The steel doors swung wide, framing a woman whose very presence commanded attention. Her silver hair was elegantly styled, and piercing blue eyes studied Nova with unsettling intensity. Her face bore the refined beauty of aging royalty—what had once been striking in youth had matured into something more dignified.

But Nova barely registered her appearance. The raw power radiating from her made his skin crawl. For the first time since arriving in this world, he could sense someone's overwhelming strength without needing any skills to tell him.

Every instinct screamed that trying to run would be suicide. He'd need careful planning to escape someone like this. So he remained at the base of the stairs, meeting her gaze while his mind raced.

'Can I bullshit my way out of this? It seems unlikely, judging by her words. How would she know I'm older than I seem? Did the traits get transmitted somewhere after the test?'

Nova analyzed every angle and piece of information that might have been revealed. There had to be a way around this.

'The trait says nothing of my former lives being in different worlds. The logical conclusion would be to think I am like a phoenix, reborn after death. The knowledge that I am old can work to my advantage, depending on what they want from me. My other traits should be negligible, unless they value immunity to madness… Hmm…'

Nova put on his most innocent expression and looked up at the woman. "You're here for the new kid, granny?"

"Already trying to deceive me? I can see your traits… Nova." Her eyes shone with the unmistakable light of assess, only, it was brighter than any Nova had seen before.

'This is bad news… I never expected someone like this to be here. If I had known…'

Nova's muscles tensed. "... I'm not leaving."

"May I ask why?" Her voice remained gentle, but Nova could sense the threat underneath.

"I have unfinished business here." Nova lifted his chin. "And I don't like your methods of educating children."

"... So it's true, then." She descended one step. "You've lived multiple lives."

"Maybe I have." Nova kept his expression neutral and took a step back, wanting to keep his distance.

She stopped her descent, studying him as much as he was her. "Then you should know what power the church has. Why would you throw away a chance at obtaining it? All the changes you want could be within your grasp."

"Let me turn the question around. Why would the church give power to someone like me, with radical views on how the world should function? If I am given power, things will either change to fit my will, or I use that power to force it. That has always been, and will always be the case."

"... So you're a sapling best plucked from the earth?" The warmth vanished from her voice.

"I am more valuable than your entire church." Nova didn't flinch. "We can coexist."

"You're certainly confident…" She studied him like a fascinating specimen. "What if I offered to show you the holy city first? Before you decide?"

"I don't trust you."

"Of course not. But you don't have to, seeing as you don't have a choice."

"... You certainly act like a church." Nova's voice dripped with disdain.

She chose to ignore the venom in his voice, putting on an innocent smile. "Why, thank you."

"... I have options. Ways to escape." Nova's hands clenched at his sides. "But they would cost us both, so I don't want to use them. Are you sure you want to be my enemy?"

"Not with the girl."

"What?" Nova's heart skipped a beat.

"You won't escape with the girl, no matter what option you choose."

He stared at her, doing his best to remain calm. Leaving without Millie was—despite him finding it hard to admit—out of the question. His heart had grown too fond of the little girl. A saint would prioritize all children equally, but clearly, he had yet to reach that stage. He was still human.

'... How does she know? Larena's warning? Or was the amulet… No, she probably saw me talking to her somehow. And, of course, I would need to have a reason to come here.'

"Now you're pissing me off." Nova's voice turned to ice. "I didn't want to fight the church, at least not yet. But damn… You're really… pissing me off."

She seemed to freeze after sensing his killing intent, but only for a moment. "Feel free to start a fight." She spread her hands. "I was instructed to avoid force, but clearly, that won't work."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Nova calculated his options carefully. His only choice if he wanted to win a fight was to use the Blood of the Mountain King for a temporary boost in power. It would give him a monstrous amount of strength, but he would waste the blood. And he didn't know for certain he would win.

'And why is she so confident I won't be able to bring Millie? Is the amulet tying her down or something? Damn Larena and her warning!'

"... Are you willing to join a contract?" Nova watched her reaction carefully.

"Contract? The magical kind?" Her eyebrows rose slightly.

"Yes. I have conditions you'll have to agree to if you want me to come along. And trust me, you won't be able to fool me."

She folded her arms. "Name your conditions, then."

"I'll agree to come along for a week." Nova held up a small finger for each point. "After that, you will have no choice but to bring me back yourself if I don't want to stay. I will not be forced to do anything against my will, and Millie will come along, safely staying with me for the entire trip. And we both are free to go after the deal is over."

Her eyes narrowed. "... That girl is set to become one of my inheritors, you know. I would hate to let her go."

"If she wants to become one when she is fifteen, I'll allow it. But you're not keeping her until then. Not with this kind of treatment."

"Hmm..." She studied him for a long moment. "And what happens if one of us breaks these terms?"

"If you break your part of the deal, I can kill you at any time, and vice versa. It's a shame I don't know how much you value your life, but judging by our conversation, I get the impression you put yourself over everything else."

