"So, you saved me to bind me?" asked Wolvin sharply. "You bought me with my life?"
"If I wanted to silence you or buy you, I would have left you to die in the forest last night, or left you frozen in the air earlier." Calian replied logically. "I saved you because I saw you slaughter three Ogres alone before you fell. You are strong. You are reckless. And you are alone, just like me."
Calian leaned forward, the intensity of his voice increasing.
"I need someone who can protect me when I'm off guard or out of energy after using my powers. Someone I can trust to support me in everything. Someone who can be my shadow in the real world, while I control time from behind the scenes."
"And what's in it for me?" challenged Wolvin, not wanting to lose. "I am a free warrior. I serve no master. I'd rather die rotting in the forest than wear chains of slavery."
"Free?" Calian smiled mockingly, sharp. "You call yourself free? You were dying at the edge of the forest, Wolvin. Your clothes are tattered. You are skin and bones. Clearly, you are running from something, and you failed. Out there, you are a wild Beastfolk who is suspected and hunted. Here..."
Calian pointed to the pavilion floor. "Here, you get a base. The best food. Weapons. Protection from human laws. And most importantly: A Purpose."
Wolvin fell silent. Calian's words hit the mark. He was indeed a fugitive. His clan was slaughtered, and he wandered as a mercenary without direction, looking for fights just to feel alive or perhaps looking for a worthy death.
"You offer a golden cage." grumbled Wolvin, though the tone of his rejection weakened.
"I am not offering a golden cage! That implies I am restraining you! I am offering you an alliance." Calian corrected firmly. "I will not treat you like a pet. You can leave whenever you want through that door. But remember, out there, maybe you are just a target for the border guards' arrows. Here, you are a secret partner of the only time mage in the world. You can become strong with me."
Wolvin stared at the steaming tea in front of him. The scent of tea calmed his tense nerves. The offer was tempting. More than just physical comfort, there was something in Calian's eyes that caught Wolvin's attention. This human had a burning ambition behind his flat face. An ambition similar to a hunger that wanted to devour everything in front of it.
"Alright." Wolvin finally picked up the tea cup and drank it in one gulp, rough like drinking ale. "Your tea is good."
That was a silent agreement.
Calian smiled faintly. "Welcome to the West Pavilion, Wolvin. There is smoked venison in the back kitchen. Eat as much as you want."
"I will eat all your supplies, Calian." said Wolvin, deliberately calling his master's name without the honorific 'Young Master', a sign of equality he demanded.
"Go ahead!" answered Calian casually. "I can make rotten meat fresh again in a second. We will never run out of food."
Wolvin shook his head in disbelief. "You are a terrifying monster."
"And you are the wolf who just walked into that monster's den." replied Calian.
Just as the atmosphere began to thaw, suddenly a loud Ding-Ding-Ding was heard.
It was a warning magic bell ringing from the front door—a sign of an intruder crossing the outer protective magic boundary.
Calian's face turned serious instantly and his innocent mask was back on. "Hide. Fast!" he whispered to Wolvin. "Don't be seen!"
Wolvin didn't ask twice. His body blurred into a black shadow, shooting up to the second-floor balcony and disappearing into the darkness of the corridor like a ghost.
Calian adjusted his position, picked up his book again, putting on a bored and lonely face. A few seconds later, the front door was knocked on roughly, then forced open without permission.
A young knight in shining silver armor entered arrogantly. The Golden Griffin emblem on his chest showed he was an elite subordinate of Alaric, Calian's eldest brother. The knight looked around with a look of disgust—in his eyes, thanks to Calian's time magic, the room still looked dusty and gloomy.
"Young Master Alaric sends a message." said the knight without bowing or paying respect. His voice was full of disdain. He threw a paper scroll onto the marble floor, right near Calian's feet, as if feeding a dog.
"He will return next week for the Duke's birthday ceremony. He reminds you not to show your pathetic face in the main hall during the event. Stay in this rat hole and don't embarrass the family."
The knight smirked mockingly. "And... be careful. I heard there are savage monsters wandering in the forest. Don't get eaten. It would be a hassle for the servants who have to clean up your useless remains."
Calian stared at the scroll on the floor. His face was flat. Empty. No emotion.
"Convey my thanks to Brother Alaric for his touching concern." answered Calian softly, his voice sounding weak and resigned.
The knight snorted in satisfaction seeing that helplessness, then turned and left, slamming the pavilion door until dust fell from the door frame.
After the knight's footsteps faded and disappeared, Wolvin jumped down from the balcony. He landed beside Calian with a loud thud, the marble floor cracking slightly under his feet. His face was flushed red with anger. His ears flattened, his fangs clearly visible, and a low growl escaped his throat.
"He insulted you!" growled Wolvin, his breath ragged. "He threw that message like trash! And you let him? You just stayed silent?! With your power, you could freeze him and cut out his tongue before he blinked! You could kill him without him realizing he was dead!"
Calian bowed calmly, picking up the paper scroll from the floor. He dusted off the paper slowly with his slender fingers.
"Cutting a tongue is easy, Wolvin..." Calian said coldly.
He raised his face. His eyes now flashed a sharp purple that was terrifying, far colder than ice.
"But that would destroy the cover I've built for four years. Let them bark. Let them feel powerful, safe, and superior."
Calian squeezed the paper scroll until it crumpled in his hand.
"The more they underestimate me, the less they see the knife being sharpened at their throats. Their destruction must come when they are at the peak of happiness, not when they are on guard."
Calian turned to Wolvin, his gaze burning.
Wolvin fell silent staring at the human in front of him. He no longer saw a weak, resigned human. He saw a patient predator, a venomous snake waiting in the grass. And as a fellow predator, Wolvin respected that.
Slowly, a grin appeared on Wolvin's face, revealing his white fangs.
"As you wish... Partner."
Inside the isolated West Pavilion, a deadly alliance between the 'Family Disgrace' and the 'Runaway Wolf' was officially formed.