The magic fluctuation inside the cottage gradually calmed down as the Sigil’s symbol was successfully implanted on Zephyr’s forehead.
“Ngrgh…”
Zephyr groaned as his head dropped with a loud thud on the floor. He was completely exhausted from the whole ordeal.
Kyran, who still had his hand on the back of Zephyr’s head, was also exhausted. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as he panted in short gasps. His complexion was pale, and his eyes were listless.
“Are you out of your mind?” Nolan exploded as soon as the two silver rings on the floor decreased in size.
“What the f*ck are you playing at performing such a complex ritual with your condition?” Nolan continued as he lowered his hands and strode to Kyran’s side.
He reached out to grab Kyran’s shoulder. However, his hands only touched air. Because it was at this time that Kyran started to slip forward.
“Oi!”
“Kyran!”
Nolan and Anette both exclaimed as they rushed forward.
“Kyran!”
“Hey!”
Even Silas and Gage also moved forward.
Anette knelt in front of Kyran to prevent him from falling on the floor, but Nolan was faster. He grabbed the back of Kyran’s coat and pulled him back while Anette took the chance to hold him in her arms.
“He’s burning up!” Anette immediately said.
“Tsk,” Nolan gritted his teeth in frustration.
Before he could curse further, he came to a stop because he sensed something approaching the cottage.
“Ah, f*ck!”
Anette also sensed it as she looked up. Her worried expression turned serious.
“This is not good.”
Seeing their expressions, Silas and Gage looked at each other and also strained their magic senses.
Sure enough, they felt several auras approaching the cottage at a fast pace.
Silas’s brow creased as he tried to sense the cottage’s array.
“The array’s camouflage effect has been damaged. If we don’t leave soon, they will discover us,” Silas told them.
Anette shook her head, “We can’t leave. Kyran is—.”
“I-I’ll—,” Kyran suddenly spoke. He tried to pull away from Anette, but his body was too weak, and all he could do was lift his head a little.
“R-Reinforce the array,” he said with great difficulty.
Nolan scowled and growled in anger, “Reinforce my ass. With your condition what can you do?”
“It’s my fault. I-I can do it—.”
“I’ll do it. You stay here,” Nolan snapped at him in midsentence. Then he turned to Anette and added, “I’ll leave him to you.”
After that, he looked to Silas and said, “You assist her.”
“Alright,” Silas agreed at once.
Then Nolan looked at Gage and took out a small bottle, filled with light gray liquid, from under his cloak. He said, “You go lure those people away. Once you’ve lured them away from here, find a safe place to hide.”
He gave the bottle to Gage and added, “Drink this once you’re hidden. It will conceal your presence. Just wait in that place, I’ll come find you.”
Gage took the bottle with a slight frown. He wanted to refute Nolan by reminding him about his poor sense of direction, but given the seriousness of the situation, he asked instead, “How will you find me if this potion can conceal my presence?”
“That potion has my magic. Once you take it, I’ll be able to trace you,” Nolan explained.
Upon hearing Nolan’s explanation, Gage’s expression turned sour. He could not imagine how someone else’s magic would taste like or if it would have any effect on his body.
Nolan scowled at him after seeing his expression and said, “We don’t have much time. Go!”
“Fine, alright!” Gage hastily agreed.
Even though Gage had doubts right now, he knew the severity of the situation. He could not very well act like an ass and delay. Because if those approaching people were from the Templar Code, once they found them, it would impact not just the relationship of the Conclave and the Templar Code but also the whole empire.
The reason was because of Kyran and the boy he took with him. They already speculated that the Templar Code might already be working with the Royal Family. If that was the case, they must not see Kyran. Especially not in the company of the mercenaries. Even if they could pretend that they ‘caught’ him, how would they explain the boy? They would not be able to hide him. Though Nolan had a domain where they could hide, he did not suggest it. Meaning Nolan’s domain might have a limitation.
As to what those limitations were, Gage had no idea. He was not the type to dwell on too many complicated thoughts. Thus, it was enough for him to know that getting caught by those approaching people would be very bad to make him agree.
“I’m leaving,” he said and left at once.
After Gage left, Nolan looked at Silas.
“Is there a restriction on the array that would hinder anyone from changing it?” He asked.
