Chapter 198

Chapter 198
Chapter 198: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Ultimately, staying close to Young Master Lion felt like the superior choice.

“Um, Young Master…”

“Hm?”

“Are you feeling fatigued?”

Hearing this, Lion blinked in surprise and instinctively touched his features.

“Do I appear tired to you?”

“No, it’s not that at all… I just thought perhaps you might be. If that visitor is causing you distress, I can inform Young Master Rikschel right away…!”

“No, there is no need for that.”

If anything, Lion suspected that Barg himself might end up being the one causing the distress moving forward.

Jack would simply have to do his utmost to stay on Lion’s good side for the duration of his stay.

Yet, what could Lion possibly require from the Asteri Family?

Truly, anything he desired would be granted instantly with a mere snap of his fingers.

“Thank you for your concern. It is quite reassuring, actually.”

“Pardon? Ehehe…”

Upon receiving even this minor praise, Barg’s tail began to wag gently as he looked away in bashful embarrassment.

In truth, his ears and tail seemed to emerge much more frequently ever since his true identity as a Beastman had come to light.

This was likely because he had realized he was free to maintain his natural, comfortable form within these walls.

“Ah, the timing couldn’t be better.”

“Pardon?”

“There is someone I would like you to meet.”

—

“Wooooow…!”

Barg covered his mouth with both hands, staring in wonder at the tiny creature resting before him.

Its coat and tail were remarkably fluffy, its eyes shone brightly, and its miniature teeth were still smaller than a single grain of barley he might have once pilfered…!!

“It is utterly adorable! Are you planning to raise it from now on?”

“Yes, I have decided to. Its name is Pus.”

“Pus… what a charming name.”

Yet, a rather perplexed expression crossed Barg’s face.

“What is the matter?”

“Ah, well…”

Barg hesitantly extended a finger to lightly touch Pus’s relatively oversized front paw.

“Kyang!”

Seeming thoroughly offended by the touch of an unfamiliar hand, Pus let out a sharp, indignant yelp and quickly jerked his paw backward.

“M-My apologies.”

Barg instinctively apologized, then cast a nervous glance back at Lion.

“Well…”

He glanced once more toward Pus before leaning in close to Lion, lowering his voice to a mere whisper.

“Judging by the size of those paws… I believe it is going to grow very, very large indeed!”

“Hm…”

Hearing Barg’s assessment made it seem all the more certain that the creature would experience a massive growth spurt.

While Lion had not entirely dismissed the possibility, having it spoken aloud made the reality much more tangible.

“It will be fine. As long as it remains happy with itself.”

With those words, Lion picked Pus up and gently rubbed the little creature’s nose using his thumb.

“Is there anything else it might require at this stage?”

“Ah!”

At that instant, Barg finally understood the underlying reason for why he had been summoned here.

‘It does not possess the traits of an ordinary Beastman…’

At the same time, it could not be mistaken for a standard animal either, owing to a faint, peculiar resonance that only those of Beastman heritage could truly perceive.

It lacked the absolute clarity of a spirit, yet carried an intricate and strangely familiar sensation.

‘Perhaps by its very nature…’

Although he had navigated life entirely on his own from a very tender age—leaving him far less informed than many of his peers—certain truths could still be recognized purely through instinct.

For instance, phenomena such as this.

“I believe… it would be beneficial to let it interact with a wider variety of individuals. At present…”

When Barg cautiously reached his hand out once more, Pus immediately bared his teeth in a warning growl.

“Your devotion to the Young Master is commendable, but a careless mistake could easily lead to an accident. The greater an individual’s innate power, the more difficult it is for them to regulate their strength during their youth.”

He knew that reality all too well from personal experience.

Barg muttered those words half to himself before hastily waving his hands in alarm.

“Not right now, of course! Besides, my Eclipse symptoms have nearly vanished completely!”

“Indeed. Please go on.”

Reassured by Lion’s composed demeanor, Barg gathered his thoughts and resumed speaking.

Though lacking the absolute certainty of a seasoned scholar, Barg’s insights aligned surprisingly well with the principles of Beast Taming.

He touched upon suitable treats, foundational training methods, and the specific behaviors that corresponded to various emotional states.

“Socialization training, you mean…”

“Yes. Ideally, such lessons come from parents or elders of one’s own kind, but when that is impossible, structured training of this sort can—hm?”

