Contracts.

  Or, to use the more formal term, the Arcana of Contracts, Covenants, and Vows is the first of the three primary categories into which all magic can be divided. This Arcana governs all forms of binding magical agreements, oaths, and pacts established between two or more parties, whether mortal or otherwise.

  Among the three, it is the Arcana that has the most conditions and the trickiest to master—since many of its conditions are not defined outright and highly dependent on the context and wording of each individual bond.

  The outcomes of this Arcana can easily go in any direction, yielding immense power, catastrophic failure or even nothing at all.

  A practitioner might gain near-absolute power if they are lucky enough to form a contract with a high-ranking spirit—or find themselves, even with all the efforts they put into attracting a partner, with a weak sprite barely capable of tossing a pebble, let alone smiting an enemy.

  Its learning curve is tied to the entity with whom the practitioner forges a connection to. Some spirits are willing to explain the nature of the contracts, while others remain cryptic, leaving it to their partners to figure out the limits of the terms through negotiation, experimentation and most common of all, trial and error.

  Therefore, the potential strength of this Arcana is highly dependent on the contracted being. It is relatively easy for a complete novice attain a moderate degree of power, however, because of the very nature of the entity being bonded with, it is possible though extremely rare, a novice can attain, a ludicrous amount of strength without trying.

  But the chances of a practitioner bonding with higher-tier entities are relatively slim, always ranging lower than single digits.

  The main advantage of this Arcana is that unlike other forms of magic, this Arcana has no limitations in terms of practitioners. It is not limited by the practitioner’s level, innate magical capacity, talent or even bloodline. Some spirits even reject the scions of long-time bondholders, for reasons known only to them.

  Strength within this Arcana is determined entirely by the terms of the contract, the price the contractor pays, and the nature of the contracted being. These governing factors are further influenced by the foundational principle unique to each Arcana.

  Each Arcana is associated with a defining concept or principle that is tied to their very essence. In the case of the Arcana of Contracts, Covenants, and Vows, that concept is, unsurprisingly, words.

  All power within this Arcana relies wholly on the language used in the contract, or to be more specific, the precise terms used to form and seal an agreement. Nuance is key.

  An example would be, the distinction between the terms full and all becomes particularly significant in the context of power. Full Power represents that maximum output, regardless of whether the contractor can safely utilize it or not.

  In contrast, all power denotes the entirety of power that the contracted being possesses, including aspects that may be inaccessible, unstable, or beyond the capacity of the contract itself. And those two are one of the easiest terms to understand. More nuanced terms like recent and latest have proven to be trickier.

  A single misused or ambiguous word that carry hidden meaning can drastically alter the outcome of the magic entirely. Misrepresentation, double meanings, or linguistic imprecision can render a contract void, or worse, leave it open to exploitation by either the contractor or the contracted.

  As such, practitioners must exercise the utmost care when crafting, speaking, or even thinking the words that define their bonds with their contracted entity. To make a mistake in this Arcana is often met with fatal consequences.

  -excerpt from, Magic: Our Lies, Our Secrets, Our Truths, Volume 2, by Ursula de Martine, Teacher, Historian, Mentor, and member of the Order.

  Editor’s Note: The following excerpt has been translated from the original manuscript dated 1075 CE.

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  “Is that something you should be saying, or even spreading around?” Trayn asked slowly. He looked somewhat uncertain if he should even be asking the question.

  “Yeah, I don’t mind. It’s not like you people are going to go around and spread it,” I said with a shrug. “And even if you all did, it’s not exactly a secret. Hells, half of my friends back home know. Possibly the entire neighborhood as well.”

  My comments made Trayn and Arthur look at each other while Taka was scratching the back of his head. The other was definitely surprised but most of them simply stared.

  “Well I don’t, and I‘m your brother! How did you know this!?” my brother asked, one eyebrow raised. His voice, sounded a bit panicked. “I don’t think father would willingly tell something like that.”

  “Oh, because it wasn’t him that told me,” I replied matter-of-factly. “It was our uncles.”

