The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 43

I couldn’t handle Annie, who had started crying.

If only it weren’t for this, I could’ve figured out a way to take her with me.

And why did she have to ask for her mom now, of all times?

I felt sorry for Sister Anel because of this.

In the end, I had to pull out my trump card to calm Annie down.

“Stop crying, Annie! Did you already forget your promise with Sister Anel? You said you wouldn’t cry anymore! And by the way, I wasn’t going to tell you this because I didn’t want you getting distracted, but…”

“Huh, huh?”

“I told you about Dmitri being the land of knights, didn’t I? So of course, the Dmitri’s Royal Academy, Drike Academy, is filled with outstanding knights and swordsmen. You’d probably love it.”

“Outstanding… knights? Swordsmen?”

Yes, yes.

Although you won’t have any chance to meet them since you’ll be in the general course, that part’s a real secret.

Seeing her interest piqued, I quickly continued.

“There are so many amazing knights and swordsmen that you could practically trip over them. There are even plenty as skilled as Sister Anel! And most impressively, Dmitri has two Sword Masters!”

“S-Sword Masters? Really? Wow!”

“And that’s not all. There are so many skilled weapon craftsmen! In fact, the best among them works at the royal forge, and… there’s a dwarf there!”

Of course, that dwarf was notorious for his eccentric personality.

But aren’t all dwarves like that? Try to understand.

“Wow~”

Annie, who now looked as happy as could be, as if she hadn’t been crying moments ago, filled me with relief.

Sorry, Annie. I didn’t lie. I just didn’t give you all the details.

“You’ll go, right, Annie?”

“…You’ll really come back soon, right? And… um… is that new teacher really… nice?”

“Of course~ Very nice.”

I answered without hesitation, and Annie looked at me for a moment before nodding her head cheerfully.

I sent a small prayer toward the south, where Dmitri was.

Master Yael, you know I love you, right?

His name was Yael Roenin, a spirit master affiliated with Dmitri’s royal palace.

As an intermediate wind spirit master, this year he turned 37, and he had made it his goal to form a contract with Shilaion, an advanced wind spirit, before the year ended.

In fact, there were widespread rumors that he’d succeed before he turned 40.

He was that diligent and talented.

There were some who said his talents didn’t quite measure up to those of his disciple, Geenie Crowell, known across the continent for her overflowing sense of self-sacrifice.

Yet, he was a person of character, proud of his talented disciple.

Of course, when he first heard of Geenie Crowell’s supposed sacrifice, he was the only one who thought, “She’s not the kind of person who would do that…”

To the extent that even with his generous personality, he found it hard to believe. The Geenie Crowell he knew was neither the type to sacrifice herself for others nor the type to die so futilely.

And eventually, less than two months after that incident, a girl appeared before him.

This mysterious girl handed him a letter, which was from none other than his supposedly deceased disciple, Geenie Crowell.

“Knew it.”

Rather than surprise, Yael’s reaction to the news of his disciple’s sacrifice was one of unsurprised acknowledgment.

Along with a passing curiosity about why this young girl was tasked with delivering the letter.

That was, until he opened the letter.

“To my beloved Master Yael,

Hello, Master! It’s me, your one and only lovely ==== disciple, Geenie Crowell.

I heard there’s a nasty rumor going around that I died. Isn’t that such a sad story?

I’m very much alive, as you can see.

You’re glad I’m safe, right?

And in addition to the happy news of my survival, I have one more delightful piece of news to share.

It’s about a girl named Annie, the one delivering this letter.

She’s a girl I happened upon in the jungle and scouted—actually, I took her on as my disciple.

She’s also the daughter of a past benefactor of mine.

Isn’t she brimming with talent, even from your perspective, Master?

So, as my disciple is practically your disciple too, I was hoping you could take her in and teach her until I return to the academy.

Since I can’t use Warp, I have to travel by land, so I’m sending her ahead of me.

I think it’ll take me about three months to get back.