Midway through his passionate explanation, Barg abruptly trailed off as he noticed Lion’s steady, lingering gaze.

He pointed a finger toward his own chest in disbelief and stammered out a question.

“…Me?”

“After all, allowing others to handle it could prove hazardous.”

“That is true, but, um…”

He desperately wanted to raise an objection, yet no counterargument came to mind.

In truth, from the very first moment he laid eyes on Pus, an instinctive intuition had whispered to him.

If that little creature was in search of a suitable playmate or mentor… that responsibility would naturally fall to him.

“Am I truly qualified for this?”

Logically, he understood that he possessed a better grasp of the matter than anyone else around, yet lingering self-doubt weighed heavily upon him.

He had received virtually no formal upbringing or guidance from his own parents.

While they had surely protected him during his infancy, unfortunately, those memories were entirely lost to time.

Following that period, as he struggled through his formative years, he had been forced to figure everything out on his own through sheer trial and error.

He could never be entirely certain whether his hard-won knowledge measured up to the standards of other Beastmen.

“Perhaps it would be wiser to invite a different Beastman…”

“No.”

Lion shook his head with absolute finality.

“You understand these matters better than anyone.”

With those words, Lion extended a small package containing infant nourishment toward Barg.

“This is the very food it accepted from your hands earlier.”

“…”

Barg struggled to process the full implication immediately.

He recognized the item, yet comprehending that it was specialized nourishment—or that he had actually succeeded in feeding it to Pus—felt entirely surreal.

Even so, one undeniable truth resonated deeply within his instincts.

The Young Master placed his highest trust in him regarding this task.

‘…Barg! This is your chance!’

Was it not his deepest wish to render genuine service to the Young Master?

To that end, he had subjected himself to rigorous conditioning and pushed his recovery as far as humanly possible.

Furthermore, he had even secured the position of personal guard to Young Master Rikschel, the Young Master’s younger brother.

Even so, it felt a stretch to claim those achievements had directly benefited Young Master Lion in any tangible way.

They had merely bridged the distance between them.

Yet this particular responsibility?

‘…Yes! I am the only one who can accomplish this.’

Barg clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Perhaps the kind and benevolent Young Master recognized genuine value in the insights Barg had painfully gathered through his own hardships.

‘I had merely dismissed my own experiences as lacking.’

From the Young Master’s perspective, however, they were anything but worthless.

If that was the case, perhaps this endeavor would eventually yield profound value for Barg’s own future as well.

“I have no intention of cutting into your regular training schedule. Simply stop by every few days to check on Pus and ensure he is thriving…”

“I will do it!”

“Pardon?”

“I shall impart every single thing I have learned to Pus… no, to Master Pus!”

“…”

Well, thank you for your enthusiasm.

Still, was one truly meant to be this fired up over the prospect?

‘Did he secretly possess a deep desire to teach others?’

Within the confines of the Asteri Mansion, the population consisted almost entirely of humans, leaving virtually no opportunity to encounter animals.

From the perspective of someone with Barg’s Beastman heritage, the environment must have felt rather stifling at times.

‘Ah.’

Moreover, having spent his entire life walking on eggshells in a human-dominated world… perhaps this made the opportunity all the more welcome.

‘And beyond that…’

Although he had not mentioned it aloud to Barg, Pus was a Gumiho, a creature sharing a deep affinity with the Red Wolf Beastman known as the ‘Druid’, wasn’t he?

Perhaps an invisible, instinctive pull drew them together.

‘Besides, Pus does not seem to despise the idea either.’

He knew this well, even if the little creature had pointedly turned its head away and let out a dismissive bark earlier.

Pus had not resorted to extending his claws or making a single attempt to bite.

On the contrary, whenever Barg spoke, those fluffy ears would instantly perk up and twitch in response.

That alone indicated a high degree of curiosity and engagement.

“In that case, would you care to join Pus in the courtyard tomorrow afternoon? Starting straight into formal training right away might prove too exhausting.”

“Understood! I shall make all necessary preparations!”

“Try not to be overly nervous.”

“Yes!”

“…”

His intensity was palpable.

‘Well… I will be present as well, so everything should proceed smoothly, correct?’

While observing the two interact, he intended to craft specialized toys and items tailored perfectly for Pus’s amusement.

All while incorporating advice from Nature along the way.

“Until tomorrow, then.”

Barg bowed his head deeply, his face flushed with excitement, before turning to depart from the chamber.

