TEB Ch 36

But does this place also require TNR operations? As far as Liev understood, this location served as a sanctuary for most pets. All of them roamed freely, following the natural order, even if they disappeared, reproduced, or were preyed upon by predators. It was a form of natural selection. While this approach was understandable from a certain perspective, unlike in modern times, the food pyramid for top predators appeared to be well-established here, ensuring that their population remained stable without exceeding a certain number. 

Whether Liev was lost in unnecessary thoughts or not, the cat that leaped down was grooming itself to immediately remove the smell that was from me.   

“Hey, you’re dirtier. I have to change clothes because of you.”  

When Liev complained in a dissatisfied voice, a loud applause was heard from somewhere.  

Who was it? His face turned red because he was talking to the cat in a very soft voice. When Liev took his eyes off the cat and looked behind him, he saw a young man with a familiar face smiling, even though he was seeing it for the first time. 

“Oh, sorry. It seems that the impression is quite different from what I heard from my colleagues.” 

Ah, even without a proper introduction, it seemed like I could know his identity. Liev cleared his throat awkwardly and replied. 

“Well, I’m not sure what you’re talking about…”  

As Liev spoke, avoiding eye contact, the young man continued to introduce himself with a still-smiling expression. 

“I’m Sigrid, the vice commander of the White Eagle Knights. I thought I would meet you during the appointment ceremony, but my schedule got changed, so I have the opportunity to talk now.” 

He is a character that can never overlook injustice and is sometimes excessively straightforward, making people around him tired, but he is determined to be willing to sacrifice himself to protect without even a single hair of his colleagues being hurt. Making a protagonist that the world can’t help but love. Although he was slightly smaller than Liev, his physique looked much more solid. With his cheerful and likable impression, a friendly and easy-going smile was felt at a glance.  

“Yes, I am Liev Carter.” 

He was on a fundamentally different type of level from Liev. Even when he lived as a veterinarian, Liev was far from friendly. Although he was known for being competent at his job and affectionate towards animals, there was no talk of him being friendly and kind to people. 

“Hey, a veterinarian is ultimately in the service industry. If you’re good only to animals, what’s the use? You should be good to people too.” 

Some colleagues mocked Liev for being tactless or unlucky, but it didn’t matter. He always carried the thought that appearances were not everything. However, the young man in front of Liev now was not just any person, but a true hero who sacrificed himself to help others.  

Perhaps it would have been better if he had been a bad person. Seeking self-esteem by looking at others might be pathetic self-consolation, but it was inevitable for the heart of the perpetrator, who was born with the destiny of facing a wall that could not be overcome no matter what.  

What if I had possessed the protagonist? He would have had the strength to confidently establish himself as a companion by Renard’s side. Meeting him didn’t feel very pleasant because he had the same pointless thoughts over and over again. He tried his best to hide his emotions as he looked at the young man. 

“Feel free to call me Sig. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on in the future.” 

Well, Liev inwardly reacted indifferently and replied, 

“No. You’re the most trusted knight by His Majesty, I can’t treat you lightly.” 

When Liev flatly refused, the young man immediately made a disappointed expression and replied, 

“Sir Knight! Please don’t push me away like that. I was just lucky.” 

That’s probably not it. Rather, it was the Kingdom of Airen and his colleagues who were lucky. Thanks to his willingness to sacrifice himself in times of crisis, the country could be saved from destruction.  

“But by any chance, do you have any business with me?” 

When Liev bluntly said, 

“If you don’t have anything to talk with me about, I’ll be on my way.” 

The young man laughed again. 

“No, it’s not like that, but I was just curious about what kind of person you were. I heard that you’re someone Renard likes very much.” 

What kind of talk is this? Liev momentarily doubted his ears and furrowed his brow. Seeing Liev’s reaction, Sigrid burst into laughter again and added, 

“Do you know how much Renard talks about you? Even when eating something delicious, he says, “Liev would like this too.” And when seeing beautiful scenery, he says, “I want to show this to Liev.” So, both I and the colleagues were curious about who this Liev person is.” 

What on earth has he been talking about? Liev couldn’t lift his head because his face was burning. 

Even if you ask Renard what kind of person Liev is, he just says Liev is the most handsome, cool, and kind person in the world. Rowena offered to make a mirror that shows his memories, but he refused. “He doesn’t want to show it because it belongs to only him.” 

Liev’s face felt hot, and he couldn’t raise his head. 

“I’m sorry, it seems I was rude unintentionally.” 

When Liev apologized, covering his face with the back of his hand, Sigrid waved his hand.  

“No, that is not something for Sir Liev to apologize for. I just wanted to have a conversation and learn more about what kind of person you were. It seems you’re even better than what I heard from Renard.” 

Either way, Liev now wanted to hide wherever there was a hole. Not only did Liev get caught using an embarrassing voice to speak to animals, but now Renard had also said something strange about him, and he didn’t know what kind of stories his colleagues had heard. Still, he had no intention of continuing this awkward situation any longer. 

“Yes, thank you… I do… I don’t tend to talk much, so unless you have some other business to attend to, can I go in first?” 

As Liev looked around to find an opportunity to run away, the young man burst into laughter once more. His cheeks continued to burn, as if I felt like I was being made fun of. But the young man smiled again, as if he were not planning to let him go easily. 

“Aren’t you curious about how Renard has been doing lately?” 

Needless to say, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little tempted by the question that was thrown out like bait. However, it wasn’t a very reasonable idea to be curious about it when he had decided not to show any more affection to him. Liev immediately raised his head and asked, 

“Should I be curious?” 

“Well, just… I thought you might be interested.” 

“No, but….” 

Despite Liev’s firm response, the young man seemed relentless. 

“Really? Well… then, let’s just consider it as me talking to myself.”  

Why is he going to such lengths? Even if Liev wanted to avoid people, he couldn’t just be rude to someone, so he couldn’t leave without permission. It’s true that he was curious on the inside. While Liev was speechless, the young man continued speaking. 

“Renard wasn’t interested in us at first. He said the reason he came out of Mahatra’s land was solely because he had someone to find. Oh, of course, separate from that, he was a valuable companion to us.” 

I didn’t want to hear it from him. Renard’s story, which he didn’t know, stimulated a pathetic sense of jealousy deeply rooted in Liev’s heart. Either way, Sigird continued talking. 

“But he must have spent a long time with Mahatra all this time, and yet he seemed familiar with human customs during meals and daily life. Since Mahatra doesn’t take on a human form, I think someone else must have taught him.” 

“……” 

Is this a compliment? Liev’s ears were wide open, unintentionally taking a step back to hear about Renard’s life that he didn’t know about.