The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 6

**Bang! Bang! Bang!**

“Geenie Crowell! Open this door right now! There’s a burning smell so strong that it’s reaching the next room, and what’s with all this mana disturbance inside? What on earth is going on? Geenie Crowell!”

Damn it, should I make a run for it? I glanced at the window, but quickly dismissed the idea. I didn’t have the guts for that.

Judging by that high-pitched voice, the one banging on the door was definitely Instructor Iritho.

What should I say? I scanned the room, taking in the blackened table and the overall scorched appearance.

And then there’s the mana disturbance… Well, this might not be a big deal.

Nodding to myself, I opened the door. As expected, Instructor Iritho was there, her expression stern as she adjusted her glasses and shot a sharp look my way.

“Instructor Iritho! Eh-hehe…”

“Geenie Crowell! You can’t just gloss over this with a laugh!”

Despite her usually gentle demeanor, Instructor Iritho looked completely determined not to let me off the hook.

Tch, whatever. My defense is foolproof anyway.

“Oh, come on. I wasn’t trying to gloss over anything! I was just about to give you a clear and detailed explanation of what happened!”

“Hmm, is that so? Very well then, please explain, Miss Geenie Crowell.”

Using my full name… That’s a clear sign that she’s mad. Just as expected from an Economics instructor—so strict.

“You’re aware that I was involved in an incident, right?”

“Yes, I received word about that. It could have been a serious situation.”

“Exactly! I was so exhausted that I fell asle—”

“Hold on, did you thank the knights who saved you? They’re the ones who saved your life, after all.”

Saved my life? Well, I suppose that’s true. But did I actually thank Hansen and Philo? If anything, I think I might’ve cursed them out. I guess I’ll thank them later.

“Of course! I gave them my deepest thanks.”

“Hmm, is that so? That’s a relief. Now, let’s hear your explanation.”

Somehow, her strictness reminded me of my mom, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. I started explaining with a few gestures.

“I was asleep when I suddenly smelled something burning. I opened my eyes and saw that the table was on fire! So I summoned Undine, the water spirit, to put out the fire. It was a minor incident.”

“Fire? You weren’t hurt, were you?” Instructor Iritho asked, glancing around the room.

“No, I’m fine. But my leather bag got burned, so my money melted.”

“Hmm, I’m glad you’re safe, but… What caused the fire?”

“What?”

Oh, I hadn’t thought that far! As expected of Instructor Iritho—she’s sharp.

“I’m asking what caused the fire, Miss Geenie.”

“Ah, well, it was probably the candle or the lamp. They must’ve caught something on fire.”

Fires usually start the same way everywhere, don’t they?

“Lamps are typically provided around 5 PM in each room, aren’t they?”

“Uh… I had a candle in my bag! I must’ve lit it and then fell asleep. My snake must’ve knocked it over. He does that often.”

I pointed to Arie, who was lying on the bed with his belly up.

[Master! When did I do such a thing? I’m innocent!]

I subtly ignored Arie’s protest. Instructor Iritho squinted at him, slightly frowning.

“Is that the famous pet snake of yours, Miss Geenie? It’s smaller than I expected. I heard it’s usually quite docile, but it seems like a troublemaker.”

“Yes, that’s right. He acts all calm outside, but when we’re alone, he causes all sorts of mischief. Hoho.”

I’m getting better at putting on a fake front.

“I also have a cat at my family’s home. It’s always calm outside, but causes plenty of trouble indoors. It’s better than causing trouble outside, though.”

“Oh really? I’d love to see it sometime.”

Though I rarely get the chance, I am good at making small talk.

[Master, are you feeling unwell?]

[Waaah!]

After seeing Instructor Iritho leave, promising to get me a new room, I went back inside and looked at my melted bag.

“Arie!”

[Yes!]

At my call, Arie scurried over so quickly that it almost seemed like I imagined the sound.

I grabbed Arie.

“Okay, stiffen up!”

[Huh? Yes!]

“Don’t slack off.”

