Chapter 193

Chapter 193
Chapter 193: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

This spot was undeniably ideal for the egg to undergo its hatching process.

Lion pressed onward, exerting every ounce of his remaining strength.

“……”

Rikschel, trailing slightly behind to quietly offer support, stared in utter disbelief.

‘…He’s navigating the path with absolute precision?’

Only a moment ago, he had advised his brother to head toward the heart of the training grounds, but the reality of doing so was far from simple. This was the personal training area of the Family Head, a domain perpetually ravaged by fierce mana tempers. Yet, that was merely the first obstacle.

The greater challenge lay in discovering the true path through this tempestuous environment. Locating the exact center—the tranquil eye of the storm designated for rigorous training—was not a feat achieved by merely walking across a room in a straight line.

Spatial orientation twisted, and visibility plummeted. Without an unerring sense of direction, navigating a tempest of this magnitude bred a profound, suffocating dread. It was a pressure capable of shattering the resolve of ordinary people and seasoned mages alike. Worst of all, turning back once the journey began was rarely an option.

‘Of course, I managed it myself.’

That was only because he had listened intently to the Family Head’s exhaustive briefing on the training ground’s hazards. Moreover, he possessed genuine talent. Even so, reaching the center demanded absolute caution with every single stride, and he had stumbled down the wrong paths more than once, enduring harsh lessons. One misstep could easily prove fatal.

‘Yet Brother…’

Though his movements were visibly hindered by physical exhaustion, there was no hesitation in his stride. He advanced in a gradual, spiraling motion, expertly riding the currents of the massive mana storm. The accuracy of his footing actually surpassed Rikschel’s own, rendering any need for guidance completely obsolete.

And yet.

‘…My magic was still necessary.’

Regardless of how extraordinary his brother’s intuition might be, navigating the storm without protective enchantments had a strict ceiling. Lion was not yet capable of casting defensive spells powerful enough to withstand this environment.

But Rikschel could.

‘What a profound realization.’

It felt like only moments ago that he had broken through to the 5th Circle right here in this very space, driven purely by a desperate longing to see his family again.

‘It wasn’t just a longing to see them.’

Delving deeper into that yearning, the core motivation became clear.

‘I want to protect them.’

He wanted his magic and his very presence to serve as a shield for his loved ones. And at this exact moment, standing precisely where he had achieved his breakthrough, that wish was taking tangible form.

“……!”

Suddenly, he felt the ambient mana, broken apart by his defensive barrier, stream directly into his system. The chilling fragments of the storm coursed through his veins, revitalizing his mind in a way he hadn’t experienced since reaching the 5th Circle.

Rikschel glanced up at his brother, who was plodding forward with fierce determination, his eyes bright.

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re genuinely incredible.”

“Mhm?”

…Did that sound like a sarcastic remark to him?

‘It’s entirely possible.’

In truth, Lion shouldn’t have had to endure this hardship at all. Lion gritted his teeth, letting out a heavy puff of air. Viewing the situation from that perspective made him feel a twinge of guilt. Because his eyes had been fixed entirely on the path ahead, he had completely missed what was going on in Rikschel’s head.

“Th-thanks?”

For now, regardless of the underlying meaning, a simple expression of gratitude was the safest route. Besides, he was already brushing against his physical limits and lacked the capacity for deeper thought.

‘Oh, I’m genuinely passing out.’

It felt akin to scaling a sheer, towering peak without any climbing gear. His limbs felt leaden, and his breathing turned ragged and shallow. The hyper-abundant mana pressed down heavily upon his lungs—an entirely different sensation from the labyrinth’s mana, which had always treated Lion like its master.

‘Thank goodness I never pursued the path of a mage.’

If he had chosen that road, would he have regretted it every single day of his life?

“Peep. Peep!”

Nature poked its tiny head out from the satchel, chirping away diligently.

Almost immediately, the crushing weight on his chest eased slightly, and his steps felt marginally lighter. It seemed Nature simply could not bear to watch its master suffer any longer.

“Well then…”

Lion halted his steps, slowly scanning his surroundings.

At some point, the roaring fury of the storm had died down into a hush. The distant howling of the wind sounded muffled and far away, leaving a faint ringing in his ears.

“Did we make it?”

“Yes. You found the correct route on your very first try.”

“Haha. If I had to walk this again, I probably wouldn’t find it.”

“……”

Rather than offering praise for the feat, Rikschel layered an even sturdier protective spell around Lion, parting his lips to speak.

Or rather, he *was* about to speak.

That was until the egg tucked inside his brother’s pouch suddenly leaped out on its own, hovering mid-air.

“……!”

Rikschel’s eyes widened at the unexpected development.

It wasn’t merely the sight of an egg floating through the air that shocked him. He already knew the item was extraordinary. But exactly what kind of entity was hidden inside…

‘The mana…’

The hovering egg began to siphon the surrounding ambient mana at a staggering velocity. The absorption was so intense that sharp icicles forming within the storm shattered instantly and were pulled directly into the cracking shell.

“Rikschel.”

“……! Yes, Brother.”

Jolted back to reality by the prompt, Rikschel gripped his staff tighter.

If the egg continued to devour the storm’s energy at that scale, the delicate equilibrium of the training grounds would momentarily collapse. That meant even the eye of the storm, traditionally considered a safe zone, would transform into an exceptionally hazardous area.

‘If I were still at the 4th Circle…’

Managing this situation would have been well beyond his capabilities. Even immediately after achieving the 5th Circle, it would have been a near-impossible task.

Rikschel tightened his hold on the staff.

