Aeron had a troubled expression, "Brother Asher..."
"I'm not lying to you. I really planned this a long time ago," Asher spoke sincerely, "How about this? When we visit relatives after the New Year, I'll stay at your place for a few days. Is that okay?"
Upon hearing this, Aeron nodded repeatedly.
'Okay, okay, okay.'
'Why wouldn't it be okay?'
'As long as Brother Asher doesn't feel like avoiding my family, that is good enough.'
At the same time, Aeron was a bit curious but didn't dare to ask—'what are brother Asher's plans for the New Year?'
'Or... Does Brother Asher have a girlfriend?'
Aeron's eyes widened abruptly.
Asher: "..."
"Shut up. Don't say anything. Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth," Asher, with great foresight, cut off whatever Aeron was about to say in advance.
Don't say it.
Not interested in hearing it.
Aeron, forced to stop mid-cast, puffed out his cheeks and looked at Asher with a face full of grievance.
Asher remained unmoved.
He could ignore a girl's coquettish behavior, let alone a grown man.
Aeron also realized that his attempt at acting spoiled had zero effect. He dropped the pitiful act and stated in an extremely certain tone, "Brother Asher, with your personality, there's no way you'll ever find a girlfriend."
Asher shot him a look but said nothing.
Aeron: "..."
Although...
He suspected that Brother Asher had just mocked him with his eyes.
Asher: No need to suspect. Isn't it obvious?
What's there to question?
Just accept it as fact.
———
The day before the New Year, Asher returned to NY City.
Carrying large bags filled with food, drinks, and clothes, he boarded a small bus heading toward the rural outskirts of NY City.
"Spirit Cat Welfare Home," Standing outside the iron gate, Asher took a deep breath as he looked at the orphanage before him. It wasn't grand, but it wasn't rundown either. Then, he stepped forward.
From a small security room nearby, an old security guard heard the commotion and peeked out in Asher's direction. His initially wary expression softened immediately into warmth and delight when he recognized Asher.
"Little Asher, it's Little Asher, isn't it? You're back!", Despite being over sixty, with a face full of wrinkles, the old security guard's eyesight was excellent. Even from a distance, he recognized Asher at first glance. He quickly pushed open the door of the guardroom and ran over to welcome Asher.
"Grandpa Marvin," Asher smiled at the gray-haired old man and greeted him affectionately.
Marvin's old face broke into a wide grin, his wrinkles stretching out, "I heard from Rose a few days ago that you'd be coming back for the New Year. Good, good, that's really good."
"Everyone's been waiting for you."
As he spoke, Marvin took the bags of food and drinks from Asher, and after lifting them to inspect, he showed a heartbroken expression, "You really shouldn't have. Coming home for the New Year is enough. Why did you buy so many things? Such a waste of money."
"You're still a student. You should keep more money for yourself."
"And you've already donated plenty to the orphanage. You really don't need to send any more money in the future," Marvin nagged on and on, looking as if he wished he could return the items if Asher hadn't already brought them over.
"It's really not a big deal." Asher smiled helplessly. "Grandpa Marvin, you know me. I may be a student, but I'm not an ordinary student—I'm a licensed pet beast professor in the Alliance. My salary is great."
"These are just some regular candies, milk, and clothes. They didn't cost much at all."
"But you're still just a kid yourself, and you work so hard...", Marvin continued to grumble.
Asher simply smiled and listened without arguing.
He had long accepted the fact that he was an orphan in this world.
But perhaps because he was used to his past life—where he only had to take care of himself and had no family to worry about—he never really thought much about his orphanage background.
It wasn't until recently, when Asher was browsing the NY City Beast Taming Alliance's official website, that he came across the year-end financial reports of various breeding bases. Among them, there was a section about donations to affiliated welfare homes.
That was when it hit him—
Oh, right.
Which orphanage did he come from again?
The Spirit Cat Welfare Home, affiliated with the Little Spirit Cat Breeding Base.
Revisiting his memories of growing up in the orphanage...
It wasn't bad at all.
The orphanage director, Mama Ruth, was a kind-hearted and gentle woman. Her husband, Marvin, was an honest man. Because of certain health conditions, they couldn't have children of their own, so they took up jobs at the official welfare home.
