Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, the entire ‘form a pact with a fish’ thing is already a bust? Great. Fantastic."

"Hey now, don’t give up hope so fast,” Finny said. “Once you do my little favor, I’m sure my buddies will want to help you out. Besides, I’m still here, aren’t I? I’ll sign a temporary contract with you right now."

Nathan frowned. "Temporary? What’s the catch?"

"No catch. Just… when the time comes, we’ll solidify things with a permanent deal. You fulfill your side of the bargain, I’ll seal the pact. Easy."

"And what exactly will I be doing to fulfill my side?"

“Like I said, let me decide that later. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Before Nathan could protest, Finny swirled his tail dramatically, and a glowing scroll materialized in the air. Ethereal runes danced along its edges, and a pen of condensed water appeared beside it, hovering expectantly.

Nathan raised a hand. "Wait. I’m not signing anything without proper representation."

"What? You need a… lawyer?"

"Exactly."

Nathan thrust a hand forward, summoning a small, shimmering portal. He jumped through and disappeared for a moment. The portal’s edges shimmered with a mix of white and gold.

“He’s not seriously bringing a lawyer, right?” Finny said. “That’s overkill."

Moments later, Nathan returned, dragging a short, squat figure with him: Burrau. He adjusted his round glasses and dusted off his jacket.

“Nathan,” Burrau said, his voice clipped. “I was in the middle of drafting the town charter. Do you know how delicate constitutional phrasing is? Why am I here?”

Nathan chuckled and rubbed the back of his head “Burrau, meet Finny. Finny, Burrau. I’m supposed to sign a contract with this fish, and I need you to make sure I don’t end up regretting it.”

Burrau’s glare deepened. He turned to Finny, who gave an awkward little wave.

“Is this legally binding?” Burrau asked, already pulling a tiny notebook from his jacket pocket.

“Of course it is! I’m a professional.”

“We’ll see about that.”

The glowing scroll unfurled between them, and Burrau’s eyes darted across the text. His lips pressed into a thin line as he scanned it. "This is atrocious. Vague language, undefined terms, no contingencies… This isn’t a contract, it’s an invitation to disaster."

"Hey! It’s just the standard template!"

Burrau’s pen shot forward like a sword, striking out clauses with ruthless efficiency. "Not anymore."

"Make sure to add a clause about snacks,” Nathan said.

"Clause one: ‘Finny will supply snacks for all summoned events involving aquatic assistance.’"

"What? Snacks?" Finny sputtered. "What kind of snacks?"

"We’ll let Burrau decide,” Nathan said.

Burrau scribbled on the paper. "Acceptable forms include, but are not limited to, salted crackers, seaweed chips, and candied kelp."

Finny groaned. "You’re kidding."

Burrau ignored him and moved on. "Clause two: ‘Nathan will perform one favor of reasonable effort.’ Define reasonable. Do you mean within his physical capability, his schedule, or his moral compass?"

"Uh… yes?" Finny said.

"No. ‘Reasonable effort’ will mean within three days’s work, not violating Nathan’s ethical code, and not involving extreme peril.” He glared over his glasses. "Anything less is exploitation."

"Fine, fine."

"Clause three: unlimited call-ins for combat assistance? Outrageous. Nathan is a lord with a town to manage. You get none.”

"But what if—"

“None. If you want his help, use your favor.”

“You’re ruthless,” Finny muttered.

“Efficient.” Burrau pushed his glasses up and pointed to the next clause. "What’s this about discretionary authority over Nathan’s favor? That’s a no. We’ll define the parameters here and now."

Nathan stepped closer to the glowing contract. "Can we add something about penalties if Finny flakes on his side?"

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Burrau nodded. "Clause four: ‘Finny shall forfeit a portion of his power if he fails to honor his obligations.’"

"You’re trying to bankrupt me if I fail.”

"Then don’t fail."

Nathan stood back, trying to contain his laughter. The scroll was soon covered in annotations, strikeouts, and rewrites. By the time they finished, Finny looked thoroughly defeated.

Burrau capped his pen with a snap. "The document is now acceptable. You may proceed."

Finny stared at the contract, then at Nathan. “This guy… He’s terrifying.”

"That’s why he’s in charge of my legal department."

With a dramatic sigh, Finny flicked his tail, and the water pen hovered toward Nathan. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Nathan signed first, the glowing ink flaring brightly as he finished. Finny added his squiggly fish signature with far less enthusiasm. The scroll dissolved into a burst of bubbles, and Nathan felt a faint hum of energy ripple through him.

[Skill Gained: Summon Fish]

Burrau snapped his notebook shut. “If that’s all, I’ll be returning to the charter.” Without waiting for a response, he stepped through the portal, muttering under his breath about wasted time. The portal closed behind him with a quiet pop.

"I feel like I just got mugged,” Finny said.

----------------------------------------

Before Nathan could experiment with his newfound skill, a System message had popped up in front of Finny, and he’d immediately started panicking.

“I have to go, we’re being raided!” he shouted.

“Wait, but what do I even use this skill for?” Nathan asked.

“Just call me in during a fight, you won’t regret it! I’ve got to go!”

