Rise of the Weakest Summoner

Leaving the guild’s premises, Ast’s group stopped in the alleyway next to the entrance so as not to disrupt the traffic. He offered to escort their guests back to their homes through the same means they had arrived in Kraedorion. But, since they had already opened a passage near Glimmervale once or twice, he suggested giving it some time before carving another.

The ladies agreed it would be wise to be careful and decided to wait for his return in a nearby tavern. Asterios and Umbra then brought the visiting girls and Miria’s parents to the same island he had been practicing on now and then before starting to create another breach with his ability.

He took his sweet time as Althea had instructed him to and kept his focus on the spiritual inner workings of the process. No one minded the slight delay and everyone observed his efforts with clear curiosity and awe, even if it wasn’t the first time they had witnessed the ominous crevice with crimson filling. To them, realm travel was not much more than a dream. Which had come true thanks to a certain someone.

One by one, Asterios created connections with each girl’s hometown or its close vicinity, trying his best to be as accurate as possible and hopefully hitting the mark of their houses and even bedrooms. It still wasn’t easy and he would need quite a bit of practice, but it was looking better and better each time he attempted it.

Oria, Rook, and Zoe landed almost next to their homes, which wasn’t much of a surprise since their village was most likely the most familiar to Asterios. Atra was delivered back where she had been while he had come for her, though outside of the building. Then, finally, Ronye’s pathway popped up at the foot of the mountain, which made the short foxgirl sigh heavily.

She still wasn’t able to fly like Selene did so the journey up would require at least a bit of effort.

To cheer her up, Asterios stayed behind and discussed the progress she had made with the tips, notes, techniques, and other helpful materials he had given to her over the last weeks or months. Ronye couldn’t really compare to Selene in terms of development speed, but she was a talented genius and no one could deny that. Plus, it was rather apparent that being his servant, she enjoyed weaker benefits of the bond. At least the basic version of it.

About halfway up the neverending marble steps, they bid farewell and Asterios was on his way, but not without a few gentle rubs to the proud foxgirl’s fluffy ears. That seemed to improve Ronye’s mood from the slight sulk at the prospect of him needing to go as she pushed her hair more into his fingers while trying to keep a composed, unbothered expression on her pretty face.

Even if he and Selene one day departed for someplace quite far away, Lerisse’s tribe would not be left without a worthy successor to represent their kind.

Back from the trip, Asterios transferred himself to the locale where the ladies were by utilizing his shadows and raised a brow at their sitting forms gathered by one table. “Where are the others?”

Tina smiled softly. “Professor went to gather her dad, Cynthia, and Imadil to start brainstorming ideas about a spell, artifact, or device that could uphold the connection between the realms that you can create.”

“We brought out Rusi to join us and Althea took her to her lair just a moment ago!” Miria grinned at him mid-bite a tasty-looking sandwich. “She said they should continue their mentorship and also make sure Rusi can properly entice others to seriously consider our offer.”

“As for Bryn, she simply wished to handle some usual matters related to her people,” Silvia added, wiping away a bit of a tomato from the panthergirl’s cheek with an exquisite handkerchief.

“Alright. Let’s inform Irelia about our plans and get everything ready.” He nodded to himself. “This is nothing grand, but it would be nice and respectful to turn it into a small ceremony. She’s a proud young Knight in the end. My personal Knight and vassal.”

Miria inhaled the rest of her meal and eagerly jumped into his arms, unable to contain her excitement. The others chuckled at their sister-mate and they were on the road in a blink, properly settling their tab before moving out. Asterios didn’t want to abuse the kindness of the residents who often didn’t want any payment from him.

It was his little challenge to politely dissuade the business owners from rejecting being paid and the ladies enjoyed it greatly, taking part in the game too.

They strolled through the streets and reached the Richtenstein mansion soon enough. The sentries noticed their arrival and recognized them right away, opening the gate without a second wasted. Asterios nodded at the men appreciatively and led the girls to the front entrance. After pulling the rope tied to some kind of a bell system, they were greeted by a butler who quickly agreed to lead them to the guest room.

It didn’t take long for Irelia to show up, surprisingly in a casual uniform. Her jacket and pants retained a slightly boyish style, but they were definitely part of her informal attire. Asterios was thankful that she had come without her father. The man would surely be happy to hear that she was moving up the ranks, but it was also obvious he could take it the wrong way. The less pressure he put on Irelia regarding matters that were still way ahead of her the better. She deserved to be able to focus on her passion and training.

“Good afternoon, My Lord.” The young Knight curtsied kindly. “I heard you called for me?”

“Yes. First, even though I’ve already heard the rumors thanks to your dad’s quite excitable nature, let me ask you directly. What is the decision of your guardians regarding the contract we talked about?” He gestured at her to take a seat.

A small smile decorated her youthful visage. “They have permitted me to seek your further employment, My Lord. I had to skip a few things so as not to give away your secrets, but they understood the meaning of our pact well and they trust you not to abuse it. I trust you too.”

“It’s only natural!” Miria puffed out her chest, earning herself a few pats.

“Good. Then we can proceed in a few hours if you are ready,” he continued. “Make yourself presentable for a rather personal and private ceremony and meet us at the castle’s training grounds. They are empty right now as today’s a break day.”

They all caught how her adorable eyes widened happily and she stood up while attempting not to appear too eager. “Your wish is my command, My Lord. I will not be late.”

With a respectful bow, Irelia hastily scurried away. They all exchanged looks and smirked at each other. Fulfilling a bright kid’s ambition felt just way too rewarding. After the trouble she’d gone through, Irelia deserved a few moments of joy.