In that amount of time, she should at least be able to learn the basics, right?

The basics are crucial, after all, and you teach them far better than I do, so I can rest easy.

Strong foundations are key, after all.

And since you love kids, I’m sure it won’t be a problem.

So, please take good care of Annie.

Oh, by the way, Annie used to practice swordsmanship and has gathered a bit of mana in her core…

But I believe you’ll guide her well through that, Master.

Also, Master, has there been any progress with your contract with the advanced spirit?

I hope Annie doesn’t interfere with your training.

Believe it or not, I’m quite concerned about this.

So, dear Master Yael Roenin, please take good care of Annie.

When I return, I’ll bring you a gift!

Wouldn’t ‘Bonbon,’ the treat you enjoy, be perfect?

Rune Year 922, May 10th

From your one and only disciple, Geenie Crowell.”

A gift? Bonbon? Yael certainly liked Bonbon.

It was a treat made by soaking grapes in honey and drying them, somewhat pricey, but a favorite of his.

The problem was that it was a specialty of Sharan.

Offering someone from Sharan a Sharan specialty as a gift after supposedly traveling for three months?

Unbelievable.

Finishing the letter, Yael couldn’t help but stare at the girl in front of him with a gaping mouth.

Even knowing he was preparing for an advanced spirit contract, she was foisting her disciple on him at such a crucial time.

He couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward Geenie, who had the audacity to put him in this situation.

The girl was already here, and Geenie was in a distant foreign land. There was no way out of this situation.

In the end, unable to hold back his frustration, Yael yelled out.

“Geeeenie!”

“That reaction was just about what Geenie expected from Yael.

—

Settling my differences

After leaving Mieltar, I followed Ash’s lead. The next destination for Ash’s group was Haydrike, which required us to cross the sea.

Haydrike was the only island nation on the continent of Crancia.

They planned to head to Elan to board a ship bound for Haydrike, as it was the closest point to Haydrike and the only place where ships operated on that route.

Since our destination was the same for now, I joined their group.

Unofficially, of course.

“Hey, why do you keep following us?” Chad asked.

“When did I? It’s just that we’re heading in the same direction.”

“Don’t give me that! Then why are you eating our food without asking?”

“I didn’t ask for it. Lox was the one who gave it to me.”

Grumbling endlessly, Chad was the only one in Ash’s group to use informal language with me.

I didn’t ask for it, but since he spoke informally, I reciprocated.

“Chad, Geenie, please stop fighting. You’ve been arguing over the same thing all day.”

“But she’s been shamelessly following us around all day!”

“Come on, it’s not like I’m following you. We’re both going to Elan, so naturally, we’re on the same path.”

“Oh, sure! Then explain why you’re keeping up with us even when we’re on horseback?”

Exactly.

Ash’s group was riding horses, while I was riding Rai.

Honestly, Rai could easily outpace horses, but I slowed down on purpose to match their pace.

Why?

“This soup is delicious, Lox,” I said, savoring it.

“Really? Would you like more?”

“Yes! A full bowl, please.”

I had discovered that Lox was a good cook.

I had no desire to chew on jerky every day.

And, though I’d miss Ash when we parted, I couldn’t afford to risk exposing myself around him.

Besides, I also needed to keep my identity a secret. So unless Ash realized on his own, I would remain nothing more than a fellow traveler he had met a few days ago.

Honestly, he’s so clueless.

He didn’t even recognize Grak back then.

It’s rare to see a slaver as earless and noseless as Grak.

Or maybe he forgot I removed Grak’s ears back then?

Or perhaps he just hadn’t seen it, since he collapsed afterward?

It happened so long ago, I couldn’t recall every detail.

When I stared at Ash while he ate, lost in thought, his eyes met mine.

Uh-oh.

“Um… Geenie?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Ash started speaking first.

Did he remember something?

I allowed myself a bit of hope.

“Geenie, didn’t you say you’re from the Crowell estate in Dmitri?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Are you… part of the Crowell family?”