Arie obediently stiffened as I used his rigid body to rummage through the remains of my bag. His black tail became coated in a thick brown liquid.

Arie’s pitiful voice reached me.

[Master, do I really have to do this…]

“Only my favorite Arie can do this. You know that, right? So just bear with it.”

[Of course! Who else could do this but me? Hehehe!]

You need to work on that laugh. After a bit of rummaging, I realized that there was nothing left. I let go of my attachment to the bag.

Anyway, I only had about two goldens on me. If I urgently needed money, I could always have Arie create some.

Hmm, let’s see… Full mana equals two coins, so if I use half my mana each day, I can make one golden a day? Oh, I could get rich doing this!

While I was planning my business, Instructor Iritho came back and knocked on the door.

“Yes, Instructor?”

“Miss Geenie, please move to Room 203. I’ll cover the cost of repairing the damaged room for now, but the Academy will bill you when we return.”

Why did I feel a chill run down my spine when she smiled and said she’d bill me later?

“Y-Yes, of course. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Don’t mention it.”

With nothing to pack, I grabbed Arie and left the room.

The building had four floors—the first and second floors were a restaurant, and the third and fourth floors were the inn.

Unlike the room I was in before, Room 203 was on the fourth floor, so I had to go up one more flight of stairs.

“Krrrk, phew. Krrrk, phew. Krrrk, phew.”

[Master? Master!]

Something was slapping me across the face.

Ow, that hurts. Squinting, I realized it was Arie’s tail.

I grabbed the tail in front of me and flung it away.

“How dare you. Mmph…”

Watching Arie collide with the wall and then slide down, I buried my head back under the blankets.

[Master! You said you’d start mana training at dawn! Shouldn’t I wake you up?]

Ah, crap. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and got out of bed.

It was so early that there wasn’t even water prepared for washing.

I rubbed my eyes and opened the window to shake off the lingering drowsiness.

The cold morning air stung my face. The dawn sky, still tinged with blue, was a rare sight for someone like me, who loved to sleep in.

“Yaaawn!”

I took a deep breath of the cold air.

It instantly woke me up. Yep, morning air is cold, alright.

They say the best time for mana training is at dawn.

This is because the mana at dawn is supposedly the purest. However, because of my love for sleep, I usually did my mana training later in the morning.

Up until now, I hadn’t planned on changing that habit, but after yesterday, I seriously felt the lack of mana. I decided to start going to bed early and waking up early to train at dawn.

Though that resolve was already wavering on the first day. Am I hypotensive? It’s just so hard to get up in the morning.

I closed the window.

Taking a comfortable position by the window, I stretched my legs out in front of me.

I placed my hands on my legs and closed my eyes. Then I focused on the flow of mana around me.

To me, mana feels like a blue ocean. The flow of mana, which always flows quietly around me, is sometimes rough, and at other times, incredibly gentle.

And there’s a slight chill. It’s as if I’m sitting at the bottom of the sea. Maybe that’s why I liked Undine so much.

Undine, the water spirit, always felt like mana to me.

The mana, which lightly tingled my skin, began to swirl around the surface of my body under my strong will.

Then, gradually, it seeped into my entire body. The mana circulated through my body according to my will. Once I felt that the mana had sufficiently attuned to my will, I guided it to the emptiest place within me.

The new mana clashed with the mana that was already stored in my body. They repelled each other, refusing to mix.

But some of the new mana slowly began to merge with the original mana. The mana that failed to mix slowly seeped out of my body.

Along with it, sweat poured from my body as if it were raining.

Maybe it’s because it consumes a lot of mental energy. Moving mana is always a mentally exhausting task. But physically, I felt very refreshed.

Unlike mages who gather mana in their hearts, spirit summoners gather it between their chests and navels.

The first thing a spirit summoner does is create a mana hole. They gradually build up mana using that mana hole as a foundation.

The mana hole never fully fills because it gradually expands. It’s like an infinite space—it seems like it’s going to fill up, but it never does.

