As soon as Asher mentioned it, Miles remembered.
The distance between other cities and Ridgevale City... Saying they were separated by mountains and seas, or that they made solemn vows, wouldn't be an exaggeration.
For those who traveled to Ridgevale City using conventional transportation, whether they were ordinary people or Beast Tamers, the first time, they would all be tormented by the sheer distance to the point of questioning their life choices.
"I'm really sorry, Professor Asher...", Miles looked at Asher with an apologetic expression.
He hadn't expected this.
What they used to see as a fun spectacle of out-of-towners struggling with travel.
In the blink of an eye, they had ended up trapping the pet professor they valued the most.
A grave mistake.
Asher gave a weary smile, "Consider it a lesson learned. Now I understand why the Lightyear Dragon Rider Express is so expensive, it has its reasons."
"Cough! Cough!", Hearing this, Miles raised a fist to his lips and awkwardly coughed twice.
'Well...'
'That is indeed the truth.'
"Professor Asher, do you want to find a hotel in Ridgevale City and rest for the night? We can come pick you up tomorrow," Miles asked, looking at Asher for confirmation.
"Otherwise, from Ridgevale City to our legion's base, it'll take at least three more hours."
Asher: "..."
Wonderful.
The moment he heard "three hours," Asher's face turned pained again.
No matter what the mode of transportation was...
'Three hours...'
'Where is the time machine?'
'Bring out a time machine and rewind back three days to when I was preparing to depart!'
If he could do it again, no matter how expensive, Asher would absolutely choose the Lightyear Dragon Rider Express and get there in one go.
"...Let's just get it over with. I think I can hold on a little longer." Taking a deep breath, Asher spoke calmly.
As for why he made this choice...
It wasn't because he wanted to show off.
It was because—
"That person looks really familiar..."
"Kind of looks like that super famous guy from the internet..."
"And the person next to him seems familiar too..."
The murmured discussions carried over on the wind and reached Asher's ears.
If it weren't for the constant connecting flights making him look overly pale, and his overall appearance lacking the sharpness he had when he was full of energy, he probably would have been recognized the moment he stepped out of the airport.
Ahem!
Of course, the most important thing was that a lot of people online assumed Asher would head to the Fifth Legion first.
So even if some people found him familiar, they just thought they were imagining things.
This was his chance.
If he left now, he could still slip away unnoticed.
But if he stayed an extra night...
Once the airport sighting spread online, given how much people had been discussing him, making his schedule practically transparent—
Leave?
Where would he even go?
At that point, he wouldn't be able to escape at all.
Miles followed Asher's gaze and looked around. He quickly noticed those glances sneaking in their direction from time to time.
He froze for a second.
Then, after a brief moment of thought, he immediately understood what was going on, "You're right, we should hurry up and leave."
If they weren't in an airport where releasing contracted beasts was prohibited, Miles would have loved to grab Asher and sprint all the way out.
In their rush to escape the crowded airport, Miles practically shoved Asher into the front passenger seat of an off-road vehicle.
Miles himself jumped into the driver's seat.
Stepping on the gas—
Bang!
Asher, who hadn't found his seatbelt and had no protective measures, immediately slammed his forehead into the glass window beside him.
From the open car window, he could still hear the wind carrying voices—
"…Holy crap! That's one of the Legion's mechanical off-road vehicles! That guy really was Asher!"
Asher: "..."
'Oh, wonderful.'
'Is this car really that famous?'
"Ouch, ouch! Professor Asher, you see how urgent I am!", Even while driving, Miles still found time to glance at Asher. He kept both hands on the steering wheel, but his mouth never stopped moving.
"Press the red button beside your seat."
Asher immediately spotted the red button.
Press.
A faint, semi-transparent, almost invisible protective shield instantly enveloped Asher's body.
And just like that—
All the discomfort from Miles's Mount Akina racer driving skills disappeared without a trace.
Asher was finally able to sit upright and properly take in the supposedly special mechanical off-road vehicle.
Although it had only been a quick glance before getting in, Asher had already noticed that this big, wild-looking vehicle was particularly cool.
The matte silver-gray exterior had an indescribable heaviness and mechanical feel.
Cool? That was a given.
The interior was also more spacious than he expected.
And this safety shield, which replaced a regular seatbelt...
Now that was something.
"Heh! Heh!", Noticing Asher's up-and-down, inside-and-out examination of the vehicle, Miles grinned with unmistakable pride, "Professor Asher, don't be too shocked just yet!"
