"Why is this dark aura so strong? Are you Kimura?"
"Hey, what are you doing? Are you in contact with that person?"
"You weak humans will never understand what's happening in this world. The dark king will rise and seize the power held by the Archien nation."
"You! I'll just kill you!"
"Calm down, my lord. Remember our goal."
"You damned demon!"
Stark left the interrogation room, seemingly fed up with Kimera's behavior.
Come on, Leon, let's get out of here to head to the town hall.
"This early in the morning? Why?"
Because I want to see the full announcement so I can train myself.
And I want to meet Kaito.
"Huh, what do you want to do?"
There's something I have to do, and you're not allowed to know.
"There's something strange about this girl."
What, are you scared? Come on, it's just a joke.
"If you want to go to the town hall, go ahead. I want to do something here."
Oh? All of a sudden? Alright then.
Goodbye, Leon.
"Yeah, be careful out there."
I left Leon at the lodging house and walked toward the town hall.
Yes, I can't wait to meet the strongest warriors in this palace.
I saw all sorts of city bustle, like traders, entertainment from clowns, and card games.
[Smirs Card Shop]
Huh, Smirs Card Shop? It looks strange.
"Hello, beautiful lady, what are you doing here?"
Huh? Me? I was walking to the town hall, but I guess I accidentally noticed this card shop.
"Oh, why?"
I don't know why I'm interested.
"Want to come in? I'll give you a free gift."
Is that okay? I see this as something odd. But it doesn't hurt to try, right?
"Come on in, miss."
Alright then.
At Qia's house, Kaito seemed confused about finding one of King Arthur's minions.
"But why did he become evil?"
"Because, fundamentally, a soul that has died and come back to life in the same time and vessel has broken the existing rules."
"What did they do to come back to life?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but it's not far from the energy of the Silver Sea."
"Shuffle-shuffle-shuffle …"
[Cards are being shuffled]
"Hey, don't tell me he's there? What are you doing there?"
At the card shop, cards are being shuffled.
"Hey, wait, don't tell me you're …"
"Yes, lady, the shuffle has begun, and let's see the results."
I see various cards flying around the man. All the cards glow, displaying different colors like red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. They spin like the hands of a clock.
"Zrrt!"
Huh? Why is this necklace glowing?
The necklace emits a red light, spreading throughout the room. All particles, objects, and items float as if unaffected by gravity.
"Lady, what are you doing?"
I don't know, but it seems this necklace …
All the cards fly aimlessly, except for the red card, which stays still. But as the spinning cards begin to fade, the room starts to transform into …
"Crack!"
Everything falls to the ground, including the flying cards, but the red card lands right in front of me.
Huh? This card …
Lady fortune-teller, what does this card mean?
Lady fortune-teller? You …
I see the fortune-teller looking as if she's hypnotized, with glowing red eyes.
What is she seeing?
In an illusory realm, the fortune-teller is witnessing a giant red entity with large horns around its head.
"Don't tell me you're the guardian of that necklace!"
"You've been trapped in my illusion, haven't you? A necklace with immense energy to ensnare someone in a deadly illusion like this."
"Please, release me. I'm in the middle of a reading."
"Hahaha, to escape from here, you must know what you need to do."
"Huh? What?"
The entity hands the card to the fortune-teller.
"This card, don't tell me you …"
"Goodbye, lady!"
*Boom!*
The fortune-teller is thrown back from her chair with a bewildered expression.
Lady, what's happening?
"Ugh … My head hurts."
What did you see, lady?
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
Huh, that's the sound from the door.
"Please open the door, lady. I'll try to get back to my chair."
A-alright.
Wait a moment!
I approach the door and open it. When I open it, I see …
You, Kaito? What are you doing here?
"No time, Zira! Why are you here?"
I-it's because I was trying to get a card reading.
"A card reading? Don't tell me you!"
"Yes, she was using my fortune-telling services. And it seems, lady, you got the title of the card…"
"What card?"
Huh? What card?
Hey, don't tell me you want to know too!
"Why not?"
You little…
"This card is the Red Star card?"
What? Red Star?
"Hey, are you serious?"
"This is according to what I practiced, but why the Red Star card?"
Don't tell me it's because of the energy from this necklace?
I look at my necklace in confusion.
Could a small energy from this necklace really alter a card reading?
"Just forget about it."
Huh? What? Forget about it?
"Yes. How much is the fee for this card reading, lady?"
"About 5 gold, sir."
"Alright, here's the gold. You can take it."
"Wow, thank you so much, sir! And to the lady, don't be sad, maybe it was just my mistake. If you need another reading, you can come back here."
O-okay, sure.
"Come on, Zira, let's get out of here."
Where are we going?
"Just follow me, you'll find out."
A-alright.
Kaito and I leave the card shop and head to the place he's directing me to, carrying the Red Star card from the reading.
I don't know where he's taking me.
I hope he's leading me to the kingdom's warrior training grounds.
