[These two make a good match. I won't be too surprised to hear that they are best friends as well. But I wonder, could this man be that overweight girl's father? You know, the one you flirted to stop her from crying and get you killed.] -Yes, they resemble each other not only from their eyes and hair color, but their gaze seems to make me a bit uncomfortable.- [Well, you can use Inspection on him. Maybe you can feel better after finding out he isn't hiding anything.] Vincent focused his gaze and started petting Plow to mask his intention. Then he quickly used Inspection, and the status window appeared with some worrying info about Baron Leonis Lionheart. [Name] Leonis Lionheart [Race] Human [Age] 54 [Condition] Healthy, High Truth Or Death [Traits] Mana Tempered Body Stage Three [Class] Advanced Mage [Stats] Strength 29 || Agility 15 || Perception 25 || Mana 3103 [Class Advanced Mage] *Wind Wall *Wind Cannon *Wind Arrow *Wind Manipulation [Third Eye activate.] [High Truth Or Death condition description.] [The afflicted will suffer from the need to say the truth.] [Low dosage makes the afflicted susceptible to say the truth, and upon telling a lie, the afflicted suffers from harmful phantom pain. The higher the dosage, the worse the body will suffer upon every lie until suffering too much to cause death without leaving a trace.] [The higher the condition, the higher the appraisal skill needed to get discovered.] [High dosage or overdose can upgrade the condition to Moderate and High condition.] A sudden grim expression appeared on Vincent's face. 'What the... if he lies, he dies from excruciating pain... how are the two Lionhearts I met cursed or poisoned?' He thought. "Lord Leonis, do you perhaps have a daughter named Lilith?" Vincent decided to ask. Leonis suddenly frowned. A grim expression with a long frown appeared on his face. It looked as if Vincent was going to blackmail him or something worse. Leonis became cautious and angry at the mention of Lilith Lionheart. "Yes... what do you want?" Leonis asked with a cold gaze. Byron immediately knew why Leonis was acting like this. He quickly placed his arm on Leonis's shoulder and reassured, "Vincent is a good man. He isn't what you are thinking about." "I'm sorry, Vincent, but Lilith is indeed my friend's daughter. However, she is sick and can't leave home nor receive visitors. A father not being able to see his daughter whenever he wants to is like a curse to my good friend Leonis." Byron explained. "Ohh! I'm sorry. I asked because I saw her three days ago. Both of you have the same family surname, so I just asked." Vincent felt both guilty and terrified of potentially making a noble his enemy. "Really? How was she?" Leonis's expression suddenly changed one-eighty. Now his face showed concern and sadness. [I think we are in a pickle. It's best to try to end this conversation quickly. But why is Byron saying that Leonis's daughter can't leave her house? Is it a secret?] "..." Vincent looked at Byron for an answer because the Lionheart situation doesn't seem to be as it appears to be on the outside. Furthermore, by how Byron explained, Byron might not know his friend is suffering and his daughter as well. "Please tell me. How was my daughter? Is she healthy? Is she..." Leonis was about to continue asking, but Vincent interrupted, "How long has it been since you saw your daughter? If it's not too long ago, then I gave her some herbs to help her sleep." "Help with sleep?... " Leonis became depressed. "It's been ten years now..." "Ten years? I heard how her husband, Viscount Demel Blackheart, doesn't allow visitors to help with her recovery. But you never mentioned how you also weren't allowed to see your daughter. I thought you visited once every week." Byron became angry. The truthful lion didn't confide in his friend. He also understood how it was partly his fault as he never asked if he visited his daughter. "It's embarrassing to ask for help..." Leonis then placed his hand on Vincent's shoulder and asked, "Please tell me what you know, even if my family reputation gets ruined... not that it can go worse than it became." [What a heavy subject. Are you sure you want to tell this devastated father the condition of his daughter?] -If the truth goes out, it goes out with a bang. I will let him know now that the situation became like this.