Chapter 64

“Withry!”

“Yes! What is it, Geenie-nim?”

“Follow me!”

“Huh?”

I grabbed Withry, who had just finished tidying up and come down to the lobby, and dragged her out of the inn without warning.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

Instead of just tossing away the competition, I could make Withry an intermediate summoner!

As we exited the alley, Rai spoke up.

[Where are we going, Master?]

[To the Mage Tower! I need to buy the materials for a summoning contract circle. I’m going to have Withry form a contract with the intermediate wind spirit, Sillaphe!]

[Oh ho, I heard failure could be fatal. Count me in for the show.]

[No one’s dying! Well, probably not.]

And Withry’s consent?

Not a concern.

I was going to help her improve; surely she wouldn’t refuse.

Just trust this noona!

Oh, wait, I’m the younger one.

The best place to summon a wind spirit is in a valley.

However, finding a valley in the capital city of Elan, Neikal, was tough. So instead, I climbed a mountain on the outskirts of the city.

“Geenie-nim, this is exhausting.”

“Hurry up!”

One of Withry’s problems was her poor stamina.

‘Seriously, Grandpa Theatrazen!’

How could you let your disciple get this weak? You probably raised her half-heartedly because you were jealous of her talent! Typical old man nonsense!

I was used to people whining about being tired or dying, so I was immune to such complaints.

[Master! It’s not soil here; it’s rock!]

[Is that so?]

Encouraged by Rai’s comment after scouting the summit, I pushed myself harder to reach the top.

As expected, the peak was made of rock rather than soil.

I smiled in satisfaction and took out the materials I bought from the Mage Tower.

The first step was to draw a magic circle with chalk.

“Geenie-nim! Are you really going to do this?”

“Of course! Do you want to remain a low-level summoner your whole life? Life is about challenges!”

“But… Master said I should train for at least two or three more years.”

“Listen, Withry! You could die tomorrow, or this mountain could collapse in ten seconds. It’s better to take a chance now than regret it later!”

Having died once, I knew how quickly death could come.

Death arrives without warning.

When you die, it’s over.

I was fortunate to remember my past life, which is why I put everything I have into the present.

You must give your all in the moment to avoid future regrets.

“Honestly… I don’t want to take on any challenges. I’m happy with how things are…”

“Just do it!”

“Eek!”

Drawing Sillaphe’s summoning circle with chalk was easy.

The hard part was carving the exact design into the rock.

I handed one of the chisels I’d brought to Withry.

“Here, Withry. You work on the other side. I’ll do this part. Rai, you handle the center.”

“…Even the dog?”

[Haha! This is my specialty, Master!]

Although Withry looked uncertain, Rai worked much faster and more smoothly than either of us, using his claws to carve grooves more efficiently than any tool I had.

After finishing the center, Rai even helped with my section, clearly enjoying himself.

“Wow, the dog is amazing. Geenie-nim, how are his claws so sharp?”

[I am magnificent. Therefore, my Master is even more magnificent! Haha! A masterpiece of a quote. I must be a genius, right, Master?]

“Huh? Did you take the wrong medicine?”

What genius? All the geniuses must be dead.

Scoffing at Rai’s words, I focused on carving relentlessly.

Thanks to Rai’s efforts, the summoning circle was completed in no time. I poured mana solution into the grooves and tossed fairy dust to Withry.

“Are we really doing this?”

“Did you think I was joking? Get ready! You know the chant, right?”

“What if… I fail?”

Failure?

That word existed in my vocabulary.

But right next to it was this phrase:

“Try again.”

You keep going until it works.

Did I ever tell you about my contract with Pein?

As I smiled, Withry looked like she was about to cry.

As expected, Withry managed to form a contract with Sillaphe with surprising ease.

She succeeded on the first try, which made me wonder why she hadn’t tried it earlier.

Dragging a dazed Withry back to the inn, I was in high spirits.

Like most inns, the first floor was a dining area, and our companions were just finishing a meal.

“Hey, where have you two been?”

[The mountains.]

Gale spoke first, seeming more concerned about Withry than me.

By the way, Ash wasn’t here yet.

Wait, Lox was missing too.

“Ga-Gale-nim. I… I’ve become an intermediate summoner.”

“What? What do you mean, Withry?”

“I mean… Geenie-nim… Rai… the summoning circle… Sillaphe…”

Withry stammered, still flustered.