"Hah!" Her laugh echoed down the stairwell. "You read me well enough. I suspect you were right earlier."

"... About?"

"I don't want you as an enemy…" She smoothed her robes. "I'll agree to your terms, seeing as how I also don't have a choice."

"I'll add one condition." Nova raised a finger.

"Well, that's not very fair." Her voice turned sharp. "What?"

"You have to speak honestly with me about anything related to me and Millie." Nova met her gaze steadily. "That's the only way I can trust you. If you ever lie, I will know right away. But if you think you'll be able to take us back here, you have nothing to fear."

"... But only when speaking to you, right?" She tilted her head.

"Yes. And I won't try to corner you with tricky questions."

"Very well." She nodded once. "How do we seal this contract?"

"... You'll have to come closer." Nova's essence began gathering. "But let me prepare first."

"I won't trick you." She raised her empty palms.

"I have too much to lose to take that risk. It will only take a few seconds."

"... Fine."

Nova stepped back from the stairway and onto the middle of the floor, keeping his eyes on the old woman.

[Shadow Domain activated.]

The familiar darkness spread out from his body, drenching the brightly lit hallway in shadow. The blackness rolled up the stairs to envelop the woman, but she didn't flinch.

She smiled, keeping her eyes on Nova. "I can still see, just so you know."

"That's fine. You can come closer now."

'I only needed shadow, not to blind you. This way, I can jump away with a shadow step immediately.'

She walked down the steps with calm grace, keeping her hands folded behind her back. "It's an interesting skill. Seems perfect for assassination."

"It's a blinding skill, useful for many things," Nova deflected, not giving away any info about his past. "You can stop once you reach the bottom."

She did as he asked, standing still after taking the final step down. Her eyes were still focused on Nova. "How come you're able to see?"

"No idea," Nova replied, deflecting again. "I'll start the contract now."

[Contract of Soul Chains activated.]

On the floor surrounding the two of them, a large circle of blue light appeared, rapidly filling with runes of all sorts. Layer upon layer of circles materialized, some spinning clockwise while others rotated counter to them. The hallway filled with their soft chiming as they locked into position.

Her eyebrows shot up as she studied the formations. The confident smile faltered as she leaned closer to examine the strange symbols. "These runes... I've never seen anything like them!"

"Exactly. The contract spell will start now."

Her voice was deep with wonder as she turned her eyes to Nova again. "It's… finding compromises in our contract? Covering all areas?"

"Well, only partly. It's not intelligent—only using our minds to judge each term fairly." Nova's fingers traced patterns in the air. "You're a harder negotiator than the last person I used this on."

She scoffed at one of the silent negotiations. "How can you even suggest me acting as a bodyguard?"

"Well, because you die if anything happens to us. I'd think it was logical." His tone remained calm, but he was extremely focused on her movements. One missed indication of an attack, and he would lose his chance to escape.

"... I'll see to your safety, but not personally." She crossed her arms. "And I'll allow the questioning before we go…"

"Good." Nova nodded as the runes began to harmonize. The air hummed with building power. "The contract is ready."

The formation stopped moving and burst into motes of light, finalizing the contract between them. Nova released a long breath as tension drained from his shoulders. This trip was still a big gamble, but he couldn't see any better options at the moment.

'The contract is solid. Her soul is locked in perfectly, and there's no wiggle room in the terms. Though the way her essence fought against the binding... She must have experience with similar magic. I'll need to watch for any loopholes she might try to exploit.'

She put a hand on her chest with furrowed brows. "Ahh, this sensation around my soul is unpleasant…"

"You'll get used to it. Or, maybe it would be best if you didn't, as a reminder."

Her torso twisted lightly in discomfort. "It will go away once the contract is completed, right?"

"Yes, once me and Millie have been out of your clutches for one week. Trying to break the contract or dispel the formation will end in your death, so again, don't try anything stupid."

"I've never seen runes like these before. But you seem overly confident nothing can break it."

"The spell is strengthened by its restrictions. It can only be used willingly and won't work unless both parties agree fully to the terms. That's why it's the only contract spell I use."

"Fine. I'm glad we could come to an agreement." She reached a hand forward, holding her palm up. "I am Archbishop Sar, at your service."

Nova's eyes opened wide. "You're the archbishop? I thought I was dealing with the head of this cathedral."

"Oh, that old man wouldn't be able to capture you." Sar smiled confidently.

'That's good. I was worried every city would have a powerhouse like you, lady.'

"... I guess I should be honored." Nova put his hand in hers, hoping Tuck hadn't fooled him with the handshakes. "As you can tell, I am Nova."

Her smile seemed genuine as she replied. A mix of respect and playfulness. "A pleasure, Nova."

Nova released her hand, smiling back in resignation. "I'm sure it is. Now, let's get this over with."

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