The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 38

As I was being dragged along in the pouring rain, I suddenly heard a strange sound.

It sounded as if something was slicing through the air…

Yes, it was similar to a technique used by a wind spirit that I had heard once before.

An attack spell that cuts through the air using wind—*Wind Cutter*.

It was the first spirit magic that Teacher Yael had shown me.

Just as I reached the limit of relying solely on sound and sensation, Rai spoke.

[Master, that guy above us—it’s him.]

[Above us? Him? Who—]

As always, Rai’s sudden words puzzled me. I was about to question him further when I sensed a threatening presence from behind. I quickly twisted my body to avoid it.

It seemed to be from the man dragging me. No way I’d let myself get hit this time!

“Oh, so you dodged? Cocky little…”

The man reached out again, this time grabbing the rope binding my wrists from behind.

He yanked hard, forcing me to stumble backward.

Being dragged backward with my eyes covered felt like I was a beast being led to slaughter, filling me with a repulsive unease I never wanted to experience again.

[Rai, remember this guy’s face too. He’s dangerous.]

[Yes, Master!]

The rain poured relentlessly, soaking not only my clothes but also the blindfold and the rope digging into my wrists.

The rope, now wet and tight, chafed my wrists as the man dragged me along. The sting was unbearable.

Why was I even in this situation?

Just wait until I find Annie—I’ll strip these chicken-winged bastards down to the bone!

“I brought her. This is the girl, right? Blond hair, and she says Zeras is her brother.”

Who was he talking to? Was it Grak?

I kept silent, holding my breath.

Since I couldn’t fully grasp the situation yet, staying quiet and trying to piece things together was my best option.

If push came to shove, I’d have Rai transform into *that*.

*Thud!*

“Oof!”

Suddenly, the man shoved me, and I rolled across the muddy ground, soaked in rainwater.

I tumbled helplessly, tasting the mud against my will.

It was bitter, gritty, and disgusting!

And the worst part was, it wasn’t his hands that had pushed me, but his foot!

If I gathered all the unpleasant things I experienced today, I could probably write a whole book.

Not that anyone would publish it, though.

“Here! Here’s your sister! Now come out!”

Another man stomped on my back, shouting.

It didn’t sound like Grak.

Not only did this new man step on me, but he also pressed a blade against the back of my neck.

The cold steel sent shivers down my spine.

This was dangerous.

[Rai, make the blade dull.]

[Should I just eat it?]

[Save that for later. And remember this guy’s face too… No, forget it. Let’s just kill them all, Rai.]

[Whoa, really? Alright, Master! This will be fun, puh-hihit.]

Would killing a hundred or so slave traders really cause any problems?

With the rain falling like this, I might as well drown them all at once.

“You bastard! I don’t know where you’re hiding, but if you try anything funny, I’ll kill your sister right here…”

*Fwoosh!*

With a faint whistling sound, the man standing on my back suddenly collapsed.

What just happened?

“Gah! The sub-commander…”

I wrinkled my nose as the heavy scent of blood filled the air.

Judging by how strong the smell was, it wasn’t just a little.

[What just happened, Rai?]

[It’s nothing, Master. The human standing on your back just got hit by an arrow.]

Nothing?

What on earth goes on in Rai’s head?

It was obvious he had something loose up there…

[An arrow? Is he dead?]

[The arrow went right through his neck. Don’t humans die from that? I’d say it was an instant kill.]

A bow? Could Zeras shoot a bow?

I wasn’t sure.

It had been so long since I’d seen him.

I knew he could wield a sword, but I didn’t think he had the accuracy and strength to pierce a man’s neck with an arrow in this rain.

“Step back, or I’ll shoot!”

A threatening voice came from above.

It sounded familiar, though it wasn’t Zeras’s voice.

Then again, nearly ten years had passed—maybe his voice had changed?

Could it really be Zeras who had come to rescue me…?

Though I wasn’t certain, I sensed the others retreating hastily at the voice’s command.

[Master, the one above is coming toward you.]

[Above?]

[Yes, he’s been hovering in the air this whole time… Master, do you know him?]

Hovering in the air?

Was it a *Fly* spell?

If so, could it be Bright?

No, that didn’t make sense. Bright wasn’t my brother, nor did he know how to shoot a bow.

And he didn’t have the guts to charge into a den of slave traders to rescue me.

Only someone as reckless as Zeras would do something like that.

As I struggled to get up, I sensed a spirit’s presence faintly.

