Shane looked at her shocked expression and frowned impatiently. "Otherwise? If not you, then me and Erza?"
He looked the girl up and down, his tone carrying a few points of his characteristic mockery. "Can you have some awareness of being a captive? Doing housework is better than being tied up by hands and feet and thrown in a corner, right?"
He took a step closer, staring into her pitch-black pupils full of astonishment, his speech speeding up. "If you are really so reluctant, then spit out the intelligence earlier and leave quickly. Saves trouble for everyone."
Ultear was choked by his words, her chest heaving.
She bit her lower lip hard. Those elegant egret-like eyes almost spewed fire, staring scorchingly at Shane's face, as if to burn through him.
The air almost solidified in the confrontation between the two.
Finally, after several minutes of psychological struggle and construction, Ultear seemed to be forced to accept some huge insult, squeezing out an almost inaudible "Mhm" from her throat.
She walked stiffly toward the cleaning tools in the corner. Under Shane's unceremonious command, she first held her breath and wiped the sofa clean. Watching Shane and Erza sit down, she then picked up the rag and walked into the bathroom with stiff steps.
Erza watched Ultear's back disappear at the bathroom door, sitting up straight. She was somewhat unaccustomed to being served. "Shane, is this—really okay? Besides, releasing her restraints like this, aren't you worried she might take the opportunity to escape or do something?"
Shane leaned back grumpily. "Acting like cleaning is a huge insult; even I don't have such big pride as her. Didn't we also split up cleaning at home before?
I actually hope her strong pride can be more 'useful,' unable to stand it sooner, tell me the news, and then leave."
Saying this, he seemed to suddenly remember something and patted his forehead. "However, you did remind me. Having no restrictions on her at all is indeed not very safe."
As his voice fell, he extended his hand. Faint luster flowed in his palm, rapidly manifesting a dark, seemingly exceptionally sturdy metal shackle.
He bent down and locked one end of the shackle onto his own left ankle with a crisp click.
Then, he stood up, dragging the other end of the shackle, walking straight toward the bathroom where sounds of water and wiping came from.
In the bathroom, Ultear had rolled up her sleeves and was reluctantly wiping the edge of the bathtub. Seeing Shane come in, she immediately stopped her movements vigilantly.
Shane ignored her guarded look, squatted down, and under the girl's astonished gaze, locked the other end of the shackle onto her exposed right ankle with a click.
The cold metallic touch made Ultear tremble all over.
"You—what are you doing again?!" Ultear's voice carried suppressed anger.
"Guarding against you; do you even need to ask?"
Shane stood up, clapped his hands, looking at her with an expression of "how could you ask such a stupid question."
Saying this, his gaze moved down, landing on her feet, bare on the cold tiles because of cleaning.
He thought for a moment and snapped his fingers considerately. The middle part of the shackle connecting the two flashed slightly, instantly extending a lot.
"Mhm, fifty meters. Enough for you to move freely in the house; convenient for cleaning too." Shane estimated the area of the house and nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he moved his locked ankle, feeling the unexpectedly light weight, quite satisfied with the material he manifested.
Just right, maintaining its existence could also squeeze out heat flow daily to temper his physique, killing two birds with one stone.
After adapting a few times like this, he looked at Ultear whose face turned green and white, finally saying, "This shackle is manifested by my magic; rest assured about its sturdiness. If you feel unhappy wearing this, then hurry up and confess what needs to be confessed. Good for you, good for me."
After speaking, he ignored Ultear's murderous gaze and turned to leave.
"Bastard!"
After he left, Ultear lowered her eyes to look at the dark shackle connecting herself and that hateful man, gritting her silver teeth.
Perhaps, she really had to consider seriously whether to reveal some intelligence.
Otherwise, who knew how she would be toyed with by that despicable man.
Carrying a body of water vapor, Shane came out of the bathroom leisurely.
Erza, who had been sitting upright, couldn't hide the surprise on her face seeing this. She lowered her voice. "She—accepted it just like that?"
According to her observation of Ultear during this period, the other party had pride in her bones, definitely not a character who would submit so meekly.
"I actually hope she doesn't accept it." Shane sighed faintly, lifting his locked left foot, the shackle clattering. " having this thing on the foot is uncomfortable no matter how light it is."
Looking at his disgusted and helpless appearance, Erza couldn't help bursting into laughter with a pfft.
"Hey, what's so funny?" Shane glanced at her dissatisfiedly.
Suddenly wanted to put a pair of shackles on Erza too, for the two to reminisce about the days in the Tower of Heaven after a long time.
Waiting until Ultear stumbled through roughly cleaning the bathroom, Shane finally took a bath as he wished and lay on the long-lost bed.
Body relaxed, thoughts began to drift far away.
So, it's been a while since buying this house. Why hasn't the trial of "Initiation" been completed?
How long exactly does the so-called "stability" need to last? There isn't a specific date either.
Shane was somewhat depressed. Now that Brain's threat was temporarily lifted, besides living step by step, he naturally wanted to complete more trials to obtain authority.
He had been eyeing those gray Classes and Traits for a long time, just waiting to save up three authorities for a summon.
Just as he was thinking, the shackle on his ankle moved abruptly, transmitting a slight dragging sensation.
Shane raised an eyebrow, irritability surging in his heart. What time is it? Can't a person have some peace?
He rolled out of bed, the shackle chain dragging on the floor with fragmented sounds. Following the feeling, he walked toward the secluded small room assigned to Ultear.
The door wasn't locked. He pushed it open to look. The room only had a simple bed and a chair. The bed sheets and quilt cover were spare items Erza dug out, plain to the point of being simple.
But this wasn't the key.
The key was, the room was empty.
"Where is she?" A trace of doubt rose in Shane's heart.
With Ultear's intelligence, she shouldn't make such a reckless move as running away directly.
His gaze swept quickly across the room, finally fixing on the open window.
He saw that a section of the dark shackle connecting the two was resting on the window sill, extending into the night outside the window.
Shane walked to the window and looked up following the direction of the chain.
He supported himself on the window sill with one hand, flipped out of the window neatly, and climbed onto the slightly sloping roof with agile movements.
Moonlight like water spilled on the tiles.
He saw Ultear sitting in the moonlight on the ridge of the roof, hugging her knees, curling up her body, her chin resting on her knees, staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.
Shane walked over dragging the chain, metal rubbing against tiles making light sounds.
He stopped behind her, looking at this curled-up back completely different from the previous enduring image, and couldn't help opening his mouth: "Such a weak posture," he paused, "really doesn't suit you."