Chapter 19: The First Contract
The atmosphere inside the classroom shifted.
What was once a place of idle chatter and post-lesson excitement had turned tense—heavy, suffocating.
At the center of it stood Fate Kindspring.
Face to face with the red-and-black-haired student, eyes glaring in just enough to make his intent unmistakable.
The reason was clear to anyone who had been paying attention.
They had crossed a line.
Lisa Astryx sat quietly at her desk, book still open, expression unreadable. She hadn't screamed. She hadn't resisted.
And that alone infuriated them.
Fate's glare loosened and he said with a commanding voice.
"Don't cross the line."
His voice was cold.
Not loud.
Not emotional.
Just… final.
The air around him felt heavier, pressing down on the three students like invisible weight. No one laughed. No one cheered.
Only whispers remained.
The three boys stood frozen for a heartbeat.
They could walk away.
They should walk away.
But pride fragile and arrogant won.
The red-and-black-haired student clenched his fist and shouted, his voice cracking with fury.
"You bastard! How dare you grab me like that?! Do you even know who I am?!"
He pointed to his chest.
"I'm the son of a noble!"
Fate's eyes didn't change.
"So what?"
The response was immediate.
"My father is a duke," Fate continued calmly.
"What difference does it make?"
Silence fell.
The delinquent's mouth opened—then closed. No words came out.
Around them, murmurs grew louder.
"Did he just say duke…?" "They really messed up" "I mean he is still the adopted son by the Patriarch of the Kindspring Family…"
The pressure mounted.
Unable to endure the stares and criticism, the three students snapped.
One by one, magic circles flared.
Weapons materialized in their hands.
At the same time—
Kyle stood.
The heavy sound of metal echoed as his claymore appeared, resting against his shoulder.
Isabelle rose beside him, silver rapier gleaming as she pointed it directly at Thomas.
"Control your friends," Isabelle said, her voice sharp and commanding.
"Unless you want this to escalate further."
Thomas scoffed, sweat forming at his temple.
"Humph! Us?"
"Maybe you should control your friends instead!"
He glared at Fate.
"Just because the three of you hold higher status doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
Kyle's grip tightened around his claymore.
"Step down," he warned.
"Before I make all of you kneel."
The third student—brown hair, black eyes—stepped forward, spear leveled.
"Who do you think we are? Commoners?"
"Don't compare us to those low-status people!"
Fate slowly raised his cold-steel sword.
The blade caught the light.
"Then why don't we take this outside?"
The tension snapped.
THUD!
Something landed between them.
A wooden golem, roughly the size of a desk, rose from the floor, its limbs creaking unnaturally.
Before anyone could react—
Roots erupted from the ground.
They shot upward like serpents, wrapping around legs, arms, and weapons.
The six students were restrained in an instant.
"W-What—?!"
They struggled, but the bindings only tightened.
A figure appeared.
A man wearing a hooded professor's uniform stepped forward calmly. Dark-green hair, golden eyes, a lean but fit build.
With a simple gesture, he spoke.
"You can release them now."
The roots retreated immediately.
The man looked at them with mild amusement.
"Name's Dylan Jones," he said casually.
"Your sub-professor for taming lessons."
He wasted no time.
"Now," he continued, voice firm,
"someone explain what was going on."
A hand rose.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Professor Dylan said.
Princess Caelira stepped forward and explained everything—from the initial harassment to Fate's intervention and the near escalation.
She didn't omit a single detail.
"And that is what happened, Professor."
Professor Dylan nodded slowly, stroking the wooden golem beside him.
"I see… so that's how it is."
After a brief pause, his lips curved slightly.
"Then we'll resolve this properly."
All eyes turned to him.
"The six of you," he said,
"will fight using your tamed familiars."
Gasps echoed.
"It's perfect timing," he continued.
"Your first semester assessment is to summon and tame your first familiar anyway."
He snapped his fingers.
A magic circle appeared.
From it emerged a creature resembling a kangaroo, its fur shimmering in blue and purple hues, a pouch resting on its abdomen.
Professor Dylan extended his hand.
"Summoning papers."
The beast obediently handed him a stack of enchanted papers.
"These are summoning circles," Professor Dylan explained.
"Bite your thumb, let a single drop of blood fall, and chant: Vocare."
He handed them out.
"Once summoned," he added,
"place your palm near the creature and say Tame."
He clapped his hands.
"Good luck."
A faint metallic scent spread through the classroom.
Some students flinched at the pain, others clenched their teeth and endured it in silence.
Magic circles began to glow one by one different colors, different intensities followed by flashes of light as various beasts started to manifest beside their summoners.
Gasps echoed throughout the room.
Fate watched quietly.
(So this is the first contract…)
He lowered his gaze to the paper in his hand.
The magic circle drawn on it pulsed faintly, as if waiting.
After a brief pause, Fate bit down on his thumb.
A sharp sting followed, warm blood pooling at the surface of his skin. He let a single drop fall onto the paper.
The moment it touched the circle, the lines reacted—mana surged, the symbols glowing brighter.
Fate inhaled slowly.
"…Vocare."
Light began to illuminate, and then—
He stood submerged in a deep ocean.
Crystal reefs glowed.
Gems illuminated the darkness.
But there were no creatures.
Fate said to his self quietly.
"…What is this…?"
Then—
Light flared behind him.
Fate turned.
A giant jellyfish, ethereal and beautiful, floated silently.
Three-layered bell. Two types of tentacles. Light-purple glow.
Fate snapped back to reality.
A small jellyfish hovered above his palm.
He activated his skill.
(Dragon Eyes)
Aether Jellyfish
Race: Aether Jellyfish
Contracted: None
Skills:
– Body Size Manipulation
– Paralyzing Venom
– Healing Fluid
Basic Info:
A deep-sea water-type creature. Smaller tentacles produce paralyzing venom, while larger ones secrete healing liquid capable of curing wounds.
Fate smiled.
He placed his hand close.
"My name is Fate Kindspring," he said softly.
"I ask you to walk with me through countless struggles."
"Tame."
[Congratulations, you have learned the skill: Tame]
Tame
Rarity: Uncommon
– Forms a contract between tamer and beast
– Success depends on level difference and submission
– A red mark signifies a completed bond
A red mark appeared on the back of his hand.
The bond was complete.
Professor Dylan spoke again.
"To finalize the bond, name your familiar."
Fate looked down at the small jellyfish gently floating around his hand.
Its faint, light-purple glow reflected in his eyes, calm and soothing—nothing like the violent image most people associated with monsters.
(A name…)
For a moment, his thoughts drifted.
A quiet place surfaced in his memory clear water, gentle currents, the feeling of peace he rarely experienced anymore.
(Back then… water always felt comforting.)
He watched the jellyfish move, its body pulsing softly, almost shyly, as if responding to his presence.
(Aether… Jellyfish…)
The words felt too cold. Too mechanical.
Then, a familiar sound formed in his mind.
"Soo-ah…"
Fate's eyes softened.
He looked directly at the jellyfish and spoke gently.
"How about Soo-ah? In my past homeland, it means Beautiful Water."
He raised his hand slightly, allowing it to hover closer.
"'Soo' means water," he continued quietly,
"combined with 'ah'… for beautiful."
The Aether Jellyfish suddenly spun in a small circle, its glow brightening as if it understood.
Fate smiled faintly.
"Your name will now be Soo-ah."
Chapter 19 end