CHAPTER~29 Contract: Soul or Slave

“Hey, System, what’s the current affection of… them? ” I asked, voice low.

A soft chime answered me , and the familiar notification blinked into existence, numbers and bars aligning neatly before my eyes.

The numbers hovered in front of me steady and unforgiving.

I glanced at the System.

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Lucan :- 3 → 24

[SYSTEM COMMENT : Target displays heightened interest and consider host as a friend. Emotional state categorized as : Amused and Actively Engaged.]

_______________________________________________

I paused.

… Huh.

I raised an eyebrow. Lucan’s affection had actually improved this much.

Then i looked the system once again

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Iris—15

[ SYSTEM COMMENT: Target exhibits open approval and positive emotional alignment. Current state categorized as: Amused, Supportive, and Mildly Protective.]

I let out a quiet breath.

_______________________________________________

That tracked. Iris never hid what she felt. If anything, she made sure everyone else knew she felt it.

My eyes moved again.

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Aria—19

[ SYSTEM COMMENT: Target demonstrates sustained interest and growing trust. Emotional state categorized as: Observant, Intrigued, and Quietly Amused.]

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… Of course.

Aria never said much. She didn’t need to.

The numbers faded, leaving only the afterimage behind—and the realization that, somehow, I’d walked away from today with more allies than enemies.

Lucan was the first to break the silence, leaning back in his chair like he hadn’t just been part of a minor academic incident.

“So,” he said, grin lazy, eyes sharp, “faculty room already? You speedrunning your reputation now, Louis?”

Iris shot him a look. “You’re one to talk. You enjoyed every second of it.” Then her gaze softened as it shifted to me. “Stil— next time, try not to collide with trouble head-on.”

Aria didn’t say anything at first. She simply watched me, head tilted slightly, as if weighing something invisible. After a moment, she spoke

—quiet, precise.

“You handled it better than expected but be careful Arthur is stronger than you think"

"Yaa dont be stupid and challenge him like this idiot" iris said pointing lucan"

“Why is it always me?” he demanded. “I didn’t even say anything"

I shrugged, forcing a light tone . “ Relax . I’m not planning to challenge anyone. I just have a talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

"Thats not a talent"aria said

Their banter washed over me, unfamiliar in a way I didn’t have words for. I didn’t interrupt I didn’t need to. Just hearing them argue, warn, and tease like this was… grounding

In my past life at the orphanage silence had been safer than attachment You learned early not to expect anything

So I felt a strange comfort

They were worried

About me

The realization settled slowly

uncomfortably like something fragile I didn’t know how to hold My chest it was tightened not with fear but with something far more dangerous.

Belonging.

I looked at them and said nothing, afraid that if I spoke, the moment would break. That if I acknowledged it, it would disappear like everything else I’d ever held onto.

So I stayed quiet

The canteen noise slowly crept back in cutlery clinking, distant laughter, footsteps passing by but our table felt strangely separate from it all, like a pocket of calm carved out of chaos.

Iris was the first to notice my silence. “ Oi, ” she said, nudging my shoulder with his elbow. “You still with us?”

I blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking.”

Aria’s gaze shifted to me, thoughtful. “Tomorrow is the familiar contract day, right?” she asked calmly.

“Do you have any particular familiar in mind?”

Before I could answer, Iris leaned back in her chair with a grin.

“If he says something dramatic like "fate will decide I’m flipping the table.”

I snorted

Aria turned next. “What about you, Lucan?”

I coughed loudly,Deliberately.

Lucan flinched, nearly choking on his drink, then shot me a glare as his ears turned red. “, He kicked me under the table. "A-Are you asking me?” he snapped

I winced but said nothing.

For someone who was loud, confident, and painfully well-known, Lucan completely fell apart when it came to Aria. No jokes. No swagger. Just awkward pauses and poorly hidden nerves.

Aria tilted her head.

Iris noticed. Of course she did.

Her eyes flicked from Lucan to Aria, then to me. A slow smile spread across her face, the kind that said you see it too, don’t you?

I met her gaze and smiled back.

