The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 34 - [!!FIXED CHAPTER!!]
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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.
You can also join our discord here < br>
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.
[Master, Master.]
Rai had somehow slithered onto my shoulder.
As expected, the snake form suited Rai the best.
Though his body now shimmered with a golden hue from the influence of the dragon heart, changing colors was no difficult task for him whenever he wanted.
For now, though, he seemed content not to bother.
[Hm? You’re here.]
[Yep! So, is *that* the fun thing? What are they doing? Territory fight?]
While it wasn’t exactly a territorial dispute, their confrontation did resemble a battle of wills.
[Hmm, yeah. Something like that, I guess?]
[Ooh, well, I’m something of an expert in territory battles. I specialize in sending every snake I meet to the grave! Hahaha! The land around Drike Academy? All mine, Master! Impressive, right?]
[Not at all…]
Did you really fight over territory with other snakes, even though you’re not a real one?
You’ve got way too much time on your hands, Rai.
[Aw, you don’t like it? Then how about I expand my territory to the back mountain too? Yes? What do you say, Master?]
[Shut up!]
Ugh, that guy’s so noisy…
While I was bickering with Rai, the thug was on the verge of passing out.
If no one stopped it, he might actually die. Wasn’t anyone going to step in?
I didn’t really want to get involved directly, so I scanned the area and spotted Ash, who seemed restless but unable to move.
It looked like the big guy next to him, Lox, was keeping him restrained.
Huh. Ash shouldn’t let himself be pushed around like that.
Though, to be fair, I’d probably do the same if I were him.
At that moment, the man flung the thug aside.
The thug flew about two meters and sprawled on the floor, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth.
If he’d strangled him for just five more seconds, he might not have made it.
“Hey, are you okay? Wake up!”
“Hey, Kolkav?”
The thug’s friends rushed over, shaking their unconscious companion, but he didn’t wake.
His chest, however, still rose and fell, indicating he was alive.
Seriously though, what kind of name is Kolkav? Not Kolgop or anything—just Kolkav?
“Scram!”
The man in the black hood stood still as a statue, his presence unsettling.
What’s with this strange aura?
He wasn’t a swordsman, nor a wizard, and certainly not a summoner.
What kind of training would produce someone like that?
My long years at the academy had only fueled my curiosity further.
This was a real affliction.
“We’ll get you for this!”
That peculiar energy around him, disordered yet oddly in sync with him…
The fact that I hadn’t even noticed his presence until he stepped forward, combined with the overwhelming killing intent—could he be an assassin?
I shook my head at the thought.
Why would an assassin be here?
And he wouldn’t reveal himself so blatantly.
Besides, assassins would never let their targets walk away so easily.
The man in the black hood watched the thugs retreat, then returned to his seat.
A dazed boy hurried over to him.
“S-sir! You should run!”
“……”
“Those guys are members of the ‘Blood Wing’ gang! They’re notorious around here!”
The boy seemed genuinely worried, but the hooded man waved him off as if the concern was a nuisance.
Yeah, people like that never know fear.
“Don’t concern yourself.”
“S-sir…!”
The boy’s voice trembled with anxiety, but the hooded man merely glanced at the inn’s door, where the thugs had fled.
Then, as if chasing after them, he left the inn.
Wait, did he really go after them?
The way he delayed before stepping out made it seem like he intended to follow them.
But if that’s the case, why tell them to scram in the first place?
I couldn’t make sense of his actions.
I glanced at the table where the hooded man had sat.
All that remained on the table were fruits of various sizes.
So, despite everything, he’s a vegetarian?
After staring at the empty spot for a while, I decided to stop worrying about him.
If it was something I was meant to know, I’d find out eventually—just like I ended up meeting Ash again today.
[By the way, Master, what about the kid?]
[Her? She’s sleeping upstairs.]
[Oho! I hope she never wakes up, Master.]
Hey, that’s basically wishing for her death.
Honestly, Rai’s hatred for Annie is excessive.
As I looked at Rai, I suddenly remembered something was missing.
[Where’s the flower basket?]
