Aiven the Breeder

In the Lord's Castle at the heart of the City of Ambition.

The current lord was listening to her Chief Knight's report on Baron Reiser's condition.

White long hair draped over her shoulders, dressed in a simple black court gown, Mila furrowed her brows slightly, pinching her chin with two fingers as she sank into thought.

Baron Reiser was the captain of the City of Ambition's Knight Order, a man who had watched her grow up and served as her main pillar of support as the city's lord.

"Your Highness, do not worry. Sir Bellin has already found the Petilil."

"A Panacea made from Petilil can heal all injuries and illnesses."

Using a Petilil... Mila opened her mouth, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes, but thinking of Uncle Reiser's condition, she pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Just then, a knight hurried over from outside the door and whispered a few words into Kevin's ear.

Kevin gave a slight nod, and after the knight withdrew, he addressed the lord: "Your Highness, there is someone at the gate... hmm... an apothecary."

"An apothecary?"

"Then hurry and bring him to see me."

Mila's eyes lit up. She had posted a bounty before, and this apothecary must have come after seeing it.

Before long, she met the man who claimed to be an apothecary.

He wore worn but still clean linen clothes and trousers, with backless shoes dragging on his feet—a farmer's getup.

He couldn't be a fraud, could he... Mila muttered inwardly, but said sternly aloud, "You claim to be an apothecary?"

Aiven was likewise sizing up the benevolent lord before him. With white hair cascading over her shoulders, she was clearly dressed as a young woman, yet bore a seriousness that belied her appearance.

Hearing the lord's question, he replied calmly, "That's right, I am an apothecary."

Hmm, this man probably isn't lying... Judging by Aiven's composed expression, Mila made her assessment.

At that moment, the baron's residence had gathered all the renowned apothecaries in the City of Ambition. If this man were a fraud, they could expose him on the spot.

"Go over there now..." After a moment's thought, Mila spoke. Then she paused and added, "Wait, I'll go with you."

In the City of Ambition stood a carriage, but what pulled it was not a horse—it was a rhinoceros clad entirely in gray armor.

This was a creature called an Ironclad Rhinoceros, a spirit—or rather, a beast, as it was known in this world.

Inside the carriage, Mila sat in the seat of honor, while Aiven sat below. Both remained silent.

This lord seems easy to get along with... Aiven was quite surprised that he could share a carriage with the lord; in this ancient world, social ranks were strictly defined.

Few pedestrians walked the roads paved with large stone slabs.

The occasional passerby wore short-sleeved linen tunics, matching trousers, and backless shoes.

Seeing the Ironclad Rhinoceros carriage speeding toward them from afar, they instinctively stepped aside, their eyes fixed on the beast with awe and fear.

To common folk, beasts were overwhelmingly powerful. This Ironclad Rhinoceros could only be handled by fully armed, well-trained knights.

If such a beast went berserk in the city, it would be utter catastrophe for the common people.

Though knights could control and command these beasts in battle using Beast Gear, there were still cases of beasts running amok every year.

Soon, the Ironclad Rhinoceros pulled the carriage to Baron Reiser's residence.

Having already received word, Sir Bellin personally greeted them at the door. Suddenly, he saw Aiven step down from the carriage.

"Why are you here?"

Sir Bellin's pupils contracted as he glared at Aiven with hostility, his voice low.

He recognized Aiven as the nephew of the Fruit Grove owner and instinctively assumed he had come to snatch back the Petilil!

"He is also an apothecary..."

Lord Mila, unaware of the backstory, offered a brief explanation.

Then she hurried inside, eager to see the baron's condition for herself.

An apothecary... Bellin frowned slightly. This nephew of the Fruit Grove owner, an apothecary?

Though he didn't believe it for a second, since the lord had said so, he had no grounds to argue. He turned and led the group to his father's room.

With the lord present, he didn't think the man would do anything rash.

When the time came, all he had to do was prove the man's apothecary claim was false and kick him out!

Inside the baron's room, several elderly apothecaries sat together, discussing something.

On the table, Aiven also spotted the Petilil locked in an iron cage.

The Petilil was a spirit that resembled a plant. Most of its body was green, and its round head with stripes made it look like the bulb of an onion or similar plant.

On its head grew three oval leaves. Its clean white face had large eyes, and around its neck was a green bib. Below, its body had five short, stubby appendages—two like arms, two like legs.

At that moment, the little creature gripped the iron bars of its cage, its entire body covered in wounds. Its big, round eyes darted around, looking both defiant and pitiful.

When it saw Aiven enter the room, its eyes suddenly lit up, but then dimmed again.

It recognized this annoying man. Countless nights, this very man had sneaked into the Fruit Grove to pluck the leaves that hadn't fully grown from its head.

He's definitely not here to save me, and he doesn't have the power to do so anyway... The Petilil let go of the bars in despair and slumped to the ground.

Petilil, just in time... Aiven breathed a sigh of relief.

As a Pokémon Breeder, he had an extraordinary love for Pokémon and couldn't bear to see them harmed.

Suppressing the urge to immediately open the cage and rescue the Petilil, he turned his gaze to Baron Reiser lying on the bed.

To save the Petilil, he first had to make Baron Reiser recover.

When Aiven entered the room, these apothecaries were also looking at him, somewhat puzzled by his presence there.

After the lord finished introducing Aiven, Haren let out a disdainful snort in his heart. Could an ordinary commoner really become an apothecary?

Every one of them had become an apothecary only after paying a heavy price to learn apothecary knowledge from Master Apothecaries.

For an apothecary, the knowledge in their hands was the sole standard for measuring a fellow apothecary's skill!