Chapter 21

【21】20

“Wish to contract with Pirina?”

-Yes. Reina refused when Leo and Ellen offered to repay her favor. She said that saving a friend is only natural. But it always lingered in my mind.

Pirina smiled faintly.

-The source of Zerdinger’s power is the flame of the Phoenix. If you have the qualifications of a summoner, there is none better suited to be the contractor of the Phoenix.

‘Even so, I didn’t expect the Phoenix to directly propose a contract.’

The proud Phoenix is definitely not the type of familiar to propose a contract first.

-Of course, I’m not suggesting you contract right now. Once you grow as a summoner…

“Is it possible now?”

-Huh?

Even if Pirina shows willingness to contract, with Leo’s current strength, it would be impossible to form a contract.

But Leo had the self-confidence to make it happen.

No matter what others say, he was the one who brought an end to the Era of Catastrophe, and he had handled powerful familiars in his previous life.

‘Yet, I never contracted with the Phoenix in my past life.’

During the time he was Kyle, he wanted to form a contract with the Phoenix.

Forming a contract with a powerful familiar naturally aids the growth of a summoner.

But Pirina frowned.

-I understand your intentions, but you’re not strong enough to form a contract right now. A recklessly attempted contract could cost you your life.

A contract with the Phoenix is an ordeal, especially. Even Pirina can’t help with that part.

“I know. But I’m confident.”

‘This reckless challenge to impossibility looks exactly like Reina. Yet, I can’t put her son in danger.’

While pondering, Pirina came up with a good idea.

-If your intention is truly firm, I will contract with you. However, the Phoenix to form a contract with won’t be me.

“Huh?”

Whoosh-!

Before Leo’s eyes, crimson flames flickered.

As these flames subsided, a golden egg the size of a fist appeared, making Leo’s eyes grow wide.

‘A Phoenix egg?’

-The egg is the soon-to-hatch offspring of me. Try to tame this one.

Taming an unhatched Phoenix egg naturally brings the contract to fruition. Given its current state as an egg, there would be no risk in attempting the contract.

However, the difficulty of taming is comparable to that of a top-tier familiar.

‘A Phoenix egg, huh? This is quite the trial.’

Leo smirked after receiving the golden egg.

‘To an ordinary person, certainly.’

Whoosh-!

As Leo summoned his spirit power, the Phoenix egg reacted by spewing crimson flames.

Leo gritted his teeth from the intense heat.

‘Even a trace of the Phoenix flame is beyond what a young human boy can handle.’

Pirina thought Leo would definitely give up soon.

However, Leo didn’t. He closed his eyes and focused.

His consciousness gradually drifted away.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw absolute darkness.

The space of consciousness one enters when being tested by a top-tier familiar.

It was, quite literally, the world of trial that determines the worthiness of the contractor.

The world of the yet-to-be-born Phoenix was devoid of everything—except the blazing crimson flame.

Leo reached out without hesitation.

In response, the flames engulfed Leo’s body and began to burn fiercely.

A Phoenix burns its own body to emit powerful firepower in the process, feeling endless pain along the way.

That pain is the cost of being celebrated as the strongest familiar.

Familiar pacts are based on bonds. To bond with the Phoenix, it necessitates understanding its pain.

That’s why a contract with the Phoenix is particularly challenging.

“Guh!”

Leo’s face twisted in excruciating pain.

To overcome the trial, only great mental strength would suffice.

Pirina’s eyes widened in surprise.

– No way…?

Whooshhh-!

The flames burning fiercely were sucked into the golden egg.

Click!

Cracks formed on the surface of the egg.

Pirina appeared disbelieving.

-Did he succeed?

Whoosh!

As the egg absorbed all the flames, Leo’s eyes opened.

In that instant, his bl**d-red eyes flashed crimson.

Thump!

Exhausted, Leo sat down and panted heavily.

His entire body was drenched in sweat.

But his face unmistakably wore a smile.

“I’ve succeeded in the contract.”

– Hahahaha!

Pirina burst into laughter.

-Amazing! Incredible! Leo Flove! You’re a genius!

“Rather called talented… or simply hard work, I guess.”

-If a summoner at your age isn’t a genius for taming the Phoenix egg, what is? You’ve been born with the qualifications to be the strongest summoner ever!

Pirina, genuinely pleased, watched as Leo struggled to rise.

‘What does a young Phoenix look like?’

Back when he was Kyle, he had never seen a young Phoenix.

Click-click!

-A birth, my child is coming.

The cracks on the egg spread across the entire surface.

Clack!

As if a glass sculpture was breaking, the golden fragments scattered in all directions.

As the young Phoenix emerged from the egg, Leo’s demeanor slightly changed.

‘A chick?’

At that moment, accompanied by flames, Pirina transformed into a human and carefully cradled her child from Leo’s hands.

-This child’s name is Fiora, Leo. Though the contract is made, the child is still young. So, let me keep her for now.

“Yes, but I need to show the familiar I contracted for examination.”

-Then I’ll leave her with you for that duration.

With a smile, Pirina placed Fiora on top of Leo’s head.

Although she had just hatched, brimming with vitality as a Phoenix, the little one gently pecked Leo’s head a few times before sitting comfortably.

