The on-site investigation proceeded swiftly and fairly.
I presented the Emperor's decree and the crystal orb, reporting everything that had transpired without omission.
Of course, I cleverly omitted the fact that the Black Cougar was contained within the ring. After all, that wasn't crucial information.
"Hmm. A mere merchant has managed to ensnare even the palace's messenger…"
"If we interrogate York and Putan, we should be able to uproot this issue."
"You've done a tremendous job once again. His Majesty will be quite pleased."
Well, on the surface, that might be true, but I doubt he feels that way inside.
"Given the nature of this matter, I must report directly. You've worked hard, Jed Arahan."
"Is that person also an investigator?"
I pointed at Nunes, who was hanging back and pretending to be distracted.
His small stature and somewhat clueless appearance screamed 'novice investigator.'
Yet Cox looked at him with the fondness of a father gazing at his son.
"He hasn't been formally appointed yet; he's still a trainee investigator. Investigators usually undergo about three years of practical training. Though it's a recommendation system, we can't assign important roles without proper vetting."
"Who on earth recommended someone like him…?"
"I did!"
"..."
"Haha! He may seem a bit clumsy, but he's a good kid."
"So, I was your first case? Of all people…"
"It wasn't intentional. Investigators usually seek out cases themselves or respond to tips. This time, we received a tip."
So it all comes back to the Black Guard.
They could have reported this to a seasoned investigator instead of bringing in someone like him.
If Cox hadn't shown up, proving my innocence would have been quite a headache.
"Are you saying he's capable? Or is it about his potential as an investigator?"
"Hmm. Both?"
"That's a rather lukewarm assessment. What exactly makes him 'capable'…?"
"Oh! Speaking of which, it seems you two would make a good pair!"
"What?"
Whether it was an attempt to change the subject or a genuinely good idea that struck him, Cox suddenly clapped his hands together.
What is this ominous feeling?
As I instinctively shook my head and waved my arms in protest, Cox continued.
"You still have four missions left, right? Following you around would teach him a great deal."
"No, not at all. There's nothing for him to learn from me. Really."
"Haha, how humble of you."
"I'm not being humble—"
"Hey, Nunes! Come here!"
Crap…
You want me to work with that novice investigator?
No way. That can't be right.
"Yes, sir! You called for me!"
"This is Jed Arahan. He's also someone who received my token."
"Oh! I've heard about him!"
"How about spending your practical training alongside him? I think it would benefit you greatly."
"With Arahan…?"
"Haha! Why? Do you dislike working with a mage?"
"Oh, no! It's not that…"
Please just say you don't want to. I really don't want to either.
If I have to work with someone like that, I might develop an ulcer at this young age—
"Of course! If it's your suggestion, I'll gladly follow!"
Ugh, that guy…
If he weren't an investigator, I'd want to punch him right in the face.
"Haha! Excellent! Very straightforward. What about you, Jed?"
"..."
An internal conflict began to brew within me.
Cox was the lead investigator, and it wouldn't benefit him to let emotions cloud his judgment. If I were to refuse, I needed a solid justification.
As I wrestled with my thoughts, Cox firmly stated, "I think it would hurt my feelings if you turned down my request. After all, I've gone out of my way to help you several times."
"..."
"Surely you're not going to hold his status as a knight against him?"
How did he know? That was exactly what I was about to say.
Having a knight and a mage working together would inevitably create some discord.
"The foundation of an investigator's role is to judge fairly, without bias. You are Jed Arahan, who treats commoners without discrimination, aren't you?"
Was Cox always this infuriating?
Seeing his sly smile, I reluctantly replied. With no real grounds for refusal, what choice did I have?
"…Fine. Let's do it."
"Haha! A fantastic duo is about to be born!"
A fantastic duo? More like a disaster waiting to happen.
Nunes shot me a glance filled with unspoken thoughts before returning to his distraction.
