Chapter 48: The Guardian's Pact

More than an hour later, the unicorn seemed to have fallen asleep, resting in Cornelia's arms. Cornelia felt her body aching and numb, but she didn't dare move, afraid of waking the unicorn.

Wynn couldn't stay idle for long and kept looking for something to do, but he couldn't spar with Lobi in the garden, so he just kept sighing.

The others also found it quite boring. Carol said, "Bing Zhiye, you seem to know a lot about unicorns. Why don't you tell us some things about them? We don't know much about these rare magical creatures."

Irina added, "Yeah, the unicorn I saw in the *Monster Compendium* looks a bit different from this one. And the *Monster Compendium* is just a simplified version of the *Great Encyclopedia of Monsters*, so it doesn't have much detailed information, just a brief introduction."

Bing Zhiye said, "There's a copy in the library at the academy. You can go there to read it."

"Is there? Why didn't I find it?"

Carol urged, "Don't keep us in suspense. We have nothing better to do anyway."

Bing Zhiye saw that Luo was still thinking about the matter and said, "Sure, Luo, you're an old student here, you should know, right?"

Luo, who had heard their conversation, shook his head, "I don't go to the library often, so I'm not very familiar with it."

"Then I'll tell you," Bing Zhiye thought for a moment and said, "Irina mentioned that the unicorn in the compendium looks different."

Irina nodded, "Yes. The horn in the compendium doesn't seem as long, and the body... the body isn't as graceful and slender as this one, it looks a bit more robust."

Bing Zhiye said, "That's to be expected. There are many types of unicorns."

"Many types?" Irina was surprised, "I thought unicorns were just unicorns. There are many types?"

Wynn also perked up, curious and eager for Bing Zhiye to continue.

Bing Zhiye said, "Just like humans or animals, for example, horses or dogs, don't they have many breeds?"

Irina thought about it and said, "That's true. Dogs have poodles, shepherds, hunting dogs, and many more. So unicorns are divided into different types too?"

"Something like that," Bing Zhiye said, "For example, horns can be silver, white, red, gold, black, and even more. Fur and body size also vary. However, because they are rare, there aren't many detailed classifications, so they are generally called unicorns. But there are a few exceptional ones with different names, like the Moonlight Unicorn and the Nightmare Unicorn, named for their distinct appearances. The most common is white, but not pure white, often with patterns or different colors in certain areas."

Everyone imagined various types of unicorns in their minds. Luo asked, "Is it true that the purer the fur, the more powerful the unicorn?"

Bing Zhiye smiled, seeing that Luo had finally spoken, "I'm not entirely sure. After all, not many people have encountered unicorns. I've learned about them from books, taverns, and other people. But based on aesthetic standards and rarity, the purer and rarer ones are more favored."

"Right, right," Irina, sitting opposite Bing Zhiye, turned to look at Cornelia's silver-blue unicorn, "I really like this one. It's even more beautiful than the one in the compendium."

A scene flashed through Bing Zhiye's mind: a woman leaning against a black Moonlight Unicorn, walking in the desert under the moonlight.

"I really envy you. I wish I had a unicorn too," Carol sighed, lying on the grass.

Wynn laughed, "Impossible. You're not a girl, so the unicorn wouldn't like you."

Carol was taken aback and sat up, "Oh, right."

Bing Zhiye glanced at Carol and smiled, "Not necessarily. It's said that some men have won the hearts of unicorns, but they must be very pure-hearted. Of course, that's just a rumor, and I don't know if it's true. And..."

"And what?" Irina asked.

Bing Zhiye said, "And don't be fooled by the unicorn's holy and beautiful appearance. Its temper is actually very volatile. If it's angered or displeased, it can be very dangerous. For example, transporting it in a cage, it would usually avoid humans and places it dislikes. But it didn't run away, which shows it really likes Cornelia."

"Oh, that's true!" Everyone looked at Cornelia, who was petting the unicorn, each with their own thoughts.

When it was time for lunch, Cornelia was about to leave the unicorn but was stopped by Bing Zhiye. Bing Zhiye said, "It's best to eat with it, and avoid meat and cooked food. Eat more fruits. This will make it more affectionate towards you."

Cornelia followed Bing Zhiye's advice and ate a large plate of fruit with the unicorn.

Wynn scratched his head and sighed, "Getting a unicorn is really troublesome!"

Bing Zhiye thought again of the woman riding the black unicorn.

After lunch, the afternoon passed. Following Bing Zhiye's method, the unicorn indeed became much closer to Cornelia, even running with her in the garden for a long time.

By the starry night, Wynn couldn't stand it anymore and asked Bing Zhiye how long it would take to win the unicorn's heart and gain its recognition.

Bing Zhiye said, "It usually takes several days, even a month or two, but this unicorn seems to really like Cornelia..."

As he spoke, the unicorn became unusually affectionate towards Cornelia, rubbing its head against her neck and body, making Cornelia giggle.

"Ah, it's done..." Irina was about to speak when Bing Zhiye covered her mouth. Anyone who had read the *Monster Compendium* knew that this was a sign of the unicorn expressing its affection.

The unicorn then lifted its front legs and neighed loudly, as if very happy and urging something.

Cornelia, a well-learned person, understood the meaning and chanted a magic spell. Rings of light spread from her body, forming a protective barrier around them.

