Of course, your family bloodline is stubborn.

After flipping through the book countless times, sitting in your tree, you decide you're going to go for it.

It was like the book was waiting for that determination, for the next step to solidify in your heart.

Because at that exact moment the book glowed, the text around the depiction you were planning to puzzle out, became clear and readable.

No burns, no ash.

The words had also changed into ones you could read, not just a language you knew, as you had studied several, but in your native tongue.

Only those around the depiction of the ritual changed, the the rest was still a mystery.

There was no longer an excuse to delay any more, besides whatever trouble you might get into would be less, if it happens after you've already completed the ceremony, and made The Pact.

They'll just take and burn the book.

There'd technically be a fine, though with how many years there was since the last Great War, the laws about this type of contraband had gotten more and more lax.

Every time some nobleman's family member was found to 'accidentally' have one within their collection the punishment was reduced.

It was having it with the intent to use that would get you in trouble, having already used it would only leave the fine and confiscation of property.

You'd worry that this loophole wouldn't hold up, if it hadn't already happened once, some idiot had found a book dedicated to one of the lost gods of war, one that had possessed an aspect related to farming.

All that resulted was him was stuck with only the gifts at the creation of The Pact, with no way to further it.

The local Constables confiscated it, issued him a fine, and they all went about their day.

The man was a little bit of a joke now, but one he played into, it was all good-natured or so you had heard.

With that in mind, the safest thing to do was go through with the ritual.

Worst case scenario you could go and be a blacksmith like your father wanted.

It would keep you out of the battlefield completely like your mother wanted.

But it was better to try and fail than surrender before the battle.

With that thought you hid the book and went to gather the required regents.

---

It'd be just your luck that your only friend would notice and follow you back from gathering the regents.

Well you say friend but as soon as he knew what you were doing, they rushed away to get the constable and 'save you from your own mistakes Victor.'

'God damn it Steve, now I'm going to have to rush through this!'