The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 31

“……Rai?”

[Yes? What is it, Master?]

Rai replied without stopping his run.

Ah, I knew something felt off…

“Don’t you feel like something’s missing?”

[Ah, no! Not at all!]

I realized that the silver-haired girl who should have been behind me was nowhere to be seen.

No wonder Rai was in such a hurry…

“Raiiii!”

That cunning wolf! Who taught him such tricks?

[Ugh! Well, I didn’t want to stay, so what could I do?]

“Still! How could you leave the kid behind?”

I got off Rai’s back and grabbed his ears as if I was going to tear them off while yelling at him.

Even if he didn’t like it, there are things you just can’t do! Even though he’s a spirit, he lacks common sense!

[You forgot her too, Master! And you promised not to scold me.]

“When did I ever say that? You came back on your own! Aaaah!”

I clenched my fists and applied the “spinning fists” technique on Rai’s head. It was quite an easy way to cause pain, and I’d used it on Ferona and Iro before as punishment.

The method is simple.

Place the pointed parts of your clenched fists between the ears and the forehead and press hard while twisting. It’s more effective to concentrate on small circles than to make large rotations.

[Aaack! Master! Aaagh!]

“I told you not to be sneaky, didn’t I?”

I followed up by sharply digging my nails into Rai’s scalp with all my strength.

It may resemble a scalp massage at first glance, but the difference lies in the fact that it involves relentless, indiscriminate jabbing without any concept of relief.

And unlike a massage, there’s no positive effect whatsoever.

[Aaagh! Master! That spot… owww!]

Of course, there are rare cases like Rai, where they seem to derive some sort of positive effect from it.

For some strange reason, Rai had started to gain sensory awareness beyond just pain, which was actually one of his abilities that improved as my power increased after our contract.

The ability to adjust his senses!

He could even control which senses he wanted to activate, which made me a bit jealous.

In the past, he had been completely numb, but now he could control his sensations, meaning he had reached a different level.

It is said that those who master the control of all their senses eventually reach a level where they can even regulate their emotions.

However, that would be a highly advanced state.

“Ugh! I’m done! That’s enough!”

[Aww, Master, can you press that spot just once more?]

Rai extended his large paw and pointed to the crown of his head, but I flatly refused.

I was way too annoyed.

“No way!”

[Master, please, just one more time.]

“Fine, if you open up your sense of pain, I’ll think about it.”

Rai hadn’t yet unlocked his sense of pain—the one sensation anyone would close off first if they could.

I acknowledged that, and I never pointed out that he kept his sense of pain shut. It was actually useful in situations like when he was suddenly struck by a sword.

If he felt pain all the time, there’s no way I could use a crybaby like him in battle.

[But… that’s the one thing I can’t…]

“Enough! Just go find Aini already!”

Had Rai not occasionally pretended to be in pain after my frequent beatings, I might have forced him to unlock that sense.

After all, if I was going to put my heart into hitting him, and he didn’t even act like it hurt, wouldn’t that be frustrating?

[Tch, Master. Do you like that little brat more than me?]

“What nonsense is that? Of course, I like you better than Aini!”

How could you compare Rai, who acts like all sorts of automated machinery, to Aini, who just whines and cries all the time?

Rai’s big mouth stretched into a wide grin, but because he had a wolf’s face, it looked a bit sinister.

[Yeah, I knew it!]

“And I like Blondie more than you, and I like Undain more than Blondie. Oh, and Pein’s been pretty useful lately too.”

[Gah! M-Master, where am I ranked then?]

Ranked? Among the spirits? Hmm…

“What do you mean? Like, in terms of who I like more? Or in terms of usefulness?”

[Both!]

Let’s see.

If it’s about affection, Undine is first, Undain is second, and third would be… well, not Endairon. He’s useful but not exactly lovable. So the third would be… Tarzan? Cheetah? I’m not used to them yet. So third it is, I guess?

“In terms of affection, you’re third.”

[Just third? What about that Adol guy?]

Adol? Oh, he means Adol… Hmm, I had to think seriously about this one.

Adol versus Rai… Adol versus Rai… Ah!

“Adol is fourth! Pein is fourth too, and so are Tarzan and Cheetah.”

[Urgh! So I’m second to last?]

Does that make him second to last? Rai, seriously!

Why does he have to think about it so negatively when he could just focus on the fact that he’s third? That’s still in the middle…

I glanced at Rai and saw that he looked dejected.

He was the first spirit I made a contract with, after all, so maybe I had been too harsh.

“Does it really bother you that much? Don’t worry, in terms of usefulness, you’re either first or second.”

[…Really?]

“Of course! You’re the most useful, Rai!”

[Hah! Heheh, of course! I knew I was number one! Haha!]

No matter how he laughed, whether in a triumphant or any other way, Rai’s wolf face just made him look mischievous.