I’m not sure about mages or warriors, but a spirit summoner’s mana hole always seems somewhat empty.

The more you fill it, the more it expands. However, my somewhat foolish hope is to one day fully fill this mana hole.

It’s my goal, if you can call it that.

“Phew…”

I wiped the sweat from my face with my palm. Then I got up and opened the window again.

As the cold wind dried my sweat, my body felt cool. Ah, refreshing. I think I gathered a bit more mana than usual today. Well, I’ll know for sure if I keep this up for a while.

About 30 minutes passed, and the bluish tint of the dawn sky began to fade.

Ah, the sun is rising. It’s beautiful! You know, morning training isn’t all that bad.

[Master! Someone’s coming.]

“Hmm…?”

Who would come at this hour?

Click.

The door opened, and a girl around 15 years old with brown hair wrapped in a kerchief walked in. A servant, I guess?

“Oh!”

The servant, who had entered to place a basin of water on the table, let out a small yelp when she saw me staring at her.

Do I look like a monster? Why is she so startled?

“Hello?”

I greeted her cheerfully. The servant, looking flustered, quickly bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Well, I didn’t say anything.”

“Ah, yes… that’s true.”

How could she know if I didn’t say anything? Unless she has four eyes…

“Could you bring me a bathtub? I don’t need water.”

I should take a bath. The dried sweat was making me feel sticky. Morning baths are one of my favorite things.

“A bathtub only?”

“Yes, just the tub.”

It’s a little hobby of mine to summon Undine and have her fill it with water.

The servant, unable to hide her puzzled expression, bowed and left.

A moment later, she returned with another girl around the same age, both carrying a bathtub.

Following my instructions, the servants placed the bathtub beside the table and then asked me,

“Um… about the water?”

“I don’t need it.”

Even though I’m not paying, there’s a charge for the water. The bathtub rental is separate from the water cost.

I waved my hand at the servants, dismissing them so I could enjoy some quiet time with Undine.

“Well then, excuse us.”

After confirming they had left, I locked the door.

I had about thirty minutes before they came to wake me up, so I’d be able to finish my bath. I summoned Undine.

“Undine!”

[Yes, Master. Did you call me?]

As always, Undine appeared, her adorable presence unchanged. She happily spun around me.

Such a cute bundle of joy! This is why I became a spirit summoner. Ugh, I sound like an old man! The thought struck me suddenly.

“Hmm, Undine, could you fill this with hot water?”

[Yes, Master.]

Undine lifted her tiny hands and swirled them from the bottom up. The bathtub quickly filled with steaming water.

The amount of mana consumed was about 5% of my total. Not too much.

One thing I’m sure of is that Arie consumes an unusually large amount of mana. It’s not just that I lack mana—it’s a problem with Arie as well.

I quickly undressed and settled into the bathtub.

Unlike the smaller tubs at the Academy, which were made for children, this one was a bit larger, but I was satisfied.

As I soaked up to my neck in the warm water, Undine perched on the edge of the tub and looked at me.

She seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“What is it?”

[Hehe, Master, I really like you.]

Undine smiled brightly as she spoke.

“Gah!”

I slipped into the water, taken aback.

Of course, water entered my nose and mouth, causing a bit of discomfort. If it had been Arie, I would have cursed, but since it was Undine, I didn’t mind.

Plus, a low-level spirit expressing affection for its summoner means a high level of affinity.

It’s been about five months since I made a contract with Undine, and she only started talking to me a few days ago. It’s nice to know that all the affection I’ve given her has paid off.

[Master, are you alright?]

“Phew! Undine! How are you so adorable!”

[Really? Hehe.]

I hugged Undine tightly and wiped away my tears.

Ah, summoning Undine is so rewarding. In contrast, Arie is annoying, and Ador is just obnoxious! Ah, wait.

“Undine? I’d like to introduce you to someone who will… well, not exactly a friend, but someone who’ll be your subordinate.”

[A subordinate? What’s a subordinate?]

