In the middle of the night, Lina looked at her son with a heavy heart. She gently stroked Claude's head a few times, then pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before walking toward the balcony door.
"Elric."
"Yes, Mistress?" Elric appeared directly behind her, his gaze filled with quiet curiosity. Lina was dressed in a white robe, its hood drawn low to conceal her entire face. Her current appearance made it clear—she was preparing for a long journey.
"I've shared a portion of our contract with Claude. From now on, serve him well and protect him while I'm away."
"What? But… Claude isn't your biological son. How can you share the contract so easily?"
"Even so, he is still my sister's child. Though we are not directly related, we share the same blood. Besides, he possesses spiritual roots. He can form contracts with beasts."
If Claude were truly a pure-blooded beast, he would not be able to form a contract with another beast at all.
"You're leaving?" Elric asked quietly.
