Chapter 211

Chapter 211
## Chapter 211: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“I know, right…”

“This much should be enough to cover the damages.”

“You said a bear, right? He’s astonishingly powerful. Truly formidable.”

Fortunately, the affected townsfolk appeared quite content overall.

In fact, Urheel accomplished the workload of dozens of hired hands within just a few short hours.

Weighing the total cost of labor, it turned out to be profitable, if not more so.

‘Hmm, this might actually turn out fine.’

Urheel’s corners of his mouth turned upward at the warm praise coming from the villagers.

Initially, I feared I had hit a rough patch, but earning their pardon and fixing the mess proved far more fulfilling than anticipated.

“I’m glad I stepped outside.”

It was a feat I never would have dared attempt back in my native land.

“Ahem, and those beasts near the settlement gates were chased off by me, so there shouldn’t be any safety concerns for a while.”

Perhaps because of that, unprompted, he subtly brought up the good deeds he had performed.

“Oh! You truly match your massive stature!”

“Every time I had to walk past that way, my legs would shake!”

Lion chuckled softly as he watched Urheel fit in remarkably well.

At first, I had been furious, but seeing him now, he didn’t strike me as a bad person at all.

It’s just, how should I phrase it…

‘Should I call it sheer ignorance?’

Really, there is nothing wrong with a bear picking fruit off a tree, is there?

I simply view it as the natural order of things.

Naturally, that does not mean I have completely forgiven him yet.

Is there not still one remaining grievance?

The case of the missing banana sweet potatoes!

Lion had not forgotten about that incident.

He certainly hadn’t anticipated such a decent temperament, nor that the property damage could be repaired so effortlessly.

Regardless.

‘I will definitely get those back properly.’

That thought remained! However…

*Grumble.*

My belly let out a growl even though the sun had yet to dip below the horizon.

Doubtless, it was because I had spent the entire day laboring.

Just as I debated whether to head back inside for a quick bite.

“Oh goodness! Young Master, are you leaving?”

“My tasks are finished, so I ought to be heading off.”

“Don’t be silly, stay and share a meal with us.”

Such treatment would be unthinkable toward a typical noble young master, but the individual in question was Lion.

By then, the locals possessed a solid understanding of Lion’s disposition, prompting them to extend the invitation without hesitation.

Naturally, Lion replied:

“Oh, shall we stay?”

He accepted without missing a beat.

“…”

In truth, there was nothing extraordinary about the repast.

A thick stew simmered away in a massive iron pot, while ears of corn and whole potatoes baked over an open campfire fueled by applewood logs.

As a rich, savory aroma drifted through the air, people gathered around one by one, settling onto the ground and blowing on the steaming corn to enjoy the tender kernels.

The golden-brown roasted potatoes met the same enthusiastic reception.

“Here. Have one of these, Mr. Bear.”

“I…”

“Oh, go on. It’s all in the past now, no need to be shy!”

Before he could offer a rejection, a potato and an ear of corn were pressed directly into Urheel’s palms.

“Just say the word if you want seconds! We’ve got plenty of potatoes to spare!”

“…”

Urheel found himself in a rather awkward spot.

Frankly, fare of this sort did not appeal to his culinary standards.

It lacked sweetness, nor did it carry any rich fragrance.

It was merely roasted garden produce, wasn’t it?

Furthermore, it differed entirely in quality from the wild roots he used to unearth and consume deep within Mimir Forest.

‘There is simply no way I can decline under these circumstances.’

He had only just regained the villagers’ goodwill, and he had no wish to ruin it by turning down a simple snack.

Besides…

*Grumble.*

His own stomach felt hollow from all the hard physical labor.

Ultimately, Urheel made a firm resolution and took a bite of the potato and corn.

Just as expected, the flavor was utterly ordinary and unremarkable.

…Or so he initially believed.

“Oh!”

“You’re really putting those away!”

“Here, have a few more.”

Before he realized it, a towering heap of naked corn cobs had accumulated right in front of Urheel.

‘Unbelievable.’

