-Yes. When Lena and Ellen offered to repay me, Phryna refused. She said saving a friend was a given. But it always weighed on my mind.
Phryna smiled.
-The source of Gerdingger's power is the phoenix's flame. If you have the potential as a summoner, there's no better qualification to be a phoenix's contractor.
‘Even so, I didn’t expect the phoenix to propose a contract directly.’
The proud phoenix would never be the one to initiate a contract.
-Of course, I’m not suggesting we contract right now. You need to grow as a summoner...
"Is it possible now?"
-Huh?
Even if Phryna was willing, with Leo’s current strength, a contract was impossible.
But Leo was confident he could make it happen.
After all, he was the one who ended the Age of Catastrophe and had handled powerful familiars in his past life.
‘I never contracted with a phoenix in my past life, though.’
Even in his days as Kyle, he had wanted to contract with a phoenix.
A contract with a powerful familiar would naturally enhance a summoner’s potential.
But Phryna was hesitant.
-I understand your heart, but you can’t contract with me now. You’ll lose your life if you try.
A contract with a phoenix is especially arduous.
Even for Phryna, it’s something she can’t do.
"I know, but I’m confident."
‘His boldness in challenging the impossible is just like Lena. But I can’t put her son in danger.’
After some thought, Phryna had an idea.
-If you’re truly determined, I’ll contract with you, but the phoenix I contract with won’t be me.
"Huh?"
Whoosh-!
A crimson flame flickered before Leo’s eyes.
As the flame dissipated, a golden egg the size of a fist appeared, causing Leo’s eyes to widen.
‘A phoenix egg?’
-This egg will soon hatch into my child. Try to tame this one.
If you tame an unborn phoenix egg, the contract will naturally be formed.
Since it’s still an egg, attempting a contract won’t put you in danger.
However, the difficulty of taming is on par with the highest-tier familiars.
‘A phoenix egg. She’s testing me with the impossible.’
Leo smiled as he took the golden egg.
‘For an ordinary person, maybe.’
Whoosh-!
As Leo summoned his spiritual energy, the phoenix egg responded with a crimson flame.
The intense heat made Leo grit his teeth.
‘Even a weak flame from a phoenix is beyond what a young human boy can endure.’
Phryna thought Leo would give up soon.
But Leo didn’t give up and closed his eyes, focusing his mind.
His consciousness began to drift away.
Eventually, when he opened his eyes, he saw pitch-black darkness.
This was the mental space where one faces the test of a high-tier familiar.
A world where the value of a contractor is determined.
In the world of an unborn phoenix, there was nothing but burning crimson flames.
Leo reached out without hesitation.
In response, the flames enveloped Leo’s body and began to burn fiercely.
A phoenix burns its own body to unleash powerful flames.
In the process, it endures endless pain.
In exchange for this pain, it is revered as the strongest familiar.
A contract with a familiar is based on a bond.
To form a bond with a phoenix, one must understand its pain.
This is why a contract with a phoenix is especially difficult.
“Gah!”
Leo’s face contorted with the burning pain.
The only way to overcome the test is with a powerful will.
Phryna’s eyes widened.
-Could it be...?
Whoosh-!
The intensely burning flames were sucked into the golden egg.
Crack-!
Cracks appeared on the surface of the egg.
Phryna looked on in disbelief.
-Did he succeed?
Whoosh-!
As the egg absorbed all the flames, Leo opened his eyes.
For a moment, his red eyes flashed crimson.
Thud-
Exhausted, Leo slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.
His body was drenched in sweat.
But his face was clearly smiling.
“I’ve succeeded in the contract.
-Ahaha!
Phryna burst into laughter.
-Amazing! Amazing, Leo Flaubert! You’re a genius!
“I’d say it’s more about effort.”
-If you’re not a genius for taming a phoenix egg at your age, what are you? You’re born with the potential to be the strongest summoner in history!
Seeing Phryna genuinely pleased, Leo struggled to stand up.
‘What does a young phoenix look like?’
He had never seen a young phoenix even in his days as Kyle.
Crack-!
-It’s hatching, my child.
