Unless I'm mistaken, pactio does 3 things:

1. gives an item
2. allows telepathic communication
3. allows negi to summon the contracted to his side.

(Spoiler if you haven't read up to the magic world/realm bit)

Maybe someone's already posted this before, or they explained it in the manga, but I keep on wondering, after his whole class splitting up and getting lost in the magic world, why doesn't Negi just summon those he has a contract with? I mean he just found Yue after that whole long story line when he could've just summoned her to him right?

Thoughts?

uhmm range is something that probably the reason why he couldnt just summon everyone to him

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Yes, I believe there is a range restriction for summoning someone. Also, I think someone said something about there being too much magical interference for telepathic communications in the "New World" (it may have only been because Negi was in the jungle at the time, though). This conversation is somewhere around chpt. 190 from what I can remember.

Hmm, yeah, I guess that makes sense, although imo, a teleport spell that only works for short distances is a bit redundant...

Short range teleportation can be highly useful. Moving through a wall. Timing it so the person disappears after attracting a lot of attention and so on. Long range is more useful though...

it also may have something to do with the
(magical interference + range restriction) or maybe he was not strong enough at the time 🙄