However, if he was planning to scam her, he would have offered medicine or new medical treatments rather than throwing out such outlandish bait about magic and archmages.

Leah took a calm breath. This is when I need to keep my wits about me the most.

“What if… I don’t become an archmage? Will I have to keep relying on your help? That means you’ll have my life in your hands, doesn’t it?”

“That won’t happen. And about your life…”

After hesitating briefly, Helix said coldly.

“You have nothing to lose anyway, do you?”

Leah bit her lip. His words were right. She would have died anyway if Helix hadn’t intervened.

Taking her silence as agreement, Helix proposed.

“My lady, make a contract with me and become a mage.”

“…Then what do you get out of it?”

“I heard you’re the daughter of a ducal family.”

Helix said.

“You won’t just let the person who fed you dragon mana go. Let me join in finding that culprit.”

“Why?”

“I’m looking for traces of dragons. With the power of the ducal family, things would move much faster.”

“Why are you looking for traces of dragons?”

“I have debts to settle.”

His frost-like voice was filled with genuine hatred.

Leah unconsciously rubbed her goosebump-covered arms as she pondered.

It was hard enough just trying to survive and adapt after being possessed in another world, and now suddenly magic and dragons?

As if reading her concerns, Helix added.

“My lady. If you become a mage.”

He whispered.

“You can truly live a long time.”

Leah unconsciously asked back in a trembling voice.

“Healthily?”

“Of course.”

The answer was already decided.

She had too many attachments to this life to think that dying once meant she could die again.

“…I’ll do it!”

***

Helix confirmed Leah’s intention again.

“Are you sure you want to make a contract between guardian and mage?”

“I said I’ll do it.”

“…You must not betray me.”

“…Just what kind of life did you live in the past?”

Helix replied bitterly.

“That’s how a guardian’s abilities work.”

The ability to control mana.

In an era when mana overflowed in all things, it was practically an ability that could ‘do anything if you put your mind to it.’

If a guardian channeled mana to a mage, they could use archmage-level magic, and even difficult-to-cure diseases could be treated through mana circulation.

After hearing Helix’s explanation, Leah muttered.

“…A cheat key?”

“What’s that now?”

She changed the subject.

“Anyway, the more you recover your guardian abilities, the healthier you can make me, right?”

“That’s right. It will be mutually beneficial if you grow as a mage and help me recover my abilities.”

Indeed, there’s no reason not to do it.

Leah wrote up the contract.

They will share information with each other.

Helix will do his best to support Leah’s health and magic learning.

Leah will provide information about dragons to Helix and support him in finding his guardian abilities to the best of her ability.

Neither will force dangerous tasks on the other.

If the above terms are violated, the contract can be terminated without the other party’s consent upon request.

Helix nodded.

The dragon mana Leah had consumed.

While tracking it together, they might find traces of dragons as well.

‘I’ll need her cooperation until we find and follow the traces.’

He had no intention of involving Leah after that.

The grudge with the dragons was Helix’s personal matter. It would be right to face them alone after regaining his power.

‘To face dragons, one needs to be at least archmage level, and it would be difficult for this lady to grow that much in a short time.’

Helix took out a small gem about the size of two finger joints.

“Place your hand over this and recite the contract.”

Leah placed her hand first, and Helix placed his on top.

“…I hereby contract.”

Crack!

As they read the contract, the gem split exactly in half.

“Success.”

Helix handed one half of the gem to Leah.

“This is a token that binds our mana together by contract.”

At his words, she held up the received gem to the light. It was an ethereal gem that looked like both a diamond and an opal.

“It’s a mana stone. Its color changes according to the wearer’s mana and condition.”

Helix explained. By keeping these halves, they could know each other’s condition.

“Then I should keep it with me always?”

“It’s best to wear it at all times.”

Leah clutched the gem tightly in her hand. She could feel the mana stone responding to her mana.

How fascinating.

Having something like this made the magic contract feel real.

“Then I’ll be in your care. I’m Leah.”

“Leah.”

After muttering it once, Helix asked.

“Not ‘My Lady,’ just Leah?”

“If we made an equal contract, we should be on equal terms, what’s with the status system?”

“I like that sentiment.”

Helix said with a faint smile.

“Leah, you call me Helix too.”

“Alright.”

“Then Leah.”

Helix said, “Shall we start magic lessons now?”

***

Meanwhile, in Orken, the capital of the Oken Empire, far from the Hel Mountains.

In the stillness of the night, two beings awakened in separate corners of the magnificent imperial palace that loomed over Orken.

One stirred in an opulent chamber at the heart of the palace, while the other emerged from a forsaken underground prison concealed deep within its walls.