"I'm telling you, what you've seen so far is nothing. Wait until we reach the grasslands, I'll show you its other features."
"Alright," Asher smiled.
Maybe it was because the car was just that cool, but his curiosity had been piqued.
His physical discomfort wasn't as bad as before either.
And then...
Even though Miles's driving skills were as wild and unrestrained as a Mount Akina drift king, he still lost to the sheer size of Ridgevale City.
No exaggeration at all.
At this point, it wasn't even a car anymore.
It was a ground plane without the ability to take off.
Even at this speed, it still took 54 minutes just to exit the city from the airport.
Asher: "..."
'Regret.'
He would only say it once.
When the scenery outside changed from dense urban buildings to scattered houses, then to an endless grassland, Miles finally let go of the wheel and spoke:
"Silver Fang, engage autopilot mode."
Asher: "?"
As he sat in his seat, he felt the car body tremble slightly.
The next second, 'Is it...flying?'
Asher hesitated and leaned forward to take a look outside.
Sure enough, the wheels had retracted, and the underside of the car was now hovering.
At the rear, where the exhaust pipe should have been, four long mechanical propulsion tubes extended outward.
Blue lightning-like energy shot out from the tubes.
Whoosh—
The car accelerated again.
This time, it was literally flying forward.
Asher opened his mouth.
Then quietly closed it again.
"HAHAHAHA!", Even without Asher saying anything, Miles already knew what he was thinking.
The reason he had brought this particular vehicle to pick up Asher wasn't just because of its speed.
If he really wanted something faster... Ahem. The Legion definitely had other vehicles.
For example, the Flash Leopard series.
But how could those cars ever compare to the mechanical series in style and coolness?
How was Miles supposed to know that Asher had been feeling sick from all the transfers?
Otherwise, he...
Would have at least given Asher a heads-up beforehand.
Switching cars? Impossible.
That little thought, 'No need to say it out loud in front of Professor Asher.'
Instead, Miles chuckled and said, "Cool, right, Professor Asher? This car is equipped with the most advanced mechanical intelligence. It might not be a true beast, but compared to regular cars, it's on a completely different level."
"The cost alone exceeds nine figures. Only major legions can afford them."
Hearing this, Asher froze.
'Mechanical intelligence… beast?'
"Wait, does this mechanical intelligence mean… a mechanical beast?", Asher asked uncertainly.
His first instinct was to reach for his phone.
Asher held back.
It was still unclear whether this vehicle was a mechanical beast or not.
But the thing in his phone… that was real. A two-thousand-year-old alchemical mechanical intelligent lifeform. Though it no longer had a physical form and had turned into an AI, it was still very much there.
"Professor Asher doesn't know?", Miles was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing, "Oh, right, you're still young. You haven't come across this kind of information before, so it's normal not to know."
"Ha, it's not like it's some big secret or anything."
Miles didn't mind explaining things to Asher, "From the perspective of beasts, everything in this world has the potential to become one."
"Natural elements can do it, so theoretically, mechanical elements should be able to as well."
"No one knows why it didn't happen over a thousand years ago, but over the past two hundred years, various nations have gradually proposed this theory and begun researching mechanical lifeforms capable of awakening intelligence."
As he spoke, Miles shrugged.
Asher understood his meaning.
Gradually, researching, it meant that even now, no country had truly succeeded in creating a mechanical lifeform capable of awakening intelligence.
"Is it really that difficult?", Asher thought about the 'Angel' that had been created two thousand years ago.
Just from appearance and abilities alone, it was absolutely a top-tier existence among mechanical lifeforms.
If a T0 version had already been made, why couldn't they produce a more common, lower-tier version?
Or was there another reason…
"Of course it's difficult," Knowing that Asher had never been exposed to this field, Miles wasn't surprised by his question.
"It's really tough. Our country has been researching this for so many years, and the best we've managed is partial mechanization."
"If we can't break through the core problem, there's no way to truly awaken intelligence. At best, we can only use it as a semi-intelligent tool."
What Miles didn't mention was that this technology wasn't just used in this off-road vehicle, it had also been applied to warships, fighter jets, and more.
The inability to awaken intelligence was indeed a pity.
But the fact remained that it performed better than regular planes, cars, and ships.
Despite these thoughts, Miles's expression remained completely natural, still chatting away with Asher in his usual cheerful manner.
