Frostfire Legacy

Chapter 289 Essential Equipment

The picnic ended almost as quickly as it began. After all, Aster had only packed a small basket of sandwiches—loaded with more meat than vegetables—that vanished within moments. Despite the modest quantity, the girls were thrilled by his cooking, their praises pouring out like an avalanche.

"Alright, time for the main event!" Tina announced with a mischievous grin as she stepped forward, her ears flicked and her tail swooshed in excitement.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thick, gleaming silver bracelet. Its polished surface caught the sunlight, making it shimmer as she held it out toward Aster.

"Here you go! This is my gift to you!" she declared, her voice practically singing with glee.

Aster blinked, his initial thrill giving way to puzzlement, then a tinge of disappointment. His thoughts, despite his best efforts, were written all over his face.

"Uh... an accessory?" He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Thanks, Tina, but I'm not really into wearing stuff like this."

Practicality always trumped appearances for Aster. Wearing accessories, especially in battle, felt like a surefire way to invite trouble.

"Fu fu fu~!" Tina laughed, clearly expecting his reaction. "If this was just any ordinary bracelet, I'd understand! But trust me, you'll want to try it on first."

With Tina's insistence and an eager gleam in her eyes, Aster reluctantly took the bracelet. It was simple—just a smooth silver band with no unnecessary embellishments. He slipped it onto his wrist and found that it fit snugly, as though it had been custom-made for him. It wasn't tight enough to restrict his movements, nor loose enough to dangle awkwardly.

'Still feels weird wearing this,'

he thought, frowning slightly.

Before he could even consider taking it off, Tina spoke up again. "Now, channel your mana into it! Go on, don't hold back—it needs a lot!"

"My mana?" Aster glanced at the bracelet, his curiosity piqued. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He focused, drawing mana from deep within himself—a mental process akin to imagining a glowing core in the center of his chest. Concentrating, he sent the energy flowing toward the bracelet. At first, there was only a faint vibration, but as he continued to channel mana, the intensity grew.

The bracelet began to emit a low hum, followed by a bright, pulsating glow. It became so brilliant that Aster instinctively shielded his eyes with his free hand, holding the bracelet away from his body.

Aster gulped as he took the folder. It felt heavier than it looked, the metaphorical weight of 100 trillion Tels pressing down on him. Bracing himself, he opened it, expecting to find a grueling, lifelong obligation spelled out in legal jargon.

Instead, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Wait... Marriage Contract?"

He shot Tina a bewildered look. She simply beamed back at him, her smile as radiant as ever.

"Oh, whoops!" she said with a teasing laugh. "That's the wrong one. Here's the real contract." She pulled another folder from her Spatial Ring and handed it over.

Aster quickly swapped folders, but Tina made no move to take back the first one. "You can keep that one," she said sweetly. "I'm sure we'll be signing it sooner or later~."

"..."

Aster sighed deeply, the exasperation clear on his face. Without a word, the "Marriage Contract" burst into flames with Pyra's help, and turned into a pile of ash within moments.

Even as the document crumbled away, Tina remained unfazed. Her confidence was as unyielding as ever, a trait Aster found both admirable and exasperating in equal measure.

'It'd be so much easier if she just gave up...'

he thought, shaking his head.

Hoping to steer the conversation back to safer waters, he opened the second folder. But the moment his eyes landed on the words at the top of the page—"Marriage Contract"—he snapped it shut again, his patience fraying.

"... Tina," he said, his tone a mix of warning and resignation.

"Just kidding~!" she chirped, waving yet another folder in her hand. "This one's the real deal, I promise!"

Aster pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible."

"Impossible to resist, you mean~," Tina quipped, her playful grin never faltering.

Aster let out a long sigh. At this rate, he wasn't sure if he'd end up using the car or torching every last contract she handed him.