Heh, she should treat me to a meal for helping her form that contract.

Should I bill her for the materials too?

Hmm, I guess the boost in strength is enough for now.

As Gale tried to calm the panicked Withry, I quickly took his seat and grabbed some fruit to eat.

Ah, fruit is the best.

And meat is even better.

Bang!

While savoring the sweetness of the fruit, the door suddenly slammed open.

The atmosphere in the inn turned tense as the air grew heavy with intimidation.

“Is there anyone here who knows someone named Ash?”

A group of heavily armed knights entered the inn, nine in total, each as sharp and imposing as a finely honed blade.

What’s this about?

Why are they looking for Ash?

Swallowing the fruit in my mouth, I observed the situation.

Thud!

[Oh, Master. That spear looks delicious.]

“Does anyone here know a man with brown eyes named Ash?”

“Who are you? We are his companions.”

One of the knights, presumably their leader, struck the floor with his long spear and shouted again. Gale, who had been standing near Withry, stepped forward cautiously, shielding her behind him.

From their aggressive stance, it was clear this wasn’t good news.

Not even Chad would stir up something like this. What could Ash have done?

Why were the knights looking for Ash… Ah, was it that?

Was it starting already?

“The man is currently wanted for the murder of a noble. Did you not know that?”

“What? Ash? That’s impossible!”

The first test, ‘Trust’, wasn’t it?

To undergo the ‘Scale of Heios’, two preliminary tests had to be passed.

First, the ‘Trust’ test, which measured how much the prince trusted his Guardian candidates.

If the Guardians showed distrust toward the prince, they would immediately fail the test.

So, this was how it worked.

I wasn’t sure about the specifics before, so it surprised me at first, but I remained calm since I had a guess.

Meanwhile, Chad, Enk, Gale, and Withry widened their eyes in shock.

“Since you’ve been associating with him, you could also be criminals—or perhaps accomplices to a murderer. Therefore, we’re placing you under arrest.”

“That’s absurd… Ash would never do such a thing! We’re innocent!”

“Exactly! Ash-nim is such a good person. You’ve got it all wrong! This is defamation!”

“Ash killing someone? That guy’s more likely to trip over a rock and die than commit murder.”

Hey, Chad!

Why drag Rai into this?

Luckily, everyone seemed to have strong faith in Ash.

If anyone had shown doubt, I would have intervened.

I stared at the lead knight.

His expression seemed emotionless, but he was clearly observing our reactions carefully.

This was a test.

And judging by my instincts, we’d passed this test with ease.

“Determining his innocence is the kingdom’s job! For now, we’ll detain you. If you resist… Ash’s punishment will only worsen.”

“Ugh!”

“This is outrageous! How can you act so—”

“Quiet! Everyone, calm down. Ash’s innocence is certain, so there’s no need for us to resist. Let them take us. Once Ash’s innocence is proven, we can deal with them later.”

At my words, the group quickly quieted.

With Ash and Lox absent, I held the most authority among us.

I casually tossed the fruit I’d been holding into the air as if to show I was unfazed.

The lead knight’s gaze landed on me, and I responded with a light smile.

Alright, shall we move on to the next test?

Ugh, the smell.

The knights actually brought us to a real prison.

The stench was awful, and I pinched my nose.

Each of us was locked in separate cells, except for Rai, who stayed with me.

Not even the knights—or rather, the examiners—wanted to deal with Rai’s fierce teeth.

It seemed they intended to keep us here for a while, as they eventually brought us simple meals of bread and soup when hunger set in.

I regretted not bringing food from the inn.

[Master, why are we in prison?]

[It’s part of the test. Operation: Make Ash the Crown Prince, Stage One.]

[Stage One? Then what’s Stage Two?]

[I don’t know. All I know is that the first test measures trust between the prince and the Guardians, and the final test involves the ‘Scale of Heios’. There’s supposedly one more test in between, but no one knows what it is.]

The fact that I knew even this much was impressive.

Many didn’t even know the concept of the ‘Path of Trials’.

Not knowing what would happen, I forced myself to eat the bread the guard brought.

It tasted better than expected.

Satisfied that the meal wasn’t terrible, I turned my thoughts elsewhere.

By now, Prince Rene’s group must also be undergoing their trial.

How was it going on their end?

Did they pass?