  “Yeah—that—make sense,” he replied looking half surprised, half accepting.

  Aside from him, the expressions on everyone else’s faces seemed to demand some kind of explanation.

  “Our uncles, my mother’s brothers, are the kind of people who don’t exactly bother with tact—or anything associated with it. If something’s funny, it’s getting told,” I said straightening myself.

  “They told me that one time they were drinking, and I laughed so hard I don’t remember getting an allowance the entire month,” I finished proudly.

  “Wow,” Shizuku said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What a son you turned out to be.”

  Her remark made everyone else shake their heads, smirk, or snicker in my general direction. Naturally, being the paragon of grace that I am, let the insult flow around me. Like a stone letting the tremendous torrent of water pass. Besides, now that I was awake, I was already starting to feel hungry so I might as well go downstairs.

  “Yup. I’m a goddamn saint compared to you!” I said proudly.

  Wait.

  “One, two, three, four five, six,” raising one finger, I rapidly counted the people inside the room.

  “We have one missing!” I blurted out, causing confused looks to appear on everyone’s faces. “Alert! Alert! Mayday! Mayday! SOS! DEFCON 5! Find that girl!”

  In my panic I jumped over the couch and landed in front of Shizuku. Trayn looked impressed at my feat even as I started giving instructions

  “Mochizuki, go look inside my room! Trayn, Arthur look under the couches! Wills, Taka, go to the bathroom, see if she’s there! Everyone else fan out!” I said speaking in rapid Japanese. “Find her!”

  “Who are we looking for?” the shortest girl, Suzu, I think her name is, asked sounding incredibly unsure.

  “If you’re looking for Reika, she went into the room beside the bathroom earlier,” the one with the Hime cut hair, Airi said casually. She was pointing at the other end of the room.

  “And you didn’t stop her!?” Panicked I quickly rushed past them.

  The moment I opened the door and saw the sight that greeted me I let out a defeated sigh. I was already too late. Reika was holding a half empty bottle of wine as well as a half full glass.

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  “Oh, Ae,” she said happily, without any hint of contrition or remorse despite being caught red-handed. “This wine tastes good!”

  I continued to stare at her.

  “Ae, don’t stare at me like that!” she said bashfully, bringing the two items she was holding close to her face. “Oh! Did you want some?”

  With veins cracking and pulsing all over, I grabbed the thing she was holding, which caused her to pout.

  “Ae, I wasn’t finished drinking!” she protested. “At least let me finish the glass.”

  I did not have the words to retort right now. If I did, they were lost in traffic somewhere between my throat and a silent scream. Alright then, no half measures.

  I grabbed her by the nape.

  “Ow! Ae stop! It hurts!” she complained as I proceeded to drag her, to the shock and horror of everyone who was watching.

  I opened the door and brought her outside. Everyone else followed quickly, their faces etched with concern. I guided her to the door right across from mine.

  Holding her firmly, I knocked once.

  Then twice.

  A few moments later, a click was heard as the door opened.

  “What?” Nana baa-san asked, one sharp, skeptical eyebrow already raised.

  Her eyes immediately snapped to her granddaughter in my grip. Reika froze, mid-struggle.

  “Uh… uhm… hello, Baa-san,” she said, trying—rather poorly—to sound casual. “How did you get that room?”

  Nana Baa-san’s skeptical eyebrow climbed even higher than before, then her suspicion hardened into a scowl.

  “I paid extra,” she replied lightly, before turning her attention to me.

  “She drank half a bottle of wine!”

  The response was immediate. Her hand, the iron claw of justice, reached out, snapped, and shot right at Reika’s horrified face. Try as she might, Reika’s strength was no match. While mumbling excuses and flailing helplessly, she was unceremoniously dragged back inside the room, leaving a trail of protest and chaos in her wake.

  Then—silence fell in the corridor. It’s not every day I see someone get dragged to the shadow realm.

  A few seconds later, I raised my right hand near my chest, fingers straight and mumbled, “Akuryō Taisan.” (Evil spirits, begone!)

