Bab 89: Accord

"Nngh...I must have been more exhausted than I thought..." groaned Will, opening his system window to see that it was 2:14 AM. This meant he had only been asleep around five hours, but since he was only planning to rest for two to three, he reminded himself to be more disciplined.

Looking around, Will noticed the distinct lack of Ohta, making him wonder if something unexpected had occurred. However, as there was nothing he could do from thousands of kilometers away, he decided not to worry and got up to relieve himself outside. It took nearly twenty minutes due to the cave's complexity, but he eventually found the entrance after clearing the cave-in Ohta had presumably triggered to ensure it was inaccessible.

"Phew..."

After finding a good spot, Will spent nearly a minute emptying his bladder before fixing his pants, fastening his belt, and using Santiziation Magic to clean his hands. With that out of the way, he decided to locate a clearing at least a few kilometers from the cave's entrance to prepare what he had thought about the previous night.

With a quick application of Upheaval, Leveling, and Hardening Magic, Will prepared a 5x5m area of completely flat terrain before pulling out a piece of chalk made partly of the ground and processed bones of a Sixth-Grade Disaster Class Beast. Traditionally, Magic Circles were formed within the body and then projected externally, but Alchemy, Enchanting, and Magic Engraving allowed even normal people to use high-ranking Spells so long as they knew the required formula and had the resources to supply it with Mana.

After fixing the piece of chalk to a string and anchoring it to a stake at the center of the formation he was preparing, Will spent nearly two and a half hours drawing a three-meter-wide Magic Circle with six smaller circles to draw power from the Intermediate-Grade Light Magic Crystals he seated at their centers.

'Being a nepo baby has its perks...' Will thought, smiling as he set the final crystal in place, causing the chalk to ignite like a thin layer of gunpowder, burning the completed Magic Circle into the hardened ground. Before he could move on to the next phase of his plan, however, a familiar voice pointedly asked, "Why do I get the feeling you're about to do something monumentally stupid...?"

"Welcome back," responded Will, adopting a smile as he looked over to where Ohta had appeared, standing with his back and right foot against a tree and hands in the pockets of his bright orange hoodie.

"So, what's all this for...?" asked Ohta, moving from the tree to the Magic Circle's edge, suppressing the urge to scuff it with his foot, consequently ruining Will's preparations.

"I managed to acquire something called a Glacial Soul Core from the Saighba'an I defeated back in Bhiran," explained Will. "This formula is for the Sixth-Circle Sealing Magic, Evil Sealing Array. It was originally used to prevent Demons from attacking those who summoned them. I plan to use it to seal the Saighba'an's movements so we can question it."

"That would explain why I feel an almost irresistible urge to destroy it..." muttered Ohta, prompting Will's smile to cramp as he responded, "Please don't..."

"Obviously..." muttered Ohta, resisting the urge to kick some dirt onto the circle and instead moving away from it. Once he had, Will gave a curt nod before turning his attention to the Evil Sealing Array, producing the Glacial Soul Core and tossing it into the center. Instead of hitting the ground, the core abruptly halted at the exact center of the formation, floating in place before frigid white mist began to erupt from within, coiling around itself to form a familiar but petite figure.

Raising his brows, Will remarked, "You got smaller..." as the Saighba'an, which was presently around 140cm tall and somewhat emaciated-looking, glared at him with its large, bluish-white eyes. When Will initially snatched the soul core and tossed it into his Inventory, much of the energy forming its body had been lost to the ether.

"What do you want, Interloper...?" asked the Saighba'an, possessing the same accent as its kin but sounding notably less mature, prompting Will to suppress a chuckle as he responded, "It's simple. You confirm a few things for me, and I swear upon my honor as an Oirthear, you will be free to leave."

Shaking its head, the Saighba'an replied, "Impossible," before explaining, "Even were I freed from this prison, I possess not the Mana sufficient to persist. Thou wouldst consign me to perish..."

"I wouldn't think a manifestation of the concept of death would shy away from it..." remarked Will, finding the thought rather novel.

"Were I to perish under normal circumstances, perchance not," responded the Saighba'an, narrowing its eyes as it added, "However, as thou hast so cruelly severed me from the Father's grace, naught but oblivion awaits me once departed..."

"By Father, are you referring to Plæner...?" asked Will, fairly certain that was the case but wanting actual confirmation.

Instead of responding to Will's words, the Saighba'an lowered its head, its long, ashen-blue, rune-covered ears drooping sadly as it shut its eyes and sat despondently in a w-sitting position. It appeared genuinely saddened by its situation, and since emotions were still new to it, it wasn't very good at concealing them.

"Are you afraid...?" asked Will, bringing himself to the Saighba'an's level by sitting cross-legged across from it.

"I don't know..." responded the Saighba'an, raising its head slightly to meet Will's gaze as it explained, "Without my connection to my sisters, I feel empty...alone...bereft of purpose. Yet this life was bestowed upon me by the Father's grace. It is a precious gift I have proven unworthy of, yet I am reluctant to part with it..."

