Chapter 97: Chapter 97

When Sokram returned, his expression finally returned to his practiced businessman smile, the tension from the auction replaced by a cool, professional calm.

The stable, now quieter, still carried the lingering scent of damp straw and nervous sweat.

"I apologize for making you wait, friends," Sokram announced, summoning one of the runic binding contracts.

It shimmered into existence, its parchment of freshly pressed sheet, exhaling the thick metallic tang of blood-ink.

"The runic wards in the safe are powerful and... complicated to lift."

His words were meant to convey how much he treasured the eggs he was selling.

But once again, it sounded more like he was bragging, especially with the stables’ splintered beams and patched walls.

The first one he called over was the representative of the Greyfur clan with ten eggs, “Do you want me to hatch them now, or wait so you can bring their owners tomorrow? Because being the first person the hatchlings see after coming out of the egg will strengthen the bond immensely.”

The wolf-kin nodded, agreeing, "Then I’ll tell the Alpha to bring her selected ones tomorrow for the hatching."

A sharp, decisive voice cut through the murmurs: "No need, I’ll be the one responsible for the crows. Though I hope I can count on you to train them for me, Sokram."

Kanami stepped forward, her stride confident, her gray hair that matched the fur on her wolf-like ears, gleaming under the stable lights.

The casualness with which she addressed Sokram, the heir of a founding family, spoke volumes, making the onlookers exchange knowing glances as the strength of their families’ bond became undeniably clear.

“Of course, Auntie Kanami! You can always count on me. Follow me, please.”

Sokram’s answer to her surprised the crowd even more.

It wasn’t common for a family heir, or even a selected successor, to address another family head on a first-name basis, much less calling her auntie.

Sokram guided her to a fenced-off section, visible to the eager crowd yet separated by thick iron bars that thrummed with a low, resonant hum, the sound of powerful runic enchantments woven to prevent any interference.

Within this protected space lay a set of formations unlike those used for feeding the eggs.

These were vibrant, pulsing arrays of precisely cut runestones, each etched with intricate designs using a rich, dark blood ink that gleamed faintly with embedded diamond dust, radiating an undeniable sense of amplified power far beyond dusted mithril.

The rich energy shimmered into an almost gaseous state, thickening into a thin multicolored fog that swirled like a liquid shadow.

It wasn’t just Magi, Vitha, and Aura; a tinge of Chaos also emanated from the nearby eggs, indicating they were ready to hatch.

Sokram picked an egg and placed it in the formation's center. Immediately, the array and the blood-inked runic inscription emitted a faint yet visible crimson hue.

He picked the designated contract and gave it to Kanami for her to sign and drop her blood over it.

Kanami did not bother reading it, choosing instead to make a show of her complete trust in Sokram and his family.

As soon as the contract was signed, Sokram activated the spell.

The runes flared crimson.

Energy hissed as it funneled into the egg, the shell trembling like a heart about to burst.

Suddenly, a crack appeared on the egg.

Seeing that, Sokram urged Kanami to stand near it.

As soon as she reached it, the head of a crow of a little less than half a meter peeked out of the egg, looking intently at Kanami for an instant. She felt their connection formed by the contract strengthening immensely.

She could already sense the hatchling’s feelings echoing in her own.

“Amazing magic, Sokram. Never experienced a bond this strong with any other beast besides Ice.” Kanami’s bright smile radiated as she spoke. Read full story at novｅlfire.net

“Are you sure you want to carry all the other bonds? It can become a little overwhelming.”

Sokram warned her loud enough for the others to hear, so they wouldn’t make this decision either, as it could even become maddening after some time.

"True, I guess I can only return tomorrow with a few selected young ones from my clan."

Cradling the baby crow in her arms, she smiled broadly at him. “How long can you hold the others back from hatching?”

“A week at most, maybe two, but only Savannah and I can use this spell, and we’ll probably be called for a mission soon, so...” Sokram explained, offering her a helpless shrug.

“Alright, tomorrow then.” Kanami nodded and turned to leave, but spun back, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Be sure to be here," she told him, "I’m going to introduce you to some girls from our clan."

