Ch. 37

“Huh?”

“Come here. You need to earn your keep!”

Tch. It’s not like I eat that much. Even as I grumbled, I had no choice but to obey Shavel.

In this mercenary corps, Shavel’s word was law.

It was ultimately Shavel’s decision to take me to Veilan.

Anell had suggested it, but without Shavel’s approval, it wouldn’t have been possible. So, like it or not, I had to consider him one of my benefactors.

“Light it up, kid.”

He always called me “kid” instead of using my actual name. That annoyed me a little.

“Ador!”

[Hrm? Hrm? Hrm—Nope! I’m going back.]

Night had fallen, and the mercenaries were unpacking for camp.

And Shavel had quickly caught on to the fact that I had a rather useful skill.

Summoned into the campsite, Ador swiftly scanned the area before attempting to flee back to the Spirit Realm.

But coming and going weren’t the same thing. I maintained the flow of mana.

“Nope.”

[You’re using me as a lantern again, aren’t you? I can’t stand staying still for that long!]

“You only did it once yesterday.”

[It’s not my thing!]

“You’re a spirit… Fine, how about this? Help out, and I’ll give you some free time afterward. You like wandering the human world, don’t you, Ador?”

[Really? Really? Promise?]

“Of course. Do you not trust your master?”

Three minutes should be enough.

[It’s not my fault my master isn’t the most trustworthy.]

“You saying no? Well, then, too bad. Guess I’ll call you whenever I feel like it next time…”

I slowly reduced the mana flow toward Ador. His form flickered and began to fade.

[Alright, alright! I’ll do it, okay?!]

“See, wasn’t that easy?”

Lately, I had started to understand how to handle spirits.

Some, like Undine, didn’t need much convincing. But others, like Ador, always had to be coaxed.

When Ador cast [Light], the area grew bright enough that there was no need for torches. Under the warm glow, the mercenaries bustled around, setting up camp.

They placed their precious cargo in the center and arranged their sleeping areas around it, lighting small campfires here and there.

“Ador? You can rest now.”

The moment I gave permission, Ador, itching to leave, shot off into the distant woods. Who did he get that free-spirited nature from?

“Hey, go help over there now.”

Just as I was about to rest, Shavel pushed me toward the cooking area. My cheeks puffed up in protest.

“…Aren’t you working me too hard?”

“Those who don’t work, don’t eat.”

This was child labor! Did he even realize how valuable my skills were?!

I had plenty to say, but I swallowed it all down.

Was this what it felt like to run away from home? Technically, I wasn’t a runaway—I had just gotten lost. But still, having no one on my side was discouraging.

“Tch, this is ridiculous. Undine?”

[Master! I was waiting for you to call me.]

The mercenaries liked Undine much more than Ador.

She provided them with clean drinking water, which was always a crucial resource in the mountains. Thanks to Undine, the usual worries about water supply vanished.

I moved from pot to pot, filling them with water. Cooking for twenty people required more water than expected.

Some mercenaries curiously tried to touch Undine, but since spirits weren’t from the material world, only summoners could physically interact with them.

A sword infused with mana could cut them, but a regular sword would just pass through like slicing water.

“This is the last pot. Fill it up with clean water, too.”

[Yes!]

If it were Ador, he would have grumbled about the boring task, but Undine smiled brightly and followed orders without complaint.

“Oh, right. Ador!”

I had forgotten about him after releasing him. As I turned in the direction he had flown off, Kenta approached me and held out a large hand.

What was this?

“Hm?”

I thought he was giving me something, but his hand was empty. I glanced between his face and his palm.

Kenta was the mercenary I was closest to after Anell.

He was twice the size of an average man, pure muscle, and strong enough to smash boulders with his bare hands.

In my past world, splitting an apple with your hands was considered a feat of strength. Here, the standards were obviously different.

Mana made a huge difference.

It was a force that allowed humans to surpass their natural limits.

“Hey, little spirit summoner. I’ve got a favor to ask.”

At first, he had called me “kid,” but after learning I was a summoner, he started using the weird nickname “spirit summoner kid.”

“A favor?”

“Lend me your snake.”

[Hissss!]

As expected, Rai was the most popular one.

Kenta and Rai had been rivals from the moment they met. They frequently tested their strength against each other but never reached a decisive conclusion.

I knew what would happen if I handed Rai over, but I still obediently plucked him from my embrace and placed him in Kenta’s palm.

“Thanks, spirit summoner kid!”

[Ahh! Master, how could you?!]

“Get stronger and come back! The winner’s my ally!”

They say lions push their cubs off cliffs to toughen them up. Sparring with skilled mercenaries was a great training opportunity for Rai, too.

As Rai howled in protest, I finally had time to rest.

Humming a tune, I skipped toward Anell’s tent.

—

Later That Night

“What’s going on?”

“Why aren’t they serving food?”

“Hey! Give us our meals!”

“Ah, just wait a bit. The meat isn’t fully cooked yet.”

The cook, a scarred man whose face was marked from his forehead down to his lips, responded kindly despite the complaints.

Even as the hungry mercenaries grumbled, he firmly kept the lid on the pot. But the lid clattered, rattling as if something inside was fighting to break free.

[You wretched humans! Raaagh!]

Rai?

[Hiss! Hissss! I’ll twist all your necks, you rotten humans!]

The ominous voice of Rai was unmistakably coming from the pot.

I blinked, still standing in the ration line, and turned to look at Kenta. He quickly averted his gaze and feigned ignorance.

I was right. These people… They were making snake soup out of Rai.

“Oh! Looks like it’s done! Get ready, everyone! Tonight’s meat is extra special!”

“It’s been a while since we’ve had snake meat, huh?”

“The tougher the meat, the better it is for stamina, they say.”

At some point, the pot had stopped shaking.

There was no way Rai would die just from being boiled—he was probably just playing dead.

‘These brute-headed idiots…’

Who just takes someone’s pet snake and decides to cook it for dinner?

No wonder Anell was so worried.

I scowled as the pot lid slowly lifted. Anticipation filled the air as all eyes eagerly peered inside.

I took a small step back.

Because an angry Rai was terrifying.

“Huh? Where’s the meat?”

The cook, looking puzzled, peered deeper into the pot.

In that instant—

A long, black shape shot out from the soup, snapping onto his nose and latching on with a violent thrash.

“GAAAAAHHHH!”

[HISSS! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!]

“ACK! SOMEBODY HELP! H-HOT! HOT!!”

“Kirk!”

So, the cook’s name was Kirk. That poor guy. Getting his nose bitten by a boiling-hot snake must’ve been agony.

As I silently offered my condolences, Kenta, startled, tried to pry Rai off Kirk.

[YOU! YOU’RE FIRST TO DIE!]

Rai instantly switched targets, lunging straight at Kenta—the one he resented most.

Have you ever seen a flying snake before? Because I was witnessing it firsthand.

Rai released Kirk’s nose, shot through the air, and coiled tightly around Kenta’s neck in one swift motion.

Uh-oh.

This was bad.

When Rai constricted, his strength was powerful enough to snap thick tree trunks in half.

He had previously crushed a man’s wrist with ease.

With all the metal Rai had absorbed, his body had gained immense weight and durability, turning him into a living weapon.

Even without my mana, Rai was dangerously powerful.

“Rai!”

“Fight, fight!”

“Woohoo!”

“Go for it!”

I hurried forward, realizing how serious this could get, but the other mercenaries—

They just started watching like it was some sort of gladiator match!

Mercenaries…!