"Then it's simple," said Will, smiling as he asserted, "If you don't want to die, you should keep living as best you can. That's what has allowed the people of this world to endure all this time, even after losing your Father's grace. Because they cherish the lives they were given and feel compelled to perpetuate that cycle unto eternity..."

"..."

Though it ordinarily wouldn't listen to Will's words, the Saighba'an lowered its head and seriously reflected upon them. It would ordinarily defer to its sisters' collective wisdom when to grasp things it couldn't comprehend on its own. Bereft that connection, it now had no choice but to think for itself.

"I do not wish to perish..." stated the Saighba'an, slowly raising its head to meet Will's gaze as it firmly asserted, "But I will not betray my sisters...nor the purpose we were given..."

Nodding, Will smiled and remarked, "That's called loyalty, the foundation for sentiments such as honor and integrity. It's good that you have them, but you're overthinking things because you believe I'm the enemy when, in actuality, I am simply living as I please. The only reason I've come into contention with your group or organization is because you keep appearing before or targeting me directly..."

Tilting its head to the side, clearly confused, the Saighba'an questioned,

"Thou didst not come here to interfere with our plans...?"

Shaking his head, Will explained, "My sole reason for coming to Deisceart is to search for an old friend. I might not be able to turn a blind eye to the suffering of those whose paths cross my own, but I'm not going out of my way to oppose your organization. It's your side that keeps compelling me to act..."

"Oh..."

Though it knew it shouldn't take everything Will said at face value, the Saighba'an didn't think he was lying. It also didn't want to die, so after a moment of consideration, it proposed, "Then... I propose an accord. Form a contract with me, and I shall grant thee the answers thou seekest. Yet, shouldst thou use this knowledge to bring harm to my kin...thy life shall be forfeit to me..."

Hearing the Saighba'an's proposition, Ohta's usual frown deepened into a scowl. Fortunately, he didn't say anything, allowing Will to counter, "I have no problem forming a contract, but I have an amendment to your terms. If your kin or the organization backing them targets me, my people, or those directly in front of me, I am duty-bound to act. In such circumstances, my life is forfeit to no one, and you will fight alongside me..."

Frowning deeply, the Saighba'an asked, "Thou wouldst ask me to fight my own...?

"I fight my own battles," asserted Will. "But if I perish, you will perish with me. What I am requesting is for you to preserve both our lives. That is the only way to counterbalance the condition of my life being forfeited if I use the information you provide to harm your kin..."

"I see..." muttered the Saighba'an, lowering its gaze in deep reflection. It couldn't refute Will's logic, but depending on the circumstances, it could be labeled an enemy by the very kin it wished to protect. Inversely, there was nothing in their terms preventing it from gathering information on Will and communicating it back to her allies...

Since the only real alternative was to accept its death, the Saighba'an eventually raised its head and nodded, stating, "I will contract thee in accordance with the agreed terms..."

In resopnse to the Saighba'an's words, what appeared to be an ancient parchment appeared out of thin air, unfurling in front of Will. The original function of the Evil Sealing Array was to facilitate contracting Demons, so it had the necessary Magic incorporated into its formula, simply requiring Will and the Saighba'an to sign their respective names before they would effectively be bound to one another for life...

...

After hammering out a few additional details, such as the amount of Mana and Vital Essence the Saighba'an was permitted to siphon from him, Will was the first to sign the contract with the provided quill. When he passed it to the Saighba'an, however, it stared at the contract for several seconds before turning to him and stating, "I was never vested a name...that was a privilege reserved for those who had proven themselves...'

"How about Fionnadh(Fiona)...?" suggested Will, feeling it was apt as the word roughly translated to furry. He also considered Lamb or Kindred, but since the other Sages would invariably recognize it, he felt it was a bit too on the nose.

"Fionnadh..." repeated the Saighba'an, finding the word rolled surprisingly well off its tongue. Will was also in the superior position of their contract, so after a moment of consideration, it nodded and petitioned, "Willst thou teach me how to sign it?"

"Sure," responded Will, drawing the associated characters on the ground by burning it with the tip of his right index finger. Once he was done, the Saighba'an gave a curt nod before emulating how he previously held the quill to sign its name exactly as he wrote it on the ground. The moment it was finished, the contract burned from the base up, the ash produced by its ignition forming two streams that flowed into Will and the Saighba'an, now recognized by the world itself as Fionnadh.

*Ding!*

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[Death's Companion]

Rank: B-SS [Main Quest]

Objective(s): By fate or circumstance, you have managed to acquire a Saighba'an as a companion. Will you acquaint her with the beauty of life and guide her along a different path, or will you groom her into a powerful tool which can fell entire armies? Consider your future words and actions carefully, as she will be watching without fail.

Optional Objective(s): Guide Fionnadh Towards her First Evolution(0/1), Impregnate Fionnadh, and give rise to new Life through Death(0/1), ????, ????, ????

Rewards: 100,000 Karma, 5,000,000 Karma, ????, ????

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Though he generally wasn't tempted by Quest Rewards, Will's pupils contracted when he saw 5,000,000 Karma listed as a prize. He found the requirement absurd on principle, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the notion of impregnating death to create life had a certain...novelty to it.

...