Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

After making sure Dalko was sound asleep again, Roland took the remaining half of the food and tiptoed out of the cave.

He crept forward cautiously, slowly approaching the Red Squirrel that was busy gnawing on a pinecone, and stopped when he was about three steps away.

After taking a deep breath, he activated the [Animal Companion] Trait.

In an instant, a familiar cacophony flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

Roland’s brow furrowed. He consciously reined in his scattered attention, just as he did when activating his [Concentration] Trait.

Gradually, the chaotic sounds began to fade, until only the sounds in his immediate vicinity were left.

"Phew..."

Roland let out a long sigh of relief and calmed his nerves.

Gazing at the Red Squirrel, which was still focused on its pinecone, he slowly raised a hand and forced his facial muscles into the friendliest expression he could muster.

"Hello..."

The words had barely left his lips when the Red Squirrel suddenly looked up in alarm, its eyes meeting Roland’s.

In an instant, the little creature’s scruffy fur bristled, and its tiny eyes widened into perfect circles.

Before Roland could react, the Red Squirrel dropped its pinecone, tensed its hind legs, and prepared to flee.

But Roland was prepared. Quick as a flash, he lunged forward and securely cupped the startled little creature in his hands.

"Help! Help! Help!"

Thanks to his [Animal Companion] Trait, the short, sharp squeaks reached Roland’s ears as clear human words.

"Easy there, little guy..."

Feeling the tiny creature struggling violently in his palms, Roland quickly adjusted his grip. He held its body steady with one hand while gently stroking its fluffy back with the other.

"I just want to ask for your help. I’m not going to hurt you..."

Roland said, keeping his voice low and trying to sound as gentle as possible.

"You can understand me, right?"

The Red Squirrel gradually stopped struggling. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

It tilted its little head up, its small, black eyes filled with confusion.

"Two-legs... you... no, wait... How can I understand what you’re saying?"

Its eyes suddenly widened.

"Are you a squirrel, too?"

The naive question left Roland speechless.

He opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately decided to sidestep the complicated topic.

"That’s not important, little guy..."

Roland carefully set the Red Squirrel back on the ground, gently tapping its fluffy little head with his fingertip.

"My name is Roland. What’s yours?"

"Everyone calls me Qiao..."

Once it confirmed the giant creature meant no harm, the squirrel named Qiao relaxed. Its front paws drooped naturally against its chest as it tilted its head, sizing up the talking two-legs in front of it.

"Qiao? That’s a great name."

As he spoke, Roland smiled and pulled a slice of bread from his cloth bag.

Unlike the black bread Roland usually ate.

Dalko, being a young noble, naturally ate white bread. It was meticulously baked from the finest wheat flour and studded with nuts of a kind Roland couldn’t name.

The moment he took out the bread, a rich, wheaty aroma filled the air.

Qiao’s nose immediately began to twitch. Its round eyes were fixed on the tempting delicacy, unable to look away. Even its large, fluffy tail began to sway slightly in anticipation.

"Heh heh..."

Seeing the little creature’s greedy expression, Roland couldn’t help but chuckle.

He carefully tore off a small piece of the bread, crumbled it in his palm, and slowly held it out to Qiao.

"Don’t be shy. Go on, eat."

"Hmm..."

Qiao’s little nose twitched nonstop, its gaze darting between the breadcrumbs and Roland.

Despite being so tempted it was practically drooling, it remained wary and hesitated to come closer.

’This little guy is pretty cautious,’ Roland muttered to himself. ’Are squirrels really this smart?’

Seeing Qiao’s continued hesitation, Roland shook his head with a helpless sigh.

Then, he picked up a few crumbs with his fingertips, popped them into his mouth, and made an exaggerated swallowing motion.

"See? Not poisoned. You can eat it."

Qiao tilted its head, observing him for a moment. Once it confirmed there were no crumbs left in Roland’s mouth, it finally let down its guard.

With a happy flick of its fluffy tail, it hopped forward, propped its little paws on Roland’s hand, and buried its face in the crumbs, gobbling them up.

In no time, the breadcrumbs in his palm were gone.

Still wanting more, Qiao licked its paws clean, then meticulously groomed the crumbs from its whiskers before finally looking up.

"You’re not like the other two-legs. You’re a good person."

It puffed out its tiny, furry chest.

"So, what do you need my help with?"

Having successfully earned the Red Squirrel’s trust, Roland breathed a sigh of relief before speaking in a serious tone.

"Qiao, have you noticed any goblins in the forest? They’re... uh, green-skinned creatures with sharp teeth and really ugly faces."

"Umm..."

Qiao lowered its head and scratched it with a tiny paw. Suddenly, its eyes lit up.

"You mean the green monsters! I’ve seen them! They snuck into the forest last night, and they seemed to be looking for something."

The little creature gestured emphatically with its tiny paws.

"They were cutting down trees and digging holes everywhere, but..."

Qiao paused, casting a cautious glance at Roland.

"Unlike the two-legs, they didn’t seem to have any intention of harming us..."

As if afraid Roland would get the wrong idea, Qiao hastily added.

"Of course, you’re totally different from those other two-legs, Roland! You’re a good person!"

Being labeled a "good person" twice in a row left Roland unsure whether to laugh or cry.

As for how the squirrel could simultaneously use "two-legs," a term implying a distinction of Race, and "good person," he couldn’t be bothered to analyze it too deeply. He could only chalk it up to the magical effects of his [Animal Companion] Trait.