"Who's there ?" Stanley Barnes exclaimed, with a clear agitated expression, as he looked around him to search for the source of the voice he heard just a while ago.
'There was someone else in here, and I couldn't even detect his presence.' this incident flustered Stanley Barnes, quite a bit, cause even if it was someone a Rank above him, he was confident on his skills to atleast detect him coming towards him.
As he looked around him, searching for the person who seemed to have suddenly appeared near him,before hearing those familiar voice again.
"Stop looking around you Idiot,I am standing right in front of you." Ian spoke with a irritated tone.
This time Stanley Barnes didn't miss to catch the source of the voice, while confirming that the owner of this voice, was indeed the black cat that's nonchalantly sitting in front of him.
"Just what in the hell are you ?" Stanley questioned with a varied tone, as a magic swordsman he is someone quite sensitive with Mana, but he couldn't feel even a tinge of Mana coming out of this black cat in front of him, which directly cancels out the possibility of it being a magical beasts or some kind of puppet controlled by a Magician.
This leave only two possibilities, either the cat infront of him, has a strength at a completely different level compared to him that he couldn't even gauge his strength, or it's something complete extraterrestrial, whose identity Stanley Barnes wouldn't even dare to fathom.Both the scenarios doesn't work well with him.
Ian could easily tell what was going throught this head of the Knight in front of him, but he didn't want to bother explaining himself, as he wanted to get out of this situation as soon as he possibly can.
"So as I said earlier let's make a deal." Ian said, as clearly as he possibly could.
"W..What kind of deal are you talking about ?" Stanley Barnes said while still keeping a guarded stance, as he still seemed very uncomfortable with the entire ordeal that's happening in front of him.
"A trade, in exchange for sparing this person's life." Ian said while pointing towards the unconscious body of Karn.
"T..That's impossible, I swore an oath to.."
"Lies" Ian immediately interrupted Stanley Barnes from from speaking, before giving him a condemning look.
"You're someone, who hasn't pledged his loyalty to anyone, The moment you charged in, you seemed completely unconcerned about the safety of the Viscount. "
Stanley immediately shut his mouth up, as those word's that came out of this black cat's mouth, were accurate to the point that it's scary.
As Ian said Stanley Barnes never swore an oath of loyalty to Viscount Silva, the person Stanley Barnes swored his oath to, was Viscount Silva's father, who has already passed away, honestly he couldn't care less whether Viscount Silva lives or dies.
"But still he is my former master's son, I have a duty to protect him." Stanley Barnes said with a determined voice.
"I never said anything about not protecting him, I'm just telling you to let this man go, and I'll pay you an appropriate price for it."
"I don't lack Mone....."
"A HEROIC GRADE" Mana Breathing Technique"
This was the second time Ian interrupted Stanley Barnes, but this time he didn't particularly feel offended as the words that came out of Ian's mouth shocked him to his core.
"W..W...What did you just say ?" Stanley Barnes asked he still could believe what he just heard.
Every Martial Manuals, Artifacts and techniques are graded differently starting from Common, Rare,Unique,Epic,Heroic,Divine and legendary.
Mana Breathing Technique that Stanley Barnes is practicing right now is a Rare grade one, even for that he had to squander all his fortune to get his hands on.
But now someone here is willing to just hand it out to him, he knew well enough, that only Knight's of the Imperial Army and few Upper echelon aristocrats are the one's in possession of something like that.
'Wait! how in the hell could I fall for such a naive trick' Stanley Barnes though, how could he believe dome strange creature that suddenly appeared in front of him as thoughts were running through his mind before getting interrupted by Ian again.
"We can form a Mana contract, if you wish to."Ian said with an assured tone, but inwardly panicking as the one who desperately needed a Mana contract was him not Stanley Barnes.
As he had no idea what to do if Stanley Barnes went back on his word's, so Ian sneakily mentioned about forming a contract as if he was giving Stanley Barnes an obvious option.
And it seems this trick worked on Ian's favour as Stanley Barnes still seemed pretty spooked up about a talking cat that appeared right in front of him.
