Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 212
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 212
I’d completely forgotten.
Beastfolk could transform between their animal forms and human forms.
When necessary, they could transform only part of their bodies as well.
Just as Varg could lengthen his claws.
‘Though Varg could only manage that much.’
Sometimes ears and tails popped out unconsciously, so let’s let that slide.
“I guess you wouldn’t know, since that guy is the only beastfolk around.”
“I heard that even ordinary beastfolk find it hard to transform to such a degree.”
Urhil smirked at Lion’s reply.
He meant that he himself didn’t belong to the ordinary beastfolk.
In that moment, Lion felt a subtle flicker of annoyance.
“If you want, I could teach him, too.”
“…Let’s start by plowing the field.”
He didn’t take the bait.
Urhil, thinking that spirit mages really were all formidable opponents, diligently— Yank-yank-yank.
—pulled the weeds
and tilled the soil.
The sight was a bit strange, but the effect was undeniable.
It was faster than a shovel, yet he could feel the soil with his paws, which made the work precise.
Just like that, a fairly wide stretch of flat ground was turned, and Lion followed behind, adding fertilizer and building ridges.
Lastly, he planted the sweet potato slips and covered them with soil.
‘…This guy. He’s really good at working, isn’t he?’
He’d felt it yesterday, too, but the man’s work efficiency was insane.
He grasped his tasks quickly and even tried to find better ways to do them.
If Lion had met someone like him before possessing this body, even if the man had caused a huge accident on the first day, Lion would have generously let it slide and even taken him out for a meal.
On top of that, he’d been the first to bring up helping with what Lion — no, his boss — was planning.
‘Definitely.’
The thought kept creeping in that pairing him with Varg would be just perfect.
‘Besides, this guy…’
From the look of it, he seemed to like the village quite a bit.
He would go back someday, but if Lion let him stay here for a few years, he’d certainly be a great help to the village.
And first of all…
Just having a bear beastfolk around would obviously help maintain public order.
‘Not bad.’
Lion brushed off his hands with a pat-pat as he thought that.
The wide flat ground had become a field in no time.
“What we talked about earlier. Can I do it now?”
“Go ahead.”
“I can help that red wolf beastfolk. But since he’s already paid for his crimes, I should get something out of this too.”
When Lion nodded for him to go ahead, Urhil hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Ahem! That bait. You made it yourself, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, do you know how to cook other dishes, too?”
“Well, it’s one of my hobbies.”
“I knew it!”
Urhil’s face brightened at once, and he continued right away.
“Then could you cook me a sweet and delicious meal once a week?”
“A meal?”
It was an unexpected condition.
He’d assumed Urhil would ask to be sent back where he lived, or to have a house built for him to stay in.
But putting all that aside, he was only asking for a sweet dish?
“Yes. Of course, the potatoes and corn I had yesterday weren’t bad, but I am fundamentally a gourmet. And that bait you made back then had a flavor so dreamlike I’d never tasted anything like it even back in my home country. I’ll never forget that taste.”
“Hmm.”
With Urhil’s heartfelt praise as background music, Lion considered the proposal.
‘And once a week…’
Honestly, it wasn’t a difficult task for Lion.
On the contrary, now he had someone — no, a bear — who would devour his cooking even if he made a mountain of food, so there was no downside at all.
‘He didn’t ask me to use Moonflower Honey, either.’
So there wouldn’t be any ingredient shortages.
But…
“It’s not a problem to cook for you, but…”
“But?”
“I don’t know how much help you’ll really be, so I’d like to test you for a few days first.”
“You doubt my skills. I haven’t handled children here, so that’s a reasonable thought.”
Fortunately, Urhil nodded willingly at Lion’s words.
“So how many days will this test last?”
“About three days, don’t you think?”
“Plenty. During that time, I’ll show you excellent results.”
Swoosh.
Urhil spoke confidently and held out a front paw.
“Ah.”
He pulled it back, shook it out a few times, and it transformed into a human hand.
Lion lightly clasped Urhil’s hand.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you during this period.”
Lion hid the sticking point and gave a light handshake.
Outwardly, there wasn’t a single problem, but…
‘Varg seems to… dislike you quite a bit.’
Haah. Oh well.
Once they’re paired up, it’ll be a huge help to Varg, so I’ll just pretend not to notice for now.
* * *
Barely two days had passed since he’d thought that.
Urhil, thoroughly dejected, requested a meeting.
“Why that expression?”
“Hoooooh…”
When Lion asked, feigning ignorance, Urhil — who had been sighing as if the ground would sink — finally spoke.
“I don’t understand why that wolf kid dislikes me so much.”
“Dislikes you?”
“He openly dislikes me.”
Just as expected.
Urhil probably hadn’t realized it, but at a glance… Urhil and Varg were like oil and water.
Or rather, there was a gap between them that couldn’t be bridged for the time being.
‘Of course, that’s not the only reason.’
First of all, their first meeting hadn’t been good, and from what I recalled, the mood in the jail hadn’t been great either.
