The Golden-Haired Summoner - Chapter 65

Among the group, Chad grumbled the most, but in the end, he had to puff up his chest and feign confidence as I instructed.

The knights here, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, would one day have to support Ash. And standing between them and Ash would be all of you.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing to show such a pitiful display?

“This way, please. I’ll guide you.”

Fine.

The most significant and critical trial remained.

My job was to lead these gentle lambs and tilt the “Scale of Heios” in Ash’s favor.

If it doesn’t tip, I’ll just break it.

But… Hey, are you listening, God?

The room the knights led us to wasn’t as luxurious as expected.

Unlike the dazzling exterior of the imperial palace, there was nothing flashy enough to make one’s eyes spin.

Still, with my discerning eye for fine items, I could tell that while it wasn’t gaudy, everything in the room was quite expensive.

This extended to the clothing of the man standing in the middle of the room, looking rather awkward and shy.

His outfit, dyed in deep blue, was accented with intricate golden embroidery on the cuffs and collar, and the epaulets adorning his shoulders were equally ornate.

Pointing to him respectfully, the knight introduced, “This is His Highness, the Second Prince, Aaron de Von Epiros. Pay your respects.”

I know. It’s Ash.

That jet-black hair and golden eyes, so similar to my hair color, were unmistakable.

I recognized him immediately.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t look unfamiliar, but that face was undoubtedly his.

The youthful appearance from before was gone, but he was undeniably Ash.

“Y-Your Highness?”

“H-Hic!”

“H-Hello! I am Gale, a commoner born and raised in Neikal! It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”

“I-I am… perhaps a commoner… Withry.”

The group’s reactions to meeting the prince varied widely.

Some were shocked, while others stammered through introductions.

Their efforts at decorum, awkward as they were, reflected their attempts at behaving like proper citizens of the empire.

I pondered what to say and decided to ease their tension with a playful comment.

“Hello, Ash. I mean, Your Highness Epiros. Just for today, okay?”

“Geenie!”

[Ash? That’s him? Huh?]

[Look closely. The energy feels the same. He took off the necklace enchanted with transformation magic, so his face returned to normal.]

Ash, who had been visibly embarrassed, seemed to relax slightly at my casual demeanor.

If I had panicked, things would have been even harder to manage.

Unaware that I already knew his true identity, Ash simply seemed pleased that I recognized him immediately, smiling warmly—a reaction that stirred the group once again.

“Ash…?”

“What? His Highness is Ash?”

“What? Who said that?”

“Geenie! What are you talking about?”

Gale, his face filled with shock, asked, and I responded as if it were no big deal.

“You can tell just by looking. The height and voice are the same.”

“…Huh?”

“What… What is this?”

“Ash is… His Highness. Ash is… His High… urk.”

Finally, the faint-hearted Withry collapsed backward.

Good grief.

I told them to relax.

Is this really something to faint over?

Since I knew from the beginning, I couldn’t relate.

Gale was so stunned by the mismatch between Ash and the prince that he didn’t even notice Withry collapsing.

It was Enk, who was just starting to regain his composure, who supported Withry.

“Hey! Withry? Gale, Withry’s—Lox!”

[Ooh, glasses guy! Give me that necklace. Hey, hey, give me the necklace Ash was wearing!]

Soon enough, Lox arrived.

He entered through the same door as us, and Withry was promptly laid on the nearby sofa.

The group swarmed Lox like a hive of bees, demanding answers.

Rai, meanwhile, eyed the magical item Ash had used with clear greed.

They could argue all they wanted; that guy wasn’t going to understand a word of it.

“Ash is His Highness? His Highness is Ash? What, what is this?”

“Lox! What’s going on here?”

[Necklace!]

“Ugh! My head hurts. Tell me, Lox! Did Ash become a prince?”

Wrong, Chad.

Use your brain a little more.

Ash didn’t become a prince. He was a prince all along but had been Ash.

“Calm down, everyone. I will explain everything. Ash is indeed His Highness. He is the legitimate successor to the throne of this great empire, Elan, and is currently competing for the position of Crown Prince against the First Prince. And you all have an important role to play in this trial.”

“A trial for the crown prince? Ash is… I mean, His Highness? What should we even call him?”

“Wait, does that mean Ash deceived us? Did he pretend to be a commoner just to use us for this trial or whatever? The Ash we knew wasn’t a prince!”

“Deceived us? What would a prince gain by tricking us?”

