Chapter 2

"Hey… Hey!"

"Kuh!"

"Get up! The officials are waiting for you in the square over there!"

I woke up with a strong impact to my abdomen. The awakening was terrible, but I didn't feel bad.

Since I got older, I rarely slept well for long periods, but this was different.

"What's this, bullying an old man all of a sudden?"

"Huh? You're not even old. What's with that weird way of talking? Just get up, we're going!"

No friends visit the shack anymore. If someone had business, they might come, but I don't remember anyone kicking an old man who was sleeping inside.

Besides, the voice I heard was young. My own voice also sounded young, almost childlike. For a moment, I thought it was a woman's voice, but it was clearly coming from my own throat.

I was supposed to be sleeping in a cheap but decent bed, yet I was lying on the ground, not the floor. I never had bad sleeping habits and never fell out of bed.

The blanket covering me was thin and didn't seem to provide any warmth.

Yet, strangely, my joints didn't hurt. If I had fallen out of bed and slept on the floor, I would have been in excruciating pain.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes and lifting my head, I began to see more clearly. The boy in front of me looked familiar.

A relatively well-built boy for a poor person, with brown hair and a strand of yellow mixed in.

Rough and violent but caring and straightforward, a close friend who died young in war. I thought this must be a dream.

Despite kicking me, the face looking up at me from the backlight was grinning.

"Could it be… Ranno…?"

"Who's that? I'm Rau. And you're Jike. It's rare for you to be this groggy."

My nose tingled. I remembered the boy in front of me was Rau, and I was Jike.

If that was the case, the boy in front of me must be the one I was thinking of.

This must be a dream. To see that carefree smile again, to meet so clearly again.

"Come on, let's go."

"Wha… Wait!"

Without giving me time to indulge in sentiment, Rau grabbed my shoulder and started running, pulling me along. I stumbled but my body was light, and I started running with him.

The view was low, my feet moved quickly, and the scenery flowed by. I followed Rau, who let go of my shoulder and walked ahead, running down a familiar path.

Running was something I hadn't done in a long time, and it was fun. Before I could think about anything, we arrived at our destination, and Rau slowed down.

We reached a square where old, dilapidated houses had once burned down in a fire.

Listening to Rau and looking at the situation, my memories returned.

Children in rags, officials in clean clothes, a few soldiers, and adults watching from a distance. This was the slum in the northwest of the capital, Relmadai, in the Kingdom of Anjubits.

Jike knew what was about to happen.

The moment when hell began.

"Is this all of them?"

"We haven't been able to account for everyone, but we've gathered most of them."

The official, facing a large number of poor children, called out to the soldiers standing behind him. He looked dissatisfied, as if wondering why he had to be here.

He would have preferred to push such a task in the slums to his subordinates, but for a direct order from the king, he wouldn't have done it.

Counting the number of poor people, let alone the poor children, was almost impossible, even for commoners.

They had gathered as many as they could, but it was impossible to get everyone.

He wanted to avoid complaints and sabotage from colleagues as much as possible, but it was difficult. Thinking of the faces of those who would nitpick and try to sabotage his career, the official felt gloomy.

He wanted to tell them to search for every last person, even if it meant parting the grass, but it was unrealistic. He couldn't keep the soldiers running around the slums forever, and it would be counterproductive to earn their resentment.

The official sighed heavily and stepped forward, drawing attention. The soldiers tried to quiet the children, but the children in the slums wouldn't be silenced so easily.

The official waved his hand to dismiss the soldiers. His somewhat arrogant attitude toward the soldiers suggested he might be of high rank or a noble.

He glanced at the children in the square, cleared his throat, and snapped his fingers.

Flames rose, and the children fell silent, their eyes on the official. It was a drastic method, but effective.

The official unfolded a decree and read it aloud.

"Recently, our king has enacted a new law, the National Contract Law. According to this law, all children born in the future, regardless of status, are required to enter into a contract with a monster. Additionally, those already born are guaranteed the opportunity to enter into a contract."

The children began to murmur again.

"Based on this law, the children born in this slum are also subject to the contract. The state will bear the cost of the contract, and you have been gathered here for that purpose. We will now move to the contract site."

Most children, except for the very young, understood what a contract was. But they were still children.

They couldn't keep up with the official's complicated language and had no one to consult. There was no time to think.

Asking the child next to them wouldn't help, as they were in the same state. The official, unable to quiet the murmurs, signaled the soldiers with a nod.

The children were herded from the square and forced onto wagons attached to horses.

Jike, who had followed without resistance, was also hesitant. He knew what was about to happen.

Was this a dream, a flashback, or an illusion? The only difference was that he knew what was going to happen.

Another difference was that he no longer had any hope for the contract. As he thought this, the horses continued to move, and they arrived at a large building at the border between the commoner and noble districts.

This facility, used by both nobles and commoners, was often located at the border in other cities as well.

The contract site, also known as the Dragon Hall, consisted of a large building and an open space surrounded by high walls. It was a place the poor rarely entered.

Normally, inside the building, there would be a reception and a medical check-up, and nobles would be asked for donations. But now, the procedures were skipped, and the children, including Jike, were led to a large training ground-like area.

The ceiling was open, and the exposed earth and high walls created an unusual atmosphere, despite being in the middle of the town.

It was called a contract room, but it was more like an open space, with the blue sky visible. In the center of the contract room was a large magic circle where the contract would take place.

A child near the soldiers was taken to the side of the magic circle. They were given a small magic stone, their finger was lightly cut with a knife, and they were made to drip blood into the magic circle and repeat the soldiers' words without understanding.

The magic circle emitted light, captivating the children's attention. Jike was excited at first, but by the second time, he was indifferent.

The light grew stronger, and something emerged from the magic circle. Jike, calm among the surprised children, watched the situation unfold as he remembered.

The story was unfolding as he remembered. But even if he wanted to run, it was too late.

The summoned creature was a Silkbird, a small bird-like monster with blue feathers. While it was a common classification, it was considered a poor choice for a monster contract.

The monster contract was an ancient magic given by dragons to humans, who had some wisdom and skills but lacked magic power and strength.

This magic, which allowed humans to summon and contract with monsters that were enemies of humans, has become indispensable. It not only allowed the use of monsters but also granted humans the strength they lacked.

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