Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 28: The Summoning Ritual

“Time’s running out. I’ve got to lift the mental magic on both of them right now.”

Salaar walked up to the weakened Huey and Hailey—Huey was still lying on the bed, and Hailey was slumped against the bedside. After giving Scintilla a “Magibase transfusion”, the two of them were basically in a semi-comatose state.

“Myss, cover me. I can’t lose focus while I’m casting,” the great hero declared.

Myss: “Undo your own suggestion first. I’m not your mother.”

The little snake, Fork, cocked its head and nudged Myss hard.

…Oh, right, the mutual protection contract. He’d almost forgotten. Myss clicked his tongue in annoyance. “…Fine, fine. Just hurry up.”

Salaar smiled at him.

This time he didn’t touch their heads with his left hand. He laced both hands over his chest in a gesture similar to praying.

Then Salaar closed his eyes and silently chanted words no one could understand. His face was emotionless, giving no clue whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Huey and Hailey’s eyes filled with golden light, and a beam burst from their mouths as if they’d swallowed a whole sun. They stiffened and tipped their heads back, the blazing beam outshining the morning light.

A full five minutes later, the light at their eyes and mouths finally died. Both of them looked like they’d been struck by a heavy hammer and fell unconscious on the spot.

Myss watched intently.

He’d never seen this trick from Salaar before. In that long darkness, Myss had only ever seen the hero strip comrades of their emotions but never restore them.

“Doesn’t look divine at all.” Fork yawned again.

The little guy had voiced his thoughts. Myss narrowed his eyes at it and tapped its tiny snake head.

Not only was it not divine, but there was something unholy about Salaar. Myss even half suspected this “great hero” wasn’t fighting to save the world but just trying to seize his territory.

“…It’s done.”

Salaar rolled his shoulders. “Let’s go. The person in charge is still waiting downstairs.”

“Father, can we leave these three in your care? If you need herbs, you can buy them from the owner. He’s got a pretty complete stock.”

Kalen nodded.

He looked at the two of them, eyes gleaming. There was no question of “this makes no sense”, but rather a “such a method actually exists?”.

“Don’t worry, I won’t take a single step away,” Father Kalen swore, while the crows outside cawed along.

……

By the time they dragged him to the church, Myss was already nodding off. Human drowsiness was terrifying; it clamped his head like a vise and kept forcing it down.

Salaar hauled Myss into the preparation room, and Myss stood there bleary-eyed. He let Salaar change his clothes for him, not wanting to lift even a finger.

“Keep your snake in check. It isn’t a Magibase. Everyone can see it.”

While fastening the collar clasp, Salaar reminded him.

Fork had left Myss’s wrist and climbed up to his collarbone, using the hollow there as a little bed. Right now it was curled up limp on the dip of his collarbone, tail draped over Myss’s shoulder, particularly conspicuous.

The silver scales against the solemn white robe made a lovely picture, but the two leads’ expressions didn’t match. Upon hearing Salaar’s warning, Myss and Fork opened their jaws in unison and gave him an enormous yawn.

Salaar gave a long sigh and picked up the half-asleep snake, weaving it into Myss’s braid.

Fork grumbled, adjusted itself into a favorite pose, and passed out like a rock.

“So it isn’t a Magibase,” Myss muttered. 

“After all, the Magicbase’s origin is unknown. I only borrowed the idea, not the principles.”

As Salaar spoke, he set the ceremonial crown on Myss’s head.

“Right. They’re born from our magic, so they’re affected one-way by our mental state.”

“However, Knife and Fork are really contract emblems, so they’re independent beings. As long as the contract stands, even if they’re destroyed, they’ll regenerate and it won’t affect you or me.”

“Then why’d you give them mouths?”

Myss felt like his Fork was a bit chatty. If they were just contract emblems, couldn’t they behave and just be snakes?

Salaar finished tidying Myss’s attire and folded his arms with satisfaction. “Because it’s fun.”

Myss: “…?”

“I think as long as the contract exists, there’s nothing wrong with being a bit more honest with each other,” Salaar said. “And it’s good for you. You can’t see through my acting, but my Knife won’t lie.”

