Book 1 Chapter 21

【21】20

"A contract with Firina-ssi?"

-Yes. Reina refused when Ellen and I offered to repay her kindness. She said saving a friend was only natural. But that always bothered me.

Firina smiled brightly.

-The source of Zerdinger's power is the Phoenix's flame. If you have the aptitude as a summoner, you are not qualified to be a Phoenix contractor.

'Even so, I never expected the Phoenix to propose a contract directly.'

A proud Phoenix was never a mythical beast that would propose a contract first.

-Of course, I'm not saying we should contract right now. Once you grow as a summoner…

"Is it possible now?"

-Huh?

Even if Firina was willing to contract, it was impossible with Leo's current power.

But Leo was confident he could achieve the contract.

No matter what anyone said, he was the one who ended the Age of Calamity and handled powerful mythical beasts in his previous life.

'I never contracted with a Phoenix even in my previous life.'

When he was Kyle, he also wanted to contract with a Phoenix.

Contracting with a powerful mythical beast alone was enough to make a summoner grow.

But Firina showed reluctance.

-I understand your feelings, but you cannot make a contract with me now. If you try recklessly, you will lose your life.

Contracting with a Phoenix is particularly arduous.

That part even Firina couldn't help with.

"I know. But I'm confident."

'His unwavering challenge to the impossible is so much like Reina. But I can't put her son in danger.'

Firina, deep in thought, had a good idea.

-If that's truly your will, I will contract with you, but. The Phoenix you will contract with is not me.

"Excuse me?"

Fwoosh-!

A crimson flame flickered before Leo's eyes.

As the flame receded and a golden egg the size of a fist appeared, Leo's eyes widened.

'A Phoenix egg?'

-That egg is my child, who will soon hatch. Try taming this child.

If you tame a Phoenix egg that hasn't hatched yet, a contract will naturally be formed.

Since it's still an egg, there's no danger even if you attempt a contract.

However, the taming difficulty is as high as that of a top-tier mythical beast.

'A Phoenix egg, huh. They're testing me with something impossible.'

Leo, who received the golden egg, smiled.

'For an ordinary person, that is.'

Fwoosh-!

As Leo unleashed his spiritual power, the Phoenix egg reacted by emitting a crimson flame.

Leo gritted his teeth at the intense heat.

'Even if it's faint, it's the Phoenix's flame, not a power a young human boy can handle.'

Firina thought Leo would soon give up.

But Leo didn't give up, closing his eyes and concentrating his mind.

His consciousness gradually drifted away.

Eventually, when he opened his eyes, he saw pitch-black darkness.

The space of consciousness where one is tested by a top-tier mythical beast.

It was literally a world of trials that determined the contractor's worth.

There was nothing in the world of the unborn Phoenix.

Only burning crimson flames.

Leo unhesitatingly reached out his hand.

In response, the flames wrapped around Leo's body and began to burn fiercely.

A Phoenix burns its own body to unleash powerful flames.

In that process, it feels endless pain.

In exchange for that pain, it is praised as the mythical beast with the strongest power.

A pact with a mythical beast is based on a bond.

And to build a bond with a Phoenix, one needed to understand the Phoenix's pain.

This was why contracting with a Phoenix was particularly difficult.

"Ugh!"

Leo's face contorted in agony from the burning pain throughout his body.

Only a strong mental fortitude could overcome the trial.

Firina's eyes widened.

-Could it be…?

Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-!

The intensely burning flames were sucked into the golden egg.

Crack-crack-!

Cracks appeared on the surface of the egg.

Firina looked disbelieving.

-He succeeded?

Swoosh-!

As the egg absorbed all the flames, Leo opened his eyes.

For a moment, Leo's red eyes flashed crimson.

Thud-

Exhausted, Leo slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

His entire body was drenched in sweat.

But his face was definitely smiling.

"I succeeded in the contract."

-Ahahahaha!

Firina burst into laughter.

-Amazing! Truly amazing! Leo Flove! You are a genius!

"Rather than a genius… it's effort, I guess."

-If a summoner who tames a Phoenix egg at your age isn't a genius, then what is it! You are born with the aptitude of the strongest summoner in history!

Watching Firina genuinely rejoice, Leo struggled to get up.

'What does a baby Phoenix look like?'

Even as Kyle, he had never seen a baby Phoenix.

Crack-crack-crack-!

-It's being born, my child.

The cracks on the egg spread across the entire surface.

Shatter-!

Golden fragments scattered in all directions as if a glass art piece had shattered.

Leo's face subtly changed as he saw the Phoenix emerge from the egg.

'A chick?'

The newly hatched Phoenix looked just like a chick.

Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-!

At that moment, Firina, who had transformed into human form with flames, carefully picked up her child from Leo's hand.

-This child's name is Fiona. Leo. You've contracted, but she's still a baby. So I'll keep her for a while.

"Yes, but I need to get the mythical beast I contracted with for the exam confirmed by the professor."

-Then I'll entrust her to you for that time.

Smiling brightly, Firina placed Fiona on Leo's head.

Though just born, Fiona, full of life like a Phoenix, pecked Leo's head a few times with her small beak.

Then, seemingly pleased, she settled down.