"Can you guess where we're going?"
Huh? Don't tell me you're taking me to the warrior training grounds?
"What? Way off! I'm taking you to the great library here, and I also want to have a private talk with you."
Talk about what? Don't tell me it's about something related to this necklace or the system.
"You know? How'd you figure that out? I haven't even said anything yet."
Yeah, because I already know how your mind works and where it's headed, so it's easy to guess.
Besides, you probably want to talk about the contract, right?
"Yes, because I think a contract is practical and straightforward."
Also, because with a contract, we can form a team, and each member can be sponsored by investors.
It also makes it easier for us to communicate over long distances and helps us if a team member is in trouble.
Right?
"Yeah, more or less. You're actually smarter and more prepared than I expected."
Of course, because I am a …
"A what?"
I don't know, I forgot, hehe.
"Oh my gosh, Zira, you!"
"Sometimes, the world is a better place to live in when you don't unveil the secrets it hides."
Huh? What do you mean?
"I won't let you know for now. What's certain is that if you learned that secret, you'd act completely opposite to how you are now."
Hmm … Alright, whatever you say.
"Well, it looks like we've arrived. At the largest library in the Aetheryn continent, the Library of Knowledge."
I see the massive library building in front of me. A library with an ancient design, just like something from the medieval era.
Can I learn a lot from here?
I can't wait to see it.
"Hey, you two!"
"Are you new here?"
"T-that voice … Don't tell me!"
That voice sounds like a soldier's.
Don't tell me it's …
We turn around and see two royal soldiers standing there.
"Yo, nice to meet you guys."
"Hey, is this girl new here?"
Y-yeah, I'm new here. Why?
"Yeah, she's my friend. And what are you two doing here, Yulian and Steve?"
"We're just patrolling around the library, and we happened to spot you two."
"Hey, don't tell me, Kaito, you've got a new girl, huh?"
"Hey! Wait, it's not what you think!"
As I expected, they're assuming weird things about me and Kaito.
Sigh.
Why are you pinching my cheek?
"Little lady, you look cute and pretty. Don't tell me you're …"
"Hey, shut your mouth right now. Don't make things awkward with this girl."
"H-hey, but I'm your friend!"
"Quiet, you!"
"Yeah, they're acting like kids, Kaito and Yulian."
Hahaha, yeah, they do look like kids.
"But what are you planning to do with Kaito here?"
W-well, we …
"I just want to read books, just the two of us."
"Read books or read …"
"You! I told you not to embarrass me again!"
"Enough, you two! Stop causing a scene in front of a public building!"
Yeah, he seems to be getting angry.
"And you, Yulian, aren't you supposed to be focused on patrolling instead of joking around with Kaito?"
"Ugh, patrolling is so boring, and Kaito with this girl is good teasing material for me."
"You!"
Oh my gosh.
Hey, Kaito.
"Huh? What?"
When are we going into the library?
"W-well …"
"Alright, we'll leave you two. It seems you want to read books here in peace without anyone bothering you."
"Hey! Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Come on, you! Don't tease the new girl and Kaito."
"Let me go! Hey!"
Hahaha … They look like a father and son.
But …
"Come on, Zira, let's go in."
Huh? Is that okay?
"Just go in."
A-alright.
We both start entering the Library of Knowledge.
And I see …
Wow. This library is absolutely beautiful.
Big, magnificent, aesthetic, and elegant.
"Yeah, I knew you'd love this library."
But …
"Huh? What?"
I told you! My relationship with you is just a contract!
"Huh? A contract? We haven't even signed the system contract yet."
What? Seriously, not yet?
I turn my face away, feeling embarrassed.
Oh my gosh, how could I forget something like this?
"Huh? You're so weird!"
Just shut up!
"So sensitive."
Fine, you can talk about the contract now.
"A-alright, but first, let's go to a quieter place so no one overhears us."
Okay, if that's the case.
"Come on, Zira, follow me!"
Got it!
I follow Kaito as he weaves through zigzag aisles, round tables, and huge shelves.
Wow, these shelves are massive.
What are you going to do here?
"You'll see soon enough."
Kaito takes a book from the shelf, picking one from the third row and third column.
Hey, don't tell me there's a secret room here.
"Just wait a moment."
What are you doing?
Kaito opens a page in the book and presses a moon logo on it.
Hey, don't tell me you're—
CRRRRKKHHH …
"Yes, this is what I expected. A huge secret room behind this massive shelf."
This room is enormous and looks hidden.
Hey! Do you have access to enter this room?
"Don't say that, just come in!"
Kaito grabs my hand, pulling me into the large room behind the shelf.
And as we enter, the shelf …
CRRRRKKHHH …
Closes again.
Huh? Why did it close?
"Because I reserved this room, and now we have plenty of time to discuss the contract or …"
Or what?
"The Fourth Wall dimension, when we enter the dimensional gap of that book."
