The Money-Obssessed Archmage's Second Life As A Broke Duke-Chapter 85 - The Five Bonds

Chapter Eighty Five

"Kion Yeun."

The silence that followed wasn't peaceful. It was the kind of silence that precedes a mountain collapsing or a star winking out of existence. The name felt heavy as it left my lips, echoing against the flying soot of the Fire Valley.

Noctyrael didn't move. He didn't blink.

The emerald nebulae in his eyes simply stopped spinning, freezing into a hard, crystalline focus that felt like it was pinning my soul to the soot.

"Kion... Yeun," he repeated. He didn't say it like a name. He said it like a long-forgotten password to a vault he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to open.

"Elder Brother!" Ignis's voice cracked the tension, his orange hair erupting into a pillar of literal white-hot flame as he strained against his body that was still frozen. "Do not let this... this puppet weave more lies! He is a vessel sent by the Empress to mock us!"

Noctyrael's gaze didn't waver from mine, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low vibrato as he ignored Ignis completely. "Are you absolutely certain of that?"

I felt a surge of cold irritation ripple through me, cutting through the heat of Ignis's rage of being ignored. "Why would I be confused about my own damn name?" I snapped, stepping forward despite the pressure in the air.

I seriously just want to take the sword and get out of here.

"Elder Brother! He's definitely someone sent by the Empress. Please, believe me!" Ignis roared, the soot around his feet turning to glass from the sheer heat of his desperation.

Noctyrael let out a long, weary exhale, the cosmic glow in his eyes dimming into something more human and infinitely more tired. "Haaah... This is such a mess. Vyranthos."

Vyranthos sighed as he snapped his fingers, making both Ignis and Akira disappear from sight. "There," Vyranthos murmured, leaning back against the jagged rock. "Cleaned it up, Noctrayel."

The sudden quiet was jarring. Noctyrael didn't look relieved, he looked resigned. He stepped toward me, his presence no longer a mountain, but a shadow that loomed over my very existence. He held out a hand, palm upward, as a faint, ethereal script began to circle his wrist.

"Haaah... Form a contract with all five of us, human," Noctyrael commanded, his voice lacking its previous bite but gaining a heavy, inescapable weight.

"I'm a mage. How can I-"

"Don't worry. Just hold our hands one by one. We'll do the rest to make it less complicated for you," Noctyrael explained.

I let out a long, weary sigh. Usually, when five primordial god-like Spirit Kings ask to hitch a ride in your soul, there's a catch. Or a curse. Or at the very least, a very annoying recurring subscription fee.

In the lore of the old world, a single Spirit Bond could drive a man mad from the sensory overload. Here I was, about to open a five-lane highway in my psyche.

But, since Noctrayel was the one who was suggesting it. It should be fine. Right?

"Wait a second," I said, holding up a finger. "What do I actually get in return for forming a Spirit bond with you all? I'm essentially turning my internal monologue into a crowded elevator."

"He's greedy..." Zephryx whispered, his voice a literal breeze that stirred the soot.

"Yeah," Vyranthos agreed, his copper eyes shimmering with a spark of amusement.

"So much nostalgia," Abyrion added, his watery form rippling as if he were remembering a joke from three thousand years ago.

8u

Did they hit their heads somewhere? They were looking at me with the kind of fondness you reserve for a mischievous puppy that just bit your expensive rug. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"What do you want in return, human?" Noctyrael asked, crossing his arms. The forest-scented air around him stilled, the chaotic mana of the Fire Valley suddenly aligning itself to his presence.

"The sword of the First Emperor," I said firmly. That was the whole reason I was currently covered in soot and questioning my life choices.

"Ah... Cynthia," Noctyrael murmured, his expression softening for a fraction of a second. "Well, sure. We can lead you to her."

"Really?! Just like that?" I blinked. No riddles? No fighting a three-headed dog? Damn that was easy! I'm going to rub it on Sylvester's face when I return.

"Yes. Anything else?"

Wait... He's willing to give more than just the sword?