Then, with an enthusiastic shout of “Ah! I almost forgot!”, he sprinted off in a sudden hurry, having evidently neglected to deliver his report concerning Jack to Rikschel.

“Ppippi.”

“…Do you suspect Barg might end up being the one tormented rather than doing the teaching?”

“Ppiyu.”

“Hm… that is a fair assessment.”

Lion murmured softly while gazing down at Pus, who was currently rubbing affectionately against his chest.

“Do keep a watchful eye on Barg on my behalf, will you? Can you do that?”

“Kiying!”

At the very least, their responsiveness could not be faulted.

—

“A hero.”

“Indeed.”

“And how did Older Brother respond?”

“He did not display any particular reaction.”

“I see.”

Rikschel let out a dry, knowing smirk, one corner of his mouth curving upward.

Judging by the details of Barg’s report, Jack must have suffered a severe blow to his pride.

“He severely miscalculated.”

Older Brother generally preferred to steer clear of such petty conflicts, yet he was far from inept when it came to verbal sparring.

Based on accounts he had previously gathered, Lion occasionally demonstrated a level of rhetorical sharpness that rivaled the Family Head himself.

‘Even so…’

Why on earth would an Older Brother with such capabilities choose to keep Jack sheltered within the estate rather than casting him out?

‘That remains a mystery.’

To be completely honest, Rikschel held a deep aversion to Jack’s overall character.

The audacity required to casually broach the subject of a ‘hero’ in front of Older Brother was thoroughly grating.

Older Brother could easily command renown on his own merits without requiring assistance from sycophants like Jack.

The sole reason he refrained from doing so was simply because Older Brother possessed no personal ambition for such status.

“…*Sigh*.”

Exhaling a quiet breath, Rikschel shook his head slightly.

‘It is not my place to interfere.’

That was a matter Older Brother was fully equipped to handle with effortless grace.

There was simply no necessity for him to step into the fray.

Rikschel’s role was merely to provide unwavering support from the shadows.

“Very well. You are dismissed.”

“Understood. And one more thing…”

“Hm?”

Barg hesitated for a moment before speaking in a hesitant, stuttering tone.

After listening to the full context of the request, Rikschel fell silent in thought for a brief second before offering a relaxed response.

“Granted.”

“…Thank you!”

Having delivered his report and secured the necessary approval, Barg offered a respectful bow and departed from Rikschel’s quarters.

Rikschel let out a soft chuckle, followed by a faint sigh, as he watched Barg’s tail wagging vigorously in undisguised high spirits.

To be frank, their personalities clashed in several fundamental ways.

Barg was timid, prone to anxiety, and wore his emotions far too openly—traits Rikschel typically found unappealing.

Even so, the reasoning behind choosing him as a personal guard remained unchanged.

‘…That display of power on that day.’

He could still vividly recall the sheer force unleashed during the clash triggered by the Eclipse symptoms.

Barg.

Or rather, the latent strength commanded by the Red Wolf Beastman surpassed all reasonable imagination.

Even then, the man had supposedly been operating in a berserk state devoid of reason, while simultaneously weakened by the ravages of the Eclipse…

‘If we were to exchange blows now under normal conditions…’

Rikschel frowned slightly as that sudden thought crossed his mind.

Despite his own steady and continuous growth, the odds of securing an absolute victory in a direct confrontation with Barg could not be guaranteed as one hundred percent.

On a personal level, the realization was mildly irritating, yet as a younger brother devoted to Older Brother, it brought a quiet sense of satisfaction.

It meant the circle of protection surrounding Older Brother had grown noticeably stronger.

Furthermore…

‘Barg’s loyalty is absolute and unyielding.’

Although the man himself seemed entirely unaware of it, that devotion bordered on the obsessive.

When ordinary retainers swore fealty to a lord, they invariably maintained a private reserve of independent thought.

Inevitably, seeds of doubt would occasionally sprout within their minds.

Was this command truly correct?

Am I justified in following this path? Such questions were natural.

Barg, however, was entirely devoid of that concept.

If Older Brother declared, “This is how the world is,” then from that second onward, those words became the absolute law of reality.

A more fiercely devoted hunting hound could not possibly exist.

Admittedly, such a temperament possessed the potential to evolve into something genuinely terrifying under different circumstances…

‘Provided the target of that devotion remains Older Brother…’

He concluded that the arrangement was more than acceptable.