As I let out a deep sigh, Cox leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Jed, don't make that kid angry."
"Excuse me…?"
"What do the kids say these days? Oh right! You shouldn't make him lose his cool."
"..."
Cox only chuckled at his own cryptic words.
Later that afternoon, Cox left for the palace with Putan in tow.
He took with him all the wealth York had amassed.
Meanwhile, Jed was set to wait for his next mission in Le Mans the following morning.
"Is this enough?"
Late into the night, Jed stealthily left his lodgings and ventured deep into the mountains.
After scanning the surroundings, he placed the box he was holding on the ground and infused mana into the 'Summoning Ring of Bazel.'
Whoosh!
Growl....
With a burst of intense light, the Black Cougar was summoned.
The ring's power prevented its wounds from worsening, but it was still gravely injured and on the brink of death.
Jed sighed briefly before retrieving holy water from his pack.
"Don't be alarmed. I'm here to heal you."
Growl...
The cougar instinctively growled but offered no real resistance.
As Jed approached and poured the holy water over it, a white and green light seeped into its body.
Soon, burn scars began to heal rapidly as new flesh emerged.
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem like a defective product."
Even after just two vials, its appearance had improved significantly.
However, the more pressing issue was that its internal organs had been damaged.
Jed opened another vial of holy water and held it out. "Drink this. It will help you recover."
Growl...
The cougar stared intently at the holy water Jed offered.
It was only natural that something made by humans would be unfamiliar to it.
Seeing it hesitate, Jed urged again, "Drink up."
Growl….
"You stubborn little creature. Just drink it already!"
...
Why was it suddenly acting so defiant?
The cougar seemed somewhat disheartened but reluctantly took a sip of the holy water.
"Sometimes you have to force them to understand."
Gulp. Gulp.
The taste resembled that of mountain stream water, but the energy coursing through its belly felt entirely different—almost like fire igniting within.
Soon after, an overwhelming wave of pain surged through its body.
"It's repairing your damaged organs. You'll feel some discomfort."
At first, it felt as though it had ingested poison.
If Jed hadn't said anything, it surely would have thought so too.
For the cougar, holy water was an entirely alien substance; usually when humans offered something like this, it meant poison or a trap.
Grrr….
"Hang in there."
Gradually, its belly grew warmer and then began to sting intermittently.
While "stinging" might be an understatement for what it felt like—more like being gutted by a knife.
As the pain intensified and curled its body into a tight ball, Jed gently patted its head.
"Just a little longer. You're almost there."
Could this really not be poison?
From how painful it felt, it certainly seemed like it could be deadly. If he had truly poisoned it, he'd deserve to die right there on the spot.
But Jed assured him this was part of the healing process.
Grrr!
Should I kill him? Or should I hold on just a bit longer?
After wrestling with that dilemma in my mind countless times, the pain began to fade away gradually.
Breathing steadied and energy surged back into its body.
Moments later, all pain vanished as warmth enveloped its belly like a comforting blanket.
"Oh! It's starting to feel better now."
Was it due to that soothing warmth or Jed's genuine kindness?
The cougar let go of any remaining wariness and relaxed comfortably while blinking slowly in gratitude.
"To fully recover, you'll need two more vials. But they won't hurt as much as before."
Jed offered another vial of holy water.
Without hesitation this time, the cougar accepted and drank deeply from it.
Just as Jed had said, there was no pain at all now; instead, it felt as if its strength was rapidly returning.
Grrr!
What an astonishing experience this was!
That tiny vial contained something capable of restoring life to a body on the brink of death!
The cougar sprang to its feet and began to inspect itself.
It lifted its front paw, turned its head from side to side, and stretched its hindquarters in a grand display.
Rraaawww!
Only when it realized it was completely healed did the cougar let out a triumphant roar—a powerful cry filled with joy and gratitude.
Jed watched the creature standing tall before him, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"It looks like you're all better now. You can go, but don't attack humans again."
