Before Sokram could reply, there was a knock on the door of the cabin.

Kilina opened the door and politely asked to speak with them.

Margiory motioned for her to enter, where Kilina said, “Mr. Kairo heard from one of the guards that the Dark Lightning Killer is here, and invited you to join him and his family on the third floor.”

Then her gaze shifted to Sokram, a glint of hope shining in her eyes.

“Imari is also there, and she, too, wants to meet you.”

The three grandmothers looked at him, leaving the decision to Sokram, and he nodded, “Sure, I’ll meet them.”

“Yes!” Kilina’s ears perked up, and her tail began to wag so furiously that it created a soft swishing sound loud enough to be heard despite the sound coming from the lower floor.

Then, she quickly recomposed herself and added, “I mean, I’ll wait by the door for when you’re ready to go. Thank you, and excuse me.”

But her tail, a metronome of her true feelings, wagged furiously despite her composed demeanor.

A few minutes later, Sokram and his grandmother were entering the Red Moon's exclusive third floor, where only the squad leaders, the head, and their families, and very special guests could enter.

Even in his past timeline, Sokram had only heard of it, so this room was new to him.

At the entrance, Kairo, a hulking wolf-kin with white-furred ears and tail, greeted them.

His handshake was firm, the calloused palm telling the story of countless battles.

A jagged scar sliced across his left cheek, a thin line of white against his sun-darkened skin.

His long, dark hair, tied loosely at the nape of his neck, was a wild cascade that reached the middle of his back.

He was dressed in a cotton long-sleeved black shirt, leather pants, and shin-high boots.

He was the head of the Red Moon mercenary group and Kamus’s nephew, but he was banished from the Whitefur clan.

“The hero has answered our call!” Kairo greeted Sokram and his grandmothers with a broad smile, offering his hand for Sokram to shake.

When Kairo announced his arrival, Sokram heard a few voices playfully howling from down the hallway.

After they shook hands, Kairo led Sokram and his three grandmothers inside.

The space was a revelation.

High ceilings and a sprawling layout put the definition of room to shame; it was more like a luxurious penthouse.

It was clear that, despite owning their own estates in the city, the leaders and the head also lived there.

The penthouse was a world away from the bustling tavern below.

The air was cooler and cleaner, devoid of the smells of food and alcohol.

The red décor was softer here, rich mahogany and deep crimson fabrics replacing the raw wood and bold scarlet of the floors below.

The couches looked like clouds, and the rugs felt plush and expensive underfoot.

The room Kairo led them to was a spacious living room or a meeting room, featuring two balconies: One with a view of the stage down into the tavern and another with a view of the city outside.

Standing in salutation in front of the various plush sofas were every squad leader of the Red Moon, but also Imari, Kairo’s wife, Fjonna, and her daughter, Fjoli.

The mother and daughter pair were also Sirens of the North Sea, with long fiery-red hair, and their ears were different from Imari’s, being only double pointed, but they were Nymphs nonetheless.

Fjonna had an alluring, curvy body like Imari. But it was a little more athletic and toned, a clear sign of her life as a mercenary.

Fjoli was only in her teens, like Sokram, but already showed signs that she would blossom into a beauty like her mother.

Sokram knew exactly how beautiful she was going to be, because she was one of the people he definitely changed the fate of, as she was a member of his and Kazzah’s team in his previous timeline, one of those who died in the Arachne’s nest.

Sokram always had a good impression of her, despite them not being too close.

So seeing her now didn’t have a significant effect on his emotional state. But it was still enough for the Feral to notice his heartbeat skipping a beat.

“No need to worry, my girls have mastered their self-control. And Imari too, though her voice is naturally enchanting.” Kairo joked and went on introducing his family and every member of the Red Moon.

The ten leaders of the Red Moon were often referred to as the Bloody Swords.

And their fame spread wide across Norwinter and even into some countries of the Northern Continent.

Five of them were wolf-kin, two from the Greyfur clan, and three from the Blackfur clan.

Three of them were Wood Elves, and the two remaining ones were Lion-kin sisters, clearly from the Blackmane clan.

Sokram was very knowledgeable about the Red Moon, not just for their fame and infamy.

