"Contract?"
Ron was slightly taken aback.
"Did Great-Grandma not tell you about it?"
"Senior Linne?"
"That's right."
"No, she didn't."
Alice's cheeks flushed faintly as an embarrassed expression surfaced. "I thought Great-Grandma had already told you…"
"Let's go to Senior Menchi's garden. This isn't the place to talk."
"Alright."
Misty and the others looked curiously at Alice. Before long, the group entered Menchi's garden. After Ron and the others disappeared from view, a figure stepped out from around the corner, watching in the direction they had gone, a subtle glint flickering in their eyes—it was the former First Seat of the Elite Ten.
Although the Elite Ten challenge had concluded, the discussions around it had not. In fact, they were still ongoing—especially regarding Alice.
Alice had been too outstanding. A mere first-year student had ascended to the position of First Seat, rewriting the history of the Moon Institute. This was a staggering feat—one that might remain unbroken for decades, even centuries.
The group entered a lounge.
Ron looked across at Alice. "What is this contract?"
"A contract is a tradition in Gourmet Paradise," Alice explained. "People here are broadly divided into two roles—chefs and Freelance Gourmet Hunters. Gourmet Hunters form partnerships with chefs through a formal contract, confirming their relationship as partners."
"In the past, your great-grandfather and my great-grandmother had the same kind of contractual relationship."
"The contract benefits both parties. For the Gourmet Hunter, it enhances sensitivity to ingredients. In combat terms, that means it becomes easier to spot an opponent's weak points. As for the chef, they gain access to higher-quality ingredients through the hunter."
Ron thought it over. The contract sounded quite beneficial. The idea of increased sensitivity to ingredients translating into a heightened ability to detect weaknesses made sense—essentially treating the enemy as if they were food to be dissected. And with an intuitive understanding of how to slice through such a target cleanly, it was much like analyzing a target with surgical precision, intuitively knowing exactly where and how to strike for maximum effect.
In essence, the chef, as a Nen user, would be transferring part of their ability to the Gourmet Hunter. In return, the hunter was obliged to prioritize delivering ingredients to their contracted chef over anyone else, all else being equal. This wouldn't negatively affect Ron. If what Alice said was all there was to the contract, it was entirely advantageous to him—no reason to refuse.
However, Ron couldn't make a final judgment yet. Just because Alice was Linne's great-granddaughter didn't mean she could be trusted unconditionally. This was only their first meeting, after all. Ron trusted Linne, but not to the level he trusted Maha Zoldyck or Zeno. He wouldn't accept a contract purely on her recommendation.
"I'll make a call."
"Okay."
Ron got up and stepped outside. He took out his phone and dialed a number. The call connected soon after.
"Ron."
"Grandpa Zeno, I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"There's this contract between Gourmet Hunters and chefs here in Gourmet Paradise. What's the deal with that?"
"It's about Alice, isn't it?"
"You know?"
"Yes, Senior Linne mentioned it to me," Zeno replied after a pause. "In fact, it was something your great-grandfather agreed on long ago with Linne. Signing this contract with Alice will benefit you. And it won't harm her either. It's mutually advantageous."
"There's nothing wrong with the contract."
With Zeno's reassurance, Ron relaxed.
He ended the call and returned to the lounge. Alice looked at him expectantly.
"Alice, let's do the contract," Ron said.
"Alright!"
Alice pulled out a piece of parchment from behind her. It was decorated with complex patterns and unfamiliar symbols—not any of the known written systems of this world, but something entirely different.
Ron didn't recognize the script, but at the center of the parchment was a single large glyph: 𐓄—"Contract."
In the world of Nen users, glyphs like this—formed through aura inscription—are considered part of a rare category known as "contract seals", "Nen-script sigils." or "divine characters" These symbols aren't common, but they've been documented in various advanced Nen applications, especially those involving binding oaths, conjuration-based mechanisms, and customized abilities.
They aren't part of any spoken language but function more like aura-encoded circuits, designed to trigger specific effects once the right conditions or aura inputs are met. Ron himself had seen many such symbols.
These "Nen-script." characters weren't exactly words—they were more like diagrams or circuits. Like a printed circuit board, they functioned as inputs and outputs: electricity flows in, and the circuit board determines the kind of electrical output. With divine characters, the input is aura, and the output is a specific transformation or effect.
Crucially, divine characters were not fixed. One might resemble a shape "A," another a shape "B," but both could serve the same function. Conversely, two divine characters shaped similarly might yield entirely different results.
Ron recognized this specific glyph—Contract—because he had seen it before at the Zoldyck estate. The family's butlers were required to sign a contract marked with the very same symbol when entering service.
So far, Ron only knew two divine characters: one for Contract, and the other for Lock.
Alice held one corner of the parchment, while Ron grasped the other. They simultaneously channeled aura into it, as if electrical current were flowing into a circuit. A subtle change occurred across the parchment's surface.
In the next moment, a field of energy enveloped both Ron and Alice. As time passed, the glow surrounding them grew brighter and more concentrated. Then, without warning, the light around Alice abruptly ceased and transferred entirely to Ron, before merging into his body.
The contract was complete.
The parchment lost its glow, and the divine character in the center vanished. Yet both Ron and Alice could clearly feel the bond that had formed between them. Even though they had only just met, the existence of the contract had already made them closely connected partners.
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Skike! How many expected that it was a marriage proposal between the 2 families?
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