"Master! Something terrible has happened!!!"
With a high-pitched scream, Ron stumbled and rushed into the room of Viscount Bruno, panic written all over his face!
Crash!
The Viscount, who had been leisurely enjoying his tea in the living room, was startled, causing him to drop his exquisite teacup, which shattered into pieces on the floor!
"Damn it! Are you all raised by wolves?"
Bruno nearly exploded with rage. First, there was the butler Claude yelling at him early in the morning, and now Ron had followed suit, barging in without even knocking!
Did they really think so little of him, the Viscount?
But Ron was too frantic to care about that. He gasped, "Master! This time it's really serious. You need to come and see!"
"What? Has the manor been robbed again?" Bruno's expression changed at the words!
"No, no, it's not the manor!"
Ron, half-laughing and half-crying, replied, "It's… it's the young master. He… he…"
"Link? What happened to him?" Bruno exclaimed, grabbing Ron by the collar, his heart racing with worry!
Link was the hope of the entire Lawrence family, and Bruno treated him like a precious gem, terrified of any harm coming to him!
But Ron stammered for a long time, unsure how to explain, and finally sighed helplessly, "Master, you should just see for yourself!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Bruno said nothing more and immediately dashed out, his sturdy legs carrying him swiftly, with Ron hurriedly following behind.
Before long, they arrived at the small courtyard where Link lived.
As soon as they entered, Bruno was met with a scene he would never forget!
There lay Master Clark, whom he had hired at great expense to provide Link with summoning education, sprawled on the ground, frothing at the mouth, eyes rolled back, completely unconscious!
And there was Link, squatting in the center of the courtyard, tending to a bonfire, roasting a massive creature!
A rich aroma of meat wafted through the air, filling the courtyard and making one's mouth water!
"Dad, what are you doing here?"
At that moment, Link finally noticed Bruno's arrival and exclaimed with a sense of pride, "See? I told you, you're just lucky! My pig isn't even done yet, and you came sniffing around!"
With that, Link waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Alright! I'll save you a piece of pig tail to eat later!"
Bruno nearly burst out laughing in disbelief!
But as he regained his composure, he first glanced at the still-unconscious Clark, then at the giant pig Link was roasting, and suddenly realized a very serious problem!
"This pig, could it be…" Bruno's face froze, mumbling to himself, but he didn't dare finish the sentence!
As if to confirm his fears, Ron, looking utterly helpless, said, "Master, this pig is indeed Master Clark's summoned beast, the 'Fire-Spined Hedgehog'!"
"What?"
Bruno nearly fainted at the revelation, staring at Link in shock, "Link, you actually roasted Master Clark's summoned beast?"
"Pfft! A 'pig tamer' like him doesn't deserve to be called a master!"
Link didn't even look up as he spat out disdainfully, tearing off a leg from the giant pig and chomping down on it, mumbling with his mouth full, "Mmm… not bad…"
Bruno felt a chill run down his spine, finally grasping the situation. He turned to Ron and shouted, "Ron, quickly, get a few people to carry Master Clark away and take him to the best doctor!"
Then, with a sudden thought, he added, "And for heaven's sake, don't mention this to anyone! Make sure to inform me the moment Clark regains consciousness!"
"Yes, Master!" Ron replied promptly and hurried off!
Soon, only Link, Bruno, and the unconscious Clark remained in the courtyard.
Watching Link, who was happily devouring the pig with grease all over his face as if nothing had happened, Bruno found himself at a loss for whether to laugh or cry!
You see, in Roland Continent, summoned beasts contracted by summoners share a very close mental bond with their summoners!
This meant that if a summoned beast died, it would cause unavoidable harm to the summoner, and in severe cases, it could even threaten their life!
But what truly shocked Bruno was that just yesterday, Link had been diagnosed with the potential to become a summoner, and today he had not only jumped to a Level 3 Summoner Apprentice but had also easily defeated Clark, who possessed the strength of a Level 6 Summoner Apprentice!