The Pact: Bruno and the Crimson Veil

Startled, I looked toward the distinct voice. I adjusted myself and gripped the spear's shaft firmly, trying not to make any sudden movements.

Flávia, noticing my reaction, quickly stepped forward to explain:

"Don't worry, Bruno. This is Sitha Leyna, a 4th-degree spiritualist."

Now calmer, though still slightly wary, I greeted her:

"It's a pleasure. My name is Bruno."

As I shook her hand, I observed her more closely. She was a woman with purple hair, appearing to be in her late forties. She wore a simple yet elegant white dress, and a necklace adorned with three eyes. On her forehead, there was a small real eye that moved slightly, as if examining me.

Sitha returned my greeting with a subtle bow:

"The pleasure is all mine, sir. I am Sitha Leyna, a spiritualist of this barony."

Flávia then took the floor:

"Spiritualists help people form contracts with spiritual beasts."

She paused briefly before continuing, with a slight tone of pride:

"Sitha is the best spiritualist in my barony. The only one who has reached the 4th degree."

Slightly impressed, I repeated with curiosity:

"Spiritual beasts?"

"Yes," Sitha said naturally. "Spiritual beasts are mystical creatures that accompany us throughout life. They are not limited to vampires alone. These entities come from Salen Beast, the Spiritual Continent of Beasts — an ancient dimension linked to a type of energy considered primordial."

She continued smoothly:

"I am a 4th-degree spiritualist. This means I can form contracts with beasts that have reached this level. Fourth-degree beasts are on the same power level as Barons."

A bit impressed, I stayed silent, attentive to Sitha's words.

"Spiritual contracts are eternal," she went on. "Once made, they are unbreakable. The beast can never return to Salen Beast... never again."

She then made a gentle gesture with her hand, and a purple cat with three eyes appeared before her. Its gaze carried a trace of infinity, as if a starry night sky was contained within its eyes.

Flávia, in turn, made a different gesture. Instantly, a magnificent mermaid appeared. She had long blue hair, wore a shell bra, golden spiral earrings, and bore an arrogant expression. An ethereal aura of water enveloped her like a shimmering liquid cloak.

Curious — and slightly scared — I took a step back.

Without dismissing her beast, Sitha continued in a soft, didactic voice:

"Beasts follow a primordial level pattern divided into seven categories, arranged as follows:

5th Degree

4th Degree

3rd Degree

2nd Degree

1st Degree

0 — Supreme Degree

And it is said," she paused, her expression growing serious, "that there are four spiritual beasts above even the Zero Degree. Absolute entities that reign supreme in Salen Beast."

She then pointed to the purple cat beside her:

"This is a Three-Eyed Cat, a 5th-degree beast. It covers the contract levels from Apprentice to Warrior, depending on its strength and age. Mine is at the upper limit — it can fight, for a time, even against Barons. That's why I consider it a 'near 4th degree'."

Sitha looked at Flávia and added with a slight smile:

"Flávia's mermaid is an authentic 4th-degree Aquárine."

Flávia smiled proudly at this, while the mermaid — still wearing an arrogant expression — snorted quietly before disappearing. The summoning dissolved like foam fading in the breeze.

"Don't take it too seriously," Flávia said, laughing. "Virelia is quite arrogant... and shy."

Sitha shook her head lightly and added:

"The Aquárine race — and others like them, descendants of the ancient Queens of the Sea — tend to have a proud personality. It's typical of mermaids."

Laughing, Sitha continued:

"Beasts have infinite growth potential. However, that depends heavily on how they are trained... and their own talent."

She paused, perhaps to give me time to process everything. I took the moment to center myself. Still, with an obvious question in my heart, I asked — though already suspecting the answer:

"What brings you here today?"

With a wide smile, she answered excitedly:

"Of course, it's for you to make your contract with a spiritual beast! Lady Flávia informed me three days ago, and for me... it's truly an honor to be here."

Sitha then spoke nonstop, with the enthusiasm of someone who deeply loves her work. Her eyes sparkled as she stroked the purple cat beside her.

"As Flávia mentioned, you have an affinity for fire... so I really wonder: what kind of beast will be your eternal companion? Will you be able to summon a 4th-degree beast? A Flame Wolf, perhaps? Or a Purple Lion?" she spoke with growing excitement. "Maybe... even a Sub-Phoenix of the Black Flame?"

Her eyes gleamed at the next possibility:

"Maybe... who knows... even a 3rd-degree Cerberus?"

Tired from the continuous training and Sitha's explosive enthusiasm, I took a step back, leaning on the spear's shaft.

Noticing this, Flávia kindly intervened, leading Sitha toward a guest area in the castle. Before leaving, Sitha dismissed her beast and, somewhat embarrassed, apologized for her sudden excitement.