Knife nodded. “That’s right. I’m always honest.”

Lie. Myss suspected even Salaar’s mental state would lie; the brat’s very breathing wasn’t to be trusted.

But he was so tired he didn’t have the strength to quibble over details. He also hadn’t had a proper meal all day. The Abnormal Fruit was only absorbed by his magic. His body was still weak with hunger.

As they were about to leave the preparation room, Salaar waved him over.

Myss squinted and leaned in. A candy ball was shoved into his mouth again. He bit down on it instinctively. A blast of strong mint shot straight to his crown, and his tongue flooded with icy bitterness.

He snapped awake instantly, and right on its heels came killing intent.

How had he absent-mindedly trusted the guy again? Damn it, a contract didn’t mean he could drop his guard…

Before Myss could free his tongue, Fork poked its head out of his braid first. “Are you crazy? What the hell was that? I’d just fallen asleep and it froze me awake!”

“See? The mouth’s useful. At least it can speak for you,” Salaar said mercilessly. “Off you go, Mr. Pure Soul. We’ve got five gold rings to earn.”

With that, he crunched a mint himself and sucked in a sharp breath.

Outside, a sea of radiant celebration awaited.

The great magic array gleamed. Dawn spilled from the skylights and danced over white satin. Laurel branches were edged with delicate gold, and little silver bells threw specks of golden light and chimed softly in the breeze.

On one side of the array stood excited children and their parents. On the other stood a small wooden platform like a podium. Neatly stacked on it were name lists and record books—the kind Myss had seen in Scintilla’s memories but never clearly.

The hour had come. The magic crystals began a gentle yet solemn music.

Salaar and the other five Holy Guards wore ceremonial armor and took posts at the six points of the summoning array. Eight prominent “Disciples of Mercy” stood in finery, lined up behind the mage Fabian.

Myss held a basket heaped with white rose petals and stood at Fabian’s left hand. From there, he had a perfect view of the entire array.

He didn’t need the mint now to stay sharp—this was the perfect opportunity to study the Magibases.

He lowered his eyes a little, his pupils dilating slightly.

“Upper City, Alec Orff—!”

Fabian adjusted the alchemic device at his collar, his voice ringing like a bell.

A little boy in formalwear stepped forward. He was so nervous he nearly tripped, and a sheen of sweat spread over his plump face.

In his right hand he held the tusk of some large beast, pretty patterns drawn on it in gold ink. Step by careful step, the boy walked to the array’s center and pressed the tusk down.

At the same time, Fabian covered his lips and silently recited a long spell. The tusk melted into a soft white glow… A low humming sound resounded.

In under ten seconds, a Magibase squirrel appeared before the boy.

First a vague outline floated in the air, then the squirrel’s rough shape was traced. Finally, it grew vivid and solid, almost no different from a living thing. It lay curled up quietly, as if asleep.

The boy squeezed his eyes shut, face flushing red. When the squirrel’s image fully fixed, he and the squirrel opened their eyes nearly at the same time.

“A clever Atla red squirrel. Blessings, child,” Fabian said kindly.

Then he paused meaningfully for a few seconds and made a small gesture with his left hand.

Only then did Myss realize. He half-heartedly tugged up the corners of his mouth and tossed a handful of petals toward the boy.

Fortunately, the boy’s attention was completely on the squirrel. He cupped his newly born Magibase in both hands and ran excitedly to his parents, without asking Myss for any extra blessing.

“Upper City, Alice Burt—!”

Only after confirming the last child had run back to their parents did Fabian call the next name.

Alice Burt came forward carrying a vial of—who knows what’s—blood and summoned a flying squirrel. The little girl cradled it carefully, her gaze constantly flickering toward Myss.

Not good. Myss tensed, watching the little squirt slowly edge closer.

Little girl: “Sir, could you…”

Myss cut her off stiffly. “May you have exceptional wisdom.”

Little girl: “…Okay, thanks?”

He quickly scattered a handful of rose petals and fixed his smile by picturing Salaar choking to death on the mint candy.

