The Perfect Circuit
I changed my class to Summoner and ran straight into the forest without a second thought.
Quite some time had passed since I'd come looking for something to contract as a summon.
"Ugh..."
Not a single monster in sight.
No... when I'd first dropped into this world, there had been a whole truckload of monsters threatening me.
And of course they vanish the moment I actually need them.
I was sure of it. Back at the Temple, when I'd changed my class to Summoner, they'd told me this:
"—So at first, most people head into the forest to find monsters they can contract with."
...They really should have added that the moment you change classes, every contractable monster goes into hiding.
I was the idiot for falling for the promise of auto-hunting. No wonder people called it a trash-tier class.
I sat down on a stump in front of me.
I was taking a short rest when a rather important fact suddenly hit me.
...I'm lost.
At least the city wasn't far. Early on after transmigrating, I'd nearly died dodging monsters in these woods.
Now I was going to die because there weren't any monsters at all.
...I should just keep moving. The sun was over that way earlier, so if I head in this direction, I should reach the city.
I looked up at the sun sinking low on the horizon, then set my feet moving again.
"Nngh..."
My head hurt.
Just a moment ago I'd been wandering the forest, and now, when I came to my senses, an unfamiliar ceiling filled my vision.
A dream?
"You're awake?"
A voice calling to me drew my gaze naturally toward it.
White hair and pointed ears. And...
"It's dangerous to wander the forest late at night."
A beautiful face.
"...An elf?"
"You figured it out right away? Not many people even know elves exist."
Ah. About that.
At least a few billion people would know, actually.
"I'm Elysia. I live in this forest."
Elysia. Yeah. A pretty name.
"Anyway, who are you? How did you end up collapsed this deep in the woods?"
I answered.
"I'm Ian. A Summoner. And—"
...Should I even tell her this?
"I got lost looking for a monster to contract with..."
Elysia tilted her head.
"...You got lost?"
"Yes."
"In this forest?"
"Yes..."
"Pfft."
She let out a little snort of laughter.
"...What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Just—"
"It's an amusing story."
She reached out and placed her hand against my chest, right over where I lay.
Ah—cold.
"Sorry. I need to check your condition, so try not to get embarrassed, okay?"
It's not embarrassment, though.
"It's fine."
Elysia held still like that, barely breathing, then soon made a puzzled face.
Doctor? Is something wrong?
"Mm. Examination's done. You look fine. Nothing wrong with your health."
"Thank you."
A world where one touch to the chest counts as a full physical. Truly a convenient place.
Elysia flinched twice that day.
The first time was when she touched Ian's chest with her bare hand.
The second was after she examined the structure of his mana.
She had found a man collapsed in her front yard and brought him straight into her home, but thankfully he seemed to have no health problems.
The problem was Ian's Mana Circuit.
Perfect.
Elysia thought to herself.
...Abnormally so.
A person's Mana Circuit is shaped over the course of their life, up until adulthood—from birth until the moment they change classes. Like a cliff face worn down by waves, a person's mana structure shifts and is carved away over time. Because of that, most people's Mana Circuits look like raw ore before refining: full of nicks and uneven surfaces.
But Ian's Mana Circuit was different. A cut gem. A pearl inside a shell.
What were the odds of hammering wildly at a rock and ending up with the statue of David?
The pieces clicked into place in Elysia's mind.
So that's why he couldn't find anyone to contract with. His Mana Circuit is so perfect that monsters feel the pure terror of total subjugation.
Ian, apparently unaware of any of this, simply stared up at her from the bed.
I ate the dinner Elysia had prepared.
How long has it been since I had a proper meal like this?
"You said you were a Summoner, right?"
Elysia asked me.
"Yes."
"Have you made a contract yet? With who?"
...This was starting to feel like a background check.
"I wanted to, but there wasn't a single monster around."
"It doesn't have to be a monster, does it?"
...Huh?
"I thought only monsters could be contracted as summons?"
What was she talking about?
"As long as both sides consent, you can contract with intelligent races too."
"You can make a contract with a person!?"
Come to think of it...
At the Temple they said most people contract with monsters. They never said you couldn't contract with a person.
Still, I didn't know a single soul in town. Who was I supposed to trust enough to form a contract with?
Or maybe...
"Elysia, would you form a contract with me?"
I only just met her, but she saved me and didn't ask for anything in return. She seems trustworthy...
In that instant, something flickered in Elysia's eyes.
"Ian... do you actually understand what a contract is?"
"Pardon? Isn't it just... calling them when you need them so you can fight together? Oh—and the contracted summon gets a little stronger, too."
"That's only part of the contract's effects. There's a lot more to it than that."
Why does everything have to be so complicated?
I just wanted to do some auto-hunting.
"Well, if you're asking whether I can contract with you..."
Elysia said,
"I can. With a Summoner of your talent, it's hard to even imagine how much a contracted summon's power would rise."
...I was that good?
"Yeah. Honestly, it's weird you still don't have a single summon."
"Then—"
She cut me off.
"But a contract isn't as simple as you think. In exchange for being able to call me, I'll also be affected by your mana."
"If you're still fine with that, then this time I'll ask."
"..."
"Ian. Will you form a contract with me?"
I thought for a moment.
There's no one else I can trust besides Elysia anyway.
And I gave her my answer.
"Right now, you're the person I trust the most."
"...Then."
"Let's form a contract. The two of us."
Elysia smiled softly.
"You trust people too easily."
"I hear that a lot."
I ran through what I'd learned at the Temple.
Place your palm against the place where the target's mana is most concentrated...
I looked toward the area over her heart.
Without a word, Elysia used both hands to gently part her chest.
"...E-excuse me for a moment..."
I set my palm between Elysia's breasts.
"Pfft. It's fine. I did the same thing to you when you woke up."
Warmth seeped through, and her soft flesh closed around my palm.
E? No... this has to be past F...
"...Heh."
"Ian? You're concentrating way too hard. You're drooling."
Ah.
I pulled my fogged mind back together.
Next, channel mana from my heart down my arm and out through my palm...
Normally you'd see a faint glow around the hand...
Ahem.
No need to look, really.
Now all that remained was for Elysia to send the mana that had flowed into her heart back out again...
Huh?
Something was wrong.
...What is this?
My body suddenly started to heat up.
From the hand trapped between her breasts, a tingling sensation raced through my entire body. The moment that feeling spread through me, a wave of climax seized every inch of me.
"Hngiiik...♥"
All the strength drained from my limbs, but the aftershocks of pleasure still clung to my whole body.
Did I just... come? Just like that?
Still leaning against her chest, I looked up at her.
"...I didn't know it could be like this..."
"Ian..."
Her face was flushed red as well.
"The feelings you're experiencing right now—the sensations..."
She looked down at me with a dazed expression.
"We're connected."
Elysia gripped my wrist and shoved me down onto the floor.
"I told you."
You trust people far too easily.