Undine doesn’t know what a subordinate is?

“A subordinate is… hmm, it’s too complicated. Just think of them as your little sibling.”

[Ah, so a sibling is called a subordinate?]

… Is that how it works? Well, my friends do treat their siblings like subordinates.

“Something like that. Now, I’ll summon them so you can say hello. Ador!”

Zap!

With a loud spark, Ador appeared.

Yesterday, he had been so dazzling, but today, he was just a faint ball of light.

It looked different only because there were electric currents surrounding it.

[Master! Why did you take so long to summon me? I was bored to death!]

… You should’ve just died, huh? Ador noisily darted around the room.

“Alright, Ador. Say hello. This is Undine, my favorite spirit.”

[I’m Undine. Pleased to meet you.]

Undine nodded slightly as she spoke.

[What? Master, this is just a low-level water spirit!]

[Wait! Master? Didn’t you say I was your favorite? Was that a lie?]

As the ball of light—Ador—flew toward me, Arie, who had been napping under the bed, crawled out from under the tub to speak.

Did he remember the time he crawled into the bathtub and got scolded?

“Ador, ‘just’? If you don’t listen to Undine from now on, I’m thinking of never summoning you again.”

[Gasp! That… That’s a cruel and harsh punishment! How could you call yourself my master after that!]

“Shut up. And Arie?”

Leaving the dejected Ador behind, I turned my gaze to Arie under the tub.

[Yes?]

“You’re my favorite spirit, and Undine is the one I adore the most. Understand?”

[… Then what about Ador?]

I hadn’t thought of that…

“Hmm, let’s make Ador the second favorite.”

[What! How could you refer to me as second! Hey, Master, where’s the justice in that?]

Ador, this guy, is so noisy! Ador trembled as he approached the tub, probably to show he was upset.

“Wait, Ador! If you come any closer, I’ll demote you to last place, not second!”

The tub was filled with water, and if Ador, who sparks everywhere, came any closer, I’d be risking my life.

[Huff! How could you treat me so poorly… How can you do this as my master?]

“Then try transforming into something as adorable as Undine. I’ll make you first if you do.”

[Gasp! Master, then what happens to me?]

Arie asked as he stuck his face over the tub.

“You… Well, if you don’t change, Ador will surpass you. Haha.”

[Am I not already adorable enough?]

“… Are you out of your mind?”

With that snake face, where do you get off calling yourself adorable? That word only suits Undine.

[Master, I can’t change… Does that mean I’ll always be second?]

“We’ll see, based on your behavior.”

[Master! Master! You can’t do this. How could that insolent creature be first? That spot is obviously mine!]

[Master! What am I supposed to do? I can’t live being second. Me? Second place? Has that ever happened in spirit history?]

These two are so noisy. Honestly, one is as bad as the other. I have a soft spot for Arie, so he gets first place.

“If you both want my favor, then step up your game.”

[Master! Then what about Undine? She’s not doing anything and yet she’s first place!]

[Gasp! Is that true? Master, how could you show such favoritism? Has there ever been such discrimination in spirit history…]

“Enough! If you both keep being noisy, I’ll make you both last place together!”

At my threat, Arie fell silent, and Ador floated to a corner, grumbling quietly.

[Hehe.]

Only Undine giggled at my playful gestures.

The sun was now fully up outside. Ah, they called it the Land of Scholars, didn’t they?

Seventeen days left until I reach Veilan.

“Miss! It’s time for dinner.”

“Yes, I’m coming…”

Though it was a bit early, I was starving, so I was more than happy to hear the coachman’s announcement.

We had arrived in Hoden, the city where we were currently staying, early yesterday evening. We had lunch today before departing.

Taking a slightly longer break felt like we were dragging our feet.

Since half of the students in the group were children, we ended up resting for half a day for every day of travel.

Even though we were all traveling by carriage, the kids from the physical training class sometimes walked alongside the knights, chatting and stretching their legs.

