Blood opened the iron door to his room and looked around. Everything was as he had left it. His little sister was still clung to his arm while he held the beast in his other hand.
He sat on the bed in the corner and gently placed his little sister—who was acting cute—on the mattress. He set the beast on the floor.
Ivory picked the creature up and laid it softly on the bed. She unraveled the bindings and a stronger scent of blood filled her nostrils. Though the blood had dried, it smelled clean.
She didn't feel spooked by the injured wolf; the beast appeared wholly healed. She searched for wounds but found none, which puzzled her. How could so much blood stain its fur when no injury could be found?
It was clear the blood belonged to the wolf. She looked over to her brother for answers only to see a shocked expression on his face!
Blood looked at the wolf before him and couldn't help but be surprised at its fast healing. It should be noted that he hadn't given the beast any pills. It was self-recovery! How could it be so fast at healing itself? Not much time had passed since then.
Blood told how they got the wolf without bringing the matter of the energy beam and made some scenario how Ballock got hurt, defending him with his body again. His story was entirely crude but trilling for a child.
He could hear Ivory's amazement from time to time when he talked about the punches and shadow kicks he'd given. He painted himself in the best light he could muster, while leaving Ballock mostly as a side character except for his 'brave' deed; blocking the jet liquid just in time!
He did a glorious snatch.
"Wow! Brother, you both are amazing!" Ivory exclaimed, she was entirely into it.
"Yeah. It's good having a big brother like me!" Blood claimed, pointing at himself. He wouldn't forget to praise himself.
Boasting does alleviate status. He was completely refreshed.
"That's right. I'll follow you into the forest once I'm a little older." Ivory said, demonstrating with her hand some inches above her head.
"Yeah, you should." Blood admitted with a nod.
The duo had been so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice someone at the door.
Maria Marble, Lady of the manor and the mother of the two, had stood outside the door the whole time. When she heard the Head Healer's report, she hastened in to check on her son and caught the tail end of his embellished tale.
Though the whole scenario was odd, she decided they could address it later. She frowned once more, then departed.
You bumpy head.
"What should we do with the little cub?" Ivory asked. Her voice was slightly intense.
"It's my gift to you as your elder brother. You mustn't lose it." Blood declared with a straight face.
Ivory immediately jumped on him and kissed his cheek, shy and delighted. "Thank you!" she said with a beaming smile.
"Hohoo, that's enough! Now bring out your beast contract, you must bind it now." Blood said with a light smile.
Ivory was now careful. The beast contract was precious and was also a gift from her mother. She guarded it like a treasure. Blood had once tried to steal it with his tall tales, and she had nearly been fooled until her mother intervened.
Was her brother doing the same now?
Now, watching her careful hands, Blood felt a stab of shame and cursed himself for that old trick; he had been desperate then and had lied to get what he wanted. This time, though, it was different, right?
"Hmm. You don't have to be so careful. Last time there was no beast, but now you can see the beast with your own eyes, right in front of you. You're contracting it yourself." Blood said helplessly.
Had he been that bad now? It had been only once; why couldn't she forget it.
Ivory's carefulness reduced and she brought out the beast contract.
There were two ways to tame a beast. One used a rune‑forged contract, which was formed with runes, easier and widely recognized, though its success depended on the contract's grade and the strength of the beast.
The other was the Old Bonding method, which required taming by affection as the beast grew, though it would take more time. That way was far harder at the start but more rewarding in the long run.
This wolf was already so strong that taming it by the latter method would have been the last thing to try.
When Blood looked at the beast contract, something he had seen before reappeared, only now the words were different.
[Grade 2 peak Beast Contract detected]
[Use: Can bond beasts of the Bronze Realm and any below]
[Recommended: Bond using the Blood Book bonding technique]
[Dark Bond/Negative]
Blood was startled when he saw this. There hadn't been a moment for him to properly examine this strange Blood Book before, yet now the words glowed faintly. The column marked Dark Bond shimmered as if whispering 'Yes', while the Negative column remained silent, as if indicating a 'No'.
He had already given the beast to his sister, but the temptation to test this was too strong. Blood instinctively chose the Dark Bond column.
At once, the wolf shivered, then fell quiet.
Was that all?
New words flickered across his vision, but he couldn't read them now—Ivory's wide, curious eyes were fixed on him, and her gaze made him hesitate.
He had only seen the words at the bottom which revealed,
[Unbound]
Ivory was looking at her brother wildly because she had placed the contract on the beast's forehead as she had heard her mother, but nothing happened.
Is something wrong with the contract?
Seeing Little Ivory's depressed look, Blood was conflicted.
He really had betrayed his little sister, especially after gifting such a gift, earning her admiration.
"It's okay." Blood consoled. "You should try it once again." he said as he chose the Unbound column without even reading what came with it.
Words appeared after his action which he did read.
[You have successfully unbounded the Three-Spike Blood Wolf]
[Rebound]
Blood was surprised the unbounded beast could be rebounded, but just before his thoughts could trail off…
"Haa, it worked." he heard his little sister's cheerful cry.
He was a little bittered since he almost took that away a moment ago.
Hmmph!
"Since it worked, you should go clean it up. I need a rest." Blood said and walked to the bathroom to clean himself up.
Blood collapsed onto the bed the moment he finished, exhaustion weighing him down. He knew there were words he would eventually have to share with his parents—unlike his little sister, they wouldn't be so easily swayed by a fanciful tale. For now, though, sleep claimed him quickly.
Ivory, realizing her brother was worn out, gathered the wolf in her arms and carried it to the bathroom. She cleaned the beast carefully, the water running pink at first before clearing. About thirty minutes later, she returned and slipped quietly onto the bed beside her brother. After a short while, her breathing became slow, and she too drifted into slumber.
On the blanket near the bed, the wolf shivered faintly, its body twitching as though caught between dream and memory.
And so, the night settled over them; two siblings and the beast, three sentients shared the same fragile peace beneath the manor's roof.
A great day awaited them.