The Bilrox Queen was round and fluffy with bright, golden feathers. She had large, round eyes that glimmered like a starry night and rushed to Michael upon seeing him. Rather than looking majestic and powerful, the Bilrox Queen looked cute and harmless.
Her short, stubby wings fluttered vibrantly as she wobbled her way to Michael with her small feet.
Even though the Bilrox Queen couldn’t fly, her legs were strong and sturdy. She could run much faster than many monsters at the same Tier. Upon reaching Michael, the Bilrox Queen opened her small, cheerful beak and issued a distinct series of tones. The sounds she made were a mixture of chirping, and sharp, piercing whistling notes.
“Little Queen, don’t run away from me!!” A young voice resounded far behind the Bilrox Queen. It was a young man with short brown hair, clear dark eyes, and slim stature.
He was the Tamer with the mission to tame the Bilrox Queen. The young Tamer had to make sure that the Bilrox Queen wouldn’t try to riot and escape the Bilrox Ranch with the other Bilrox.
Unfortunately, the young Tamer’s attempts until today weren’t fruitful. The Bilrox Queen didn’t attempt to escape yet, but it was not difficult to tell that she didn’t like to be confined in the Bilrox Ranch’s fences.
“You can open the Gates. It’s fine,” Michael said, caressing the Bilrox Queen’s otherworldly soft plumage. She lowered her head to rub it against his chest. It was almost like the Bilrox Queen could understand every single world Michael said just now.
“Open the Gates? But the Bilrox would run away then. That’s just foo–…Oh my! My Lord, I apologize. I am terribly s-sorry!!” The young Tamer hadn’t realized it was Michael who had given the orders before. All the young Tamer had seen was the Bilrox Queen running away from him, and that she barely stopped when she reached someone else. The young Tamer thought that another Tamer had arrived to give him a helping hand.
“It might be foolish, but Bilrox love freedom and safety the most. Before the population of the Bilrox herd increased, the Bilrox Ranch was more than enough for them. However, their numbers are increasing. Therefore, the Bilrox Ranch won’t be enough for them to stay happy and not feel cooped up like hens. This will decrease their reproduction rate and the value of their feathers. They release special hormones that aid reproduction, and the growth of young Bilrox, and hormones that make their feathers glimmer brightly,” Michael explained calmly, not minding the tamer who had just deemed his suggestion ‘foolish’.
Bilrox had been mentioned several times in the books of the Laxarta Library. Having extracted and consumed the Wisps of Knowledge from the books, Michael’s mind was filled with a tremendous amount of knowledge. Unfortunately, Michael had yet to learn to tap into this knowledge at his will. That was also why he had to continue practicing the Memory Lane technique. At a higher level, Memory Lane allowed him to search through his memories and mind with far greater precision.
Despite the difficulties of remembering some things on command, Michael was not too worried. He remembered a lot whenever he was doing something related to specific fields. Michael recalled information about the Bilrox after he saw the Bilrox Queen and her brightly shimmering plumage.
“But wouldn’t they run away then, M-my Lord?” The young Tamer asked, lowering his head in front of Michael.
Even though Michael didn’t intend to intimidate the young Tamer, the difference in their strength and status was enormous. Micahel’s gaze was straightforward, filled with determination, and some sort of power that made it hard to lock eyes with him. But that was not all. Michael’s presence was unique. It enveloped everyone and commanded both attention and submission. The young Tamer was not sure if that was because of the Link of Loyalty established between them or if the reason was something else. However, the Tamer was certain that Michael’s power was far greater than his own and that his Lord was thousands of times more important than he would ever be.
“I already said it before. Bilrox love freedom and safety. They know that they’re safe and sound here. Open the gates and give them the freedom they desire. They will notice soon enough that the Untamed Jungle is not as safe and sound as the Ranch. Don’t worry, and wait patiently for their return. Once they’re back they can leave whenever they want, but they won’t move too far away from the territory knowing that dangerous monsters could attack them at any time,” Micheal finished his explanation neatly as he continued to caress the Bilrox Queen’s plumage.