[Ugh, the necklace…]

The group’s emotions seemed to shift from shock to betrayal.

The party leader they had trusted and followed was royalty.

Not just any royalty, but the Second Prince with a claim to the throne.

To be honest, commoners don’t have much love for nobles.

And royalty? Even less.

All they ever see are taxes being collected without tangible benefits while the arrogant behavior of nobles under them only fuels their disdain.

Ash, knowing this, hesitated to speak.

He seemed aware that apologizing now would only add to the confusion.

Typically, one would wait for the group to calm down. But there was a better option: someone had to convince them.

“Everyone, quiet down. Did Ash deceive us? How? He never claimed he wasn’t a prince. We simply assumed he was a commoner. And Ash has always been genuine with us. For me, that’s enough. Is it not for you?”

“B-But… suddenly being told he’s a prince…”

“Of course, we never asked, but Ash not telling us wasn’t to deceive us intentionally.”

“I don’t feel deceived; I just don’t understand.”

The group’s confusion didn’t subside easily.

Ash approached us silently.

Then, without a word, he knelt on the floor.

Lox and the knights jumped up in shock.

Well, I had a fleeting thought that, knowing his personality, Ash might kneel.

“Your Highness Epiros!”

“Chad, Gale… Enk! And Geenie, Withry. I’m sorry for deceiving you all. But… I need your help! So please, help me.”

No need to worry about Withry, who was still passed out.

The group held their breath in the face of Ash, who had suddenly dropped to his knees.

The prince had knelt.

In front of us.

Just yesterday, he had been one of us, laughing and joking. Now, dressed in noble attire, with a changed face, he was pleading for our help.

I couldn’t say what was on everyone else’s mind, but I had already made up my own. I was the first to speak.

“If you need my strength, I’ll help you, Ash. Because you’re Ash. Whether it’s Epiros or Aaron de Von Epiros, even if your name gets longer, you’re still my friend and comrade, Ash.”

“Me too… I don’t really understand everything, but I’ll help. That’s what you need, right? When a prince kneels and asks, you’ve got to help. Of course.”

“I’m not helping you—I’m asking you to let me help, Ash. You once said you wouldn’t waste our time as your comrades. I believed those words, and they came true. So, I’ll help you.”

“Me too… I’ll help. I don’t really know what’s going on, but if there’s something I can do, just let me know.”

In the end, despite their puzzled expressions, everyone agreed to help Ash.

That was probably thanks to Ash’s good character.

Though the group still hadn’t completely calmed down from their surprise, they seemed to accept that Ash was still Ash. Ash, for his part, looked touched, his eyes slightly red.

“Everyone… thank you. Truly… thank you.”

Not so fast! You can’t start being thankful already.

Well, there’s still a lot to explain and even more to understand, but the conclusion is clear: we’re all in this to help Ash.

Hmph, if someone had held out longer…

What would have happened to them?

Probably wouldn’t have fared too well with me around.

The competition was set to take place in two days.

Ash had arrived later than Prince René and immediately started gathering his guardians.

Currently, preparations for the competition were underway, and we were each assigned rooms within the palace and treated to luxurious meals.

Ash, already busy, was often out of sight.

Though we had only spent a single day in the imperial palace, it felt like we had been enveloped in luxury.

The lacy bed and the personal servants were almost overwhelming.

Even Withry, who was in a different room but received the same treatment, seemed delighted, saying it felt like being a princess, even if it was a bit overwhelming.

She was enjoying a leisurely stroll in the garden even now.

I had been reluctantly dragged along.

Ah, I could be meditating instead…

“Geenie, look at this flower. It’s so rare… as expected of the imperial palace.”

“Huh? What flower? The red one? The yellow one?”

Withry and I had been given temporary passes allowing us to wander through certain gardens, though we weren’t permitted to leave the palace grounds.

Tch, if they were going to issue passes, they should’ve given us access to the imperial library instead.

I prefer books over flowers, especially if they’re about spirits.

“This red flower with black spots. My master once searched the mountains for it but couldn’t find it, so I remember it well.”

“Ah, these spots? This flower is said to curse the eater with bad breath for a week. It’s called the ‘Curse of Smell.’”

“Oh my, it has such an effect? Why would my master have wanted it?”

“Probably to feed it to someone. It may look pretty, but it’s infamous for its nickname.”

I had learned about this flower during my studies of spirits, hoping to find references to the Spirit of Curses.

