"Welcome, son."
When the white-haired woman also called out to Mel, who stood hesitantly at the threshold, the robust boy slowly stepped inside.
"The food is ready; come, sit down right now!"
Taking her guest by the shoulders, the woman guided him into a small room located to the right of the entrance. The three of them entered a room containing only a wooden table, two chairs, and a bed; the man immediately took the chair with a bowl set in front of it.
Two people remained standing, yet only one empty chair rested at the table. Mel stood paralyzed, his eyes pleading with the man for salvation, but the guard remained oblivious.
"Sit down, my child."
The woman pressed against Mel's back, trying to guide him into the empty chair, but the boy didn't move an inch.
"Please, you have to sit!"
Because Mel's voice came out a bit too harsh, the guard finally lifted his head from the bowl he had buried it in.
"Sit down, brat!"
The man's gruff demeanor earned a chuckle from his wife.
"My child, I've already eaten; please, sit."
It took Mel more than ten minutes from the moment he crossed the threshold to finally sit at the table. If someone claimed that this very boy had ruthlessly crushed the skull of a boss serpent in the forest, no normal person would ever believe it.
"Sorry, brat. I know you spent two days in the forest, but we don't have anything to offer except oat gruel!"
The man spoke with embarrassment, yet as he stared into the dark brown gruel, a burning fury flickered in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter, sir. Just opening your home to me is a huge kindness. I won't ever forget this debt."
Hide your gratitude and your vengeance—this was another of Grandpa's teachings.
"You're only staying for one night; come on, eat your food!"
While the guard and Mel rhythmically dipped and raised their wooden spoons from their bowls, the white-haired woman watched them in silence. A few minutes later, she began to weep softly, and soon after, she was sobbing.
"Sophia, please, don't do this!"
As Can called out to his wife, his own composure shattered, teetering on the verge of tears; confronted with this sorrow, Mel stopped eating as well.
"Seeing the two of you like this... it brought back memories of when you and Sivo used to come back from your martial training and sit at this very table. Back then, our table was full, and my son was healthy. Curse the Second Elder!"
When the woman cried out in rebellion, the man leaped from his seat.
"Keep your voice down, Sophia! Do you want them to take away even this miserable life we have?"
A long silence followed; neither the clatter of spoons nor a single word was heard.
"Just hold on a little longer, my beautiful wife. Once the Patriarch comes out of his secluded meditation, everything will go back to how it used to be!"
Mel heard every word, yet he asked about nothing; he had no desire to deepen the wounds of this family's tragedy.
"Guard brother, where can I find some information about beast cores?"
Rising from the table, Mel asked his question. Though the boy's inquiry struck the man as strange, he grabbed a thin book from a small chest near the entrance and tossed it to him.
"This is a manual they give to the guards. I guess you'll find what you're looking for inside."
"Can I ask for one more favor?"
"Speak, kid; what else do you want?"
"Can I spend the night in your son's room?"
At that moment, Can's wife joined them; before answering, the man sought her approval through a silent exchange of glances. Seeing her silent consent, he nodded.
With the book in hand, Mel entered the second of the home's two rooms—in truth, the place they called a home was just a cramped entrance and two tiny rooms.
"Hello, Sivo!"
He saw a single bed and a boy lying motionless in it. As robust and full of life as Mel looked, the boy in the bed looked just as close to death's door.
"Who are you? What are you doing in this room?"
Sivo lashed out harshly; he didn't look happy about Mel being there.
"My name is Mel. I came here for the Botanical Division's entrance exams. I asked your father for a place to stay, and we're going to share this room for the night."
Upon hearing the word 'academy', the bedridden boy's breath hitched for a second. Mel noticed the fists beneath the thin quilt clench tightly.
"Did you know? I wanted to join the martial division too."
Nodding in affirmation, Mel spoke, "Your father told me. He said you went into the forest to hunt beast cores."
Following those words, the bedridden boy's body shook so violently he nearly fell out of bed.
"Everything that happened is the fault of that bastard they call the Second Elder! If he hadn't changed the rules, I never would have been forced to go into that forest!"
Under Mel's bewildered gaze, the crippled boy continued.
"Before the Patriarch went into secluded meditation and gave him absolute power, the guards' lives were way different. Their pay was good, they were given decent homes, and their kids only had to prove their talent to get into the academy!"
Intrigued, Mel listened with full attention.
"The moment he took control, he kicked the guards out of their homes, cut their pay down to just coppers, and finally stole their kids' birthrights. How are we supposed to fight the beasts in that forest before even getting trained at the academy? His goal isn't to test us; it's to wipe us out and fill our rightful spots with the rich kids!"
Hearing the absolute truth, Mel tried to offer some comfort to the boy.
"Your father said you'll heal up by next year and can try the trials again!"
A bitter laugh echoed through the room, accompanied by silent tears streaming down his face.
"Did he tell you that story too? But do you know the truth, my friend? I'm dying. The medicines they buy by starving themselves don't work; how could they? Look at this room; it doesn't even have a single window. I can't even remember the last time I saw the sun! Living on oat gruel just drags out my suffering; I'm nothing but a burden crushing my family!"
Even though his father thought he was tricking him, the young boy was completely aware of his reality. Retreating silently to a corner, Mel began to read the book he got from the guard. The first chapter detailed the classifications of beast cores.
"Look at this, the core I got from the first beast; E-Tier, the core of a wild beast that can store natural energy in its flesh. Worth 50 gold coins!"
Mel verified that he had thirteen cores of this exact type in his Spatial Ring.
"D-Tier, the core of a plant and wild beast monster. Worth 100 gold coins!"
He recognized the core of the thing that ambushed him while he slept in the tree, but the biggest surprise was waiting on the next page.
"CD-Tier, Boss-Class wild beast core. If used by practitioners of body cultivation during their primary transformation, success is guaranteed. Worth 1,000 gold coins!"
When he compared the drawing in the book to the core in his ring, he was absolutely sure. There was no doubt; this was the exact core described in the text.
"Sivo, can I ask you a question?"
Mel was afraid of bothering the bedridden boy.
"Ask, my friend; you couldn't possibly bother me any more than I already am!"
"Your father mentioned you chose the path of body cultivation. I was just wondering; have you finished your primary transformation?"