The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 21
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I'm resuming updates for Golden Haired Summoner now. However it's going to be either a 2 or 3 chapters per week release, unless it gets more reads then I will make it a 5x a week release.
“First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the royalty and nobility from both our country and abroad who have gathered here today. The reason why the Elaning Empire has been able to exist as a great empire for a thousand years since its founding is thanks to all of you gathered here today. While we may be from different countries, we have come together under the name of an alliance to support one another…”
**BOOM!**
The king’s speech hadn’t even reached its conclusion when a deafening crash shook the hall.
The ground trembled, and the chandeliers decorating the ceiling of the Crystal Hall clinked as they collided with each other.
Several chandeliers flickered and went out.
“What’s happening?”
“Ahh!”
“What in the world…?”
“Oh my goodness!”
A faint vibration traveled up through the floor.
An unknown force was making the ground rumble violently.
Screams and gasps erupted from all around.
As if the current chaos wasn’t enough, the disturbance escalated further.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
The sounds of the ground shaking grew louder.
It felt like the footsteps of something enormous. Startled, I frantically searched around for the source of the noise.
Then, I heard Rai’s voice.
**[Dragon!]**
**Crash!**
Before I could even comprehend the meaning of Rai’s words, the ceiling began to collapse.
Rocks and chandeliers came crashing down from above. My god!
_I’ve found you, humans!_
A bizarre, monstrous voice echoed.
_Undine? No!_
“Undain! Water Shield!”
**Whoosh!**
**Thump!**
**Clang!**
I had initially considered calling Undine, but there was no way Undine could block those massive chunks of debris. I quickly summoned Undain instead, and her summoned body immediately spread out to form a rippling shield of water.
The falling rocks bounced off the shield with a thud, causing small ripples each time.
Though hastily formed and deployed over a large area, the shield was strong enough to block the debris. The maximum range of the shield was about 20 meters!
I tried to expand it to cover the size of the collapsing ceiling, but this was my limit.
Fortunately, I managed to protect both the king and the emperor. What a relief.
“Ahh!”
“Save me!”
“Uwaaah!”
The nobles inside the shield were safe, but several outside its protection were caught under the falling debris and cried out in pain.
On the other side of the hall, where the ceiling had not yet collapsed, the nobles were panicking and fleeing en masse.
Half of the ceiling near the emperor’s seat had already crumbled.
Since the nobles had gathered around the emperor for his speech, they were within the shield’s protection, but it was a stroke of luck for those nearby.
“Your Majesty!”
I rushed toward the king.
Given the situation, the king seemed somewhat dazed, but he held his composure far better than those around him, who were wetting themselves or crying uncontrollably. Truly, a testament to his royal blood.
“Oh my god…”
Both the emperor and the king stared blankly at the gaping hole in the ceiling, as if in denial of what was happening.
I had been too focused on maintaining the shield and finding the king, but when I finally looked up, I saw something staring down at us through the shattered ceiling.
My jaw dropped, and a groan escaped my lips.
“A… dragon?”
**[I told you, Master, it’s a dragon.]**
A real dragon? I had always considered this world full of strange and fantastical creatures, but a dragon?
Even as I stared at the massive creature, I found it hard to believe.
Two enormous golden eyes gleamed menacingly, and the glinting claws gripping the ceiling were frighteningly large.
Each claw seemed bigger than a person.
A colossal golden dragon, so massive it even obscured the moon in the night sky!
_“Who is the emperor?”_
The dragon, peering through the broken ceiling, asked.
The way it transmitted its will was somewhat similar to Rai, but much grander and more overwhelming.
All the nobles’ eyes immediately turned to the emperor.
“It is I! I am the emperor of this empire, O great dragon!”
The emperor, the highest authority in the land, knelt and bowed in reverence.
The other nobles quickly followed suit, kneeling in unison.
Even Dikell III joined in.
I, too, knelt and dismissed Undain.
The shield disappeared.
Everyone in the hall likely shared the same thought.
‘Why is a dragon here?’
It was such a powerful question that it overwhelmed all other thoughts, though no one dared voice it.
The dragon wasted no time after identifying the emperor.
_“Bring me gems! Enough to fill this hall! And gather all the mithril you possess!”_
Enough gems to fill the hall? And all the mithril?
“O great dragon! If we were to offer you that much, nothing would remain of our empire. Please, have mercy…!”
_“Bring it anyway!”_
The emperor, realizing that negotiating with the dragon was futile, pleaded desperately, but to no avail.
Dragons weren’t just any creature. They were the most powerful beings of the middle world, closest to the gods.
Their immense strength and the wisdom accumulated over countless ages made them legends, beings that no one could compare to.
Gold dragons, in particular, were said to be the wisest and most benevolent… but clearly, that didn’t seem to be the case here.