‘More than anything…’
It was a hierarchy struggle.
Even among humans, rank fights break out all the time.
How much more so among beastfolk?
‘It’s because they both think they’re the one on top.’
Naturally, Urhil considered himself, capable and older, to be above Varg, and Varg clearly thought of himself as the senior here — precisely, the veteran.
And Lion had deliberately guessed this and said nothing.
If he’d brought it up, they’d only fight more, wouldn’t they?
Lion forced down the corners of his mouth that were creeping upward and spoke.
“So, can’t you do it?”
“No. I fully intend to see this through. And it’s something that kid needs, too.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes. But I need your help.”
Urhil, who had been thoroughly gloomy until now, raised his head.
“Let me say it now: fighting each other is off limits.”
“To a human’s eyes, it may seem a bit rough, but among beastfolk, it’s a common custom. Isn’t it tidy? And there’s even friendship that blooms amid exchanged fists…”
“This is the Empire, where those very humans live.”
No violence.
And though Urhil had put it lightly, a duel between beastfolk was quite brutal.
Unless someone called defeat early, when it went all the way…
‘It could easily rival the Criminal Underworld’s Fight Club, or even surpass it.’
When his carefully devised approach was rejected, Urhil’s expression sank again.
He probably hadn’t imagined things would go so contrary to his wishes.
“Do you, by any chance, have a good method?”
“Hmm. Anyway, your goal is to reach a point where Varg can accept your guidance, right?”
“That’s right. If he won’t listen to me, nothing can begin.”
“Then, how about this?”
Lion briefly explained the method he’d been planning.
In summary, it was giving the two a joint mission.
“You mean helping the villagers?”
“That’s right. No matter what, if they have to work together, he won’t openly show his dislike.”
Urhil rested his chin and agreed.
“A decent method. As a knight assigned here, he ought to follow your instructions. And as you said, it isn’t violent.”
“And since it’s not particularly difficult work, there shouldn’t be any professional clashes either.”
The two nodded simultaneously, and Urhil, his troubles resolved, left Lion’s room with a markedly calmer expression than before.
Once the sound of Urhil’s footsteps faded far away…
“…Hm.”
Will it really be okay?
I hadn’t lied to Urhil.
It was true that I’d assigned them to help the villagers, and it was even a fairly trivial task.
But somehow, it felt like they’d be growling at each other even over that trivial task.
“It’ll be fine.”
Elvia chuckled softly at Lion’s expression and slipped into view.
“Children grow by fighting a little, after all. If so, it’s better to guide them so they can fight safely. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“It’s entertaining.”
Meaning, where else would you get to see a bear beastfolk and a red wolf beastfolk snipe at each other like that?
“…Well.”
To be honest, I agreed with Elvia a little today.
It actually was a bit amusing.
I mean, the process of timid Varg gaining a friend he could comfortably snipe at —.
“Heh heh heh.”
They both let out low chuckles at the same time.
It was rather villainous, but regrettably, no one noticed.
* * *
“Is this really the task the Young Master assigned us?”
“…”
Urhil couldn’t answer easily.
Given the circumstances, it seemed to be correct.
The villagers, as if they’d known, naturally guided the two of them here, so it probably was.
But he couldn’t accept it.
Because…
Urhil lowered his gaze and looked at the small, wriggling things far below him.
At the end of his gaze were the sparkling eyes of children who barely reached his knees.
Yes.
The mission they’d been given was, in fact—
“It’s the bear uncle and the wolf big brother!”
“Waaah!”
While the village adults worked, they were to look after the children!
“Oh my, having two sturdy young men watch the kids — I’ve never felt so reassured!”
“Such peace of mind. Real peace of mind.”
“Kids, don’t pester them too much, okay?”
“Listen well to the big brothers. Mommy will go work and come back, okay?”
“Okaaay!”
While the two hesitated, the villagers quickly said their goodbyes to the children and headed off to their workplaces.
And once that happened, the eyes were all the more fixed on them.
‘How pressuring…!’
Urhil did have experience teaching young beastfolk.
But the numbers hadn’t been large.
Aren’t beastfolk born with powerful strength and, in exchange, rare in number?
‘And young beastfolk generally…’
Perhaps because of their strong power, they matured quickly and tended to be highly wary.
‘…Now that I think about it, that red wolf kid still seemed not fully grown, too.’
Is that why his wariness is especially strong?
‘In that case, this mission is appropriate after all.’
Instinctively, one softens around young creatures, so they could gradually grow closer.
With that guess, Urhil stepped forward first.
“Alright. Name’s Urhil, and I’ll be looking after you today. Call me uncle or whatever you like.”
He wasn’t really old enough to be called uncle, but to children, anyone was an uncle, weren’t they?
And what mattered now was blending in properly to carry out this mission.
“…! I-I’ll do my best!”
As Urhil naturally took the lead, Varg, unwilling to be outdone, mustered his courage and shouted.
‘I can’t leave the kids to that shameless bear…!’