[Gulp!]
So now you’re telling me flowers count as metal too?
[Exactly.]
[It—it wasn’t my fault! The horses in the stable ate them all! Honest!]
Rai frantically tried to excuse himself.
In my mind’s eye, I pictured Rai, in his snake form, prying open a horse’s mouth and stuffing flowers inside.
That felt much more plausible.
There’s no way a horse would eat flowers unless it hadn’t eaten for a week.
I had slept deeply for the first time in ages—really, truly slept—except for waking briefly to meditate.
The sun was already high in the sky when I finally opened my eyes.
To be honest, I could have slept longer, but my hunger woke me.
Scratching my messy hair, I looked toward the bed where I’d moved Annie last night, only to find it empty.
That’s strange. She was definitely still there when I meditated in the morning.
All I saw on Aini’s empty bed was Rai, in his yellow dog form, lying awkwardly on his back with his pale belly exposed.
He looked like a dead frog.
What’s a guy who doesn’t even sleep doing on the bed?
“What are you doing?”
[Imitating you, Master.]
“…Hmph. And where’s Aini?”
[She left this morning.]
So that brat went out without saying a word?
How rude!
I stretched my body and started thinking about what I needed to do today.
First off, I had to confiscate Aini’s coin pouch.
It was annoying to keep relying on Rai to cough up coins whenever I needed them, and it drew too much attention.
I’d buy Annie a separate pouch just for her spirit stones.
Yeah, while I’m at it, I should get some travel clothes and supplies too.
A map, a compass, and food supplies—those are essential too.
Maybe I should just buy an entire cart full of food?
As someone who despises hunger, that was an important consideration.
Of course, I’d have to go to the magic tower first and establish some communication before making any purchases.
People might even ask, ‘Are you a ghost?’ when I show up.
“Come on, Rai.”
While organizing my thoughts, I casually braided my long, wild curls and threw them over my shoulder.
This annoying lightning-struck curly hair was a constant pain.
Even though Mia, Iluje, and the other teachers kept trying to stop me from cutting it, I was seriously sick of it.
Of course, the loudest one was Bright.
Huh? Now that I think about it, there’s no one to stop me right now…
Maybe I should just cut it?
[Master?]
“Hm?”
[You called me over, so where are we going?]
“Oh, just the magic tower.”
There was no real reason to take Rai with me, but I couldn’t trust him to stay out of trouble if left alone, so I decided to bring him along.
Upon hearing that I was taking him with me, Rai’s tail wiggled in excitement, and his voice grew cheerful.
[You’re taking me with you, Master? Then, what pattern should I go with? How about leopard spots?]
“Leopard? Why?”
[Well, if I’m going out with you, I need to look cool!]
For a brief moment, seeing Rai this excited made me feel a little guilty for how cold I’d been to him.
But that was quickly followed by a wave of exasperation—was this fool really my spirit?
I suddenly understood how Adelaide must feel having a son like Magi.
Rai and Magi were similar—they were capable but incredibly foolish.
“You think a salamander growing horns makes it a dragon? Just turn into a snake.”
[Yes, Master.]
When we reached the first floor, I saw Annie sitting on Chad’s lap, smiling brightly.
That cheerful expression felt so unfamiliar—she never even made eye contact with me but was all smiles with Chad.
“Annie!”
Was it jealousy or resentment?
My voice came out sharper than I intended, making even me feel a little embarrassed.
Startled, Annie looked back at me, her expression tense.
What’s with that sudden shift?
“W-what is it?”
Her stammering made it clear how uncomfortable she felt around me.
She had only just met Chad but was already sitting on his lap chatting away, while with me—someone she’d spent nearly two weeks with—she was a stuttering mess?
“…Did you meditate this morning?”
“…”
“You didn’t, did you? Do you even intend to learn from me?”
Why didn’t Annie show more enthusiasm for spirit arts?
Why was she closer to Chad than to me?
I couldn’t find anything about her that I liked.
“I was just about to.”
“Just about to? The sun’s already high in the sky! Do you think only fools wake up at dawn to meditate?”
