Renji quickly ran over and seized the rabbit by its throat with one hand. With a CRACK, the rabbit, which had been thrashing in pain, twitched a few times before going still. Ever since witnessing two battles six months ago, Renji's Dragonblood had fully awakened his 'bloodthirsty' nature. "As a first-rank warrior and magus, my magic has the edge in attack power," Renji mused, holding the rabbit. Despite being relatively easy to become a first-rank magus, advancing further was much more challenging and time-consuming. Many high-ranking magi spent centuries trying to progress beyond the seventh or eighth ranks. For those with talent, reaching the first rank could take as little as half a year, but less talented individuals required two to three years.
Holding the rabbit, Renji hurried down the mountain. "Renji, why aren't you cooking the meat? The Umbramouse prefers cooked food, even though it will eat raw meat," Kaiya Tanaka's voice echoed in his mind.
"Grandpa Kaiya, I bet you've never had to coax children," Renji teased as he ran. Kaiya Tanaka, surprised, admitted he had never needed to. "I often have to coax little Kenji. If you give a kid something too good right away, they'll expect even better things in the future. I'll start with raw meat for the Umbramouse, and after a week, I'll give him cooked meat. That way, he'll be even happier."
Kaiya Tanaka understood the strategy. It was similar to his own approach with subordinates: offering a little at first and then more gradually to prevent them from becoming difficult to satisfy. "I've read similar advice in books about raising animals. Gradually increasing rewards is more effective than decreasing them," he noted, impressed by Renji's insight.
The townspeople of Dragonspire Village were accustomed to seeing Renji bring wild hares home. "Young Master Renji is impressive, catching another hare," they commented with smiles. Renji responded with polite smiles as he walked past.
Entering the manor and making his way to the back courtyard, Renji found that the Umbramouse was missing. Despite some chewed stones, there was no sign of the creature. Feeling a pang of disappointment, Renji asked, "Grandpa Kaiya, the Umbramouse isn't here anymore. Could it have left so soon?"
Kaiya Tanaka, appearing from the Celestial Dragon Ring, shared Renji's concern. "It shouldn't have left already. It's only been an hour."
Just then, the familiar sound of crunching stones was heard again. Renji's eyes brightened, and he followed the sound to an ancient courtyard. There, he saw the Umbramouse diligently chewing on stones, shaping them into odd forms. Renji purposely made a noise at the doorway to get the Umbramouse's attention.
The Umbramouse, startled, quickly moved away but eyed Renji cautiously. Renji smiled and tossed the wild hare near the doorway. Although the Umbramouse might not understand human speech, Renji hoped the smile conveyed goodwill.
Encouraged, Renji slowly walked away, reminding himself to be patient. The Umbramouse, after a brief pause, eagerly approached the hare and devoured it with enthusiasm. The sight of the Umbramouse happily eating and rubbing its belly showed that it preferred raw meat over stones. The Umbramouse seemed to develop a sense of kinship with Renji, curious if he would return with more food.
Later that day, Renji returned to the back courtyard to check on the results. "I wonder if the Umbramouse enjoyed the meal," he pondered. Kaiya Tanaka's voice reassured him that a young magical beast would always be hungry.
Renji found only rabbit fur and blood, but the meat and bones were gone. Delighted by the success, Renji felt encouraged to keep going. The next day, he brought another wild hare and a wild chicken, leaving the chicken at the same spot as before.
Seeing the Umbramouse in the courtyard watching him, Renji chuckled. "The Umbramouse didn't run away, meaning it's getting used to me," Kaiya Tanaka observed with satisfaction. Renji placed the chicken, spoke briefly to the Umbramouse, and then stepped aside to watch.
Over the next few days, Renji continued his routine of providing food while training in magic. None in Dragonspire Village, including Kazuki and Draven, knew of Renji's magical studies or his care for a powerful fourth-rank juvenile magical beast. Only Kaiya Tanaka was aware of Renji's progress and growth.
"Dragonspire Village is too small for Renji," Kaiya Tanaka thought with excitement. "Sooner or later, he'll advance to a higher stage and make his mark on the vast world of Aerthos."