In his past life, once he started working to unite the continent under his rule, the Red Moon was an admirable foe who fought to protect the people against his tyranny.

He had a great respect for them and included them in his plans.

He knew they were a mercenary group formed by exiled members of clans from Norwinter, and the three wood elves were from a small country south of Norwinter.

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Something he had overheard Fjoli telling his teammates about in his past timeline.

He also remembered that the Red Moon Mercenary Group had helped many small countries shift the tide of war in their favor after hiring them.

The memories were a rapid-fire montage in his mind: The last battle for the continent’s unification, the glint of their swords, the determined looks on their faces, the strategic brilliance of their movements as they faced his army.

A slow, predatory grin spread across Sokram’s face as he felt the old respect mix with his new intentions. ‘This time, you will become the sword that protects my clan…’

After the introductions were made and some mundane conversation, they were all seated, and Kairo finally turned to Sokram with an expression that showed he was ready for a business conversation.

“Young dragon, or if you prefer, Dark Lightning Killer, I didn’t just call you here for chit-chat. There are three matters that we, the Red Moon, must deal with you.”

“Uncle Kairo, please just call me Sokram. No need to be overly ceremonious, speak your mind at ease.”

Sokram smiled calmly at Kairo, knowing that at least one of the matters would be for him to sell his cultivation techniques.

He was sure that word had spread among the influential figures within the city by then.

“Well, then, Sokram. First, we of the Red Moon would like to thank you and to honor your heroic act by adding you to the Red Wall with the title the people gifted you. But none of us understand draconic culture when it comes to such things, and…”

As Kairo spoke, Hannah and Margiory couldn’t help but hold back a smirk, seeing how far they were going not to offend and gain Sokram’s friendship.

Sokram's lips curved into a more genuine smile.

He leaned forward slightly, a subtle gesture of confidence, and answered before Kairo could finish his thought.

“Uncle, there is no warrior in Eversnow that doesn’t dream of having their names or titles displayed in the Red Wall.”

He made sure to seem as approachable as possible, seeing the ferals around were still overly respectful.

“As for being a dragon, of course, there is nothing culturally wrong with it. Heh, if that was the case, do you think Agorath would demand that his followers raise statues of his and Nhiria’s dragon form?”

A bit of laughter filled the room at Sokram’s joke.

Kairo nodded, smiling and seemingly a little more at ease, “Well, then, the second matter we wanted to discuss is more of a personal one…”

Kairo motioned toward Imari and continued, “You see, my sister, Imari, has never fallen in love before coming to Eversnow. She even believed that she would die without knowing such a feeling, without realizing that because of her bloodline, she can only love one person in her whole life, someone who would gain her Soulcall.”

“And that person happened to be Kilina?” Sokram smiled at Imari.

It was a very presumptuous guess, but he knew love when he saw it.

“She told you?” Imari’s alluring and soul-reaching voice came like sea waves, and pleasant goosebumps ran through Sokram’s entire body.

“No, I guessed. Just as I guessed that you’re not just a Siren, but very close to being a Mermaid, right?”

Sokram’s tone was calm and uninterested, despite everyone in the room frowning and looking wary of him.

But he was quick to calm them, “Don’t worry, but her voice is messing with my blood, which made it quite obvious. But I have no intention of exposing someone who gave me such an amazing gift like that song.”

Still, their worries didn’t lessen, so Sokram offered a little more.

“And to even the scales… The reason your bloodline gift has such a strong effect on me is that I have two fully awakened bloodlines. The draconic and the high-humans bloodlines.”

Everyone’s eyes went wide, including his three grandmothers.

But Sokram still added, pointing at the stack of paper inconspicuously sitting on a coffee table in a corner of the room, “Of course, the magical contracts on that table will have to be altered now, right? To fit one more secret in their terms. Or should we give each other a vote of confidence and start a good friendship?”

Hannah quickly extended her sensory range toward the contracts Sokram pointed to and was surprised that he noticed such a minimal mana fluctuation when she didn’t.

“Haha, you are as amazing as Uncle said you are.” Kairo chuckled while nodding approvingly.