I had advised Annie to meditate in the morning rather than at dawn, given her young age and difficulty controlling mana.
But even so, she wasn’t doing anything properly.
[Rai: But she was practicing with a sword this morning, Master.]
[Me: You’re worse for tattling.]
Annie stayed silent, biting his lip, while Rai’s comment only made my frustration worse.
I approached Chad and tried to pull Annie off his lap.
“Come here, Annie… huh?”
But Chad blocked my hand.
Up close, Chad’s appearance reminded me even more of Kenta.
Maybe that was why Annie was so attached to him?
“Hey, don’t push the kid so hard. At her age, kids should be playing.”
“That might be true for ordinary kids, but Annie isn’t ordinary. It’s a waste to let her play around! And when have I ever pushed her too hard? Did you see me do that?”
I felt like my anger might boil over.
Anyone watching would think I’d been tormenting Annie nonstop.
At his age, I was already reading ancient texts and studying complex theories every day until my head hurt.
Compared to that, what I was teaching her wasn’t even real education.
“I didn’t see it, but it’s obvious you’re putting too much pressure on her. Whatever you’re teaching, it can wait until she’s older.”
“Wait? Are you joking? And do you even know me? Why are you speaking so informally?”
I shot him a cold glare, but Chad, either too muscle-brained or just oblivious, replied nonchalantly.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Then why don’t *you* stay out of my business?”
“Hey, don’t fight… Why are you being mean to the nice man?”
Caught between us, Annie sniffled, her eyes filling with tears.
Hey! Get your facts straight! When was I ever mean to him?
Ugh, what a headache this kid is…
“Aw, don’t cry, don’t cry. Here, want a candy?”
Chad grabbed a candy from the table and handed it to Annie, comforting him.
Despite his rough appearance, he seemed surprisingly good with children.
Annie, who had looked like she might burst into tears, calmed down at the sight of the candy.
Looks like I need to add candy to the shopping list.
“Let’s go, Aini. Follow me.”
[What? It’s not just the two of us going, Master? Ugh, what a letdown!]
Rai grumbled noisily, and Annie, still holding the candy in one hand and wiping her eyes with the other, shook her head.
“Uh… Can’t I just stay here?”
“Why?”
“I want to stay with Chad. I’ll meditate, I promise.”
It wasn’t my preferred outcome, but I didn’t have a good reason to force her to come along.
“Fine. But you better meditate. And Chad, could I leave Annie with you?”
At this point, I’d abandoned any pretense of politeness with Chad, and he didn’t seem to mind.
“Sure thing. I like watching over kids.”
“By the way… where’s the rest of your group?”
Satisfied with Chad’s agreement, I casually inquired about Ash’s whereabouts.
I hadn’t seen him anywhere on the first floor, though I pretended not to care.
In truth, I wanted to reveal my identity to Ash and greet him properly.
“You mean Ash and Lox? They went to the weapon shop.”
“Huh, so you’re traveling with only three people, including yourself?”
I found it odd that Ash, aside from his attendants, only had Chad as his guardian.
How long had they been on this journey? Had they only managed to gather one guardian so far?
Typically, you needed at least five.
“Oh, there are two more. They’ll join us in the next city.”
“Good… Well, take care of Annie.”
“Don’t worry.”
Chad thumped his chest confidently, but for some reason, I didn’t feel entirely reassured.
Something about this didn’t sit right with me.
[Let’s go already, Master!]
A fleeting sense of unease crept in, but since Rai was rushing me, I figured it was just my dislike for Chad making me feel this way. With that thought, I left the inn.
What could possibly happen, right?
—
Meanwhile, in the headmaster’s office at Drike Academy, where the walls were lined with books and stacks of paperwork, the Marquis Lyle, headmaster of Drike Academy, busily processed a pile of documents nearly a hand’s width tall.
It was a lazy afternoon, and the only sounds in the office were the rustling of papers and the scratching of a pen. Then, someone knocked gently at the door.
“Come in.”
Glad for the interruption, the headmaster set his pen down and looked up. His white hair and the fine wrinkles around his eyes hinted at the many years of experience he carried.