He was not sure if he wanted to let the Bilrox Queen hear everything he said, but it might actually be better if she could understand him. As long as the Bilrox Queen understood the true intent behind his words it would be fine. After all, Michael wished to give the Bilrox everything they desired. In exchange, he hoped that they would learn to value the worth of the Bilrox Ranch and the safety they received by living in his territory.
“As you command, my Lord!” The young Tamer said, lowering his head even further. The Bilrox Queen looked at the young man and chirped loudly. It sounded almost like the Bilrox Queen was scolding the Tamer for daring to keep her herd confined for such a long time.
Michael smiled and patted the Bilrox Queen. She continued to rub her head against his chest to thank him – or so Michael thought. He was not sure why the Bilrox Queen approached him earlier when he showed up. Michael could only make guesses about her behavior.
Once the gates were opened most Bilrox were confused. They stared at the open gates with a glimmer of excitement. But instead of charging outside, they looked around to see what would happen when one of their brethren would dare to step out of the fenced Bilrox Ranch.
“You are their Queen, their leader. Take the first step and be a role model for your kind,” Michael said before he gently pushed the Bilrox Queen away from him. He looked over to the opened Gates and smiled, “Go. But come back with your little friends later again. And make sure not to stray too far. The monsters of the Untamed Jungle are not to be taken lightly.”
The Bilrox Queen only stared at Michael for a while. She took her time to nod and turn away. Her focus diverted from Michael and turned to the opened gates. Once she kicked the ground, the Bilrox Queen’s big and fluffy body propelled toward the gates. She ran with short but quick steps and charged outside while making a long series of high-pitched chirping noises.
The other Bilrox noticed their Queen’s movements and listened to her commands before they began to move as well. They followed their Queen and charged outside.
The Tamers stared at the scene in front of them with uncertainty and confusion. Not everyone had been informed about Michael’s command just yet. They thought that something bad must have happened and were just about to pursue the Bilrox to capture them and bring them back when they noticed their Lord standing in the center of the Bilrox Ranch, looking at the Bilrox with an amused smile.
“It’s fine. They will come back,” Michael reassured his subordinates, “I hope everyone present can start taking notes of the changes the Bilrox will undergo now that we allowed them to roam around freely.” They nodded quietly to him in response.
‘And I hope that there will be major changes, otherwise, I put the Bilrox Ranch in danger without generating any positive results.’
Michael was certain that his decision had been correct. He didn’t want to confine the Bilrox because they ought to be free. It would be even better if they could get more comfortable with the citizens of his territory. Maybe some of them would even become friends by chance. Bilrox were great mounts with high endurance and even higher speed. If anyone could turn into a Cavalry Duo with them it would increase the prowess of his army considerably!
Michael hoped for the best. He spoke to the Tamers a little bit longer to find out what they needed and what they lacked to progress further. He recalled a few books from the Laxarta Library that may or may not be useful for them. Therefore, he retrieved a few Memory Crystals, copied some of his knowledge into them, and gave the Crystals to the Tamers. By inserting bits of energy into the Memory Crystals, Michael could help them to read the Taming, and Breeding Books from the Laxarta Library through his memories.
“If there is nothing else, I shall leave. The Farmers are still waiting for me,” Michael said to the Tamers, who seemed to hesitate, “Tell me whenever something bothers you. I will try my best to give a helping hand. If you don’t want to tell me now or think that now is not the time, please report to my assistants once you are ready to speak. There is no need to worry.”
Michael was not sure if his presence was too intimidating, but many Starless, or 1-Star Summons had a hard time facing him after he defeated the Kitsun Lord. It could also be the tremendous amount of energy surging through his body that made it hard and suffocating to look in Michael’s direction. He had yet to digest all energy and refine his War Rune to the Mid-rank of Tier-2 after all.
“We…we talked about it before in our group…b-but how about creating more Beast Ranches? Some of us are not c-compatible with Bilrox…so we…we have a hard time adjusting to the Bilrox…Some of us are more compatible with ordinary livestock, or other monsters…” One of the tamers dared to speak up. He was pulled back by the other Tamers, who looked at him in horror, but Michael just smiled.
“More Beast Ranches? Please tell me more about it!”