"Speaking of which… doesn't this kind of seem like an artificial beast?", Asher didn't dwell too much on Miles's thoughts.
After all, he had an actual mechanical intelligent lifeform in his pocket.
Aside from not knowing about what Miles had just explained, Asher was more familiar with mechanical intelligent lifeforms than anyone.
He was just worried he might accidentally say something that an uninformed person wouldn't even think of.
Having only a partial understanding and trying to figure out what he could and couldn't say was giving Asher a headache.
Miles glanced at Asher with some surprise.
"Huh?"
"Professor Asher, you're pretty sharp! You caught on so fast!"
Without needing Asher to explain, Miles immediately gave himself an excuse.
"As expected of a genius-level pet beast professor. You can apply your knowledge across different fields, huh?"
"That's exactly it."
Miles wasn't surprised that Asher had figured it out.
Even if he hadn't reacted immediately during their conversation, Miles figured Asher would come to this conclusion later on.
Besides, discussions about mechanical intelligent lifeforms weren't completely censored online.
It was just that ordinary people didn't know the country had already made partial progress and was using it.
Asher nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
If he had concerns…
He certainly had plenty.
But they were all things only professionals would understand and think about.
For example—
Where exactly did the authorities start their research on mechanical intelligent lifeforms?
Did it have anything to do with alchemy?
Could he even ask that?
Just asking would give him away.
Since he was carrying a hidden treasure in his pocket, Asher decided to play it safe.
No reckless moves.
One careless slip, and he might end up losing something important.
If he lost 'Angel,' Asher would be heartbroken.
The latter part of their journey was just… grasslands, grasslands, vast endless grasslands.
Asher had seen so much green that he was getting visual fatigue and even a little nauseous.
The vast, open plains were breathtaking at first glance.
Blue skies, white clouds, green fields.
It looked just like an old computer's startup screensaver.
But after staring at it for too long…
He lost all sense of direction.
Even though Asher wasn't usually bad with directions, he was starting to feel disoriented.
He checked the time.
Between occasional casual conversations, two and a half hours had passed. Only half an hour remained.
Thinking of this, Asher relaxed quite a bit.
And then.
There was always a 'then' at moments like this.
Asher's expression twisted as he looked ahead, where a massive pride of small lion beasts was blocking the road, led by a War Blood Lion King.
Asher: "…"
"Should we go around?", Asher asked uncertainly, looking at the pride of at least a hundred small lion beasts.
"Hiss—", Miles, who had been lounging lazily in the driver's seat with his arms crossed, savoring his rare moment of relaxation, instantly sat up straight when he saw the beasts.
"Well… this is unexpected," Miles still remembered that Asher wasn't feeling well, so he turned to him with an apologetic look.
Asher: "…"
A bad feeling crept over him.
"These… the War Blood Lion King and the little lion beasts aren't here to attack us. They're here to join us. They're surrendering to us."
Facing Asher's calm gaze, Miles rubbed his hands together awkwardly.
"I was just saying earlier, it's the season when small lion beasts are born. I was wondering why the nearby prides hadn't come knocking yet."
"I was actually planning to have the commander check tomorrow, but I didn't expect to run into them on the road."
Asher fell silent.
This sudden development caught him off guard.
Even without using his talent skill, he could tell.
The leading War Blood Lion King, the lionesses beside it, and the large group of little lion beasts tumbling forward in a rolling mess—
They were all wild.
Just looking at their expressions and aura, it was clear they weren't raised by a Beast Tamer.
Asher didn't even need to speak, Miles understood the meaning in his eyes and grinned.
"Well, you know, close military-civilian relations… ahem."
After a bit of banter, Miles earnestly began explaining.
"Professor Asher, you should know, the stronger a War Blood Lion King is, the more frequently it enters mating season, and the longer that season lasts."
Asher nodded, "Indeed."
Although the War Blood Lion King had not awakened any special bloodline, the words "War Blood" were not just for show.
Possessing innate combat instincts, the War Blood Lion King was one of the most popular beasts in the combat category.
At the same time—
The War Blood Lion King also had an extremely long mating season that extended as its strength increased.
If a War Blood Lion King was under contract, its mating-induced restlessness could be converted into enhanced combat power with the help of the Beast Tamer's spiritual energy, activating its battle blood, boosting its strength, and forming a continuous cycle.
But a wild War Blood Lion King...