I actually consumed this much of something so plain?

Even when I didn’t even think it tasted good?

It wasn’t as though a blow to the head had impaired my sense of taste.

Yet, how should I put it?

The surrounding ambiance simply compelled the food to disappear.

Naturally, he didn’t devour quite as much as he would have while in his true bear form, but…

‘Fascinating.’

Separate from those musings, a stray corn kernel remained stubbornly stuck to the corner of his mouth.

Well, since nobody seemed to mind, it was good enough.

“Alright. Once we finish eating, it’s time for dessert!”

Following a dessert made from leftover honey and misshapen fruit that proved too difficult to sell, a lively drinking gathering naturally commenced.

Urheel, who firmly declined the alcohol, remained seated near the campfire, taking in his surroundings.

The cheerful crackle of burning applewood blended with the rhythmic chatter of the villagers, creating a sound resembling a rustic harmony.

Some individuals even rose to dance along with the festive mood.

‘…Utterly fascinating.’

Urheel experienced a fresh wave of astonishment at these diverse, unfamiliar sights and experiences.

No, it might be more precise to say he felt utterly captivated.

As the modest festivities reached their zenith.

“We’ll be heading back now.”

Lion stood up, and Urheel followed behind him without a word.

Fortunately, tonight’s sleeping quarters consisted of an actual guest room rather than a chilly detention cell.

Urheel stretched out comfortably across the mattress.

Though slightly undersized, leaving his feet dangling slightly over the edge, he found the arrangement charming in its own unique way.

‘…The Asteri Territory is truly a peculiar place.’

Closing his eyes, Urheel allowed a strange warmth to wash over him.

—

The following morning.

*Bang!* The door swung wide open, revealing Lion standing in the doorway of the guest room.

“A bright and energetic morning to you!”

With brisk strides, he marched over and dramatically threw open the window drapes, allowing a torrent of blinding sunlight to flood the interior.

“Ugh…”

Unaccustomed to rising at such an early hour, Urheel pulled the bedcovers up over his head.

“Honestly.”

Though I could already surmise it from his past behavior.

This fellow, despite possessing such immense strength and raw talent, was remarkably lazy.

His perpetually vacant expression clearly stemmed from that very trait.

Lion had no business inquiring into the lifestyle Urheel had maintained back in the Beastmen Country.

After all, at present, the man was merely a captive debtor, wasn’t he?

“Get up.”

Debts must be paid.

Even at those words, Urheel refused to budge an inch.

“Leave me no choice. Nature, strip that blanket away.”

“Ppippi.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Nature whisked the blanket away using a gust of wind.

Urheel remained stubbornly prone, directly exposed to the brisk morning chill.

However, Lion was not the type to relent easily.

He had never intended to wake him gently from the start.

“Nature, let’s move him.”

“Peei!”

Having cast the blanket far across the room, Nature proceeded to hoist the two-meter-tall giant into the air using ambient wind currents.

A minor drain of mana registered within his body due to the sheer mass.

‘I can manage this weight effortlessly by now.’

And thus, Urheel was dragged off once again.

Exiting the bedchamber, traversing the mansion’s main foyer, and moving in the direction of the woods.

“…What a wretched morning.”

Faced with the blazing morning sun rather than filtered window light, he had no alternative but to surrender.

Urheel artfully pivoted his body mid-air and landed soundly on his feet.

“Did I not adequately atone for my offenses yesterday?”

“The most crucial task is still ahead of us.”

Lion let out a scoff and gestured toward a specific clearing.

Urheel knew precisely where they were heading even before looking.

“Those tasted wonderful, by the way.”

“They certainly ought to have!”

Indeed.

It was none other than the banana sweet potato patch!

The tragic landscape, now reduced to a scattering of tiny green shoots, remained preserved in all its devastation.

“Hold on, this isn’t private land, is it?”

Urheel attempted a defense rooted in his own sense of grievance.

He readily acknowledged liability for the apiary and the orchard.

After all, tangible losses had been inflicted upon actual people.