Though, I guess he doesn’t know that.

“Stop laughing like a fool, and since I praised you, go find Aini already.”

[…Do I have to?]

At his question, I gave a sly smile and replied,

“Want me to hit you again?”

[Ugh, Master, you’re so mean!]

Rai made a show of sulking before disappearing into the wind.

Watching him for a moment, I turned back and entered the city’s gates, heading toward the Wizard’s Tower to send a message.

While doing so, I pondered how to explain all this.

—

Entering Mierta

The Wizard’s Tower was one of the few high-rise structures in this world.

Therefore, the tallest building in the city was likely the Tower, standing sharply amid the smaller, cozy buildings of Mierta.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, I finally summoned Undain to guide me there.

“Thanks, Undain.”

[Of course, Master.]

Undain, still as adorable and lovely as ever even after nine years, continued to hold a special place in my heart.

I doubt that will ever change.

Sorry, Rai, but I’m also a victim of superficial favoritism.

“Alright, you can go now.”

[Yes! See you later, Master.]

Waving her small hand as she disappeared, I approached the building with a large six-pointed star symbol of the Tower carved on it.

The entrance was wide open, so I entered without hesitation.

The interior was much cleaner and more luxurious than it appeared from the outside. It didn’t quite compare to the Tower in Dimitri’s royal palace, but it was still impressive.

“How may I assist you?”

Approaching the counter, a young woman who had been scribbling something lifted her head and asked.

She wore glasses, a symbol often associated with scholars, and had dark brown hair. She was also wearing a robe with the Tower’s emblem, suggesting she was a mage herself.

The thing she was scribbling appeared to be a 2nd-class magic formula.

“I’d like to use a communication spell.”

“A communication spell, you say? It’s available for use immediately, but… you need to know the code number of the crystal ball you’re contacting, and the fee depends on the distance.”

I quickly recalled the code numbers for the communication crystal balls located at Drike Academy and in the Crowell estate.

Each country has its own crystal balls in each city, allowing for urgent government orders or personal messages to be sent and received.

It’s sort of like a magical telephone.

Of course, you need a mage to activate the crystal ball, but casting a spell for communication only requires a 2nd-class mage, so it’s not particularly difficult.

However, the fact that a mage is needed makes this an expensive service for ordinary people.

“I know the code numbers. The locations are the capital of Dimitri, where Drike Academy is located, and Crowell Estate, a town in Dimitri.”

“For Dimitri, the base fee is 1 gold and 20 silver. The capital, Sharan, has a well-established network, so you only need to pay the base fee. For the Crowell Estate… is it a viscount’s territory or a baron’s?”

1 gold and 20 silver? Since it was my first time paying for such a service, I had no idea if that was expensive or cheap.

But since the average monthly income of a commoner is about 1 gold, it must be pricey.

“It’s the Crowell Count’s territory.”

“Let me see. C-c-c… Hmm? We have a ‘Crel Count’s territory,’ but no ‘Crowell Count’s territory.’”

“What? That can’t be right. There should be one.”

“No matter how much I check, it’s not listed… Are you sure it’s Crowell? And that it’s definitely a count’s territory?”

That couldn’t be wrong.

I briefly suspected that this woman might be lying to me, but she had no reason to, especially since we’d just met. So I brushed that thought aside and considered another possibility.

“Oh, it used to be a baron’s estate… Could it be listed as Crowell Baron’s territory?”

“Hmm, there are many baron’s estates. Please hold on a moment.”

The young woman stood up and began rummaging through the drawers behind the counter.

While I already knew the code numbers and could still contact them, the fee varied by distance, so knowing the exact location was essential.

Hmm, it seems the Wizard’s Tower is a business after all.

“Hey! What are you looking for?”

A male staff member emerged from the back, seemingly annoyed by the sound of the drawers being searched.

“I’m looking for a baron’s estate in Dimitri. Crowell Barony, specifically… do you know it?”

The young woman asked, perhaps because the man seemed more experienced.

“Crowell? I think I’ve heard of it…”

“I feel like I’ve heard of it too.”

The woman continued searching the drawers without pause, while the man scratched his chin, deep in thought.

Then, as if something came to him, he clapped his hands.

“Oh! It was recently updated! It used to be a count’s estate, but it was upgraded to a marquess’s estate just last week.”

“Ah, right! It’s now a marquess’s territory!”

…Wait, what?

When did it become a marquess’s estate out of nowhere?

Did my family hit the jackpot while I was gone?

No, there’s no such thing as a lottery, and even if there were, a marquess title isn’t something you get that easily…

This made no sense.

I scratched my cheek and asked,

“A marquess’s estate?”

“Yes! Just last week, it was elevated. Didn’t you know?”

I was kidnapped about a month and twenty days ago, so…

There’s no reason it should have suddenly become a marquess’s estate.