And with that, she left without giving Sokram room to refuse the conspicuous attempt to tie him to her clan further.

‘Might as well bring some backup tomorrow.’ Sokram thought to himself before calling the Goldenmane representative over, only to be informed they would return tomorrow because Lazar wanted to be here with his selected family members, but was busy that night.

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But something in the Lion-kin expression told Sokram he was being set up by the Goldenmane as well.

Sokram was planning to respect the buying order, and the crowd seemed content with that, despite a few grudging murmurs.

Those murmurs, however, escalated into outright complaints when Sahvus walked toward the formation.

Yet, when someone in the crowd greeted him, "Good night, Grand Magus Armfrost…"

Sahvus gave the man a simple nod of acknowledgment.

That alone was enough to silence the crowd.

Such was the immense weight of his name.

Especially since, following him closely, was his daughter Sienna.

With her came her three daughters: Cecille, the Arch Mage. Camile, a famous witch. And Celia, a renowned Sorceress from Frozen Root Academy.

Trailing behind them were Sahvus's two great-granddaughters, Cassandra (born to Cecille) and Leia (born to Leona).

Yet, Leia was always seen as a granddaughter by Sienna, as Leona was very respected by the Armfrost family.

Camile and Celia resembled Cecille, as expected.

Sisters often shared more than just bloodlines; they mirrored posture, poise, the beauty in their features, and that air of quiet pride.

The main difference was the length of their hair: Celia had a curly pixie haircut, while Camile wore her curls long, in a fashion similar to how the Goldenmane styled their mane-like hair.

Once again, the scent of Nether energy coming from them was unmistakable.

But Sokram maintained a neutral expression while a few words repeated in his mind over and over: 'Fanatics! Damn Fanatics!'

“Greetings, Great Uncle Sahvus, Auntie Sienna, Auntie Cecille, and...” Sokram wanted to greet them by their family hierarchy, but remembered he hadn’t been introduced to Celia and Camile in the timeline yet.

But Cecille quickly fixed that, “These are my younger sisters, Celia, a Sorceress deepening her studies at the Frozen Root Academy, and Camile, she's just a Witch, no need to pay her any mind.”

But Sokram would never disrespect any of them.

In his eyes, despite their blatant connection to the Nether, they were also heroines of Eversnow.

They sacrificed themselves for the sake of many before falling during the fall of Eversnow.

Sokram, not wanting to step on their hierarchy, greeted Celia first, saluting her briefly.

Then he turned to Camile, who seemed used to Cecille’s belittlement of her class, "A Witch, hm? Just like my grandmother. It’s nice to make your acquaintance. I’ve always been curious about Witches' natural inclination for curse and blood magic.”

He pointed at the binding formation and continued, “As you can see, I learned a thing or two with my grandmother, but I doubt I am close to being on your level, haha.”

When Sokram saw Camile and Cassandra studying his spell, their gazes alight with curiosity, he looked at Cecille.

She now appeared embarrassed, having forgotten Lady Androny was also a Witch and thus unintentionally insulted his grandmother's class.

So to make her feel more at ease, he approached her with a friendly smile, “Auntie, don’t worry. I have a sister too. A little bit of sibling rivalry is normal, even healthy. I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot. I just felt like bragging about this bit of knowledge I learned.”

“Bit of knowledge?” Camile asked, her tone carrying a hint of indignation, “If something so complex can be considered a ‘bit’, I’ll have to seek your grandmother’s guidance. Is she accepting disciples? Because this runic language is truly something else.”

Camile looked at Sienna and asked her, “Don’t you agree, mother?”

Sienna glanced at it briefly, her gaze laced with superiority.

But then, her gaze snapped back to the inscriptions as if she had seen something surprising.

Without even lifting her eyes from the runic inscription, Sienna inquired. “Why are you delaying visiting our library, child?”

Her eyes now shone with much more respect as she analyzed the inscription thoroughly.

“I’ve been quite busy lately, and I haven’t even finished going through my own library yet. But I’ll go visit Auntie’s tower as soon as I can.”

