The day of the pact ceremony arrived.

  Since morning, my stomach had been churning with tension.

  A premonition, perhaps? I couldn't shake the feeling that today wouldn't end peacefully.

  "Master Dylan, is the holy oil ready?"

  Martha held out a small silver vial. The holy oil I'd received from the church yesterday glowed with a pale golden hue and emitted a faint floral fragrance.

  "Ah, thank you."

  I took the vial and applied several drops to my neck and wrists. The cool sensation settled into my skin. More perfunctory than I'd expected, but apparently this completed my preparation for the spirits.

  "Well then, shall we?"

  The 'Spirit Chamber' deep within the academy was normally a sacred place, off-limits to most. A circular, dome-shaped stone room, its ceiling embedded with countless crystals that cast fantastical light. Complex magic circles were carved into the floor, and at their center sat an ancient altar.

  About a dozen students had already gathered, all wearing uniformly tense expressions as they waited. Nobles made up the majority, naturally, but I could see what appeared to be a few commoners as well.

  I spotted Oscar. Noticing me, he raised his hand lightly in greeting.

  "Yo, Dylan. Big day today."

  "Yeah, it is."

  I returned the gesture. Oscar maintained his usual nonchalant attitude, but I could see poorly-concealed anticipation and tension lurking in his eyes.

  "Still, quite the impressive lineup. Over there, that's..."

  Oscar indicated with his chin toward a group of students. At their center stood one tall male student.

  Golden hair loosely bound behind him, cool purple eyes gazing quietly toward the altar. Despite wearing a simple uniform without flashy ornamentation, his bearing radiated more dignity and authority than anyone else present.

  "Julius de Altius," Oscar whispered. "He was studying abroad until recently, but apparently returned for this ceremony."

  "The Altius ducal heir..."

  I muttered the name, feeling the weight of it. House Altius—a pillar standing in the shadow of the crown itself. Their authority was second only to the royal family, their bloodline served as shield to the peerage, and their wealth reportedly surpassed the national treasury. Court politics moved not without them; they were effectively the administrators of government.

  His presence made me feel the difference in our stations, despite both being nobles.

  In the original, he'd barely been involved in the story and left little impression, but seeing him in person was something else entirely.

  "And over there—"

  Next, Oscar directed his gaze toward another male student. Unlike Julius, he stood alone, silver hair bound behind him, eyes closed and arms crossed in still silence.

  "That's the rumored Kreis von Altona. Baron Altona's son."

  Oscar lowered his voice. At that name, I caught my breath. The person students had been gossiping about after the Monster Studies practical the other day.

  Indeed, his solid build was that of a warrior. Even beneath his uniform, you could tell he had well-trained muscles, and the practical sword hanging at his waist spoke to his skill.

  "...He's the one who took down a goblin alone."

  "Yeah, apparently."

  Kreis paid no attention to the surrounding commotion, simply concentrating quietly in his own world. That figure was unapproachable in a different way from Julius.

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  "Well, looks like it's about to start."

  With Oscar's words, the Spirit Chamber's doors opened heavily.

  An elderly white-haired priest appeared, along with several other clergy. And behind them emerged a familiar golden-haired saint.

  Saint Alicia.

  Clothed in pure white ceremonial robes, her expression had changed completely from yesterday to one of solemnity. Neither the merchant's face nor the approachable saint's face. Right now, she was the very image of a priest conducting sacred rites.

  "Thank you all for gathering today."

  The elderly priest began speaking in sonorous tones.

  "The pact ceremony is a sacred contract connecting humans and spirits. Approached lightly, it may invite the spirits' wrath. Prepare your hearts accordingly."

  At those words, the room's atmosphere grew even more taut.

  When the priest finished, Alicia stepped forward.

  "Now then, one at a time, please approach the altar."

  Her clear voice rang out. The first called was a girl who appeared to be a commoner. Trembling with nerves, she approached the altar, and Alicia smiled at her gently.

  "There's nothing to fear. Spirits favor pure hearts."

  When the girl knelt before the altar, Alicia sprinkled holy water and began chanting in ancient words. The magic circle glowed faintly, but even after several minutes, nothing happened.

