The Royal Silverhain looked at Azel with a complicated expression on its cute, fur-covered face.

It tilted its small head, almost as if deciding whether this strange silver-haired human was worth the trouble.

"That was a nice blast," Azel said casually, brushing some dust off his shoulder as he squatted in front of it again.

His smile was easy. "How would you like to come along with me? I have someone that needs protecting… and I think you'd do nicely."

The familiar blinked. For a moment, it only stared at him, the soft wind rustling through its silvery-black fur.

Then, to his surprise, it raised its tiny head and made a low, thoughtful growl as though contemplating the offer.

Finally, it nodded.

Azel grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."

A sudden blue glow enveloped both of them, the light swirling around their bodies like gentle waves of mist.

His watch flickered as text appeared before his eyes.

[Would you like to form a Familiar Contract with Royal Silverhain Furry?]

[Y / N]

'Y, of course,' he thought immediately.

The glow brightened, circling their forms like threads of fate, before sinking into his skin.

The Royal Furry let out a soft yelp as the bond locked in place, and Azel felt the tug on his soul…

It wasn't the same as Erblim or Ahrya's Divine Contract; this one was limited.

He could sense the creature's emotions faintly, but he couldn't store her in his soul. She would have to stay in the physical world.

Still, it felt right.

He picked it up, the small creature letting out a muffled growl that sounded more like a kitten's protest.

"Easy there," Azel said, lifting it into his arms.

Its fur was absurdly soft like holding a living pillow made of moonlight.

When he turned around, Sylvia was standing a few paces away.

She was holding her own familiar… a regular Silverhain Furry cradled in her arms. The creature's fur shimmered pure white, and it was calmly licking her wrist like a loyal puppy.

"Shall we?" Sylvia asked. "We need to show them to the Professor. Once we return to the Academy, we can purchase Skill Tabs from Miss Brown to identify their abilities."

Azel chuckled. "You and your formality never change, huh?"

She gave him a small smile. "Proper etiquette should never change, Mister Azel. Even when holding… fluffy creatures."

He shrugged, following her as they made their way through the forest.

'Skill tabs, huh?' he thought. He had forgotten how hard it was to analyze monsters or even discern between their names or ranks without the System…

He adjusted the small Royal Furry in his arms.

'I'll just check it later myself,' Azel thought.

By the time they returned to the shore, the crowd of students had already gathered and they were chattering.

'I wonder what's going on now…' Azel thought as he approached.

He didn't need to wonder for long. In the center of the group, Rain stood proudly beside an enormous egg covered in crimson and gold patterns.

Even from a distance, he could feel the heat radiating from it.

A Phoenix egg.

Several students surrounded her, showering her with praise and questions. Rain, though panting and smudged with ash, looked radiant.

'Damn,' Azel thought. 'Regressors really are going crazy these days.'

That egg wasn't ordinary. In the original story, Reinhardt's friend, the one who had stumbled upon it, became famous for finding it and gained the powers of a Pheonix, making him really strong.

But taking care of a Phoenix was another matter entirely. Without proper mana nourishment, even a divine beast could die before it hatched.

That was exactly what had happened in the old timeline… the phoenix had perished shortly after Rain's death.

Azel crossed his arms. 'I hope she can do it this time. If the heroines grow stronger, the chances of surviving a Calamity go up.'

He sighed softly. 'Let's just hope she doesn't burn the dorm down first.'

Professor Rudolph stood by the edge of the shore, watching the commotion with a calm smile.

When everyone had returned, he raised his staff slightly, and the chatter quieted.

"It seems every one of you has successfully formed a familiar," he began. Then his gaze flicked toward the far corner of the beach, where one unfortunate student lay unconscious… it was the one Rain had blasted earlier.

"Well… almost everyone," Rudolph corrected, sighing. "But now that you have your familiars, it's time for the next step."

He looked over the class. "Before you bring them back to the Academy, you must clean and groom them. Familiars are not tools. They are your partners… your companions and even companions require care and respect."

Some students groaned quietly while others nodded seriously.

Rudolph raised a finger. "I'll be inspecting each familiar personally. The one with the cleanest, best-groomed partner will receive a special reward from me."

That got their attention.

A murmur of excitement spread through the group.

"Oh, and one more thing," Rudolph added, his voice sharpening. "Be careful. Certain familiars have sensitive bodies. Learn their nature before attempting to bathe or brush them unless you want to be set on fire or frozen solid."

A nervous laugh rippled through the class.

"You may begin."

The moment he finished speaking, the students scattered like startled birds, each rushing off with their familiars.

Some ran toward the forest and others toward the water.

Azel looked down as he felt a tug on his sleeve. The Royal Furry was pulling gently at his arm with its paw.

"Huh? What is it?"

The little creature purred and pointed toward the water with one of its tiny paws.

"You want… a bath?" Azel asked.

The Furry nodded solemnly.

Erblim, perched on his shoulder, groaned. "Master, if you're giving that thing a bath, you'd better give me one too. I still smell like bird brain from that last fight."

Azel sighed. "You're literally a bird."

"Even birds deserve cleanliness." Erblim shot back.

Azel chuckled under his breath and walked toward the shoreline. The waves lapped gently against the sand, it looked cool.

"Alright, alright. Let's make this quick." He lifted Erblim from his shoulder and crouched beside the Royal Furry, both staring curiously at the water.

The Furry dipped one paw in and immediately began wagging its tail, making a soft, pleased sound.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Azel smiled and scooped both familiars up.

"Wait—!" Erblim squawked, but it was too late.

Azel dunked them both into the shallow waves.

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