"Go take a bath and rest a little," Flávia said with a calm smile. "Meanwhile, I'll help her prepare everything."

After a short while, they were no longer around.

Alone, I plunged into my thoughts — finally in silence. I was able to concentrate more clearly and remembered the sensation I had when channeling vitae into the spear.

It was... impressive.

Still excited, I carefully stored the spear and the chain. Inside me, I felt restless, eager — and I prepared to leave.

After leaving the training field, I went straight to the bathroom in my room. Exhausted, I turned on the bathtub taps and started undressing. Shortly after, I entered and sat down, feeling the warm water pouring over me. A deep relief swept through my body — a silent reward after an exhausting day.

Happy and relaxed, I began to recall the training with the spear and chain... and the feeling of having managed to channel vitae for the first time. Though the result was weak and unstable, to me it was an encouraging achievement.

In my mind, I imagined the scene repeatedly: mastering that power, evolving little by little. Like a child who imagines himself a superhero — falling, losing, but coming back stronger with every battle, with a new power that helps him rise again.

It was... incredible.

After several minutes of pure satisfaction, I saw myself using the spear and chain again. I relived the movements, the mistakes, the hits, the failures — and strangely, that only made me more excited.

Because I was learning. I was building my own path. I hadn't been handed some ridiculous talent on a silver platter, but I had something even more valuable: the chance to grow.

After the bath, I changed clothes. I was now wearing one of the outfits Flávia had bought for me: a basic black shirt, black cargo pants, and a pair of white slippers.

Refreshed and clean, I headed toward the guest room, where Flávia and Sitha were talking. I entered quietly and sat down without making a fuss, just listening.

After some time, the two seemed to calm down and slow their conversation. More interested, I took the opportunity during a pause to ask Sitha more about spiritual beasts.

She smiled and began speaking cheerfully, without holding back.

"5th-degree beasts cover power levels from Apprentice to Warrior," she explained enthusiastically. "You don't need to spend energy to summon a beast you already have a contract with."

As she spoke, she took out a small object shaped like a cat's claw from her pocket and continued:

"When forming a contract, it's recommended — though not mandatory — to create a small spiritual space tailored to the beast's personality. They like it, and it greatly helps form a strong and lasting bond. Of course, some prefer to roam freely... it varies from beast to beast."

"They need to be fed with our energy?" I asked.

"Always," she replied. "That strengthens them and creates a natural convergence between the powers of the contractor and the beast. It greatly improves cooperation in battle."

I thought for a moment and asked, curious:

"Is it possible for someone to have a beast ranked higher than their own level?"

"No," she answered promptly, seriously. "If the difference is too great, the contract's energy would kill the contractor. For example, an Apprentice-level person can only have a 5th-degree beast. Even so, some beasts at that level rival warriors — and some, with rarer lineages, are called 'almost 4th degree'."

She paused briefly before continuing:

"Of course, that doesn't include my own beast. She's been with me for many years, nurtured by my energy all that time. Now, she's on the threshold of the 4th degree."

I nodded, impressed. Spiritual beasts were deeper than mere helpers — they were almost an extension of ourselves. That excited me even more.

We continued talking. Flávia and Sitha shared curiosities, stories, peculiarities, and even legends about rare beasts and their specialties.

"I've had my beast since I was thirteen," Flávia said proudly. "And only two years ago she reached the 4th degree."

Curious, I asked:

"How do beasts influence the different sublevels of power?"

Flávia answered calmly:

"It depends a lot on the beast and the fighting style. For example, even if I'm a sublevel above my beast, she can still help a lot — with attacks, timely defenses, support magic, or even distracting enemies."

Sitha took the floor:

"I'm a Baron-level, but my beast is still 5th degree. Even so, she helps me greatly. Sometimes it depends on the occasion... or how her powers manifest."

I was amazed by how useful spiritual beasts could be. The more I heard, the more eager I was to know mine. Then a doubt struck me:

"Wait... you're a Baron-level?" I asked, turning to Sitha.

She frowned, a bit confused.

Flávia smiled and explained:

"Because it's my barony, many think I'm the only Baron-level here. But that's not the case. There are three of us at this level in this territory: me, Sitha... and Selene."

"Selene...?" I repeated, curious. "I've heard that name before..."

At that moment, a soft voice spoke near me.

It was the beautiful white-haired maid. She wore a casual uniform covering her entire body except for her calves. She wore delicate maid slippers, and small silver hoop earrings shone on her ears. Her face was as beautiful as Flávia's — maybe even more — and her body was perfectly sculpted.

"Did you call, my lord?" she said with a gentle smile.

Flávia stepped forward:

"This is Selene. My right hand... and you could say, the vice-leader of this barony."