Hey! Don't tell me you—
"Yes, I entered the Fourth Wall dimension, just like you did, and only pretended to forget about it."
You …
"Back to the original topic about that special relationship."
Alright, let's each activate the system.
"Sure."
[System successfully activated.]
[System successfully activated.]
Now we can wait.
"If I recall correctly, there are four special relationships between system players."
Yes, four relationships, and among them…
[Data has been prepared.]
[Data has been prepared.]
I'll start.
"Alright."
Explain to me about the special contract relationship!
[The contract relationship is a legal bond between two or more parties, bound by a written or verbal agreement, where each party has obligations and rights that must be fulfilled.]
Your turn now.
"Alright. Explain to me about the special friend relationship!"
[The friend relationship is a social bond formed between two or more people based on mutual trust, support, and comfort with one another.]
Not bad.
System, explain to me about the special sibling relationship!
[The sibling relationship is a familial bond between siblings born to the same parents, with an age difference where one is older (the elder sibling) and the other is younger (the younger sibling).]
"Hmm … A familial bond, huh?"
"Alright, system, please explain to me about the special partner relationship!"
W-what, don't tell me you're …?
[The special partner relationship is a bond between two people who love each other, sharing an emotional and romantic connection, typically exclusive and full of commitment.]
If we compare the overall impact, it's likely that the greatest impact leans toward the relationship…
"You mean the partner relationship? I don't know, I'm more inclined toward the sibling relationship. What about you?"
Sibling?
For me, it's more about friendship.
[Investor Monkey King supports the partner relationship.]
Oh my gosh, any relationship is fine as long as it's not that one.
[Investor Green Dragon supports the friend relationship with Zira.]
"Ugh, that's too bad."
What about our original concept?
"You mean the contract?"
Y-yeah.
[Guardian of the Sacred Spring supports the sibling relationship.]
"Cool, my investors are helping me pick a good relationship with you."
Yeah, it seems like it.
But … is there anything else?
[The Ilustrasion supports the contract relationship.]
Huh?
"Huh?"
"The Ilustrasion? Don't tell me they want …"
[The Ilustrasion will grant you 10,000,000 points if you choose the contract relationship with Zira.]
W-wait! A reward of 10,000,000 points?
"Something's off here."
[All three of your investors remain silent, observing what The Ilustrasion will offer you.]
"Even the investors are quiet seeing that point amount?"
"Huh? Why are you holding my hand?"
I-it's because I wanted to …
"Hey! Wanted what?"
[Decision has been made.]
"Huh? What? Don't tell me you!"
[The relationship between the second system player, Kaito Deluxe, and the third system player, Zira Leonhert, is a contract relationship.]
[You have now formed a contract together by mutual agreement, sealed with a handshake between both parties.]
"Hey! So you held my hand for that?"
Hehe … It's because I didn't want you to choose partner or sibling.
And for friendship, I want our friendship to not be limited by a system like this.
"You … Zira …"
Hey! Don't get all emotional like this.
Now, choose what kind of group you want.
"A-alright."
[Four types of groups you can choose from: 1. Forum
2. Channel
3. Group
4. Circle.]
"Alright, I'll choose …"
I hope he doesn't pick something weird again.
[Choice accepted.]
[Group type: Channel.]
Huh? Channel? Are you serious?
"And the name is …"
[Channel name: Channel 777.]
Huh? 777? You …
"Hehe … You thought you were the only one who could be sneaky? I can be even sneakier than you think."
Kaito! You!
[Choice confirmed. Now both of you can support each other.]
[And you are allowed to invite your friends to join your channel.]
[Note: For each member who joins, the channel will gain 30,000 points.]
[Channel 777 points: 500,000 points.]
"I thought he'd use my points."
Looks like he didn't.
[Congratulations, you have received 10,000,000 points from The Ilustrasion.]
"Hahaha, this means I'm one of the richest system players here."
Congrats, Kaito.
"Yeah, you too, Zira."
[Congratulations, you have received 5,000,000 points from a secret investor.]
A secret investor? Who's that?
"Hmm … Strange, an investor who isn't an investor. Who could it be?"
*Ding! Ding! Ding!*
"Goodness, it seems our time is up. Zira, you can invite Leon and Qia to join our channel."
Yeah, that's what I wanted.
What about you?
"I'll invite Elvadous and that person."
The person you're talking about? Don't tell me it's …"
"Yes, exactly, Gabriel, the guardian of the silver ocean energy."
"Alright, let's get out of here."
Okay, let's go.
We both leave the room and exit the Library of Knowledge.
Before parting ways, I decide to talk to Kaito about …
Kaito.
"Huh? What's up, Zira?"
I want you to …
"Want what?"
I start tying my hair and face Kaito with a look full of confidence.
I want to train myself, and do you know someone suitable to train me?
"You, Zira? Hmm … Alright, I know just the person."
Just as I thought, he definitely knows someone suitable to train me.
I hope this will be a good start for me.