A week later.
"Fegan, are you ready?"
"Yes, Father."
Beyond the long corridor, a shimmering light wavered. Time had rushed by, and at last, the "Day of Eternity" had arrived. I stood at the threshold of the "Forest of Eternity."
Once I passed through the corridor and pierced the radiant veil, I would enter the sacred ground of Cladius—the Forest of Eternity.
"Fegan, be careful. Don't overdo it, understand?"
"Awu!"
"Brother, good luck!"
Following my father's voice, my mother spoke next, holding our youngest sibling, Emil, in her arms. Then came Lana, her hands clasped together in prayer, hoping for my success.
"Young Master! We shall pray for your safe return!"
"We believe in you, Young Master."
Though I couldn't see them, my family and key retainers had surely gathered in the grand hall, watching me through a massive crystal sphere.
With their words of encouragement fading behind me, I took slow but resolute steps forward.
Wuuuuung.
As I neared the radiant veil, a strange vibration resonated, and the entire corridor began to emit an intense glow.
"Lord, Madam! Look! The corridor that will guide the young master to the Forest of Eternity is glowing blue!"
"This is an auspicious sign! How long has it been since we last saw this blue light?"
From my position, the brilliance was too dazzling to discern colors. But judging from their words, the corridor had turned blue—an excellent omen.
The color of the corridor reflected the qualities of the candidate. A blue light signified the highest level of aptitude for entering the Forest of Eternity.
Crackle.
At last, I reached the corridor's end. The veil of light trembled with a fierce hum, far more intense than I had expected.
Without hesitation, I stepped into the radiant barrier. The moment my upper body was halfway through—
—Hello. Nice to meet you. You must be Fegan.
A warm voice, like sunlight, resonated in my ears.
'What? I've never heard of voices being part of this ritual…'
Startled by the unexpected phenomenon, I glanced around. But just as quickly as it had come, the voice faded away, vanishing like a dream.
In its place, I saw an endless expanse of green fields and towering trees.
A symphony of colors poured from the sun, illuminating the vast woodland. The air carried the songs of birds, a melody that whispered of life itself.
Though no one told me where I was, I instinctively knew—I had safely arrived at the sacred ground of Espetara.
Whirl.
Before I could even take in my surroundings, the first guardian of the Forest of Eternity appeared from the sky.
A black-winged beast, large enough to easily carry two or three full-grown men.
Talons gleaming in iridescent light.
Golden eyes, not of a mere bird, but of a sage.
"Aglah?"
The divine sentinel of Espetara's skies landed gently on my shoulder—despite its enormous wings, it perched as lightly as a feather.
'The others must be watching this… Lana must be thrilled to see Aglah appearing so soon.'
As if in response to her hopes, Aglah nuzzled my cheek with its feathers. The affectionate gesture sparked a fleeting thought—I might form a contract with Aglah right away.
Flap.
But that was all. After a moment of familiarity, Aglah spread its wings and soared back into the sky. Just then, my second visitor arrived.
Grrr.
A massive tiger, at least seven or eight meters long.
Its pristine white fur was lined with bold black stripes.
The second guardian of Espetara—the scout tiger, Protetas.
Like Aglah, Protetas was one of Lana's favorites.
I could already picture her squealing with joy, clutching at Mother's skirt.
Lick.
But once again, her hopes would be dashed.
Protetas licked my cheek with a surprisingly gentle touch—then turned and vanished into the dense forest. No contract was formed.
"Snort! Snuffle!"
The third visitor was the enormous boar, Bellab, known for enriching the lands of Espetara.
"Snuffle!"
If Lana had seen this, she would've screamed, "No, no! Brother, not Bellab!"
But for her, it was a fortunate outcome. Bellab merely rubbed its long tusks and snout against me before retreating.
At least I had learned that a giant boar's lips were surprisingly soft.
One after another, beasts came and went—a wolf, a peacock, a lizard, a deer, a hedgehog, a fox.
For over an hour, countless spirit beasts approached me.
Yet despite their clear friendliness, not a single one formed a contract.
"Hey… Are you all messing with me?"
Stunned by the sheer number of rejections, I muttered in disbelief.
'Did… did I just get rejected by every single one of them?'
Just as frustration settled in, something shocking happened.
Whirl!
Aglah, the first to appear, and Salford, the fox, the last to reject me—every spirit beast in Espetara gathered before me.
Paws neatly together, heads bowed.
It was a scene of undeniable reverence.
'What? If you were going to do this, couldn't one of you have just formed a contract?'
The moment I took a step toward them, the same glowing veil from earlier enveloped me once more.
'No! Wait! Hold on!'
When I reopened my eyes, I was back in the now-empty corridor.
—
Meanwhile, back in the conference hall, silence hung heavy over those watching.
"He returned… Does that mean Fegan failed to form a contract?"
Tiberi, who regained his composure first, spoke with disbelief.
"Lord, I don't think we should be so quick to judge," said an elderly man, frowning deeply.
This was Abraham, the head of the Cladius family's council of elders.
"You saw it with your own eyes—the corridor turned blue when it accepted him."
"That's true, but…"
"And the moment he stepped into the Forest of Eternity, Aglah appeared immediately. That alone proves his affinity is beyond extraordinary."
The retainers nodded. Abraham was a historian of the family's legacy—if he spoke with certainty, they could not dismiss his words.
Yet, Fegan had returned without a contract. A first in history.
"Dear, has it ever happened before that every single spirit beast appeared to welcome a candidate?"
"Never."
Tiberi's voice was firm. Not even their ancestor, the 17th patriarch, who had been renowned for his affinity, had been welcomed by all.
The room fell silent once more.
Then—
"Lord! Look at the corridor! The entrance hasn't fully closed!"
The retainers gasped. The portal, though dim, still glowed faintly.
"It's as if it's saying, 'This isn't over yet—prepare and return.'"
They continued watching in awe, realizing Fegan's journey was far from finished.