Under the moonlight, within the light barrier, Cornelia gently bit her finger, and a drop of her purest blood, infused with her magic, fell on the unicorn's forehead. The blood didn't leave a mark but quickly disappeared, and the unicorn's body emitted a soft glow, transforming into a stream of brilliant light that entered Cornelia's body. It entered her life space, becoming her life guardian.

The process, perhaps because the unicorn was willing, didn't last long. After about ten minutes, the light gradually faded. Carol, Irina, and the others were still in awe, even Wynn was entranced.

Cornelia ran over to them, laughing at their stunned expressions, which brought them back to their senses.

Wynn was the first to speak, grabbing Cornelia's shoulder and staring at her body, excitedly, "Where's the unicorn? Where's the unicorn?"

Cornelia was very embarrassed, her face turning red.

Irina hit him with a punch, "Pervert, get lost!"

Wynn, still dazed, asked, "Why did you hit me?"

Irina, angry, pointed at his nose, "Do you remember who you are? How could you... look at Cornelia like that?"

"How did I look at her? I was just looking at the unicorn..." Wynn, realizing what he had done, quickly apologized to Cornelia, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Miss. I was just too excited, too... I didn't mean anything by it, you..."

"Alright, let's not talk about it," Cornelia didn't want to dwell on the awkward moment.

Wynn stood to the side, feeling extremely regretful and self-blaming.

Luo, who had experience with summoning guardians, asked, "Do you feel a flow of energy inside your body?"

Cornelia nodded, "Yes."

Irina interjected, "I know this too. When a guardian is summoned, the energy it needs for life is provided by the host. In that special space, the energy consumption of the summoned creature is very low, so even a person can bear it, even a dragon, if the person is strong enough."

Wynn couldn't help but ask, "I have another question."

Irina glared at him, "What is it?"

Wynn, angry at her attitude but still feeling guilty, asked, "I've always wondered, can a person only have one guardian?"

"Of course, unless you're a mage who has learned spatial summoning magic and can create a pseudo-space, who else could have that ability?" Irina said.

"No, that's not what I meant," Wynn said, "For example, if I have a guardian, but I also keep a pet outside... a pet I have a good relationship with, is that not allowed?"

Irina looked frustrated. Carol also shook her head, "Have you read any books at all? Not just martial arts novels, right? A guardian is a guardian, and a pet is a pet. If you have the ability, you can keep a whole group of dragons."

Wynn asked, "Then why don't others bring more? Wouldn't it be better to have more powerful creatures around? Why don't most people keep pets?"

Irina said, "You're really dense."

Luo said, "There are many reasons. The first is convenience. For example, you can't walk around the city with a giant creature, it would cause a lot of trouble. And without a contract, they might not be well-controlled. You can keep small, obedient magical creatures, but if they are valuable, others might try to take them. And without a contract, their loyalty is unreliable. If they betray you and run away, or even attack you, it would be very dangerous. There are many inconveniences, but you can still keep them if you want."

"However, a contracted magical creature is different," Carol added, "You can't betray it, and it can't betray you, unless you both agree to end the contract. Otherwise, you will protect each other for life, until one of you dies."

Wynn asked, "What if it betrays me?"

"How could it betray you?" Irina countered.

Wynn said, "For example... if I don't want it anymore."

"Then you can end the contract."

Wynn was taken aback, thought for a moment, and said, "What if I don't end the contract and keep hitting it? Or abusing it, because I don't want to protect it anymore."

Luo said, "I understand what you mean. The contract we make with a magical creature is a special consensus between lives. This consensus is not a contract you can just make as you please, but a pact between life, nature, and elements, which is relatively equal. If you try to make an unequal pact, life itself won't agree, regardless of your or the creature's will. If you hit or abuse it, you are already violating the mutual protection agreement, which will become invalid, and the creature might attack you."

Wynn was startled, "So it's still dangerous, it might still betray you."

Luo said, "No. This contract, although fixed by life, is primarily made by intelligent beings, humans. Only humans can propose a contract to a magical creature, which cannot propose it on its own. The contract can only be terminated by the human if they betray it. Because the creature's life is hosted within yours, this special host relationship has a unique communication. If the creature betrays you, it will face life's punishment."

Wynn said, "So it's still an unequal pact."

"Sort of," Luo said, "But if you betray it, it can also betray you. At that point, the life contract is terminated, and the host relationship is dissolved, and its life is no longer bound by yours. You saw the battle between me and Sibyl. No matter how fierce and disobedient the Spine Dragon was, it wouldn't dare to harm its owner."

"Right," Wynn said, "But Sibyl hit it, and it didn't listen to Sibyl. Isn't that betrayal?"

Luo shook his head, "This contract is ideological, not behavioral. For example, if your magical creature causes trouble and you scold or hit it, that doesn't mean you've betrayed it. Or if it accidentally hurts you, that doesn't mean it has attacked you, because it didn't intend to."

"Oh~~!" Wynn nodded, "I finally understand."

Irina sighed, "You really amaze me. Well, it's getting late, let's go to sleep. We have to... wait, Cornelia, quickly summon the unicorn, we haven't had a good look yet."

"Right, right, we've been talking for so long, I almost forgot," Carol also shouted...

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