CHAPTER 409: BINDING SOUL CONTRACT

"We can sign a binding soul contract." Daniel didn’t think much about it and simply replied.

Hearing his words, Selera’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to go that far.

A binding soul contract was a very special kind of pact in which both sides swore upon their souls to fulfill their promises.

If one side failed to keep their word, their soul would be completely destroyed, leaving nothing behind—in other words, they would literally die.

That was why Selera never expected Daniel to agree to such a thing. At best, she thought he would only give her some reassurance.

But the fact that he suggested such a contract himself made her hesitate again. At this point, she no longer had any reason to reject, and in fact, she had plenty of reasons to accept.

She sighed. Her answer was clear.

"I accept. As long as you give me the position of Grand Elder and help me with my revenge, I’ll be willing to help my brother."

"Perfect. I’ll tell Andreas to come here." Daniel then contacted Andreas, and it didn’t take long before the latter arrived.

First, Daniel gave him a summary of what had been discussed and allowed him to think about the contract. However, Andreas had no problem with it and accepted easily.

After all, he wouldn’t actually lose anything. Also, the contract included a clause stating that neither Daniel nor Andreas would involve her in anything that could threaten her life.

Once the contract was established, Daniel and Andreas said their farewells and left. Daniel was somewhat curious to ask more about Selera’s past, but it was clear she wasn’t ready to talk yet.

After that, the two of them returned to the palace. Ilaris was playing with Fino, though they were all very hungry.

Fortunately, Andreas’s palace had a personal chef. Though not on the level of a royal chef, his food was still very delicious.

After eating, Daniel decided to test the skills of the two and see just how strong they were. He needed that information for further planning.

They went to the training grounds, and Daniel sparred with both of them. He didn’t use any energy or skills—just raw physical strength. Naturally, they weren’t restricted either.

The result was exactly as expected. Neither of them could even land a scratch on him, and they were completely beaten one-sidedly.

"You’re much weaker than I thought." Daniel sighed. He had expected a lot more from Andreas, but he was disappointed.

"Don’t you think you’re just too strong?" Andreas grumbled. He had fought many people before, but among them, Daniel was a real monster.

His body was no different from a mountain. Every time Andreas hit him, it felt like striking a living mountain.

How could a body be that strong?

"Excuses. I don’t like excuses." Daniel muttered, refusing to accept such reasoning.

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure both of you reach a decent level of strength by tomorrow." A smile appeared on his face.

But in Ilaris and Andreas’s eyes, that smile was no different from the grin of a demon. Their instincts told them the coming hours would be nothing short of hellish.

And they were right. Time passed slowly, and night eventually came. For hours, Daniel had beaten them relentlessly until both lay on the ground like moving corpses.

From Daniel’s perspective, the best training was to take a beating. The more they were beaten, the more they would understand their weaknesses, and naturally, they would try to fix them.

"I have to say, you both endured really well until now." He glanced at them and nodded in acknowledgment.

He had used the same training method on other descendants of the Lionheart family he had met at the training grounds.

The results had been decent, but their willpower and endurance weren’t nearly as strong as Andreas’s and Ilaris’s. The difference was like heaven and earth.

At best, the others lasted half an hour before passing out from exhaustion and pain. But these two had managed to endure for several hours.

That alone deserved real respect and praise.

He raised his hand, and streams of Death Energy surged from his palm, flowing into their bodies. The Death Energy erased all their fatigue and pain—essentially giving them death, in a sense.

"All my fatigue is gone..." Andreas looked at himself in confusion.

"Same here! I don’t even feel pain anymore." Ilaris also realized it, her eyes full of surprise.

"What exactly did you do?" Both of them turned their eyes on Daniel.

"I’m hungry. Let’s go eat." Daniel ignored their question and walked back toward the palace.

The two could only sigh and follow him from behind. After returning, the three of them bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and waited while dinner was being prepared.

Daniel also received new clothes—a noble outfit that suited his demeanor, making his presence even more dignified and commanding.

"It really looks good on you." Ilaris blushed slightly when she saw him.

"You look way more stylish now." Andreas smirked.

Daniel smiled and nodded, then sat down across from them. Dinner was served, and they ate everything without wasting or leaving a single bite.

Their stomachs were so full that it even made walking a bit difficult.

"Tomorrow, Andreas and I will be leaving on a mission for a while. Can you protect Fino while we’re gone?" Daniel looked at Ilaris and asked.

"Can’t I come with you?"

"Unfortunately not. The place we’re going is too dangerous." Andreas replied.

"If that’s the case, then fine. But please take care of yourselves. And don’t worry, I’ll definitely look after Fino." Ilaris answered with a smile. At that moment, Fino flew from the table—still chewing on meat—and landed in her arms.

Daniel smiled. Thankfully, he didn’t need to worry about the baby dragon. He also gave Ilaris a few instructions, like never taking Fino outside the palace.

Though it sounded strange to Ilaris, she didn’t ask. Surely Daniel had his own reasons, right?

After that, the three of them returned to their rooms to rest. Daniel lay staring at the ceiling and sighed.

"In three or four days, my work here will finally be done, and I’ll be able to return home for a while." He slowly closed his eyes.