It’s not like my father, who doesn’t even attend noble council meetings, would have done anything, and could it be that my brother Zeras achieved something great?

No, not even a significant accomplishment would result in such a swift elevation to a marquess.

Maybe there was an error in their records?

“I had no idea. Couldn’t it be a mistake?”

“What? Oh, no, we are a government-affiliated Wizard’s Tower, striving for accuracy and speed. I’m a civil servant!”

She sounded rather proud as she said that.

If that’s the case, doesn’t that make me a civil servant too since I’m affiliated with the royal palace as a summoner?

“Well, I guess we’ll know once we contact them. So, how much is the total fee?”

“Let’s see. Since it’s now the Crowell Marquess’s estate… The communication fee to Drike Academy is 1 gold and 20 silver. For Crowell Marquess’s estate, it’s 1 gold and 20 silver as the base fee, plus an additional 38 silver. You can just round it up to 40 silver.”

The young woman measured the distance on the map with what looked like a compass and ruler. I nodded, but then furrowed my brows.

“Wait, I’ve seen people give discounts, but when do you ever charge more?”

“Oh, come on, it’s just a joke. The total is 2 gold and 78 silver.”

Very funny.

Hey, if you’re too obsessed with money, you’ll go bald!

“That didn’t sound like a joke… You would’ve taken it if I gave it, wouldn’t you?”

“If you gave it, I’d consider it a tip and gladly accept it.”

“Aren’t you a civil servant? Since when do civil servants accept tips?”

“Hey, aren’t civil servants human too?”

Ugh, I was getting tired of this quickly.

This cheeky attitude reminded me of Iruje, which made me uncomfortable.

I hurried to take out my small pouch of money to pay, reaching for my waist.

I was sure it was here… Huh?

“Oh no!”

Ahh!

The pouch was with Aini, along with the gems!

I’d handed it over to her since she insisted on holding the spirit stones and had no place to store them, and I had completely forgotten.

I thought it would be fine since she’s usually by my side, but who knew things would turn out like this.

Damn it, Rai’s not even here.

And I have zero ways to get money!

“Um… excuse me, customer?”

The young woman squinted her eyes and stared at me.

She slowly lifted one hand and made a circle with her thumb and index finger—a gesture that clearly meant money.

I awkwardly smiled and started to back away slowly.

“Oh hohoho. Excuse me for a moment…”

I fled from the Tower, my face burning with embarrassment.

What an idiot! Moron!

I cursed myself, but it only made me feel even more humiliated.

I had completely forgotten that I gave Aini the pouch. Since I hadn’t needed money recently, it hadn’t crossed my mind. Plus, I was used to Rai being my personal walking bank, so I never felt any urgency.

I headed toward the city gate to wait for Rai and Aini, or more accurately, to wait for the money.

Though I’m terrible with directions, I had trained my memory enough to retrace my steps, and before long, I saw Mierta’s large city gate in the distance.

There was a small fountain in the center, which seemed to serve as a plaza, and several stalls lined the area.

Most were selling all sorts of tribal goods or peculiar foods.

*Grrrowl*

Ugh. It’s finally happening.

I tried to suppress my hunger by tightening my stomach, but the sound was too loud.

People nearby glanced at me, and I pulled my hood lower over my face.

The great Geenie Crowell, reduced to being hungry and penniless…

How embarrassing.

Just as I was wrestling with my hunger, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

“Traveler, please spare just one copper.”

The voice came before I could even turn around.

It belonged to an old, feeble-sounding man.

I turned around slowly and saw, as expected, a hunched, white-haired old man looking up at me with a pitiful gaze, trembling.

But I wasn’t the type to be moved by such things.

When I saw someone begging despite having working limbs, I felt like cursing. And when I saw someone pretending to have a disability to beg, I wanted to kick them.

I gave the old man a bright smile.

“I don’t even have enough to die on.”

My instincts told me this old man was the same as the others.

Upon closer inspection, his hunched back and dying eyes didn’t match his overly smooth skin.

There weren’t even any age spots, let alone wrinkles.

And though he was trembling, his legs were planted firmly on the ground, and his fingernails were clean. Clearly, he was a well-practiced fraud.

Had I been less observant, I might have fallen for it.

“Please don’t say that… just one copper…!”

The old man begged again, this time leaning toward me as if to emphasize his frailty.

Naturally, I wasn’t going to catch him when he staggered, so I subtly stepped aside, but in that brief moment, he moved and grabbed onto my leg.

His reflexes told me this man wasn’t as old as he appeared.

Going as far as to disguise himself as an old man just to elicit sympathy…

Even beggars these days were struggling to survive.

“I told you, I don’t have any money!”

“Agh! Please, miss, just one copper!”

I tried to shake the old man off, but he clung to me like his life depended on it.