Maybe youngsters have sharper instincts, because hardly any other kids came to bother Myss after that. The few brave ones only got the same cookie-cutter “May you have exceptional wisdom” and left disappointed.

Fabian’s face sagged a bit, but he couldn’t point to any real mistake, so he kept going.

Myss kept watching the Magibase summoning.

This batch of kids wasn’t very gifted; they called out small Magibase animals, the largest only an otter. Maybe small ones form too fast, because he could never see them clearly.

Until—

“Lower City, Willer—!”

The boy was grimy and scrawny, his clean clothes obviously just changed into. Several children wore similar burlap outfits—probably gifts from the organizers.

The boy pinched a tuft of pig bristles and, a little timid, placed it at the center of the array.

This time the array took longer than ever to react, the gentle white glow growing dazzling. The crowd pressed in, necks craning, tiptoes lifting, eager to see better.

Myss stopped hiding his eyes under his lashes. He lifted his gaze, and his altered eyes fixed on the light.

Now he could confirm it wasn’t his eyesight, but it was that his eyes weren’t strong enough.

When a Magibase takes shape, a fiendishly complex surge of magic wells up from the array, veiling the formation process. With Myss’s current power, he still couldn’t break that screen.

…It was the first time his “vision” had been blocked.

No one noticed Myss’s changing eyes; every gaze was pinned to the boy, Willer. The phantom before him grew larger and denser until a sturdy golden jackal appeared to all.

A mid-sized carnivore!

Spotting a talent dropping from the sky, Fabian’s voice shook with excitement. “A woodland golden jackal! A woodland golden jackal! Your future is limitless, child.”

The boy hadn’t come back to himself yet and shivered on instinct. People were crowding toward him, looking like they were about to tear him apart.

Panicking, he tried to hide the jackal and glanced around in fright, then his eyes fixed on a patch of white.

The “Pure Soul” beside Fabian gave him a… indescribable smile.

That beautiful face was tugged by the “something” behind it; the smile looked perfectly pure, but not very human.

“Come here.” He mouthed the command silently.

The boy walked over like he’d been bewitched.

At least there was no greed or fanaticism in that person’s eyes; only boundless stillness. That look made him feel safe.

No one stopped him; everyone figured he wanted a blessing.

Myss lowered his head and cupped the child’s fragile face, a few strands of hair slipping down. Keeping his pupils blurred, he stared straight into the boy’s eyes.

Under the alien gaze, the boy’s pupils dilated and dilated, squeezing his irises into thin rings. He trembled; his legs gave out, but Myss’s hands held him suspended in place.

“No—no! Get away!”

Beside the boy, the invisible jackal flattened its ears and whimpered in fear, but no one could hear its cries.

Myss peered with all his might.

Sure, he couldn’t see the forming of the Magibase, but he could see the changes it brought—

A brand-new magic circuit had appeared in the boy’s body, crudely made but complete. His magic was rapidly adapting to it, like water pouring into a fresh riverbed.

This was… Huh?

Something icy slid through the fabric and crawled up Myss’s bare back. A chill jolted him, and his altered eyes snapped back to normal.

“That’s enough. Don’t hurt the kid.”

The chilly something clung to his skin and paused at the collar hidden under his neckline. “Think about the five gold rings, Myss.”

Oh. Salaar’s snake.

“May you have exceptional wisdom,” Myss said dryly, ending the probe.

He withdrew his hands and tossed a handful of white rose petals over the boy’s face. Almost at the same time, a thread of golden light slipped into the dawn and brushed the boy’s features.

Petals scented with freshness drifted down. The boy woke as if from a dream and murmured, “Thank you.”

Then Fabian enthusiastically pulled him aside to introduce him to the bigwigs playing “Disciples of Mercy.”

Not a bad haul, Myss thought.

He subtly shook his collar, trying to dislodge the uninvited snake.

But it only slithered lazily over his shoulder, down along his waist, and finally coiled calmly around his ankle like a slick shackle.

…It seemed he wouldn’t be trying anything else until the ritual fully ended.

