Chapter 39 : Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Azure Tempest
“What was that catastrophe? And why does the Emerald Wind Oath need to disguise itself?”
【The complete truth has long been buried beneath time and war. The fragments I remember suggest that it was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity. A certain power attempted to seize authority that should never have been touched, tearing apart a balance within the world. The Elves were the first to suffer, because they were closest to nature and to the origin of the elements.】
Syl’s voice grew slower and lower.
【The Emerald Wind Oath… it is not merely a gemstone or a sacred relic. It is a key, a credential, perhaps also a… responsibility. Its power is an immense temptation to certain beings, while at the same time a deadly threat. Its disguise was meant to evade those searching for it—and to wait for someone suitable, someone who would not abuse its power.】
“Someone like me?” Ryan curled his lips slightly. “A magic academy student with a terrible reputation who almost got killed by a Mid-Tier Magical Beast?”
【The selection of a contract is never a trivial matter.】
Syl’s tone turned serious for a moment.
【Your mana is pure in nature, especially your affinity for wind. That was the trigger that awakened me. But more importantly… I sensed the presence of a variable within you. Your soul does not align perfectly with the trajectory of this world. Your choices do not entirely follow the predetermined path. For a key that must break a stalemate and search for new possibilities, such a trait may be necessary.】
Ryan’s heart skipped a beat.
A variable? A misaligned soul?
The perception of this Sacred Beast was frighteningly sharp.
“So you chose me because I am different?”
【That is one of the reasons. More importantly, you awakened me and demonstrated the will to protect in the moment of crisis—even if the one you wished to protect was yourself. This satisfies the most fundamental condition of the ancient covenant: the coexistence of goodwill and the instinct to survive.】
Syl paused briefly.
【Besides, you appear to have been drawn into trouble as well. Those magical wolves… they were not natural inhabitants of the Whispering Forest. Their appearance was far too deliberate, and their objective was clearly directed.】
Ryan’s gaze darkened slightly.
“You noticed that too?”
【Their mana bore traces of forced catalyzation and distortion. They lacked the wild nature of true magical beasts and resembled hunting hounds driven by an external master.】
Syl confirmed his suspicion.
【You have been targeted, young one. And the one behind it is not weak if they can obtain and control Mid-Tier Magical Beasts. This matter has nothing to do with my awakening. It is likely trouble brought about by your own circumstances.】
I roughly know who it is.
Ryan’s voice echoed in his thoughts, his tone unsurprised.
But now is not the time to confront them.
First, the two magical wolves were gone. Syl had devoured them completely, leaving not even a trace behind. If he went to the academy and accused Andre and Hanson of using Mid-Tier Magical Beasts to attack a fellow student—what evidence would he have?
None.
Without proof, the other side could easily accuse him of slander.
Second—and more importantly—even if evidence existed, the fact that a third-year student of the beginner division had “single-handedly defeated two Mid-Tier Magical Beasts” would attract far more troublesome attention than the attack itself.
Defeating one could perhaps be explained as tactical ingenuity.
Two?
That level of strength would already exceed what the academy normally expected from even an “outstanding student.”
At that point, the question would no longer be who attacked him, but how he managed to do it.
The trouble would only snowball.
Therefore, the best course of action now was to pretend that nothing had happened.
At least on the surface.
Ryan could feel Syl’s presence in his mind rapidly weakening. The previously clear consciousness receded like a falling tide, growing blurred and drowsy.
“One last question,” Ryan pressed quickly within his thoughts. “What do you need to recover? Wind elements? What else?”
【…Pure natural mana… nourishment from wind and life… time…】
Syl’s voice became fragmented, almost like murmured pieces of fading consciousness.
【And… a safe… environment… for now… this is enough… the contract… will guide…】
When the final word faded, the “voice” within Ryan’s mind fell completely silent.
In its place remained only a more basic and indistinct presence—like a sleeping seed beside his heart. Ryan could vaguely sense its location and faint heartbeat, but he could no longer communicate clearly with it.
Ryan stopped walking and stood there quietly for a moment.
The contract still existed. Syl had merely fallen into slumber and would require time and resources to gradually recover.
As for a “safe environment for growth”…
His current situation hardly matched that description.
Silver Fir Dormitory was already in sight. Warm yellow light shone from the windows, standing out clearly in the darkening evening.
Cosette was sitting at the table. The literacy book in front of her remained open, but she was not reading it. Instead, she stared toward the door.
The moment she heard the door open, she stood up almost immediately.
“Master,” she said softly. Her eyes quickly swept over Ryan, as though confirming something.
“Mm.” Ryan responded and took the kraft envelope from his arms, placing it on the table.
The envelope reflected a gentle glow under the lamplight.
Cosette’s gaze fell upon the envelope, then lifted to Ryan’s face again. She did not dare ask any questions.
“That is enough for today,” Ryan said. “Put everything away.”
Cosette nodded and quickly stacked the book and scrap papers together, returning the charcoal pen to its small box. After finishing, she looked back at Ryan again, as if waiting for further instructions.
Ryan remembered Syl’s final words before falling asleep.
【The contract will guide you.】
Outside the window, night had completely fallen.
Ryan could feel the clear voice in his mind fading away, replaced by a hazy, drowsy presence.
From the top of his head came the faint, steady sound of breathing. The cyan fluff ball slept deeply, as though the conversation that had touched upon the hidden secrets of the world had been nothing more than an illusion.
But Ryan knew it was real.
The remnant soul of a Legendary Sacred Beast.
A relic of the Elven Royal Court.
A catastrophe hidden by history.
Magical beast attacks manipulated by human hands.
And his own identity as a “variable.”
Trouble truly was snowballing, growing larger and larger.
Ryan lay back down on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling. The feather-shaped mark on the back of his hand emitted a faint warmth.
“Syl… Azure Tempest…”
He silently repeated the name.
Well then.
When debts pile up high enough, there is no point worrying about one more.