The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 29

That’s right.

A mana hole is like a bomb that can either grant someone great power or, if mishandled, take their life.

The fact that all living beings can only create a single mana hole in their bodies is as unchangeable as the blue sky.

Even dragons have only one mana hole—or rather, their dragon heart.

“No, instead of creating a second one, she could use the mana stored in her dantian to summon a spirit.”

[Master, do you know how difficult that is? There’s a reason why wizards, swordsmen, and summoners gather mana in different places!]

The location of the mana hole is deeply connected to the abilities it affects.

As a basic fact, mana benefits the body.

For example, a wizard creates their mana hole—or more accurately, their magic circle—close to the heart, which is near the head. This proximity helps them perform the complex calculations required for magic.

Summoners like me, on the other hand, need to balance mental strength, stamina, and other factors, so we place our mana hole at the solar plexus, the center of the body.

Meanwhile, swordsmen, who focus on physical strength, gather their mana in the dantian, the place that easily stores energy and enhances physical power.

Mana collected in the heart aids brain circulation, while mana in the solar plexus benefits the entire body. Mana in the dantian, meanwhile, strengthens muscles and overall physical power. There’s a reason for each placement.

To give an example, because wizards focus on mental and intellectual strength, they often have weak physical endurance.

This is why they are prone to internal injuries. If their magic fails or backfires, it can lead to anything from light coughing up of blood to severe heart attacks, sometimes even resulting in death.

Swordsmen, while physically strong, tend to have weaker mental strength.

This is why they are especially vulnerable to mental magic. However, they recover faster from internal injuries than wizards or summoners due to their physical resilience.

Summoners, who consume both physical and mental strength to summon and maintain spirits, fall somewhere in between.

However, it’s commonly accepted that summoners are closer to wizards in this regard.

“I know that. But there’s no rule saying you can’t summon spirits using mana gathered in the dantian. It’s just difficult to manage, not impossible.”

[But gathering mana in the dantian affects mental strength…]

“Mental strength can be trained separately! With Aini’s natural affinity, she’ll be fine.”

At some point, I had already made up my mind to take Aini as my disciple.

It seemed better to make her a loyal student rather than face her as a rival.

If something is useful, it should benefit me—that’s my life philosophy.

[Still, Master, it’s like you’re raising a tiger here. What if that tiger turns on you when it grows up?]

“It’s fine. If Aini is a tiger, I’m a dragon.”

Or at least, I hope so.

Ignoring Rai’s grumbling, I led the way out of the cave.

Outside, the area was a small clearing, scattered with large rocks. I found one and sat down.

Anel hadn’t arrived yet, and the surroundings were beginning to darken.

Rai, who had shone brightly inside the cave, now dimmed outside, as if unable to emit his usual glow.

I hate the dark…

“Ado…khrm.”

I nearly called for Adol but then shut my mouth.

I couldn’t summon that cheeky guy just yet.

Talking behind his master’s back when I wasn’t there? I should refrain from summoning him for at least a month.

[Master, they’re coming.]

Just in time, I saw Anel’s silver hair peeking through the bushes in the distance.

As I waited quietly, Anel got closer, holding Aini’s hand. The young girl’s green eyes were filled with anxiety, her pale skin even more striking against her mother’s dark tone. She was objectively a cute girl, but it seemed the people in her village didn’t think so.

“Geenie!”

Anel, who had been focused on Aini, finally noticed me and waved.

I waved back slightly, and soon they reached the clearing. Anel gently pushed Aini forward, though the girl hesitated, her wary gaze fixed on me like a kitten facing a dog.

Since I was planning to make her my disciple, I figured I should try to get along with her and spoke kindly.

“Hello, Aini?”

“Come on, Aini. Say hello to your sister. Because of you, she misunderstood.”

“N-No! I don’t want to! This sister is weird! She looks like a witchy cat!”

…This brat!

Before I could react, Anel quickly released Aini’s hand, and the girl darted back the way she came, only to stop a distance away, peeking at me from behind a tree.