However, this was merely a tract of woodland, a location hardly fitting the description of a cultivated plot.

If anything, were these not simply gifts provided by nature?

“It happens to be my private field.”

“…Naturally, since this entire forest falls within your domain, that statement isn’t technically false, but.”

“No, I mean it literally was my field.”

It was a plot cultivated entirely through my own physical effort, from initial discovery to ongoing maintenance.

Granted, it was humble and rudimentary enough that casual observers might never mistake it for a farm!

Even so, the crops thrived well on their own, so I simply let them be.

Furthermore, absolutely no one else had ever touched them!

“…”

Sensing the genuine sincerity in Lion’s gaze, Urheel clamped his mouth shut, glanced around the clearing, and slowly rolled up his sleeves.

“Fine. What needs to be done? Should I begin by clearing away this wreckage?”

Suiting actions to words, he reached down to yank up the remaining banana sweet potato shoots!

“Stooooop!”

Lion sprinted forward to block Urheel’s path.

He had nearly rendered the remaining viable seeds completely unusable.

Just look at those sweet potato sprouts, each the size of a cooking pot lid, being crushed in his massive palms.

Lion snatched the sprouts away and shoved a small gardening shovel into his hands.

“Here. See that patch over there?”

Lion pointed toward a relatively flat expanse not far away.

While it contained fewer stubborn tree roots than other sections of the forest, the ground remained choked with fallen leaves and wild undergrowth.

“I see it.”

“From that boundary marker to the next. You need to plow the whole thing.”

…Using this tiny shovel?

Urheel stared blankly at the designated sector.

Completing such a massive area with a tool this small would undoubtedly require an immense amount of time.

“Are you intending for me to clear and break this entire patch into a proper field?”

“Precisely.”

Lion pondered internally.

What sort of labor should I demand from this fellow next?

His deliberation proved brief.

Indeed. Let this bear break the ground himself.

If he plants fresh banana sweet potato runners in this newly tilled earth and tends to them properly, before long, an abundance of premium-grade banana sweet potatoes will be harvested!

‘This time… *sniff*.’

There was no helping it, considering his previous crop had already been digested as nourishment by this very culprit.

For the immediate future, I can subsist on the labyrinth’s sweet potato reserves…

Regardless, I consider this a remarkably humane form of punishment.

“Hmm.”

While Lion remained lost in thought, Urheel inspected the soil quality for a moment.

The dirt proved softer than anticipated, though lacking prior cultivation meant numerous small stones remained embedded within it.

Turning over earth of this caliber with a miniature shovel, bit by bit, bore an uncanny resemblance to animal training routines.

‘He doesn’t appear to harbor any genuine malice toward me.’

If his true objective involved inflicting suffering or public humiliation, he never would have prodded me to assist with the apple harvest back in the village yesterday.

That could only mean one thing…

‘He genuinely expects me to farm this land.’

Though the reasons behind a vast territory lord’s obsession with such a modest patch remained a mystery, I decided to accept it, seeing as people possess varied tastes… or rather, distinct preferences.

Besides.

‘It appears I will be prolonging my stay here far beyond my initial plans.’

Perhaps influenced by yesterday’s festivities, I found myself growing fond of this place.

Naturally, I had no intention of remaining here indefinitely, but settling in for a few years at the very least seemed acceptable.

‘As for the Beastmen Country… well, I suppose I can dispatch a letter.’

Mother will undoubtedly fly into a rage, but I trust Father will manage the fallout effectively.

Nursing these carefree reflections, Urheel finally spoke aloud.

“If my objective is to work off my debt efficiently, an alternative method exists.”

“An alternative method?”

What possible method could rival standard manual digging?

Does he intend to wield two shovels simultaneously?

Noticing the look of surprise, Urheel let out a low chuckle, discarded the small shovel, and crouched down close to the earth.

Then, with a muffled *Poof!*

A small puff of vapor billowed outward from his hands…

His palms, previously locked in human form, abruptly transformed into massive beastly claws.

Restricted solely to his forearms!

‘…Right. That transformation ability still functions.’