It wasn't much of a problem either.
Mating.
Reproduction.
What's the big deal?
Besides, a War Blood Lion King's mating partner didn't necessarily have to be another War Blood Lion King. Even ordinary lions could do. If no lions were around and a cheetah or some other creature happened to stumble upon it... Ahem!
In short, it was all about making do.
Anything would work.
Moreover, unlike other beasts, whose cross-species mating might result in new breeds of beasts or simply give birth to ordinary animals, no matter what kind of beast a War Blood Lion King mated with, the offspring would always be little lion beasts.
"That's how it is," Seeing that Asher had some understanding of the War Blood Lion King, Miles let out a sigh of relief and continued explaining.
"There are three particularly powerful War Blood Lion Kings nearby. Out of the twelve months in a year, at least eight of them are spent in mating season. With all that mating and reproduction, isn't it natural that there'd be a lot of cubs?"
As an beast, the War Blood Lion King had a far greater reproductive capacity than an ordinary lion.
And then there was winter, a season unsuitable for hunting, forcing them to stay in caves…
"By the time spring arrives, each War Blood Lion King usually has one or two hundred cubs. Letting them raise them on their own?"
Miles spread his hands.
"They can't afford it. They really can't afford it."
Asher: "..."
Asher was no longer surprised. One or two hundred cubs, of course, they couldn't afford to raise them.
"So…", Asher looked at the War Blood Lion King that had taken the initiative to block the vehicle, its expression lacking the usual ferocity of wild beasts, and his voice carried a hint of hesitation.
'Could it be what I am thinking?'
"They give the cubs to the legion to raise?"
"Yes," Miles nodded, confirming Asher's guess.
Seeing the look on Asher's face, one that suggested he had words but didn't know how to say them, Miles burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Professor Asher, do you find this kind of relationship strange?"
Miles could understand Asher's thoughts. After all, Asher was far from the first to think this way.
"A beast that hasn't been contracted and should be hostile to humans actually gives away the cubs it can't afford to raise?"
"And humans actually accept them, continuing to coexist peacefully with the War Blood Lion Kings?"
Asher chuckled, "The second part doesn't surprise me. It makes sense."
"Three War Blood Lion Kings can provide you with nearly six hundred cubs every year. Whether you keep them for yourselves or officially raise and sell them, it's a considerable benefit."
Keeping them for internal use saved on pet beast costs.
Providing them to the authorities could exchange for valuable resources and benefits.
And with government support, either way ensured these little lion beasts a good future.
With their ranking and potential, they were highly sought after by combat Beast Tamers, as well as those who liked either cute or fierce beasts.
Miles coughed twice.
Well… there was no way to refute that.
Thinking about how much trouble the Fourth Legion had been spared every year thanks to the three War Blood Lion Kings, Miles decided to change the topic.
Ahem.
Forget about money.
This was love.
A friendly coexistence and cooperation between humans and beasts.
"Because our Fourth Legion evaluates the number and overall strength of the cubs provided by the War Blood Lion Kings and gives them a corresponding amount of Green Blood Fruits."
Green Blood Fruits?
Hearing this name, Asher was briefly stunned before pulling the information from his memory.
Green Blood Fruit: an intermediate-tier resource fruit about the size of a fist, with a smooth green skin and thick flesh. A special resource that only lion-type beasts could consume.
For example, the War Blood Lion King.
Eating it would ignite their battle blood and enhance their strength.
One fruit alone wasn't enough.
It was best to eat one a day for at least three to six months to achieve a noticeable breakthrough.
"So… did I just stumble upon a large-scale under-the-table deal?", Asher said meaningfully.
"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough—"
'That wording!'
Miles nearly choked on his own saliva.
"Not at all, not at all! Definitely not!"
"This is friendly mutual aid. We exchange what we don't need for what we do. How can you call it an under-the-table deal?"
Miles's expression was upright, the very picture of a righteous soldier. But Asher could only say… Fine, he'd believe it.
"So now…"
Asher glanced at the large group of lion cubs. They weren't about to take all of them and the War Blood Lion King back, were they?
Miles waved a hand.
"No need for that. I'll just call the base."
"But…"
Hearing those three words, Asher could only say that his heart was already calm.
An accident?
From the moment he saw the cubs, Asher had mentally prepared himself.
"We need to wait here. Otherwise, the War Blood Lion King might think we don't want to cooperate anymore," Miles said somewhat sheepishly.
