Chapter 36: The Magic Circle

"Anyway, that’s more or less how the story went... That assassin organization should have been completely wiped out that night. After killing its higher-ups, I slaughtered every last member as well. But who knows? There are always cunning little rats in this world who somehow manage to crawl out of the rubble," Xavier concluded through telepathic transmission, wearing an indifferent expression as though the bloody massacre he had committed were nothing more than a trivial matter.

Inside the dimly lit room, Kael fell silent. His mind raced as he pieced together every detail of the information he had just received, while simultaneously raising several logical questions that had been bothering him.

"Why did you wait until the very last moment, when Lizzy was about to escape and on the verge of death, before slaughtering the entire headquarters?"

"And how could an ancient wolf that enormous emerge from Lizzy’s physical body?"

Although certain parts of the story sounded mysterious, Kael could sense that Xavier was being honest and genuinely intended to give him important clues about his wife’s past.

Kael narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the Wolf Guardian’s small form.

"Wait a moment... Could it be that you formed a soul contract with Lizzy long before she was sold to that organization, back when she was still with her family? Or... were you perhaps forced to establish that contract unilaterally?"

Upon hearing that guess, Xavier’s tiny body immediately stiffened.

The lingering shock was unmistakable in his eyes. He had never expected the human in front of him to possess such an extraordinary capacity for reasoning.

However, Xavier chose to keep his mouth shut, refusing to give any verbal confirmation.

Kael continued analyzing one inconsistency after another in the account of the past, starting with why Xavier had needed to act so secretly and feared being discovered by others. After all, wasn’t a Mythical Beast naturally supposed to possess destructive power on par with a natural disaster?

The most likely explanation is... you weren’t at the peak of your power back then because something had taken a portion of your strength in the past, Kael reasoned inwardly.

And on that tragic night, when Lizzy deliberately stabbed herself in the heart and stood on the brink of death, the contract binding the two of you weakened as her body grew frail. Driven by deep compassion, you were forced to burn through the remnants of your energy to break out of her body and save her life...

Kael took a deep breath and looked straight at the Wolf Guardian.

"I actually suspected that Lizzy might be descended from one of the Empire’s high-ranking noble families because of several peculiarities in her physical appearance. But after hearing this entire story from you... could it be that you had already lost most of your power even before forming a contract with Lizzy?"

At that pointed question, Xavier’s eyelids flew wide open. He gasped, genuinely astonished by the sharpness of Kael’s analysis.

Several seconds passed in silence before the wolf finally gave a faint smile and let out a long, heavy sigh inside Kael’s head.

"I told you before... Even if you knew all these secrets, what exactly could you do to change the past?"

"So it’s true, then? Lizzy really is the biological daughter of an Empire’s high-ranking noble family," Kael pressed, without relaxing his focus. "In that case, the reason the assassin organization suddenly started treating Lizzy as a ’valuable asset’ was because its higher-ups had known the truth about her bloodline from the very beginning! But... how is that possible? Her biological family should have been able to track her down easily when she was still young if they had actually wanted to find her."

Kael’s suspicions grew stronger.

"Now I’m absolutely certain... Lizzy’s biological family never wanted her in the first place. They deliberately discarded her to get rid of what they considered a disgrace. However... they never expected that the mighty creature they had captured and imprisoned to steal its power would end up forming a contract with that very child and escaping alongside her!"

Xavier remained utterly silent as he listened to Kael’s remarkably accurate deductions. At last, the ancient guardian gave a small nod, admitting his complete defeat in their battle of wits.

"You really are a somewhat clever man, human... Your analysis hit the mark," Xavier replied through their mental connection, his tone carrying a hint of resignation. "My power was indeed forcibly taken by her family so it could be transferred to this child’s twin sister. Since I refused to submit to their foul bloodline, I chose to forcibly establish a soul contract with Lizzy, the poor child who had been discarded by her own family. In their family tradition, twins were considered an ill omen that brought misfortune, and they worshipped only one child, the one they considered the most outstanding as their sole heir."

Kael clenched his fists tightly, cold fury rumbling in his chest. What kind of family could be so cruel as to treat their own flesh and blood like that...?

However, amid the silence, something suddenly occurred to Kael. He raised one eyebrow and looked at Xavier suspiciously.

"Wait a minute. Why are you suddenly willing to tell me all these major secrets? Didn’t you just say that you had absolutely no intention of—"

Xavier snorted, his little tail lazily swishing across the bedsheets.

"I just changed my mind. Is that not allowed?"

Grrrr... Grrrr...!

At that very moment, an extremely loud rumbling sound suddenly came from Xavier’s tiny stomach.

The wolf turned his head slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Since I’ve already taken the time to tell you so much... Hurry up and give me plenty of food!"

Kael was momentarily stunned before letting out a small laugh filled with relief. It was quite a contrast to see a legendary Mythical Beast, once so majestic and mighty, now behaving like a household puppy demanding its next meal.

Kael glanced at Lizzy, who was still sleeping peacefully beneath the warm blanket, making sure she hadn’t been disturbed. Then he briefly got up from the bedside and took a large piece of roasted meat from the food storage cabinet.

"Here, eat as much as you want," Kael said, placing the meat in front of Xavier. "If it’s not enough, just tell me. Don’t be shy."

The moment Xavier saw the large chunk of fresh meat before him, drool immediately began dripping from his mouth, and his eyes lit up brightly. Without waiting for another word, he eagerly devoured the food.

While chewing rapidly, Xavier took the opportunity to send another telepathic message into Kael’s mind.

"Oh, right, human... Don’t worry too much about this little girl. Actually, the high fever she’s experiencing today isn’t simply the result of exhaustion or lack of sleep... It’s because the magic circle inside her body has begun to awaken and manifest."

Kael furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean?"

"Over the past few years, she’s unconsciously absorbed some of my stored magical energy to keep herself alive. Now, her body is beginning to adapt and harmonize with that flow of magic. This is a perfectly normal evolutionary process. She should make a full recovery very soon."

Upon hearing that explanation, Kael’s eyes widened. His blood suddenly boiled with anger.

"WHAT?! So... Lizzy’s fever and all the suffering she’s endured over the past two weeks were actually caused by you?!"

Kael roared through their mental connection, glaring furiously at the wolf.

Xavier snorted dismissively, continuing to chew his meat without the slightest hint of guilt.

"Why are you yelling at me, you foolish human? Isn’t it good news that she’s finally able to awaken and control the magical power within her body? You ungrateful human! Because I formed a contract with this girl and had to protect her from her pursuers, I lost my freedom, most of my power, and now even my body has shrunk into this pitifully weak form! And I was exploited because of her ancestors, too."

Kael clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he couldn’t refute the creature’s words. All he could do was let out a long sigh, walk back toward the bed, and lie down beside Lizzy once more.