What was its real name again?

Something ridiculously convoluted.

Anyway, “Curse of Smell” works.

“By the way, it’s a shame the dog couldn’t come in. Animals and grass just belong together, don’t they?”

Since Rai appeared as an animal, he wasn’t allowed in the palace to prevent any “accidents.” He had to stay in the room assigned to me.

Well, there wasn’t much danger in the palace, and the competition hadn’t started yet, so I didn’t mind leaving him behind. But thinking of him wriggling alone made me feel sorry for him.

“He’s not a dog; he’s Rai.”

“I know, but when I call him Rai, he doesn’t respond. If I call him ‘doggie’ or ‘mutt,’ he looks at me with annoyed eyes, though.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, and then he bares his teeth like this—‘grrrr.’ It’s like he’s saying, ‘Buzz off.’ Isn’t that strange?”

It’s not strange; it’s real.

Withry, as a spirit mage, seemed to understand Rai’s words to some extent, though she chalked it up to being a hallucination.

The flowers in the garden were lovely, but for me, the walk was unbearably dull.

I stretched slightly.

“Man, I feel so drowsy… Huh?”

“Yes? What is it, Geenie?”

“Cridit… and that woman next to him—a knight.”

Suddenly, I sensed two distinct presences.

When I turned to look, I saw Cridit and an unfamiliar woman beyond the trees decorating the garden. She exuded the solid energy characteristic of knights.

Tch, did they receive passes too?

Why did it have to be here, of all places?

The imperial palace feels so small now.

I wasn’t planning to avoid them, but it seemed they had spotted Withry and me. After a brief hesitation, they began approaching us, whispering among themselves.

A firm presence and a soft, jelly-like one brimming with hostility drew closer.

The nature of one’s energy differs depending on their training method. Knights, swordsmen, and martial artists, who train their bodies, usually have a solid energy.

This corresponds to having condensed mana.

In contrast, mages have fluid energy, like water, representing highly adaptable mana.

If knights are solid, mages are liquid.

For spirit mages like me, Withry, and Cridit, who balance mental and physical harmony, our energy feels like jelly or pudding.

No, clay might be more accurate.

It’s a flexible and resilient form of energy, somewhere between solid and liquid.

Still, isn’t it closer to liquid energy?

“Geenie, what are you doing here?”

“And what brings you here?”

I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know.

It was a situation where I had to pretend not to know.

Cridit responded to my question as if waiting for it, raising a finger adorned with multiple rings and pointing it at me.

How dare she point at me like that! Should I just bite it off?

“Hah! You’ll be shocked to hear this. You know who I was talking about, right? My ‘dear one’—it turns out he’s a prince! Oh hoho! Go ahead, faint from surprise! The one you attacked, my ‘dear one,’ is His Highness the Prince!”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Why… why aren’t you surprised? I said he’s a prince!”

“Because the ‘dear one’ I mentioned before, the one you said was dull, also happens to be His Highness the Prince.”

Cridit’s face twisted at my disinterested attitude, and she tilted her head, starting to work that not-so-bright brain of hers.

Oh, Cridit.

I could almost hear the wheels clattering in her head.

Why the hesitation? It’s not that complicated.

“So… does that mean… you’re also a guardian? Like me?”

“Ding-dong, correct. And so is Withry here.”

“Hmph! That’s nothing special! I could easily defeat someone like you! Our Prince René’s victory is assured. Oh hoho!”

Oh, really?

This from someone who awakened to magic manifestation much later than me, yet now acts so confident?

I noticed Cridit nudge the female knight beside her, as if urging her to say something.

The knight stammered as she finally spoke.

“Um… your hair… it’s short. For a woman, I mean.”

My hair?

Though it doesn’t grow fast because it’s curly, it had grown from a cropped cut to a bob.

By now, it’s quite long, actually.

And besides…

“It’s longer than yours.”

“Well… I’m a knight, so it’s fine.”

Who decided that rule?

The woman had beige hair cropped quite short. Did she forget about her own hair?

Why criticize someone else’s?

Cridit, grinning smugly as if the knight had said something brilliant, added her own insult.

“Oh hoho! Well, even for a commoner, isn’t your hair a bit too short?”

“I said her hair is shorter!”

“But Miss Nickel is a knight, so it’s fine!”

Nickel or whatever—are knights allowed this but not spirit mages?

She’s a spirit mage herself, yet… how hypocritical.