'Is this really a Phoenix? No matter how I look at it, it only looks like a chick?'

But he couldn't bring himself to say it looked like a chick in front of Firina, who was looking at Fiona with loving eyes, so he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.

Peep-!

'It really is a chick.'

***

Professor Yura took out a watch from her pocket.

The allotted three hours were coming to an end.

Most students had already had their tamed mythical beasts evaluated by Professor Yura.

Among them were students who had successfully contracted.

'Let's see… four students left?'

And the remaining students were precisely the ones Professor Yura had the highest expectations for.

Thump-! Thump-!

At that moment, the ground trembled.

As students' eyes widened, a gigantic blue bear emerged, pushing through the bushes.

"Aargh!"

"Kyaa!"

Students screamed and scattered everywhere.

A few students recognized the blue bear's identity and looked horrified.

The blue bear walked up to Professor Yura and lowered its posture.

Chen Shia, who was riding on its back, jumped down.

"Professor, the time isn't over yet, is it?"

"No."

'Seeing his torn uniform here and there, it seems like he had a tough time.'

"You said you only knew taming in theory, but you've tamed an Aqua Bear cub, an intermediate mythical beast."

"Should I call it taming… or should I say it followed me?"

Chen Shia scratched his cheek, smiling awkwardly.

In truth, he hadn't perfectly tamed it.

"If it follows you this much, a little more study on taming and it will be complete."

'Should I just abduct him and make him major in Summoning Studies?'

While an Aqua Bear cub's taming difficulty might not be considered a full intermediate mythical beast, it was still impressive.

That such a talented person was aiming for the top of the Knight Studies.

As a professor of Summoning Studies, she couldn't help but feel lamentable.

While Professor Yura licked her lips, Chen Shia sent the Aqua Bear back into the forest.

And a moment later, Warreden appeared from the bushes.

A small crow sat on his shoulder.

"What kind of mythical beast is that?"

"For a top student, that's a rather humble mythical beast."

Students looked puzzled.

But Associate Professor Carlo and the assistants were surprised.

"Oh ho? To have tamed a Shadow Crow. It's impressive for someone whose main major is spirit magic."

Professor Yura exclaimed in admiration, looking at Warreden standing before her.

The Shadow Crow was an intermediate mythical beast, like the Aqua Bear, but unlike Chen Shia's, this one was an adult.

Moreover, the Shadow Crow was a tricky mythical beast; if only considering taming difficulty, it was comparable to a high-ranking mythical beast.

'His talent as a mythical beast summoner is also top-tier.'

"I couldn't make a contract."

"That's enough."

Just taming an intermediate mythical beast put him among the top first-year students across all departments.

'Eliza will probably be first in the mythical beast summoning course.'

As if to live up to such expectations.

A moment later, Eliza returned.

Unlike other students, Eliza appeared clean, much like before class, and approached Professor Yura, her hair swaying.

"Where is your mythical beast?"

To Professor Yura's question, Eliza gave a slight laugh and spread her hand.

A summoning circle appeared, and a gigantic snake revealed itself.

Hiss-! Hiss-!

"Kyaa!"

"S-snake!"

As the massive white snake, capable of swallowing a person in one gulp, flicked its tongue, the female students shrieked and scattered everywhere.

"Oh my… to have contracted with a Gorgon Snake."

"It's a mythical beast our family doesn't have, so I decided to make a contract this time."

Gorgon Snake.

An intermediate mythical beast, and a very rare one.

'As expected of the heir to the Hergin family.'

"Excellent! Eliza!"

"Thank you."

Eliza gracefully curtsied, slightly lifting the hem of her school uniform skirt.

'Hehehehe. This year is a good harvest, a good harvest.'

Professor Yura, chuckling inwardly, tilted her head.

'But is Leo Flove still far away?'

There was truly little time left now.

Once time ran out, no matter what mythical beast he brought, he would be out.

Feeling thirsty, Professor Yura spoke.

"Give me some water."

"Yes, Professor. Here you go."

Opening the water bottle handed to her by Associate Professor Carlo, Professor Yura checked the time.

Just then, Leo emerged, pushing through the bushes.

"Young Master Leo. Welcome."

Chen Shia smiled and waved, then cocked his head.

Taming often involves physical exertion.

That's why all students' uniforms, except Eliza's, were torn or covered in dust.

But Leo's appearance was incomparably worse than that.

His uniform was burned and scorched in many places.

Just by his appearance, it seemed like he should bring something truly magnificent, but all that was visible was…

'A chick?'

A small red bird, chirping "Peep-peep-" bravely, sat on Leo's white hair.

"Pfft! Did he tame a chick?"

"Awesome! The class representative with a chick!"

"Hey, hey, don't laugh, they'll hear you! Heheheh-"

Students tried to suppress their laughter.

"Student Leo, I had high hopes when you handled the Gryphon earlier. But this is more disappointing than I thought."

Carlo let out a snicker and turned his head towards Professor Yura.

"Pffft-?! Cough! Cough! Cough! Gasp!"

And he ended up soaked in the water that Professor Yura, who had choked, spewed out.

While Professor Carlo looked distraught, Professor Yura, who had barely composed herself, stared at Leo with shocked eyes.

'Did that madman just tame a Phoenix?!'