They might not have treated every child like their own, but they definitely gave each one love and care, ensuring they grew up healthy and strong.
Three full meals a day, always enough to eat, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables.
Clean clothes every day.
Three to four new outfits per year.
And thanks to donations from various places, the kids had books, toys, and extra clothes.
Overall, life at the orphanage was quite good.
When Asher awakened his beast-taming talent, his household registration was moved out of the orphanage. The government and Alliance began providing him with a personal stipend, along with an additional grant for the orphanage he came from.
Asher didn't know about other orphanages.
But kids from Spirit Cat Welfare Home—whether they became beast tamers or ordinary people—rarely had major personality issues.
They weren't overly self-conscious about their backgrounds, nor did they turn to crime because of it.
That was already quite an achievement for an orphanage.
After recalling these memories, Asher donated an extra five million to the Spirit Cat Welfare Home—half of his annual income, excluding bonuses.
The orphanage immediately called him upon receiving the donation, their voices filled with shock and disbelief. When they found out it was a personal donation from Asher, they insisted on returning the money.
Neither side would back down.
And that was how Asher ended up deciding to spend the New Year at the orphanage.
Passing through the front yard—filled with sandpits, slides, seesaws, and various play facilities—Asher entered the main hall.
From inside a room, a woman emerged. She looked slightly younger than Marvin, around her late fifties, with an upright posture and salt-and-pepper hair.
"Grandma Ruth," Asher greeted her obediently.
"Ah!", Mama Ruth's face lit up with a big smile, "Little Asher is back? Haven't seen you in years, and you've grown into such a fine young man. And stop calling me Grandma! That makes me sound old."
She then glared at Marvin.
It was all his fault.
Making her seem older.
Even the kids called her Grandma because of him.
Asher laughed, "Got it, Mama Ruth."
"Now that's better! And you look healthy and energetic," Mama Ruth gave him a thumbs-up before taking his hand and leading him inside, "It's good that you're back."
"The food is almost ready. Come with me to the office first—I'll process the paperwork to return your money."
She had been thinking about it ever since the donation came in.
Asher turned the tables and pressed down on her hand: "It's already donated, what's the point in taking it back? Besides, it's not easy to process."
"You little brat, you know that too," Mama Ruth shot Asher a look, her voice full of complaints, "Why on earth did you make such a big donation?"
"You're doing fine out there on your own. If you have time during the New Year, just come back and visit us, see the new kids, play with them—that's enough. Donating money is such a waste."
"The welfare home isn't short on funds."
"The little spirit cat breeding base donates a lot every year. Plus, there are kind-hearted people from outside making contributions. The kids here are doing just fine," Mama Ruth said sincerely, "You're still a kid yourself. How can we take your money? It's not easy for you to earn it."
"Keep it for yourself, don't give it to the welfare home. You don't owe the welfare home anything."
"Besides, ever since you awakened your Beast Tamer potential back then, hasn't the welfare home been receiving an extra subsidy every year because of you? That's more than enough."
Asher had barely spoken a sentence before Mama Ruth rattled off a whole speech, not giving him any chance to argue.
But as he listened, a warm smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"Mama Ruth, Mama Ruth, Miss Ruth, I know exactly how things are at the welfare home," Asher didn't resist as he followed Mama Ruth into the office. He pressed her down onto the soft sofa, took over the host's role, poured her a cup of tea, and placed it in front of her.
"But I must clarify—I don't lack money. Right now, I'm a well-known pet beast professor in the Beast Tamer community, an honorary professor at Bluewind University."
Mama Ruth: "?"
A look of utter confusion appeared on her face.
'Wait, what?'
"An honorary professor at Bluewind University?", Mama Ruth instinctively repeated his words, "Since when?"
She wasn't someone who was completely out of touch with the world.
But since she didn't often go online and had to stay at the welfare home to take care of the children, she was always a bit behind on news. However, this time, she was really caught off guard.
Immediately after—
A trace of indescribable heartache appeared in her eyes as she looked at Asher.