The way he held onto my leg made it seem like he had done this many times before.

Upon hearing my voice, he seemed to have figured out I was a woman, and he clung to me even more desperately.

“…Are you going to let go, or are you planning to die?”

By this point, my temper was starting to flare.

I had kept my tone somewhat polite out of consideration for his apparent age, but how dare he cling to a lady’s leg like this…!

Such an outrageous act!

I ground my teeth and shot him a deadly glare, which finally made the beggar release me.

Given his reflexes and the strength with which he’d clung to my leg, he was clearly a much younger man pretending to be old, but the passersby didn’t know that. They started muttering among themselves, casting judgmental glances my way.

“Oh my! How can a young person be so stingy? It’s just one copper…”

“Right? What a scary world we live in! People killing over a single copper…”

“Can you believe it? Young people today are unbelievable. It’s only one copper, for crying out loud.”

Encouraged by the onlookers’ murmurs, the man disguised as an old beggar approached me again.

“One co…”

“Do you want to get hit, or will you just leave?”

I wasn’t about to hurt my fist on him, but I raised it threateningly. Seeing this, he stepped back, clearly unnerved.

His dedication to pretending to be a beggar was impressive, but I despised begging in general, and right now, I genuinely didn’t have a single penny to give.

After gauging my reaction, the fake old man abruptly turned and fled into the crowd with surprising speed, leaving the bystanders wide-eyed with surprise.

Watching them, I scoffed to myself.

See? I told you he was a fraud!

But why do I still feel like something’s missing?

[Master!]

“Hm?”

Just then, I heard Rai’s voice in the distance.

Looking toward the city gate, I saw Rai wagging his large tail as he ran toward me, and behind him, Aini was being escorted by the same three men I’d met earlier.

It seemed they had taken care of Aini after I left her behind.

Should I thank them?

But seriously, Rai running toward me with his tail wagging looked just like a big golden retriever.

A massive one.

[Master, Master!]

“Took you long enough. Why didn’t you bring Aini with you?”

Rai, who was acting overly excited as if we hadn’t seen each other in days, didn’t respond. Instead, I gestured toward Aini, who was walking behind the men, and asked.

[She didn’t want to ride on my back and insisted on coming with those humans, so I had to let her. That’s why I’m late, Master.]

“Really?”

That sounds just like Aini.

In the distance, I could see Aini sticking close to the large man Rai had fought with earlier, looking like they had become good friends.

And that was in just a matter of minutes.

[But Master…]

“Hm?”

[Where’s your sword?]

“Sword?”

At Rai’s question, I casually touched my shoulder.

I expected to feel the strap holding my sword, but instead, I felt nothing.

Sensing something was wrong, I quickly reached behind me and ran my hands over my back. But the sword, which I had strapped securely to my back, was gone.

W-where did it go?

[You didn’t even listen when I said I wanted to eat it! Did you eat it all by yourself? Without me?]

“Do I look like you?”

This is strange…

I could’ve sworn it was still there when I left the Tower.

The sword Magi gave me!

It wasn’t quite an artifact, but it was a fine magical sword!

I had taken such care to keep it safe, but now…

Where could it have gone?

I frantically took off my hood and shook it, but the sword didn’t appear.

Did I drop it somewhere?

As if I wasn’t already frazzled, my long hair flew into my face as I whipped off the hood, adding to the chaos.

[Hey! Didn’t you say that sword was important and you had a special plan for it?]

That’s right!

I had planned to present it to the king as a symbol of friendship from a dragon, scoring major points in the process!

It wasn’t even a lie.

After all, Magi, who gave me the sword, is a dragon. So technically, it was a gift from a dragon.

I was going to offer it to the king and announce that I was friends with a dragon, all while earning a boatload of favor!

“Aaagh! Where could it… Aaah!”

Just as I screamed in frustration, a thought crossed my mind—the fake beggar I had just encountered.

Right, that guy!

I hadn’t realized at the time, but he must have been after the sword!

[Master!]

“That scoundrel! That con… no, that thief! I’m going to wring his neck!”

As soon as it clicked, I realized how strange the whole situation had been. His sudden flight, his overly persistent behavior—it was all because of the sword!

And he even went as far as dressing up as an old man for it!

[Who? Who’s neck are we wringing? I’m coming with you, Master!]

Rai, excited by the prospect of a chase, eagerly chimed in. Ignoring him, I hurried over to Aini and the men she was with.

“Hey, you guys!”

“Huh?”

Startled by my sudden approach, the three men looked at me in confusion as I blurted out my request.

“I’ve got some business to take care of, so could you watch this kid for a bit?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Huhh?”

All three of them let out a synchronized grunt of confusion.

Without waiting for their response, I bolted in the direction the fake beggar had disappeared.

“Let’s go, Rai!”

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten Rai.