- "My lords, could the two of you follow me for a private chat? What I will say isn't for everyone's ears to hear." Vincent decided to spill the beans. He gave Plow to Ester and walked a couple of meters away from everyone, with Byron and Leonis following him. A few minutes later, Vincent, Bryon with a deep angered frown and Leonis with a devastated expression returned. [I want to know yet not about what happened to Baron Leonis Lionheart and his daughter. But the situation seems too personal to tell us.] -They said they would talk later privately and also to have some kind of a five-person noble team meeting. Well, it's better not to get mixed into this. We have our lives to protect.- Kazumi understood, yet her immense curiosity to know everything made her wish to find out. Even if he was a Baron, Leonis respectfully bowed to Vincent for being the first person to tell him about his daughter in all these years. It was as if no one was allowed to tell him about his daughter's whereabouts. Leonis then hurriedly left before saying, "I need to leave early today. My friend and little Vopor, see you next time. And Vincent, I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Leonis left, and Byron appeared to have his mind elsewhere. He didn't look like he was going to stick for long as well. "Vopor, I'm sorry, but I have to leave as well. Something urgent has come up. " Byron then placed his hand on Vopor's shoulder and continued while holding his son's shoulder with a firm and reassuring grip, "I believe in you, my son. Today's enemy is tomorrow's ally. Today's friend is tomorrow's companion for life." "Thank you, father. I will show you how I will succeed. So remain eager to hear of my success." Vopor spoke with determination. He could see how his father wasn't thinking of watching him tame the gray wolf. Whatever he talked with Vincent, his father was riled up. "Is big brother okay? The two big men looked angry and strange." Tula felt worried. She felt Vincent was about to leave her side and never return. "Don't worry, Tula. We had an adult-only talk, and they remembered how they forgot to do something. Stay with Ester and play with Plow while Lupa and I help this young man to have a familiar. Your brothers can stay with us to learn." Vincent had almost forgotten he brought the child-minded Tula with them. Two groups soon formed. One with Lupa and the boys, while the other with Ester, Plow, Tula, and a few maids offering refreshments. Some maids also petted Plow and gave snacks or milk in return. "I'm sorry for mistreating you. I want to change, and I want to treat you well from now on. Please, accept the bond without resisting." Vopor started apologizing to the gray wolf. *Woof* Lupa, "He says the meat was the tastiest meat he ate in his entire life. He wants more." *Woof* Lupa, "Now he says he didn't like the wash you gave him, but he liked how the human females touched his fur. He says it felt good. What a weird wolf. I like it when my mate washes me." "AHEM!" Vincent loudly cleared his throat when Vopor looked at Vincent with a curious gaze. "Please don't mind her. You can continue." "Okay... Gray wolf, I want to form a Mana Bond Contract with you. I learned from my horrible mistakes and the inadequate treatment my family provided. I promise to treat you well." Vopor said cautiously, extending his hand to pat the gray wolf's head. "May I pat your head?" Vopor then asked. *Woof* Lupa, "Humph, he wants to eat meat in exchange to let you pat his head." Vopor smiled and lowered his hand. "You will eat well." He continued beaming from excitement. A warm hand soon landed on the gray wolf's head. As the hand slightly moved and scuffled the clean and soft gray wolf fur, the gray wolf slightly wagged its tail. "Lupa, could you tell this sophisticated and cunning gray wolf this? Being in a tamer and familiar relationship means having each other's back. To have a loyal companion to trust without doubting their words and protecting each other's back. A bond that lets each of you feel safe when in the company of the other. In other words, a bond for life." Vincent asked Lupa to let the gray wolf and Vopor finalize the deal. Lupa repeated Vincent's words, and the gray wolf tilted his head to the side. *Woof, woof* Lupa, "At least he knows how important it is to have a person to trust and feed him good food." *Woof?* Lupa, "Now he said. Promise now?" Later, it took around ten minutes for Vopor to say his compromises and demands, and Lupa translating what the gray wolf accepted and demanded. In that time, Lenn and Renn chatted with Vincent, asking him how he became so knowledgeable. However, Vincent couldn't tell them how he played multiple games with pets and collect them all types of games. "I thought being like best friends was the most beneficial bond to ask for, and it worked." Vincent honestly told them part of the truth.