“O great dragon! If we give up that much, our empire will fall! We will be destroyed by our enemies! Please, I beg for your mercy!”
_“I’ve just returned from visiting those enemy nations. Now you give me what I want! Or I’ll crush you all!”_
Right, I had read somewhere that dragons loved treasure, and they hoarded mountains of it in their lairs.
And how did they collect it?
Now I knew.
But why did it want mithril?
Was it planning to make some exclusive armor with it?
“Bring the gems! Bring all the mithril!” the emperor commanded, finally accepting that negotiating with the dragon was both pointless and dangerous.
The nobles immediately rushed out of the hall, though some stumbled and collapsed, their legs giving out from fear.
_“Hurry up! Grrr…”_
The dragon growled impatiently, shaking its neck, causing several more nobles to collapse in tears.
They were so scared they didn’t even dare make a sound for fear of angering the dragon further.
A cold sweat broke out over my entire body, the tension suffocating me.
**[Can you… maybe defeat a dragon?]**
**[What?! Master, are you insane? That’s ridiculous…]**
Yeah, I must be crazy. Still, I asked just in case, but the answer was as expected.
The scale of this was far beyond anything I could handle.
Time seemed to drag agonizingly slowly under the dragon’s gaze, and eventually, the nobles returned.
One of the nobles whispered something in the emperor’s ear, and whatever it was, it wasn’t good. The emperor’s face turned pale.
The emperor addressed the dragon.
“The gems… they’ve been gathered, Oh great dragon!”
Pointing outside the hall, the emperor spoke, and the dragon immediately stood up, moving its enormous body.
**Boom! Boom!**
So those earlier noises were the dragon’s footsteps.
The dragon’s gaze left us, and the emperor exited the hall, followed by the other nobles.
The king and I joined them as well.
Once outside, we saw an enormous pile of gems.
It was such a vast amount that it made me marvel at the empire’s resources.
But the dragon was not pleased. Its already fierce face contorted with rage.
_“What is this? It doesn’t even fill the hall! And where’s the mithril?!”_
“That… that’s all of it. The mithril is being brought as we speak, please wait a little longer.”
The dragon, clearly angry, violently swung its massive, long tail.
Being struck by that tail would be an instant death sentence.
Rai’s tail was nothing in comparison.
_“It’s nowhere near enough! Do you think I’m a fool? You must have more hidden away somewhere!”_
“N-no! I swear, that is all of it…”
_“Bah! You liars!”_
**Whooosh**
The dragon’s mouth began to gather golden energy, glowing ominously.
What’s it doing? What’s that?
“Oh no…!”
“It’s a breath attack!”
“Kyaaah!”
A breath attack!
I’d heard of it before.
A dragon’s breath is said to have the power equivalent to at least 8th-class magic.
Red dragons’ fire breath and black dragons’ acid breath are said to rival 9th-class magic in power…
Was the gold dragon’s breath a beam of light?
_“I’ll ask one more time. Will you give me everything you’ve hidden?”_
“Please… I swear, that is everything, O great dragon!”
_“You dare lie to me…!”_
The emperor’s desperate plea went unheard as the dragon began to unleash the stored breath.
The emperor looked utterly defeated, and the others were in no better shape.
Even though Dikell III was a sword master, he was powerless in this situation.
In the end, the only person who could do anything was probably me. I had to protect the king.
And as much as I hated to admit it, I had to protect the nobles too.
Without a moment to think further, I shouted at the top of my lungs just as the breath attack was about to be unleashed.
“Stop it!”
But whom did I call out to? Adol? Pein? Endairon? No, it was a desperate call to Rai.
As I screamed, Rai shot out from my wrist into the air.
**Whoosh!**
A vast amount of my mana drained instantly.
A strange sound accompanied Rai as a gray light swirled around him.
**Shwaaang**
At that moment, the blazing light of the dragon’s breath was eclipsed by a massive shadow.
The shadow was likely Rai, transformed into a huge shield.
A shield that was nearly half the size of the dragon itself.
It was plain, round, and enormous—so large that it almost seemed crude—but it was strong enough to block the dragon’s breath.
Bright remnants of the breath escaped from the edges of the shield, disintegrating the ground beneath into dust.
I marveled at the sheer power of the breath and felt an overwhelming sense of pride in Rai for blocking it. But this was no time for admiration.
Rai was being pushed back, scraping the ground as the force of the breath pressed against the shield.
**Crack**
“What’s happening?”
“Get back! Move back!”
The appearance of the giant shield startled the onlookers, causing them to retreat in fear.
But even they must have realized it.
That shield—Rai—was the only thing keeping them alive.
Their faces showed a glimmer of hope, replacing the despair that had been there moments earlier.
