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I really just can't help myself. *haah~* Helping those with potential grow, getting involved with things that seem interesting, it doesn't make for a peaceful life.

The people around me are all a handful. Being the headmaster for an 'academy' let's me do both without getting dragged into the trouble those things usually bring. The down side is dealing with nobles. Ugh...awful, prideful, little-!

It makes me rub the bridge of my nose in irritation just thinking about them. So, to make sure at least some of my students fit my criteria, I will randomly go and search for talent among the average people. They're rare, but they also tend to be much more interesting.

Recently I found a little cat-boy, living among a pack of wolves, on a ringed mountain. The kid is definitely interesting. He uses a different method of magic, which doesn't involve chanting, and is trying to teach normal wolves how to too. And he's succeeding. Also, he looks a lot like a beastman, but I think he might actually be a half-beast... I've been visiting him every month, whenever I can. But...

*crash* "Old man you better not be planning on leaving again!"

My door! Every single time!

"Garet, what will it take to make you stop breaking my doors!?"

Like always, he ignores it. Also like always, Shela starts telling me off.

"Some of the teachers and the student council have complained about the fact that you keep disappearing Neil. At least more than usual. They are coming to us to complain because we were taught by you personally. Their complaints are interrupting my research! So stop disappearing, at least without telling anyone! Or there will be consequences."

"Sorry, sorry. But that doesn't explain why Garet is here. And how did you know I was about to leave?"

"It was a chance to annoy you. I had to take it."

"You don't have any work that has to be finished right away."

*sigh* "I've recently found someone interesting, who has a lot of potential. But! He doesn't understand any spoken languages. He's currently about eight years old so, if he's going to attend the academy, I need to teach him... And visit him often to gain his trust."

"So you found another interesting kid huh? Is he at least worth it?"

"Definitely. He has the potential of a top prodigy. Plus, his lack of knowledge about society means he's a blank sheet just waiting to be filled with knowledge!"

"Okay, but at least limit the amount of times you go and tell someone when you're going to leave. If I hear another complaint about it I'll go with Garet to your house and have him break every door in it. We both know he's more than willing."

Garet was silent the hold time, he just stood there looking amused. I didn't miss the mischievous light in his eyes when Shela made her threat. *sigh* What did I do to deserve this?

Once the two of them left I open my window and start flying to the ringed mountain.

.....

There he is. Chaise. I know his name because that's literally the only word he knew how to say. He gestured at himself as he said it, several times, so I'm probably right.

He is strange in so many ways. To start with: his appearance. He has black hair and amber fur on his ears and tail. Beastmen generally have fur that matches their hair color. His eyes are almond shape, unslanted, and amber colored, which would be normal, but he has slitted pupils that reflect light in the dark the same way an animal's would.

Only draconian beastmen ever have that trait. What can have those traits are half-beasts. If he was a beastman then he would most likely be a lion tribe, but they have mane like hair and his isn't like that. He's going to be handsome when he grows up, which is also a trait of half-beasts. I don't know why, but it's a definite trend.

The fact that he is alive is also strange. Ringed mountains are notoriously more dangerous the farther in and up you go. He's living in the first ring, in a red grizzly's den with his wolves. Generally a group of at least three D rank adventurers would work together to take one down safely. He was able to hunt it with normal wolves. A good D rank adventure could beat a group of normal wolves by themselves, easily.

He has been training the wolves, and their bodies have been changing.These wolves fur is just lightening and they have no markings, but I think they've been using neutral attribute magic. They're starting to look like silverlight wolves. Based on the colored markings of a silverlight wolf, you can see which attribute of attributed magic they can use.

There are so many things I can learn from this boy. The only problem is that whenever I come here he looks at me annoyed. I'll gain his trust.

.....

"No, old man, I'm telling you they are genetically different. Magic beasts are different from animals because of their leaking mana, it changes and strengthens their bodies. A magic beast's offspring is almost always a magic beast. The only difference is when the offspring becomes a potential mythical beast. My mother taught me this. She's a mythical beast herself, she should know!"

"Then what about monsters? They are neither magic beasts nor these 'mythical beasts' you speak of."

"I don't know. My mom once told me that she thinks they might not actually be natural."

"What do you mean?"

"They're a lot like summons. The only difference is that they actually are born into the world. Its super hard for them to become stronger than what the average is for their race."

"But it's possible?"

"Maybe. I'm just repeating what my mother taught me, but she is probably right."

"Hmm, well what about..."

It's been two years since the boy has moved in with me. Sometimes we touch a subject where I can pick his brain for new information. The things his mother taught him have always proven true. He does get confused sometimes about what she said, but nonetheless it is good information.

Chaise hasn't been that hard to deal with. He just needs to be taught and given something to do. My experience with little kids is that they're pesky and disobedient, but his mother must have taught him to be better behaved.

One thing that might cause trouble is that he's very popular. He made friends with everyone in the orphanage and the adventurers in town like him too, neither of those are the problem though.

His charisma has a lot of girls blushing as he walks by, and he doesn't notice it. He rubs his face against the faces of people he can reach when he's particularly happy with something that happened, it's a display of affection that cats often show.

I've tried to teach him not to, but since he learned that behavior from his mother he won't listen to me. Jul got him to shift his behavior towards guys into high fives, shoulder bumps, and pats on the back, but he could only do it with all the male adventures helping him. The female adventurers think his behavior is very cute and innocent so they refused to help.

He once licked Miss Ramount on the cheek when she did something really nice for him. He only does that when he's feeling super grateful or affectionate towards someone. He nuzzles and licks the cheeks of Shiva and Asura, so we know it really is an innocent gesture, but that doesn't make it okay.

The only reason no trouble has come about from his behavior is because all the girls who know him have agreed not to try and one up each other in their relationships with him. He's basically an idol at this point and it's only going to get worse once he joins the academy. *sigh*