‘Is this a Phoenix? No matter how I look at it, she looks just like a chick, though.’

However, seeing the affectionate gaze with which Pirina looked at Fiora, he buried his feelings inward, unable to call her a chick in front of Pirina.

Peep!

‘She’s definitely a chick.’

*

Professor Yura took out a watch from her coat.

The three hours allotted were nearly over.

Most students had already had their familiars evaluated by Professor Yura.

Among them were students who had successfully contracted.

‘Let’s see… there are four students left?’

Furthermore, these remaining students were those Yura was most looking forward to.

Bang! Bang!

Just then, the ground shook.

The students widened their eyes as a gigantic blue bear pushed through the bushes and appeared.

“Kyaa!”

“Ah!”

Students screamed and scattered in all directions.

Some students gasped dramatically upon recognizing the blue bear.

Walking toward Professor Yura, the blue bear stooped.

Chen Sia jumped nimbly off the back of the blue bear.

“Professor, the time hasn’t ended yet, right?”

“Yes.”

‘Her uniform torn in various places; there must’ve been quite the commotion.’

“Taming is only theoretically understood yet here she goes taming the offspring of an intermediate familiar, the Aqua Bear.”

“Should I say taming or following?”

Chen Sia chuckled awkwardly, scratching her cheek.

In fact, it wasn’t entirely complete.

“If it follows you to this extent, a bit more study, and the taming would be considered complete.”

‘Looks like it’s time to make her specialize in summoning, with this level of talent.’

Even though the offspring of the Aqua Bear isn’t a complete intermediate familiar in difficulty, it’s impressive all the same.

It’s a shame, really, that someone with this ability is aiming to be a knight.

While Professor Yura was taking a deep breath, Chen Sia returned Aqua Bear to the forest.

Sometime later, a rustle in the bushes signaled Warden’s arrival.

Seated on his shoulder was a little crow.

“What kind of familiar is it?”

“A plain familiar for a top student.”

The students looked curious.

However, Associate Professor Carlo and other assistants were astonished.

“Ho? Taming the Shadow Crow, huh? With spirit magic as your major, impressive indeed.”

Upon seeing Warden, Professor Yura let out an exclamation of admiration.

The Shadow Crow is an intermediate familiar like the Aqua Bear, but unlike Chen Sia, Warden had tamed an adult.

Moreover, Shadow Crow is a difficult familiar to tame, equating to a high-tier one in terms of difficulty.

‘So you have excellent potential as a familiar summoner as well.’

“I wasn’t able to form the contract.”

“Enough.”

Just taming an intermediate familiar already places him among the top-ranking first-year students across all courses.

’Eliza will probably get the first rank in the Familiar Summoning subject, I assume.’

As if to meet those expectations,

Soon after, Eliza returned.

Unlike the other students, her appearance was neat before and after the lesson, as she approached Professor Yura with a swish of her hair.

“Where’s the familiar?”

With a laugh, Eliza spread out her hand.

A summoning circle appeared, followed by the appearance of a massive snake.

Zzzt! Zzzt!

“Ah!”

“Snake, a snake!”

As the giant white snake, large enough to swallow a person whole, flicked its tongue, female students screamed and scattered in all directions.

“Indeed, a contract with the Gorgon Snake.”

“It’s not from my family’s lineage, so I took the opportunity to form a contract.”

The Gorgon Snake.

A rare intermediate familiar.

‘Worthy indeed as the heir of the House of Hergin.’

“Very impressive! Eliza!”

“Thank you.”

Graciously lifting her uniform skirt slightly, Eliza greeted her.

‘Heeheeheehee. It’s a bumper crop this year, a bumper crop!’

Yura, laughing inwardly, then tilted her head.

‘What about Leo Flove? He’s taking quite long, isn’t he?’

Time was quickly running out.

If the time passed, no matter the familiar, it would count as a failure.

Yura felt thirsty and said,

“Give me some water.”

“Yes, Professor. Here you go.”

While opening the water jug handed by Associate Professor Carlo, Professor Yura checked the time.

Right then, Leo appeared, pushing through the bushes.

“Lord Leo. Please come.”

Chen Sia waved with a smile, but tilted her head curiously.

Taming often involves physical exhaustion.

Except for Eliza, all students had torn uniforms or covered in dirt.

But Leo’s condition was far worse than any of theirs.

His uniform was burned and charred all over.

Judging by his appearance alone, it seemed like he’d faced a formidable familiar, yet all that was visible on him was…

‘A chick?’

Perched proudly on Leo’s white hair was a small red bird chirping boldly, “Peep!”

“Did he tame a chick?!”

“Wow! Representative of the year with a chick, huh?”

“Haha, stop laughing, he can hear us! Kikik-”

The students stifled their laughter.

“Leo showed promise earlier with the griffin handling test, but now I’m quite disappointed.”

With a scoff, Carlo turned to Yura.

“Puff?! Cough! Splutter! Choke!”

But Yura, startled by the spewed water, got drenched in it.

As Carlo made an ugly face, Yura calmed down finally and looked at Leo in disbelief.

‘That lunatic guy… has he tamed a Phoenix?!’