Chapter 210

Chapter 210
Chapter 210: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Haaahm.”

Urheel, the bear beastman, stretched his arms wide and scratched his belly while gazing upward at the prison ceiling.

Disregarding his surroundings entirely, his posture was virtually identical to that of a lazy sloth.

‘It’s not bad.’

The stone floor felt rather stiff, but it was well within reason.

‘Ah, having something warm to wrap around myself would be wonderful.’

Urheel, who had been blankly staring at the top of the room much like when he was initially captured, suddenly licked his lips.

Despite having been unconscious for a considerable duration, his sleep had left his stomach completely hollow and demanding food.

‘What a pity, considering how splendidly I dined for the first time in ages.’

Truth be told, he had rarely eaten a proper meal while wandering across the breadth of the Empire.

It was a stark contrast to his homeland in the Beastmen Country, where lounging about meant a steady supply of top-tier fruit and honey appeared without effort.

Of course, provisions were plentiful in this place as well!

However, none of it possessed the qualities of a true delicacy.

‘I refuse to fill my stomach with such mediocre fare.’

Despite what his appearance might suggest, Urheel was a connoisseur of the highest order.

His refined palate was so exceptional that even fellow bear beastmen shook their heads in astonishment.

He would sooner starve than consume anything that failed to satisfy his strict culinary standards, even slightly.

‘Perhaps the finest ingredients are reserved exclusively for the tables of the nobility.’

The situation remained unchanged no matter which province of the Empire he happened to visit.

Consequently, he had arrived in the Asteri Territory on a completely empty stomach for the very first time in his life.

Yet, what did he discover?

This place possessed an abundance of high-quality fruit that even ordinary peasants could consume to their heart’s content!

And that was far from all.

There was honey to be found, alongside exceptionally sweet potatoes!

Overwhelmed by the temptation, he had abandoned all caution and gorged himself endlessly.

‘……Which is precisely why I ended up locked away in this cell.’

Still, they clearly had no intention of executing him, so everything would surely work out fine, wouldn’t it?

Roll.

Urheel flipped over onto his stomach.

The stone surface offered a pleasant coolness that made the environment quite tolerable.

“……Tsk. That last dish I tasted was truly magnificent.”

As he lay there, his thoughts drifted back to the honey-glazed nuts.

Their delightful texture paired with an exquisite flavor profile.

And the aroma.

‘It carried a profound fragrance unlike anything I had ever encountered before.’

It managed to be both sweet and tart without ever offending the nose, perfectly captivating his senses.

‘That was unequivocally no ordinary honey.’

While he remained uncertain which specific blossoms had contributed to the brew, the scent traveled remarkably far.

Furthermore, there was a refreshing undertone woven throughout…

Even to Urheel, who took immense pride in his refined tastes, the creation was so alluring that his very soul seemed drawn right into it.

Thus, he had devoured the treat with full awareness that it was a trap.

‘No regrets whatsoever.’

In fact, he felt tempted to orchestrate another scheme simply to secure a second helping of that bait.

‘……It will all sort itself out eventually.’

To be completely honest, he had a reliable backup plan.

Had he been detained by a lesser noble, he could have easily thrown his weight around.

Was he not a bear beastman?

It felt slightly awkward to boast of his own lineage, but his bloodline was far from ordinary.

His standing within the Beastmen Country was also quite substantial.

Local authorities would surely wish to avoid creating an unnecessary diplomatic incident with a foreign nation.

Nobles, in particular, tended to exercise extreme caution in such matters.

“Hmm…”

Having concluded his internal calculations—a stark contrast to his outwardly casual demeanor of scratching his belly and rolling around—Urheel felt entirely at ease.

Naturally, his gaze drifted toward the side of the cell.

More specifically, to the figure stationed just beyond the iron bars.

“Well, I am stuck in here, but what brings you to this post?”

Urheel rolled back over, clasped his hands behind his head, and spoke in a leisurely tone.

Barg, who had been watching him intently the entire time, responded with a stern edge to his voice.

“Do not address me without permission.”

“Words are merely breath. I see no harm in casual conversation.”

“My duty is simply to watch over a prisoner.”

“I had assumed the Asteri Territory possessed vast wealth, yet their human resources must be rather lacking if they are forced to assign guard duties to a mere child.”

“I am a fully grown adult!”

“…….”

“And I possess strength. I will only grow stronger.”

