I gulped, trying to get rid of the knot in my throat as I remembered the thrashing I received in the alley, then shook my head. I had to calm down myself and see what my assaulter was up to.

I barely managed to lift my eyes, which helped me understand that the megalomaniac wasn't even staring at me, but at Melody, who was curled up in Lucas' lap like a cat. I anticipated we'd have problems eventually, but I let down my guard as soon as Lavender told me there wouldn't be any. That was a mistake.

No, helping Lucas was a mistake altogether. I should've left the second I got my hands on the medicine I wanted.

"Here," said the waitress, carrying two mugs in one hand and a plate in the other.

She slammed them down, prompting Lucas to say, "Thank you."

"I brought them as fast as I could, but it seems a certain someone's hard to please," Lave spat out, then scrambled away.

As I watched the door to the bathroom from the corner of my eye, I pondered whether I should just run away.

"This looks good," said the beast tamer as he gave Melody a piece of jerky from the plate. With a satisfied look in her eyes, she graciously swallowed it down the hatch.

No, I couldn't just flee and leave Lucas alone, who was currently bringing the mug to his mouth with a smile as he caught my gaze, asking, "Is there anything wrong?"

If that lunatic made a move, I'm sure it would be outside. In that case, I'll just shake them off like I did the last time. Realizing that, I gradually loosened my tensed muscles.

"Don't worry too much about the money, Douglass," he tried to reassure me, snapping me from my thoughts. "I saved for Melody's treatment, but that's not an issue anymore Drink to your heart's content... Well, with some constraints, obviously. Please keep in mind that I'm on a tight budget here."

"Right." I chuckled.

I took the mug Lave had just delivered, then lifted it toward her—to which she merely rolled her eyes—and took a swig. Bitterness washed down my throat immediately after. It was both horrible and delightful at the same time. I could see why Logan was so obsessed with it.

The gryphon chirped, asking for more pieces of jerky as she lifted her head off Lucas' lap, unconcerned about the world around here.

"What most surprises me is that the waitress allowed Melody to be here," the beast tamer mumbled, agreeing with her request before tracing the rim of the mug with his finger.

"Huh?" came out of my throat.

"Of course, she only did that because you were present. I'm sure Melody wouldn't have caused any problems, but that didn't necessarily mean she'd believe me," he went on, ignoring me entirely as he indulged in his own fantasies. "Are you two... close with each other? She probably wouldn't have allowed us in otherwise."

"Not really," I mumbled, taking another sip while my mind wandered off to somewhere else.

If Lucas went to the Blake Guild with Melody wrapped around his neck, I'm certain he'd be taken in along with her. But I kept such nefarious thoughts to myself.

"You might be able to attract her with Melody's help." I gave a sheepish smile, coming up with a Logan-like joke. "Or do you want me to be your wingman as well?"

The pun was obviously intended.

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"That won't be necessary," the beast tamer said, taking a mouthful of booze. "She didn't seem to care about me or Melody in particular. And I have other issues to deal with, so relationships are off the table."

"Playing it though, huh?"

Melody's regal air was impossible to resist. After all, she was the one who charmed me out of my wits. Lucas might be able to find someone if he was willing to try and with the gryphon's assistance.

I put out my hand and scratched Melody's chin with my finger. She didn't object to my touch, and I could even argue she probably enjoyed it.

"Melody likes you already," he said as if to reassure my thoughts.

"She reminds me of a cat..."

As she twisted her neck, daring to grab it with her back, I whispered, jerking my finger away. Fortunately, my sharp reactions kept that from happening. She chirped after, probably cursing me.

"'How dare you compare me to the likes of a mere cat?'" grumbled Lucas in her place.

I locked my gaze on them both for a few moments. It was strange how Melody was behaving so well considering her tender age. It was as if—

"You can communicate with her, can't you?"

A trickle ran across the mug's edge and landed on the table. For a strange reason, the whole restaurant became as chilly as the alcohol in front of me.

"How did you..."

Since there was nothing to support my back because the chair was merely a polished log, I could only lean my back on the scratchy wall.

"I didn't know," I admitted with a shrug before shooting him a grin. "But I do now."

"You caught me..." Lucas resigned to his defeat as he glanced at Melody. "I had the impression she called me, you know? Not exactly through words, but—"

"—a feeling," I finished for him. "You can sense her emotions. As a result of that, you can comprehend her thoughts to some extent and vice versa, right?"

He blinked, surprised by my reasoning as he uttered, "That's precisely what it is."

"Though so..."

"But how did you know? Have you ever met someone like me before? Or can you do the same thing as me, Douglass?"

"Unfortunately..." I shook my head, bitterness creeping on the back of my tongue in addition to the alcohol. "I never met someone like you."

He took another piece of jerky and gave it to Melody. I knew he gave me space to restore my composure, and I appreciated it.

I wondered whether it'd be right for me to provide a genuine answer...

I sighed, then lifted one of my fingers, feeling kinder than ever, and said, "I believe you can use classified magic."

"'Classified magic?'" the beast tamer repeated, shaking his head after a while. "I've never felt anything like mana. Spells and all that nonsense are entirely out of my league."

Encoding such unique talents into an SCO would be challenging, if not impossible. Although theoretically possible, no one has ever accomplished this feat. Not only that, but identifying someone who possessed such an ability would be a difficulty in and of itself. Although not as impressive, it was as rare as Reyna's affinity toward fire.

"Allowing Melody to make her own decision—whether she chose to stay with you or leave—probably helped awaken it," I said, glancing around aimlessly. "It's difficult to say if you were born with such talent... Maybe you used to get along well with animals when you were younger?"

"I'm afraid I don't remember."

If Lucas doesn't remember, then it was probably the other case.

"Then it's because of Melody's existence," I grumbled with a bit of envy in my voice.

"A high-ranking hunter has an ability similar to yours," I added, "the only difference being that her bond is a ferocious wolf."

I didn't mention the wolf's white fur or the fact that it was the size of a horse. It would be unfair to compare him and Melody to someone else. Regardless, the young man in front of me had a bright career ahead of him because of that ability, if he chose to reveal it that is.

Melody, sensing my thoughts, chirped once at me.

I flashed her a bitter smile and shifted my weight onto the log I was sitting on. "You have good instincts Melody, but don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone that I met a genuine beast tamer here. What you do is none of my business."

"I appreciate the gesture, Douglass," Lucas mumbled with relief, but my attention had already wandered somewhere else entirely.

As someone slammed their mug against the table, my gaze was pulled across the room to a short man with bright red cheeks. In comparison to us, he's been downing booze at an alarming rate. I could tell much by the empty mugs on the table where he and his augmented lackeys (who didn't drink anything at all) stood at. He also kept looking at us from time to time, but now, it seems he finally made up his mind as he rose from his seat.

When the midget took a step in our direction, I took a deeper breath, only to scowl when I remembered the excruciating ache in my side.

Yeah, that dwarf's the reason why I'm in pain now, isn't he?? As I considered that, I felt something lukewarm, bitter as the alcohol coursing through my veins.

A shrewd idea formed in the back of my head, but I had to be patient for a while longer. I'll pay you back with interest on the loan I owe you. I guarantee that.