[Oh no, Master. Isn’t that a secret?]

Uh-oh, just being named Geenie from the Crowell estate practically screams ‘Geenie Crowell’! But I didn’t let my nervousness show.

I shook my head, denying it firmly.

“No way. The Crowells are a noble family, right? I’m just a commoner.”

“But the man who took Annie away called you ‘Miss’…”

“Oh, well, I may be a commoner, but my family runs a trading company, so we could afford to send Annie with Warp. That’s pretty pricey. These days, it seems like everyone’s called ‘Miss’ or ‘Sir.’”

I was managing to dodge his questions, but it struck me how much Ash already knew.

To avoid suspicion, I decided to play the role of a moderately well-off merchant’s daughter.

“That man looked like a knight. Isn’t that right?”

“He was a knight, a wandering knight at that. After wandering the continent as a free knight, he’s now serving as my father’s private guard. He’s been with our family for quite a while.”

“I see. His posture and speech certainly reminded me of a knight… By the way, Geenie, what were you doing in the mountains? And with a child, at that?”

“Oh, I know a tribe that lives in the forest. I was training there for a month to enhance my spirit affinity, and that girl was training with me. The forest is the best place for a spirit summoner to train, you know.”

Stop asking questions!

After answering, I showed a slightly annoyed expression.

Since excessive questioning was considered rude, Ash backed off a bit.

Or he was about to, but then remembered something and asked one last question.

“Is that… so? Just one more thing. Where did you learn spirit summoning?”

“I learned it from Geenie Crowell herself. She’s a genius attending Drike Academy’s spirit summoning class. The Crowell family is close to ours. Isn’t that amazing? They’re an earl’s family, after all. Haha, plus, she and I are the same age, so we became good friends. Having the same name made us even closer.”

[Master, you’re going through a lot. I told you we should’ve just gone alone.]

At that, I decided to just mention Geenie Crowell’s name outright.

The king had said it would be about a month before news of my “sacrifice” spread.

Ash should think that Geenie Crowell is dead by now.

The only reason he’s pressing me is that we share the same name.

That, and my suspicious actions probably add to his doubts.

Honestly, Rai, had I known it’d lead to this barrage of questions, I would have just traveled separately.

“You were close?”

“Yes! She’s in the spirit summoning class at Drike Academy. She even said I had potential and taught me spirit summoning. She’s my teacher. But lately, we haven’t met, since I’ve been training and she’s been busy at the academy.”

“You… don’t know, do you? Geenie Crowell… she’s dead. She died with honor.”

Here I am, alive and well?

I thought that inwardly, but outwardly I feigned confusion.

I had to act well in this situation.

If even half of my lies were believed, I’d have succeeded.

“Huh? What do you mean? Miss Crowell… dead? That’s impossible! Even if that were true, how would you know? That’s not something to joke about.”

“It’s true. She’s dead. Probably everyone knows by now… except you.”

“Huh? That’s ridiculous…! I don’t care how annoying she found me, to make a joke like that… I’m disappointed in you!”

I scrunched up my face, expressing my irritation.

Then Lox, who had been listening quietly, stepped in.

“It’s true, Geenie. Right now, Geenie Crowell is being celebrated as a ‘Lioness of Anais’ for her self-sacrificial spirit. She’s become quite famous. After all… she protected the emperor and many members of royalty from a dragon.”

“A dragon? What’s that about?”

“They say a dragon crashed the millennium anniversary party in Elan, demanding vast amounts of jewels. The emperor bravely said, ‘Those are the fruits of our people’s blood and sweat; we cannot hand them over!’ Enraged, the dragon breathed fire. Geenie Crowell happened to be there and blocked the attack using her spirits. Then, she allegedly told the dragon, ‘Oh, mighty dragon, take me and calm your anger.’ They say the dragon, captivated by her beauty, took her away.”

What? I was there, and none of that was said.

