103. Another Repayment 2
“The other repayment... is my daughter.”
Endaran's shocking words brought an instant hush over the room.
……!
Everyone around them froze in stunned expressions. His sudden shift in attitude had caught them all off guard. Irin, the one most directly involved, felt her face flush crimson.
Her father had always been picky about potential suitors, carefully vetting them. She never imagined he'd say something like this to Bin of all people. They hadn't known each other long, after all. He was a candidate chosen in record time.
Irin's mind reeled in confusion.
Suddenly... out of nowhere.
She'd only ever seen Bin as a decent person—no, not a bad one at all. But thinking of him romantically left her dazed. She had no idea what expression to make. It felt rude to show distaste and hurt the feelings of the man who'd helped their family.
“Father...!”
Just as Irin tried to intervene, Bin cut in.
“Not interested.”
His response came without a second's hesitation. No doubt, no deliberation.
Endaran's impulsive remark had only ended up hurting her feelings.
Why would Father say something so out of the blue...?
The awkward sensation wasn't entirely unfamiliar to Irin. It reminded her of how he'd called her a “little chick” back at the hatchery. Humiliation surged through her again. Her pride twisted, her stomach churning.
What manners...
Irin shot Bin a sullen glare. Zeke, perched on her shoulder, tilted his head curiously before glancing back and forth between them.
Are these two already that close?
Zeke's mouth corners drooped further. He felt a pang of jealousy. Irin had always been his closest companion. Hearing this out of nowhere left him feeling betrayed.
Meanwhile, the startled Codic leaped onto the table to confront the situation head-on.
Clack.
“Click! Click! Outrageous! How dare you offer our lord such a scrawny bag of bones? If anyone's worthy of him, it'd have to be something sturdy like a minotaur...”
Bin reached out and clamped Codic's mouth shut at his nonsense.
Endaran watched the exchange with a puzzled tilt of his head.
His tastes run that way...?
After pondering various possibilities, Endaran turned to Bin.
“What's your reason for refusing?”
Irin was a daughter he cherished more than his own eyes. Being rejected outright didn't sit well. And he wondered how others saw her, beyond his biased view.
Unlike Endaran, who pressed on amid the awkward tension, Irin's position was utterly mortifying.
Father...!
She just wanted this atmosphere to pass quickly. But with him fixating on the topic, it was pure embarrassment.
Oblivious to her feelings, Endaran busied himself highlighting her virtues.
“Isn't my daughter pretty enough, with a fine personality to boot? Any man might harbor some impure thoughts about her—what's the problem?”
Despite Endaran's enthusiasm, Bin restated his refusal.
“I'm simply not interested in romance.”
“Hah... I see...”
Regret flickered in Endaran's eyes. He'd pegged Bin as the most promising candidate among countless suitors. Maybe I should feed him something fortifying, he thought idly.
…….
As silence fell once more, Bin revealed the true purpose of his visit to Trist.
“Instead of additional rewards, could you teach me how to harness a monster's power?”
“How to harness a monster's power...”
If anyone else had made such a request, Endaran would have refused outright. But Bin was different. He'd saved their family from peril and even retrieved the Thunder Bird, a legendary monster of the Taia house.
Endaran rested his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
Teaching another family how to use monster power...
He glanced at Bin and countered.
“Other families rarely contract monsters successfully. But don't you already handle them well?”
Endaran recalled Bin integrating with Ronfr. It was skill worthy of a high-ranking Taia officer. He saw no need for further instruction.
“I'm asking about using the power of a monster that's not cooperative.”
“A non-cooperative monster...”
As Endaran spoke, one of his eyes began to change. A yellow sclera with a needle-sharp black pupil—like a dragon's gaze. He fixed that piercing stare on Bin.
“You mean the other monster dwelling within you?”
Bin nodded with a meaningful glint in his eye.
* * *
The Red Spring lay remote from Trist, a secluded spot infused with the Taia family's secret power. It resembled Blood Lake near the Forest of Death.
