Contract

The departure was set for three days later.

Linley was especially busy during those three days. He trained as usual in the mornings and went to Wu Mountain to practice magic in the afternoons. He could now cast Earth Spike reliably. Its power was still slight, but his aim was good. Every evening, without fail, he went to feed Bebe and play with him for a while.

Wharton spent most of his time watching. He knew the plot point was approaching: Linley would be reluctant to part with Bebe, but for safety's sake, he wouldn't take him to Fenlai City. Then Bebe would catch up on his own, and they would form an Equal Contract on the road.

At dinner, Hogg explained the details of the journey. "Hillman will take you there. It'll be two days on the road, with one night at an inn. Once the test results come out, if you're accepted, you'll stay in Fenlai City and prepare for the start of term. Hillman will come back and bring us the news."

Linley nodded. "I understand."

Hogg then looked at Wharton. "You must behave at home. Don't fall behind on your reading, and don't stop training."

"Mm," Wharton replied.

After dinner, Linley didn't go straight back to his room. He went to the backyard instead. Wharton followed and saw his older brother crouching at the entrance to the old house's courtyard, a piece of roasted rabbit in his hand. Bebe darted out of the hole in the wall, but instead of eating right away, he circled Linley, his little nose sniffing this way and that.

"I won't be coming tomorrow," Linley told Bebe. "I'm going on a long journey, to the royal capital. It's far away."

Bebe stopped and tilted his head at him.

"Stay here and take care of yourself. If you get hungry, catch some mice to eat." Linley put down the rabbit meat and stroked Bebe's head. "When I come back, I'll bring you something tasty."

Bebe squeaked, sounding a little down.

Linley sat with him for a while longer before getting up to leave. Bebe didn't follow. He just stood at the courtyard entrance, watching him walk away.

Linley was silent all the way back to the house. Wharton walked beside him without speaking either.

Only after they entered the room did Linley speak. "Wharton."

"Mm?"

"If I'm accepted into the magic academy, it might be a long time before I can come home." Linley sat on the bed. "Take good care of yourself at home."

"I will," Wharton said. "You be careful too. The royal capital is big, and there are lots of people."

Linley smiled. "Grandpa Doehring will be with me. I'll be fine."

With that, he lay down and stared at the ceiling for a while. Then he suddenly asked, "Wharton, do you think Bebe will miss me?"

"Yes."

"Do you think someone might catch him and take him away?"

Wharton thought for a moment. "Bebe's smart and fast. Most people can't catch him."

"Mm," Linley said, closing his eyes.

Wharton returned to his own room and shut the door, but he didn't go to sleep. He went to the window and looked toward the backyard. In the moonlight, a tiny black figure was crouched on the roof, looking toward the main house.

Bebe wasn't asleep either.

Hillman arrived after lunch the next day. He carried a cloth bundle containing a simple change of clothes and some provisions. Hogg gave Linley a small purse. "There are ten gold coins for the application fee and another five for the journey. Spend them carefully."

"Yes." Linley took the purse and tucked it into his clothes.

Hiri carried Wharton to the entrance to see them off. Hogg stood beneath the porch and looked at Linley. "Remember what I told you. Whether you succeed or not, you are a member of the Baruch Clan."

"I'll remember."

Hillman patted Linley on the shoulder. "Let's go. We need to reach our stopping place before dark."

Linley nodded and turned to follow Hillman out. When he reached the end of the street, he looked back. Hogg was still standing at the entrance, and Hiri was holding Wharton and waving. Toward the backyard, a tiny black dot crouched motionless atop the wall.

He turned back, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

Held in Hiri's arms, Wharton watched his brother disappear around the street corner. He looked down and said to Hiri, "I want to play in the backyard."

"Now? Your brother just left. Are you feeling sad?"

"Mm," Wharton said, going along with it.

Hiri sighed and carried him to the backyard. As soon as Wharton's feet touched the ground, he ran toward the cluster of old houses. Hiri followed behind him. "Slow down!"

Sure enough, Bebe was still in the courtyard. He wasn't gnawing on stones or sleeping. He was crouched on the bluestone slab where Linley usually left his food, his tail drooping.

Wharton went over and sat down beside him.

Bebe glanced at him but didn't run away.

"Brother's gone," Wharton said.

Bebe squeaked.

"He'll come back," Wharton added. "But if you want to follow him, you'll have to chase after him now."

Bebe's ears twitched. His beady black eyes fixed on Wharton, as though he were digesting what he had said.

Wharton reached out and gently stroked his back. "Go on. If you wait too long, you won't catch up."

Bebe looked at him for a few more seconds, then darted off. He flashed over the courtyard wall as a black shadow and vanished into the depths of the old houses.

Hiri came over. "Young Master Wharton, what were you saying to that mouse?"

"He's not a mouse." Wharton stood up. "He's Bebe."

"Bebe? Did you give him that name?"

"Brother did."

Hiri shook his head and asked no more.

