Alaric stared into the eyes of the magnificent lion, “Aren’t I also human?”

The lion tilted its head a bit as though in confusion [ You don’t exactly fit the description of a human that we guardians have come to know.]

[How so?] The boy raised an eyebrow at the guardian.

[Well, you would never consider using dark magic and yet normal humans would easily fall for that temptation. Dark Magic, after all, defies the rules of balance and can achieve feats magic is incapable of. Its very nature makes it difficult for a human to resist… but that all doesn’t apply to you] the guardian explained, [And this is only one example.]

“I see… Though I also have legs, eyes, a nose and a mouth, crave love and yearn for money. We could go on and on about the subject of me being human but that’s not important right now. We’re discussing your master so let’s try to stay on topic. What happened earlier wasn’t his fault and I’ve gotten over it?” Alaric said to the lion, “You do understand why he was angry, don’t you?”

The lion was silent for a while before growling, [He had no reason to be angry. He should have been… proud.]

“Who do you serve, Aslan?” Alaric’s groaned.

[I serve… LionHeart.]

“Then continue to serve him as you always have,” Alaric beamed.

[ Not until he’s been punished for angering you. He should be grovelling at your knees and begging you to use his back as a chair, offering you soothing massages and performing duties as your slave until there is nothing but gratitude to wash away the stains of his abhorrent transgression] The lion boomed with pride.

Alaric groaned, rubbing his temples.

Garin, who’d been watching a one-sided exchange with only Alaric’s words being audible, turned to his large friend with a withering smile, “I take it negotiations aren’t going as smoothly as you would like.”

“Aslan has never been like this. He even refuses to talk to me,” the burly slayer looked out of place with a crestfallen expression. His massive shoulders were slumped and he looked less like a mighty warrior and more like a sad puppy.

“What happened between you and Aslan?” Darla asked as the group followed behind the negotiating pair. The group had subconsciously started walking back to Master Jill’s manor, leaving Alaric and Aslan at the front, immersed in discussion.

“This genius over here went ahead and scolded Alaric. He practically yelled at him, telling him to stay away from Aslan. I wasn’t there but my guardian was able to relay how furious Aslan was by the incident,” Gunther relayed.

“Oh, you weren’t there. One moment Aslan was fine and then the moment Alaric was on his back, he flew off like he didn’t know me. I called him back but he wouldn’t listen,” LionHeart complained, “That boy’s abilities are really scary. We all saw what he did to that guardian back in the woods.”

“Alaric would never harm a guardian, let alone take one away from their master,” Finn quietly yelled, adding to the number of people that weren’t on LionHeart’s side.

“What makes you so sure? You weren’t there,” LionHeart countered.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Simple… What did Alaric do the moment Aslan took off?” Darla asked indifferently.

“He…” LionHeart’s expression darkened, “…He asked Aslan to bring him back down.”

At this LionHeart went silent, returning his attention to the boy walking with Aslan in front of them. Alaric was still dressed in the opulent tunic given to him by the village chief. Surprisingly, however, the attire didn’t look out of place.

For an orphan from the Five Hills, Alaric couldn’t look more elegant. His skin was flawless and milky, his features sharp and otherworldly. Perhaps it was because he’d taken a bath after the dreadful battle in the forest but even that thought seemed far-fetched when one paid close attention to his aura.

‘He’s certainly S-class,’ the man sighed.

His thoughts were interrupted by a disturbed groan from the boy, “Ugh, what will it take for you to let him off the hook?”

LionHeart’s ears perked up… but as it had been for the past hours, he didn’t hear his guardian’s voice the same way he was used to. The feeling of being disconnected from the great lion turned his stomach and sent chills down his spine.

Still, he waited for Alaric’s reaction to whatever it was the guardian said next.

[ I want him to apologize to you. He does that, then I’ll speak to him] the guardian responded indifferently.

Alaric could tell something was missing though, “What else?”

[ If I had it my way, I’d ask him to commit to five years of being your slave before I ever forgave him] the lion grumbled.

“That’s a bit harsh. Can you try something less… horrifying?” Alaric tried.

Behind him, LionHeart turned a few shades paler. Was his guardian really discussing his punishment with someone other than him? What was going on here? Aslan was his guardian… Why was he supposed to face punishment for trying to protect his…

“You do realise he was worried about you when he lashed out,” Alaric’s words spilt out in conjunction with his thoughts, silencing the larger man’s mind for once.

LionHeart was suddenly reminded of the last conversation he’d had with his guardian.

At the time, he’d thought the words he was hearing to be utterly ridiculous. But now that Alaric was talking to his guardian—and so casually at that—, trying to negotiate a lighter punishment for him all while not forgetting exactly why LionHeart did what he did.

Alaric wasn’t throwing a tantrum like LionHeart would naturally expect. From the sound of it, he even had a better understanding of the situation than he’d given him credit for. After this, LionHeart stayed silent, forced to look at the boy a little differently.

His thoughts now soared in a different direction.

What if there was really something different about the boy? Something beyond simple definitions like ‘weird.’ What if he was never normal to start with? Was there more to the boy than they thought? LionHeart was now curious to find out.

The boy went quiet for a while, probably listening to the lion speak… eventually nodding in contentment after what felt like a long negotiation. While he still didn’t like the guardian’s steep compromise, it was the best he could get him to agree to.

Aslan slowed down and fell back with the group, matching LionHeart’s pace, [ I’ve decided. ]

…………………

The group finally arrived at the manor where they would spend the night. Hail dutifully emerged to meet them. “I trust that you had a good time, Lord Alaric,” the old man bowed.

“Yes, Hail. The festival was every bit as good as you said it would be. Did you stay here the whole time?” Alaric raised a brow at the man.

“ I would never have missed it. Garin and the two Protectors will follow me. I’ll show you to your room. Lord Alaric, help yourself to the warm serving of tea I left in the living room. Your friends can sleep in the rooms opposite yours,” the diligent man bowed, then led Garin and the knights away.

“Thank you, Hail,” Alaric called back as he left.

With the butler gone, Alaric led his friends into the manor, following the halls as though he’d lived there his whole life. The three children naturally found themselves revisiting the day's events, unloading their experiences all at once.

Naturally, revisiting the day’s events meant talking about Finn’s unfortunate incident with the cursed pie, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Finn’s guardian had a talent for cooking,” Darla started.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Finn swooned before a vague look crossed his face, “Wait… no, I have a B-class guardian. My guardian will be awesome.”

“So… A B-class bunny then?”

Alaric covered his lips at the jab, containing his laughter.

“At least I don’t have a butler for a guardian,” Finn bit back.

The fairy-like guardian materialised on the spot drowning the manor with his powerful aura… “I am no butler. I. Am. Apollo.”