Before Nathan could say anything, Finny dived under the water and disappeared from sight.

Nathan sighed.

How irritating.

Still, calling a fish in during a fight? That’s kind of stupid.

I’ll give it a shot, I guess.

Nathan began the long trek back to the city. As he walked, his mind wandered back to when he’d fished Finny out of the water. His fishing rod had made a slight cracking noise at the time and he’d just ignored it.

Nathan reached into his inventory and pulled out his fishing rod. The metal was starting to bend, and hairline fractures raced up and down its side.

Well, that’s not good.

Nathan needed his fishing rod in tip-top shape. It wouldn’t do for it to break apart or shatter when he’s trying to fish.

He needed to get a new fishing rod.

Nathan eventually arrived back in the city. He wandered around the bazaar, his head ducked low. His eyes darted from spot to spot, hoping to see a fishing rod. He caught sight of several things—bread and meat, tools of all sorts, potions, scrolls.

Eventually, Nathan tapped some person on the shoulder and just asked about where he could find a fishing rod.

“A fishing rod?” the man shook his head. “What’s that?”

“It’s a tool? You use it to catch fish?”

“Like a net?”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Nathan scratched his head and reached into his inventory. He pulled out his metal fishing rod.

The man stared at the fishing rod for several seconds.

“And you use this to catch fish?” the man said. “How?”

“Um, you throw the hook in, and fish come up to it and get themselves caught, basically.”

“And that works?”

Nathan sighed. “Look, have you ever seen anything like this before? Surely someone’s selling one of these.”

The man hummed and looked toward the draped ceiling of the bazaar. After a few seconds, he shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but—“ he paused. “Well, actually, Nemiah’s kid has something like that, I think.”

“Nemiah?”

“An old friend of mine. He passed away, and his son was left with all his possessions. You can find him out toward the northwest.”

Nathan nodded. “Thanks.”

The man was about to nod back when he paused. He looked at Nathan’s plant hand.

“Say,” the man said. “Are you that miracle man? The one that the farmers have been talking about?”

Nathan blinked. “What?”

“Everyone’s heard of you—the mysterious stranger with the even stranger hand. Almost all of the farms have adopted your techniques to regrow the soil.”

It’s only been a few days!

“O-oh. That’s good.”

The man clapped Nathan on the shoulder. “Thank you. I have a cousin who was on the verge of losing the farm. With this, we might avoid the worst.”

“No problem.” Nathan carefully took off the man’s hand. “Glad I could help out.”

Nathan awkwardly retreated from the bazaar. If he didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn he saw eyes following him out.

----------------------------------------

The area he’d gone to was rockier than the farmlands. Traces of grass could be caught poking out between the stones. After a few minutes, he’d caught sight of a teenage boy with a shepherd’s staff, watching over a small herd of fish.

Nathan approached the boy and explained his goal and spoke with him for a bit. The boy had been sympathetic toward Nathan and didn’t seem to care much for the fishing pole.

“Do you want to see it?” the boy asked.

Nathan nodded. “Sure.”

[Sand-Worn Fishing Rod - D Rank]

A fishing rod of questionable lineage, left to endure the scorching desert sun and sands that somehow haven’t managed to completely destroy it. Its grip is rough, the reel creaks like a dying camel, and the line is frayed in a way that screams, “I’ll break at the most inconvenient time.” But hey, it technically works, and that’s what matters. Right?

In terms of durability, it’s practically immortal. Not because it’s well-made, but because even entropy gave up trying to finish it off. It’ll last you for ages… probably longer than your patience.

[Spring Carp] - X

[Cursed Desert Tilapia] - X

[Spirit Fish] - X

[Bass of Many Fins] - X

Nathan’s heart sank as he read the description. It didn’t sound at all useful—not the jump he was looking for.

Then he spotted the bottom.

“What’s up with the x-marks?” Nathan asked.

The boy shrugged.

“I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t know much about this thing in general,” he said. “We’ve had it in the family since basically forever? There’s a bit of a myth surrounding it.”

“What kind of myth?”

“They say back in our homeland, our people used to be fishermen. One of our ancestors was so great that the sea blessed her with this fishing rod.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow and stared at the beaten-up grip. “Not much of a grip.”

The boy shrugged. “Supposedly you can restore it to its prior glory somehow. Not sure how to do that, though. Of course, it’s all just superstition.”

Nathan stared at the description—especially at the bottom.

I would bet good money that I can restore this thing to its former glory. And if it’s really an old artifact direct from the sea itself, it might hook up with my sea armor—the bracelet, the crown, and the necklace.

“How much to buy this off you?”

----------------------------------------

The conversation was long and tedious, but Nathan eventually convinced the boy to part with the fishing rod in exchange for food. Nathan popped into his town, said hi to Gius, picked up some grain, and popped back out.

The face the boy had made when he saw Nathan carrying ten sacks of grain had been pretty funny.

Nathan took the fishing rod and put it into his inventory. Just as he was about to close it, he caught sight of something in the corner of his window.

A little red notification.

Nathan tilted his head and clicked the notification. His social media window popped open.

Replies: 1 million+