Linley and Hillman had already walked two li beyond Wushan Town. Harvested wheat fields lay on either side of the road, their yellowed stubble swaying gently in the wind. Hillman walked in front, with Linley behind him. Neither of them spoke much.

Linley was still thinking about Bebe. He wondered what Bebe was doing now. Had he gone back to gnawing on stones? Or had he already forgotten Linley and gone off to catch field mice?

As he was thinking, a faint rustling came from behind them.

Hillman spun around, his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "What's that?"

Linley turned around too. The bushes beside the road rustled, and a little black head poked out. It was Bebe.

"Bebe?" Linley was stunned.

Bebe darted out of the bushes and bounded to Linley's feet. He stood upright, wrapped his front paws around Linley's lower leg, and looked up at him, squeaking.

Hillman frowned. "Linley, why did this mouse follow us?"

"His name is Bebe. He's a Shadowmouse." Linley crouched down and picked Bebe up. "Why did you come?"

Bebe couldn't speak. He only rubbed his head against Linley's hand.

Hillman came over and took a close look. "A Shadowmouse? A magical beast?"

"Mm. Grandpa Doehring said he's a descendant of a Purple Shadow Mouse."

Hillman's expression changed. "A Purple Shadow Mouse? A Seventh-Level Magical Beast? This little thing?"

"He's still an infant. He won't reach the seventh level until he grows up."

Hillman stared at Bebe for a while, then shook his head. "Why did he follow us? The road is dangerous. You'd better send him back."

Linley hesitated. He really couldn't bear to part with Bebe, but Hillman was right. They didn't know what they might encounter on the road to the royal capital, and bringing him along would be inconvenient and dangerous.

"Bebe, go back." Linley put him down. "Wait for me to come home."

Bebe refused and wrapped his paws around Linley's leg again.

Hillman sighed. "How about taking him along for now? When we reach the next village, I'll find someone to take him back to Wushan Town."

Linley nodded and picked Bebe up again. "Let's get going, then."

Bebe settled down, nestling obediently in Linley's arms with only his eyes showing as he watched their surroundings warily.

After they had walked another li, Bebe suddenly began squirming restlessly. Linley thought he needed to relieve himself and put him down. Bebe didn't run off, though. Instead, he circled behind Linley and bit him on the lower leg.

"Ah!" Linley cried out in pain. He looked down and saw two tiny bloody punctures in his leg.

Hillman drew his sword at once. "Linley!"

"Don't!" Linley raised a hand to stop him. "He didn't bite hard. He just broke the skin."

Indeed, the wound was shallow, with only a few beads of blood seeping out. But strangely, the blood didn't drip down. It floated up and mingled with a trace of blood from the corner of Bebe's mouth, forming a pattern of two black triangles, one upright and one inverted, in the air.

The pattern radiated a dense aura of darkness as it slowly rotated.

"This is..." Hillman's eyes widened.

Linley was stunned too. He felt a burning sensation from the wound on his leg. Then the black pattern split in two, one half flying into his body and the other into Bebe's.

Deep within their souls, something connected them.

The information inherent to the contract appeared directly in his consciousness.

Linley looked at Bebe, and Bebe looked back at him. Then a childish, halting voice rang out in his head. "Lin... ley..."

Bebe? Linley tried to respond in his mind.

Hungry... Bebe's voice sounded aggrieved.

Linley laughed and bent down to pick him up. "You bit me just for that?"

Follow... you... Bebe's expression was clumsy, but his meaning was clear.

Hillman sheathed his sword and came over. "Linley, are you all right? What was that just now...?"

"An Equal Contract," Linley said. "Bebe took the initiative to form it with me."

Hillman drew a deep breath. "A magical beast taking the initiative to form a contract... In all my years, this is the first time I've seen it." He studied Bebe carefully. "This little fellow is unusually intelligent."

Linley stroked Bebe's head. "From now on, you're my partner."

Bebe squeaked and nestled contentedly in his arms.

Hillman shook his head and smiled. "That works too. With a magical beast along, we'll be safer on the road. But once we reach the royal capital, you'll have to keep him hidden. Don't let anyone see him and get jealous."

"I know."

The two of them and the mouse continued on their way. With the connection from the contract, Linley could vaguely sense Bebe's emotions. He was very happy now, and very tired too. Chasing them all the way from Wushan Town had taken a lot out of an infant Shadowmouse.

After they had walked for a while, Bebe fell asleep in Linley's arms.

As he walked, Linley spoke with Doehring Cowart in his mind. Grandpa Doehring, the contract is formed.

I saw. Doehring Cowart's voice held a hint of amusement. This little fellow is decisive. An Equal Contract can only be formed once in a lifetime. He's staking his whole life on you.

I'll treat him well.

Mm. Doehring Cowart paused. But remember, an Equal Contract means you have equal standing. He isn't your servant; he's your partner. In future battles, you'll need to work together, and you must respect his wishes in everyday life too.

I understand.

As the sun began to sink, they reached the village where they had planned to stop. It was small, with only a dozen or so households. A crude inn stood at the village entrance, offering shared sleeping quarters and simple meals.

