I've Inherited the Summoning Skill, So I'm Going to Try to Master It! - Episode 21: In Other Words, I'm Not Scared

Episode 21: In Other Words, I’m Not Scared  

While waiting quietly at the Summoning Guild with Ray, Balt soon returned. Behind him, for some reason, was also Brother Leonard.  

Ah, I see how it is. In exchange for permission, His Majesty the King must have ordered Brother Leonard to come along with us.  

“I heard, Rufus. You want to go to the basement? That’s unusual for a scaredy-cat like you,” 

Brother Leonard said, chuckling.  

Wait… are there ghosts in the basement? No one told me that! When I think of basements, I think of secret rooms, treasure vaults, and… ghost stories!  

“Rufus-sama?”  

“Uh, um…”  

“Come on, Rufus. Since you got permission from His Majesty, let’s go. To the basement.”  

Brother Leonard looked genuinely happy. Was he enjoying the fact that I was scared? Everyone has something they’re afraid of, okay?  

What should I do? Should I refuse?  

“Don’t tell me….… you’re too scared to go now?”  

“I-I’m going! Let’s go, Lagios, Beartolt, Cayenne. Pii-chan and Ochun, you two stay here and be models for Lala.”  

“Pii-chan!”

“Chun-chuun!”  

It’s fine. I have my companions with me. Even if a ghost shows up, they’ll protect me. Lagios is dog-like, Beartolt is monkey-like, and Cayenne is lizard-like. Wait… would swapping Cayenne and Ochun create a better balance?  

Brother Leonard led me through the castle. We were in a private area only accessible to the royal family. No nobles, and of course, no commoners, were allowed here.  

“B-Brother Leonard, where exactly are we going?”  

“Just ahead. Look, you can see the door now.”  

In the distance, an old, worn-out door came into view. It was blackened with soot and seemed to be made of metal.  

In an era where wooden doors were the norm, a metal door was extremely rare. It felt like something dangerous was sealed behind it. Upon closer inspection, there were strange markings on the surface. Is this really safe?  

“Brother Leonard?”  

“Beyond here is the entrance to the basement. Hardly anyone comes here, not even long-time castle staff.”  

Seriously? Then why are soldiers guarding a door that no one is supposed to approach? There’s definitely something behind it. Maybe something that’s been sealed away. Instinctively, I hugged Lagios tightly.  

“Master, I sense something from beyond this door.”  

“Don’t say that, Lagios. It’s not a ghost, right?”  

“I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure.”  

“What’s the matter, Rufus? You haven’t even opened the door yet, and you’re already thinking of turning back?”  

“Ugh…!”  

If I turned back now, His Majesty would definitely laugh at me later. I know the truth—Brother Leonard is one of His Majesty’s informants. That means I have no choice.  

I held onto Lagios tightly, placed Cayenne on my shoulder, and had Beartolt guard behind me. Actually, since Beartolt seemed like it’d be good at defense, should I have it in front instead?  

“Alright, let’s go. Open the door, will you? We have His Majesty’s permission.”  

Brother Leonard showed a piece of paper to the soldiers standing guard. After saluting, the soldiers opened the door—only halfway.  

Why not all the way?! That just makes it scarier!  

“Um, Brother Leonard, what exactly is beyond this door?”  

“You’ll find out when we go in.”  

Brother Leonard smirked. Stingy! At least let me mentally prepare myself!  

He casted a light spell, illuminating the pitch-black corridor beyond the door. Naturally, there were no lights in the passage. There were sconces here and there, so it seemed possible to light them.  

The darkness made me uneasy. I wished I could use a light spell like Brother Leonard.  

Wait! I can summon a magical creature that serves as a light source instead! Genius!  

“In the name of Rufus Eladoria, I command you—manifest, Lightmoth!”

A glowing marimo appeared in the palm of my hand. It was green in color. But the light it emitted was completely transparent. As I had hoped, the Lightmoth illuminated the surroundings. Now, there was nothing to be afraid of.  

(Note:

Marimo

)

Suddenly, the area behind me lit up. It startled Brother Leonard and it made him turn around. I flashed him a smug look.  

“Was that the Summoning Skill? I wish I could have seen the moment you called forth the magical creature, Rufus.”  

“Really? In that case, I’ll show you again.”  

This time, I summoned the Lightmoth right in front of Brother Leonard. The previous Lightmoth had been resting on my hand. It disappeared with a soft *poof*, and a new one appeared in its place.  

I see. It seems that a single person can’t summon multiple creatures of the same type at once.  

Well, that makes sense. If I could summon a whole army of Lagios, I might be able to destroy an entire kingdom. If that were possible, Summoning Skills would definitely be considered a major threat. Not that it really matters—my magic power wouldn’t be able to sustain such a feat anyway. This is all just hypothetical, of course. I never had any intention of doing something like that in the first place.  

“That’s amazing. Once summoned, does the magical creature stay in this world indefinitely?”  

“Unless I specifically command it to remain, it seems to return when I go to sleep. Of course, I can also command it to return anytime I want.”  

“I see. So that means if the summoner loses consciousness, the magical creature disappears? Hmm…”  

It looked like Brother Leonard was thinking about scenarios where an enemy summoner appeared. Even if a powerful magical creature was summoned, taking down the summoner would resolve the issue. That must be what he was considering.