Hey! You’re the one who looks like a kitten!

“I’m sorry, Geenie. She’s not usually like this… She’s a good kid, just a little shy.”

“What’s a ‘witchy cat’ supposed to mean?”

“Well, I don’t know…”

[Master, it’s probably because your eyes are always so fierce and upturned…]

I reached over and yanked Rai’s ears as he rambled on as if it were obvious.

Let’s see how long these wolf ears can stretch today, shall we? Hmm?

“G-Geenie! What are you doing?”

“Me? Oh, nothing. There was a fly, so I was just swatting it away.”

[Master doesn’t swat flies, she pinches them… Ack, ack!]

I tugged on Rai’s whiskers, making sure to do it affectionately—at least, from an outsider’s perspective, so it looked like I was simply petting him.

Anel smiled, misinterpreting my actions.

“You still love animals, huh, Geenie? It used to be a snake, didn’t it?”

“Yes, you remember?”

“Of course! That snake always butted heads with Kenta. He looked so dependable playing with the snake.”

Anel’s eyes filled with nostalgia, as if remembering fond memories.

Wait, dependable?

How was that dependable? More like they were having a bloody fight, right?

Was Anel seeing things through rose-colored glasses?

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Kenta had such perfect muscles, such a straightforward and easygoing personality, with a strong, manly demeanor. He was truly a man among men.”

“Hahaha, it seems like you really liked Kenta, huh?”

So that’s how you saw him, with all those bulging muscles and that simple-minded attitude?

You really did have a crush on him, didn’t you, Sister?

“Geenie, I have no regrets about loving Kenta or having Aini, who takes after him. The only thing that pains me is how the tribe treats Aini because of her unusual skin color.”

The tribes of the Korane jungle usually marry within the tribe. As a result, the entire tribe is like one large family, where everyone is related by blood.

Especially for Anel’s tribe, whose black skin and silver hair are their distinctive traits, they likely see external blood as a stain on their purity.

Anel had truly been bold in having Aini, considering the way her tribe treated her.

“You must… really like adventure, don’t you?”

“Yes, I love adventure. That’s why I became a mercenary and why I went against my parents’ wishes to have Aini.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Not at all. I wanted to have the child of a man I respected, and Kenta was the only man I respected.”

To bear the child of a strong man you love… I didn’t quite understand that sentiment.

In fact, I thought it was a bad decision since it had made life difficult for Aini.

But looking at Anel’s quiet smile, it seemed like I was the one who was wrong.

“…Sister?”

“Hmm? Go ahead, Geenie.”

“It’s sudden, but… may I take Aini with me?”

I pointed toward Aini, still hiding behind the tree.

Anel’s face froze in shock, more so than I had ever seen before.

“W-What do you mean, Geenie? Take Aini?”

“This is a spirit stone. And to use it, a summoner is required. The most suitable person for this spirit stone… is Aini.”

I held up the plant spirit stone in front of Anel’s wide eyes.

“Aini…?”

“Yes. Aini has such extraordinary affinity that even I envy it. With that, she can become a great summoner. But she’ll need to come with me to Drike for that.”

Anel’s gaze darkened, clearly deep in thought.

But she didn’t take long to decide.

She looked back at Aini and then back at me, firmly nodding. Her once wavering eyes now shone with determination.

It wasn’t until we were preparing to leave that I learned Anel was the daughter of the Silver Wolf tribe’s chief.

That explained why she hadn’t been exiled from the tribe despite having an outsider’s child and why she was able to ask me to summon the spirit sealed in the spirit stone.

“Time to go, Sister.”

“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t let you stay longer, Geenie.”

“It’s alright. I’m already grateful enough, Sister. You’ve done me a great favor twice now.”

It seemed like Sister Anel wanted me to stay in the village longer, but as the daughter of the tribe’s chief, even she couldn’t keep me and Rai, who were considered outsiders, here much longer.

I was also eager to get back to the city, so I prepared to leave on the second day after arriving.