Though the rain obscured it, it felt like… wind?

“Oh, my sister! You’re safe!”

Just as I tried to focus on the spirit’s presence, someone gently helped me to my feet.

Who is this?

If they’d at least take off my blindfold, I’d be grateful.

“…Can you take off my blindfold?”

“Sure, sure. You look like you’ve gained some weight. Seems like they didn’t starve you… Hm?”

*Swish*

As the blindfold was removed, I looked up to see the face of the person calling me “sister,” and I gasped.

What are *you* doing here?

“Wh-What?! It’s you!”

“What the hell? Were you guys lying to me?”

It was the dark-skinned man I saw at the inn yesterday.

Though his face had been hidden by a hood, his dark hand removing my blindfold was unmistakable.

Before I could fully register my surprise, he shoved me aside and raised his bow.

What on earth is going on here?

Never mind that—

“Hey! Aren’t you going to untie me?”

“If you don’t bring my sister out here right now, I’ll start shooting one of you every minute!”

And, of course, my words went ignored.

The dark-skinned man was just as prickly as before, and now that I could finally see, I glanced around the area.

The man who had stepped on my back earlier, presumably the sub-commander, lay dead with an arrow through his neck.

Alongside him were three other men, all similarly pierced by arrows in the neck.

There were about twenty others still alive, but they seemed too scared to move, worried they might be next.

[Rai, what exactly is going on here?]

[Who knows?]

[…Do you think they mistook me for his sister? His name must be Zeras too… But with the same name as my brother?]

[Nope, not exactly, Master.]

Not exactly?

But that was the only explanation that made sense—

The dark-skinned man was throwing a fit, demanding his sister back, and the slavers had thought I was his sister. After all, I’d heard them say my brother was causing a commotion.

They must have mistaken me for his sister.

[Why not? His sister has blond hair, and his name is Zeras—just like my brother. They must’ve gotten confused.]

[That part is true, but the thing is, he isn’t human.]

[What do you mean, not human?]

[That guy with the bow isn’t human.]

I turned my gaze back to the man who was still shouting for his sister.

Though his hood covered his entire body, his hand pulling the bowstring was dark as night.

And, as Rai mentioned, he wielded exceptional strength and skill with the bow.

On closer inspection, I noticed he was commanding not one but two wind spirits.

So that sound and presence I sensed earlier—they came from his spirits.

Wait a minute…

[Is he a dark elf too?]

[Yes, I told you earlier, Master. The guy floating above us? That’s him.]

I thought back to Daria, who had spoken to me while I was still in the cell.

An archer, a dark elf, and looking for his sister—it all added up.

It had to be Daria’s brother.

He really did come to rescue her, huh?

It gave me quite the scare, thinking it might be my own brother, Zeras, with the same name and all…

[Tsk, how was I supposed to know? I told you, don’t leave out the subject when you speak!]

[But I did! I said “the one above.”]

Talking with Rai was always exhausting.

Since when does “the one above” count as a subject?

If he’d just said “dark elf,” this whole misunderstanding could’ve been avoided.

Anyway, I needed to make sense of the situation.

The dark-skinned man wasn’t human—he was a dark elf. He was searching for his sister, who had to be Daria.

Though I wasn’t sure if she had blond hair, she was definitely a dark elf.

[Wait a minute… Doesn’t that dark elf have any sense? Isn’t it obvious I’m human? Look how pale my skin is.]

[But right now, Master’s face doesn’t really look human… It’s covered in mud. Sorryyyy.]

Rai, realizing his mistake, quickly cut himself off.

How dare he say my face didn’t look human! What an insult!

*Swish!*

Once again, the sound of something slicing through the air was followed by another man collapsing without so much as a scream.

The speed and precision—it had to be the work of his wind spirits.

Hmm. A bow combined with wind spirits—that’s quite the synergy.

“Where’s my sister?! Do you all want to die? You wretched scum, how dare you treat us like this!”

The dark elf man raged furiously, his anger bubbling over.

Well, to be fair, they *did* bring his sister. They just brought the wrong one.

And, okay, I might have contributed to the confusion by reacting to the name Zeras. But it wasn’t my fault.

He was the one wearing that hood—no wonder they mistook me for his sister.

“Hey. I know where your sister is. I’ll tell you.”

I had no intention of helping the Blood Wing scum, but I figured I’d at least tell him where Daria was.

Instead of thanking me, the dark elf turned his bow on me.

What the heck? Is that how dark elves show gratitude?