Hillman booked two spots on the shared sleeping platform and ordered two servings of stew and bread. Linley hid Bebe in his clothes and carried him into the room, only letting him out when no one was around.

Bebe wasn't interested in the stew. Linley broke off some bread and fed it to him, but he reluctantly ate only a couple of bites before stopping.

"Want some meat?" Linley asked.

Meat... Bebe replied in his mind.

Linley had no choice. After finishing his meal, he told Hillman he was going out for some air, then took Bebe to the woods outside the village and skewered a wild rabbit with Earth Spike.

Only after Linley had built a fire and roasted it did Bebe tuck in with satisfaction.

On the way back to the inn, Linley held Bebe and looked up at the stars. The night sky was clear, and the Milky Way stretched across it like a hazy band of light.

"Grandpa Doehring, is the starry sky over the royal capital like this too?"

"Bigger and brighter, but more complicated too," Doehring Cowart said. "Fenlai City is the center of the Holy Union. The Radiant Church has its headquarters there, along with all the great nobles, the Magus Guild, the Mercenary Guild... There are many opportunities, but many dangers too."

"I'm not afraid of danger."

"Whether you're afraid is one thing. Whether you can deal with it is another," Doehring Cowart said gravely. "Once you're there, watch more, listen more, and speak less. Your talent is an advantage, but it's also a burden. The tree that stands above the forest is the first to be battered by the wind. Before you have enough strength, you must learn to hide your abilities."

Linley committed that to memory.

When they returned to the inn, Hillman was already asleep. Linley quietly climbed onto the shared sleeping platform and put Bebe beside his pillow. The little fellow curled up and soon fell asleep.

Linley lay down, but he couldn't sleep. The place on his leg where Bebe had bitten him still felt faintly warm. It was the mark of the contract. He touched the spot, then touched the Coiling Dragon Ring at his chest.

Grandpa Doehring, Bebe, the magic academy.

He could already make out the shape of the road ahead.

He closed his eyes and began to meditate. Earth-yellow specks of light arrived as expected, and he skillfully guided and refined them. The mass of magical power in his chest was already several times larger than it had been three months ago. Although he was still a long way from becoming a second-level magus, his progress was visible to the naked eye.

He didn't know how long it was before he sank into a deep sleep.

Beneath the same starry sky, at the Baruch Mansion in Wushan Town.

Wharton wasn't asleep either. He sat cross-legged on his bed, meditating with his eyes closed. The red specks of light were as active as ever, and he guided them into his body and refined them into magical power. The spot of light in his chest was now larger than a soybean and considerably denser.

The numbers on the panel were slowly changing:

[Total fire-element magical power: 0.87 standard units]

[Purity: medium]

[Progress toward the standard for casting first-level magic: 13%]

At this rate, he would accumulate enough power to cast first-level fire magic in another three months. Although Doehring Cowart had said he couldn't learn specific spells before the age of six, Wharton could study magic models in advance. Theoretical knowledge wouldn't affect his body.

He opened his eyes, got out of bed, and went to the window.

The cluster of old houses in the backyard was completely quiet. Bebe was gone, having followed Linley. In the original story, he would become one of Linley's most important partners and accompany him through countless trials of life and death.

As for Wharton... he still had to stay home for another three and a half years.

In three and a half years, he would be six. He could have the concentration of his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline tested and also take the magic test. By then, Linley should have established himself at the Ernst Institute and begun to grow rapidly.

He had to catch up.

Wharton returned to his bed, but instead of meditating again, he began basic physical training. Push-ups, squats, and wall sits-he pushed each set to exhaustion, rested for a minute, and continued.

His muscles burned, and sweat dripped onto the floor. The warmth in his chest grew more distinct as he exercised, like a small furnace burning inside him.

[Overall basic physical fitness proficiency: 5.2%]

[Dragonblood Bloodline activity: slight increase]

[Recommendation: moderate stress can stimulate bloodline growth]

The panel's prompt was timely.

Wharton stopped, panting. Moderate stress... what counted as moderate?

He thought for a moment, then went to the wall and lowered himself into a wall sit with his back against it. His knees were bent at ninety degrees and his back was pressed against the wall. The position looked simple, but it demanded a great deal of strength from his thighs.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...

His thighs began to tremble, and soreness washed over him like a tide. Wharton gritted his teeth and held on, staring at the opposite wall as he counted silently.

Fifty seconds, sixty seconds...

At seventy seconds, he felt as though his thigh muscles were about to tear. The warmth in his chest suddenly intensified and flowed along his meridians into his legs, easing the soreness a little.

Eighty seconds, eighty-five seconds...

Thump.

Unable to hold on any longer, he dropped onto the floor, gasping for breath.

The panel refreshed:

[Extreme training: leg strength]

[Proficiency: +0.3%]

[Dragonblood Bloodline response: fatigue recovery speed increased by 25%]

It worked.

Wharton lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Sweat ran down his cheeks and into his neck, tickling him.