She was, of course, happy that the child had achieved such success, but at the same time, she felt distressed. Just how much effort had he put in to earn this honor?
Thinking about all the news she'd heard about him over the past year—
Mama Ruth had always thought her child was incredible, a genius. But she also knew that behind all of this, Asher must have been silently accumulating knowledge, putting in countless hours of hard work and study to get to where he was.
'Sigh!'
'Asher must have gone through a lot out there!'
Asher, who accidentally caught the look in her eyes: "?"
A small head, filled with big question marks.
He didn't ask what she was thinking. Instead, he just continued speaking calmly, "It only happened a few days ago. It's normal that you didn't know."
"That's why I keep saying there's really no need to worry about me. I'm doing great. The country and the alliance provide excellent benefits. I earn a lot and have almost nothing to spend it on," Asher said sincerely.
He looked at Mama Ruth with composure, "Honestly, if you'd rather I spend time with the kids instead of donating money, I'd rather donate money."
Time?
That's valuable.
He wasn't exactly free enough to play house with little kids.
Mama Ruth: "…"
That sense of heartache from earlier? It was fading fast.
Even though he was her own kid, she couldn't help but feel that his words were a bit… too much of a humblebrag.
Her heart clenched.
"Fine, fine," Seeing that Asher truly didn't care about that five million, looking as relaxed as if he'd spent five bucks on a pancake at a street stall, Mama Ruth could only accept the donation.
And she had to accept another reality—Asher had truly grown into someone that everyone had to look up to.
"I know your time is precious, but stay at the welfare home for New Year's this year," Mama Ruth held his hand, gently patting the back of it. Her voice was warm and soothing, "If you don't have time to come back in the future, that's fine. But don't donate any more money, okay?"
"You've already donated enough to improve the kids' lives for years."
Asher nodded.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, yes.
Alright, alright.
Just agree first.
What happens later is up to him.
If he donates and doesn't show up, what's she gonna do? Refund the money from afar?
Asher quickly ran through a series of plans in his mind.
Forget everything else—since traveling between worlds was real, who's to say gods and spirits weren't real too? Consider it good karma.
At most, he'd just donate a little less in the future.
Mama Ruth had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing that she had convinced him, she smiled contentedly, "Since you've already started working, tell me—have you met any girls you like?"
Asher: "…"
'Oh, come on!'
He never thought he'd experience the classic parental matchmaking talk… no, wait, just regular nosy gossip.
"Uh…", He didn't say anything, but his expression said it all.
"Little Asher, this won't do. I've known you since you were little. You're too steady, too mature. But youth is meant to be enjoyed. If you don't make the most of it now, when you get older…", Mama Ruth started nagging.
As Asher's eyes nearly rolled into spirals, the office door was knocked on.
Knock! Knock! Knock—
After three knocks, a head peeked in, "Mama Ruth, it's time to eat!"
Mama Ruth immediately stopped talking.
Asher sighed in relief.
He turned to the door.
It was a girl wearing a simple floral dress, her hair tied into a loose braid. Under her long lashes, a pair of bright, deer-like eyes twinkled. When she met Asher's gaze, she gave a shy smile, dimples faintly appearing on her cheeks.
"Ro… se?" Asher hesitated before recalling the girl's name.
She was a year younger than him, having entered the welfare home a year after he did.
There was a reason he remembered her.
Rose had been abandoned because of her naturally slow reactions. Something that took a normal person seconds to respond to might take her half an hour, an hour, or even a whole day.
It wasn't an intelligence issue.
She was just slow to process things.
But because of that, many people saw her differently, and some liked to pick on her. When she was little, she was short and chubby, and some mischievous boys gave her nicknames like "Pumpkin" and "Shortie."
It was only thanks to Mama Ruth, who cared for every child, that this didn't continue for long. After two days, she caught on and severely punished those troublemakers, saying they clearly had too much free time and not enough schoolwork.
She never believed in corporal punishment.
She preferred mental torment.
Extra assignments.
Endless extra assignments.
Supervised by Marvin.
No kid could play until they finished their work.
If they finished too fast? Clearly, they were talented—give them more.
