Chapter Forty-Five: The Daughter of Count Monde

"Klee, what brings you here?" Anna was somewhat surprised to see the young girl appear before her.

"Anna, this is my new friend, 'Chuchu.' I wanted to find someone to help with a contract, and he brought me here. Anna, do you know how to make monster contracts?" Klee looked at Anna with big, expectant eyes.

Anna shook her head. "I've never studied that kind of magic, but there's a mage here who's currently taking the Second-Rank Mage exam. He knows how. Would you like to try?"

Usually, a failed contract only harms the monster, and it recovers after some time. So, even though the girl was someone she knew, Anna wasn't worried.

"Yes, yes! Klee likes big brothers!" Klee eyed the raspberries in Chu Yun's hand, looking a little greedy.

To increase the success rate of the monster contract, Chu Yun walked over to Klee and the three-tailed cat, picked a raspberry, and handed it to Klee.

"Little one, share this treat with your companion. Once you've finished, I'll help you make the contract."

Klee happily took the raspberry. "Thank you, big brother!"

At the same time, Chu Yun activated Monster Communication Magic to speak with the three-tailed cat.

"Little one, do you want to sign a contract with her and become her companion?" Chu Yun asked.

Monster Communication Magic was a language conversion spell, not a spiritual contract that allowed direct communication in the mind, so everyone nearby could hear Chu Yun and the monster talking.

"Meow~ Bath~ Don't like~ Scared."

"Big brother, big brother, are you talking to Chuchu? What did it say?" Klee asked excitedly.

She could hear Chu Yun's questions but didn’t understand Chuchu’s replies.

"Little one, how do you help it bathe?" Chu Yun couldn’t help but pat her head as he asked.

Anna wanted to intervene, but seeing Klee had no objection, she let it be.

"Klee really likes Chuchu, so I always take it to the pool and bathe together!" Klee said, proud of herself.

"Meow! Mew mew mew..." Hearing this, the three-tailed cat began to cry and complain.

It was rare to meet someone who spoke the monster language, and it desperately wanted to pour out its grievances.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Klee had tried to contract with Chuchu. She had used contract scrolls at home several times, but they all failed, which was why she sought help here.

This three-tailed cat had Tier 3 potential. Though it was only a Tier 0 juvenile now, with proper nurturing, by the time Klee grew up, it would become a reliable companion.

The three-tailed cat didn’t dislike Klee; Klee treated it well. But every bath was torture for it.

As a fire-type monster, and being feline, it had an instinctive aversion to water. Without a contract, it could resist and sneak away during baths, but if a contract was made, it would be powerless.

After hearing the three-tailed cat’s complaints, Chu Yun turned to Klee. "Little one, what do you hate doing the most? What do you dislike the most?"

Klee tilted her head, thinking. "Klee hates being grounded, hates classes. She loves eating fish. Fish is delicious! Chuchu likes it too."

"Do you know what Chuchu hates?" Chu Yun continued.

Klee looked at Chuchu, and as she thought about it, her eyes started to well up. "Mew mew mew, big brother, does Chuchu not like Klee? Is that why it won’t sign a contract with me?"

"Meow!" Chuchu quickly jumped into Klee’s arms and licked her little hand.

Chuchu was found by Klee during an outing. Its parents had been killed by other monsters, but Klee and her friends avenged it and saved its life. It had always been grateful.

Though they hadn’t known each other long, Chuchu already liked Klee.

"Don’t worry, it likes you very much. But just as you dislike classes, Chuchu doesn’t like baths."

"To be precise, it doesn’t like the way you bathe it. Monsters are different from humans. It prefers bathing in hot water, ideally in a large pot with delicious spices and ingredients—so it can eat while bathing," Chu Yun explained Chuchu’s wish.

Monster desires really were very different from humans. This was a perfect idea it came up with after spending some time in human society.

Hearing this, both Klee and Anna were stunned. Klee even thought Chu Yun was lying.

"Big brother, you’re lying! That would cook Chuchu! You’re a bad guy, you want to eat Klee’s Chuchu!"

"I’m not lying. I’m fluent in monster language—this is what Chuchu told me. If you don’t believe me, ask it yourself," Chu Yun explained.

The three-tailed cat nodded vigorously, confirming Chu Yun’s words. At last, Klee believed him.

"As long as you don’t make it bathe with you in warm water anymore, it’s willing to sign the contract."

"Mew mew mew~ I’m sorry, Klee was so bad..."

The little girl was truly kind-hearted. After a bit of communication, the issue was finally resolved.

Although Chu Yun could have forced the contract, that would have reduced the success rate and affected his assessment. The current outcome was far better.

The contract ceremony began, and with Chu Yun’s help, the two quickly formed a monster contract. From now on, Klee could communicate with her pet via the contract.

During the ceremony, Chu Yun noticed something unusual: the little girl’s spiritual power seemed very strong.

"Klee, is she an apprentice mage?" Chu Yun asked out of curiosity.

Anna shook her head. "Klee is a genius—she became a First-Rank Mage at eight. She’s the daughter of Count Mondstadt, the lord of Blackstone City, and its darling."

"She seems to really like you. You carry a scent she loves. Her mother is an elven mage," Anna said, looking at the raspberries.

Divine Berry Magic was a specialty of druids and elven mages. Raspberries were Klee’s favorite vegetarian treat since childhood. With her mother away recently, she hadn’t had berries for a long time.

Chu Yun hadn’t expected such a background. "An elf, so she’s a half-elf?"

"Yes, but recently, due to the Fallen Stars incident, her mother left Blackstone City for a while."

The Fallen Stars incident affected not only humans but all races.

"Your magic is flawless. Congratulations, you’ve passed the Mage Guild’s assessment. From now on, you’re a full member of the Mage Guild of the Kingdom of Aelno. Each month, you’ll receive a kingdom stipend of ten gold coins, effective next month."

"As a member of the Mage Guild, you now have access to magical books on the second floor and below of the guild library. You can also accept commission tasks from the guild."

"Some guild commissions are highly specialized, while others are transferred from the Adventurer’s Guild. For details, you can check at the front desk."

"As a Second-Rank Mage, you may register two mage apprentices. These apprentices can freely enter and exit the guild and help you with various chores."

"The Mage Guild currently has sixty-three unclaimed candidate apprentices. If you’re interested, you can select two or seek out promising apprentices yourself."

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