Asher leaned back in his seat, eyes half-closed, waving his hand with an air of exhaustion, "Whatever."
Seeing this, Miles chuckled awkwardly and didn't disturb him further. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed the base.
["Commander? Why is it you? Where's Old Griffith?"]
["Don't ask so many questions!"]
["Bring more people and more vehicles. I ran into a War Blood Lion King and its cubs on the road!"]
["There's quite a lot this year, at least 180 of them. Remember to bring plenty of Green Blood Fruits, or that Lion King's gonna take a bite out of you!"]
["Alright, I'm hanging up. Shut up! Get Old Griffith on the line. I'd rather work with him!"]
Even with his eyes closed, Asher could hear the irritation in Miles's voice.
Asher couldn't help but feel curious.
'Last time, when that Griffith called me, he also seemed to hold this commander in disdain.'
'So…'
'With both the vice commander and the chief strategist looking down on him, how exactly has this commander managed to hold onto his position so firmly?'
Fortunately, they weren't far from the Fourth Legion's garrison.
The military personnel arrived quickly.
Not even half an hour.
In just twenty minutes, ten large pickup trucks arrived, with plenty of space to load the little lion beasts rolling around on the grass.
A man with a broad, careless grin was the first to jump out of the truck.
The moment Asher laid eyes on him, he instinctively felt, 'This person must be Dominic, legion commander.'
Then, glancing at Miles's expression beside him, dark, completely devoid of the relaxed and comfortable look he had when chatting with Asher, he became even more certain of his guess.
"Hahaha, thanks to you, Lion King, for delivering cubs to us again this year."
"Let me count them!"
Dominic strode up to the War Blood Lion King, grabbed its thick, powerful paw, and shook it vigorously.
His movements were so fast that Asher didn't even have time to react.
But the War Blood Lion King was clearly very used to Dominic's antics, yawning calmly with its mouth wide open.
From a distance, it looked like if the War Blood Lion King just lowered its head slightly, it could bite Dominic's head clean off.
Yet, neither Dominic himself nor Miles, who was sitting beside Asher, showed even the slightest hint of concern or fear.
"Aren't you afraid the War Blood Lion King might lose control?", Asher pointed at Dominic and the War Blood Lion King.
"The War Blood Lion King doesn't eat fools," Miles was as considerate as ever when speaking to Asher, though his words weren't exactly kind toward Dominic.
Asher: "..."
"Hey, hey, hey!", Dominic seemed to have heard the conversation between Miles and Asher. They weren't that far away, after all. He suddenly turned his head and shouted at Miles, "Old Miles, can you stop tarnishing my reputation in front of Professor Asher? My brain is the central command of our legion, okay?"
Miles shuddered.
He was startled.
But Dominic seemed satisfied with that reaction. First, he grinned at Asher in an overly familiar manner, then turned back to the War Blood Lion King.
"Let's see... This year's cubs, 178 in total! Not bad!"
"More productive than last year."
"I remember it was you, right? Last year, you only had 132 cubs? The least among the three lion kings?"
"You worked hard this winter, huh! Finally redeemed yourself!"
Holding onto the War Blood Lion King's paw, Dominic rambled on and on.
As Dominic continued his endless chatter, Asher clearly noticed the War Blood Lion King's expression gradually turning irritated, agitated, and itching to take a swipe at Dominic.
But honestly...
Asher could understand.
Just listen to Dominic's words.
Which male could tolerate this kind of talk?
Before the War Blood Lion King could take action, Dominic, who had been repeatedly testing its patience, finally let go of its paw and said solemnly:
"Ahem."
"Alright."
"Let's settle the Green Blood Fruits."
War Blood Lion King: *Retracts claws, sits quietly, waits*
The entire sequence of actions was as smooth as flowing water.
Asher: '...So this works too?'
'They say the War Blood Lion King is wild, untamed, and free.'
'But judging from this whole sequence... how is it any different from a domesticated pet?'
'Oh!'
'The difference might be that the War Blood Lion King believes it's free.'
At that thought—
A flash of insight suddenly struck Asher's mind. He activated his innate skill and examined the War Blood Lion King.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: War Blood Lion King]
[Attribute: Combat]
[Species: Mid-tier, high-rank+]
[Level: Tier 7, Advanced]
[Skills: Double Jump, Pounce, …, Blood Shadow Frenzy]
*[Successfully Evolved ]
[Bloodline: Awakening in Progress]
[Innate Skill: None]
[Thoughts: Great at making cubs! Must make even more next year!]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Asher: "..."