Since we were in the imperial palace and under the title of Ash’s guardians, I couldn’t just punch her.

Besides, there was also the strict rule that guardians must never fight each other. So, I could only grit my teeth.

Cridit was full of confidence now. Let’s see how long that lasts.

“Why are you picking on Geenie? Isn’t that too much? I think she looks great with short hair!”

“What? How dare this lowly thing!”

“Eek, Geenie!”

Withry had mustered up rare courage to defend me, but it didn’t even last three seconds.

As Cridit glared, Withry quickly hid behind me, clinging to my back.

While I appreciated her support, how could she lose her nerve so quickly—oh, wait. This might be useful.

I suddenly had an idea that made my eyes light up. I grinned and spoke up.

“Hey, Cridit. You’re a noble, so you must know everything, right?”

“…Of course! I’m a great noble!”

“Then you must know what that flower is good for, don’t you?”

I casually pointed at the infamous red flower with black spots, known as the “Curse of Smell.”

Cridit, who likely had no clue due to her noble upbringing, was sure to trip over this.

“Uh… that, um… Nickel! What is it?”

“I… I don’t know.”

The two whispered among themselves, but their combined brainpower wasn’t going to produce anything useful.

Those brains, after all, are what they are.

“Don’t know, huh? This flower is really… absolutely… oh-so…”

“Aha! I know! No, I mean, I ‘do’ know! It’s, uh… good for the skin, right?”

No, it’s the complete opposite. It’s something you absolutely ‘don’t’ want.

She cut me off before I could finish, trying to act knowledgeable.

“Oh my, as expected of a noble lady. You know so much. You must enjoy eating this often. It’s rare, but of course, a great noble lady like you would. So… how do you eat it?”

I plucked the flower in question and waved it in front of Cridit.

Go on, how will you eat it?

Raw? Cooked? Steeped as tea?

Either way, the smell will stick.

“You eat it… um, raw. Yes, raw! Or as tea… steeped. Well, either way, it’s good when eaten raw! Definitely!”

“Is that so? Then why don’t you have it, Miss Cridit? It’s a palace flower, but I accidentally picked it. You look like you need it more than I do, so I’ll give it to you as a favor.”

“What do you mean by that? What’s wrong with my skin…?”

“Oh, if you don’t want it, that’s fine. But why would someone who knows how to eat it refuse?”

I’d never heard of being executed for picking palace flowers. And if I get to see Cridit’s breath stink like dung, I’d gladly pick a few more.

“Who said I’m refusing? It’s because my skin isn’t bad that I’m saying this!”

“Then eat it. This flower would surely be happy to be eaten by someone as beautiful as you.”

“Oh my? What a flattering thing to say. Very well! Give it here! I’ll eat it!”

After the whip, the carrot.

Hah, the flower passed from my hand to Cridit’s.

Flower, flower, I salute your sacrifice.

May your scent linger long… in Cridit’s mouth.

Cridit glanced at me briefly, then, as if to show off, stuffed the flower into her mouth and began chewing.

She completely forgot her manners, grinding it up thoroughly.

“Pfft. Kuhuhuhu…”

Knowing the flower’s true nature, Withry couldn’t hold back her laughter.

I was no different.

“Kuhuhu…”

—

Finally, the day arrived.

The last trial, ‘the Scale of Heios,’ was to take place.

Given the significance of the event, the Emperor himself was present, along with at least a dozen high-ranking nobles seated in the hall.

And of course, knights who seemed to be acting as guards.

Quite a large crowd had gathered in the hall where the competition was to take place.

Though they all wore serious expressions, their eyes and noses were clearly searching for something.

Unable to bear it, one noble finally pinched his nose and spoke.

“…What on earth is this smell? Even with His Majesty present…”

“Indeed. Who would dare, at such an important event…”

“In all my years, I’ve never encountered such a stench.”

“Ahem…”

The murmur of discontent spread among the high-ranking nobles, some of the most prominent figures in Elan.

The smell showed no sign of dissipating, and the Emperor’s silent displeasure was evident. Meanwhile, Withry and I had to stifle our laughter, tears welling up in our eyes.

On the opposite side of the arena, Cridit stood, her face flushed as she kept her mouth firmly shut. But no matter how much she clamped her lips, that stench wasn’t going anywhere.

Her fiery gaze burned with indignation as she glared at me, a look befitting a fire spirit mage.

