A deep, resonant voice echoed in my ears.
[Let the contract begin.]
Then, red smoke enveloped my entire body, and with a swishing sound, an endless scroll of the contract unfurled around me.
[I, Siegfried, will transfer all knowledge and skills to Verdin according to the contract.]
A brilliant flash of light poured down from above.
Swoosh!
[I swear to do my utmost to help the contractor surpass the diagram created by the gods and reach the realm of selflessness.]
In my previous life, I didn't understand what Siegfried meant by the diagram.
He always talked about bringing me to the level of the gods, but I thought it was just flattering words for the awakened ones.
Who would have known?
That he genuinely intended to make me the strongest Sword Master in the world.
I reached out my hands to savor the light of the contract.
With the contract with Siegfried, the aura that had been deeply dormant within me was awakening.
The energy was so strong that only a very strong person could stay conscious.
'No way.'
This aura is of a much higher level than when I made the contract in my previous life. It's incomparably more intense than back then.
The red light spread and filled the room. The swirling aura extended in all directions, writhing like the tentacles of an octopus.
This is similar to the level of aura I had when I was called the Sword King.
'Good.'
I bowed my head as respectfully as possible to Siegfried.
Siegfried, having completed the contract, patted my head with a benevolent expression.
We exchanged courtesies. I showed respect to the one known as the strongest guardian spirit, and Siegfried showed gratitude to me, the contractor who had freed him from the jar.
Of course, this sentiment didn't last long. At most, a few seconds.
Siegfried's expression suddenly changed, and he swung his hand toward the back of my head.
Whoosh.
I reflexively ducked to avoid Siegfried's hand. My body reacted instinctively, having read his movement in advance.
'This damn master!'
"You damn descendant!"
I raised an eyebrow.
How could our reactions be so identical?
Nothing had changed between us since then. We were already on the verge of fighting the moment we met.
Whew—
I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. Starting a fight now could ruin everything.
"Damn descendant? That's a bit much, don't you think, Master?"
"Too much? You wretched bastard. How long did you keep me waiting?!"
It was just a day.
"If this Sword God personally chose you, you should have hurried to complete the contract."
"...."
"I turned away a bundle of people like you every year, but a brat who's still wet behind the ears dared to keep me waiting?"
I wanted to hurl a string of curses at him, but I couldn't make the same mistake as before.
I remained silent and let him finish his rant.
"And what's this about you reaching a new level? Opening up all your mana and aura? What nonsense!"
"...."
"If you hadn't wasted so much time, you could have already learned one of my sword techniques, you idiot!"
Siegfried raged, jumping up and down and pointing at me.
Well, I could understand his reaction since he'd never encountered a dual awakener before.
I smiled at him and then conjured the red aura I obtained from the contract in my right hand and the blue mana I had opened on my own in my left hand, showing them to Siegfried.
Flame.
I acted as respectfully as possible, with a dignified posture and a gentle expression, unlike the past.
"Calm down and take a look, Sword God Siegfried. The new technique I mentioned earlier."
Buzz.
The two energies made a noisy sound like boiling water in a kettle. As the red and blue began to mix, they suddenly quieted down, forming a rapidly spinning circle of purple.
Buzzzzz.
"A technique created by fusing aura and mana. I call it 'Burn.' Let me show it to you now."
* * *
Swish—
A mysterious energy began to spread throughout the castle. The guards were in a frenzy, sensing this sudden and suspicious power.
There were no intruders, yet such intense energy suddenly emanated from somewhere.
'Beth,' the captain of the guards protecting the main house of the Strange family, issued an emergency evacuation order.
"Escort the young masters outside!"
He was evaluated as at least a 7-star level.
He was so exceptional that even in the Imperial Army, there were few stronger than him. It was hard to find anyone stronger than him on the continent.
Even such a captain of the guards now rated the owner of this energy higher than himself.
Whoever it was, they couldn't be defeated.
Therefore, he had to send the young masters in the castle to safety, even at the cost of his own life.
Beth, with determined eyes, entered the castle. He nodded, and the guards who received the order scattered in all directions.
To protect the Strange family while searching for the enemy.
"…The training ground."
He drew his sword from behind, ready to swing it the moment he encountered the enemy.
There was no need for defense against an enemy stronger than him. He had to create a fatal blow no matter what.
'So that they can't chase the young masters.'
With that determination, Beth headed for the training ground, moving cautiously like a wild animal, keeping his presence as minimal as possible.
'Mana? No, is it aura?'
Standing in front of the training ground, he sensed something that seemed to burn hotly like aura, yet flowed coldly like mana.