He decided to skip over that last part.
Compared to Green Blood Fruits, giving away cubs was nothing to the War Blood Lion King.
One cub could be exchanged for one Green Blood Fruit. In its mind, that was an absolute profit.
Everything else seemed normal to Asher.
The only unexpected part was that this War Blood Lion King had already reached Tier 7 Advanced. From its appearance and behavior, there was no indication of such power at all.
'But...'
'Bloodline awakening in progress?'
Asher stared at that line for three seconds.
'Why in progress?'
'The War Blood Lion King's evolution path shouldn't involve bloodline awakening.'
'Or is there something unique about this particular War Blood Lion King?'
Asher turned to look at the group of little lion beasts.
The sheer number of status panels made his vision blur.
His head hurt.
His eyes hurt.
Asher closed his innate skill and rubbed his forehead.
No rush.
Once he arrived at the Fourth Legion, checking on these cubs would just take a word. No need to rush.
He mentally noted the War Blood Lion King's status for future research.
Not far away, Dominic was openly conducting a child-selling deal with the War Blood Lion King.
"Normal cubs, one per Green Blood Fruit. The ones with stronger bloodline resonance, two per Green Blood Fruit. Twelve cubs look particularly strong, so that's 190 Green Blood Fruits in total."
Dominic quickly rattled off the numbers and looked up at the War Blood Lion King.
"Confirm that for me. No problems, right?"
The War Blood Lion King flicked its tail.
'No problem.'
Without Dominic needing to say another word, nine uniformed soldiers stepped out from the trucks. Working together, they swiftly counted out the corresponding number of Green Blood Fruits.
Finally, they packed them into a large crate and placed it in front of the War Blood Lion King.
Satisfied, the War Blood Lion King grabbed the massive crate in its mouth, turned around with the lionesses, and left without looking back.
The abandoned little lion beasts: "?"
"Awwo?"
"Awooo~"
"Umm~"
In an instant, the cubs, now fatherless and motherless, panicked, howling one after another.
A single cub's cry might be adorable.
But over a hundred... It had a bit of an imposing presence.
"Alright, alright, stop howling. Your own father abandoned you. From now on, I'm your dad, got it?", Dominic spoke without hesitation.
The closest little lion beast immediately lunged at him, but because it was small and had poor jumping power, its gaping mouth missed Dominic's lower half by just three inches.
"You little—"
The cub was fast, but Dominic was faster. He swiftly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.
Even so, the cub remained unruly, swinging its paws wildly and letting out fierce yet childish "awoo awoos."
Asher couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
Ahem!
He really shouldn't laugh.
But he just couldn't hold it in.
Compared to Asher's restrained smile, Miles and the soldiers Dominic brought were far more exaggerated.
"Hahaha!"
"You deserve it!"
"Captain, don't back down! Keep fighting that little lion for another three hundred rounds."
Dominic shot them a glare, his expression fierce as he said, "What are you laughing at?"
"Hurry up!"
"Calm these little lion cubs down, pack them all up, and take them away."
Hearing this, the soldiers immediately got to work.
Catching over a hundred restless lion cubs was no easier than taking care of a bunch of rowdy kids.
Within moments, they were drenched in sweat.
Even after being placed in the pickup trucks, the little lion cubs weren't settling down.
A swipe here.
A bite there.
They were all about putting up a fight.
"Everything he says sounds like a bandit talking," Miles muttered in disgust while turning to look at Asher, "Professor Asher, I'm going down to help catch the lion cubs. Just wait a little longer."
"I'll go with you," This time, Asher had learned. Imitating Miles's movement, he pressed the button again, and the protective shield around him instantly disappeared.
Miles was momentarily stunned by Asher's action.
"This Professor Asher…", He glanced at the soldiers, who had been doing this every year, were battle-hardened, yet were still left in a sorry state every time they had to catch lion cubs.
Then he looked at Asher beside him, delicate skin, soft hands, clearly not someone used to this kind of rough work. Miles frowned and sincerely advised, "I know you mean well, Professor Asher, but catching lion cubs is…"
Asher smiled calmly, "Don't worry, most beasts seem to like me."
Miles hesitated, "That's not the point…"
'Didn't you see that even the lion cubs' own father couldn't control them?'