But the kids in the general class, who stayed in the carriage the entire time, often whined about being tired.

Naturally, this made the knights and the general class kids dislike each other.

The constant whining of “I’m tired, let’s take a break” from the general class must have been annoying to the knights. Well, still, could anyone have as much animosity toward the knights’ commander as I did?

[Master, dinner is cream stew.]

[Really? I love that!]

Since it was going to be a long journey, the food supply was quite abundant.

And today’s main dish was cream stew. Excited, I left the carriage and got in line.

The line was split into two—one for the general class and one for the physical training class.

It wasn’t an official division, but there was a strong tendency for the two classes to keep their distance from each other.

Naturally, this led to separate lines and meals. Not to mention, some of the kids didn’t even know the physical training class existed. Or maybe that was just me?

Standing in the general class line, I counted how many kids were in front of me. About four, I guess?

I could hear the kids in the physical training class whispering to each other. Come to think of it, most of the kids who picked on me were from the physical training class.

The kids in the general class didn’t bother me much. We weren’t close, but I hadn’t done anything to them.

Before I knew it, it was my turn. After getting my stew, bread, and an apple, I glanced at the kids eating together under the trees and turned back toward the carriage.

Just as I was about to get in, I heard a loud voice that stood out among the rest.

“You murderer!”

That word stung my ears. I slowly turned my head toward the voice.

A boy with purple hair was glaring at me. His expression clearly said, “What are you looking at?”

“… Were you calling me?”

The boy’s face twisted at my calm response. What reaction was he expecting?

“You… You killed someone, and you feel no guilt? You demon of a girl!”

“Hmm, and what about you? Are you saying you’ll never kill anyone in the future? You’re talking like you’re some sort of saint.”

… To be honest, I wasn’t the one who killed them. Hansen and Philo were the ones who did it.

But if you look at it another way, I guess I did kill them. There’s no point in regretting it now; they won’t come back to life.

I acted in self-defense.

If the same thing happens again, I might kill them myself.

I don’t know about others, but I’m not forgiving enough to spare someone who tried to kill me. I’ll decide when I die!

“I haven’t killed anyone!”

The boy tried to argue, but that wasn’t the point.

“Of course not. But what about in the future? Do you think you’ll be able to keep that up? I did what I had to do to survive. Others would’ve done the same. Are you really so naive that you’d just let someone kill you?”

“I wouldn’t just stand there and let them! I’m strong!”

“Really? You’re so amazing. I’m jealous.”

“Are… Are you mocking me, you murderer?”

The boy clenched his fists. His body trembled.

He was wearing thin gauntlets on his hands. He must be in the physical training class. So… He’s probably in the same class as Leo, who got eliminated. I guess it makes sense for him to be hostile toward me?

“I’m not mocking you. I just think you don’t get it. I’m telling you this because I think you’re clueless. Be grateful! If you still don’t understand, get lost, kid!”

I didn’t realize I was raising my voice at the end, but I couldn’t stand kids who didn’t get the message.

“You… Ugh, waaaah! Teacher Dinell! Waaah!”

Hmph, he just got a wake-up call and he’s crying… No matter how much you train them, kids are still kids. Well, I’m a kid too, so I guess I’m not one to talk.

And does he think I killed someone without feeling anything? I’ve had my fair share of guilt, too! I’m incredibly sensitive, you know!

I wish kids who don’t know anything would just stay quiet. But… Dinell?

“Tch, how annoying. That teacher and his students are just as bad.”

Isn’t he the teacher who interrupted my outing? Giving the crying kid one last glare, I got into the carriage. I’m starving.

After finishing my meal, the carriage was just about to start moving when someone knocked on the door.

[Master, it’s a girl.]

A girl? There’s no girl who would come looking for me. I slightly opened the door, and a girl with flashy pink hair barged in.

“What are you doing?”

“Hi! I wanted to ask you something.”

This girl with flashy pink hair and blue eyes was incredibly bold.

“What is this? Barging into someone else’s carriage. Get out right now—”

“This is a gift.”