The rest of the ceremony was unremarkable; just another small-animal expo. Everyone’s attention stayed on the kid with the jackal, curious or envious.

Before the ritual even ended, the street urchin Willer had been taken as the adopted son of some Upper City gentleman. Willer looked totally lost; at the man’s request, the Magibase jackal revealed itself and pressed close at Willer’s feet.

The crowd whispered. From time to time someone mentioned Scintilla, that “unworthy prodigy” from ten years ago.

But that had nothing to do with him, Myss thought. His mind loosened all at once, and drowsiness swallowed him again.

Myss didn’t remember how he exited. He only knew that when he next came to, he was breathing outdoor air. His view bobbed slightly, with Salaar’s nape stretched across his vision.

…Wait. Salaar’s nape?

“Don’t squirm. He’s carrying you.”

Knife poked its little mouth from his hair. “Right after the ritual ended you were moving like a sleepwalker, and you made me dizzy too!”

“We’ve already collected the payment,” Salaar volunteered before Myss could speak.

Myss let out a breath, then started to fidget, only for Knife to cinch warningly at his ankle.

“I know you don’t like this. But it’s daytime—beating someone up in public isn’t a great look. This is the most normal posture.” Salaar turned his head, his voice tinged with laughter. “Or do you want me to hold you to my chest?”

Myss instantly quieted.

“Did you forget to lift your own mental suggestion? I’ll say it again, I’m not your mother.” He eyed Salaar, suspecting some twisted maternal love.

Salaar: “Ha, that was undone ages ago.”

“When?”

“Take a guess, My~ss~?”

Myss couldn’t be bothered and switched tracks. “Listen, I want to keep that crow priest.”

Salaar: “……”

The muscles in his back tightened. “Why?”

Myss laid out what he’d found in Scintilla’s memories and promptly added a disclaimer—he emphasized his magic hadn’t turned Scintilla into a lunatic or a demented woman; she’d fainted because she was too weak.

As for what he’d just discovered in the summoning ritual, he didn’t tell Salaar. Magibase summoning wasn’t closely tied to their case anyway, and he needed to keep a few cards up his sleeve.

“…Bottom line, the kid seems straightforward. If we’re investigating V.O.R., he’s our most useful help.”

That was Myss’s summary.

“Yeah.” Salaar sighed faintly. “I don’t entirely trust him, but that’s only part of it.”

“He’s just in his early twenties—too young. If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t drag him into our mess.”

“Unfortunately, it seems my options are currently limited.”

Myss glared at the back of Salaar’s neck.

At times like this he’d suddenly remember there was a three-hundred-plus-year-old soul in that body.

Right, even with a contract, Salaar wasn’t telling him everything. So far Myss’s knowledge of the man’s past didn’t go beyond that picture book, Brave Salaar.

“What kind of person is your mother?” Thinking of the “happy family” in the album, Myss suddenly asked.

Salaar’s steps hitched, and he stayed silent for a good thirty seconds.

“Take a guess, My~ss~?” he finally shot back.

He wasn’t guessing. Myss shut his eyes, drained. If Salaar’s mother had died on the Night Scourge, the topic would only get thorny.

Anyway, he’d gotten what he wanted—

Salaar hadn’t objected. Next they could adopt Abnormal Fruit Sniffer—no, they could team up with that priest.

Hunting Abnormal Fruit while digging into the truth of the body-swap ritual—sounded pretty good.

What was that priest’s name again… Karmen? Cullen? Hmm…

With pleasant hopes for the future, Myss curved his lips and drifted back to sleep in the sunlight.

In the shadow of the light, Salaar stared ahead and walked on, steady.

The smile on his face had vanished without a trace; there wasn’t a hint of expression.

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The author has something to say:

A three-person party! Kalen successfully joins! But no one’s told Kalen yet (…

They can already queue for a dungeon: Mr. Myss, a powerful magic DPS; Mr. Salaar, a bruiser support; and Father Kalen, the tank with sky-high physical attack.

Next chapter officially wraps up arc 1 and opens up arc 2!

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