The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 47

Bright shot to his feet in astonishment at the unexpected news, only to trip over himself and tumble to the floor along with his chair.

“Ow! That hurts…”

“Ah! Are you okay, Mr. Bright?”

Bright was too preoccupied with the pain to notice, and Jaimam, in his concern for Bright, didn’t realize that the sound of falling chairs wasn’t singular.

There were two fallen chairs—the second one belonging to Zeras.

Caught between the fallen chair and table, Zeras, wide-eyed and disoriented, turned to Denika and asked, “D-Did you hear what they just said, Denika?”

“Yes! Yes, Brother, I heard it too! Were they talking about Sister?”

“Calm down. It’s not certain yet. After all, the name Geenie isn’t exactly rare.”

Although initially shaken, Zeras forced himself to remain composed.

The conversation he had overheard was pure chance, and it wasn’t clear if they were actually referring to his sister, Geenie.

Still, he couldn’t ignore the possibility and leaned in to eavesdrop further on Bright and Jaimam’s conversation.

“It’s true! I contacted an acquaintance in magic and confirmed it. He told me Geenie survived—she escaped from the dragon!”

“Oh, thank the gods! Thank you, Agiotita, Profitia, Aios, Anais, God, Buddha, Allah!”

Zeras momentarily wondered about the identities of the last three deities but quickly brushed it aside.

The mention of dragons left no room for further doubt.

He rushed over to Bright, who had been deep in a fervent prayer of gratitude. Sensing someone approach, Bright turned to see Zeras.

Bright’s eyes were tinged red, tears welling up as he looked at the stranger.

“Excuse me, could you please repeat what you just said?”

“Who are you? Eavesdropping is quite rude…”

“I am Geenie’s older brother! Please, tell me what you know!”

“…Geenie’s older brother?”

Bright wiped away his tears and examined Zeras closely, scrutinizing his features for any resemblance to Geenie.

The similarities weren’t striking, aside from the color of their eyes, which wasn’t enough for Bright, notorious for his grumpy and skeptical demeanor, to trust him.

Bright, known in the Tower of Magic as “the prickly bastard,” was only kind to Geenie.

“Really! This is my younger brother, Denika, and also Geenie’s younger brother. Doesn’t he look more like her than I do?”

“Hmph, I don’t know what kind of trick you’re pulling, but I can’t just believe…”

Bright’s sentence was cut short as Zeras unfurled a piece of paper in front of him.

It was a childhood portrait of Geenie, drawn when she was about three or four years old.

The child in the painting was radiant, with lush golden hair, crescent-shaped smiling eyes, and bright blue irises peeking through. Her rosy cheeks added to her charm.

“This is the Geenie I’m searching for. It’s from her childhood, but I thought having something was better than nothing. Isn’t this enough proof?”

“It’s true! My name is Denika Crowell, and this is my brother, Zeras Crowell. What would we gain by lying about this? We just want to know how our sister is doing!”

The blonde-haired boy, with his blue eyes and features resembling Geenie’s, stepped forward earnestly.

Although his eyes weren’t catlike like hers, his nose and mouth bore a closer resemblance than Zeras’.

Bright calculated the odds in his mind. For someone to fabricate such a detailed story and produce a portrait of Geenie… it didn’t add up.

“How old are you?” Bright asked abruptly.

“Me? I’m 26 this year,” Zeras replied.

“And I’m 17,” Denika added.

“…Brother-in-law!”

Bright suddenly lunged forward, embracing Zeras tightly.

Caught off guard, Zeras flailed, pushing him away.

“Wh-what are you doing? Let go of me! Don’t do this!”

“Brother? Brother-in-law?”

Denika, startled, took a step back, fearing the overly enthusiastic Bright might grab him next. Bright’s hands twitched as if yearning to hug the retreating Denika.

“Please, brother-in-law!”

“B-Brother-in-law?”

Bright’s trembling hands revealed what he truly desired—the childhood portrait of Geenie in Denika’s hands.

