Familiar Shop

After walking through the winding pathways of the academy's upper district, Adonis and Mia finally stopped in front of a large, elegant building framed in green ivy and glowing sigil runes.

The sign above the wide wooden doors read in bold silver script:

"Familiar Pet Shop — Certified by the Summoner's Association."

Adonis blinked. "Wait, this is where you wanted to go?"

"Yes." Mia replied plainly, already stepping toward the door.

He quickly followed. "But aren't you in the illusion department? Familiars are for summoners."

Mia paused at the entrance and turned slightly, her blue eyes cold and clear. "Not true. Just because someone isn't a summoner doesn't mean they can't have a familiar."

She gestured toward the building. "This shop is owned by a half-step King-Class summoner. He gives out summon marks — binding contracts that allow even non-summoners to form a link with one familiar."

Adonis raised a brow. "Seriously?"

She nodded once. "It's rare. Costly. But legal."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Then… why am I here?"

Mia answered with the same deadpan tone she always used — like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"For the couple's discount."

Adonis's brain short-circuited.

"She… she's weaponizing couple offers now!?"

His eye twitched. "You're using a fake relationship to trick a half-step King-Class summoner?!" How much guts this girl has

Mia looked at him like he was the one being unreasonable. "Discounts are discounts."

This girl has nerves forged from mythical metals, Adonis thought in disbelief.

But it was too late now. She was already pushing the door open, and the enchanted bell above chimed like a lullaby.

He reluctantly followed her inside.

The interior of the Familiar Pet Shop was nothing like a normal store — the air buzzed faintly with mana, and the entire space shimmered slightly, as if they had stepped into another realm.

Rows of magical cages, ethereal floating platforms, and lush spirit gardens extended across the space. Creatures of all sizes — from small elemental foxes to floating rune turtles — roamed freely or dozed peacefully.

Behind the main counter stood a man draped in a smooth robe laced with silver threads. His hair was silver-white, and his eyes shimmered like galaxies trapped in glass.

He looked powerful… and also bored.

The man glanced up when they entered. "Customers, huh? Rare. Most students are too broke for my contracts."

Mia walked forward calmly and bowed politely. "Good afternoon. We came for your summon mark bond offer."

The man raised a brow. "You're a summoner?"

"No," Mia said. "But I have enough mana control to sustain a basic contract. And we qualify for your couple's contract discount, right?"

Adonis had never seen a half-step King-Class summoner narrow his eyes like that. The man stared at them, first at Mia… then slowly at Adonis.

He tilted his head. "...You're the top-ranked one this year, aren't you? Sword element. kid."

Adonis coughed nervously. "...Y-Yeah."

The man's bored look shifted slightly to amused. "Hah. So you two are together? For real?"

Mia nodded without hesitation.

Adonis opened his mouth to protest—then looked into Mia's gaze. It was pure, unwavering, and completely serious.

So he gave a very pained nod. "Yup. Real. Very real."

"...Fine," the summoner shrugged. "I'll allow it. Follow me to the back."

As they walked deeper into the store, Adonis leaned in and whispered, "You're insane, you know that?"

"I got thirty percent off," Mia replied.

"…Fair," Adonis sighed.

But deep inside, he wondered what kind of familiar Mia would choose. What kind of spirit would bond with someone who could casually manipulate top-tier mages without blinking?

And most importantly…

How the hell was he going to keep surviving this "fake relationship" without dying of stress first?

After that the man take them to a room, there are not creatures, only eggs of different sizes and colors,

"For non summoners, bonding with newly born will be the best, though it takes time in its growth, the bond you share also become stronger with it thus controlling the creatures would be easier." The man explained 

Then he bring them to the eggs, 

"These are random eggs, mostly bird type, I assume this lady want that because of ice Phoenix bloodline within you right" The man smiled, his eyes falling on Mia, from the looks of it, he can easily sense bloodline within her

Mia nodded acknowledging his claim, 

So she has ice Phoenix bloodline" Adonis thought in contemplation.

"Inject your mana into the eggs, if you're destined then your partner will answer your call" The man said, Mia nodded and injected her mana into the eggs, finally a egg, began to shine in blue light, soon it broke through the egg, and a blue bird, chirping come flying and sat down on her shoulder,

"congratulations this one has slight ice Phoenix bloodline, if it become your familiar it's bloodline density can also increase, it may have chance to be real ice Phoenix,, though it would be extremely difficult" The man eyes shone, with smile on his face, Mia also gently patted the bird's head.

"Now your turn" The man looked at Adonis. 

"Me too?" Adonis asked, 

"You don't want one? " The man asked, 

"No I want to try" Adonis said.

He then injected his mana into eggs, light passed through all the eggs and suddenly one egg began to shine in white light, Adonis heart quickened, wondering if it could be dragon, Kirin, or Griffin, from legends.

But seeing the creature everyone's eyes widened in shock.