Silas nodded his head, “As far as I know there is. But as long as you have permission to enter the array, then you are free to change it.”
“Good,” Nolan replied with a nod. “I’ll go reinforce it now.”
He looked at Kyran, who was still in Anette’s arms, looking extremely pale and weak. Clenching his fist in anger, he turned and left without saying a word.
Anette, who had seen Nolan’s expression, could only look on helplessly.
She only heard about Kyran’s personality from Nolan but never really got the chance to witness it herself. The time she spent with him was too short for her to understand him fully. Despite that, Anette was able to recognize a portion of his personality. And it was not the one that he inherited from his parents, but his real personality.
Kyran surprisingly tended to do the things he said he would. Notwithstanding the opinion of others around him.
Anette already noticed it when he went after the Quilin. And now, when he performed a ritual that seemed to bind the Quilin.
With a shake of her head, Anette could only sigh and not blame Nolan for being angry. It turned out her godson was a handful compared to his parents.
“Let’s bring him over to the bed,” Anette told Silas.
“Alright,” Silas nodded and walked over to help her bring Kyran over to the bed.
However, Kyran immediately pushed them aside and said, “Stop!”
Only then, the two realize that the boy who was supposed to be unconscious on the floor had already regained consciousness and was about to pounce at them.
“Lady Anette!” Silas moved and covered for Anette.
Crackle!
“AAAHH!” Zephyr screamed in pain as the Sigil on his forehead lit up.
Small silhouettes of gold and silver dragons appeared and circled his body as they bound him, making him fall face-first on the floor.
Kyran faced Zephyr, and with much difficulty, he said, “You’re now bound to me.”
He tried to control his breathing and added, “You don’t have killing intent, but as long as you think of hurting me, the Sigil will activate and punish you.”
“Rawrgh!” Zephyr growled in anger as he lifted his head and glared at Kyran.
“Take me back!” He demanded.
Although Kyran wore a black mask earlier, Zephyr was able to recognize him from his aura. As he thought, Kyran was really from the Regis Clan. His black hair and dark gray eyes were a big giveaway. But what he found surprising was, his face looked familiar.
Kyran shook his head and said, “No.”
“You—.”
“Three years.”
“What?” Zephyr asked in confusion.
Even Anette and Silas also looked at Kyran in confusion.
Why did Kyran suddenly say three years? Somehow the conversation seemed to trail off because of his words.
Kyran sat on the floor and weakly said, “Be my Sigil for three years. After that, I’ll release you.”
Zephyr scowled at him.
“I already told you that I can’t leave—.”
“Your duty is to protect the Shaiha. Not the shrine,” Kyran cut him in midsentence.
Zephyr’s eyes immediately narrowed. He did not expect this human to understand the meaning of his words earlier.
Anette and Silas, on the sides, were at a loss. They had no idea what the two were talking about. So they remained silent and decided to observe while looking after Kyran’s condition.
“The Shaiha is actually an item or an object which is hidden in the shrine, right?”
Zephyr did not reply and only glared at him.
‘An item or an object?’ Anette thought in surprise.
It turned out that there was a hidden story behind the Shaiha Ruins.
Silas was also surprised. He heard something about a hidden story of the Shaiha Ruins from his master before. However, he was not interested then and had forgotten entirely about it.
“Once you die, the Shaiha will still be safe because it is inside the shrine. However, it will only be temporary. Without a live guardian, the shrine will be prone to attack from the outside and thus, if the shrine was destroyed, it will then expose the Shaiha. That’s the reason why you said the worse that could happen is the shrine being destroyed.”
Zephyr clenched his fists. He underestimated this human. To think he was able to decipher that much from the short exchange they had.
Kyran smiled faintly seeing that Zephyr had no plans on lowering his guard.
“Don’t be like this. You know, I’m actually getting the short end of the stick here. I’m only asking you to be my Sigil for three years, but in those three years. I’ll be burden with your business as well.”
“Wouldn’t that be the same with me? As your Sigil, I’ll have to do your bidding!” Zephyr snorted.
Kyran chuckled.
“Not really. I can promise you now that I won’t let you do anything that will put you in harm’s way. Aside from this, I’ll help protect the Shaiha.”
Zephyr’s ears immediately perked after hearing Kyran say these words.