After experiencing such incidents multiple times, the orphanage no longer had any cases of forming cliques, ostracizing others, or similar behaviors.
The main theme was harmony among everyone.
Everyone was full of love.
However, because of this, Mama Ruth inevitably paid more attention to Rose than to other children, ensuring that Rose wouldn't be unknowingly bullied.
"I remember that when I left, Rose was still...", Asher swore that he had never participated in bullying Rose when he was young. If he saw her being bullied, he would immediately report it to Mama Ruth.
He had never called Rose by her nickname either, but now, seeing the once short and chubby little girl transform into a... little beauty, Asher couldn't help but feel an indescribable surprise.
"Think about how many years you've been away from the orphanage," Mama Ruth glanced at Asher with a smile and immediately guessed what he was thinking, "Rose fell ill the year before last and naturally lost weight. Plus, as they say, girls change a lot as they grow up. Our Rose has become prettier."
Asher nodded in strong agreement with Mama Ruth's words.
'That's right.'
'She really has become prettier.'
At the doorway, Rose listened to the conversation between Asher and Mama Ruth. Slowly, gradually, a shy smile appeared on her face. She blinked and softly said, "Mama Ruth, it's time to eat!"
"Alright," Mama Ruth stood up and pointed at Asher beside her, "Do you still recognize who this is?"
"I know," Rose nodded lightly.
Asher was a little surprised.
'Huh?'
'After growing up, her slow reactions seems to have improved?'
From his memories, Asher recalled that talking to Rose required at least three to four minutes for her to process and respond, which was why most people didn't like chatting with her.
Although her response was still a bit slow now, taking at least thirty seconds before speaking, compared to before, this only made her seem like a naturally slow-paced person.
"It's Asher," Rose continued.
Her big, bright deer-like eyes blinked as she stared at Asher, as if he were some kind of incredible creature.
Being stared at like this made Asher feel a little uncomfortable.
"Hahaha...", Mama Ruth immediately saw Asher's discomfort. She led him outside, grabbing Rose's small, soft, and obviously tender hand as they passed the door. As they walked forward, she spoke to Asher, who was on her other side.
"You have no idea, Rose really likes following your updates."
"Especially about your... oh, that's right. The Honeybug! Ever since you helped research its evolution route, Rose has been checking the internet every day for news about you," Mama Ruth chuckled, "She even raised a Honeybug herself because of it. I think that bug might evolve soon!"
Asher was a bit surprised.
'Wait, Rose isn't a Beast Tamer, right?'
Then he quickly calmed down.
'Oh, a Honeybug.'
'That makes sense.'
Nowadays, many ordinary people were raising Honeybugs.
They had a gentle temperament.
They would only evolve if they had an absolute bond with their owner.
Even without a contract, there was no concern that an evolved pet beast would rebel or run away.
But even so, very few people could actually meet the evolution requirements, whether they were Beast Tamers or ordinary people. Getting a Honeybug to trust someone unconditionally and even grow brave despite its naturally timid nature was no easy feat.
As far as Asher knew—
His classmate, July, who had contracted a Honeybug, hadn't even managed to evolve it yet.
And yet, Rose's was about to evolve?
Asher was a little surprised.
But thinking about Rose's personality, it didn't seem entirely impossible.
She was gentle, kind, and patient. If she truly wanted to care of a beast, there probably wasn't a single one that could resist such a personality.
"That's great. But if the Honeybug really evolves, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on it, Mama Ruth. Since it's not under contract, there are always unpredictable factors," Asher said.
Mama Ruth made an "okay" gesture, "Don't worry, I'll watch over it more closely than anyone."
Indeed.
Mama Ruth was a Rank-One Beast Tamer. She wasn't particularly powerful, but she had three pet beasts.
Because of issues with her underdeveloped mental sea, she couldn't advance further, and it even affected her physical functions, preventing her from having children. That's why she became the director of the orphanage.
Asher noticed that while he and Mama Ruth were talking, Rose would, from time to time, peek at him like a little rabbit stretching its ears out of a burrow—curious, yet timid. Then, the moment Asher's gaze turned toward her, she would "whoosh" back into hiding before he could catch her looking.