“You mean the portrait? Why do you want it?” Zeras demanded, frowning.

“Because… because I want to hang it in my room and look at it every day…” Bright admitted, his voice faltering as he glanced nervously at Zeras.

He feared that expressing his admiration for Geenie might provoke Zeras’ ire.

Instead, Zeras’ expression softened and turned into a bright grin.

“Ha-ha-ha! Well, our Geenie *is* a beauty, after all. It’s only natural she’s popular!”

“Exactly! Geenie’s charm is unparalleled! So… you’ll give me the portrait, right?”

“It’s just a copy, so I don’t see why not. But first, Jaimam, was it? Tell me everything you know about my sister!”

“Yes! Tell us everything, Jaimam!”

Thus, the doting brother Zeras and the fervent admirer Bright struck a bond.

Over drinks, they celebrated the news of Geenie’s survival while Denika and Jaimam sipped juice nearby.

Oh, and though Geenie would undoubtedly protest, her childhood portrait now resided carefully folded in Bright’s bag.

“Ha-ha-ha! I knew my sister would be safe! Pour another drink!”

“Of course! Geenie would never leave me behind! Another round, brother-in-law!”

What they didn’t know was that as they celebrated Geenie’s survival, she had already arrived at the port city of Femmington, where their ship had originally departed from.

—

After arriving in Femmington, we booked an inn, unpacked our belongings, and split into teams to handle tasks.

Lox, Gale, and I headed to the horse market to sell our mounts, while Ash, Chad, and Enk went to the harbor to secure tickets to Heike.

“We’re here. That’s the horse market,” Lox announced.

“So this is the horse market… It reeks.”

As we approached, the pungent smell grew stronger.

Holding our noses, we looked around. Aside from the merchandise being horses and the lack of female customers, it wasn’t much different from a regular market.

—

[Oh, Master. That horse looks like Blondie.]

[It really does. But Blondie’s prettier.]

The horse Rai pointed at had a white coat and a golden mane, indeed resembling Blondie. However, Blondie was cleaner and had more striking eyes—at least in my opinion.

“Lox, how much are you planning to sell the horses for?”

“Hmm, we paid about 1 gold per horse when we bought them, so I’d like to get at least 80 silvers each.”

“Got it. It might be hard to sell them all at once, so should we split the task?”

“Sounds good. I’ll take two horses, Gale can handle two, and Geenie, how about you take one?”

We had five horses in total to sell. Though there were six in our party, I didn’t need a horse since I rode Rai.

Lox handed me a lead rope, and I hesitated for a moment. I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea.

Sensing my reluctance, Gale stepped forward.

“What are you saying? A delicate lady like Miss Geenie should rest. I’ll take three horses instead.”

“Wow! Thanks, Gale.”

“Delicate? I’d say Miss Geenie is the strongest in our party,” Lox muttered, having witnessed my *less-than-ladylike* behavior.

I simply responded with a bright smile.

[Master, your smile isn’t convincing—it’s practically oozing hostility.]

Well, so what if it is?

I watched as Lox and Gale entered the horse market, then found a spot a bit away from the commotion to sit down.

What should I do now?

“Ugh…”

[Why the sigh, Master?]

“Oh, nothing… Just thinking about parting ways with Ash and the others. It feels… strange.”

It had already been over a month since I’d joined Ash’s party uninvited, and now we’d reached Femmington.

Since Ash’s group was heading to Heike, they needed to board a ship. Meanwhile, I had to travel north across Elan to return to Dmitri.

It was time to part ways.

[Why does it feel strange?]

“It’s just… it feels anticlimactic to say goodbye like this. Ash still doesn’t realize I’m that kid from before! What an oblivious fool.”

[Hmm. Since you’re parting ways anyway, why not tell him?]

“No, that would hurt my pride.”

