.’

Lion pivoted on his heel with a quizzical expression.

Standing there was someone who had no business venturing outside at this hour.

It was none other than Barg, who only a short while earlier had lacked the strength to so much as twitch his limbs.

‘Did his physique manage to recover that rapidly?’

Regardless of how formidable one’s willpower might be, physical biology simply did not permit movement of this caliber on such short notice.

‘Wait, now that I observe him closely…’

While he was confined to the bed, the detail had escaped notice, but standing upright, his stature… had visibly shot up!

Furthermore, his previously scrawny frame appeared to have filled out with notable mass.

Could it be that his severe muscle pain stemmed from his body undergoing a massive growth spurt all at once to compensate for the development stunted by his lunar sickness?

“Oof…”

Barg shuffled forward, his legs wobbling as if he had just completed an agonizing leg-day regimen.

His tail swished timidly, and the sheer effort required to remain upright made it glaringly obvious that he was operating purely on stubborn grit.

“Hold on, is it genuinely wise for you to be walking around like this?”

“N-No. I simply came to hand this over to you!”

Barg respectfully thrust an object forward toward Lion with both hands.

“Naturally, I am well aware this falls short of repaying my debt of life! I-I merely thought! This is all I have to offer right now…”

He stammered through his explanation, adding, “Of course, the vital energy I supplied previously was likewise the absolute best I could manage. I held nothing back!”

In short, he simply sought a tangible way to convey his appreciation…

Lion lowered his gaze to the paper-wrapped parcel resting in his palms.

It spanned roughly the breadth of a hand and weighed next to nothing.

He could feel a slight shifting of contents within, yet the exterior wrapping offered no hint as to its true nature.

“What might this be?”

“Ah, well…”

“Well?”

“Um… To be entirely honest, I am uncertain myself.”

“Pardon?”

“I have simply carried it with me always because it felt inexplicably significant… I figured it might prove far more useful to you, Young Master, than it ever would to me.”

“Hm. May I unwrap it?”

“P-Please, go ahead!”

Without further hesitation, Lion tore away the paper covering.

Baby Food for Evil Beasts

* Appears suitable for nourishing newly hatched evil beasts.
* Caution: Opening the package may attract nearby evil beasts due to its potent aroma!

Ah, so that was the nature of the item. This was essentially infant sustenance intended for mythical predators…

‘Hold on. Baby food for evil beasts, completely out of the blue?’

Lion rapidly sifted through every scrap of lore stored within his memory.

At the apex of the Beast Taming hierarchy, precisely two distinct categories of creatures had historically existed.

Divine Beasts and Evil Beasts.

Evil beasts, in particular, possessed an innate mastery over arcane energies, and combat evaluations suggested that even legendary dragons paled in comparison to their might; they were truly magnificent entities.

Presently, neither classification could be found inhabiting this realm.

Divine Beasts had vanished entirely, while evil beasts resided exclusively within the Demon Realm.

‘So theoretically, they shouldn’t exist in this world at all, right?’

Substances capable of rearing and domesticating such entities?

‘Now that I reflect upon it, the Shilling Shop as well.’

When he had previously reviewed the inventory sorted by lowest pricing tier, an entry labeled ‘Food for Evil Beasts’ had indeed appeared.

If that was the case…

‘Does such a thing genuinely exist here, outside the Demon Realm?’

Or perhaps a hidden conduit leading into the Demon Realm remained active?

‘Yet, how could that be?’

The Demon Realm and the mortal plane were entirely partitioned by the ‘Great Barrier’ erected long ago by his Grandfather and the Saintess.

Under normal circumstances, evil beasts crossing over was practically an impossibility… but what if an exception existed?

If the former scenario applied, it was manageable, but the latter presented a worrisome headache.

‘A single misstep could easily trigger a secondary cataclysmic war.’

Lion carried his musings that far before slowly shaking his head.

Was he not simply borrowing trouble over hypothetical fears?

Had there been any structural compromise within the Great Barrier, his grandfather would have detected the anomaly long before anyone else.

Moreover, the minor demons occasionally squeezing through minor fissures hardly constituted a catastrophic threat.

The true hazards were high-ranking demonic entities.

‘Indeed. It remains entirely plausible that a small handful of evil beasts simply lingered behind in this world.’

After all, Barg happened to be a direct descendant of the ancient Druids.

Druidic bloodlines inherently wielded affinities for spiritual communion and Beast Taming.

Consequently, it was hardly far-fetched for Barg to be in possession of such an artifact.

Besides…

‘He genuinely appears entirely clueless.’

Regrettably, Barg seemed completely oblivious to the true identity and value of what he had carried.

Lion deliberated for a brief moment, then carefully rewrapped the parcel and tucked it securely inside his tunic.

Part of his motivation stemmed from a desire to honor Barg’s sincere gesture.

* Caution: Opening the package may attract nearby evil beasts due to its potent aroma!

Furthermore, he understood that even if residual evil beasts walked the earth, they were not the mindless abominations painted by popular superstition.

While human society might brandish pitchforks, viewing them as existential threats simply because their origins lay in the Demon Realm—

‘In truth, they are merely creatures possessing exceptional adaptability, uniquely suited for survival within the Demon Realm.’