'Otherwise, why do you think the Blood Battle Lion King was so eager to dump the cubs on us, even though the Fourth Legion is only half an hour away?'
That half-hour drive…
If left to the Blood Battle Lion King to lead the cubs on foot, it would take a whole day and night, if they were lucky and the cubs cooperated.
If not for the Green Blood Fruit supporting the Blood Battle Lion King…
The poor father would've dumped these little troublemakers halfway.
Asher: 'Ahem! That, I really hadn't expected.'
No wonder the Blood Battle Lion King had left so quickly and decisively.
Asher had thought it was a clean trade and that the lion king didn't want to seem reluctant to part with its cubs in front of humans.
Turns out it was simply because fatherly love was in short supply.
"It's fine, trust me."
"Besides, with one more person helping, it'll go faster."
Seeing that Asher was determined to help, Miles couldn't refuse anymore, otherwise, it would seem like he didn't trust Asher. Even though, in reality…
'Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?'
Miles's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief at the scene before him.
'What was going on?'
The moment Asher stepped into the chaotic swarm of lion cubs, those little creatures, who had just been attacking and resisting with their tiny teeth and half-grown claws, instantly became docile.
One by one, they shook their heads, their lion heads bobbing as they eagerly rubbed their big, soft-maned heads against Asher's pant legs.
Outside the circle, a whole group of lion cubs was trying to push away the ones already snuggling up to Asher, eager to take their place.
Asher squatted down and opened his arms.
No need for extra gestures, no need for food to lure them, those little lion cubs bolted toward him like baby birds returning to their nest.
"Awoo!"
'Here I come!'
"Ao!"
'I was here first!'
"Awoo!"
'Move aside, let me in!'
The lion cubs let out loud, enthusiastic cries.
Unlike the aggressive roars they had directed at Dominic and the Fourth Legion's beast tamers, their calls were clearly filled with affection.
Paired with their naturally soft, baby-like voices, it was almost too much.
If Dominic and the others didn't already know how fierce and aggressive these lion cubs could be, despite their adorable appearance, they would have started questioning reality.
…Well, actually, they were still questioning reality.
"Oh my god! Are these really lion cubs? Captain, are my eyes playing tricks on me?"
"Did we run into some kind of illusion beast? Are we all dreaming? I've never seen such sweet lion cubs!"
"My contracted lion cub has never been this affectionate with me. But damn, listen to that voice… My heart is melting!"
"So this is Professor Asher? No wonder he's called a genius! He's incredible with beasts too!"
They looked at Asher like he was some kind of god.
Amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
They had only heard about Asher's achievements before, but never had a clear image of him as a person. A young prodigy?
Would he be difficult to get along with?
They had heard that geniuses often had eccentric personalities.
They had even gossiped about it in private.
But now, watching Asher become the absolute favorite of over a hundred lion cubs, all those preconceived notions shattered instantly.
Asher, in their eyes, had just become a legend.
But Asher quickly realized, carrying them was too slow.
He could only hold two at a time.
And there were 178 of them.
He turned to the motionless soldiers, "Open the back of the pickup truck. I'll lead them up."
"Oh, oh, oh!"
"Yes, yes! Right away!"
The moment Asher spoke, they sprang into action.
What?
Orders from the captain?
Completely unnecessary.
They just had to follow Professor Asher.
Just seeing his ability was proof enough, why waste time listening to their captain's orders? That would only slow things down!
Dominic, suddenly abandoned and left standing alone: "???"
"How's it feel, Old Dominic? Experiencing what it's like to be sidelined?", Miles clasped his hands behind his back, strolling up leisurely with an amused look.
"Pfft, this is nothing," Dominic waved dismissively, "It's not like it's the first time you and Old Griffith have overshadowed me. Even if I wasn't used to it, I'd be used to it by now."
Miles, who had meant to tease Dominic but got countered instead: "…"
"If you were just a little more reliable, do you think Old Griffith and I would need to keep you on a leash?", Miles glared at him.
Dominic: 'Heard it, don't care.'
Dominic shook his head, completely ignoring Miles's exasperated glare. Watching Asher effortlessly lead the entire swarm of lion cubs onto the pickup truck, his lips curled into a wide grin.
"Heh heh!"
"Old Lin, you know what? I think I hit the jackpot!"
"Beating the Fifth Legion to inviting Professor Asher here? Worth it! Absolutely worth it!"
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