If Asher's senses weren't sharp enough, he might not have noticed.
Asher seized an opportunity. The next time Rose peeked out, he suddenly turned his head toward her, and their eyes met directly.
Rose: "?"
Whoosh—
This time, she was faster than ever.
Rose instantly squatted down and curled herself into a ball.
Mama Ruth, who had stopped walking, "..."
She glanced at Rose... The girl was completely curled up into a little ball.
Mama Ruth could only turn her gaze to Asher, her eyes silently accusing him—'Look what you did. You're not a little kid anymore, so why are you still playing these childish games?'
Asher: '...Ahem.'
'I couldn't help it!'
"Alright, alright, my bad," Asher raised both hands in surrender, looking obedient and innocent.
Mama Ruth rolled her eyes at him again but had a smile of relief on her face.
Hearing Asher speak so maturely earlier, she had thought he'd already grown up into a full-fledged adult. While she felt happy about it, there was also an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
Kids grow up way too fast.
Even though he still looked like a teenager, how did he end up shouldering so much already?
If possible, children should enjoy their childhood properly.
But now, seeing him act like this—'oh, great, he's still just a kid.'
'Seriously, which actual adult would pull such a silly stunt?'
———
Sitting among a group of children ranging in age from two to twelve, Asher remained as calm as ever.
What?
Feeling on edge from being watched?
Uncomfortable with all the staring?
No, no, no.
Not at all.
Asher was long used to this.
Ever since he became famous, he had been the center of attention everywhere he went. Even eating in public, he could overhear people discussing his name from every possible angle.
He had gone from discomfort, to acceptance, to complete indifference—all in a very short time.
Asher had even mastered the art of disguise.
And if that failed, well, getting recognized wasn't a big deal anyway.
So now, a bunch of little radishes curiously staring?
Let them look all they want.
Asher calmly continued eating.
At the moment Asher put down his chopsticks, the children who had only been secretly glancing at him, not daring to approach, finally couldn't hold back anymore. A little girl hugging a brown teddy bear doll shuffled two steps closer, then another two. Seeing that only Rose was between her and Asher, she bravely ran straight up to his side.
"Big brother, you're the super famous Professor Asher that Sister Rose has been following all this time, right?", The little girl's crisp voice rang out in the small cafeteria.
Asher hadn't even said anything yet, but beside him, Rose's face once again slowly, bit by bit, turned red, with the blush spreading from the roots of her ears to her entire face.
Rose, reacting at a speed completely inconsistent with her usual sluggishness, "whoosh"—pushed away the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, buried her head in her arms, just like an ostrich burying its head in the sand while still leaving its body exposed.
Ostrich and Rose: 'Can't see, can't see! As long as I can't see, others can't see me!'
Asher: "...Cough, cough!"
He even felt a little bad about laughing.
But Asher hadn't forgotten the little girl beside him, who was looking up at him with big curious eyes.
"Hmm… I can't be sure about that whole string of adjectives you used, but I am indeed Asher, and I am a pet beast professor," Facing the children in the orphanage, Asher was quite patient.
The little girl hugged her slightly faded but clearly well-loved brown teddy bear and nodded seriously, her two little butterfly-shaped hair ties bouncing along with her movements, "Lily understands now. Big brother must be the super amazing professor that Sister Rose follows."
"Because Sister Rose is shy," The little girl named Lily had a loud and clear voice.
Rose: "..."
Can't hear, can't hear.
Can't see, can't see.
Absolutely not raising her head.
Asher: 'Hahaha!'
Not laughing out loud was the last bit of kindness he could offer.
Because this was just too funny.
After confirming that Asher was indeed the professor Rose had been following, and seeing that he seemed easy to talk to, the other children exchanged glances and weren't as wary of him as before.
At that moment, boys and girls alike swarmed around Asher, their childish voices chirping excitedly.
"Big brother, big brother, are you a super powerful beast tamer?"
"Can we see big brother's pet beasts?"
"Are big brother's pet beasts stronger than Aunt Ruth's?"
"Aunt Ruth is the strongest!"
"Sister Rose is even stronger. Even though she's not a beast tamer, she still has pet beasts."