Bin, Endaran, and Irin stood around it. They'd come to drink from the spring—and to venture beyond Trist, minimizing the monster's influence.
After downing the spring water, an aura that provoked monsters began radiating from Bin's body, spreading through his limbs. Unlike usual, yellow cords bound his hands—crafted in the likeness of Gleipnir.
Endaran eyed him gravely and spoke.
“I have three warnings for you.”
As Bin turned to him, Endaran continued.
“First, overwhelm the monster or negotiate. Second, if you feel yourself losing consciousness, raise your foot immediately. And finally... even if things go wrong, don't hold it against me.”
His expression was far more solemn than back in Trist. Bin committed the words to memory and nodded.
Endaran spoke again.
“Are you prepared?”
Bin met his gaze steadily, his voice low and firm.
“Yes, family head.”
But the response was an unexpected jab.
“Prepared in mind and body, then? Does that mean you'll accept my daughter now?”
Bin's face darkened instantly.
“……”
His icy glare was chilling. Seeing it, Endaran burst into hearty laughter and clapped him on the shoulder.
Thud. Thud.
“Hahaha! Just kidding, kidding. I figured you were tense. Loosen up a bit.”
Bin, still glaring, finally replied.
“I'm ready. Let's begin.”
Endaran nodded at Bin's confident demeanor.
“Very well, then.”
He drew something from his uniform: a palm-sized round mirror. It was the Taia heirloom, the Mirror of Truth.
Endaran held it up to Bin's face. Black smoke immediately billowed from Bin's body. His right eye shifted, taking on a monstrous gleam.
Meanwhile, Irin watched from a distance, her brow furrowing.
What is this feeling?
Her expression hardened. Her posture stiffened, goosebumps prickling her skin. It was magi, something she'd encountered countless times. Yet today, it felt... different.
Ominous, somehow? Should they really go through with this?
She couldn't pinpoint why, but she wanted to stop them. Still, she knew Bin wouldn't listen.
As anxiety etched her face, Zeke—apple-sized on her shoulder—spoke up.
“Irin, what's wrong? Worried about something?”
“It's like Young Master Bin's aura feels off. Not like usual.”
“Pfft, with a 1st Class knight like the family head here? No need to worry.”
“Yeah... you're right...”
Irin replied half-heartedly. The foreboding premonition lingered.
Codic, nearby, watched Bin with concern.
My lord, please be safe.
He was tense too, knowing full well what Bin faced.
Hiss...
Black smoke poured from Bin's body, spreading outward. A massive surge of magi.
Endaran's eyes widened.
This much magi? What the hell is inside this kid...?
He examined the motionless Bin. His left eye was covered. The right gleamed with a beast's predatory instinct, scanning for prey.
Compared to other family members, Bin's state was abnormal. Endaran thought to himself.
Mid-grade Gleipnir isn't enough, after all. Time to kick things off.
It suppressed mana and magi, but exceeding its limits changed everything. Higher-grade versions might prevent magi leakage entirely, so he'd opted for mid-grade.
Frowning, Endaran extended a hand toward Bin.
Let's get started, then.
Yellowish smoke erupted from his palm, coalescing into a serpent that coiled around Bin.
Hiss...
The manifested snake briefly restrained Bin's writhing form.
Crack.
Bandages tore from his right arm, revealing black scales. A monster's limb through and through.
Bound by the mana-formed yellow serpent, Bin twisted violently, then fixed Endaran with a cold stare.
[Do you think you can stop me?]
The voice pierced his eardrums like needles, sending chills down Endaran's spine.
……!
He sensed it instinctively. This was no longer Bin.
Just then, as Irin and Codic felt the unnatural aura, Bin moved his black arm.
Rip. Snap!
The yellow cords and mana serpent burst apart.
Freed, Bin lunged at Endaran in a flash.
Swish.
His black arm seized Endaran's throat, slamming him into the cavern wall.
Thud! Crack!
Rocks shattered, the roar filling their ears. Bin pinned Endaran against the wall with his black arm.
As pain twisted Endaran's face, Irin's eyes flashed.
“……!!”