"Rhyhorn, would you like to come with me?"
Feeling the joy in Rhyhorn's heart, Aven took the opportunity to extend his invitation.
Upon hearing Aven's words, Rhyhorn visibly froze for a moment. It instinctively looked at Phyllis, its body trembling ever so slightly.
In Rhyhorn's eyes, Aven saw fear—an instinctive, deep-seated fear…
Seeing this, he fell silent. It seemed Rhyhorn had suffered a lot during the process of being tamed, leaving it with no choice but to submit to its master.
There are many ways a magical beast can become obedient—through respect, fear, or even genuine acknowledgment. But with beast gear, this obedience gets magnified in the creature's mind, becoming a kind of psychological brand, allowing for complete control.
In fact, the modern Poké Ball works on the same principle.
The bond between trainer and Pokémon is mysterious. A Pokémon can even harness its closeness with its trainer to perform moves—or even trigger evolution!
"Phyllis, give me the keys."
Aven turned around, looking sternly at her.
"Al… alright."
Phyllis hesitated briefly before handing over two keys strung together.
One was a standard brass key. The other was entirely black, the same color as the beast gear—it was the key to unlock the magical equipment.
Aven took the keys and walked to Rhyhorn's side. He inserted the brass key into the collar around Rhyhorn's neck.
With a turn of the key, the collar popped open. Aven tossed it to the ground with a loud clang against the stone floor.
After removing the collar, Aven began to strip off all the other equipment Rhyhorn had been burdened with—the reins and harnesses were removed one by one.
Petilil had rarely seen her trainer this serious. She quietly helped Aven undo the reins, saying nothing.
Rhyhorn stood there in a daze, feeling the weight lift off its body. Its large eyes shimmered with tears.
"You're free now, Rhyhorn."
After removing every piece of equipment, Aven closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, a smile returned to his face.
Upon hearing Aven's words, Rhyhorn turned to look at him seriously.
Beside them, Petilil's big, round eyes softened at the familiar words. She jumped onto Rhyhorn's head and began speaking in the language of Pokémon, sharing her past and her present.
Rhyhorn listened attentively. The same longing appeared in its eyes—freedom. It, too, desired freedom.
"Aven, what are you doing?!"
Suddenly, Phyllis's urgent voice rang out, drawing the two Pokémon's attention.
Rhyhorn turned its head just in time to see a tower of flames soaring into the sky.
The burning object… was the carriage it had always carried.
Now engulfed in flames, it was being reduced to ashes, little by little…
At that moment, Rhyhorn was completely stunned. It stared blankly at the burning carriage and the figure of Aven standing before it, illuminated by the firelight.
I… am free…
The thought echoed in Rhyhorn's mind, and its eyes filled completely with tears.
In that instant, Phyllis felt something stir within her. She opened her mouth, but in the end, remained silent.
"Come on, Rhyhorn. Let's go."
Patting Rhyhorn's back, Aven picked up Petilil and walked out.
This time, Rhyhorn didn't hesitate at all. Its steps were firm—anything that stood in its way now would be kicked aside without a second thought!
Phyllis could only sigh helplessly. She said nothing more and followed them out of the magical beast courtyard.
After leaving with Rhyhorn, Aven didn't immediately leave the viscount's estate. Instead, he headed toward Sir Enzo's room.
"Thank you for your help, Apothecary Aven."
Sir Enzo, looking exhausted, came out of his room. Seeing Rhyhorn in the courtyard, he greeted Aven with a warm smile.
"I'll check on Luxray," Aven replied, slightly surprised by Enzo's warm attitude, and stepped inside.
As Aven entered the room, Enzo immediately walked over to his sister and whispered, "Sister, when should we let him see Father?"
Phyllis glanced at her anxious brother and shook her head. "It's not the right time. No matter what, we need to wait a bit longer."
Enzo's mood fell slightly, but he nodded in acknowledgment.
Inside the room, Aven gave Luxray a full check-up. When the siblings entered, he nodded to them, signaling that there were no issues.
Although their friend, Apothecary Harlan, had already examined Luxray, hearing Aven confirm the same news finally put Enzo at ease.
"Mr. Aven, let's head to the Magistrates Court to complete the transfer paperwork," Phyllis said. After Viscount Daly fell ill, she, as the eldest daughter, had taken over many family affairs—including magical beast management.
Aven looked at the purple-haired woman and nodded. "Thank you, Miss Phyllis."
Magistrates Court.
Thanks to Phyllis's cooperation, the transfer process went smoothly.
"Aven, I really want to apologize about what happened with Petilil."
Once everything was finalized, Phyllis bowed slightly and sincerely apologized before leaving.
Though neither of them had mentioned it before, this gesture was essentially her way of drawing a line under that incident.
Facing such a sincere apology from a beautiful purple-haired noblewoman, Aven simply waved it off, showing that he didn't mind.
A Rhyhorn and its beast gear were more than enough to make up for his losses.
"Enzo was only trying to help his father—please don't blame him," Phyllis added with a sigh of relief.
So they want me to treat their father… Aven's heart stirred, but his face remained expressionless. He might forgive, but he wouldn't offer help on his own.
After speaking, Phyllis subtly observed Aven's reaction. Seeing that he said nothing, a flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
"Then I'll be going. Please take good care of Rhyhorn."
She lifted the hem of her purple dress and curtsied, then left with her attendants. Her figure slowly disappeared around the corner of the estate.
A clever woman… Aven's lips curled into a slight smile. She would definitely come looking for him again—he was just curious to see what terms she would offer next time.
(End of Chapter)