Chapter 245: Another Trouble Makers
"Ignis! Calm down!" Irithel called out, her voice firm yet gentle.
Ignis, recognizing Irithel's voice, turned its head slightly but remained on high alert, its eyes still locked on the boy.
Adrian quickly assessed the situation, his mind racing. He approached the boy carefully, keeping his movements slow and non-threatening. "Hey, it's okay. Just take a deep breath," he said, trying to calm the boy down. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The boy glared at Adrian, tears of frustration and pain in his eyes. "That monster attacked me! I was just trying to pet it, and it burned me! Kill it quickly!"
'You are brave boy, it didn't even let me touch itself, yet you... Sigh...'
Adrian glanced at Irithel, who was already moving closer to Ignis. "Ignis wouldn't attack without a reason," she said, her voice steady.
"You heard her," Adrian looked at the boy again. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to make it angry?"
"What? It's the monster who attacked me! Why are you accusing me?!" The boy exclaimed. "This monster is wild! Hmph, just you wait, I'll tell my dad and have him kill it."
"Ignis! Calm down!" Irithel called out, her voice firm yet gentle.
Ignis, recognizing Irithel's voice, turned its head slightly but remained on high alert, its eyes still locked on the boy.
Adrian quickly assessed the situation, his mind racing. He approached the boy carefully, keeping his movements slow and non-threatening. "Hey, it's okay. Just take a deep breath," he said, trying to calm the boy down. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The boy glared at Adrian, tears of frustration and pain in his eyes. "That monster attacked me! I was just trying to pet it, and it burned me! Kill it quickly!"
'You are brave boy, it didn't even let me touch itself, yet you... Sigh...'
Adrian glanced at Irithel, who was already moving closer to Ignis. "Ignis wouldn't attack without a reason," she said, her voice steady.
"You heard her," Adrian looked at the boy again. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to make it angry?"
"What? It's the monster who attacked me! Why are you accusing me?!" The boy exclaimed. "This monster is wild! Hmph, just you wait, I'll tell my dad and have him kill it."
Adrian stared at the boy. 'This little boy is really arrogant. Don't tell me he is a third-rate young master type of character. He mentioned his dad, which means he is here as well...'
Just then he heard footsteps of running and noticed a muscular man with a mustache, rushing over, his face contorted with worry and rage. Mrs. Rena followed closely behind, her expression a mix of concern and anxiety.
"Speak of the devil..." Adrian muttered guessing who the man was.
"Son! What happened to you?" the man exclaimed, kneeling beside the boy and examining his hand.
The boy immediately latched onto his father's arm, tears streaming down his face. "Dad, that monster attacked me! I was just trying to pet it, and it burned me! Please help me kill that monster!"
'What a drama...'
Adrian took a step back, allowing the father to comfort his son. He could feel the tension in the air and knew that this situation could escalate quickly if not handled delicately.
The boy's father looked at Ignis, his eyes filled with killing intent. "You dare to harm my son?! Miss Rena, I ask you to hand over that monster and let me eliminate it."
'Wow, at least he didn't attack right away. Then, I should interfere.'
Adrian took a deep breath, stepping forward before the situation could spiral out of control. "Sir, please, let's take a moment to understand what really happened," he said, his voice calm but firm. "The magic beast you are referring to is called Ignis. He wouldn't attack without a reason. We need to find out why this incident occurred first before jumping to conclusions."
The man turned his fierce gaze to Adrian. "And who are you to speak for that beast?"
"Me? I'm a student from the Celestial Arcane Academy. I'm here for a mission." he replied, holding the man's stare. "Anyway, Ignis is not wild. He's been trained and is usually very calm."
Mrs. Rena stepped forward, her presence commanding attention. "Mr. Hawke, I understand your concern for your son, but student Adrian is right. Ignis has never shown aggression without provocation. Let's investigate this calmly."
"Hmph, no need for investigation. The proof is right here. My son is injured and his hand is burnt. Tsk, I didn't expect your sanctuary to be filled with wild monsters. I will need to call the Inspector and thoroughly check your Sanctuary," Mr. Hawke declared angrily.
Mrs. Rena's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by this accusation? Our sanctuary's beasts are all trained, and none of them are wild."
Irithel stepped in, her voice steady but apologetic. "Mr. Hawke, Ignis is my pet, not a beast of the Sanctuary. I apologize for his actions. He can be quite aggressive sometimes."
Mr. Hawke eyed Irithel for a moment, recognition flickering in his eyes. "Alright, I'll give a face to the famous rising Beast Tamer, Miss Irithel. But if something like this happens again, I will use all my power as the owner of the strongest beast training Sanctuary to close yours."
Mrs. Rena's face tightened with a mix of anger and worry, but she maintained her composure. "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Hawke. We will ensure that such incidents do not happen again."
Mr. Hawke nodded curtly, his expression still stern. He turned to his son. "Let's get you treated, son. And remember, don't go near any beasts without proper supervision."
As Mr. Hawke and his son left the enclosure, Adrian, Irithel, Mrs. Rena, and all the other staff let out a collective sigh of relief. The tension in the air began to dissipate.
"I'm sorry for the trouble," Irithel said softly, her gaze fixed on Ignis. "I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
Mrs. Rena placed a reassuring hand on Irithel's shoulder. "It's alright, Irithel. Ignis was just trying to protect himself. Even if Ignis wasn't here, a similar scene would probably have happened..."
"Mrs. Rena, what do you mean?" Irithel asked her expression confused.
Mrs. Rena laughed as she gently patted Irithel's shoulder. "Haha, nothing serious. But I insist you take Ignis home for now. He needs some rest and so do you. Your work here is done for the day."
Irithel nodded reluctantly, glancing at Ignis who seemed calmer now. "Alright, I'll take him home. Thank you, Mrs. Rena, and sorry for the trouble." She turned to Adrian, a small smile on her face. "Thank you for your help today, Sir Adrian. I will see you at the academy."
Adrian returned her smile. "Take care, Miss Irithel. And make sure little guy gets some rest."
Irithel nodded and, after securing Ignis, she left the sanctuary, waving goodbye to both Adrian and Mrs. Rena.
Once Irithel had gone, Mrs. Rena turned to Adrian, her expression softening. "I'm sorry for the trouble today, Adrian. You handled the situation very well. You can leave too if you want. You've done more than enough."
Adrian shook his head slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It's no trouble, Mrs. Rena. I'm glad I could help. But before I go, if there's anything troubling you or the sanctuary, please don't hesitate to tell me. I'd be happy to help."
Mrs. Rena looked at him with a mix of gratitude and surprise. "That's very kind of you, Sir Adrian. Thank you. We'll manage, but I'll keep your offer in mind."
Adrian nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Alright then. Take care, Mrs. Rena."
"Take care, Sir Adrian."
He turned and made his way towards the exit, feeling the weight of the day's events beginning to lift.
'So, this is how this 'incident' started, huh...' Adrian thought as he exited the sanctuary. 'Well, thankfully, I got here before it started. It will be much easier to solve it now... I just need to wait for Mrs. Rena to confess...'