Assimilate All Talents

"Hyuuun… (I'm sorry…)"

Thorwyn softly apologized, his ears drooping as Sol maintained his frowning gaze.

Seeing the Raijin's downcast face, Sol believed he had finally gotten the message across. But now, he wasn't sure where to take it from here.

'He does seem sorry… Should I leave it at that?'

He considered it but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't want Thorwyn to think bad behavior only led to a stern talking to.

"Hmm…" He tried to think of a proper punishment but came up empty. Turning to Amber, whose hair and clothes were still a mess from the wild ride, he asked, "What do you think? Should we leave it at that and keep going?"

She immediately shook her head. "No. Punishment."

"Awoo?! (Punishment?!)" Thorwyn took a step back, but Sol placed a firm hand on his back, keeping him in place.

"You're not wrong, but the question is what kind of punishment?"

Amber didn't answer right away. As she thought back to her past experiences under Cane, multiple ideas surfaced.

"Whipping, denailing, acid bath, magic target—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait! That's straight up torture, isn't it?!" Sol cut her off before she could continue.

While Thorwyn didn't understand what those punishments were, their names, combined with Sol's strong reaction, made him tremble in fear.

Pitying the poor wolf, Sol patted his back reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's nothing that extreme. Right, Amber?"

At first she didn't see how it was extreme, but then realized that unlike most, she could regenerate limbs with her talent skill. Only now realizing Sol was asking for something less severe for the wrong reasons, she nodded. After some further consideration, she said, "Pull carriage. No running. No law technique."

"Huh? That should work, but are you sure?" Sol asked. Having Thorwyn pull the carriage at a walking pace would slow them down significantly.

"Yes. Learn restraint. Reduce liability." She didn't elaborate further. Instead, she climbed back into the carriage and began untangling her windblown hair. While she didn't care much for appearances, the mess was obstructing her vision.

Sol nodded in agreement. Thorwyn had no trouble using his law technique, but his lack of restraint could lead to real consequences if left unchecked. If a little delay now meant preventing a disaster later, then it was worth it. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

Turning back to Thorwyn, he said, "You heard her. You'll pull the carriage without running or using your law technique."

"Awoo? Hyuu… (That's all? I can do that, but it's going to be so boring…)"

Sol crossed his arms. "Yeah, that's the point. Maybe next time you'll think before almost running people over."

Thorwyn's ears drooped. "Awoo… (But running fast is fun…)"

"I get it." Sol said, patting his back. "But you've been alive for, what, a little over a day? There's more to the world than just running fast."

Thorwyn tilted his head. "Awoo? (More?)" He didn't know how that was possible.

Sol nodded. "Yeah. Look around while you walk. Pay attention to your surroundings. You'll see things you would've missed if you were just blasting past everything at full speed."

Thorwyn still looked uncertain, as speed had been all he had known since he was born, but Sol could tell the idea had taken root. With a slight huff, the Raijin reluctantly lowered himself into position, allowing Sol to reattach the shadow stone reins. Once everything was secured, they set off again, but at a much slower pace.

At first, Thorwyn looked utterly miserable. He trudged forward, ears flattened, tail dragging, the very image of a dejected beast forced into the most boring punishment imaginable.

Sol chuckled under his breath but didn't comment.

For the first fifteen minutes, Thorwyn barely spoke. He walked in a straight line, glancing around occasionally but otherwise remaining silent. However, as time passed, little things began to catch his attention.

First, it was a rustling in the grass. His ears perked up as he turned his head, spotting a small, long tailed rodent scurrying through the underbrush.

"Awoo? (What's that?)"

Sol followed his gaze. "A Skiddler. Pretty common around here. They're fast, but not very strong. They usually run instead of fight."

Thorwyn's tail twitched slightly, interest piqued. "Awoo… (Fast, huh?)"

"Not your kind of fast," Sol said with a smirk.

"Awoo! (I know that!)" Thorwyn huffed, poorly hiding the fact he didn't actually know and kept moving.

A few minutes later, a vibrant blue butterfly fluttered past his face, making him blink in surprise. He turned to Sol again.

"Awoo? (And that?)"

"That's a Skyveil Butterfly. They coat their wings in a thin layer of mana, which helps them fly longer. They're harmless, but they're useful for finding Moon Flowers."

Thorwyn's eyes tracked the butterfly as it drifted away. "Awoo… (Pretty…)"

As their journey continued, Thorwyn gradually started noticing more and more things—the way the trees swayed with the wind, the different footprints in the dirt, the shifting clouds in the sky.

Sol watched the change with satisfaction.

At one point, Thorwyn suddenly stopped and pointed his nose toward a bush with sharp, dark green leaves. "Awoo? (That plant smells… weird.)"

Sol leaned forward, squinting. "That's an Ironleaf Shrub. It's tough, but if you crush the leaves and mix them with hot water, it makes a tea that helps with exhaustion."

Thorwyn's ears perked up. "Awoo! (Really?!)"

"Yeah, but it's really bitter."

"Awoo… (Ah…)"

Though they were traveling much slower than planned, Sol had no regrets. The punishment was working in a way he hadn't anticipated. Thorwyn wasn't just learning restraint, he was learning more about the world itself.

Hours passed. Thorwyn, who had once sulked and grumbled about his punishment, now walked with eager eyes, tail wagging slightly as he took in the sight ahead. The large city gates loomed in the distance, with crowds of people coming and going. The sheer size of the place left the young Raijin awestruck.

"Awoo! (Woah! What's that!?)"

Sol smirked.

"That's Kerman City. And also our last stop before we leave Crestelia."

"Awoo? (What's Crestelia?)"

"The kingdom we are in."

"Awoo? (We're in a kingdom?)"

There was still a lot Thorwyn had yet to learn.