“Mom, do I really have to go?”

Aini, who had cried a lot the previous night, looked up at Anel with puffy eyes, clinging to her mother’s sleeve.

“Aini, go with Geenie. She’ll help you become someone great.”

Anel had asked me to help Aini broaden her horizons and develop a more open-minded way of thinking. She confided that it pained her to see Aini growing smaller in spirit under the oppression of the villagers and asked me to take care of her if she no longer wanted to return to the village.

“Mom, can’t you come with me?”

“No, Aini. I want you to grow up without being influenced by me or the tribe. You need to walk your own path now.”

Over the past couple of days, I had observed how Aini clung to her mother, overly dependent on her due to the villagers’ disdain and mistreatment.

Contrary to being the daughter of a strong warrior like Anel, Aini was an exceptionally timid and shy child.

“Why not? You’re a strong warrior, so it’s okay for me to be like you, right?”

“No! I’m not a strong warrior, Aini. There are far stronger and greater people out there. You won’t realize that if you stay in this small forest. In Drike, you’ll become a smarter and stronger adult.”

“But I don’t want to go! I’ll stay here with you, Mom! Even if the villagers don’t like me, I like you! I want to stay with you, Mom! Wahh!”

Watching Aini burst into tears, I let out a long sigh.

I had intended to teach spirit magic, not babysit.

Especially not a crybaby like this.

My time looking after Magi had been enough…

Smack!

Whoa!

I blinked in shock.

Aini stopped crying, and the few villagers watching from a distance murmured in surprise.

[Isn’t that the ‘slap technique’? I saw it a few times during couples’ fights, Master.]

[Shut up, you clueless mutt.]

[I’ve become quite skilled at slapping too. I did it often when I was a snake, didn’t I, Master?]

[Do you want to die?]

Rai, now immune to most of my scoldings, finally shut up after a sharp glare from me.

I squinted at Aini’s bright red cheek.

Her whining had been loud, but Anel’s cold expression after slapping her was even more shocking.

“S-Sister?”

“Aini! You are the daughter of the Silver Wolf tribe! You must not cry so easily! No matter where you are or what you do, you are a member of this tribe. Never forget that! What are the three tenets you must uphold as a Silver Wolf?”

“Sniff… First, never lose your pride. Second, break before you bend. Third, forget your enemies but never forget a favor! I will proudly carry on the honor and spirit of the Silver Wolf tribe.”

Aini, though still sniffling, managed to say the words clearly, looking more mature than before.

“Good. And one more thing: in our tribe, a grown member is allowed to cry only once in their lifetime. Aini, you must now leave my side and walk your path as a proud member of our tribe. So, no more tears.”

Anel’s face remained hard, but as she gently caressed Aini’s slapped cheek, a thin stream of tears ran down her own face.

Could this be her one and only tear for her entire life?

“Y-Yes. I won’t cry anymore. I’ll become… a great summoner and come back.”

Suddenly, I missed my mother.

Not the blurred face of my family from my previous life, but my parents in this world.

I even thought of my brother and sister, who had always felt somewhat distant.

Ah, I think it’s time to go home.

The plan is to send a message through communication magic at the magic tower, cross the mountains, pass through Elan, and return to Drike.

Though I could skip crossing the mountains and head straight through the Korane jungle to Dmitri, it would be much better to take the more comfortable, well-paved route through Elan, with ample food and lodgings.

Although the route through Elan meant crossing the mountains twice, it was far better than trudging through the cold, humid jungle every day, battling hunger.

“Achoo!”

I glanced over at Aini, who was asleep with her back turned to me.

She was sleeping some distance away from the campfire, clearly still uncomfortable around me.

The only time she stayed close was when we rode on Rai’s back together, and even then, she had initially insisted on walking by herself.

After rolling around and nearly passing out several times while trying to keep up with Rai, she finally realized it was impossible and climbed onto his back on her own.

In the week since we left the village, I’d learned one thing about Aini—despite her appearance, she was incredibly stubborn.