When did I ever say, ‘Oh, mighty dragon, take me and calm your anger?’

Self-sacrifice isn’t my style!

And the emperor didn’t say anything like that! He begged the dragon, explaining if he gave away the jewels, they wouldn’t have the means to protect against enemy nations.

Rumors really do get exaggerated.

[To be precise, the dragon was charmed by me, Master.]

[Oh, shut it.]

[Aww, Master, are you jealous?]

Of course not. Whatever my inner thoughts, I put on a face of awe.

“…Really? She really did that?”

“Yes, she protected the emperor and many royals, but in the end… *sob!*”

“Oh, Miss Crowell…”

“Sniff, we should all honor her spirit of sacrifice! I will sing her praises above all others.”

Overwhelmed by his own words, Lox started shedding tears, while I collapsed dramatically to the ground, pretending to cry.

I even rubbed my eyes a bit to intensify the act.

“Sniff, sniff… hahaha… sniff, sniff… hahaha…”

Though I was laughing on the inside.

Goodness, this is hilarious.

Lox, you think you’re so smart, but you totally fell for it!

The Geenie Crowell you’re praising is right here in front of you.

Holding in my laughter nearly had me doubled over, but I managed to keep my head down.

Hopefully, my teary eyes would make me look genuinely saddened.

“Oh… your face…”

“Geenie, are you that upset?”

“Your face is a sight to see.”

Huh? My face?

I glanced back at Rai.

My face—what does it look like?

[It’s quite red. Your nose is glistening, eyes are glistening, mouth’s glistening—everything’s shining~]

Rai’s song sounded familiar, and a bad feeling hit me as I quickly brought my hands to my face.

Tears and, of course, a runny nose covered my face.

No wonder my eyes had felt so sticky.

My face was warm and undoubtedly red.

Did I stifle my laughter too hard?

[Hahaha! Oh, my stomach! The Lioness of Anais… hahaha.]

“Heh…”

“Pfft.”

As expected, Rai burst out laughing first, followed by Chad and Lox, who tried to suppress their laughter.

It’s fine; it’s fine. Things like this happen.

So…

“…Come here, Rai. Just a light smack.”

[Wh-what?]

While I would love to slap both Chad and Lox, I’ll start with the spirit closest to me.

It’s practically a crime to be close to me.

Three days after I joined Ash’s group, Chad seemed to have accepted me as part of their party and stopped his endless complaints.

Or maybe he’d just given up.

Ash and Lox had also lowered their guard around me, and I was now fully blended in with their group.

They saw me as some strange rich girl who “occasionally annoys her pet dog when she’s angry.”

It wasn’t too far off, really.

[Master, some humans are hiding up ahead.]

As we rode on, Rai slowed down and whispered to me.

Judging by the way they were hiding, they seemed to be bandits.

“Ash! Lox!”

I called to Ash and Lox as I stopped Rai. They glanced back and slowed their horses, but Chad, who hadn’t been called, kept riding ahead.

“What is it?”

“What’s wrong, Geenie?”

Although they still addressed me formally, it was clear we’d grown more comfortable talking to each other.

I pointed to Chad, who was riding alone, and just then, a group of bandits leapt out of the forest, ambushing him.

But before they could get to him, Chad turned his horse’s reins and dodged them.

Impressive, that guy’s got some skills.

His rough handling made the horse whinny in fear, but he rode back to us unscathed.

“You okay, Chad?”

“I’m fine. The horse seems a bit startled, but… Ash, how did you know to avoid them?”

“Geenie warned me…”

Ash, Chad, and Lox all looked at me.

I pointed to Rai.

“Rai told me.”

[Yes, it was me. Hehe.]

The others didn’t question it much and just nodded.

I’d explained to them that Rai had almost died from eating the wrong herbs, and ever since I started mixing medicines to heal him, his skin hardened and he became sharper. I called it a “fortunate effect.”

They didn’t seem to fully believe it, but they went along with it.

