Takeru blinked at Kain slowly, as if the words had taken a few seconds to process through the haze of alcohol and exhaustion.
Then he gave a dry laugh. "A part to play? If you followed me home, then you saw me trip over my own feet earlier, right? What could a powerless man like me possibly do?"
Kain didn't answer immediately. His gaze was steady, almost unsettling in its calm. "You could start by not calling yourself powerless."
Takeru raised an eyebrow, unsure if he'd heard correctly. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious," Kain said. "You're not beyond saving. I can help you awaken."
The prince's smirk froze, then faltered. "Awaken?" he repeated flatly. "As in—become a beast tamer?"
Kain inclined his head slightly.
