I've Inherited the Summoning Skill, So I'm Going to Try to Master It! - Episode 7: In Other Words, His Majesty the King Has a Headache

Episode 7: In Other Words, His Majesty the King Has a Headache

In front of me right now is a fluffy creature the size of a puppy. With such an exceptional being before me, how could I resist the urge to fluff it? No, I cannot. 

With that decided, I picked up Lagios, who had been reduced to the size of a puppy. 

“Foooohhh…!” 

Mmm, amazing! What an absolutely wonderful texture and feel. I could tell from its appearance that it would be fluffy. But actually touching it revealed a fluffiness far beyond my imagination. It was soft—softer than the finest down comforter. 

When I ran my fingers through its fur, they slipped through without the slightest resistance. The sensation was smoother than silk. Incredible. I could do this forever. 

Unable to resist my instincts, I rubbed Lagios against my cheek. 

This is too amazingggg!!

“Ahem, Prince Rufus?” 

Selvus’ voice snapped me back to reality. Apparently, I had wandered off to another world. Judging by Selvus’ confused tone, I must have been making quite the face. I’d better calm down. 

“Ah, um, Lala, could you make some tea?” 

“Yes, I’ll prepare it right away!” 

To settle everyone down, I returned to the table. Lagios was perched on my lap, and Pii-chan sat on my shoulder. It seemed my Bardon familiar had been officially registered as “Pii-chan”. Since it didn’t cause any issues, I supposed it wasn’t a problem. 

“Ahh, the tea is delicious. Thank you… Lala, you’re really good at making tea.” 

“Thank you. I’ve been practicing regularly.” 

Lala’s shy smile was absolutely charming. I couldn’t help but wonder about her age, though. 

Selvus had been sipping tea to quench his thirst. As I observed Lala, he placed his teacup back on the table. 

“Prince Rufus, this is a very serious situation.” 

“Y-Yeah. Good luck with that, Selvus.” 

Selvus gave me a look as though he were staring at a demon. 

Hang in there, Selvus. You’re the best in the Summoning Guild! …………………No good? 

“Do I really have to make the report myself?” 

“…I believe that would be necessary. You are not only the Guild Master, Prince Rufus, but also the one who successfully performed the summoning.” 

“Well then, if Selvus and Lala can succeed, we can all report together!” 

Ah, Lala froze. This isn’t good. Successfully summoning a magical creature requires a detailed image and a strong determination of “I will summon this.” If her spirit is already broken, it’s likely impossible for Lala to succeed. 

Selvus still looked slightly better, so there was some hope for him, but… 

As expected, it didn’t work. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say, “It didn’t work *today*.” With continued practice and confidence-building, they might eventually succeed. 

“Let’s start with summoning a talking Marmot.” 

“That seems highly unlikely. But given that Prince Rufus successfully summoned a talking magical creature, it must be possible.” 

Selvus was trying to convince himself. Meanwhile, Lala remained frozen. Did she dislike the idea of talking to His Majesty so much? Poor Father, getting disliked like that. 

“Prince Rufus, aren’t you going to summon the Marmot?” 

“I think I’ll stop for today. I’m already at two outs.” 

“Two outs?” 

“Ah, it’s nothing.” 

If I summoned a talking Marmot now, it would be three outs. Though we’d still be in the bottom of the first inning, it was better to play it safe. 

— 

After finishing my tea, I was reluctantly persuaded by Balt and Ray to report to my father, His Majesty the King. I tried hard to argue, “We don’t need to do it today, right?” But they insisted, “Problems should be reported immediately.” So I had no choice but to comply. 

It seems that both Balt and Ray agree that I’ve messed up. What a coincidence. I think so too.  

Oh, woe is me. Why did it come to this? All I did was test the potential of my summoning skills.  

“There’s no need to make such a face, my master. This Lagios will absolutely protect you. I assume I can use a flame breath the moment we encounter trouble?”  

“Please don’t. Lagios, stand by until I give the order.”  

Apparently, my reliable partner is a bit of a hothead. I should teach it to “stay” as soon as possible. As for Pii-chan…….. it looks like it’s practicing snapping its beak quickly. That’s definitely for a sneak attack the moment someone appears!  

“Pii-chan, you also wait for my orders, okay?”  

“Pii-chan………….”  

Why do they look so disappointed? And why are all the magical creatures I’ve summoned such extremists?  

As I mulled this over, we reached the door to His Majesty the King’s office. On the way, I’d gotten more than a few double-takes and even triple-takes from passersby. It’s probably impossible to disguise Lagios as a puppy. With those two golden, spiraling horns gleaming brightly, it was likely never an option to begin with.  

“Your Majesty, it’s Rufus. I’m here to report an emergency situation!”  

A few seconds later, the door to the office was opened by one of the king’s knights. The knight’s eyes widened in shock. I gave him a smile and stepped inside. Then, I met His Majesty’s gaze.  

His eyes darted back and forth between me and Lagios three times.  

“How did it come to this?”  

His Majesty buried his head in his hands.  

Father, you have to face reality. You can’t run away!