  "—Unfortunately, there appears to be no affinity this time. But please don't be discouraged."

  At Alicia's consoling words, the girl nodded while looking down. It was a common sight, yet cruel all the same.

  "Next."

  Another student was called. Then another.

  One by one, they approached the altar, knelt, and prayed.

  And one by one, they returned to their seats with shoulders slumped.

  The magic circle remained dim. The spirits did not answer.

  A heavy silence dominated the Spirit Chamber. The reality that spirits chose their partners regardless of human desire weighed down on us. Even for nobles, contracting with a spirit was a narrow gate.

  "Damn... I think I'm gonna be sick," Oscar muttered beside me, his usual frivolity gone.

  The air was suffocating. It felt as if we were being silently judged by invisible entities. Would anyone succeed today?

  Just as that anxiety began to spread through the room—

  "Next, Julius de Altius."

  Finally, the ducal heir's turn arrived. Everyone held their breath, watching as he moved toward the altar with elegant bearing, carrying the heavy expectations of the room on his back.

  When Julius knelt before the altar, Alicia solemnly resumed her chant. At that moment, the floor's magic circle blazed with incomparable radiance. The light became a pillar, resonating with the ceiling crystals and illuminating the entire dome as bright as midday.

  "Oh..."

  Gasps of admiration escaped from various throats. The stagnant air was blown away instantly. At the light's center, Julius sat with eyes quietly closed. His figure was like that of a young king at his coronation.

  Eventually, from within the light, a spirit with the noble form of a winged lion hazily materialized.

  "A high-rank wind spirit, Sylpheed..."

  Alicia's voice rang out, tinged with surprise. The lion-like spirit with wings circled leisurely above Julius's head before being absorbed into his chest and vanishing.

  "As expected of House Altius..."

  "A contract with a high-rank spirit..."

  To the surrounding murmurs, Julius merely nodded faintly before quietly returning to his original position. They said spirits didn't care about lineage, yet the entire sequence felt inevitable somehow.

  "Next, Kreis von Altona."

  The silver-haired warrior slowly opened his eyes. He wordlessly approached the altar. His steps were heavy, like a soldier heading to battle.

  Alicia began her chant.

  And then, it happened suddenly.

  Light.

  Not just any light. Intense light so brilliant you wanted to cover your eyes enveloped the entire Spirit Chamber. This was clearly different in quality from Julius's moment. This was the pure, overwhelming manifestation of power itself.

  "What...!"

  I heard someone's sharp intake of breath. What emerged from the light was a spirit in the form of a massive wolf. Its entire body shone golden, eyes burning crimson red. Just by existing there, the room's temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

  "That is..."

  Words escaped me unbidden. Impossible.

  That appearance, that overwhelming presence, and those blazing crimson eyes.

  The Silver Wolf Fenrir...! Why is it here...!

  In Eternal Quest, the legendary-class spirit that hero Leon was supposed to contract with. Responding only to the hero's soul, granting peerless power—a unique existence. But why...!

  '—I am the "Fang of Beginning."'

  Fenrir's voice was incomparably more ancient and weighty than Julius's spirit. This wasn't a question. It was an absolute declaration carved directly into the depths of one's soul.

  'The radiance of conflict dwelling in thy soul. I shall permit thee to bear my fang as kin.'

  Kreis gave no answer. He simply gazed straight into those crimson eyes and nodded quietly.

  In that instant, the silver wolf's massive form exploded into light and surged into Kreis's body.

  "Guh...!"

  Kreis voiced his first sound of anguish and dropped to one knee. Tremendous magical power overflowed from his entire body, and the floor's magic circle flickered repeatedly as if screaming.

  When the light finally subsided, Kreis slowly stood. His eyes, which had held such quiet stillness before, now burned with sharp fighting spirit.

  "A greater spirit..."

  Alicia muttered in shock. The Spirit Chamber was dominated by complete silence.

  Even Julius had lost his cool composure, staring at Kreis with eyes that couldn't believe what they were seeing. Everyone had lost their words, shocked at witnessing a historic moment and filled with awe toward the man before them.

  —It's the same.

  Just like that time when hero Leon contracted with a spirit.

  I could only stand there, frozen in astonishment and confusion.