“…This is.”

The man sitting in the ornate room spoke mentally to his covenant partner.

[Did you feel it?]

[I felt it.]

The man got up from his bed and paced around the spacious room.

A smooth young body in carelessly worn luxurious sleepwear, black hair and eyes that only appeared in the Oken imperial family. The man, clearly of noble birth, exuded an overwhelming presence unsuited to his young age.

[It’s mana. The flow of mana.]

The man was certain. His covenant partner asked back in surprise.

[Mana?]

[Yes. But it’s not from dragons.]

[…If it’s not dragon mana, are you saying there’s other mana?]

The covenant partner’s voice trembled with surprise.

[It’s different. I’m not sure how powerful it is, but…]

The black-haired, black-eyed man closed his eyes tightly then opened them. His black pupils rippled and instantly turned golden.

His senses expanded widely as he keenly caught the signal.

To the west, to the north.

The man concentrated more.

[…It’s the Hel Mountains.]

He groaned internally after finding the location.

[There are traces of scattered dragon mana. I also sense some familiar stirrings.]

[Then…]

[It means a dragon’s seal was broken in the Hel Mountains, and something has awakened.]

It was an unprecedented anomaly. The man quickly opened his eyes.

No sooner had his golden eyes returned to black than he commanded.

“Summon the imperial magic scholar.”

***

In the capital of the Kingdom of Peiren.

After receiving the letter the physician sent while Leah was collapsed, the Piert Ducal Family was in chaos.

“Leah collapsed after eating a poisoned cookie?”

The Duke immediately tried to send dozens of doctors north, and the Duchess added fuel to the fire by trying to buy up all sorts of medicines. While the retainers barely managed to stop them, the eldest son Rikeil sent out people to investigate who the culprit was.

However, the second son Ruyan couldn’t do anything.

“When I find the culprit, I’ll really kill them!”

Ruyan Piert was the finest swordsman in the Kingdom of Peiren.

The others in the ducal family were keeping quiet precisely because he was someone who really would resort to murder. Knowing the situation all too well, Ruyan was about to die from frustration.

“Damn… They always praise me with empty words about being Piert’s sword or whatever. What’s the use of that if I can’t even beat up someone who hurt Leah?”

Thinking about what happened to his sister made his blood boil, but there was nothing he could do.

Even after destroying training dummies in the training grounds and running and running, his anger only rose, so Ruyan headed to a tavern to drink.

“Hah…”

He monopolized a wide sofa in the high-class tavern and sipped his drink alone.

He was already upset about his precious sister Leah being away from home, and now hearing this news made him hit rock bottom.

Who was Leah?

She was the sun of the Piert family.

Though she looked like just a pretty, playful noble lady without a care in the world, the family knew she tried very hard to appear bright for their sake when they worried.

‘In reality, she’s more thoughtful than anyone.’

Even though she was suffering herself, she would comfort their parents with bright smiles, and whenever he and his brother were about to clash, she would act like “Oh my, what are you doing in front of your sick sister who could die any day? Cough cough.” and stop them like a grand… no, like an older sister.

But that Leah was poisoned. Ruyan furrowed his brow while holding his wine glass.

‘This is all because we left those flies alone. When those nicknames like Peirlily and Lily first started circulating, we should have crushed all those who ran their mouths.’

The Piert Ducal Family had thought.

While no one would dare directly mess with Leah, the esteemed daughter of the ducal family, such famous nicknames wouldn’t be bad since she rarely appeared in social circles. They thought the fame would serve as Leah’s armor in areas where the ducal family couldn’t directly intervene.

But the nickname Peirlily became more and more famous until fan clubs formed and stalkers appeared, and now someone even appeared who would poison sweets that Leah liked.

‘If it were family matters, they wouldn’t poison Leah who’s far from the ducal succession. This must be the work of some stalker.’

Ruyan’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

‘These damn cockroaches, knowing my sister is pretty…’

As he was emanating an ominous aura while having such doting thoughts, a strong flower scent wafted over from somewhere.

‘Hm?’

It was the scent of lilies. Ruyan reflexively turned toward the scent but frowned. A group of nobles stood there with lilies pinned to their lapels.

‘Are they from the Peirlily fan club?’

Others in the tavern seemed to have similar thoughts. Someone asked the group.

“Lilies… is that the symbol of Peirlily fans?”

“What an impertinent suggestion.”

One of the nobles with lilies sneered.

“It’s the opposite. You could call it a kind of mockery.”

“Mockery?”

“Mockery of the Peirlily trend, that is.”

—

T/N: I just love the fact that Leah has such a supportive family, what a breath of fresh air from all the other toxic families and relationships. *sighs*