Even the great Geenie Crowell has her pride. I couldn’t just admit outright that I was the child he’d helped. At first, I thought he’d figure it out eventually. But after a whole month of traveling together and him still being clueless, it was clear he’d never realize it unless I spelled it out for him.

Stupid Ash—how could he not know?

[Why would it hurt your pride? If he doesn’t remember, you’re just helping him recall.]

“That’s easy for you to say! If I make the first move, it might complicate things. He’s in disguise and in the middle of some big trial. If I out myself first, it could mess everything up.”

[Fair enough. If it’s such a big deal, maybe just let it go, Master.]

“Ugh, so am I just supposed to leave it like this? I went through all this trouble to find Ash, and if we part ways now, who knows when we’ll meet again…”

It was frustrating.

I had followed Ash to repay his kindness, but he didn’t seem to need my help at all. Occasionally, I fought off bandits or monsters, but Ash never thanked me—he only scolded me for interfering.

I’d even tried to change his overly pacifist attitude, but his stubbornness rivaled my own. He’d been on this “trial of the path” for a year and eight months and still had only three companions.

When I learned that, I even tried recruiting more allies for him, but none of them met his standards.

At this point, Chad, who I used to find annoying, was starting to seem endearing.

With only four months left in his trial, how did Ash plan to recruit two more people?

I was lost in thought, and the lack of answers only made me more restless.

In moments like these, I usually needed to vent my frustration on someone…

[W-why are you looking at me like that, Master?]

Rai hadn’t done anything wrong, so I couldn’t take it out on him. I needed a more suitable target.

“Hey there, pretty lady! Why don’t you join us for some fun?”

“Looks like you’re all alone. Better come quietly if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Oh my! Not just one, but two perfect candidates!

I smirked at the two lowlifes swaggering toward me.

Thank you, heavens!

“Rai, attack!”

—

After finishing our errands, we returned to the inn, each preoccupied with our tasks.

Lox retreated to his room to read, while Gale went to the backyard to practice sword swings.

I, on the other hand, grabbed a glass of ice water to cool off in the heat.

Truly, I was the busiest one here.

As I crunched on the ice, Ash entered the inn. His expression was grim—clearly, something hadn’t gone as planned.

I, however, had just returned from venting all my stress.

“What’s with the face, Ash? Couldn’t find a ship?”

“Yes, the last ship departed this morning. The next one won’t arrive for three days, so I just reserved tickets for now.”

“Is that so? Oh, want some ice water? My treat—Chad excluded.”

Don’t underestimate ice water. Once ice is added, it’s no longer just water. Especially in this heat, ice made with magic costs at least 1 silver.

Chad scoffed and headed upstairs. “Hmph! Leave me out of it, then! Not like I’d want it anyway!”

“Good, because I wasn’t offering it to you!”

I wasn’t about to waste 1 silver on him!

Enk politely declined as well. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“What about you, Ash?”

“I’m fine too. Uh, Geenie?”

“What?”

Everyone seemed to be rejecting my offer. I wasn’t exactly generous, and since we’d be parting ways soon, this was a rare occasion.

Ash hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind. Take care.”

Then he turned and headed upstairs.

This was unlike Ash. Normally, he would scold me for even the slightest mischief.

His retreating figure seemed unusually weary, his expression far from his usual calm demeanor.

Now that I thought about it, he wasn’t the type to get upset over something as minor as a ship delay.

Ash’s visit to my room at this late hour was unexpected. He was usually the type to follow etiquette, so I couldn’t help but be surprised. Regardless, since it was Ash, I let him in. If I’d already been asleep, I probably would have ignored him.

“Have a seat,” I said.

“Thank you, and… I apologize for disturbing you so late,” Ash replied.

“No worries. I was just bored and thinking about going to bed anyway.”

I motioned to the chair for him, then sat down across from him. It was clear he had something important to say, something serious that required more than a passing exchange.

[Should I step out, Master? Puh-haha.]

[Shut up and stay put.]

Rai’s thoughts were written all over his face. He was likely imagining this as some kind of “confession of love time.”