If women were five hundred ducks, then at this moment, Asher deeply felt that children were a thousand ducks.
Thankfully.
He only came back once a year during the New Year, or else his lifespan would be shortened.
'Thinking back, was I this annoying when I was a kid?'
'Oh!'
'Probably about the same.'
'Maybe even worse.'
After all.
He had once fought a goose barehanded.
Provoked the village's big yellow dog.
Coveted the tail feathers of the big rooster.
The chaos he caused lived up to its reputation.
The fact that he managed to grow up well was truly thanks to the village's incredible tolerance for him.
Looking at the children in the orphanage again, though some were a bit mischievous, compared to kids who grew up under their parents' protection, they were actually much more well-behaved.
Children learn to read the room and understand their circumstances for a reason.
Even though Mama Ruth and Uncle Marvin took great care of them.
Once they realized they had been abandoned by their real families, their minds matured quickly, and their outward behavior became obedient.
Asher glanced around and took note.
The ones excitedly jumping around and bombarding him with questions were mostly children between five and eight years old. The ones nine and older mostly just watched him curiously, and the eleven- and twelve-year-olds even helped calm down the overly excited younger kids.
"You want to see my pet beasts? Sure," Asher agreed to their request.
""""Hooray!!!""""
Immediately.
The children erupted in cheers.
Asher raised a finger, "But—"
The kids instantly quieted down, blinking their big, watery eyes, covering their mouths with their hands, looking at Asher pitifully, waiting for him to speak.
Asher couldn't help but chuckle before continuing, "But, if they don't want to be touched, you can't force it. Can you do that?"
"""Yesssss...."""
The children stretched out their words in response.
The next second.
Asher released Little Raven, Cat-Worm, and Little White Snake.
"""Wow!!"""
Another round of surprised exclamations erupted.
"What a big bird!"
"What a fat cat! It's even fatter than Aunt Ruth's orange tabby."
"A snake? Its eyes are so pretty!"
The children surrounded Little Raven, Cat-Worm, and Little White Snake.
The three pet beasts, released from Asher's spiritual sea beast space, remained completely unbothered.
They had already heard everything inside Asher's mental space.
Asher had also asked for their consent before summoning them.
Little Raven, seeing the children staring at it with shock, awe, longing, and joy, proudly lifted its head.
╭(╯^╰)╮
'That's right!'
'Birds are the best!'
Spreading its wings, it revealed the golden-red feathers hidden beneath its black plumage.
The children, who had never seen such a beast before, gasped in amazement again.
"So cool!"
"I want a big bird like that too!"
"Big brother must be super strong to have a pet beast like this!"
Little Raven: 'That's right!'
'Praise me!'
'Keep praising me!'
Compared to Little Raven, Cat-Worm's treatment was far worse.
"So fat!"
"Yeah! So, so fat!"
"Even fatter than the orange tabby!"
Little Raven: (▼皿▼#)
'Not fat!'
'This dragon is not fat at all!'
'A bunch of brats with no taste!'
'Damn it!'
"It has horns on its head; it doesn't look like a cat."
"It doesn't have a long tail either!"
"And it has six legs!"
"Wow! Six legs!"
"Pointy ears—it must be a cat! Hmm… a disabled kitty!"
The children's imagination ran wild.
Since Aunt Ruth had two contract pets that were spirit cats and there were many stray cats nearby, they firmly believed Cat-Worm was a cat.
Cat-Worm: o(▼皿▼メ;)o
'Very angry!'
Even angrier than before.
Spreading false rumors about its weight was bad enough.
Now they got its species wrong too?
'So mad!'
'I am going to eat these kids one by one!'
Grr!
"Giggle giggle——"
Surrounding Cat-Worm, none of the kids were scared by its fierce, cute expression. Instead, they laughed even harder.
"Kitty is so cute!"
Little White Snake had a slightly better fate than Cat-Worm.
Though it still couldn't compare to Little Raven.
After all, being a cold-blooded animal made it seem less friendly.
Some timid kids didn't dare to go near it, but others were immediately captivated by its unparalleled beauty.
Led by Lily, a group of children surrounded Little White Snake, taking turns gently stroking it.