Hmm, what about Rovenin?

He was probably sitting silently, pretending it didn’t concern him.

Prince Rene, the First Prince, was known to be an outstanding yet ruthless strategist.

He likely had a way to pass the first test.

Still, as Ash’s rival, it would be disappointing if he failed this early.

The next day, after a restless night in the filthy prison, I was brought into an interrogation room, my back and shoulders stiff.

An elderly man, likely the interrogator, was seated there. He looked out of place in this dirty room with his fine monocle and crisp white shirt.

An examiner, for sure.

Sensing this, I silently took my seat and faced the old man.

I kept my expression neutral—no need to smile or scowl.

Just remain composed.

If only the others would do the same…

“Ahhh! I’m innocent! Ash is innocent! Let me out!”

Geez, that must be Chad in the adjacent room. His shouting was absurdly loud.

That idiot better not ruin things.

If he does… you’re dead, Chad.

“Ah, the room next door seems a bit noisy, doesn’t it?”

“…It does.”

So this is what he considers noisy, huh?

I tensed slightly at the aged tone of his voice, feeling his experience.

I knew he was an examiner, but what kind of test was this?

As I struggled to figure it out, Rai interrupted.

[Master, Master. Are they torturing the bear next door?]

[This isn’t a torture chamber.]

“Hmm, you have a dog with you. Do you like animals?”

“…I don’t dislike them.”

The examiner, pretending to be an interrogator, showed interest in Rai.

What’s his angle?

“I see. Well, let me tell you one thing: Ash is currently on trial. But the case is heavily skewed toward him being the culprit. What do you think?”

“He’s innocent. I’d stake my neck on it.”

“…Your neck? You’d risk your life for a man who isn’t even related to you?”

“I’m not betting on him as a person. I’m betting on my judgment of character.”

The questions made it clear that this test was about assessing the Guardians’ values and ideologies.

Are they weeding out those with dangerous ideals?

What if I’m deemed too dangerous? My thoughts aren’t exactly conventional.

“You are quite an unusual person. Well, fine. I understand your faith in him. Then, let me ask the next question. Who are you?”

Ah, the philosophical question I hate the most.

What should I say?

I couldn’t think of anything, so I delved into my hazy memories of my past life.

Was there some clever phrase I could use?

Ah, I’ll go with this.

“…A thinker.”

“A thinker? Everyone thinks, don’t they?”

“Everyone thinks. Therefore, I also think, as a person. Just an ordinary person. Is that answer not sufficient?”

[Master, I want to be a thinking dog.]

Rai seemed to have forgotten he was a wolf.

Fine, you can be a dog, Rai.

It’s cute enough anyway.

The only problem is that people might mistake you for stew meat.

“No, that will suffice. Then the next question. Who is the kind of person you dislike most?”

A person I dislike?

Not just something I dislike, but a person specifically…

It was a slightly unexpected question, but not one I needed to think long about.

The type of person I hate the most is obvious.

“Slave traders.”

“Slave traders? Why is that?”

“I once suffered under a slave trader. I bear a grudge against them.”

Even recently, I wiped out dozens of them.

To me, slave traders are the type of people who deserve no mercy.

Not that I would admit to thinking such extreme thoughts.

What if they labeled me a dangerous radical?

“I see. Slave traders… That’s a fair thing to despise. Then let me ask the final question.”

“As many as you like.”

“What do you think is the most beautiful thing in the world?”

The most beautiful thing in the world…

I closed my eyes briefly.

The most beautiful…

What could it be?

It felt like there were countless things, yet none at the same time.

Should I say myself?

Or perhaps a pure heart?

What kind of answer would satisfy this examiner?

I thought hard for a moment and found a response that even I liked.

“The world itself.”

When I left the interrogation room, I wasn’t taken back to the prison. Instead, I was led elsewhere.

It seemed I had passed the test.

I climbed into a waiting carriage where the rest of the group was already gathered.

Gale and Withry looked bewildered, while Chad and Enk were dozing off.

“How can you guys sleep in this situation?”

“Seriously, throwing people into prison, asking strange questions, and now a luxurious carriage? What on earth is going on?”

“Yawn, blame the lack of sleep in that prison.”

What’s going on?

We’ve been selected as Guardians for the Crown Prince Selection Contest.

The group seemed utterly confused by the situation, except for Rai and me, who understood the context.

