"You've got very red eyes, so I've decided to give you a name: Red-eye." On the lawn before the manor's side courtyard gate, Russell crouched down and studied the Rat King seriously.
The Rat King stood on all fours, no smaller than a hunting dog.
Its shifty, rat-faced appearance had not changed despite its explosive growth in size. If anything, it looked even shiftier than before.
Its two large front teeth were as sharp as spade blades.
Its glowing red eyes looked utterly chilling. Its tangled fur added another touch of ferocity. In short, the Rat King looked thoroughly evil.
But it had the potential to become a Phantom Beast, and it had acknowledged Russell as its master. So when Russell looked at it, he somehow found it faintly kind-looking.
"Red-eye, from now on, I'll provide you with plenty of Magic Potions. As long as you can evolve into the Phantom Beast Red-eyed Rat King, I'll make sure you have a brilliant future. I'll sell the pot and the iron if I have to, just to keep you fed and watered. Later, I'll find you a good knight to contract with."
"Squeak, squeak!" The Rat King did not understand Russell's long-winded speech, but it understood the words "Magic Potion."
That was enough. Brilliant red light burst from its rat eyes.
Russell was not one to make empty promises. He immediately had a servant bring over several Magic Potions he normally used, unscrewed their caps, and fed them to the Rat King.
Gulp, gulp...
The Rat King drank with great relish.
Kevin, the Gold-Silver Wolfdog responsible for keeping watch nearby, felt rather bitter about it. He had never enjoyed so many Magic Potions. Yet this oversized rat was drinking them until it burped with satisfaction.
There was simply no justice in