I've Inherited the Summoning Skill, So I'm Going to Try to Master It! - Episode 144: In Other Words, That Means I’m Not Wrong

Episode 144: In Other Words, That Means I’m Not Wrong 

My mother’s hand stopped mid-meal. She looked at me. And instinctively, I straightened my back. 

“Rufus, you need to properly report things like that.” 

“My apologies. I was not considerate enough.” 

“Be more careful in the future. The sooner we receive reports, the more actions we can take.” 

I already knew. But it seemed my mother was making various arrangements behind the scenes without my knowledge. The same likely applied to His Majesty the King. 

Did I forget to report anything else? Oh, right. 

“Mother, Miss Flare of the Duke Flute’s family and I do not share any special relationship. So you don’t have to concern yourself unnecessarily.” 

“Oh? Is that so? But Leonard’s letter mentioned that you seemed quite close.” 

My mother tilted her head. Damn you, Brother Leonard. I regret not being able to intercept even a single letter from Liberia to the royal capital. 

Brother Leonard had a face that screamed, “Huh? Really?” Just what were you looking at, Brother Leonard? 

“I only acted as a gentleman should toward Miss Flare. It was nothing more than that.” 

“But the letter said you held hands, linked arms, and even gifted her a sword.” 

“That was when Lady Flare was in danger, to suit her mood, and as a commemorative gift when I met her.” 

“I see…” 

Ah, my mother is making a strange face. It looks like a “This guy doesn’t get it at all” kind of face! I do get it, okay? Every single one of those actions had a legitimate reason! 

“The girl who wants to become Rufus’ fiancée is going to have a tough time.” 

“Indeed. I wonder who he takes after?” 

“It’s not me.” 

The three of them chuckled. Why do I feel slightly left out? Am I wrong about something? I have no idea. 

At times like this, it’s best to subtly change the topic. 

“Mother, the ancient ruins discovered in Liberia are now open for visits at any time. Would you like to go together sometime?” 

“Since Rufus went through the trouble of negotiating with Duke Flute to secure that right, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go at least once.” 

“Indeed, let’s go! Let’s go right now!” 

“Hold on, that’s impossible. Wait until work settles down.” 

Mother shut him down immediately. His Majesty the King drooped in disappointment. It seemed even the discovery of ancient ruins wasn’t enough to overturn their power dynamic. What a shame. If only Mother had some interest in ancient ruins or magical artifacts. 

But what truly interests her is beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. 

“Is the Airship found in the ruins still non-functional? I heard it was in near-perfect condition.” 

“Unless we find a way to handle the giant magic crystal that appears to be its power source, it won’t be able to move for now.” 

“I see. So we need to figure out how to store power in a magic crystal. Rufus, do you have any leads?” 

“I assume it was a commonplace technology for the ancient people, but that’s all I can say.” 

Tora-chan didn’t seem to have a magic crystal charger, nor did we find any documents detailing how to recharge one. If we could find books recording the daily lives of ancient people, maybe we’d discover a clue. 

“We’ll need to push forward with ancient civilization research more than ever.” 

“That’s important, but don’t forget to prioritize the present as well.” 

“Of course. Strengthening the prosperity of the Eladoria Kingdom comes first. And researching the ancients is just a bonus. If we can get the Airship flying, imagine how much our kingdom would advance.” 

“Well, that’s true.” 

It seemed Mother agreed with His Majesty. I felt the same way. 

If Airships could take to the sky, we wouldn’t have to go around mountains and rivers. Travel time would be drastically reduced. 

We could bypass dangerous forests and valleys. It would improve safety and significantly expand trade routes.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that it could be used for conflict. But as long as the country manages it properly, it should be fine. 

That just makes me want to get the Airship moving even more. 

The energy stored in magic crystals is essentially magical power, right? I remember reading something like that in the user manual for a magic-powered cooking appliance. 

When I disassembled the Wind Box before, I found silver liquid patterns smeared on the inner walls—those were probably circuits for channeling magical power. 

“Perhaps magic crystals store magical power.” 

“Magical power? Hmm, that does make sense. The ancients might have used magic tools so frequently because they constantly stored their excess magical energy in magic crystals. I can’t sit still knowing this! I need to start testing immediately—” 

“Please wait. This is our enjoyable dinner time, remember?” 

Mother smiled sweetly. His Majesty, who had half-risen from his seat, obediently sat back down. As expected of Mother—the only one capable of reining in the King. 

That makes me think… In the future, someone will have to take the reins of Brother Gilliam as well. 

But is there really anyone out there who could do that?