"So this really was all because of your affinity, young master. You can make beasts evolve with the help of it… and evolution ans a better version of these beasts?"
After everything was explained to Clara, she started asking more questions. And seeing how she was one of the few people Theo could talk to, he answered everything to the best of his ability.
"Evolution ans changing for the better, Clara. Just like how, a thousand years ago, normal beasts started changing under the artifact's influence. I think this is just like that," Theo stated with a smile.
Clara took a deep breath.
"Y-You an… you have the sa ability as the artifact, young master?"
"No, no! When did I say that? Never mind all that—let's go find so more slis. Are you ready to fight, mantis?" Theo said and diverted the topis, he didn't want a tag like that to befell on him.
He looked toward the mantis, who had beco quite normal now. It looked at Theo and instantly went into its fighting stance making Theo chuckle.
He still wasn't used to how the mantis looked now. It was all green, as if moss and plants were growing on it.
If not for the sa look in its eyes, Theo would have thought it wasn't his mantis at all.
"My apologies, young master. But we have already defeated a lot of the moss slis today. It is an unwritten rule not to disrupt the forest too much. In a few days, the moss slis will multiply again, and we can co back."
"Hmm… what if soone else cos and kills these slis, not knowing that many have already died?" Theo asked.
"We can do nothing about that. The artifact helps bring the moss slis back through natural processes or other ans. But history has taught us that if a species is gone for good, it takes a very long ti to return with the help of the artifact, young master. You will learn everything in the academy, don't worry," Clara said with a smile.
Theo nodded in appreciation.
While what Clara taught him was good, he knew she wasn't a person with vast knowledge. Her main goal was to always beco an attendant for a stable life.
What Theo got from her was basic knowledge, which, to him, was priceless too.
They started moving back, and the mantis hopped onto Theo's shoulder, looking around in wonder. Even Theo glanced at it every few seconds, noticing how its camouflage in the forest had improved so much that if it went into the grass, it would be nearly impossible to detect without the pup.
Ti passed, and they reached the castle. Theo placed the mantis in the box again, and seeing how no one was in the castle, he sighed in relief.
He wanted to see the Baroness and share this achievent with her, yet he knew she was very busy maintaining the castle and dealing with nobility.
A day passed with Theo spending ti in his room and the library. He couldn't go to the training facility of the castle as he was still unsure about revealing his tad beast to others.
The mantis enjoyed the sweet insects Theo had promised it, but Theo noticed sothing strange in the terrarium room.
When the mantis entered, all his main insects started hiding under their small bios.
Theo knew this behavior only occurred when the insects sensed sothing strong had entered their territory, and hiding was the only way to survive.
The whole big terrarium belonged to the mantis for now as nothing else seed to co and interact with Theo when the mantis was there, and while the mantis was still wary of the powder at the entrance, Theo got to witness its increased speed.
Yet he decided to test its real new abilities in a real fight the next day.
When he woke up in the morning, the sa routine followed.
The start of the next day couldn't have been more exciting.
The mantis was ready to go, and Theo surprisingly saw a lot more moss slis in the clearings that had been empty the day before.
"It sure is full now," he stated.
"Moss slis are so of the fastest reproducers in the world. If a sli survives for a few days after being born, its body breaks into smaller ones, and that is the birth of more moss slis, young master."
"That is so cool. So there's no need for two sexual partners then?" Theo asked casually, yet Clara's face imdiately turned bright red.
"T-This… You will learn about this after growing up, young master," Clara said awkwardly, making Theo confused.
Until he finally realized.
He wasn't an adult right now, and talking so normally and maturely about this topic didn't suit his age.
He quickly changed the topic and continued, "Well, let's have this little guy find so more slis… These ones are too strong for the mantis, right?" Theo said and patted the pup on the head, making it hum in satisfaction.
When Theo looked back at his shoulder, he froze with uncertainty.
The mantis was gone.
"Where did it go?" He asked with a frown, looking around frantically.
"Again?" Clara quickly gave the pup a ntal command, and the pup started sniffing the ground until it stopped at a spot very close to the clearing and them.
Theo ran beside it, and that was when he saw the mantis again. It was moving very slowly, with minimal movent, its camouflage made it hard on the eyes to focus on it. Theo had never seen the mantis act like this before.
'Is this behavior beca of the evolution?'
They had already made enough noise that the slis had started leaving the clearing and coming toward them.
The mantis was camouflaged perfectly with the forest. While Clara made Theo take a few steps back, he never took his eyes off it.
The mantis entered the bush right at the side of the clearing, the sa place the slis were going to pass to reach Theo and everyone. The slis were coming toward them slowly, and when the first one entered the bush to exit the clearing, the mantis was only inches away from it.
'It didn't detect the mantis?'
Theo had expected sothing like this, but witnessing the camouflage in action was sothing else entirely.
The mantis remained completely still as if it was just a small green mossy branch of the bush. If not for the bush being only twigs and not many leaves, Theo was sure it was impossible to find the mantis and observe it right now.
Then, suddenly—its body smashed into the sli.
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