“I was worried about Withry, so I didn’t sleep a wink!”

“Gale-nim!”

“Withry!”

Ugh, are they flirting even here?

Gale, don’t act like this isn’t the same you who used to follow me around!

After riding for a few dozen minutes, we arrived at the grand royal palace.

The carriage passed through without much inspection, and it seemed the contest would take place within the palace grounds.

As I stared out the window at the palace, my jaw dropped further with every passing second.

They really poured money into this place!

The group, stunned by the grandeur, could only gape in awe.

“Is this the royal palace? It really is, right?”

“Are we being taken to a prison inside the palace?”

“Wait, there’s a prison here? What’s even happening right now?”

A prison and a palace…

What contrasting places.

Their confusion only grew, and with no one to calm them, wild guesses flew.

Though Lox was absent, no one mentioned him at length, likely too overwhelmed by the current situation.

I silently listened to their chatter.

“Gale! You’re from Neikal, right? Don’t you know anything about this?”

“I’m from Neikal, not the palace!”

“What’s going to happen to us? I never thought I’d set foot in the royal palace.”

I had visited the palace once before, but only as an attendant and via teleportation, so I never had the chance to admire it leisurely.

Seeing it from the outside now, the palace was majestic—no, downright extravagant.

It was so opulent that it made my eyes tired.

[Master, Master! I want to eat that!]

[No.]

[Please, just a bite?]

[Eat me first.]

Rai’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the jewels decorating the palace.

Hey! Touching those would summon more guards than the incident at Heike Palace ever did.

It’d be the end for both of us!

Annoyed by Rai’s antics, I grabbed his tail and yanked him away from the window.

[Please, Master! Just one…]

[No way. For every jewel you eat, you’ll die once, Rai.]

Just as I managed to calm the overeager Rai, the carriage came to a halt.

I let go of Rai’s tail.

There was an intense aura outside, indicating a crowd of people.

[Huh? Why are there so many people, Master?]

“What’s going on? Are those knights? Wait, they’re wearing white… are they chefs?”

“Either way, they’re from the palace!”

Through the window, I saw rows of people dressed in pristine white uniforms.

Oh, Chad, you idiot.

Not everyone wearing white is a chef.

The group buzzed with excitement while I wished I could pretend I didn’t know them.

The rows of people were all staring intently at the carriage, as if they had been waiting for us.

Rather than opening the door myself, I figured someone else would do it in this atmosphere, so I waited quietly.

It seemed the welcome was warmer than I expected.

I had assumed the contest would be conducted more secretly.

“Please step out. We welcome you, Guardians.”

The carriage door opened quietly and courteously.

The man who opened it was a young man in a neat ceremonial suit, bowing politely.

The man extended his hand toward Withry, who was seated by the carriage door, but she only widened her eyes, too frozen to respond.

Instead, I stood up and took his hand, stepping out of the carriage.

It had been a while since I’d done something like this.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all. The rest of you, please disembark. His Highness, the Prince, is waiting.”

“His Highness?”

“The royal family?”

As the first to exit the carriage, I stroked Rai’s head while glancing over the rows of people standing in formation.

Let’s see… this strong aura… they’re knights.

It seemed like an entire knight order had come out.

Their formal uniforms, rather than armor, likely signified respect and consideration, ensuring we didn’t feel threatened.

“I’m scared, Gale-nim!”

“I’ll protect you, Withry!”

“Are you two… planning to get down after I hit you, or will you just get down now?”

Despite the situation, Gale and Withry were dragging their feet, as if they were acting in a third-rate romance drama.

Once they finally got off the carriage, Enk and Chad followed without hesitation, joining me in a neat line as if they were relying on me.

These guys only ever act like this when they need something. Looks like I need to straighten them out.

“Stand properly! Now!”

“Geenie… cut us some slack. We’re not used to this kind of situation!”

“Exactly! We have no idea what’s going on, and… it’s scary, Geenie-nim.”

“Yeah, I’m scared too—”

I wasn’t used to this either.

And Chad, wipe the sleep from your eyes before saying you’re scared!

I cut Chad off and spoke firmly.

“Ash and Lox aren’t here. That makes me the leader. So, straighten up and stand tall!”

[Stand tall! Puhihi.]

“Tch, why are you the leader?”

“Then go ahead and stand at the front.”