Suddenly, she curved her lips into a slight smile.
"Just one meal, and you want to exchange it for my blood? Don't you think that's too cheap for you?"
Kaelan Hawthorne's smile froze for a moment.
He squinted his eyes, sizing up Seraphina Caldwell.
"Then what do you want? Do you expect me to roast all the prey from the entire mountain for you?"
Seraphina Caldwell waved the meat in her hand.
"How about this, you make five meals for me, each as carefully prepared as today's, and the reward will be a single drop of blood. How about it? This deal isn't too bad, right?"
Fifty meals are not insurmountable.
And once the Contract is broken, he would no longer be restricted by the blood-sealed imprisonment and truly regain his freedom.
Kaelan Hawthorne's eyes lit up.
A moment later, he suppressed his excitement and cautiously asked, "Are you serious? You're not fooling me, right? Would you dare swear to The Beast God?"
The Beast God is supreme, holding dominion over the souls of all creatures and the power of Contracts.
Swearing to the Beast God requires intent of the heart as the guide, and words as proof.
Should you break it, at the least, you'd be driven to madness, at the worst, sudden death.
Hence, such oaths hold real power, and no one dares take them lightly.
Seraphina Caldwell quickly calculated in her mind. Fifty meals might seem long but could take only a few months.
Given the current situation, as long as she delayed long enough to find clues about her father, there was still hope for a turnaround.
There was enough time, no need to rush.
She decisively raised her hand, palm facing up, and spread her fingers.
"I, Seraphina Caldwell, swear to The Beast God, if Kaelan prepares five meals for me, each painstakingly crafted, without deceit or evasion, I will give him a drop of blood and never go back on it! If I break this oath, may I suffer the punishment of The Beast God, my soul forever unrest!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the world seemed to fall silent for a moment.
An invisible force seemed to sweep through the air, a sign of the Contract's formation.
In an instant, ecstasy flashed across Kaelan Hawthorne's eyes.
He moved the green leaf he held forward again.
"Eat quickly, while it's still hot."
Seraphina picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it in her mouth.
Her teeth broke through the crispy, aromatic crust, and the meat inside was tender and juicy.
The cooking was perfect, clearly meticulously prepared.
Crispy outside, tender inside, indeed, it was excellent.
But after a couple of chews, she frowned.
No flavor, as bland as water.
"Did you not use salt?"
Kaelan Hawthorne's smile gradually vanished.
He slowly withdrew the green leaf.
"Don't you remember? You poured all the salt into water to soak whips. You said whipping with saltwater hurt more, made the wounds fester faster, leaving people unable to live or die. There's none left now."
Seraphina froze, her chopsticks paused mid-air.
Memories suddenly flashed through her mind.
A dim dungeon, the clinking of chains, a blood-stained whip soaking in saltwater...
The original owner was shockingly cruel and used all the precious salt to soak instruments of torture to torment slaves and prisoners!
She couldn't help but frown, feeling a wave of nausea.
Unable to eat even slightly salted food, yet willing to waste precious salt on whips?
This behavior was downright insane!
"What shall we do next? Traveling is energy-consuming, we can't keep chewing on tasteless dry food. Just chewing can make one nauseous, let alone satisfy hunger."
Kaelan suddenly lifted his chin, his gaze landing on the wooden barrel in the corner.
"Isaac Vaughn is the only Merfolk of the Oceanic Tribe who can make salt. Don't you humans care most about flavor? No salt? Let him make some. He's idle anyhow."
Seraphina followed his gaze.
In the barrel, the entirety of Isaac Vaughn was immersed silently in clear water.
He stared at her coldly.
The fringe of scales exposed above the surface shimmered with a red hue, hinting at unhealed pain.
Seraphina's heart tightened.
Though Evan Orwell had meticulously tended to his wounds, and a dark brown scab had formed.
Yet the spots where scales had been forcibly removed still bore numerous tiny indentations.
Whether new scales would grow, even she couldn't say.
If anyone held a grudge, Isaac Vaughn was probably the most resentful among the males.
After all, he was a proud prince of the Oceanic Tribe, forcibly captured and imprisoned in this narrow barrel.
Dignity lost, his body scarred.
But the situation was urgent, the group was about to depart.
Without any seasoning, a long journey would only make morale plummet further.
There was no other way.
Seraphina took a deep breath, trying to quell her unease.
Approaching the barrel, she leaned down.
"Isaac, could you help me make some salt? I know you're wronged, and I know I'm not in a position to ask...
but I really need your help. I won't make you work for nothing; if you're willing to help, once the salt's made, I'll immediately give you a drop of blood to break the contract, and we'll owe each other nothing."
Isaac did not speak.
Only his tail suddenly swished with more force than before, splashing a few small droplets of water onto Seraphina's sleeve.
Seraphina started to doubt herself.
Since being brought here by her father, it seemed she had never heard Isaac speak even once.
Could it be...he couldn't speak at all?
At this thought, she instinctively looked at Isaac's arm.
Male Beastfolk usually bore the Beast Ring symbolizing status and power, encircling the wrist or forearm, with different colors representing different levels.
But Isaac's arm was smooth, the pale, delicate skin bore no marks.
Her father spoiled her, but never did anything reckless.
He was never the type to casually pair his daughter with a partner based solely on appearance.
How could he match her with a male without a Beast Ring?
Seraphina tried to recall the novel's plot in her mind.
Later, Isaac Vaughn becomes the ultimate villain, overturning half the continent, unmatched in the ocean's depths.
He once single-handedly defeated the Oceanic Tribe's allied forces, unleashed colossal waves, and even destroyed The Grand Temple.
But right now, beyond lacking fighting power, he didn't even have a basic Beast Ring.
He didn't seem like a strong being, more like an abandoned defective.
Seeing Isaac remain unfazed.
Seraphina thought it's pointless to force it, forcing would only intensify conflict.
She bit her lip, preparing to leave.
"What you said... is it true?"
A sudden voice came from behind.
The voice carried a slight tremor.
Just a simple question, yet it stirred one's heart.
The tales say the Merfolk songs enchant souls, pausing beasts and tides alike.
Now, it seemed even their ordinary speech held such captivation.
"Of course!"
She hurriedly turned around, nodding vigorously.
"If you can make salt, I will immediately offer my blood and break the contract as promised, the heavens as my witness!"
Isaac's eyelashes fluttered lightly.
He quietly watched Seraphina for a while.
Finally, he slowly lifted his slender finger, pointing towards a dusty clay jar in the cave's corner.
"There... is seawater stored."
His voice remained cool and distant.
"It's needed to make the salt."
Seraphina followed his slender, white finger gaze.