**Chapter 9: Driving Away the White Fenrir**
Cedric had messed up. Without realizing it was a juvenile, he had attacked a young White Fenrir.
(Seriously… Is he an idiot?)
Watching from a distance among the bushes, Rest felt a chill run down his spine. The White Fenrir, while fierce, was also intelligent. It wouldn’t engage in unnecessary killing, and as long as one didn’t intrude on its territory, there should be no danger.
(But still… I never thought someone would be foolish enough to step on a wolf’s tail…)
Rest didn’t think it was excusable that Cedric was unaware of the White Fenrir’s nature. This was a monster’s habitat. One should be more cautious here.
(And of course, it’s Cedric who would mess things up… He probably thinks he’s the center of the world…)
Rest had been watching them for a while, noting how Cedric was desperately trying to impress the sisters. Despite the clear lack of interest from them, Cedric seemed oblivious. It was painful to witness, making Rest want to look away.
“That said… I can’t just leave this as it is.”
The sisters were about to be attacked by the White Fenrir. Reluctantly, Rest decided to intervene.
“**Wind Ball**!”
“Yip!”
He unleashed a gust of wind magic against the side of the White Fenrir that was lunging for the sisters. The blow sent the creature tumbling sideways, not to kill, but to knock it away.
“I’m sorry for Cedric’s blunder. You don’t need to worry anymore; everything’s fine now.”
“Ah, who are you…?”
“Huuh…?”
Viola and Primula stared at Rest in shock. To reassure them, he placed a hand on his chest and offered the most gentlemanly smile he could muster.
“My name is Rest. I’m Cedric’s… half-brother, I suppose.”
“Half-brother…? But I’ve never heard he had siblings…”
Viola asked hesitantly. Rest lowered his eyebrows slightly, looking a bit troubled as he explained.
“I was born as a bastard child, and my existence has been kept a secret. I apologize for the trouble my brother has caused.”
“Behind you!”
Primula shouted. Just then, the White Fenrir lunged at Rest.
“Graaaah!”
“Oh, sorry! I forgot about that.”
“Ugh!?”
The White Fenrir tried to bite Rest’s shoulder but was repelled by an invisible barrier. It was a magical wall created by his spell—**Barrier**.
“I’m sorry for intruding on your territory and injuring your child.”
“Grrr…!”
“This is my apology… **Heal**.”
Rest activated his healing magic towards the White Fenrir. The various wounds on its body vanished without a trace.
“What…!?”
Viola gasped in surprise, but Rest assured her with a look that said, “It’s alright.”
“I’ll heal your child too. **Heal**.”
“Yip…”
He directed healing magic at the young wolf that Cedric had injured. The little wolf stood up, looking puzzled, and let out a small whimper.
“How about we call it even? Neither of us wants to get hurt, right?”
“Grrrrr…”
The White Fenrir growled, slowly backing away. It seemed torn between retreating and fighting, its eyes wavering with uncertainty.
“If you refuse to back down… then I have no choice.”
Rest raised his hand, releasing his magical power. An overwhelming aura of magic radiated from his entire being. Like steam bursting from a heated pot, blue magic surged forth from Rest.
“Yip!?”
The White Fenrir yelped in surprise, sounding like a frightened puppy. Normally, magical power is invisible. One could only measure it with specialized items, as Rest had done during his childhood at the temple. However, Rest possessed an almost limitless reservoir of magic. The sheer volume and density of his power became visible.
“Yip! Yip!”
The White Fenrir grabbed its pup in its mouth and fled at full speed. With this display of power, it was unlikely to come down to human settlements again.
“I’m sorry, that must have been frightening for you.”
““Huh…?””
Rest turned to the sisters, who were still sitting there in shock. Viola and Primula stared at him with wide eyes.
“I’ll escort you out of the forest… and I hate to ask, but could you keep today’s events a secret from my father and brother?”
“Well, that’s fine, but…”
“That magic was more impressive than that of my father, the Court Magician. Who exactly are you…?”
Viola and Primula inquired, but Rest couldn’t explain. He decided to brush it off with a smile.
“I’m just a mere stablehand, not even a noble. Please, don’t worry about it.”
After that, Rest led the sisters out of the forest, despite their lingering curiosity. Cedric and the two baron’s sons had been knocked unconscious by the White Fenrir, but their injuries seemed to be minor, likely just fractures. Using the spell **Floating**, he levitated the three of them and carried them out like luggage. Personally, he could have left them behind, but he refrained from doing so in front of the sisters.
Thus, Rest encountered the Rosemary Sisters, but this was not the end of their relationship. Little did he know that he would deepen his connection with them further in the days to come.