I've Inherited the Summoning Skill, So I'm Going to Try to Master It! - Episode 44: In Other Words, Mother is Amazing

Episode 44: In Other Words, Mother is Amazing  

During dinner, I asked Balt and the others to inform Selvus and Lala that I had summoned two more magical creatures. That way, they’d more or less understand the situation. And I wouldn’t end up surprising them at the Summoning Guild tomorrow.  

“Ever since Rufus inherited the Summoning Skill, things have been anything but calm. When Leonard inherited the Sword Saint Skill, that was tough too. But this is on another level.”  

“What was so tough about it?”  

“He went around challenging knights to duels. The knights were unable to go all out against a prince. Yet, they were also unable to simply brush him off. They naturally ended up with an alarming number of injuries.”  

…………What were you even doing, Brother Leonard? That’s just full-on berserker behavior.  

I get that he was happy. But if I were in his shoes, I think I would’ve shown some restraint… Probably.  

The conversation drifted into Brother Leonard’s various blunders, which conveniently took the heat off my own mistakes.  

Thanks, Brother Leonard. I owe you one.  

—

After somehow making it through dinner without further incident, I was relaxing in the salon. It was when Mother suddenly arrived.  

……….…Wait, is this one of those times where I get scolded privately?  

Right now, only the royal guards are present. I should have summoned my trusted allies while I had the chance.  

“Rufus, it’s time for your bath.”  

“Huh? Oh, right.”  

I had completely forgotten, but I had promised to take a bath with Mother and use Tia’s Wind Magic to dry her hair.  

Even though I have memories of my past life, it’s not that awkward. She’s my family, and I’m still just a kid. There’s no issue.  

With that, I followed Mother to the bathhouse.  

As expected of a royal bath, it was both luxurious and unnecessarily spacious.  

Bathing alone in this place always felt oddly lonely.  

Maybe I should start summoning everyone to join me?  

…No, that would probably get me scolded.  

While I was lost in thought, the maids helped me undress. Naturally, only female attendants were present. All of whom served directly under Mother.  

And of course, all of them were stunningly beautiful.  

If I recall correctly, most of them were second or third daughters of noble families. Apparently, serving the royal family adds to their status. It makes it easier to secure good marriage prospects.  

Noble kids really have it rough.  

Once undressed, I headed to the bath. I made sure to wash up thoroughly beforehand—though, in my case, that meant being washed.  

Being surrounded by beautiful women as they washed me…  

I’m used to it now. But at first, it was incredibly nerve-wracking.  

“Rufus, could you show me Undine?”  

“I don’t doubt you, but… Are you sure? She appears as a semi-transparent girl. Her name is Aqua.”  

“A semi-transparent girl… I see. That’s fine.”  

Mother furrowed her brows momentarily. Before she smoothed them out and nodded.  

That meant I had to look at her directly. But I made sure not to lower my gaze.  

Mother really doesn’t look like she has three kids.  

The eldest is already twenty, yet she hasn’t lost an ounce of her figure.  

I know she works hard to maintain it, but still—it’s impressive.  

“Alright, I’ll summon her now. In the name of Rufus Eladoria, I command you—manifest, Undine!”  

“At your call, Master.”  

Aqua appeared in the form of a jiggly little girl.  

…….…Now I’m curious. Between Aqua and Mother, which one is more jiggly?  

Mother seemed to be handling it well.  

As expected, mentally preparing herself beforehand made a big difference.  

It feels like I just discovered a new side of her.  

“So this is Aqua-chan. She’s adorable—so squishy and wobbly!”  

Mother poked Aqua, watching as she trembled like jelly without breaking apart.  

Seeing that, she seemed reassured.  

“Rufus, you really summon some unusual creatures. What exactly is your selection criteria?”  

“From picture books I read as a kid, or fairy tales I heard from everyone. I just summon creatures that I think would be nice to have around.”  

…There was no way I could tell her that I was actually using past-life knowledge from anime and games.  

She didn’t push the matter any further. So it seemed she accepted my vague answer.  

However, something else seemed to catch her interest.  

“Rufus, Aqua-chan is only capable of watering plants, correct?”

“I summoned her for watering plants, so yes, that’s her main role. But I think she should be able to use other Water Magic as well.”  

Back then, I had been so startled by the sudden plant growth that I panicked and ran off. So I never got the chance to properly test Aqua’s abilities.  

When should I test them, then?  

Now is the perfect time.  

Since we’re in a bath, it doesn’t matter if things get wet. This is the ideal environment.  

“Aqua, can you do anything besides Water Magic?”  

“I can produce hot springs.”  

“Hot springs!?”  

“Hot springs? I’ve never heard of those before.”  

That made sense. The concept of bathing had only become widespread in recent years. So it was natural that people wouldn’t know about hot springs, which are usually found in volcanic regions.  

What should I do?  

My past-life knowledge is really tempting me to take a soak in a proper hot spring……..