The girl handed me a box of chocolates with elegant lettering on it.

“Hehe, just make yourself at home, as if this is your carriage.”

“Thanks!”

If it had been candy, I wouldn’t have cared, but this was chocolate, which is much harder to come by. And not just any chocolate—this was a high-quality box, something I’d only had a few times.

Moreover, it was a whole box. Chocolate melts easily, so it’s difficult to store, which makes it expensive.

If candy is a common snack for both nobles and commoners, chocolate is an exclusive treat for the wealthy nobility. It’s incredibly hard to get your hands on.

I immediately opened the box, took out a few chocolates, and popped them into my mouth.

“Mmm, gulp. Delicious!”

“Right? I love it too.”

The girl smiled at me. Now that I think about it, I’ve seen her a few times in the alchemy class. She wasn’t close to me, but she might be close to Mia…

“Here, have one.”

“Ah, thank you!”

When I handed her a chocolate, the girl smiled brightly as she took it.

“… So, what did you want to ask?”

The carriage was shaking, so we must have started moving.

I guess I’m stuck with this girl until the carriage stops. I don’t mind, though…

“It’s nothing serious. Um… Let me introduce myself first! I’m Iruje Feyru from the alchemy class. Just call me Iruje.”

Ah, now I remember. Mia really dislikes her, always saying, “Iruje this, Iruje that.”

“Oh, I’m Geenie Crowell, from the spirit summoning class. Just call me Geenie.”

“Okay, Geenie! Hehe.”

“… You smile a lot, don’t you?”

Just like Mia. Always smiling, always crying. It’s a common trait among kids. I don’t know if I fall into that category.

“Um… Is that a compliment?”

“Of course it is.” (But smiling too much isn’t always a good thing!)

“Hehe, really? Thanks. My father always said that smiling people are blessed.”

“Hmm, really?”

I counted the chocolates left in the box. There weren’t many left, so I closed the box, saving the rest for later.

“Hmm… Geenie, you seem really mature. Like earlier with Mirine.”

“Mirine?”

“The boy with the purple hair from the physical training class. The one who cried earlier…”

“Oh, he was pathetic.”

Mature? Of course. In my past life, I was 17, and in this life, I’m 10, so… 27 years old? Tch, let’s not think about that anymore.

“It was cool! I was really moved.”

“Moved, huh… Anyway, you said you wanted to ask something? I’m a bit fickle, so if you don’t ask quickly, I might not answer.”

“Oh, right! It’s about your pet snake. The one you’re raising, right? I wanted to ask you about it.”

“Arie?”

Did Arie get caught causing trouble somewhere? I told him not to leave any evidence… But where did Arie disappear to?

“Arie? Is that the snake’s name?”

“Yes, you can call him Arie.”

“Okay, Arie… That’s a nice name. Um, so where is Arie?”

“Who knows? He was here just a moment ago.”

Since Arie sometimes disappeared without a word and then returned, I didn’t worry too much about it. He’s probably off absorbing something.

“You don’t know? But he’s your snake.”

“He probably went hunting. He always comes back, so I don’t worry.”

Iruje looked a bit bewildered.

“I see. Hmm, as I thought, Arie must be…”

“… Must be what?”

“Geenie, do you know what kind of snake Arie is?”

A metal spirit, I guess? As for the type of snake… I’m not sure. I got him by chance, so I never really thought about it…

“A type of snake? I don’t know.”

“Hehe! Geenie, Arie has a hard shell that can’t be cut by ordinary swords, and he’s so smart that he understands everything you say, right?”

“That’s right.”

He’s a spirit, after all.

“Yes! That’s proof that Arie is the legendary Diamond Snake!”

Iruje jumped up, her voice filled with excitement. Diamond Snake… what now?

“Diamond Snake? What’s that?”

“A Diamond Snake is a legendary creature! It only lives in places where there are diamonds, and it has a hard shell as tough as diamonds! Plus, it’s incredibly intelligent, understanding human speech. When I heard about Arie, I was curious, so I tested it myself, and guess what? My sword broke in half!”