Urheel glanced sideways at Barg and let out a low chuckle.

“My apologies.”

Naturally, anyone would feel irritated upon being mistaken for a young child when they believed otherwise.

This was especially true for individuals whose physical growth outpaced their other traits.

While the exact timeline varied by race, undergoing rapid physical maturation before mental catching up was fairly typical among Beastmen.

Normally, guidance and care from those around them would bridge the gap to establish proper balance.

However, in this case…

‘He appears to lack any sort of guardian… Ah, I see.’

The realization struck him suddenly.

It was not that a guardian was entirely absent, but rather that the caretaker belonged to an entirely different species.

Surely, deep within those woods…

That explained why he had sensed something unusual when he originally spotted the pair hiding in the brush behind the trees just before consuming the trap.

The Red Wolf Beastman clearly held greater physical might, yet the human—the lord of this domain—was actively shielding him.

‘He carried the aura of a Spirit Master.’

Yet that detail proved rather peculiar, considering rumors placed the management of the Asteri Territory firmly in the hands of mages…

‘Well, such matters are of little consequence.’

In any case, the contracted spirit appeared to hold a remarkably high standing.

Even so, a guardian cannot directly accelerate the maturation of a werewolf.

The fundamental differences in their races prevented it.

‘Still, given how far they have raised him…’

A tremendous amount of effort must have gone into the process.

For a human—who lacked the innate swiftness of an elf—to accomplish such a feat required exceptional observation and guidance.

However…

‘There must be an inherent ceiling.’

Unless the human possessed extraordinary innate abilities or an exhaustive mastery of theoretical knowledge, they had likely reached the limit of their capability.

‘They must have found the situation quite troublesome.’

And yet, by sheer coincidence, I arrived at the exact right moment!

One might argue the timing was remarkably advantageous for both parties involved.

Presumably, my current offense would be pardoned under such circumstances.

‘Even if my assumption proves incorrect, it matters little.’

I simply need to contact my home office and arrange suitable compensation.

Regardless, the best course of action was to await the arrival of the one called Lion Asteri.

‘With any luck, they plan to provide a meal.’

Ceasing his conversation with Barg, Urheel stretched out comfortably to await Lion.

Fortunately, the wait proved to be quite brief.

“Has your watch been uneventful?”

“Yes! Young Master.”

“You have done well. You are dismissed.”

“Pardon? But…”

Barg hesitated, casting a wary glance toward the cell.

Clearly, the young wolf still viewed the prisoner as a significant threat.

Urheel rose to his feet and offered an indifferent shrug.

“It is entirely fine.”

“…Understood.”

Unable to argue further, Barg offered a brief nod and stepped away from the area.

The Red Wolf Beastman had evidently been trained with remarkable discipline to obey so readily.

Or perhaps he had been shown a level of kindness that fostered absolute loyalty.

Thus, the two figures stood face-to-face, separated only by a narrow barrier of iron bars.

“I must admit, you possess considerable boldness.”

“You seem well-informed regarding bear beastmen, yet you conduct private negotiations relying on nothing more than a thin metal gate.”

“Your name?”

“Urheel.”

“I apologize for having to strike that child and drag him here. That lad…”

“It was merely a youthful mistake, so no offense was taken.”

“You recognized his nature.”

“Though our species differ, we share the blood of beastmen.”

Urheel added a brief clarification, noting that he possessed senses capable of perceiving what humans typically could not.

“You appear to have received a proper education.”

“Well… translated into human terminology, my station is somewhat akin to nobility.”

Urheel smiled as the conversation proceeded precisely along the path he had anticipated.

While he had been flustered and caught off guard back in the forest, he was confident those circumstances would not repeat themselves.

After all, he now understood exactly what the other party desired.

“So, what form of compensation do you require?”

“Are you physically capable of movement?”

“I was merely rendered unconscious for a brief moment.”

Naturally, the back of his head still retained a dull ache, but he wisely chose to omit that detail.

‘Young as he may be, he remains a Red Wolf Beastman…’

His power was undeniable.

In truth, the sheer fact that he had managed to knock out a bear beastman—a race renowned for incredible resilience—spoke volumes.

If brought back to the mainland, the youth would likely be granted a prominent position.

Though, the other party would likely refuse such an offer outright.

“Very well. Then, come along.”

“……You intend to open the door?”

Lion offered no verbal reply, simply producing a key and deftly picking the lock to swing the cell door open.

