Alaric Von Seraph exhaled slowly through his nose, the sound rough and uneven, as if the earlier strike still echoed somewhere inside his ribs. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing a faint trace of ash across his skin, before lifting his gaze toward Arceus again.
"It means…" he began, his voice slower now, more deliberate, as if choosing each word carefully, "that this Spirit King, Nemesis… has chosen you."
A pause.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not as a master."
Another pause.
"But as a vessel."
***
The word landed differently.
Heavier.
Less comforting.
***
Celia blinked, her brows knitting together as confusion surfaced openly on her face. "So… he won't get a monster companion?" she asked, her tone uncertain, as if trying to reconcile what she had just heard with what she expected.
***
"Yeah. That's true." Alaric nodded once, though there was no satisfaction in his agreement. Instead, his expression carried a faint gravity, as though this outcome was neither good nor bad… just rare.
"In cases like this," he continued, his voice deepening slightly, "the spirit doesn't become a separate entity. It merges. It becomes an extension of the host's own existence."
He gestured faintly toward Arceus.
"You won't command it."
"You won't summon it."
"You'll… use it."
***
Arceus blinked, his mind stumbling over the idea.
"Use it?" he repeated, pointing at himself instinctively. "But… I don't have mana. I'm a plainfolk, remember?"
***
Alaric shook his head slowly, almost as if correcting a misunderstanding that had been bothering him.
"You don't need a mana core to have mana," he said. "You just need access to it."
A beat passed.
"Mana crystals."
***
The words hung in the air.
***
Arceus's expression tightened immediately.
"But those things are expensive," he replied, his voice carrying a faint edge now, the earlier calm giving way to reality. "Incredibly expensive. Someone like me can't just go around buying mana crystals."
***
Celia's fingers curled slightly at her sides, her concern surfacing almost instantly. She glanced between the two men, her voice soft but urgent.
"Then… what do we do?"
***
Alaric didn't answer right away.
***
His gaze shifted.
Settled.
On Arceus.
***
And stayed there.
***
For several long seconds, he simply watched him, as if measuring something unseen, weighing something intangible.
***
Then—
"How about this?" he said.
***
Arceus looked up.
***
"Join our guild."
***
A pause.
***
"Just for now."
***
"Eh?" Arceus blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Guild?"
***
Alaric nodded.
"For your safety."
***
The word tightened something in the room.
***
"Safety?" Arceus repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"
***
Alaric's voice dropped.
Low.
Serious.
***
"If another spirit master saw what I saw…"
A pause.
"…if they realized that a Spirit King has bonded to a plainfolk with no resistance…"
His gaze hardened.
"They wouldn't hesitate."
***
Arceus felt his chest tighten.
***
"They would take it."
***
A beat.
***
"They'd kidnap you."
***
Another.
***
"And if necessary…"
His voice lowered even further.
"…rip it out of you by force."
***
Silence.
***
Arceus's pupils shrank.
***
A cold realization spread through him, slow and suffocating.
***
Kidnap?
***
His thoughts spiraled.
***
What kind of situation did I just step into?
***
He swallowed.
***
I wanted a better life… not this…
***
Beside him, Celia's fists clenched tightly, the fabric of her sleeves creasing under the pressure. Her eyes darkened for a fleeting second, something sharp and dangerous flickering beneath the surface, but she forced it down.
Forced herself still.
Silent.
***
Alaric continued, pressing forward while the weight of his words still lingered.
"Stay here."
He gestured around vaguely.
"Just for a month."
***
"Try it."
***
"Sector 14 is off the radar. The big players don't bother with this place."
***
He straightened slightly.
"I'll make sure you're safe."
***
"Come during the day."
"Go home at night."
***
His tone softened, just slightly.
"And in the meantime… I'll find a solution."
***
Arceus didn't respond immediately.
***
He sat still.
But his mind—
Was racing.
***
Pros.
Cons.
***
He began sorting them instinctively.
***
His business—
Online.
Flexible.
***
He didn't need a physical store.
Didn't need to clock in anywhere.
Didn't need supervision.
***
Most days—
He sat.
Checked orders.
Played with Black.
Watched dramas.
***
Location—
Didn't matter.
***
That was a point.
***
But—
***
These people…
***
Strangers.
***
Unknown.
***
Unpredictable.
***
He wasn't naive.
He knew better than to trust someone just because they offered help.
