Out of Control

Clang!

A Heavy Cavalryman's warhorse carried its rider into battle against an enemy. Their swords clashed, sending sparks flying.

The Heavy Cavalryman's right hand went numb from the impact. He stared in shock at the Winterfell rider.

His opponent seemed not to feel the force jolting back through his sword at all. He immediately swung at him again.

Clang! Clang!

Slash!

After three clashes, the Heavy Cavalryman's right hand had grown so weak and numb that he could barely lift it. His opponent followed with another swing, cutting his throat.

Blood spurted from the Heavy Cavalryman's throat as he slumped over the horse beneath him. His body caught on the saddle and did not fall to the ground.

Feeling the weight on its back, the horse clearly had no idea its master was already dead. But the rider seemed just as oblivious, repeatedly swinging his sword and hacking at the armor on the Heavy Cavalryman's corpse.

Awooo!

Blood Wind, covered in the enemy's blood, darted to the rider's side and let out an anxious howl.

By now, the battlefield was strewn with corpses. Almost none of House Bolton's Heavy Cavalrymen were still mounted.

Hearing the howl, Eddard turned and spotted Robb furiously hacking at a dead cavalryman.

Clang! Clang! Thud!

As Eddard rode closer, the sound of Robb's sword striking the armor grew louder. He reached Robb's side and shouted, "Lord Robb, he's already dead!"

Robb had been swinging a sword now riddled with notches, hacking at the corpse's armor. At Eddard's words, he paused.

Then, without warning, he turned and swung at Eddard.

Clang!

Seeing Robb's strange behavior, Eddard—already on guard—reacted quickly and parried his attack.

Lord Robb was incredibly strong!

Eddard's right hand went numb, and he marveled at Robb's strength. Still, he kept shouting, "Lord Robb! Lord Robb! It's Eddard! There are no enemies left!"

Awo... Awooo!

Blood Wind, watching nearby, could clearly tell that something was wrong with Robb.

Anxiously, it took a deep breath and raised its head, letting out a long howl that carried across the entire battlefield.

Back inside Dreadfort, Roose had just returned to his study to write a letter. He heard the howl as well.

He sneered and muttered to himself, "Hmph. A victory cry?"

The walls of Dreadfort were crowded with House Bolton's soldiers. Some stood guard, keeping watch, while others tossed corpses down from the walls and cleared the battlements.

At Blood Wind's loud howl, they paused, then began to grow restless, murmuring among themselves.

"I heard the Young Wolf Lord was blessed by the Old Gods! Looks like it might be true!"

"Yeah! Look at that wolf—it's almost as big as a warhorse!"

"That's the first time I've ever seen Lord Roose lose his temper like that!"

"The troops outside have been completely wiped out. Thank the gods we're inside Dreadfort."

The long howl from Blood Wind reached Robb's ears, bringing some clarity back to his bloodshot eyes. His sword arm paused, too.

"Lord Robb! It's me, Eddard!"

When Robb stopped attacking, Eddard immediately rode out of his reach, though he never stopped calling to him.

He only dared to shout from a distance and did not approach. He knew that if Robb had kept attacking, Eddard would surely have died by his sword.

Put points into constitution!

Robb's eyes had cleared somewhat. He turned and stared at Blood Wind, willing the Blood Pact to add points.

The red mist swirling around Robb flowed into Blood Wind's body like a stream as he spent Blood Pact Points.

The red mist gradually faded, and Robb's gaze grew clearer until all the blood-red tint had disappeared.

When Robb no longer felt the urge to slaughter ants, he stopped putting points into Blood Wind.

All the red mist had poured into Blood Wind, yet it showed no unusual emotions.

Perhaps extraordinary creatures had sturdier constitutions than humans and could absorb more of the red mist.

[Name: Blood Wind, Pact-Bound: Robb Stark]

[Constitution: 29, Speed: 11, Strength: 11]

[Species: Warg Direwolf (6)]

[Pack: Soldier Wolf: Nymeria, Servant Wolf: Lady.]

[Blood Contract Points: 39]

Once Robb had come to his senses, he immediately checked Blood Wind's attributes.

In the days before the battle, Robb had earned a total of 7 Blood Contract Points. He had kept just one and evenly distributed the other 6 among Blood Wind's three attributes.

Since each attribute point above 10 cost 2 Blood Contract Points, Blood Wind's pre-battle stats had been Constitution: 12, Speed: 11, and Strength: 11.

The side effect of the red mist had muddled Robb's mind, leaving him with nothing but the urge to kill. Acting on instinct, he had put points into Blood Wind's Constitution.

In other words, he had just spent 34 Blood Contract Points on Blood Wind's Constitution.

Based on the Blood Contract Points he had earned, Robb silently calculated that he and Blood Wind had taken the lives of thirty-six enemies in this battle.

Without even realizing it, I've become a ruthless killer.

"Lord Robb! Lord Robb! It's Eddard!"

Loyal Eddard was still calling to Robb from a distance. He was also stopping the other cavalrymen from approaching.

"I'm fine!"

Robb smiled and waved back. Only then did Eddard dare to ride closer.

"I wasn't myself today. Don't tell anyone about this, and don't ask questions. Understood?"

As soon as Eddard reached him, Robb spoke.

"As you command, Lord Robb!"

At Robb's order, Eddard's heart tightened, but he answered at once.

"Good. Go tell Theon and the others to clear the battlefield. Have the medical team treat the wounded immediately—our own soldiers first.

"Then have Count Rickard take a thousand cavalrymen on patrol, in case of a possible ambush."

"I'll go right away."

Watching Eddard ride off, Robb—still shaken by the red mist's side effects—reached out to stroke Blood Wind's huge head as it nuzzled against him. His gaze drifted, and he fell into a daze.

Destruction was always easier than construction!

The cleanup of the bloody battlefield outside Dreadfort continued for most of the day without being completed.

Night began to fall before the logistics troops had cleared enough space for the soldiers to rest. After a long day's work, all the Winterfell soldiers except those standing guard settled down to rest.

Notably, before sunset, a messenger had come out of Dreadfort carrying a white flag.

Robb skimmed Roose's letter. In essence, it said that House Bolton did not accept Robb's justification for declaring war on them. The raids on the North had been Ramsay's doing, as he was a bastard.

Roose asked Robb to return the prisoners and withdraw his troops. As for Winterfell's losses, House Bolton would pay war reparations.

Roose Bolton really thought I was some reckless, immature boy!

After reading the letter, Robb had given a quiet laugh, then torn it to shreds right in front of the Bolton messenger.

He sent the messenger away with a message for Roose: if he surrendered voluntarily, Robb would let him take the black.

Otherwise, Robb would end Roose's life with his own hands!

Many thanks to Young Master Natsume Sōseki and the cat-loving fatty for their monthly tickets. And many thanks as well to everyone who reads and votes every day. I recognize so many of your names. I'll list them all and thank you properly before the book goes on sale.

P.S. I think about the story all day at work, then start writing as soon as I get home. Hehe, seeing your support makes me smile while I'm writing. It gives me so much motivation. I'm deeply grateful!