Yeah. I saw it.

Iris leaned back in her chair, hands laced behind her head, completely at ease.

“As for me?” she said, grinning. “I want something strong. Loud. Something that actually listens when I tell it to burn things.”

She glanced at me sideways.

“ Preferably with wings. Or claws. Or both. ”

Aria raised an eyebrow.

“ That’s… very specific. ”

Iris shrugged. “ Hey, if I’m making a contract, I’m not settling. A familiar should match its master, right ? ”

Her smile sharpened, eyes bright with anticipation.

“I want something that won’t hesitate. Something that stands its ground.”

For a moment, the playful tone dropped. Just for a heartbeat.

Then she laughed, waving it off.

“Also, it has to look cool. That part’s non- negotiable.”

I listened to Iris talk

Familiar Contract Day.

It was the day every student both anticipated and feared.

The day a student formed a lifelong contract with a familiar a bond between two souls.

The familiar could be anything as a harmless kitten, a loyal hound, or a mythical beast spoken of only in legends.

That single summoning would decide a student’s future at Erynthia Academy.

A powerful familiar became an asset.strength, status, protection.

A weak one? A curse.

Because this wasn’t just a partnership. It was resonance.

Pain shared. Damage reflected. If a familiar was wounded,

its contractor felt the backlash mild, but unmistakable. And if the familiar died… no one liked to finish that sentence.

That was why students trembled.

Contracts were meant to last a lifetime. Breaking one was nearly impossible.

Nearly.

There had been cases rare, almost taboo where a familiar abandoned its contractor.

The Academy recorded them as anomalies. Failures. Warnings.

And among those records was a name.

Louis Casper.

Of course

In the original course of events, Louis summoned a mid-level ice beast. Strong. A slightly Rare. Valuable. On paper, it was a success.

In reality, it was a disaster.

Louis treated the familiar like a tool. A slave. He ignored its will, dismissed its pain, and forced obedience through authority rather than trust.

they didn't share pain

they didn't share emotions or anything The bond fractured almost immediately.

Seven days.

That was all it lasted.

One week later, the familiar severed the contract and vanished an event recorded as the fastest contract failure in the history of Erynthia.

A lifetime bond.

Broken in seven days.

And tomorrow… was that very day again.

Aria’s gaze shifted to me again, quiet but steady. “And you?” she asked. “You’ve been avoiding the question.”

Lucan nodded a little too quickly. “Yeah. You’re suspiciously quiet about this.”

Three pairs of eyes turned toward me.

I hesitated.

In my past life, choices like this didn’t exist. You didn’t choose companions. You took what you were given. At the orphanage, bonds were temporary

kids disappeared overnight, promises dissolved without explanation

So it was kind of strange

A familiar wasn’t just power.

It was a companion

“I don’t know yet,” I said finally. “I don’t think I want something flashy.”

Iris groaned dramatically. “Boo. Lame answer.”

I ignored her. “I want something that stays,” I continued, quieter now. “Something that doesn’t run the moment things get hard.”

“For me a familiar isn’t a weapon,” I said. “It’s a partner".

A contract Mutual. If I’m asking it to trust me with its life, I should be ready to do the same.”

Then Iris exhaled slowly. “Wow. Okay. That got… deep.”

She studied me with a new look less teasing, more thoughtful. “You’d better not get something pathetic,” she added, recovering. “Because now I’m emotionally invested.”

Lucan snorted, trying to reclaim his usual bravado. “Great. Now if your familiar turns out to be a chicken or something it would be hilarious"

Iris smirked. “Please. With his luck, it’ll be some ancient sealed calamity that only wakes up once every thousand years.”

I didn't answer because with my system it might happens

The thought lingered longer than I expected.

Tomorrow wasn’t just a ceremony. It was a mirror. It would reflect who we were or who we believed ourselves to be.

I didn’t know what would answer my call.

I didn’t know if I deserved anything powerful.

But for the first time, the fear wasn’t about failure.

It was about responsibility.

Somewhere beyond the Academy walls, countless souls waited for a master And tomorrow…

One of them would hear mine.