Without giving room for the conversation to go further, Sokram swiftly changed the subject: “So, who wants to go first?”

Sahvus stepped forward, the hem of his robe sweeping across the floor like a shadow.

“I’ll go first,” His tone was cold and detached as always.

Like previously, Sokram picked the egg Sahvus had bought; he was careful to select the exact same one that had been showcased during the auction.

Then he handed Sahvus a contract.

Some among the onlookers gasped in surprise, seeing that Sahvus, too, did not bother reading through the contract.

Showing complete trust in Sokram and his family.

But Sokram wasn’t surprised; the founding families could sometimes be at odds, but there would always be a familial bond and an unshakable trust between them.

Besides, he was sure a Grand Magus like Sahvus could easily decipher his spell with a single glance.

Yet, once the binding was done, Sokram observed Sahvus’s face.

The lines around the Grand Magus’s eyes, usually as still as a tombstone, softened almost imperceptibly.

A flicker, barely a breath, of surprise, and perhaps even approval, warmed his otherwise morbid and detached expression.

He even went so far as to voice his thoughts, almost absent-mindedly: "Such a strong bond… is it because the bird now sees me as its parent, or is it those draconian runes you disguised as elven?"

Sokram nodded, “The former, Great Uncle. I leveraged this bit of knowledge about their birth to strengthen the bond between the contractor and the contracted beast with the binding spell, as you can see.”

Sahvus’s fingers twitched, the only crack in his ice-cold facade. "Ingenious," he murmured, his gaze returning to his normal detachment, "the runes you used to ‘leverage’ it, too."

The Grand Magus nodded once again with a slight hint of approval in his tone, which caused Cecille and Sienna to raise their brows in surprise.

Yet, Sahvus’s following sentence left them shocked: “Don’t delay going to the tower much longer. I’m truly curious to see how high the sky you can reach with all that potential, Heir of Sodram.”

With a gesture uncharacteristic of his usual stiff demeanor, Sahvus picked up the bird.

His large, scarred hands, usually reserved for wielding powerful magic, cradled the creature with a tenderness that defied his grim exterior, a subtle arc to his arm protecting it as if it were spun glass.

He turned to leave, but then he added, "I’ll be coming tomorrow as well, for the training method. You won’t mind selling it to me, right?"

“Then let’s work on the details tomorrow, Great Uncle,” Sokram nodded politely, receiving only a simple nod back.

Sienna was next, and after the bidding was done, she leaned closer to him, an evident glint of interest in her gaze, “I have rarely ever seen my father express approval like that. I can even say he was very impressed, and so am I. Don’t delay going to the tower.”

And after saying that, she also left with the baby crow in her arms.

“Heh, I might start getting jealous if they start showing you so much attention,” Cecille teased him, flashing him a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry, Auntie. You know my true soft spots are my master’s wives. So, no need to be jealous.” Sokram winked at her.

“Heh, you’re truly your master’s disciple, rascal.” But although her tone was reprimanding, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips showed she took it as a compliment.

But the stare he received from her daughters made Sokram feel somewhat awkward.

In his previous timeline, Leia and Cassandra never showed that much interest in him, so he couldn’t understand where that was coming from.

If it were the twins, Kiren and Kara, it would be different, as they, both now and then, looked at Sokram with the same light in their eyes.

But in this life, Sokram's plans were different.

He knew how fickle teenage infatuation could be, so this time he decided to give them space to grow up while supporting them through Leona.

If by any chance something happened after they were old enough, then he wouldn’t push them away.

But beyond that, none of his master’s daughters had entered his eyes.

While thinking about this, he quickly finished the hatching/binding process for Cecille's, her sisters', and her daughters' eggs.

As they turned to leave, Camile leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper: "When you decide to go to the tower, find me in the library. We can share insights on blood and runic magic."

“Sure, thank you, Lady Camile.” Sokram didn’t really need it, but if something good could come from it, even if she was one of Mentyr’s followers, he wouldn’t refuse more knowledge.