As proof, she had insisted on taking the plant spirit stone from me.

She threw a fit, claiming it was her tribe’s possession, until I finally relented and gave it to her.

It didn’t matter much to me anyway.

Besides, I was more focused on packing the sword Magi had given me and the food pouch.

[Master, how about we just leave the little brat here?]

A suggestion I almost liked…

“No.”

I had brought her along to raise her into a useful summoner for Dmitri and to see just how strong her affinity truly was. More importantly, she was Sister Anel’s daughter.

One of my two benefactors.

Although Kenta’s daughter as well, I could overlook that.

Come to think of it, Kenta was technically one of my saviors too…

So, does that mean my benefactors include Anel, Ash, and Kenta?

[Why? I really don’t want to carry that kid around anymore, Master!]

“…Would you rather carry her in your arms as an ogre?”

[Che!]

Rai, who hated turning into an ogre as much as he did transforming into a snake, grumbled and avoided my gaze.

As a wolf, he curled up into a ball with his head resting on his paws, just like a real wolf would while resting.

It seemed that his actions while in his transformed state followed the instincts of whatever creature he had taken on.

Why couldn’t he act this way as a snake?

After glancing between Rai and Aini, I walked over to Rai.

“Keep watch.”

Since Rai had no concept of sleep, I tasked him with the night watch and laid my head on his tail, which was the perfect size for a pillow.

Time passed quickly in the dull forest.

On the tenth night of sleeping on Rai’s tail, I was starting to get annoyed—because of Aini.

“Aini! I told you to meditate, didn’t I? What are you doing right now?”

“……”

As we neared the city of Mielta, I rode Undain to scout the area and found a well-maintained road.

Excited at the thought of leaving the uneven forest trails and traveling a proper road, I returned to where Aini and Rai were waiting.

But instead of meditating as I had instructed, Aini was practicing dual swordsmanship.

At that moment, I felt a sense of betrayal.

No, more than that—it was a light, but unmistakably unpleasant feeling.

Seeing Aini grip her two swords without saying a word, my irritation grew.

“Answer me. Why are you practicing with swords instead of meditating?”

“It’s not sword practice! It’s dual swordsmanship!”

For the first time, Aini spoke to me with something other than “yes” or “no,” clearly flustered.

But that only made me angrier.

“Whether it’s sword practice or dual swordsmanship, you’re supposed to be learning summoning, not swordsmanship! Got it?”

“I… I’m going to master dual swordsmanship! My mom taught me!”

Ah, I swear, this stubborn brat makes me want to smack her.

With her eyes wide open, staring defiantly at me, it was clear she wasn’t going to back down.

She may cry often, but when she does argue, she’s no pushover.

Looking into Aini’s mind lately, I could sense a mix of longing for her mother and resentment toward me.

“Fine! Then you don’t need summoning. Go back home right now! I brought you here to teach you summoning, not to train some half-hearted kid who wants to learn swordsmanship!”

“I’m not going back! I made a promise to my mom! I’m going to be a great summoner! I’ll do both summoning and dual swordsmanship!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you think summoning is so easy that you can learn swordsmanship alongside it? I don’t care how great your affinity is, you’re already behind other summoners! With your mana hole in your dantian, you’ll have to work twice as hard!”

“I will do both! Dual swordsmanship… and summoning… I’ll master them both! Waaah!”

Why did I bring this unmanageable brat along as my disciple?

So what if she has an incredible affinity for spirits?

She’s too obsessed with swordsmanship, and the moment things don’t go her way, she starts crying.

I covered my flushed face with my hands and took a deep breath.

Calm down, calm down. There’s no point in getting worked up over a brat like this.

[Why not just make her a spirit swordsman, Master?]

Rai spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.

What a carefree beast…

“No. If she tries to balance both, she’ll end up mediocre at both.”

[But does it matter? You only need her to summon the plant spirit.]

That’s true, but since she’s my first disciple, I’d rather train her to be outstanding.

Her affinity is too valuable to let go to waste by raising her to be mediocre.