Yet now, he had the power to handle it. This wasn’t empty arrogance; it was a conclusion drawn purely from precise calculations and probabilities. While he couldn’t predict what would hatch from the egg, he was entirely confident in his ability to keep both his brother and himself safe.

“I’ll handle the defense, so don’t worry about anything else and focus on the egg, Brother,” Rikschel stated, his voice steady and resolute.

“Got it. I’m counting on you.”

Lion replied without ever shifting his gaze away from the Evil Beast’s Egg suspended in the air.

『The Evil Beast’s Egg finds comfort in this environment.』

『The Evil Beast’s Egg feels a growing curiosity about the outside world.』

Fortunately, the egg genuinely seemed to appreciate its surroundings.

“That’s right. You’re curious about everything out here, aren’t you?”

Lion extended a hand upward.

Though he fell short of reaching the egg floating high above him, he hoped to project at least a fraction of his warmth toward it. Usually, eggs required warm incubation conditions, but this place was freezing.

So, he offered quiet encouragement.

“Hurry up and hatch so you can come down. I’m not going anywhere; I’ll be right here waiting.”

Once it emerged, they could visit the warm springs it favored and explore countless other sights together. They could experience the soft scent of fresh flower petals directly instead of through a thick shell, and pick out custom branches rather than relying solely on Nature’s choices. They would share wonderful meals side by side.

Perhaps those sincere words served as the final catalyst.

『The Evil Beast’s Egg resolves to witness you and the wider world firsthand.』

Accompanied by this system notification, the immediate environment shifted dramatically.

Whoooosh.

The colossal mana storm swirling across the training ground abruptly shifted course, wrapping its currents tightly around the Evil Beast’s Egg.

Wait. This is…

‘It’s drawing it all in.’

The egg was drinking in the mana with such ferocious intensity that the natural flow of the entire storm was altered. Sensing this anomaly, heavy thunder rumbled across the training grounds.

“It’s alright.”

Lion immediately began murmuring soothingly, treating the egg like an anxious child to ensure the tremendous noise wouldn’t startle it into halting the process.

“Your uncle is right here to protect you.”

“Unc…”

Rikschel, who was frantically recalibrating his defensive barrier to match the violent shifts in the mana stream, muttered unconsciously under his breath.

‘…Did he just call me an uncle?’

It was a rather surreal title for someone who was still legally a minor.

Yet, strangely enough…

‘Actually, it doesn’t feel half bad.’

Rikschel had never harbored any particular fondness for beasts. In fact, he had initially resolved to quietly dispose of the egg if it caused his brother any major trouble—after all, beasts were ultimately just animals. But hearing that label bestowed upon him sparked an unexpected wave of affection.

‘As long as it doesn’t turn out to be a menace…’

His brother spent a lot of time alone, so having another companion around probably wouldn’t hurt.

While those thoughts ran through Rikschel’s mind, a deep hum echoed through the space.

Woong. Woooong.

Having consumed a massive reserve of mana, the Evil Beast’s Egg emitted a profound, reverberating resonance.

Immediately afterward, the thunder ceased, and the raging storm lost its momentum, abruptly falling still. For a fleeting second, an absolute lull settled over the area. It felt as though some gargantuan entity had drawn a deep breath and paused.

“……”

Rikschel pressed his lips together in the midst of this eerie quiet, channeling his mana into readiness. It was the classic calm before a tidal wave. Something enormous was undoubtedly about to happen.

*We need to brace for a massive surge of power—*

The moment that thought crossed his mind, a sharp sound cut through the air.

Crack. Crack.

The smooth surface of the silent egg fractured extensively, and a blinding radiance spilled forth from the widening fissures.

『The Evil Beast’s Egg is hatching.』

Pieces of the shell flaked away and scattered. Swept up in the lingering currents, the shell fragments dissolved into shimmering dust riding the fading mana streams, but the core light retained the distinct silhouette of an egg.

And then…

The entity engulfed in that brilliant illumination shot directly downward toward Lion’s outstretched arms. At a glance, it looked precisely like a falling star trailing a luminous tail.

“Brother! Watch out…!”

Before Rikschel could lunge forward to intercept it, the object arrived.

Plop.

“Huh?”

Something small, light, and remarkably warm landed squarely in Lion’s embrace.

The glare of the light was still too intense to make out clear details, but…

‘Is it… fluffy?’

It was roughly three times the size of Nature, possessing a heft comparable to a healthy cat or a small puppy.

And then…

Swish. Swish-swish.

Was its tail swaying with that kind of mesmerizing rhythm?

Just as that thought registered, the blinding light began to fade away.

Resting securely in Lion’s arms was a tiny baby beast with bright, sparkling eyes, happily leaning into his touch.

Only now, its appearance featured a distinct cluster of tails.

“Well now…”

Lion slid a hand beneath the creature’s front paws and hoisted it up into the air.

“Kiying! Kiying!”

Dangling happily, the little creature swished its multiple tails back and forth like a spinning propeller.

Lion recognized this creature instantly.

“So it really was you.”

Renowned as the ultimate companion for a druid, and standing at the very peak of beast-kind.

A nine-tailed fox.

‘Of course, its adult form is normally quite a bit larger.’

In maturity, they grew longer and more slender than a group of trolls combined…

Right now, however, its infant size was no bigger than a common puppy. Furthermore, it hadn’t yet grown its full set of tails.

“Let’s count…”

Three. Only three tails had sprouted so far, a clear indicator of its youth.

Well, that didn’t matter in the slightest.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Kiying!”

『The Evil Beast’s Egg has successfully hatched.』

『Please assign a name to your new companion.』