#743 The Secret to Good Health

I have something to share.

The next thing I knew, we had a new resident on the farm.

A human named Yartellens? 

Uh, hi, nice to meet you.

So, you’re looking to work as a teacher at the Farm School? 

You’ve declared things like, “My dream is here! I plan to contribute until I’m in the grave!!!”? 

Well, we’d be in a pickle if you decided to make your last stand at this place without our approval.

But if Sensei took a liking to you and decided to hire you, I have no objections. 

I trust Sensei’s character and judgment. 

I may be speaking out of turn to someone who has lived dozens of times longer than a young guy like me, though.

Anyway, another peaceful day begins on the farm, where the food is delicious.

***

“Health is the backbone of life!”

What is Veil talking about so suddenly?

But her statement is pretty sensible. Indeed, health is wealth. 

It’s the underpinning of everything. 

Staying healthy is essential and should be prioritized above all else.

You’d risk your life for health!

...No, that doesn’t sound right.

“So, Veil, what brought this on all of a sudden?”

Dragons like you are naturally healthy. 

In fact, it would be more challenging for you not to be healthy.

“It’s not just about us dragons. Human beings can easily succumb to minor things. They’re fragile creatures.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Sure, from a dragon’s perspective, mankind is delicate and might die from merely a loud noise. 

But why are you mentioning this now?

“Since Junior is a human, there could be times when he might fall ill without me realizing. I want to prepare adequately. I want him to maintain good health throughout his life.”

Oh, Veil.

What thoughtful words...!

So Junior’s fragile life has stirred feelings of compassion in a mighty dragon.

“Therefore, I’m going to start by experimenting with the other insignificant pests on the farm to study ways of preserving Junior’s health.”

In the end, she’s just another arrogant dragon.

She has no concern for human beings other than Junior.

Well, we’ll hash out the details later.

“What sort of health research do you plan to do? If you’re considering human experimentation, I’ll have to intervene based on common sense and conscience.”

“I won’t conduct too many trials and errors, don’t worry!”

I wanted reassurance about her adhering to ethics.

“Truth is, I’ve already figured out the best way to keep human beings healthy! I just need to prove it!”

“Really?”

What could it be? 

I hope it’s not some ridiculous dietary regimen, like drinking dragon blood. 

I’ll have to put a stop to that as well.

“That is...”

“That is?”

The answer will be revealed after the commercial break. 

After the break:

“Yoga!”

Yoga?

That’s a term I never expected to hear from Veil. 

I was more prepared for a dark breath attack.

“Yoga, like the thing people do in remote Indian mountains?”

In my imagination, it was more akin to fire-breathing, limb-stretching, short-distance teleportation stuff. 

A generational thing, I suppose.

“Don’t you know, Master? Yoga is about synchronizing your breath and purging abnormalities from your body! It’s about expelling the bad and embracing health!”

So, yoga is about that these days, huh?

It makes me think of women in fit outfits stretching and bending on mats, all in the name of dieting or beauty.

In my terminology, it feels like aerobics.

Again, generational.

“But it’s surprising that you, Veil, are familiar with yoga.”

“A friend I recently made taught me!”

A friend?

There’s someone brave enough to befriend Veil?

Or are they just reckless?

“Either tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that, or next week, or next year, that guy is supposed to come here and give a yoga class! Are you okay with that, Master?”

She’s still unclear about the schedule.

But it’s good that she confirmed beforehand, and I should welcome the expansion of Veil’s circle of friends.

After all, I have to broaden her horizons.

“Of course, tell your friend to come whenever convenient.”

“Yay! Thanks!!!”

And so, the friend that Veil invited is...!

***

It turned out to be Sage, the Lifeless King.

“Dear friend, I have traveled from distant lands.”

One of the world’s most powerful Lifeless Kings?!

He’s completely unlike the usual undead, with a smooth, flawlessly sculpted appearance, like a statue!

He wears an ancient smile, asymmetrical on both sides, but his face remains utterly still, showing no sign of life.

In fact, the uncanny sensation of a moving Bodhisattva statue is a unique characteristic of Sage, the Lifeless King, the mightiest of them all!

“Wait, uh, Veil?! Your new friend is the Sage?!”

“We met him the other day when we all went mountain climbing, remember?”

I know that!

I was also part of that hike!!!

Mt. Eternity, which we climbed at the behest of the troublemaker of S-class adventurers, Golden Bat, was a mountain dungeon overseen by the Sage! An S-class adventurer is nothing before the Sage—one of the strongest Lifeless Kings—so we accompanied him.

That’s the summary of one of our previous adventures!!!

“When the revived Proto-Geyser Dragon picked a fight with my brother Alexander, I ended up mediating between them. We became friends in the process.”

“Veil... You’ve been working hard in ways I didn’t even know about.”

Good job.

“So, when we were discussing ways for Junior to maintain eternal health, the Sage suggested a good method.”

“And that method is yoga...?!”

This Lifeless King... practices yoga?

“The polar heavens guard an arcane secret. It morphs endlessly, sweeps through the four seas, turning inside out. Once mastered, it lasts through the eons, unaging. This is the manifestation of the true man.”

As usual, I can’t comprehend the Sage’s words!

Can anyone translate?!

“You’re not supposed to understand what he’s saying. You’re supposed to feel it.”

“You mean we have to interact with this guy based on intuition?!”

First of all, is it even possible for a Lifeless King to be into health practices?

One could argue that undead beings essentially function based on the principle that “If you’re dead, you don’t have to worry about health,” right?

Should the Sage, who is at the top of the undead hierarchy and one of the Three Wise and One Fool, be doing this?!

“The Sage is unique in his creation as a Lifeless King, so it’s no problem, meow.”

“Oh, a cat.”

This feline, stretching its hind legs and strutting over, may look like a normal cat, but it’s actually a miraculous non-living being.

He is also known as the Professor, another Lifeless King feared as one of the Three Wise Men and One Fool.

But, at the end of the day, he’s a cat.

“All of the techniques used by the Sage are unique and different from ours. Some of them might be beneficial for mortal health. You can trust him, meow.”

Really?

While we were discussing, a bunch of people gathered around, curious about today’s topic.

Many were curious, saying, “What is yoga?” “I don’t really understand it, but it sounds intriguing!” among themselves. 

The residents of this farm had also become enthusiasts who would gather at the slightest hint of an event.

“Alrighty, let’s begin. Welcome to Sage, the Lifeless King’s yoga class!!!”