***
There's no such thing as free help.
***
And then—
Another thought.
***
Serestia.
***
If he stayed here—
He'd see her less.
***
Less time.
Less chances.
***
Less progress.
***
His fingers tapped slowly against his thigh.
A steady rhythm.
Matching the pace of his thoughts.
***
Love… or survival?
***
The answer came faster than he expected.
***
Survival.
***
Everything else—
Could wait.
***
He lifted his head.
***
Nodded.
***
"Alright."
***
"I'll do it."
***
Celia blinked slightly at his answer, a flicker of surprise crossing her face, but she didn't interrupt. Instead, she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod to herself.
She understood.
***
She stayed silent.
***
A spectator.
***
***
A while later—
***
Alaric gestured toward the exit.
"Come."
***
They left the chamber.
Returned through the hallway.
Descended the stairs.
***
The wooden steps creaked under their weight, the sound echoing faintly as they stepped back into the reception hall, where the world felt almost normal again.
***
At the desk—
Veronika sat.
Lazily flipping through a magazine.
***
Tap… tap… tap…
***
Her fingers paused.
***
She looked up.
***
"Welcome ba—"
***
Her voice stopped.
Mid-word.
***
Her eyes snapped—
Past Arceus.
***
Upward.
***
Her expression changed instantly.
***
"The hell is that evil spirit?!"
***
Her voice rose sharply as she pointed.
***
At the air.
***
Above him.
***
Arceus froze.
***
His heart dropped.
***
Celia instinctively stepped closer to him, her body shifting just slightly, almost protectively, as her gaze flicked between Veronika and the empty space she couldn't see.
***
Both of them turned—
***
Toward Alaric.
***
Simultaneously.
***
The old man scratched his nose awkwardly.
"Ah…"
A faint, sheepish smile appeared.
"…right."
***
"I forgot to mention…"
***
He glanced at Veronika.
"She's a spirit master too."
***
Then, more firmly—
"Vera, sit."
***
"We'll explain."
***
Veronika blinked several times, her eyes still fixed on the invisible presence above Arceus, her expression shifting between shock and curiosity.
***
Slowly—
She lowered her hand.
Sat down.
***
And listened.
***
***
After a while—
***
She leaned back slightly.
Nodded.
***
"I see…"
***
Her tone was thoughtful now.
Measured.
***
"A Spirit King in the valley…"
She shook her head faintly.
"Didn't expect that."
***
A brief pause.
***
"I wasn't even allowed inside that place."
***
Then—
Without warning—
Her expression brightened.
***
A smile.
Warm.
Genuine.
***
She extended her hand across the desk.
***
"Welcome to Zero Guild, Arceus."
***
"It's nice to have you."
***
Arceus hesitated for just a moment.
Then—
Reached out.
***
Shook her hand.
***
A small smile forming on his lips.
***
Alaric turned away.
"I'll be back in a minute."
***
And left.
***
***
Time passed.
***
Celia stepped outside.
Phone pressed to her ear.
***
Leaving Arceus alone—
With Veronika.
***
He glanced down at the card in his hand.
Blinking.
***
"Seriously?"
***
His eyes scanned the gold-edged surface again.
***
"Velcra Networks?"
***
He looked up.
***
"Your parents own this?"
***
His tone carried genuine surprise.
***
"I didn't expect you to be this rich."
***
Veronika smiled apologetically, waving her hand lightly as if brushing the statement away.
"Yes… but please don't judge me by that."
***
Her eyes softened.
***
"I don't run it."
***
"That's my parents' company."
***
Her gaze flickered briefly.
Honest.
***
"Our family keeps things separate."
***
"They want me there…"
A faint pause.
"…but I chose something else."
***
She leaned back slightly.
***
"That's why I came to Averton."
***
"And… this?"
A small shrug.
"…is what I'm building."
***
Arceus stared.
Blank.
***
Here we go again…
***
"I'm not rich…"
"My parents are…"
***
The same lines.
Every time.
***
But—
He didn't mind.
***
People like this—
Were easier.
Simpler.
***
He nodded.
Slipped the card into his wallet carefully.
***
"Alright."
***
"When I need something…"
A faint smile.
"…I'll come by."
***
Veronika's smile widened slightly.
***
"That's good."
***
She leaned forward just a bit.
***
"And like I said…"
***
"My number's on the back."
***
"You can call anytime—"
***
"Eh?"