“It seems like the smell is coming from over there?”

“Indeed. By the way, isn’t that man Rovenin Fedri?”

“Rovenin Fedri? It is him!”

“What?!”

The men in our group, who were seeing Prince René’s guardians for the first time, were shocked to discover Rovenin among them.

An unexpected powerhouse had appeared—none other than Rovenin Fedri, known as the continent’s finest warrior and the pride of Elan.

Gale, being from Elan, looked so stunned that his eyes seemed ready to pop out.

Unaware of the gravity of the situation, Withry innocently asked Gale, “Who is Rovenin Fedri, Gale?”

“You… you don’t know? That’s ‘the’ Rovenin Fedri! The eldest son of the Fedri family, the greatest warrior clan on the continent!”

“…What?”

Withry’s dumbfounded reaction prompted everyone, including Ash, to turn and look at her with an expression that screamed, ‘Are you serious?’

Embarrassed that his girlfriend had shown such cluelessness in front of the group, Gale quickly took Withry away.

Among the remaining members, Enk muttered, “…So, who’s going to take on Rovenin?”

“Not me,” Chad immediately replied.

Come on, are you all that scared of Rovenin?

Well, I admit, his intimidating gaze is hard to handle.

Both Cridit, reeking of that foul flower, and the fierce Rovenin were eyeing me as though eager to fight.

“Hah, I’ll take on Rovenin. So, you all focus on your own matches!”

“What? You’re going to fight Rovenin Fedri? You’ll get yourself killed!”

“Exactly, he’s notorious for his ruthless strikes…”

“Then why don’t ‘you’ fight him?”

At that, both Enk and Chad clamped their mouths shut and avoided eye contact.

Honestly… just keep quiet if you’re not going to help.

As I clicked my tongue in irritation, Ash leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

“Uh, Geenie… you don’t get to choose your opponent.”

“What? Why?”

Ash hesitated before answering, “It’s… it’s just the rules. In a moment, we’ll draw lots to decide. You see that golden box over there? Inside are ten balls, and you’ll fight whoever draws the same color as you.”

“…What if teammates draw the same color?”

“Then they redraw.”

Tch, so that’s how it works?

I shifted my gaze to the white box trimmed with gold in the center of the arena.

So, we’re picking balls from that box?

Fine, I can work with this.

[Rai, come here, Rai!]

[Ssssip… Master, I want that chair!]

[Hurry up and get over here.]

Rai was currently admiring one of the luxurious chairs prepared for the guardians. Decorated with large gemstones and coated in platinum, it looked exceedingly expensive.

Rai was licking and nibbling at the chair and looked ready to swallow it whole if left alone.

[Why? What’s wrong?]

[Are you not full after all that?]

[Aww, Master, I’m never hungry, but I’m never full either. If I can eat more, why not?]

After pulling Rai away, I began to revise my plan.

Ideally, I wanted to fight Rovenin myself.

For the others, Withry, as a mid-level spirit mage, would take on the 5th-circle lightning mage. Enk, a spearman, would handle Cridit, the fire spirit mage. Chad, being a swordsman, would face Nickel, also a swordsman. Lastly, Gale, with his quick-draw style, would take on the 3rd-circle female mage.

I briefly considered pitting Cridit against Withry, but Withry, as a wind spirit mage, would be an easy match for Cridit, a fire spirit mage.

Even if Withry were more skilled, ensuring her safety took priority.

Of course, the safest option would be for me to fight a weaker opponent and secure an easy win, but… I really wanted to take on Rovenin!

[You see that box, Rai?]

[Which one? Oh, the ivory one? It looks tasty too…]

[How many hits do you want?]

[Ahh… what about it, Master? Just tell me what to do.]

Tch, his appetite really is insatiable.

I turned my gaze back to the white box in the center of the arena.

Let’s see… it’s big enough for…

[Rai, you’re going to have to get inside that box.]

[Inside the box? Why?]

[There are balls inside. I need you to manipulate the draw so that the right people get matched up.]

[Hooh, to fit inside… a snake form?]

I shook my head.

Sorry, but even a snake is too big.

There’s only one option, Rai.

[…A cockroach.]

[…What?]

[Good luck, Rai.]

Those big, pleading eyes wouldn’t work on me.

This is your destiny, Rai.

[W-What about a mouse instead…?]

[Rai, I love you.]

[…Love you too, Master. B-But a cockroach…]

[Deploy!]