“How can I trust you? How do I know you’re not one of them?”

“Hah! Do I look like one of those chicken-winged fools?”

“You deceived me by pretending to be my sister!”

“You’re the one who got confused! I thought my brother was here because your name is Zeras too!”

Ugh! This is annoying. Should I just not tell him?

The only reason I was offering to tell him where Daria was, was because if he rescued her, I could focus on rescuing Annie.

Besides, even with my face covered in mud, he still couldn’t recognize his own sister—how ridiculous.

“Do you really think I’d believe such nonsense?”

“I’m telling the truth. My brother, who’s ten years older than me, is also named Zeras. He’s a lot kinder and more caring than you, by the way.”

*Creak.*

Unhappy with my response, Zeras pulled the bowstring tighter.

The sound of it being drawn felt like it was right next to my ear.

“You’re next! I don’t need any more words—bring my sister here, now!”

“Daria told me her brother was kind and just. You don’t seem like that at all. Was she lying?”

“…You’ve met… Daria? Really?”

“Of course. I’m not afraid of your bow, but I have more important things to deal with, so I’d appreciate it if you believed me.”

My words seemed to work, and Zeras lowered his bow slightly.

“Where is Daria? Why are you here instead of her?”

“She’s inside that building. She was in the cell next to mine, and we talked for a bit. I didn’t come here on purpose. They confused me with her because of my blond hair—and, of course, the fact that your name is the same as my brother’s didn’t help.”

“Can I really trust you? Will you swear on Lord Cloud?”

Geez, these dark elves sure are suspicious.

I have my own plans to revise and don’t have time for this nonsense.

I thought for a moment, then remembered Daria’s way of speaking.

“Ah, right. ‘The One Who Watches,’ was it? Lord Cloud, your dark elf idol or something—I have no idea who that is. But if it’s okay with you, I’ll swear on his name. Or on Daria, the twenty-first daughter of the ‘Village of Verdant Tranquility,’ if you prefer.”

“…It’s ‘Verdant Peace.’ Fine. Tell me exactly where my sister is.”

Tch. “Verdant Peace,” “Verdant Tranquility”—same thing. So picky.

At least he believed me.

If he hadn’t, I might have been forced to explain the difference between orc and ogre dung in front of everyone.

I wonder if he even knows his sister goes around talking about stuff like that…

[Rai, which floor was it?]

[Fifth floor, Master.]

“She’s on the fifth floor of that building. Be careful, though—there’s an Anti-Mana Seal on that floor, so you can’t use spirits or magic.”

Zeras nodded and put away his bow.

Using his wind spirits, he leaped gracefully over me and the slavers, heading straight toward the building.

I told him about the Anti-Mana Seal, so the rest was up to him.

As expected from wind spirits—the way they carried him was both stable and swift.

Man, if I had more time, I’d contract with wind spirits too…

No, wait! I can’t waste time admiring him—I’ve got my own problems to deal with.

Now that Zeras was gone, the slavers, having lost their sub-commander and comrades, turned their fury on me.

“Who the hell are you? Get her! Throw her back in jail!”

Around twenty rough-looking men began to gather slowly around me.

Some of them broke off from the group, running toward the back.

Were they going after Zeras?

Or were they running to report something?

Either way, it was bad. If they went after Zeras, he might misunderstand and attack me, assuming I was part of the enemy. And if they informed Grak, it would make finding Annie much harder.

[Master, what should we do?]

“Well, since things have come to this… I guess we’ll have to shut those guys up first, right?”

Let me remind you—I originally planned to get captured quietly, find Grak, and rescue Annie.

But whether by divine mischief or cruel fate, the heavens just wouldn’t let me carry out my plan smoothly.

I ended up being dragged out of prison and now faced twenty enemies.

There’s a saying: *All things happen according to the will of the gods.*

Though my personal wish has always been: *May everything go beyond the gods’ expectations.* But given the circumstances, I’ll just go along with whatever the gods want today.

If this is really what the gods want, that is.

[Eek! M-Master! Why are you smiling like that again?]

“Heheh, Pein! It’s time for action.”

As soon as I called Pein’s name, I began to circulate the mana within me.

The way one circulates mana depends on their profession, but when it comes to summoning spirits, expanding the mana is the best method.

As my expanded mana surged through my mana hall, I drew a portion of it outside my body.

The surrounding mana resonated with mine, creating a gap between the two flows. Through this space, Pein materialized.

