Cow - 72
Marc happily accepted it, his attention immediately shifting to the fruit.
"Ooo! How was it in there?" he asked while slowly peeling his tangerine.
Bell began peeling his own as well. "It was nice."
At around the same time, the conversation between the knights, Greg, and Juro finally came to an end. Juro turned toward the two kids and noticed them casually chatting while eating their tangerines. A smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like we're done here."
…
Marc smiled before asking, "Ooo! Then are we heading back out?"
Juro returned his smile. "Yup!"
As he said that, Greg turned toward them, a warm smile on his face.
"I'm truly grateful to all of you for helping this little merchant. I'm really happy to have met you all."
Juro, Marc, and Bell smiled in response, but Marc was the first to speak.
"It was fun having you with us, Mister Greg!"
Juro nodded before adding, "And thanks to you, our tongues got to experience some tasty seasonings, thanks to all those spices you had. Hehe!"
Greg chuckled before giving them a double thumbs-up.
"Ohoho! Of course! I'll make sure to give you all some more spices the next time we meet!"
Bell, Marc, and Juro waved goodbye as Greg headed into the village to complete the paperwork for his Goherb certification. Meanwhile, the Goherb remained outside the village with the knights.
Once Greg had left, Juro puffed out his chest and announced, "Alright, kids! It's time for us to go. But this time, I'll be riding a horse while you two walk. Consider it stamina training!"
He confidently turned around, only to stop when he realized something was missing.
His horse was gone.
"Oh..."
Juro stared at the empty space where his horse had been, momentarily at a loss for words.
Bell, meanwhile, casually remarked, "Looks like that horse is free now."
Marc simply held out a piece of tangerine toward Juro.
"Here, Teacher Juro."
Juro reluctantly accepted it, his expression turning rather sulky. Even the Goherb seemed to find the situation amusing, letting out a low, rumbling sound.
"Grhrhrhrhr..."
It almost sounded as though the creature were laughing at him.
Juro quickly turned toward the Goherb, but the moment their eyes met, it looked away, turning its head in the opposite direction as if it had done nothing.
"Hahhh..."
With a tired sigh, Juro gave up and decided walking alongside Bell and Marc. And so, the three resumed their journey on foot.
They continued across an open field, deliberately avoiding the road since Marc and Juro had decided that taking a different route would be more interesting. As they walked, Marc grew curious about something.
"Teacher Juro, do all creatures need certificates before you can keep them or something?"
Juro yawned before casually replying, "Hm? Not really. For example, creatures like horses, lupans, chickens, cows, and others that aren't much of a threat to humans don't really need certificates to domesticate them."
"Oooo.. Is the Goherb really that much of a threat?" Marc asked curiously.
Juro smiled before answering, "Yeah. Goherbs are pretty strong creatures. Most people are advised to avoid them whenever they encounter one."
Marc nodded, taking a moment to think about it before breaking into a bright smile.
"The Goherb you found seems really nice! I guess not all Goherbs are dangerous!"
Juro couldn't help but smile along with him.
"Yeah."
..
A few moments later, the three came across a herd of cows grazing in the open field.
"Wooaaa! Teacher Juro, look at how many cows there are! And there are even tiny ones!"
Marc immediately grew excited at the sight, barely managing to hold himself back from running toward them.
Some of the cows were busy munching on leaves from nearby trees, while others were resting on the ground alongside their young. As Marc continued observing the herd, he suddenly noticed an especially large cow standing among them.
"Waa... Teacher Juro, that one cow over there is so big..."
Bell glanced in the direction Marc was pointing before commenting, "Looks like a fully mature cow."
Marc stared at it in fascination before asking, "So, is he like the leader or something?"
Juro smiled before casually replying, "Actually, cows don't have genders."
"Waaaat?!" Marc exclaimed in surprise. "Then how do they make babies?! I read somewhere that males and females are needed to make babies!"
Juro chuckled at Marc's innocent question before answering, "Well, they use their tails."
"Their tails?" Marc asked curiously.
Juro pointed toward one of the cows grazing nearby. "See those cows over there? They have something that looks like a little ball of skin at the end of their tails."
Marc followed his finger and nodded. "Mhm!"
"Well, the tip is actually really tough and strong. Cows use it to defend themselves against creatures that try to attack them. But that's not all. The tip of their tail also works somewhat like an egg, where a tiny cow begins to form inside. And when the time comes, the baby cow comes out of the tail."
"Woa..." Marc exclaimed, growing even more fascinated.
Juro continued explaining, "Naturally, cows can sense when there's a newborn developing inside their tails. Because of that, they avoid using them recklessly and rely on the other cows to help defend the herd against predators. When the time comes for the baby to be born, the rough ball of skin gradually softens. Eventually, a tear appears, allowing it to open up so the baby can come out."
