Insect Tamer's Ascension

When the fight was over, Theo looked at all the notifications that had come till now. Out of the four kills, three of them were with the support of the calf, while the second last one was done by the mantis on its own.

"Theo! I am halfway to a level up!" Bram shouted with glistening eyes.

Elira came near his ear and told him something again, making him nod profusely, yet the excitement on his face was still there.

"This was productive, elder brother. With this, we can not only level your beast but also train mine." Theo said while looking at the mantis who was eating the cores fast.

By now, everyone was already accustomed to looking at the mantis eat anything it could stuff in its mouth.

"How are you training right now?" Bram stated in confusion.

Theo laughed and pointed at his mantis, "This guy killed the third slime without any command just now. You could have got another set of experience if not for its restlessness. I will train it to get accustomed to working in teams, elder brother."

"Ohh…" Bram nodded. He smiled too, looking at the calf lick the slimy remains of the moss except the core.

"We will have to go to another clearing now, Clara. Please lead the way." Theo stated with a smile.

"Ahem, young master Theo. My beast has already found the next clearing, if you could come this way." Elira spoke with a light cough.

Theo looked at her with his eyebrows up. A light clicking sound came from Clara's side.

"… Miss Elira, you don't have to be the scout of this team. I am already one." Clara spoke with a fake smile and then moved her face toward Theo, "Young master, the pup is already back with the next clearing's location, we should leave."

Elira was going to speak, yet when Clara looked at her once, she went quiet. A light clicking sound came from her mouth, but Theo decided to ignore it.

Bram was in his own world, he was so happy with the experience points that nothing seemed to be wrong at this time.

They all started travelling to the next clearing, and everyone was quiet.

Elira looked at Clara multiple times while the latter just ignored the staring.

Theo didn't know just what power struggle was going on right now, but he was curious enough now. He decided to ask about it after reaching back in his room.

In the next clearing, Theo made the mantis oblige to each of his commands properly.

The light anger he had shown it had clearly worked properly. The trick of using the mantis's favorite food against him always worked wonders.

The day passed by normally, where Theo enjoyed taking his day off while training his mantis lightly.

By the end, he had helped Bram's beast level up to 1, but still, with its abilities being so weak, there was no point in being a level higher. Even now, there was a need for the calf to level up its abilities and become a better beast, which was all dependent on Bram.

In the journey back to the castle, Bram slept the second he crashed on the carriage's cushioned seats.

Everyone looked at him and chuckled. He might have tried his best today, but he was still an innocent child.

In the Baron's eyes, there wasn't even a need for Bram to train right now. He was only supposed to play and love his life, and only when the year before the academy comes could come the time to get serious enough.

Theo had changed the lives of multiple people without even knowing it.

When about ten minutes of silence had loomed inside the carriage's interior, Elira finally spoke up.

"Young master Theo, I would like to thank you for what you did for young master Bram today." She spoke with a warm smile on her face.

Her gaze went on Bram and it saddened a little. When Theo noticed it, he wanted to know more.

"There is no need for a thank you, Elira. Elder brother Bram is my own blood. I will help him no matter what if he needs me." Theo spoke before taking a sip from the leather pouch filled with water.

When Elira heard that, an even bigger smile bloomed on her face.

Even Clara couldn't help but smile after hearing such a wholesome thing.

"… I don't know if you are aware of this, but young master Bram is a very innocent person…" Elira spoke and continued with a pained expression, "I am not allowed to say this, but for the sake of him, I think something needs to be addressed, young master Theo."

There was hesitance in Elira's voice, and both Clara and Theo looked at each other.

"You know you can tell me freely, Elira. You wouldn't have started this conversation otherwise." Theo spoke with a serious face.

Under his gaze, Elira felt a bit more relieved.

"Young master Bram told me not to tell this to anyone, not even Lady Seraphine. But… he's been bullied by young master Gideon and young lady Celeste constantly for the past few months."

"What?" When Theo heard that, his fists clenched on their own. Bram was getting bullied?

"They not only take young master Bram early in the morning to play with them even if he doesn't want to, but they also use his innocent nature of not being able to say no against him… Sometimes he comes back and keep crying for a long time because of it..." Elira explained with her eyes facing down.

Theo went into thought. He was still very angry, but at the same time, he couldn't believe something like this was happening right under his nose all this time.

He clicked his tongue and he frowned angrily. Something like this was not supposed to happen.

'… I have been too selfish… All this time, he reached out to stay with me and I just selfishly went to the forest on my own…' He thought, 'I should have done this a long time ago…' Theo felt bad for the time he ignored Bram just because he was a child.

He looked up toward Elira, who was staring at him with hope and spoke with seriounsness, "Elira, tell me everything in detail."