The cracks spread across the entire surface of the egg.
Crack-!
Like a glass ornament breaking, golden fragments scattered in all directions.
When the phoenix emerged from the egg, Leo’s face changed subtly.
‘A chick?’
The newly hatched phoenix looked like a chick.
Whoosh-!
At that moment, Phryna, now in human form, gently took her child from Leo’s hand.
-This child’s name is Fira. Leo, you’ve contracted, but she’s still a child. So, I’ll take care of her for a while.
“Yes, but I need to have the familiar I contracted for the test confirmed by the professor.”
-Then I’ll leave her with you for that time.
Phryna smiled and placed Fira on top of Leo’s head.
Though just born, Fira, true to her phoenix nature, was full of life. She pecked at Leo’s head a few times with her small beak and then settled down.
‘Is this really a phoenix? It looks like a chick no matter how I look at it.’
But he couldn’t say it looked like a chick in front of Phryna, who was looking at Fira lovingly, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
Peep-!
‘It is a chick.’
***
Professor Yura took out a watch from her pocket.
The three hours were almost up.
Most students had already had their familiars evaluated by Professor Yura.
Among them, some had successfully contracted.
‘Let’s see... There are four left, right?’
And the remaining students were the ones Professor Yura was most looking forward to.
Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the ground shook.
As the students’ eyes widened, a giant blue bear emerged from the bushes.
“Ah!”
“Squeal!”
The students screamed and scattered.
Some students recognized the blue bear and looked shocked.
The giant blue bear walked up to Professor Yura and lowered its posture.
Chen Xia, who had been riding on its back, hopped off.
“Professor, the time isn’t up yet, right?”
“Yes.”
‘Judging by the torn uniform, it looks like she had quite a time.’
“You said taming can only be understood through theory, but you’ve tamed a mid-tier familiar, an Aqua Bear cub.”
“Should I call it taming... or following?”
Chen Xia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Actually, it wasn’t a perfect taming.
“If it follows you this well, a little more study on taming will complete it.”
‘I might as well make her a summoning major.’
While an Aqua Bear cub’s taming difficulty isn’t as high as a full mid-tier familiar, it’s still impressive.
For someone with the potential to be the top knight aspirant to have this ability...
As a summoning professor, it was heartbreaking.
While Professor Yura was thinking, Chen Xia sent the Aqua Bear back to the forest.
A moment later, Warden appeared from the bushes.
On his shoulder sat a small crow.
“What familiar is it?”
“Not bad for a top student.”
The students looked puzzled.
But Assistant Professor Carlo and the teaching assistants were surprised.
“Wow? Taming a Shadow Crow. Impressive, considering your main focus is on elemental magic.”
Professor Yura exclaimed in admiration at Warden standing before her.
A Shadow Crow is a mid-tier familiar like the Aqua Bear, but unlike Chen Xia’s, this one was an adult.
Moreover, a Shadow Crow is a difficult familiar, and in terms of taming difficulty, it’s on par with high-tier familiars.
‘He has top-tier talent as a familiar summoner.’
“I couldn’t contract, though.”
“That’s enough.”
Taming a mid-tier familiar alone puts him in the top tier of all freshmen.
‘Eliza will probably be first in the familiar summoning subject, though.’
As if to meet those expectations, Eliza returned a moment later.
Unlike the other students, she appeared as neat as before the class, her hair swaying as she approached Professor Yura.
“Where’s your familiar?”
Eliza laughed and spread her hand.
A summoning circle appeared, and a giant snake emerged.
Hiss! Hiss!
“Squeal!”
“It’s a snake!”
The giant white snake, large enough to swallow a person in one bite, flicked its tongue, causing the female students to scream and scatter.
“Wow... Contracting with a Gorgon Snake.”
“It’s not a familiar in our family, so I decided to contract with it this time.”
A Gorgon Snake.
A rare mid-tier familiar.
‘Truly worthy of being the successor of the Hergin family.’
“Very impressive! Eliza!”
“Thank you.”
Eliza elegantly lifted the hem of her uniform skirt and bowed.
‘Hehehe. This year is a bumper crop, a bumper crop.’