Editor : Amethyst00



“A contract with you? Fyrina”

["Yes. When Ellen and I said we would repay Reina for her favor, she refused. She said it only natural to save a friend. But it always weighed on my mind."]

Fyrina smiled faintly.

["The source of Zerdinger’s power is the flame of the Phoenix. If you have the aptitude as a summoner, there could be no better qualification than to be a Phoenix’s contractor."]

‘Even so, for the Phoenix to directly propose a contract itself…’

A Phoenix, with its pride, was never a phantom beast that would suggest a contract first.

["Of course, I don’t mean right this moment. You need to grow as a summoner and…"]

“Can it be done now?”

["What?"]

Even if Fyrina had the intention, with Leo’s current strength, the contract was impossible.

But Leo was confident he could achieve it.

No matter what anyone said, he was the very one who had ended the Age of Calamity and in his previous life had handled mighty phantom beasts.

‘But even in my past life, I never made a contract with a Phoenix.’

Back in the days as Kyle, he had longed to form one.

Contracting with a mighty spirit beast in itself elevated a summoner’s vessel.

But Fyrina frowned.

["I understand your intention, but as you are now, you cannot contract with me. If you try recklessly, you’ll lose your life."]

The Phoenix contract was especially arduous.

It was something even Fyrina could not bypass.

“I know. But I’m confident.”

‘This unhesitant challenge of the impossible… it’s just like Reina. But I can’t let her son risk his life.’

Fyrina pondered and then thought of something.

["If your willpower is truly that firm, then I shall allow a contract. But the Phoenix you will contract with is not me."]

“Huh?”

Whoosh—!

A crimson flame flickered before Leo’s eyes.

When the flame subsided, a golden egg the size of a fist appeared, and Leo’s eyes widened.

‘A Phoenix egg?’

["That egg is my soon-to-hatch child. Try to tame this one."]

If he tamed the unborn Phoenix, the contract would naturally be made.

Since it was still in the egg, even attempting would not endanger his life.

But the difficulty of taming it rivaled that of the highest-ranked phantom beasts.

‘A Phoenix egg, huh. Quite the impossible test you’ve set.’

Leo laughed as he accepted the golden egg.

‘At least for ordinary people.’

Fwoosh—!

As Leo raised his spiritual power, the egg responded, bursting into crimson flames.

The intense heat made Leo grit his teeth.

‘Even faint though it is, Phoenix fire is not something a human boy could endure.’

Fyrina thought Leo would soon give up.

But he didn’t. Closing his eyes, he focused his mind.

Consciousness drifted away.

When he opened his eyes again, only pitch-black darkness spread before him.

The [Realm of Trial] given by a high-ranked phantom beast.

The world of tests that judged a contractor’s worth.

In the unborn Phoenix’s realm, nothing existed.

Only a blazing crimson flame.

Leo reached toward it without hesitation.

In response, the flame wrapped around his body and roared into a fierce blaze.

The Phoenix burned itself to release immense power.

And in the process, it endured endless pain.

It was through this pain that it was revered as the mightiest phantom beast.

A contract was forged through bonds.

And to form a bond with the Phoenix, one had to understand its agony.

That was what made a Phoenix contract especially difficult.

“Ghhk!”

Leo’s face contorted in pain as flames seared through his body.

The only way to withstand the test was sheer, overwhelming willpower.

Fyrina’s eyes flew wide.

["No way…?"]

Fwoooooosh—!

The intense blaze were sucked into the golden egg.

Crack!

Fissures spread across the shell.

Fyrina’s face filled with disbelief.

["He succeeded?"]

Whump—!

The egg absorbed all the flames, and Leo opened his eyes.

For an instant, his red eyes glowed crimson.

Thud—

Exhausted, Leo collapsed, panting heavily.

Sweat drenched his body.

But his face bore a certain smile.

“I succeeded in the contract.”

["Ahahaha!"]

Fyrina burst into laughter.

["Amazing! Amazing! Leo Plov, you are a genius!"]

“Not so much genius… more like effort, I think.”

["If a summoner at your age can tame a Phoenix egg, then what else could we call you but a genius? You’re born with the makings of the greatest summoner in history!"]

Watching Fyrina rejoice sincerely, Leo struggled to his feet.

‘I wonder what a young Phoenix looks like.’

Even in Kyle’s time, he had never seen one.

Crack crack crack—!

["My child is being born."]

Cracks spread all across the egg.

Snap!

Golden shards burst outward like shattered glasswork.

And when Leo saw the Phoenix that emerged, his face twisted oddly.

‘A chick?’

The newborn Phoenix resembled a fluffy chick.

Fwoosh—!

Then, with a blaze, Fyrina took on human form and carefully lifted the child from Leo’s hands.

["This child’s name is Fiora. Leo, though you’ve formed a contract, she is still a baby. I will care for her for now."]