Little White Snake barely reacted.
It lazily yawned.
What?
Being touched was an insult to its dignity?
Sorry.
That thought never crossed its mind.
Touch all you want.
Just don't wake it from its hibernation.
Yes.
With the changing temperatures, Little White Snake now wanted to sleep 25 hours a day.
It was constantly being pulled up by Asher for training, which was simply an unbearable torment for the little white snake.
But now, it was just lying here, being touched by a group of little kids.
Their movements were very gentle.
It didn't affect the snake's sleep at all.
The snake liked this kind of activity.
Others might see through the vicissitudes of life, but Asher could instantly tell what his three kids were thinking.
Each one left Asher speechless.
What was this? A narcissistic bird obsessed with beauty, a cat blinded by greed, and a snake reincarnated from a lazy ghost?
Why were all their personalities so strange?
Asher firmly refused to admit that he had anything to do with this.
Clearly, he had always been normal.
Very normal.
He didn't have any of these bad habits.
As Asher's thoughts drifted around, he suddenly felt someone tug at the hem of his clothes.
Asher was momentarily stunned.
Huh?
He lowered his head to look.
It was the little girl, Lily, who had been the first to run over and ask him questions earlier—and also the one who had exposed Rose's secrets.
Lily hugged her cherished teddy bear, looked up, and tried her best to meet Asher's eyes as she softly said, "Big brother, Lily has something to tell you."
Asher bent down, leveling his gaze with the little girl's, "Alright, what does Lily want to ask?"
"Um…", Facing the direct impact of Asher's face at such close range, seven-year-old Lily, who had already developed a basic sense of aesthetics, couldn't help but let her gaze wander for a moment.
It wasn't until Asher gently asked again that she snapped out of it. Lowering her voice deliberately—but still sounding crisp and clear—she said, "Big brother, you're really amazing, aren't you?"
"Then… can big brother save Eggy?"
Asher: "?"
"Eggy?", A clearly puzzled expression appeared on Asher's face, "Lily, can you explain in more detail?"
'What Eggy?'
'A pet beast egg?'
Asher found that unlikely.
Spirit Cat Orphanage was just a normal orphanage—there was no way a beast would lay eggs nearby, let alone someone gifting a pet beast egg to this place.
The orphanage only housed children who hadn't yet awakened.
Those who awakened as beast tamers would leave the orphanage.
Those without the potential to awaken would also leave when they reached the appropriate age—eighteen years old.
So Asher couldn't quite understand what kind of "Eggy" the little girl was talking about.
"I found Eggy in the small pond," Lily leaned close to Asher's ear, as if sharing a secret, speaking in a tiny voice meant only for him.
As he listened, Asher's expression gradually became serious.
'What does she mean by finding an egg in the small pond while playing in the water—an egg that was transparent, seemed to breathe, flickered on and off, and sometimes even emitted a faint blue glow?'
Asher looked at the little girl again.
'Hmm...'
'She sure uses a lot of adjectives.'
Which matched his first impression of her.
Clever and mischievous.
Brave.
While the other kids, unfamiliar with him, were too shy to speak, she had been the first to rush over.
And now, connecting that to the fact that she had found some unknown "Eggy" and hadn't told anyone… Yeah, she was really bold.
"Lily, you only told me about this, right?", Asher confirmed again.
Lily nodded, "Mm! Lily only told big brother!"
"Big brother, can you save Eggy?"
"Lily feels like Eggy is about to die!"
"Lily doesn't know what to do," As she spoke, her voice became a little downcast, and she clutched her teddy bear tighter. But then she looked at Asher with hopeful eyes, "But big brother is amazing! Sister Rose said big brother is the most powerful beast tamer. The most powerful professor."
"So big brother can definitely save Eggy, right?"
Asher rubbed his forehead.
She was really daring.
And really good at keeping secrets.
At an age when kids had the strongest urge to share, she had managed to keep it to herself, telling no one.
She had potential.
Also…
Had Rose's secrets been exposed by her again?
Asher was a little curious now—was Rose really that impressed by him?
They hardly even had much interaction when they were younger, right?
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y