But nothing about the atmosphere between Ash and me suggested anything remotely romantic.

[Oh, come on. You never know. It could be a thrilling, heart-pounding, spectacularly romantic confession!]

[…What kind of genre is that supposed to be? I’ve told you to stop parroting nonsense you pick up. Do you want me to slap some sense into you?]

While Rai and I bantered in my mind, Ash sat silently, his face tense as he appeared to wrestle with his thoughts.

After a moment, he seemed to reach a decision and pulled something out of his pocket, placing it on the table.

“Miss Geenie, please… take this.”

[Ooh, Master! It’s a love letter, isn’t it? I told you I was right!]

The envelope he offered was tinged with a faint blue shimmer.

What? Was this really a love confession?

Half-doubting, half-curious, I picked up the envelope and slowly opened it. My heart fluttered slightly despite myself.

Wow, was I that popular?

…I wasn’t.

“A boat ticket?”

[What?!]

Inside was a ticket for a ship heading to Heidrike, departing in three days. My name, “Geenie,” was clearly printed on it.

So this was it.

He must have been hoping I’d come along.

“Miss Geenie, please. I’m asking you to come with us.”

I sighed. “Ash, I told you already. I’d only stay with your party until we reached Elan. Sure, I forced my way into your group, but I was clear about when I’d leave.”

[I want to go, Master. The academy’s boring.]

[It’s boring for me too. But…]

I sighed again and placed the ticket back into its envelope.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help him.

But I wasn’t free to act entirely on my own.

[But?]

[They won’t allow it from above.]

After traveling for over a month, I’d come to realize just how far-reaching the impact of my actions was. The name Geenie Crowell, who had sacrificed herself for the emperor and king by confronting a dragon, had become legendary.

Songs and poems about me abounded, and some even deified me. I had become a larger-than-life figure, far beyond my comfort zone.

The letter I’d received from the academy director didn’t begin to capture the scale of my current influence. It was both daunting and suffocating. The kingdom granted me unprecedented freedom, but I couldn’t afford to overstep it.

“I admit, at first, I only saw you as a temporary traveling companion. That’s why I kept my distance and didn’t lower my speech around you. I treated you as a ‘lady’ rather than a companion.”

“I know. That’s why I didn’t drop formalities either. At most, I stopped adding ‘Miss’ to your name. We were both keeping our distance, knowing we’d eventually part ways. Now you’re asking me to stay? It’s… complicated.”

We could have gotten closer if we’d wanted to, but we deliberately didn’t.

Even Chad, with his brashness, used informal speech only out of necessity. With the others, I maintained formalities and avoided unnecessary interactions.

The closer we got, the harder it would be to say goodbye.

“I know it’s selfish, but… please, Miss Geenie. I need you.”

“…While traveling with you, I haven’t done anything to help. If anything, all of you have helped me because I’m a woman, and, as you said, a ‘lady’ first and foremost. Asking for my help now… I can’t give you anything. Ladies like me belong at home. If I stay out too long, all I’ll earn are reprimands from above.”

“This is my life’s mission. I need your help to achieve it. I know you’re hiding something. Keep it hidden if you wish, or reveal it when you’re ready. Either way, won’t you help me?”

“Even if I were from the Koiren Union? Would you still want my help?”

Ash’s face stiffened at my words.

I knew his one unyielding rule when recruiting companions: they couldn’t be from the Koiren Union.

The Koiren Union, Elan’s age-old enemy, would be the worst possible ally.

“Is that… true?”

“Of course not. It was just a harsh joke. I’m a pure Dmitrian. But the truth is, I’m no merchant’s daughter. I’m a servant of my lord and must return to Dmitri to serve them. My freedom has already been stretched thin.”

“Ha-ha, I thought as much… But please, don’t joke about Koiren. It could put you in danger.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll be careful.”

[Put in danger? What’s Koiren, Master? Something to eat?]

[You can’t eat it.]