The assistant who entered looked unusually flustered, a far cry from his usual composed demeanor.
“H-headmaster! There’s… I mean… well, something important…”
“What is it? Get to the point.”
“There’s a message! Please, come to the communication room right away.”
“A message? From whom?”
The assistant struggled to speak coherently, but after much stammering, he finally managed to convey the situation.
“It’s… it’s from… Miss Crowell.”
“Crowell? Who… Wait, *Crowell*? You mean Geenie Crowell?”
**Thud!**
The sound of a chair falling over echoed loudly through the once-quiet office as the headmaster abruptly stood up.
**Flutter!**
Several papers on the desk scattered from the sudden movement, but neither the headmaster nor the assistant paid them any mind.
The headmaster’s monocle slipped from his eye in his shock, dangling by the chain attached to his coat.
“Yes, yes! It’s that Geenie Crowell.”
“Is it really…?”
The headmaster’s disbelief was evident.
The assistant, looking like he might burst into tears, stammered as he tried to explain.
“I-I can’t confirm it for sure, but the person had golden hair and blue eyes, and she identified herself as Geenie Crowell.”
“What in the world…? No, there’s no time to wonder about that! Let’s go!”
The headmaster rushed out of the room.
In his hurry, he kicked the fallen chair aside irritably, displaying a rare burst of emotion for someone of his age and stature.
Documents—both signed and unsigned—scattered in the air as he left, but the headmaster didn’t even glance back.
For the first time in a long while, he moved with the urgency of a man much younger.
By the time he arrived at the communication room, he was nearly out of breath.
**Bang!**
He shoved the door open with a loud bang, startling the student who had been operating the communication orb.
“Wha— Headmaster?”
“Where is she? Where is Geenie Crowell?”
The headmaster stormed into the room, immediately searching the orb for signs of Geenie.
However, the orb only emitted a faint warmth, the kind that lingers after a connection has just ended.
“Well… just now, she said, ‘I’ll contact you again later,’ and then the communication ended.”
Both the headmaster and the assistant stared at the disconnected orb in disbelief, as if trying to process what had just happened.
The student, sensing their confusion, clapped his hands softly as if he had remembered something.
“Oh! Before she ended the call, she also mentioned, ‘You haven’t held the funeral yet, right? Don’t worry, I’m alive and well. Also, the communication with my home isn’t working—could you notify them for me?’”
The headmaster and the assistant turned toward the student, their gazes so intense it was as if they were about to devour him.
“E-even if you glare at me like that…”
“Did you record it?”
“Sorry?”
The headmaster stepped closer, his expression grim, making the student flinch.
“Did you record the communication?”
“I-I’m sorry! It was so sudden that… Oh, but the call did come from Mierta.”
“Mierta… That’s in Koran’s territory, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and here’s the code number for the call.”
The headmaster accepted the piece of paper with the code, his hands trembling slightly.
“Are you absolutely certain it was Geenie Crowell?”
“Well, she had golden hair… and blue eyes. Oh, and something like a snake was poking its head out from behind her shoulder. I’m not sure if that’s a distinctive feature…”
“That’s it! That’s the confirmation! Hamp, apply for an audience with His Majesty immediately! And you—get in touch with the Crowell family!”
Hamp, the assistant, nodded and sprinted out of the communication room without delay.
The headmaster remained, struggling to close his gaping mouth.
The news of Geenie Crowell’s supposed sacrifice to a dragon had spread far and wide.
The fact that she was alive was beyond comprehension.
Regardless of how she survived, the implications were staggering.
She had been lauded as the herald of Inais, the goddess of sacrifice, for her selfless actions.
She had protected the emperor, the king, and ultimately been captured by a dragon—making her the most talked-about figure in the entire continent.
Songs, poems, and tales about her sacrifice had spread throughout the land.
If word got out that she was alive, she wouldn’t just be a hero—her very existence could become a new source of faith.
This revelation had the potential to shift the entire power structure of the continent, granting the Duchy of Dmitri significant influence across the lands.
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