Leonar gazed at the golden orb floating before him, radiating a warm, comforting glow, almost like a miniature sun.
Despite the celestial energy's imposing nature, his expression remained neutral, almost disinterested.
After all, ever since he made that contract with Eleonora, he had known that fighting "that evil" was inevitable.
It wasn’t something that thrilled him, but neither was it unfamiliar. However, one crucial thing still eluded him.
“All right, all this sounds very noble and impressive, but…” Leonar adjusted his posture, placing both hands in his pockets and tilting his head slightly to one side.
His tone, filled with curiosity and skepticism, got straight to the point.
“What’s in it for me if I make this contract with you?”
The orb flickered briefly, a golden shimmer flashing across its surface. Celestia’s voice resonated, clear and sweet, though with a faint hint of surprise.
“The benefits? Well… isn’t it obvious? My blessings can grant you divine protection and the strength of the heroes who fought evil in ages past.”
Leonar raised an eyebrow, his gaze showing a spark of interest now.
Unlike the powers Eleonora offered, this sounded quite impressive.
“The strength of past heroes?” Leonar’s tone dripped with skepticism. “You’re not exaggerating a bit, are you?”
Celestia, apparently offended by the suggestion, emitted a more intense glow from the orb. Her voice, though still serene, carried a note of pride.
“No, human. What I say is true. Besides blessings, I can take control of your body to face evil more effectively, or even materialize in this physical world to aid you in battle.”
Before she could continue, Leonar raised a hand to signal a pause, letting out a heavy sigh.
Initially, the idea of letting someone else fight monsters on his behalf seemed great, but his past experiences with Eleonora had made one thing painfully clear:
These women weren’t exactly careful when it came to using his body!
Though his expression remained calm, Leonar could feel every muscle in his body tensing.
“Got anything else?”
The orb seemed to freeze for a moment, as if Leonar’s words had caught it off guard.
Celestia was used to humans being awed or, at the very least, intrigued by such offerings.
How could this man remain so indifferent?
“Do you not understand what it means for an angel like me to descend to the physical world or take control of your body?” she asked incredulously, her tone clearly frustrated.
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Leonar shrugged.
“I’m not saying it doesn’t sound impressive, but it’s not really my thing. What else you got?”
Celestia sighed, her golden glow flickering slightly, as if reevaluating her strategy.
“Well… I can also offer celestial wisdom and personalized training. With my guidance, you could grow quickly as a hero and unlock potential you can’t even imagine.”
That caught Leonar’s attention. He brought a hand to his chin, frowning slightly as he processed what he’d just heard.
“Training?” Leonar repeated, almost as if he needed to confirm he hadn’t misheard.
“Exactly,” Celestia replied, her voice regaining its confident tone. “I can provide lessons that will push you beyond your current limits.”
Leonar chuckled softly, not out of mockery but because it struck him as unexpectedly intriguing.
“Well, considering the lessons I’ve had with the system to master Eleonora’s magic have been… underwhelming, I’d say this sounds promising.”
Just as Leonar finished speaking, he felt a small jolt at the back of his neck. Assuming it was just another complaint from his body, he ignored it.
“So, do you accept my contract?”
For a moment, something in Leonar told him he was missing an important detail.
After a few seconds of failing to recall what it was, he simply sighed and nodded with determination.
“Fine, I accept.”
“Perfect. Step closer and touch the orb with your hand,” Celestia instructed, her voice now tinged with solemn emotion.
Leonar took a step forward, extending his right hand toward the orb.
‘Here we go…’ he thought.
As soon as his fingers brushed the glowing surface, a warm, comforting sensation spread through his body.
The orb began to merge with his palm, and Celestia’s voice echoed once more.
“You’ve made an excellent decision.”
However, before he could celebrate or say anything else, a message appeared in front of Leonar.
[Are you sure you want to accept a contract with Celestia?]
Leonar blinked, confused. He frowned as he read the message.
‘Didn’t I just accept it?’ he thought.
He sighed and selected “Yes,” only for a second message to appear immediately:
[Forming a contract with an angel might lead to significant changes in your daily habits. Are you sure you still want to proceed?]
“Significant changes in my daily habits?” Leonar murmured, raising an eyebrow.
He looked at his hand, clearly puzzled.
“What does this mean?”
Celestia, still fusing with him, replied in a casual tone.
“Oh, that… it’s just a small detail. Nothing to worry about.”
‘Small detail…?’
The phrase triggered bad memories for Leonar, as it was often used by the worst salespeople he’d encountered.
“Define ‘small detail.’”
Celestia let out a nervous laugh.
“Well, to use sacred powers, they don’t rely solely on mana. You’ll need to recharge sacred energy, which involves praying. Additionally, offerings will be necessary whenever you use abilities borrowed from past heroes.”
Leonar’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
‘That’s a BIG detail!’
“You call that a small detail?”
“It is!” Celestia insisted enthusiastically. “Besides, I can help you find those offerings. It’ll be easy, I promise.”
Before Leonar could reply, another message popped up:
[To use this angel’s blessings, a just cause is required.]
Leonar gritted his teeth.
‘Seriously? The system is chiming in now?’
Another message immediately appeared:
[Yes.]
Leonar exhaled in frustration and pointed at the message.
“Stop reading my thoughts and stick to answering my questions!”
Celestia, observing all this from Leonar’s palm, looked confused.
Was she making a pact with a madman? Who on earth was this human even talking to?
Or… was he referring to her!?
Nervously, Celestia asked Leonar:
“Do you have some power or ability that interferes with our contract? Your body seems to be rejecting the connection…”
Leonar shook his head, though his expression showed clear annoyance.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but…” He looked at his hands, now trembling slightly. “I don’t have much of a choice.”
Though he wasn’t entirely convinced, Leonar knew he couldn’t back out now. Eleonora was still asleep, and he had come this far to reach Celestia.
With a final sigh of resignation, he selected “Yes” on the system.
[Contract with Celestia successfully formed.]