Marc listened intently, taking in every word. After a moment, another question came to mind.
"Then, Teacher Juro, what happens to the tail afterward? Will the cow not be able to use it again since there's a tear and no longer hard and strong?"
Juro simply placed a hand on Marc's head and smiled.
"Well, instead of explaining that, why don't we take a look over there and see for ourselves?"
The three turned their attention toward the herd. There, they noticed a cow sitting on the ground with an unusually large tip at the end of its tail.
As they watched, the cow remained perfectly still, its tail resting against the ground. A few seconds later, the tip began to move, as though something inside it were shifting around.
"Woa... It's like an egg!" Marc exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the unusual sight.
Bell, who had been observing it as well, spoke up. "It's called a gravid. I think that's what it's called, at least. I remember reading about it in a few books on creatures."
Juro smiled at his explanation. "Those books really are something, huh?"
"Haha..." Bell chuckled.
"I really should start finding other explanations for my random knowledge. I can't keep relying on books..."
Before Bell could think any further, Marc's eyes suddenly widened as he noticed a change in the cow's tail.
"Bell! Teacher Juro! Look! Look!"
The tip of the cow's tail had begun to shrivel slightly, its once-rough surface gradually softening. The movement inside grew more noticeable as the outer layer continued to change.
Then, a small tear appeared.
The opening slowly widened, and a newborn cow began emerging from inside the tail.
"SO CUTEEEE!!!" Marc exclaimed happily, practically bursting with excitement as he witnessed the birth firsthand. "Look! Look! That baby cow has such puffy eyes! It's so small and cute!!"
However, as he continued admiring the newborn, he noticed something else. The tear in the tip of the mother's tail, where the baby had emerged, was slowly closing on its own. The two sides gradually reconnected until the opening was almost completely gone.
"Woaaaa! Teacher Juro! The tear is closing all by itself!"
Juro smiled and nodded. "Yeah! And that answers your earlier question. Although the tear closes on its own, the cow still can't use the tip of its tail recklessly. It'll remain in that shriveled, soft state for a few weeks before recovering its original strength and toughness."
Marc eagerly took note of everything he'd learned, though more than anything, he was simply happy to have witnessed such an adorable newborn cow in person.
Juro glanced at him before asking, "Wanna go over there and touch them?"
Marc immediately turned toward Juro with an excited smile. However, when he looked back at the herd, he noticed something that caught his attention. The larger cows had gathered around the newborns, gently supporting them as they began bonding with their little ones.
Marc's wide grin gradually softened into a gentle smile. After watching them for a few more moments, he lightly shook his head.
"Maybe another time. I'd like to."
Both Juro and Bell smiled at his response. Juro nodded before saying, "Then let's continue on our way."
Marc smiled and nodded back. "Mhm!"
..
And so, the three continued walking, passing by the herd and leaving the cows to enjoy their peaceful moment.
As they walked across the open field, Juro began thinking about something. After a little while, he turned toward the two children with a mischievous smile.
"How about we do a little training?"
"Training???" Marc exclaimed excitedly, immediately turning toward him.
Juro nodded. "Seeing how you moved while chasing that creature earlier gave me an idea. So, for today's training, we'll be playing tag!"
"Oooo! Tag! Then who's running, and who's catching?!" Marc asked enthusiastically.
Juro stretched his arms before casually answering, "You two will be the runners, and I'll be the catcher. Both of you should do your best not to get caught!"
Bell listened quietly, considering the idea.
"Hm... Tag, huh? Actually, that's not a bad way to train. It'll help us become more creative with how we use magic to support our movements, while also improving our stamina."
After a moment, Bell turned toward Juro and asked, "Are there any limits on how far we can go?"
Juro casually shook his head. "Nope! However, you two have to stay within a hundred meters of each other. That way, you can't just run off in completely separate directions. Gotta keep it fair, after all."
Bell nodded in understanding. "Alright."
Juro smiled before raising a hand. "I'll count down from seven to one. The moment I reach zero, I'll start chasing you two!"
Marc immediately got into position, his excitement evident as he readied his legs to sprint. Bell, meanwhile, quickly stretched before preparing himself as well.
"Ready?" Juro asked with a grin.
"Yeah." Bell replied.
"Yup!" Marc exclaimed.
Juro's smile widened as he gave them the signal.
"Go!"
The moment the word left his mouth, both Bell and Marc immediately sprinted forward, their feet carrying them across the open field at impressive speeds.
Juro watched them run off, a smirk forming on his face.
"Look at those kids go..."
He casually began counting down.