‘Hah… Just what is giving him such confidence?’

Naturally, Urheel harbored no malicious intentions at the moment.

Squeezing his massive frame through the narrow opening of the iron bars, he stepped out into the corridor.

Yet, where exactly was he being led?

Just as a question formed on his lips, Lion spoke.

“By the way, would you mind using formal speech?”

“That is hardly an issue, but is formal language truly a prerequisite for educating that werewolf?”

“…Hmm? Ah, I see.”

Lion paused for a moment of confusion before letting out a soft chuckle as the misunderstanding cleared.

He had briefly wondered at the creature’s shameless attitude, realizing now that a complete misinterpretation had occurred.

‘Though, to be fair, the thought is not entirely incorrect.’

The bear would realize that truth soon enough through direct experience.

“Just follow me for now.”

“…”

Urheel’s brow twitched slightly at Lion’s cryptic reaction, but he obediently fell in behind him.

—

The destination Lion ultimately led Urheel to turned out to be…

Vroom.

An apiary where displaced bees buzzed frantically through the air.

The interior presented a deeply disheartening scene.

Beekeepers let out heavy sighs as they carefully transferred scattered colonies into brand-new hives.

With the apiary in complete disarray, exhaustion was etched clearly across all of their faces.

Gathering these distressed individuals together, Lion positioned them directly in front of Urheel.

“Now. Offer your apologies.”

“……?”

Urheel stood momentarily speechless.

The situation deviated entirely from his expectations.

Had they not intended to demand monetary damages, entirely unrelated to that young werewolf?

An apology?

Such an action was something he had never performed even within his own homeland.

As Urheel hesitated in silence…

Tap.

“Go ahead.”

Acting with absolute instinctive certainty, Lion pressed a hand firmly against Urheel’s back to urge him forward!

“Now, see here—!”

Given Urheel’s immense physical mass, a normal push should have left him completely unmovable, yet.

“…I offer my sincere apologies.”

Urheel abruptly decided to comply with Lion’s silent pressure.

Though the apology lacked formal polish and felt rather awkward, the local merchants—who had evidently been briefed on the situation beforehand—simply let out heavy sighs and shook their heads.

“Sigh, well, we suppose it must be viewed as an unfortunate natural disaster… Still, rumors regarding an apiary assault by a bear brought unwanted scrutiny from the local nobility.”

“That is a profound relief to hear.”

“Indeed. And since the Young Master has personally apprehended the culprit and offered to assist with the reconstruction efforts, we are quite content to let the matter rest.”

“Hahaha. Have no fear. My assistance will surely prove valuable.”

While Urheel continued offering polite bows, the negotiation progressed at a rapid pace.

Before long, Urheel found himself…

“……?”

Entrusted with butterfly nets in both hands, actively capturing runaway bees.

‘W-what is the meaning of this?’

A fresh wave of shock washed over Urheel.

This was entirely unprecedented.

While he had certainly harvested honeycombs in the wild to consume their contents, he had never once been tasked with rounding up loose bees to construct a hive.

“Come along now. You must be extremely careful not to harm the insects.”

“Ah, understood.”

The entire undertaking lay completely outside his realm of expertise.

A strong urge to protest bubbled up within him, demanding he voice his grievances.

‘Request any other form of restitution instead!’

Yet, circumstances prevented him from uttering a single word of complaint.

After all…

Swoosh! Whoosh!

“Got another one!”

Lion Asteri was actively catching bees right beside him with equal enthusiasm!

[Gathering Proficiency has reached Skilled Lv. 2.]

‘Wait, does this task genuinely count toward gathering skill progression?’

Naturally, Lion felt a wave of satisfaction at discovering a fresh source of experience points to elevate his level, though that remained a secondary concern.

Furthermore, perhaps aided by his mastery of spirit arts, the honeybees seemed naturally drawn toward them.

While the rapid accumulation of experience points was certainly welcome, he refused to neglect his supervisory duties.

“Hey there, your movements are slowing down. Pick up the pace and earn your keep.”

He promptly nudged Urheel back to work.

“……Right. Understood.”

A mountain of labor awaited them once that task concluded.

Following their duties at the apiary, Urheel was marched off to an orchard to clear away fallen timber and accumulated debris, and even assist with spreading fertilizer across the soil.

“My word, you take to manual labor remarkably well, don’t you?”

One of the local victims muttered in genuine admiration.