Grrr...
"I'm leaving now. Take care."
With that, Jed turned on his heel without a second thought.
His cool demeanor left the cougar tilting its head in confusion.
Did this human really heal me without wanting anything in return?
Grr?
It felt strange.
From its fangs to its skin, eyes, heart, and mana stone—humans always had many desires.
They would recklessly charge into danger, repeating the cycle of life and death to get what they wanted…
"Why are you following me?"
Grrr...
"Why do you keep growling at me? Are you planning to eat me now that you're feeling better?"
That wasn't it.
It was just… well, how should it explain?
"If you're thinking about betraying me, you might want to reconsider. I will truly kill you then."
Kyu...
The cougar felt a pang of disappointment.
It wasn't following him with any ill intentions.
It was simply driven by curiosity—or perhaps a sense of unspoken longing…
"Seriously, just go. We have nothing more to discuss."
The more it followed, the colder Jed became.
Even though it was a significant presence in the North, having lived as a king of beasts, this treatment was unprecedented.
In its life, it had never experienced such neglect.
Usually, beings either chased after or fled from each other; there was no middle ground.
"Why do you keep following me?!"
Now it was getting angry.
For some reason, it felt increasingly disheartened and lay down with wide, innocent eyes staring up at him.
"Oh? What's this? Is that your hunting stance?"
Grrk?!
That wasn't right.
It wasn't a hunting stance; it was just…
"Wow, I really made a mistake here. I saved you from death, and now you're being ungrateful?"
This was frustrating.
It was all a misunderstanding. It had no intention of being hostile at all!
The more it tried to communicate, the more misunderstandings piled up—it was simply exasperating.
Grr...
How could it clear up this misunderstanding?
What could it do to earn the trust of this incredibly wary human?
Perhaps there was only one way…
Belly up.
The decision didn't take long to make.
Exposing its belly felt like an unbearable humiliation, but if that's what it took to clear up the misunderstanding, so be it.
It didn't want to be seen as an ungrateful beast that couldn't even acknowledge kindness.
"Hmm? Why are you suddenly acting like this?"
What? Does this human not understand the meaning behind this behavior?
After going this far, he still didn't get it?
Well, he was still young… but still! How could he not know this?
Sniff!
It seemed like more definitive action was necessary.
Lowering its gaze, it slowly approached. Fortunately, the human didn't flee or show fear.
As it got closer and rubbed its head against his body, the human began to stroke it gently in return.
Was the misunderstanding finally clearing up?
"You little one have some cute sides."
Startled!
Cute?
The powerful beast of the North is being called cute?
It had killed more humans than wild animals throughout its life.
So why wasn't this one afraid?
Looking up into those crimson eyes—beautiful yet imposing—it found itself entranced by their gaze.
His touch was gentle; his eyes were warm.
It felt like finding solace in a soft embrace—a comforting sensation enveloped it completely.
"What do you want to say?"
It didn't know.
For some reason, even it couldn't understand what was happening within itself.
All it knew was that it wanted to stay with this human for as long as possible.
The first and last human who had protected it—the only one who stroked its head without fear.
"Do you like me?"
Kyu...
The human gazed down at it—eye level lowered significantly—looking directly into its eyes.
For some reason, an overwhelming feeling swelled within it, causing it to nod instinctively.
"Well then, let's go together."
Really?
Could they truly go together?
Grrr!
Joy surged through it.
Hadn't he saved a life that should have ended long ago?
Its remaining days could not belong solely to itself anymore.
Just as he had protected it, so too did it want to protect him in return.
No matter what others said or how they laughed at him for being loyal to this human—this Black Cougar valued loyalty above all else.
Even if the beasts of the North mocked him for it, for his sake, it would gladly bear any scorn.
Whoosh!
The human extended his hand with the ring held out before him.
In that moment of silent connection—a force pulling them together—it felt an overwhelming happiness swell within itself.