Why pursue swordsmanship when you have the talent to be a summoner?

“I hate you! I miss my mom! Why do you always nag me?! Wahhh!”

“Quiet! Stop crying all the time!”

I shouted at Aini, who was sobbing while complaining, feeling utterly exasperated.

What a defiant little brat.

“You think you’re so tough, huh? Fine! If you can do both, then prove it! But don’t expect me to teach you both summoning and swordsmanship!”

“I promised my mom! I’ll do both! I won’t give up on either!”

“Let me ask you something. Aini, do you think you have talent for swordsmanship?”

“Sniff… Hic…”

Aini looked up at me with teary eyes, looking every bit like the 8-year-old girl she was.

A stubborn, tearful child.

“Why can’t you answer? Do you think you have talent for swordsmanship? If so, I’ll let you pursue both.”

“I… I don’t have talent for swordsmanship. That’s why… I want to get better at it! Swordsmanship is something my mom taught me, and everyone in the tribe can do it!”

This isn’t going anywhere!

Why are you so determined to learn swordsmanship when you don’t even have a talent for it? Swordsmanship will only hold you back from summoning!

I bit my lip in frustration as I fell deep into thought.

And then I made a decision.

Alright, this kid is just too young to understand.

She doesn’t realize how foolish it is to pursue both summoning and swordsmanship at the same time.

“Here’s what we’ll do. For the next five years, until you’re 13, you’ll focus solely on summoning. After that, you can learn dual swordsmanship or whatever else you want. I won’t interfere. How’s that?”

“But… if I stop practicing for five years, all my training will go to waste.”

“That’s your problem. I’m a summoning teacher, not a swordsmanship teacher.”

Aini looked like she was about to cry again.

I wondered if I was being too harsh, but I couldn’t let her keep messing around with swordsmanship. I knew how important those two swords were to her, but they were only going to hinder her summoning training. The sooner I separated her from them, the better.

I wanted to raise a tiger, not a half-grown kitten.

“Waaah~ Hic… Huu… Wahhh.”

Aini finally burst into tears again.

It must have been really hard for her to choose between the two.

“Stop crying and just speak! Speak!”

“Mooom~”

I can’t do this anymore.

Was I too hasty?

Bringing along such a young child just because I saw her potential—it was already becoming a decision I regretted.

I understood that she missed her mother, but seeing her constantly tear up and cry herself to sleep was exhausting. Watching her bawl like this right in front of me was unbearable.

“Stop crying! Are you really Anel’s daughter?”

“I-I am my mom’s daughter! Hic!”

“I can’t believe it! Even for a child, you cry way too much. Didn’t you promise Anel just ten days ago that you wouldn’t cry anymore?”

“I did… but…”

This brat is hopeless!

If I could, I’d throw her far, far away right now.

I had been too hasty!

Taking Aini as my disciple might go down as one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

In my excitement to see Anel and make contracts with two new spirits, I’d been too blinded by joy to think clearly.

I had brought her along because I found a talented child, not realizing she would be such a handful.

I had forgotten something important in the process.

I hate kids.

“Let me ask you one last time. Summoning or swordsmanship?”

“I… I don’t know. I have to do both. I can’t choose between them!”

[Ugh, I’m so annoyed. Master, should I just tear her apart…]

“Ahh! I don’t care anymore! Do whatever you want! I’m heading to Mielta! I’m so sick of this!”

The frustration that had been building over the past ten days—or rather, ever since I had been stuck living in Magi’s lair—finally boiled over.

I wasn’t an iron man. I was a summoner!

My training involved spirit magic, not physical endurance!

Even if I had traveled comfortably, there was no way I could wander through the forest for ten days without feeling exhausted!

Muttering angrily to myself, I stormed off into the forest, fed up with Aini’s indecision.

I just wanted to sink into a hot bath and enjoy a warm meal of meat.

I walked briskly, pushing through the dense foliage.

“This is so annoying!”

[Master, where are you going? Are you leaving her behind?]