'That means there are two enemies.'
Gulp.
He swallowed dryly. Who could have sent assassins to the Strange family?
'It's war.'
If the mastermind behind this were revealed, it would be impossible to avoid war, no matter how much they tried to resolve it peacefully.
Even if it were the 'Glazer' family, known as the family of mages.
Beth took a deep breath and then kicked the door open, entering the training ground.
Bang!
At the moment he was about to swing his sword,
"Verdin, young master?"
He saw Verdin standing in the center of the training ground with a stern expression.
"Beth?"
"Y-Young master. Is there anyone else in here…?"
Beth unleashed his aura, enveloping the training ground.
Simultaneously identifying the location of the mysterious energy he sensed, he unconsciously dropped to one knee.
Thud.
'Is this really Verdin's aura? And what about the mana I sensed along with it?'
Beth couldn't comprehend the situation he was facing. A mere five-year-old child was using an aura far superior to his own, a 7-star knight.
Of course, the question was answered when he remembered that Verdin bore the blood of the Strange family.
But he was still puzzled by the sensation of mana.
"What's going on, Beth?"
That question shattered his thoughts, clearing his mind.
Whether he sensed mana or not didn't matter. It could have been a mistake caused by the overwhelming aura.
"…It's nothing. I apologize for the commotion!"
"Are you okay? You suddenly burst in, which startled me."
"I'm sorry!"
"No need to apologize. If there's nothing else, could you please leave? I was in the middle of training."
"…Understood!"
* * *
Captain of the guards, Beth, left the training ground.
It was a great relief that he didn't discover 'Burn.' I had separated the energies just before he entered, leaving only the aura. If I had been a little slower, he would have noticed.
'Beth is a veteran knight, after all.'
After confirming his presence had disappeared, I minimized the aura and mana, merging them to a size undetectable from the outside.
Buzz.
In the future, this technique would be known as 'Burn,' a new power created by fusing two energies.
Of course, in this life, I would also call this technique 'Burn.' It didn't matter what it was called since I was the only one who could use it anyway.
'Burn was a name I came up with.'
It's better to keep it this way.
Siegfried, looking incredulous, reached out toward the purple energy.
His soul seemed distorted when close to Burn but returned to normal as he moved away.
From his expression, I could hear Siegfried's inner voice saying, 'Amazing!'
"Is there anyone else besides you who has unlocked two energies?"
Without hesitation, I shook my head.
"No."
"Then you're the only one who can use both aura and mana?"
"Correct. I'm the only one who knows the method of dual awakening."
"How did you learn it?"
"I learned it from the librarian."
"The librarian?"
"Yes, the caretaker of the Strange family's library, where rare books collected from all over the continent are stored."
"Who is that?"
"A man named Johan, but you wouldn't know him as he's not from our family. He was called Joseph in his homeland."
"Joseph… I think I've heard that name before."
I shrugged.
"Well, Joseph or Johan, it's a common name."
"Did he also unlock two energies?"
"No. He failed and died. Thanks to that, I'm the only one who knows this technique."
Siegfried didn't inquire further about how I obtained this technique.
He tends to become contemplative and brief when the word 'death' is mentioned.
I knew this, so I deliberately mentioned Johan. In my past life, Johan had indeed taught me the method of merging aura and mana. His death from a failed attempt was also true, so there was no falsehood in my words.
'Anyway, it's a relief.'
Siegfried is the same as he was in my past life.
'However.'
He has a sharp edge to his words at times, so it's best to avoid unnecessary conversations.
"Anyway, this technique can only be used by you, my contractor?"
"That's right."
"…Good. So, your father doesn't know about dual awakening either?"
"No, I haven't told anyone."
"Why?"
"Because it's uncertain."
"Uncertain?"
"Yes, until I met you today, there hadn't been a single dual awakener. How could I speak of something unverified?"
I continued with a determined expression.
"And, I won't tell anyone about dual awakening in the future either. Not even my father."
"Why?"
"Because this power is for me, not the family."
A smile spread across Siegfried's face.
He seemed satisfied with my answer. Siegfried clenched his fists, staring at the swirling Burn on my hand.
He marveled at the unprecedented ability and continued to express admiration for his descendant and disciple, who was born with exceptional talent.
"Kid, do you want to try using me now that we've completed the contract?"
"Now?"
"Yes, that guy who came earlier. He seems like a good practice target."
Siegfried glanced at Beth heading towards the castle gate.
"I also want to feel that Burn of yours firsthand."
After a moment of hesitation, I extended my right arm and spoke to Siegfried.
"Come in."