Chapter 16

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

I gathered a day’s supply of herbs for Mrs. Cerens and rested with her in the cave for the night.

The next day.

Mrs. Cerens fever subsided and she looked much better.

I tied the straw rope I had woven from thatch to the top of the hill and tied the other end around her waist so she could climb down slowly while I headed down first keep an eye on her.

“Aah ooh~”

Little Bear, who had been waiting at the foot of the mountain, immediately stood up and cried out excitedly when he saw me coming down.

But he startled Mrs. Cerens, who was coming down with the rope, and she stopped in midair.

“Don’t be afraid, Mrs. Cerens. This is my newly adopted pet and my friend. Don’t you agree, Little Bear?”

“Aah ooh~”

I had to pat Little Bear on the head to prove our relationship.

“Sir Will, do you know that I had no choice but to climb into the cave on the cliff to avoid it? I didn’t expect it to have become your pet.”

Mrs. Cerens came down dubiously and her gaze hovered between Little Bear and me with incredulous eyes.

“Perhaps this is fate, Mrs. Cerens. We’re leaving for home today. It’s 10 kilometers away. If you’re tired, I can get Little Bear to give you a ride.”

“No… Sir Will, don’t worry about me. I used to gather tea for a living and have climbed cliffs that were steeper than this. This accidental abrasion is because of this… because of Mr. Bear. I couldn’t gather herbs to treat my wounds as result. Now that my fever has subsided, it’s not a problem for me to walk the mountain path.”

Mrs. Cerens hurriedly waved her hand. There was still some fear in her eyes as she looked at Little Bear.

This was the innate fear of normal people when they saw ferocious animals.

“That’s good. Let’s go. This is for you.”

I respected her choice and pared a branch into the shape of a walking stick and handed it to her.

“Thank you, Sir Will.”

Just like that, the two humans and one bear set off home. Little Bear led the way for us and ran exceptionally happily.

I didn’t break off the contract with it. Having lived two lives, I had never had a pet since I was young.

This unexpected harvest of a bear allowed me to finally experience the joy of raising a pet.

When I walked up the main road leading to the door, Little Bear that had appeared out of nowhere with a half-grown wild boar in his mouth approached me and showed it off.

Worried that it would scare passers-by, I ordered it to stay by my side from now on.

It was still a long way from the door.

I could already see my father and mother waiting outside the door.

“Will, get away from that dangerous animal!”

Mother raised a huge water bubble and shouted at me.

I hurriedly raised my arms and waved them.

I was afraid that my mother would kill my new pet before it could even enter the house. That would be too tragic.

Fortunately…

Mother understood what I meant and put away her magic.

“Will, my lovely Will, you’re not hurt, are you? Oh dear! Where did this bear come from, and this missus is…”

In front of the house.

Mother came forward to greet me. She looked around me before her gaze landed on my pet bear and Mrs. Cerens.

“Lilith, Mrs. Cerens is a servant I hired. I’ll got Will to bring her over while he was out this time. She’ll work at home from now on.”

Father walked over and explained to Mother.

“Yes, Lady Lilith. I’m a servant hired by the Lord. My usual job is to take care of this bear. Winnie, come with me!”

Mrs. Cerens immediately bowed to Mother and began to call to Little Bear.

Hastily, I ordered Little Bear bear to obey Mrs. Cerens’ instructions, and sent him to sit at her feet.

Mother did not find any loopholes, so she complained to Father, “Darling, did you actually prepare a bear as a pet for Will?”

“I knew Will would like a surprise like that. Will, do you like the gift from Father?”

“Thank you, Father. Winnie is the best gift I’ve ever received,”

I spoke excitedly.

The three humans and the bear cooperated perfectly.

The bear’s name was also determined by Mrs. Cerens quick wits. From then on, his name was Winnie.

“Lilith, bring Mrs. Cerens around to familiarize her with the home. I’ll check Will’s training results this time.”

“Mother, don’t throw away the wild boar that Winnie is holding. I’ll deal with it myself later.”

“Alright, alright, alright. I won’t throw it away. Mrs. Cerens, please bring this bear with you and follow me. Remember to discipline it well. Don’t let it scare the servants in the residence.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

Mrs. Cerens took Little Bear and followed Mother into the house.

My father and I smiled at each other once our eyes met.

“Will, is this your choice?”

“Yes, Father, I don’t think Mrs Cerens should die like this.”

“Very well. Since you’ve made your choice, stick to the path you’ve chosen. Father will support you.”

“Thank you, Father. Can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Father, we, the Reinhardts exist to protect the kingdom. What will you do if the King makes the wrong decision one day?”

I looked at my father and asked seriously.

It was what I had seen in Mrs. Cerens, about the injustice of the law of the kingdom itself.

In order to maintain his rule, the King upheld the nobles and despised the common people.

This was naturally not a problem when the country was stable. However, once an enemy invaded and the other country’s strength was similar to the kingdom, the common people who had had enough of the oppression of the nobles would become the tomb diggers of the kingdom.

“Well, I shouldn’t be the one to answer that question, because the current King of Freld is still considered to be a wise man, and the strength of the country is also at the forefront among the countries. Father only needs to guarantee that nothing like this will happen before the Sword of Damocles reaches your hands.

“Looking at the current King’s age, there will still be at least 20 years of prosperity. 20 years later, the power of the Reinhardt family should be in your hands. Will, this is a question you should consider.”

Father patted my shoulder and spoke earnestly, but I could always hear a hint of schadenfreude in his words.

“Um… Father, you can’t do this. At least, you shouldn’t…”

“Will, when I took over the mission from your grandfather, he told me the same thing. This is the legacy of the Reinhardt family. Accept your fate!”

“…”

“Will, I’ll share with you another lesson. If you don’t want this to happen, you have to have the ability to change the King’s mind. For example, become the friend of the next King or the son-in-law of the current King.”

“…Father, are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious! How do you think your mother got here? Your father, I, snatched her from the current king!”

When I heard this,

the way I looked at my father had already changed. I felt a sense of admiration. How close was his relationship with the King to have seized his wife from him?

It turned out that Father was not just making the comment. He was really putting it into practice.

“Father, you’re amazing!”

“Hahaha, of course.”

After my father laughed, he leaned close to my ear and asked softly, “But Will, how did you find a bear as a pet and make it so obedient?”

“It’s a secret!”

“Is that a secret? Well, it doesn’t matter, Will. How about I trade you the last of the Reinhardt family secrets for this bear?”

“It’s up to you whether you want to teach the secret or not.”

After saying this, I quickly walked home.

“Wait for me, Will! It’s really cool to have a bear as a pet——”