  “Right then, let’s go eat,” I said cheerfully, rounding back to the people behind who looked more shocked than a cat discovering a cucumber.

  “You should really be kinder to Rai,” Shizuku grumbled after a few seconds.

  “It’s fine she can take it,” I replied without turning back. “The punishment I mean.”

  “Suzu thinks that’s not how you should treat a lady,” she said defiantly as she crossed her arms.

  I gave it some thought, before agreeing.

  “You’re right, I should throw salt in her direction—just to be safe.”

  “No, what Suzu meant was that, even though Reika did drink wine, you should have treated her gently,” Airi explained kindly, while her short friend beside her nodded emphatically at every word.

  “Fair point. I should see if I have soybeans to throw as well.”

  “I… uh… I think we’re having a bit of a communication problem here,” one of the boys from the back ventured.

  “No,” Shizuku said wearily. “He’s just choosing to ignore us.”

  “Yes! I most certainly am!” I declared, a tirade on the very tip of my mouth. “Listen, people, she didn’t just do this once. Not twice. Not five times. Not even ten! We’ve been telling her to stop—repeatedly, politely! With signs! The only thing we hadn’t tried are smoke signals, morse code, and interpretive dance! But does she listen? NoooOOOoooo! Little Miss Priss couldn’t help herself! She barrels headlong into anything her intrusive thoughts tell her, like a retarded overcaffeinated squirrel on roller skates, leaving chaos and minor existential crises in her wake. And every time we try to intervene, what does she do? She looks at us with those, innocent puppy dog eyes and suddenly we’re the bad guys!? The audacity! The absolute gall! I swear, if there were a Nobel Prize for whatever category she falls into, she’d have not one, not two, she’d have the entire f—ucking set! Honestly, I don’t even know why I try to stop her anymore!? She’s like a wine-powered, chaotically induced hurricane, of death, wrapped in human skin!”

  I took a deep breath, ready again to unleash what could only be described as a veritable tide of highly questionable, gloriously colorful words.

  “And furthermore—mufuf!”

  But before I could say anything else, Arthur’s hand clamped over my mouth from behind.

  “Yes ok, we get it! We came here to eat! Everyone let’s go!” he said quickly, practically shoving me forward. “Wills get the door!”

  “On it,” my brother replied immediately.

  Everyone else obeyed—or something close to it—half-running to the elevator, me in tow, like a very reluctant parade float. Fortunately, because we were pretty high up, there were no other people to use the elevators.

  When we reached the hall, I managed to be first in line again, and the next people were the girls, with Suzu right behind me.

  She was still staring at me, her arms crossed. Frankly, it was kind of freaking me out. I quickly got my food and sat down. To my absolute horror, she—and the other girls—ended up at the same table with Suzu sitting beside me on my right and Shizuku settling across from me.

  “What is this?” I asked Shizuku, unenthusiastically. “An interview?”

  “No,” she replied calmly, “an interrogation.”

  I couldn’t help but click my tongue. To calm myself, I pulled out my phone and started playing a game while eating. The other boys—the bastards—gave me a cheeky salute before sitting down across from us, clearly enjoying my suffering.

  But even after I was halfway through my food, the girl just wouldn’t stop staring, like I’d suddenly become the main attraction in a very awkward, very slow horror show.

  “Did you need something?” I asked tiredly after I couldn’t take it anymore.

  My question startled her and she nearly dropped the fork she was holding.

  “Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat. “My name is Suzu Hoshino. Pleased to meet you.”

  Uh—why was she introducing herself again? And in English, no less. That was the question I sent to Shizuku with my gaze. For her part, she just shrugged, and left me to figure out whatever this was.

  What manner of BS should I use?

  “Wir haben uns gestern kennengelernt, und du hast dich doch schon gestern vorgestellt. Hast du das schon wieder vergessen?”

  “Huh!? Eh!? E—to, no English?” she stammered, clearly caught off guard by my response.

  She sounded panicked. Oh, I get it—she was nervous. Totally understandable after what I just did.

  “Haha, relax,” I chuckled, switching to Japanese. “Do you want some chocolate?”