“Yes, but… I need to have the contracted spirit beast verified by the professor.”

["Then I shall entrust her to you for that time."]

Smiling, Fyrina placed Fiora atop Leo’s head.

Though newly born, brimming with Phoenix vitality, Fiora pecked Leo’s head with her tiny beak a few times.

Then, as if satisfied, she nestled down.

‘This is supposed to be a Phoenix? No matter how I look, it just looks like a chick.’

But seeing the loving gaze in Fyrina’s face, he couldn’t bring himself to say so aloud, and swallowed the thought.

Chirp—!

‘Yup, definitely a chick.’

bl

Professor Yura pulled a pocket watch from her chest.

The allotted three hours were almost up.

Most students had already had their phantom beasts evaluated.

Some had even succeeded in forming contract.

‘Let’s see… four left.’

And the ones remaining were those she most anticipated.

Boom—! Boom—!

The ground trembled.

As students’ eyes widened, a massive blue bear pushed through the thicket.

“Uwaah!”

“Kyahh!”

Screams rang out as students scattered.

Some who recognized the creature gasped in shock.

The great blue bear lowered itself before Professor Yura.

Chen Xia hopped down from its back.

“Professor, time’s not up yet, right?”

“Correct.”

‘Judging by all the tears in the uniform, she had quite the fight.’

“You claimed you only knew taming in theory, yet you brought back a young Aqua Bear, a mid-ranked beast.”

“Well, I don’t know if I can call it taming… maybe just that it chose to follow me.”

Chen Xia scratched her cheek awkwardly.

It wasn’t a perfect taming.

“At this level of obedience, a little more study and you’ll complete the taming.”

‘Maybe I should abduct her into the summoning department.’

Though an Aqua Bear cub wasn’t quite the same as a full mid-tier, it was still remarkable.

That someone of this ability was aiming for knight studies instead.

As a summoning professor, Yura couldn’t help but lament.

As Yura smacked her lips, Chen Xia dismissed the bear back into the forest.

A moment later, Walden emerged from the brush.

On his shoulder perched a small crow.

“What phantom beast is that?”

“Kind of plain for the honor student.”

Students looked puzzled.

But the Associate Professor Carlo and the aides gasped.

“Oh? You tamed a Shadow Crow. Impressive, considering your main major is elemental arts.”

Yura exclaimed in admiration.

The Shadow Crow, like the Aqua Bear, was a mid-tier beast—but this one was fully grown.

And Shadow Crows were notoriously difficult, with a taming difficulty rivaling high-tier.

‘His talent as a summoner is first-class.’

“I couldn’t form a contract.”

“That’s more than enough.”

Even taming a mid-tier spirit beast put him at the very top of the first-years.

‘Though in summoning class, Eliza will probably rank first.’

As if on cue, Soon Eliza returned.

Unlike the others, she looked immaculate, her hair shining as she approached Yura.

“Where is your beast?”

To Yura’s question, Eliza smirked and opened her hand.

A summoning circle glowed, and a massive serpent appeared.

Hiss—! Hiss—!

“Kyaa!”

“S-snake!”

The enormous white snake flicked its tongue, and girls shrieked and scattered.

“My, to contract with a Gorgon Snake.”

“It wasn’t in my family’s collection, so I took the chance to bind it.”

The Gorgon Snake.

A rare mid-tier beast.

‘As expected of the Hergin heir.’

“Splendid! Eliza!”

“Thank you.”

Eliza curtsied gracefully.

‘Hoohoohoo. This year’s a bumper crop.’

Smiling inwardly, Yura tilted her head.

‘But where’s Leo Plov?’

Very little time remained.

When time expired, any beast he brought would be invalid.

Feeling thirsty, Yura spoke.

“Water.”

“Yes, professor, here.”

Carlo handed her a flask. She drank it, as she's checking the time.

Just then, Leo pushed through the bushes.

“Leo-nim, welcome back!”

Chen Xia waved brightly, then blinked.

Taming often involved fighting.

Thus all students except Eliza had torn, dusty uniforms.

But Leo’s state was far worse.

His uniform was scorched and blackened all over.

Judging by appearances, he ought to have brought back something extraordinary.

But what could be seen was…

‘A chick?’

Atop Leo’s white hair perched a tiny red bird, chirping proudly.

“Pfft! Did you just tame a chick?”

“Unbelievable! The class rep’s beast is a chick?”

“Hey, don’t laugh, he’ll hear! Hehehe—”

Students snickered.

“I had high hopes after seeing him handle the griffon, but… rather disappointing.”

Carlo chuckled and glanced toward Yura.

“Pffft—?! Ghhhk! cough cough!”

Yura choked, spraying water all over Carlo.

As Carlo sputtered, Yura barely regained herself, eyes wide as she stared at Leo.

‘That lunatic actually tamed a Phoenix?!’