Chapter 472: Don't ever call me that
Hubert woke up in the morning and gazed at the large bundle of herbs stacked in front of his house. He heard the noise last night, but he never imagined the human would actually gather 1,000 of them in just a single night.
He let out a sigh as he gazed at the only person in front of him, sitting leisurely on the chair he used yesterday.
"So, where is Kyle? He's the one who gathered the herbs, right?"
Azazeal stared at him and, after a nod, he pointed his finger towards the path leading down the mountain without uttering a single word. The old man pulled out another chair from the house and sat down opposite him with a grave expression.
"Let's set Kyle aside for now. Just tell me, who are you? Why are you in this land?"
He released his spiritual energy to exert pressure on the man, but a shiver ran down his spine when Azazeal lifted his eyes to gaze at him with a pair of obsidian eyes.
"Don't meddle in affairs that are not your concern. I will leave once I am done here. It's better for your entire race if you ignore my presence."
Hubert's eyes trembled and he slammed the table between them, ready to make Aze regret his words. However, he stopped and regained his composure when he saw Kyle approaching, this time dressed in a clean set of clothes and carrying a large bag on his back.
Kyle sensed the air was heavy for some reason, but he didn't say anything and immediately went up to the old man. Now that he had gathered 1,000 Vitalis, Hubert should keep his word and help him.
Hubert gazed at Kyle with a serious expression, and after a long minute, he released a sigh of resignation.
"I am a dragon, and we always honor our promises. Therefore, from now on, you, Kyle, will be under my guidance until you attain the transcendent rank physique. Still, remember that you must not complain or cry, as reaching that level is no easy feat."
Kyle stared back at him with a determined expression and raised his voice slightly to show his resolve.
"I won't!"
Hubert was startled, and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when all of a sudden Kyle bowed before him and called him second master before stating that he would be under his care until he achieved a transcendent rank physique.
The old man quickly held Kyle's shoulders and made him stand properly while trying his best to calm his heart.
"What? I never said I would be your master! I will help you, but do not ever call me that. It just gave me chills for some reason!"
Kyle blinked as if he didn't understand what the old man was saying.
Hubert's eyebrow twitched. Only then did he notice that Kyle had called him second master... what did that mean? The old man wanted to confirm his suspicions, but at that very moment, he noticed Aze, whose eyes' crinkled up to show his amusement. His expression turned rigid when Aze murmured under his breath, loud enough for him and Kyle to hear.
"He does know how to seal a deal."
Hubert slumped down in the chair and gazed at Kyle with a wry smile. He had a hunch that he would regret the decision he made today. But for now, he has to ensure these two humans leave this land as soon as possible to soothe his increasingly agitated heart. He sighed and accepted Kyle's gesture before he stroked his beard with a distant expression.
"Just go... your first task is to capture a wild goat. Go-!"
However, before he could even finish his sentence, Kyle spoke up with a serious expression.
"But I am not good at cooking."
Hubert's head throbbed, and he wanted to tug at his white beard, but he stayed composed as he gazed at Kyle.
"Did I ask you to cook? I told you to go and capture a wild goat. They are quick and have sharp horns. It will provide you with valuable experience."
Kyle nodded and turned to descend the mountain once again. Hubert watched his fading figure before turning to look at Aze to settle the old score, only to find the chair before him empty. The man had vanished once more.
"Just what have I gotten myself into..."
The old man rubbed his forehead and started to make a schedule for Kyle. He planned to train the human day and night so Kyle could achieve a transcendent rank physique in the shortest time possible. But he then remembered that he didn't know the type of weapon Kyle used in combat.
"Or did he fight with fists? He wasn't even wearing a storage ring... did he lose his belongings somehow? Well, he was badly injured when the old couple found him, so he probably escaped with just his life... but the question is who harmed him?"
"I still have to know a lot about him. I am not sure about the other one, but Kyle would probably tell me about it. I hope he hadn't forgotten about it completely."
He closed his eyes to rest, but only after an hour, he was jolted awake when Kyle arrived with many wild goats chasing behind him. The old man couldn't believe what he was witnessing... the silver-haired human's agility state was unexpectedly high for some reason. Hubert quickly secured his chairs and table before the goats, as tall as him, could destroy them with their horns.
But he cried out and ran to stop the goats when a few of them got dangerously close to his humble house. He, for the first time in his life, lost his composure as he glared at Kyle with a dark expression.
"I told you to capture one, not to bring a horde here to destroy everything!"
Kyle gritted his teeth and slightly bent his body to kick off one of the goats that nearly threw him off his feet.
"Damn, it's not my fault! That bastard Aze picked up a strange plant the goats were trying to reach! But instead of following him, the goats started chasing me!"
After Hubert finally chased all the wild goats away, Kyle was spotted sitting on his heels with his hands raised high in the air. He nearly lunged to punch the man dressed in white who arrived on the mountain and casually strolled to sit down on a chair in the distance if not for the heavy weight placed on his shoulders.