  “Chocolate?” she repeated, clearly confused.

  “Yes. Chocolate always seems to help me calm down. As for what I said—we met yesterday, and you introduced yourself, yesterday. Have you already forgotten? When I was on the ground, remember? So, you didn’t need to introduce yourself a second time,” I said casually. “Or… were you trying to be funny?”

  She pouted, glaring at me like I’d just insulted her for some reason or another.

  “No! Suzu was not trying to be funny,” she huffed. “And yes, Vi-kun, I would like chocolate, give me some.”

  I was amused by her brazen demand and sudden use of a term for closeness. I dug into my pocket and pulled out chocolate. I gave her the piece and patted her on the head, an action that, unsurprisingly, only seemed to rile her further.

  “Are you—treating Suzu like a child?”

  “Yes, now be quiet and stop staring, I’m playing,” I said while looking at my phone.

  She huffed again, her eyebrows knitting into a permanent scowl, and she reluctantly unwrapped the candy I gave her before she popped it into her mouth.

  “This is quite good Vi-kun,” she said after a moment, savoring the chocolate, a bright smile on her face.

  “Of course it is, I chose them,” I replied proudly. “Chocolate Truffles, nothing but the best.”

  “Can I have some too?” Shizuku asked at the same time holding out her hand.

  “N—Ow! Why did you kick me!?” I yelped as I rubbed my shin.

  “Can I have some too?” she repeated, still holding out her hand. This time, she was wearing a sweet smile.

  I reluctantly her one.

  To my absolute horror. Absolute horror of horrors. Hands multiplied like the legions of the damned, three, then seven! What felt like a veritable host, stretching out in avaricious demand.

  My precious treasure, dwindled before my eyes. Gone! All too soon!

  No! My precious!

  I felt my very soul convulse and wail, as if the heavens themselves had turned their gaze from me, and bitter knowledge struck like a hammer blow: my treasure was all but spent, devoured by these ravenous—savages.

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” Shizuku said waving a hand.

  “I’m not doing anything,” I replied calmly as everyone, even the boys were enjoying the taste of my sweet tasty delicious treats. You offer it to one person, and suddenly everyone wants a piece. The bastards.

  “You and I both know you’re not,” Shizuku said confidently though with a gentle smile. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you are insulting us in your mind right now.”

  I answered with a low growl, and she blew me a kiss so smug it practically winked at everyone at the table. An action that made everyone else giggle.

  I—one of these days, oh—I swear.

  “Vi-kun, Vi-kun,” Suzu said excitedly calling my attention and tapping me repeatedly on the arm. “Suzu has so many questions about you, Reika and Shizuku. But also, why do you carry around chocolate? Don’t they melt? And that language you used earlier, was that German? Why do you know German?”

  A rapid-fire flood of words poured from her mouth, in quick succession. Is this the real her? Before I could answer her fully, Airi’s hand rose up.

  “Uhm, Suzu, before you ask any more questions, can I ask one? It’s been bugging me,” she said softly. Suzu nodded eagerly. “Uhm… you said we should call you Vi, but… well, when we introduced ourselves yesterday, your name was different. Why is that? Where did ‘Vi’ come from?”

  That was actually a decent question.

  “That’s simple. Short answer is my uncles,” I said with a small, wry smile, taking a sip of water before continuing. “Long answer is, well, my mother has four brothers, and she’s the youngest and only girl in her family. Unfortunately for me, I’m the oldest boy in our entire family.”

  “Oldest boy?” Suzu repeated, wide-eyed. “Does that mean all your cousins are girls?”

  “No, just the oldest boy,” I explained.

  “The second oldest is his brother, and the next one after that… three years younger?” Shizuku added, and I nodded.

  “Being the eldest boy, whether planned or unplanned, there are pros,” I continued, scratching my head. “But there are downsides too. When I was little, I was doted on by my uncles more than my own mother. Or their own children. And the very first word I ever spoke was—as you probably guessed—was ‘Vi.’ I’ve been called that ever since.”