“So, what now? They’re not likely to leave us alone without a fight,” Ash said, eyeing the approaching bandits.

“Hey, you’re rich, right? Why not just give them some of that money?”

“Are you crazy? Giving money is the last thing I want to do!”

[Master, should I bite them?]

[Not yet.]

I scoffed at Chad’s absurd suggestion.

Just because I’m posing as a rich girl doesn’t mean I’m going to throw money around!

“Lox, how much spare money do we have?”

“Let’s see… about 70 silvers.”

“Alright, let’s give them that. I’d rather not start a fight if we don’t have to.”

“But Ash! Do you really think they’ll leave us alone if we just give them that?”

Lox was the only one who spoke informally with Ash; he even addressed Chad and me formally.

Well, I guess they grew up together, so it’d be weird to be formal with a childhood friend.

“Let’s try it. Nothing good will come from a fight.”

As Lox pulled out his purse, the bandits were nearly upon us.

Let’s see… twelve of them?

It seemed manageable if we had to fight, but if we did, pacifist Ash would likely sulk again. So I stayed put.

“If you want to get down this mountain safely, hand over everything you’ve got,” the leader sneered. “Otherwise, this mountain will be your grave.”

Ash handed over the money pouch, and a man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and took it.

The man who took the purse seemed to be the bandits’ boss, based on his confident demeanor.

He opened the pouch, assessed its weight, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Not bad, you folks show some respect.”

“Thank goodness. May we go on our way now?” Ash asked.

“Sure, but why don’t you leave a few more things behind, just to be safe?”

Seventy silvers wasn’t enough? What more could he want?

I shot a dirty look at the bandits.

They were all skinny, lacking any real muscle, and their weapons were nothing but battered swords and axes.

I’d imagined bandits would be burly and intimidating, but these looked more like ragtag survivors.

Numbers were all they had going for them.

“What do you mean by ‘a few more things?’”

“Well, for starters, hand over your horses. All three of them.”

“The horses? Alright, if that’s all you need.”

“Wait, Ash!”

Do horses even count as “things”?

I didn’t care, since I had Rai, but Ash’s group would struggle without horses, especially since the next town was still a half day’s ride away.

Of course, Lox looked the most troubled by Ash’s willingness to give up the horses.

Understandable, since his stamina was nowhere near mine.

“Sure, the horses will do fine… but the girl, along with her pet, will stay.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We’re telling you to leave the girl and the dog,” the bandit leader sneered, his eyes locking with mine.

What the hell is this guy thinking?

Does that make me another “thing” they want?

[Who are they calling a dog?]

“That’s not possible. Please, take the money and the horses instead.”

Naturally.

I frowned, trying to calm down Rai, who was growing restless, when Chad suddenly moved closer to me.

What nonsense was he going to suggest now?

“Hey, why don’t you either pay up yourself or go with them?”

“Are you insane? I don’t want to do either.”

“Then what are we supposed to do? Ash is dead set on avoiding a fight.”

“Why don’t you go?”

What does this guy even think of me?

I was already annoyed from the moment they tried to add me to their ‘loot,’ and Chad’s jab only made me angrier.

“What you’ve given isn’t enough. If you don’t want to die here, you’d better hand over the girl and her mutt and get lost. Hah! Nothing better than dog meat in this weather.”

“No, we can’t do that. We’ll give you more money, just let us pass.”

“Oh? In that case, I guess we’ll just kill you all and take her by force.”

“We don’t want to fight!” Ash insisted.

Honestly, he’s too much.

Sometimes a beating is the only way to deal with people like this!

Why didn’t he get that?

I glared at Ash.

It’s not like he’s weak. He and Chad held off thirty attackers when we were on defense.

But despite his strength, he’s refusing to fight? That’s absurd.

Ash’s personality needed some serious adjustments, I realized.

This had happened in Mieltar too. His peace-loving nature was bound to get him into trouble.

Maybe I should help him toughen up a bit as a way of repaying him.