"I still think we should throw the beast out. We don’t need to be responsible for it."

Leon complained as he looked at the beast in Kael’s arms. His displeasure was clear on his face, which made Kael surprised.

He did not recall Leon ever hating beasts so much.

"What is your problem, kid? This beast needs our help, so we are helping it. If you have a problem with it, then you need to give a reason as well." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Iris reminded Leon and his eyes blazed up.

"The beasts almost killed my teacher. Am I supposed to like these mindless creatures?"

Leon’s words made everyone fall quiet.

They all knew that he had not said anything wrong. The beasts were mindless creatures that attacked anything they could get their hands on. That included people, cattle, and even other beasts.

Leon’s words also made Kael realize why his current attitude felt different from the one in his past.

It was because no such incident had taken place last time. So Leon had no reason to hate or even fear beasts.

Since it was his fault, Kael felt like he had to talk to Leon and lessen his anger.

"I am alive right now, and that’s all that matters. Besides, this kid was not a part of the raid. From these injuries, it is clear that it suffered from the paws of other beasts before the attack started."

Kael pointed out, but Leon still looked unconvinced.

"Hey kid, I have dealt with a lot of beasts when I was in the gladiator arena. I will take it down if it gets feral. Just go along with it for now."

Iris gestured toward Seraphina, silently telling Leon that he should agree for her sake.

Leon looked reluctant at first, but finally came around and calmed down.

The carriage ride was far too long, so Kael decided to use his magic during the latter half. He was done before anyone could protest.

"We are finally here. Let’s get inside now."

He told the others and noticed their dirty looks. So he made a run for it because he knew one of them would lecture him.

...

There were a lot of rooms in Kael’s mansion, but finding one that was perfect for a beast of the demon queen’s size was a hard task. She was too small for most rooms and the furniture was too sharp.

In the end, Kael decided to use his magic to renovate a room into a pet-friendly zone.

"I still don’t understand why we have to keep the beast in our home? Can’t it just live outside? It’s a wild beast after all."

Leon asked, but his voice did not hold the same bite it did before. It was clear that he had understood that nothing he said here could change the others’ minds.

"I can keep the beast outside, but it would be harder to keep an eye on it. For now, we should focus on healing the poor thing. Seraphina, do you want to try using your powers?"

Kael asked her, but the girl shook her head quickly.

"I don’t think I am ready to use my powers on another living creature. I want to practice a lot before I start healing others."

In Kael’s opinion, Seraphina was ready to heal other people. She had healed him when he was on the brink of death. So a small beast like the demon queen should be no problem.

But the thing that made Seraphina’s powers unstable was her lack of self-confidence.

Kael decided to start working on it right at that moment.

"It’ll be alright. I will take over if you make a mistake."

Kael held his hand out for Seraphina to take and she hesitantly took it. She shakily pressed her hand against the small thing, but her powers were not coming out.

"I cannot do it."

She declared, and Kael decided to grab her hand and press it into the beast’s soft fur.

"Don’t lose your focus, Seraphina. And don’t think about the consequences. All you need to do is think about what you are doing and let your power out. Take a deep breath and close your eyes."

Seraphina followed his instructions and calmed down a bit. Her power started to flow, but it was not enough.

Kael wanted Seraphina to try her hardest, so he needed to tell her something that would motivate her.

__________

"Don’t think of the person you are healing as a beast. Instead, pretend they are the most important person in your life."

Kael reminded Seraphina and she took a deep breath. She tried to picture it as he had asked her to, but who was the person she wanted to save?

She thought about Leon first, but it was hard for her to see him as vulnerable. He was important to her, but he was not the one whom she wanted to save the most.

Then, what about Iris?

She was too strong and Seraphina sometimes felt intimidated by her. But something inside Seraphina was telling her that this was still the wrong answer.

’What about Kael?’

Her own voice asked her and Seraphina’s breath hitched. She did not know how to answer that.

Just like Iris, Kael was also a strong person. In fact, he was likely much stronger than Iris, so there was no need for Seraphina to think of him as someone who needed help.

But her teacher had almost died in front of her and that had made Seraphina act in a way she never had before.

Moreover, something inside her was telling her that if she imagined she was healing Kael, then she would be able to use her full power.

’Hmm, you got to this answer much quicker than I did. Perhaps this time will be better. On that note, let me show you how we use our power.’

The faint voice spoke to Seraphina before she felt her energy being forced out.

It was unlike any training she had done before. It was a gentle flow that made her feel warm but cold at the same time.

She was getting tired much more quickly than any other time, but she did not want to stop.

’A little more. Just a little more...’

She kept pushing herself until someone yanked her hand away.

Seraphina was about to complain when she looked at Kael’s worried expression.

"You have done enough, Seraphina. Now, you should focus on resting and recovering. I will take over from here."

Seraphina wanted to tell him that she was fine. But her eyes felt too heavy and she felt them close.

In the end, she fell asleep before she could reply.