Test? Don’t tell me…

“What kind of test?”

“Huh? I slashed at it with a sword. I wasn’t sure, so I tried it on about ten swords.”

[Gasp, so it was that wicked girl! Master, I’m sad to say, but please don’t look for me for a while.]

Arie’s trembling voice echoed from somewhere. I realized I had picked up a rather troublesome kid.

“So, you know what I did? I was so mad that I deliberately tested some gunpowder on that snake… Are you listening, Geenie?”

“Erm… Yeah, sure. So, what happened next?”

Iruje was a tough opponent. The endless stream of stories made it impossible to escape, so I had no choice but to listen to her.

After listening and listening, I finally reached my limit…

“Iruje, I’m really sleepy. Can we talk about this later?”

I tried my best to be polite, but Iruje’s response was…

“Oh, really? Well, you can listen while you sleep. Hehe.”

Like heck I can! I don’t have the ability to talk to people while I’m asleep!

My instincts told me that having a normal conversation with Iruje was impossible, so I might as well just listen.

Ignoring Iruje’s endless chatter, I stuck my head out the carriage window.

Just then, I made eye contact with a knight who was escorting the delegation. We were at similar heights since I was in the carriage and the knight was on horseback.

Hmm, I slowly scanned the knight, who was looking at me with a confused expression.

Silver helmet, armor, and sword, all with a golden bird engraved on them.

Plus, a pure white horse. The quintessential knight on a white horse, like the prince every girl dreams of? No, this is the knight on a white horse.

Well, the knight’s face leaves something to be desired, but it’s hard to have everything.

I looked for Hansen and Philo, who I had some familiarity with, and stuck my head further out the carriage window.

Luckily, I spotted them at the back of the group.

All the knights were riding impressive horses of various colors.

Black, brown, white, spotted. But why are Hansen and Philo running? Where are their horses? Aren’t horses a knight’s pride?

I gave them a curious look, and Philo noticed me.

I signaled him with a nod, and Philo quickened his pace to approach the carriage. The knight who had been standing next to me frowned and muttered a curse before moving away. How dare he!

“Do you need something?”

Philo’s gaze was lower than mine. It felt a bit awkward to look down on someone I was used to looking up at.

“What about your horses?”

“Sorry?”

Philo’s eyes widened in surprise at my abrupt question.

“Why are you running?”

“Oh, we haven’t received our horses yet.”

“Why not?”

“Well… They said there are no spare horses available.”

Does that make any sense? The royal palace doesn’t have enough horses?

Even I, who usually have no interest in such things, know that becoming a royal knight means you get a high-quality horse from the royal stables.

There were rumors going around about how becoming a royal knight would land you a prestigious horse, and if you couldn’t decide on a major, you’d become a squire.

“… And you believe that?”

“Of course. The commander’s word is absolute.”

“You’re an idiot, aren’t you?”

“Am I?”

I ducked back into the carriage. I felt like I was forgetting something… Oh yeah, I forgot to drain that commander’s belongings and give him a hard time.

Come to think of it, the spirit stone I lost to the jeweler! Ah, I paid in advance, too. How could I forget that? And Arie, that rascal, didn’t do a thing I asked, and instead brought me trouble!

[Arie!]

No response.

[Arie!]

Now I’m getting mad, hehe!

“Undine!”

[Yes, Master.]

“Go find Arie! Tell him that if he doesn’t come back right away, I’ll wring his neck.”

[Yes, Master!]

My Undine is so obedient. Undine cheerfully flew out the window.

Arie, I’m not even expecting the spirit stone. You could’ve at least stripped the commander’s clothes or something!

As I fumed, Iruje spoke in a dreamy voice.

“That was a spirit, wasn’t it? It was, right?”

“Hmm? Yeah, that was Undine.”

“Wow, she’s so cute!”

Her comment made me feel a little smug.