With only a few seconds left before everything totally went blank, I eagerly expected the favorable response of the Wisps... until they told me of an additional term to be included in the Contract.
'Tch! What now?!' I growled in impatience.
"What do you want?"
The round eyes of the four creatures narrowed, as though they were squealing in delight.
"It's simple."
"All you have to do is promise."
"Promise to never discard us."
"You just never resort to a Bond Break."
I swallowed my saliva.
They knew about Bond Breaking? Of course, they did! Unlike other Familiars who were mere vestiges of their former selves and had their memories corroded with the passage of time, Wisps lived for very long and had no such factors limiting them.
They would not disappear without a Host, but they still sought one as a means of accomplishment and comfort.
The fact that they wanted to add this factor meant that they had no intention of leaving me if we Bonded. The implications of this term meant I couldn't even resort to the forceful dissolution of our contract later on. It would be permanent in the true sense.
In essence, I was stuck with them and they were stuck with me.
But, I had no qualms with that!
"Hehe... very well. You win. I'll agree to that. The fact that you're here means you also agree to my Contractual terms, correct?"
"Wise choice, human."
"Your terms are reasonable."
"It appears we have found a good host."
"You shall not regret this decision."
"Now that the terms are all agreed on... let's get this show on the road!"
The Wisps all charged at me and I braced myself for impact.
>SHUUUUUUUUUUUUU<
Hisses of burning energy coursed through me as I felt my Mana Cores absorb the Familiars. Like two different forms of liquid combining, they fused with my cores with such fluidity that the flow was not disrupted.
It was my first time, so the strange sensation brought about by Bonding with four Familiars made me spasm violently. If I had enough energy, I would have screamed as a result of the overwhelming force.
I was certain no one had ever accomplished this before. Usually, a person could only Bond with one Familiar. It was trite.
However, having five different Mana Cores, I had the option of Bonding with multiple Familiars. I chose four this time around because I hadn't found the right candidate for my Primary Core.
I wanted something more powerful than Wisps, something more unique than anything people would possess, something that didn't have an equal.
There was no way to find such a Familiar in the Academy... which was why I had to be patient. Once I was done with my studies and got the opportunity, I would sojourn in search of my true Bond, the one who would dwell within my main Core and grant me absolute power.
'This... means... I succeeded... right?'
My mind was going blank, and I knew there was nothing more I could do to keep myself conscious. All the criteria for passing the Ceremony had been fulfilled, so I did not need to exit the forest.
The Staff would come to get me, and I was going to inform them of the Bonds I contracted with when I woke up later on. That meant, for now, I could relax.
"Huu... this has been... quite a ride... uh?"
And so, everything went dark!
*********************
"Incredible. He really did it!" Neron beamed as he watched Jared Leonard collapse on the grassy plains.
Every single staff was surprised by the sight. If only anyone had seen their faces when the four Wisps appeared before Jared and hovered around him, they would have noticed that the Lecturers all dropped their jaws in shock.
Even the proud Supervisor, Damien Lawcroft, was off his hinges. His eyes spasmed in surprise and he certainly didn't seem pleased by the development unfolding on the screen.
After everyone had left the grounds, leaving only Jared, Damien was gloating in satisfaction. He even had enough momentum to laugh out loud and openly mock Jared, hoping to spark some sort of reaction from Neron.
Unfortunately, Neron, being a master of his emotions, didn't give anyone the satisfaction of seeing through him.
Damien was trembling a little. Not only had Jared gotten the attention of four Wisps, but the four seemed to have contracted with him... something that would have been impossible through normal standards.
"That kid... something fishy is going on here!"
Neron didn't appear fazed, though. It was unclear whether he was actually excited for the child or he was simply unimpressed. However, upon closer observation of his thoughts, the answer became clear.
'I knew it! Jared, you... no wonder you can perform Magic so seamlessly and you have such knowledge. Even being a White Mana Core Grade, you still outdo your peers!'
Neron had had his suspicion for some time, but with nothing definite to point at, he couldn't make them out to be more than just his thoughts.
However, that all changed now that Jared had displayed his ability to contract with four Wisps. No individual could do just that, with the exception of one other... and Neron knew who that person was.
Himself!
'So, he has a White Core, but he can perform multiple spells at once and contracts with four Familiars, he's oddly like me. Hmm, I didn't want to jump to conclusions before, but it has to be the case!'
Just like him, Neron knew Jared held a secret concerning the use of the White Mana Core... and that he possessed something no one else had.
'He has multiple Cores!'
With this thought firmly established in his mind, Neron's stoic expression broke into a pleased smile.
There was no way he could deny it now. Even though he had told Jared that he would only take him in as a disciple if he impressed him during the Inter-Class Exchange that would take place in two months, Neron was having a change of heart.
'No wonder he was so confident... so this is it, uh? Very well, you have my attention.'
Jared was bound to be a monster that would surpass all his peers. Neron knew that much, considering the fact that he was the same.
'Show me what you've got!'