But then, a problem arose.
The breath attack didn’t stop, and cracks began to form on the edges of Rai’s shield.
“Rai! Hang in there!”
**[M-Master… I… I can’t…]**
To others, it might just look like an ordinary metal shield, but I could tell Rai was doing everything he could to hold on.
I trembled with frustration and pity, but suddenly someone pulled on my arm.
It was Lassham.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you taking cover?”
I glanced around and saw people scattering in all directions.
The situation had shifted to a standoff between the dragon and Rai.
“What about the king?”
“Dikell III? He’s over there.”
I saw the king gesturing to me from a short distance away.
But if I left, Rai…
“Take the king, not me. I have to stay by Rai and the shield!”
“What are you talking about…?”
**Crack!**
The outer edge of the shield shattered.
What would happen to Rai if the shield broke apart completely?
Would he die?
That was his actual body, wasn’t it?
**[Master… I… I can’t… hold on…]**
“Ugh! Do you think you can get away with just using your breath attack? How long are you going to keep it up? Stop already!”
Rai was about to die! I screamed in frustration, and as if in response to my outburst, the dragon’s breath abruptly ceased.
At the same moment, Rai’s shield, which had been on the verge of collapse, began to melt into a liquid, rippling as it gathered itself back together.
For the first time in nine years, I felt tears welling up as I ran toward Rai, who had now reverted to his snake form.
**[Master, mission… accomplished.]**
“Rai!”
His once bright white body was now blackened and ragged, with his tail missing, leaving him in a hideously damaged state.
**[Please… just… one drop of water…]**
Rai was so exhausted that he was mumbling incoherently. I carefully picked him up, making sure not to break what little was left of him.
_“What is that? What’s that thing?”_
**Boom!**
“Huh?”
The dragon, who had been raging and spewing breath at the emperor and the king, suddenly turned its attention to me, its eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Its enormous footsteps reverberated through the ground as it approached me, and the sound was deafening.
_“What is that? It’s so strong!”_
I had intended to keep Rai’s existence a secret, but with no one around and it being the dragon asking, I answered softly.
“…It’s my spirit.”
_“That’s amazing!”_
Before I could even register the dragon’s sudden change in demeanor, its enormous hand reached out and grabbed me.
In an instant, I was lifted high into the air.
_Wait! This is too high!_
Everything was happening too fast for me to process, and my mind went blank.
I saw the pile of jewels rising into the air.
The jewels merged together and were sucked into a dark hole.
And at some point, a large amount of what appeared to be mithril had been gathered as well. These, too, floated up and disappeared into the hole, which then vanished.
That much mithril and treasure… I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime!
Or, rather, I never thought I’d see a dragon!
And now I’m… Wait, am I dreaming?
_“Teleport.”_
Tele… what?
**Scream!**
_“Wake up!”_
A voice suddenly rang out, and against my will, I jolted awake.
But my head was still spinning, and the aftereffects of the teleportation had left me groggy.
I swayed, barely able to keep my head steady.
“Ugh, where am I? Who am I?”
My eyes were probably half-lidded, and if Rai were here, I’d bet he’d be laughing at me.
_“Get it together!”_
The voice cut through the fog in my head, and suddenly, I felt like something absolute was pulling me back to clarity.
I blinked rapidly, looking around.
I seemed to be inside a cave, one so deep that I couldn’t see the end of it. The ceiling was studded with countless magical stones.
Is this the legendary dragon’s lair? Where’s the treasure? And more importantly, where’s the dragon? Rai?
It was only when I realized Rai was nowhere to be seen that I heard a familiar voice.
**[Master~]**
“Rai?”
**“Phew, using dragon-speak twice is exhausting…!”**
A thick, raspy voice came from somewhere, but no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t find the source. I stood up from the stone chair I had been sitting on.
“Huh?”
**“Hey! Over here, down here…!”**
Could it be… the dragon? The fact that I couldn’t see the owner of the voice made me uneasy.
Am I inside the dragon’s stomach?
A wave of fear and revulsion welled up inside me.
“Huh?”
**“Hey! I said I’m down here!”**
“…Pfft!”
Oh no, this is hilarious! If my guess is right, the one holding Rai is…
A polymorphed dragon, for sure.
Still, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the short, stocky body with messy gold hair, a scraggly beard, and a face that looked more like a stone than a dragon.
“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”
I stifled my laughter and opened my mouth.
“No, nothing. Are you… the dragon?”
“Yes! At least you’re smart enough to know that, unlike some ants. Anyway, what is this thing?”
**Thud!**
“Oof!”
The polymorphed dragon threw Rai at my face.
The pain was intense.
Ouch, that really hurts!
Rai immediately coiled around my face, wailing loudly.