Stanley Barnes immediately took out a piece of paper and placed it in the middle of them.
Knight's and Adventurers are pretty used to carrying Mana contract with them, due to the nature of their occupation.
After noting down few necessary details, like not mentioning this incident to anyone, while both the parties not threatening each other's life in exchange for a Heroic grade technique, both the parties gave a nod before signing on the contract.
'I must be the first person in the history of this continent, who formed a Mana contract with a cat' Stanley Barnes thought inwardly while holding the absurd mana contract with a paw imprint as a signature, with both his hand's.
After the contract was established, Ian ordered Stanley Barnes to sit in a meditating posture, so he could complete his end of the bargain.
"Now follow exactly as I say, and keep repeating the chant I just mentioned."
Ian immediately started instructing Stanley Barnes, as he immediately started circulating his Mana according to the instructions he was given.
After almost an hour passed by, and Ian finished imparting all his knowledge about the technique.
Stanley Barnes opened his eyes, and soon found himself, being dozens of times more sensitive towards Mana that's floating around him.
As the whole process of completly filling his body with mana, which would usually take hours earlier, takes mere few minutes.
Stanley Barnes immediately gave revered look towards the black cat, that's nonchalantly sitting infront of him.
The only reason why Stanley Barnes signed a contract was because he was quite vary of the talking cat that appeared in front him.
as for the fact about actually receiving a Heroic grade technique, he didn't even consider it as a possibility, but now his entire outlook about this black cat changed instantly, as those varied eyes of earlier took a completely opposite turn, as he seemed to have been mistaken Ian as some kind of powerful entity in that's in hiding.
Although, that might have been the case before, but now he is just an ordinary cat, but Ian had no intentions of explaining it to someone he might never see in his life again.
"I've completed my end of the deal, now it's your turn, take your master and Scram." Ian said with a threatening tone.
As Stanley Barnes seemed to mistook Ian for some kind of powerful entity, Ian decided to take full advantage of that privilege, giving him a threatening glare.
Hearing those provocating tone, Stanley Barnes didn't dare to stay here any longer, as he immediately hastened his steps while grabbing and carrying Viscount Silva on one of his shoulders, before giving one last glance towards this strange black cat he just encountered, before darting back to the Viscounty.
Soon the Mana contract signed by those two said parties, started to glow before turning into ashes, indicating the fulfillment of the contract.
"I know you're feeling you're being wronged when I let him take that Viscount back with him." Ian said while glancing towards the young girl that has been quietly watching the entire scenario playing right in front of him.
"Ahh" The girl exclaimed frighteningly as she felt the black cat glancing, and speaking with her.
"What's your name ?" Ian asked as he took a few steps towards that girl.
"Naikda" the girl answered figidly.
Ian grabbed the pouch lying in the ground with his mouth, before throwing it towards Naikda.
"This money belongs to the person who was responsible for what happened with your mother, use his own money to cultivate yourself and take revenge for your mother with those very own hand's of your's."
Ian contemplated for a while before adding "or you can just sit back and enjoy your life with that money, lead a peaceful life, I am sure that's what your mother would want for you."
Ian, left those word's to make sure, this little girl in front of him doesn't completely lose herself on the quest for revenge. But unexpectedly it brought a completely different result.
"help me to be stronger."
A small whisper entered Ian's sharp ears, as he glanced towards the girl who for has barely spoken one word to him, during their entire conversation."
"Did you say something ?." Ian asked.
"PLEASE HELP ME, BECOME STRONGER." Naikda screamed with a hint of tears still visible in her eyes.
Ian was surprised by the sudden screaming of this little girl in front of him, before making an understanding expression as he thought.
'Right I am planning on going against an entire empire, for that I need an army, and as per my knowledge an army doesn't just consist of one person.'
Ian gave a nod while looking towards Naikda
"Very Well Naikda, So here's your first task as a member of the rebellion army." Ian paused while glancing towards the body of still unconscious Karn "Lend me a hand, to carry him back to the village."