Waking up, I checked the time—9 a.m. I took a shower, got dressed, and stretched before turning to my companion. "C'mon, Koda, let's go meet your new siblings!"
Koda huffed and slowly dragged himself out of bed, clearly not as excited as I was.
Heading downstairs, I decided to feed Koda before stepping outside. As I poured his food into his bowl, a sudden thought struck me—I had bought too much dog food. Looking down, I watched Koda chow down happily, completely oblivious to my growing concern.
'Why did I buy so much dog food…? What a waste,' I mused, shaking my head. 'Doesn't matter anyway.'
I put the rest of the food away and grabbed my gloves to start the day. Stepping outside, I took in the progress I'd made so far. The garden was thriving, and I had plenty of seeds to experiment with, hoping to cultivate new plant species. A bright smile crossed my face as I turned toward the barn and chicken coop, both finished with the help of Mom and Rose.
I walked over to feed and play with the baby animals. As I rubbed the sheep's bellies, I sighed. 'Man, I wanted Koda out here to play with them too.'
As I grumbled to myself, Rose came out the back door, greeting me with her usual big smile. "Hey, Albert! How are you doing? Need any help today?"
Turning around, I couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, actually. Could you help with the crops again? And can you plant some lavender and sunflower seeds? That'd be awesome."
Rose tilted her head in confusion. "Lavender and sunflowers? Why just those two?"
I hesitated before shrugging. 'As long as I get Rose to focus on the garden, that's all that matters.'
Shaking my head, I answered, "Actually, plant whatever flowers you want. I just said those two off the top of my head."
Her eyes sparkled. "Really?! Because I already have a few in mind!"
Smiling, I waved her off. "Knock yourself out."
Rose beamed before rushing to the garden.
'Alright, got Rose focused on the garden… but what about Mom and Dad? Douglas and Eddy… and me? What classes would suit everyone best?'
Sighing, I stood up. The baby sheep I had been petting earlier looked up at me, offended that I had stopped. I barely noticed.
'Okay, Mom's a chemist, so alchemy would be the best fit. Dad's a doctor, so some kind of healer class makes sense.'
'Douglas is a wrestler and learning karate, so a fighting class suits him. But a melee class at the start of the Fall… it's gonna be rough. His stats and skills will be slightly above average but not high enough to fight monsters without a weapon.'
'Eddy's in college for business. What kind of class fits that?'
As my thoughts spiraled, the baby sheep started running in circles around me, trying to regain my attention.
'And what class would suit me…?'
"Yo, Albert."
Snapped out of my thoughts, I turned to see my younger brother, Douglas, walking toward me with Koda tagging along. Standing at 5'8", Douglas had an average height but a solid physique. If I remembered right, he had placed third in Regionals during his sophomore year.
In his usual flat tone, he asked, "Hey, can you drop me off at the gym?"
Coming back to the present, I smiled. "Sure. Do you have a ride back, or should I pick you up?"
Shaking his head, he replied, "No, thanks. I have a ride."
"Alright, give me a minute."
Douglas nodded and went back inside. Suddenly, I heard whimpering behind me.
Turning, I braced for the worst, only to see the baby animals swarming Koda. One sheep ran circles around him, another lay on top of him, the calves licked his ears, and the chickens perched on his back.
Koda met my gaze with a sorrowful look, silently pleading for help. Smirking, I pretended not to notice and walked back inside.
A sharp bark of betrayal followed me, and I chuckled. 'Good. He's getting along with them. I need to make him interact with them more.'
Before entering, I called out, "Rose, could you put away the stuff I left out and watch the babies? I need to drop off Douglas."
Rose looked up, dirt smeared across her face. "Sure! I can do that for you."
"Thanks."
I grabbed my keys and stepped outside, where Douglas was already waiting with his usual neutral expression.
"Alright, let's go. Sorry for the wait."
Douglas shook his head. "It's not an issue. I was only waiting a minute."
Nodding, we got in the car and left. I tried making conversation, but Douglas gave shorter responses than usual. Eventually, I gave up, and silence filled the car.
"Okay, we're here. Let me know if you need anything."
Douglas didn't move. Instead, he stared at me, as if trying to figure something out.
"Albert… what the hell is up with you?" he asked with a slight frown.
I didn't respond immediately. Thousands of emotions surged through me—shame, regret, anger, sorrow, love, hope… and emptiness. The weight of why I was doing all this.
Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze. "For you. I'm doing all of this for all of you."
Douglas's face remained blank for a few seconds before twisting in confusion. "The fuck?"
I watched his usual uncaring facade crack into anger. For a moment, I saw the Douglas from before the Fall.
"What does that even mean?! Doing it for us?! What?!" He glared at me. "Last week, you were your usual self—a dick. A total fucking dick. But now, you're nice, saying sorry, gardening?! What the fuck?"
Sighing, I gave him a bitter smile. "Believe it or not, I just woke up one day and realized I could lose all of you."
Douglas groaned. "Dude, don't say something stupid like, 'I don't wanna lose you all.' That's dumb."
I coughed, embarrassed.
"And how does any of this help us?" he asked, his voice rising.
Smiling, I answered, "In a few weeks, the demand for homegrown food is gonna explode. Trust me."
His frown deepened. "How do you even know that, Albert? And if it fails, then what?"
Staring into his confused eyes, I felt a bitter, familiar feeling—failure. Taking a deep breath, I gave him a calm smile. "Hey, Douglas. Do you know the first step to success?"
Douglas looked even more confused, but before he could answer, I said, "Failing. And trust me, I know it like the back of my hand."
I held his gaze, my expression solemn. "So even if this doesn't work—even if I fail—I'll keep going."
For the first time, the silence between us was comfortable.
Douglas took a deep breath before giving me his usual glare. "Albert… it's nice to see you actually want something."
His glare softened slightly as he hesitated. "Don't give up. You're my older brother—you should be the one looking out for me."
Lifting his fist, he muttered, "So make sure to look out for me and our family, Albert."
Smirking, I fist-bumped him. "Of course, Douglas. Have faith in me."
With a hint of a grin, he nodded and headed into the gym.
******
Lying in bed, my mind drifted back to my earlier thoughts about what my Class should be.
The first Pillar's Class was Swordsman. If I follow his path, it would be easy… maybe I could become the Pillar… maybe I could actually save everyone.
Lost in thought, I didn't notice Koda had climbed onto my bed until a wet tongue dragged across my face. I barely had time to react before he whinnied, looking at me as if I had betrayed him.
"What the hell?!" I shot up with a startled yell, staring at Koda in alarm and confusion.
He gave me the side-eye and let out a low growl.
"Koda, what the fuck? What's with you??"
Then it hit me. A smile tugged at my lips, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
Before Koda could react, I wrapped him in a bear hug. He yelped, struggling to escape, until I whispered,
"I'll take you to the top. I already promised that."
As if he understood, he stilled.
Lying there with Koda, my thoughts shifted. Beast Tamers weren't the strongest Class in my past life. The resources needed to raise both the Tamer and their beasts were overwhelming. And if I bond with more beasts beyond Koda… how can I possibly manage it?
Clenching my fist, something inside me ignited. I don't care. I'm never abandoning Koda again. I came back to the past to change everything—not to lose it all again.
Tightening my hold around Koda, I whispered to myself,
"No one will ever take anything from me again."