**[Waaah! Master~ That dragon forcibly tore off what little scales I had left. Waaaah! I hate water drops! Sob, sob~]**
This brat! He’s not even shedding real tears, so why is he bawling like this?
And I can’t breathe!
“What is this? I thought it was some amazing metal that blocked my breath, but it’s just… diamond?”
“He’s in a transformed state. Right now, he’s in diamond form.”
“Then transform him again!”
**[Sniff, sniff. Master~ I hate water drops…]**
Even if I wanted to transform him again, I couldn’t. That was my first time doing it, and now I’m out of mana…
I pulled Rai off my face and wiped the soot off as I spoke.
“I’m out of mana, so I can’t right now. You’ll have to wait a bit.”
“Then hurry up!”
“…Yes.”
Seriously, this is the worst.
Just because you’re a dragon, you think you can boss me around?
What did I do to end up catering to a dragon’s whims?
My life is so messed up…
As I grumbled and prepared to meditate to regain some mana…
“By the way, how do you summon it?”
“…Rai?”
“Yeah, that spirit of yours! It looks like a metal spirit, so how do you summon it?”
“Don’t you know, being a dragon?”
Dragons are supposed to know everything, right?
“I only know about things I’m interested in. No dragon cares about spirits!”
Looks like this one is more interested in blacksmithing…
I’d say spirits are way more interesting.
“I had a summoning circle, but… it’s gone now. Let me ask Rai.”
**[Huh? I don’t know either, Master. And I’m one of a kind, so I can’t be summoned again. Heheheh!]**
Only I could hear Rai’s voice.
He didn’t have the ability to project his voice externally, and to do so, he’d have to take on a form with a mouth that could articulate speech. But since he couldn’t use human bodies or other species, that was never going to happen.
“He says he doesn’t know, and that he’s a one-of-a-kind metal spirit. So he can’t be summoned again.”
_“What? Really?”_
Suddenly, the deep, majestic voice of the dragon rang out from the dwarf’s mouth.
Dragon-speak?
“Y-yes… It’s the truth.”
My mouth moved on its own, without my will.
Dragon-speak, huh?
This dragon sure has trust issues.
I’m glad I wasn’t lying. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then the polymorphed dragon suddenly rolled around on the ground.
“Whaaat? I want one! I want a metal spirit too!”
This is ridiculous.
“Haha, why would you want one? It’s not that useful.”
Well, except for making money, intercoms, and automatic doors… okay, I guess it’s kind of useful.
Maybe it’s because I don’t have much use for metal?
Then again, it did block a breath attack. That’s pretty impressive.
Even the dragon seems to want it.
The dragon stopped rolling and looked at me with a serious expression.
“Well, I want it because it’d help with making swords, shields, armor, and accessories. Plus, I want to study the metal composition when it transforms into a shield! So give it to me!”
This is absurd…
The dragon stopped rolling and glared at me.
I should be scared since it’s a dragon, but this feels more like dealing with a piece of gum stuck to the ground…
“Even if I wanted to, it’s up to Rai…”
“Well, in that case, I’ll just take you along with it.”
“…No, thanks.”
“What? Are you refusing me? I’ll kill you!”
The dragon jumped up and pointed a finger at me, but honestly, at this point, I’m already a dead woman. Why would I live the rest of my life as a dragon’s assistant? I’d rather die.
“Go ahead, kill me.”
“What? You dare defy me? A human?”
“Go ahead and kill me.”
I was completely resigned.
If I was going to die, I’d rather do it now than be a dragon’s servant for decades.
If I had any regrets, it’d be not getting revenge on Rovenin and failing to summon the Spirit King.
“Fine! I’ll tell my mom!”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ll tell my dad and grandpa too!”
…Well, I’ve got a mom, dad, and grandma too, though they don’t exactly compare to the dragon’s family.
“I’ll bite my tongue and die before that happens.”
“Nooo, you can’t die! Then the spirit will disappear too! Just live with me. I’ll feed you and take you for walks! Please?”
“I’d rather die.”
Am I a dog to you?
To a dragon, I guess a human might seem no different from an ant or a dog, but not to me.
I’d rather die than live like that.
I had no desire to cater to a dragon’s whims for the rest of my life.
I was content with how my life had gone so far. Living as a dragon’s servant for who knows how long wasn’t something I wanted.
**[Wait, Master! You can’t die yet. You still have to play with me for a thousand years!]**
“No, you can’t die! How can I wait a thousand years? Just live with me.”
I can’t live a hundred years, you damn lizard.
Plus, to a dragon, a thousand years is probably like ten minutes.
This dragon seems impatient, and it doesn’t want to wait for a thousand years for Rai, who plans to take a long break after our contract ends.
But who knows if Rai would even choose this ridiculous dragon for a contract after a thousand years.