Pein swiftly absorbed the mana I had released, taking on his full form.

Ah, that’s how it should be.

I love the feeling that comes with summoning a spirit.

Let someone give that Anti-Mana Seal nonsense to the chickens!

*Whoosh!*

In an instant, the surroundings brightened, and before the light could even fade, pure white snow began to fall around me.

“Whoa! Why is it only snowing over there?”

“Hey, look! It’s snowing around that girl!”

The approaching men stopped in their tracks, murmuring in confusion with dumbfounded expressions.

When I looked up, I saw the raindrops around Pein freezing instantly into snowflakes with faint crackling sounds.

I had never summoned Pein outside in the rain before, so I was just as impressed by the phenomenon.

“Wow, snow in the middle of summer. That’s pretty neat! Pein, you’re quite charming…”

[Master, Master! I can do that too! Should I show you?]

[You? How?]

Rai, never missing a chance to seek attention, butted in.

Snow and metal…?

Those two things have no connection.

[If I scatter Diamond crystals everywhere…]

[…Try that, and see what happens.]

[Why, Master? I thought it might look similar…]

[Rai, do you want to get smacked in the rain?]

What a ridiculous idea—scattering diamonds just for show!

Normally, I’d have pulled Rai out and given him a spin for that nonsense, but for now, I had to focus on dealing with these slavers.

And I needed to handle them thoroughly.

[Hey, Geenie. What should I do? I’d like to wrap this up quickly.]

“Oh, sorry, Pein! It’s simple—just take out those runners over there with *Cold Bolt*!”

At my command, Pein shot a white bolt of lightning at the men who were running away.

*Cold Bolt*!

A freezing bolt.

Though the name makes it sound like an electric spell, it doesn’t electrocute—it freezes its target solid.

The only similarity to lightning is its incredible speed.

The Cold Bolt hit the fleeing men instantly, stopping them in their tracks.

I wasn’t sure what they were trying to do, but now that they were dealt with, I could relax a little.

I could’ve summoned Undain, but right now, the priority was to kill, not to restrain. Pein was the better choice.

Besides, it was time to give Pein some real battle experience.

[All done. Can I leave now?]

What? He already wants to leave?

At least Pein’s magic was flawless.

The three men he struck were frozen in place, their bodies stiffened mid-movement.

They were frozen to the bone so quickly that they probably didn’t even realize they were dead.

Honestly, they should thank me for giving them a painless death.

“Get her! She’s a mage!”

“Damn it! First an archer, now a mage?”

Excuse me! I’m a summoner.

And Pein is a secret weapon—no, a secret spirit.

Since they’ve seen him, I can’t let them live to tell the tale. Ever.

It doesn’t matter if I summoned him without permission.

“Pein, *Frozen Wave*.”

The icy wave began at my feet, surging forward with the help of the rain. It rolled out in a dazzling, razor-sharp white, crashing down on everything in its path.

The men were swept up in the wave, their bodies impaled by jagged ice.

*Crash!*

*Crack!*

“Urgh!”

“Aaargh!”

Unlike a real wave, the frozen wave was solid and sharp.

Its speed and range were as impressive as an actual tidal wave, making it look beautiful from afar.

But where the Frozen Wave passed, there were no foam crests—only shards of ice and pools of blood.

One lucky man managed to escape the wave and was running away in a panic.

Hey! Hey! I only attacked once, and you’re already that scared? Now I feel guilty.

[Should I go catch him, Master?]

“No, Rai. Just stay put for now. Pein, use *Ice Teeth*!”

Unlike Ice Spear, which shoots from a distance, Ice Teeth emerge from the ground, chomping down on their target’s legs.

On a day like today, with the ground soaked in rainwater, it was the perfect spell to use.

“Ahhh! Spare me! Please, spare me!”

The man didn’t get far before the Ice Teeth clamped onto his leg. With lips turning blue from the cold, he begged for mercy.

The fact that he could still talk meant it probably didn’t hurt too much.

Maybe the cold numbed the pain.

[Master, that’s the guy who kicked you earlier!]

“Oh? So it was you, huh?”

“P-Please… have mercy!”

I had planned to kill all of them anyway, but now that I had him in front of me, things had changed.

You, my friend, are going to die painfully.

As I approached him, I asked a few questions.

“Where is Grak?”

“If… If I tell you, will you let me live?”

Not a chance.

But if I said that, he wouldn’t answer.

Feigning generosity, I shrugged my shoulders.