I shifted my weight, feeling the "Archmage" side of my brain wake up. If I was signing a contract with the literal CEOs of Nature, I wasn't going to settle for just a shiny toothpick.

Spirit Kings didn't just give power, they gave authority.

Even signing a contract with a low level spirit could get you so much importance. Imagine having five Spirit Kings at your beck and call.

Heh. It's going to be so much fun from hereon.

"Can you teach me how to summon you all in the human world when I need you? Like, full-on physical manifestations, not just a tingle in my fingers."

"That's possible too," Vyranthos grunted, looking like he wouldn't mind a trip to the mortal realm to see what humans had done with his element. "Though, fair warning, my presence tends to melt cobblestones. What else do you want?"

I paused.

If I was heading back to a life of politics and power struggles in a castle I barely remembered, I needed more than just magic. I needed the universal language of the living.

Money.

Spirit Kings should have money, right?

"Umm... Gold! Do you have gold? Like, 'buy-a-small-country' levels of gold?"

Noctyrael's brow twitched. He looked at me with the weary patience of a father whose toddler just asked for a pony made of diamonds.

"Gold is merely compressed earth mana to us. After you return to your castle, find the secret room in the library. It was built during the Age of Starlight, shielded from the Empress's prying eyes. It will be filled with gold. If you're satisfied with your... materialistic demands, can we form the spirit bond now?"

"Yep," I chirped, sticking my hand out. "I'm all ears. And apparently, all soul."

"It's like using the Time Travel to look into the past." Zephryx murmured, tearing up.

What are they going on about?

"So, how do you form it? The contract." I asked, switching my gaze back to Noctrayel.

"Just hold our hand one by one. Here begin with mine."

I reached out and grasped Noctyrael's hand.

The moment our skin met, it wasn't just a physical touch. It was something like a tectonic shift.

I expected a spark, but instead, I felt the sensation of a thousand roots diving into my veins. It didn't hurt, but it was incredibly heavy. My vision turned a lush, vibrant green, and for a second, I could hear the heartbeat of every tree in existence.

"I, Noctyrael, The Essence Of Greenery And Soil, bind my essence to the soul of Kion Yeun," he intoned.

A glowing emerald script leaped from his wrist onto mine, stinging like a fresh tattoo. He stepped back, looking slightly paler, and nodded to the man with the liquid gold hair.

Vyranthos stepped up, looking far too smug for a guy about to live in a stranger's head. "Don't look so worried, kid. I'll keep the place warm."

He grabbed my hand, before I could even blink. "I, Vyranthos of the Eternal Ember, bind my flame."

Two. My arm was starting to glow like a neon sign.

Though, I was getting the feel of their elements. It didn't really hurt.

Next came Zephryx, who didn't even walk. He just blurred into existence in front of me, smelling like ozone and rain. "Whew! You're a prickly one, aren't you? This is going to be fun!"

His grip was light, but I felt like I was standing on the edge of a hurricane. "Zephryx of the Howling Storms and Gentle Breeze, signing on!"

Three. My hair was now permanently standing on end from the static.

Cryovael approached with a literal trail of frost behind him. He didn't say a word, just took my hand. I felt my internal temperature drop to "frozen steak" levels.

For some reason, he looked prettiest of all of them. I had a feeling we'd get along well.

"Cryovael of the Frozen Peaks. Do not bore me, mortal."

Four. I was shivering so hard I thought my teeth would shatter.

Finally, Abyrion, the Spirit King of Water, stepped forward. His hand was cool and damp, like a smooth river stone. "Abyrion of the Abyssal Tides. May your path be fluid, Kion Yeun."

Five.

As the final bond snapped into place, my world inverted.

Colors swapped, the ground felt like the ceiling, and for a glorious three seconds. Then, the world slammed back into place with the force of a physical punch.

I fell to my knees, gasping, staring at my forearms. Five distinct elemental marks glowed there, circling my wrists.

"Haah... Sylvester, you bastard. Just wait for me to return home. I'll flex till you cry tears of blood."