“Uncle?” Sokram raised an eyebrow, “You mean Grandmaster Kamus?”

“Yes, he is my late mother’s brother,” Kairo admitted, and nodded to one of the Lion-kin squad leaders to pick the contracts.

“Well, as I was saying, my sister wanted to thank you personally, and now we have to thank you twice, for warning us about the effects of her voice on people with stronger blood.”

“Well, there is a way of hiding it better, a small runic enchantment,” Sokram summoned a pen and piece of paper, drew a few runes in it and handed to Kairo, “Have one of your mages analyze it if you must, but engraving those runes on a ring and enchanting it will do the trick without affecting the power in her voice.”

His gaze shifted to Imari, a friendly grin on his lips, “Consider it a gift of friendship.”

Hearing those famous words, his three grandmothers realized… He had a plan for the Red Moon.

Although ahead of schedule, since the opportunity fell into his lap, he decided not to waste this chance.

But first, he needed to form an unbreakable bond of friendship with them. Only then would he act on his true intentions toward them.

One of the Wood Elves, his face a mask of studious intensity, took the paper from Sokram with almost trembling hands.

His fingers, long and thin, traced the lines of the runes as his eyes darted back and forth.

His expression, a mixture of awe and disbelief, told Kairo everything he needed to know about the value of Sokram’s gift.

“Thank you for this gift, Sokram. We, the Red Moon, don’t have many friends; we have many clients, but very few friends, but we are not against forming friendships, and this means a lot to us.”

Sokram flashed him a friendly grin, “Well, you said it was personal.”

But then his expression shifted to a more curious one, “But I believe the third matter is business-related, right?”

Kairo nodded, not surprised that Sokram had seen through them.

“Yes, we heard about the techniques you provided to the founding families, and we are wondering what the price for them would be.”

Sokram nodded, his right hand holding his chin and a pensive expression on his face, pretending to decide after a brief consideration.

Of course, it was all an act.

Every step was already mapped out in his mind, despite not planning on dealing with the Red Moon so soon.

Meeting Kairo’s gaze, Sokram raised two fingers, “I have two proposals, but I suspect only one will be acceptable for now. So I’ll accept half of the price now and let you think on the other half for when this new friendship becomes more substantial.”

Kairo nodded, listening tentatively, “Go on.”

“An unbreakable non-aggression pact to Norwinter, no matter the country we are fighting against, even if you don’t join our military efforts, you will not join the enemy side, no matter what. Now or in the future. And…” Sokram paused, letting the first request sink in, before finishing, “Join my clan, once I form it, as our main force.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

One of the Lion-kin sisters stood up abruptly, but kept her mouth shut.

While the other shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Fjonna, who had been sitting with her hands clasped calmly in her lap, drew in a sharp, audible gasp.

Her eyes darted from Sokram to her husband, wide with surprise at the sheer audacity of his second request.

Even Imari and Fjoli’s expressions contorted into a frown.

If there was something everybody knew, it was that the Red Moon would never belong to any noble family, clan, or kingdom.

They fought for the people and the people only.

But to Kairo, what Sokram said was true; the first part of the price he asked was quite doable.

The second part, though, hadn’t been for Sokram's carefully chosen words, his backing, and his friendliness, the situation would have turned into a confrontation.

After letting his request sink in, Sokram continued, “I know what you’re thinking, that I’m trying to rope you into Norwinter military, but no. Norwinter is the country that my family, the Dracnakrid, Androny, and now Dracony are bound to, so it’s our family responsibility to serve it while we are still on this planet.”

Kairo picked on the word planet but allowed Sokram to finish before asking anything.

“But my clan will be tied to no land, though my families will still support Norwinter until the time for us to ascend comes; the other families and organizations will not have the same obligation. But that is for the future, that is why I told you I would give you time to think about it.”

With a flick of his wrist, Sokram retrieved three scrolls from his Void Glove.

Each one smelled faintly of fresh parchment and blood ink.

He laid them on his lap, along with a pencil and a small pot of blood-ink.

He looked up, his gaze meeting Kairo's directly, and his voice was now all business despite his ever-present grin.

“I need someone of at least the True Existence level to show you something else.”