It wouldn’t be that long before she was the person others wouldn’t dream of messing with.

Escaping before they got caught by the rest of the family, Asterios and the girls headed back to the castle. They took a detour to the barracks and paid a visit to the section given to Tina’s squad. It wasn’t any fancier than the other buildings but had a small stable connected to it in case any of the winged tigers wanted to hang around.

One of the team’s members answered the door, but he hastily departed to fetch their second-in-command. Kathy was with them in a flash, a little bit sweaty from being in the middle of personal exercises. Asterios signaled at her that she shouldn’t worry and she stopped desperately wiping herself with a towel while jogging up to them.

“Greetings, My Lord, My Ladies, Captain.” She saluted quickly. “Is there some kind of an emergency we need to handle?”

“Not this time, thank you.” Tina shook her head. “We’ll be hosting a small ceremony today and your presence is required. Please ensure that everyone is equipped with their ceremonial gear and gathered in the northern field in less than three hours.”

A thrilling spark glinted in Kathy’s eyes, making Asterios smirk gently.

“Don’t get too excited. This one is for Irelia,” he said, capturing her attention. “But, worry not. Your turn is just around the corner.”

Kathy saluted him. “Sir, yes, sir!”

He shook his head. “I take it you haven’t leaked it yet?”

A faint curl appeared at the edge of her mouth. “I wouldn’t dare!”

“Fantastic.” Asterios nodded in approval. “We’ll leave you to your preparations, then. Do you want to stay with them, Tina?”

“Yeah.” The blue-haired girl stood on her tiptoes to place an affectionate peck on his cheek. “I’ll make sure everything is perfect and let you know when we are ready. See you later.”

Gesturing at Kathy, she walked behind the woman and disappeared into the barrack.

“So, the preparation of the stage falls onto us,” Silvia noted, glancing around. “We should probably get to it too if we don’t want to be delayed by unexpected interruptions.”

No one objected and they moved off to the side. They wanted to make it feel unique rather than the same as all the other ceremonies, so everyone decided to chime in with their own bit.

Miria jumped back home to talk to her dad. She knew he had provided the base and other elements for a stage and a full avenue during many festivals in their village. It shouldn’t be hard to borrow those for a moment, even if they are stored somewhere other than in his storage next to their house.

Selene hopped to her marble mountain and hit the stalls by the twisting merchant alleys. They all knew how magnificent the fabrics and other materials were in the domain of the Spiritual Foxes. That wasn’t limited only to clothes and the dresses the girls had worn a bunch of times. Ribbons, sashes, canopies, sheets, anything you would wish for could be found in the right place. Part of the decorations they had used for Ast’s birthday had come from the vulpine seamstresses.

As for Silvia, she had an idea. According to what she said, it would most likely take her the longest out of them and she wouldn’t be able to help with the stage. But, no one minded that and they sent the princess back to her home castle where she was supposed to prepare a nice surprise for both Irelia and them. Seeing their fiery companion so secretive only fueled the flames of curiosity in their hearts and Asterios had to pacify Miria with lots of cuddles to stop the panthergirl from pestering the flaming princess constantly through their mental channels.

Time flew rather quickly as the three of them, plus Umbra, built a nice venue. Tia kept them company, offering some advice with the stage, seemingly being able to judge the best configuration of the wooden parts even if they hadn’t come from any wood she might have helped raise in the past. The Dryad’s senses and abilities kept surprising them and Asterios truly regretted they had no way of helping her manifest amongst them.

Since they didn’t have many leads to chase after right now, figuring this out took a lower place on their list of priorities, but he really hoped they would find a solution sooner rather than later. He could technically interact with the Dryad inside the weird realm, but others had no option other than doing so indirectly through her taking over his body.

As smart as it was, it didn’t let Althea comfortably enjoy the company of her old friend.

Nevertheless, that was a matter for the future. Right now, they were almost done with the stage and the surrounding decorations. The construction itself was made of artistically charred wood that greatly combined with the scarlet fabrics Selene provided. A few of them hung above the raised platform like a protective canopy and a bunch of ribbons surrounded the base.

But, that wasn’t all. A few posts were arranged in two rows right before the stage, going away right through the middle. They too were connected by the smooth, shiny material that reflected light at various angles. Then, even the ground around the spot was tidied up. The only thing lacking was the benches or chairs for an audience, but since it was a moderately private celebration, those hadn’t been brought in.

Tina notified Asterios that they would be ready soon and that the hour they had agreed upon with Irelia was almost there. Thankfully, Silvia chose that moment to return with her surprise, carrying a few chests through the portal they opened for her. Everyone’s curiosity piqued and the lids flew open in a matter of seconds. Seeing what was inside, they all shared matching grins. Miria was jittering from excitement and made her move way ahead of everyone else.

When Kathy and the others arrived alongside their captain, the Summoner girl stared at the rest of her family with amazement in her azure eyes. She had intentionally not peeked through their eyes and it was all worth it, especially with Silvia’s gifts. Irelia was going to have the day of her life at this pace.

For the celebration, Grea, Bryn, and Althea came back from their respective matters and joined everyone. The draconic lady helped Asterios prepare a worthy chalice for his blood by growing it with her magic, enhanced by Tia’s mana. A spectacular cup was brought forth, made of the finest wood they had ever seen.

Since the time was nigh, they all took their positions and waited. The guards had already been instructed what to do for the arrival of Irelia’s family. Naturally, her parents were invited to watch. It would be disrespectful to deny them that pleasure. Asterios would have to skip the step of turning into a Dragon, but doing this in his human form was of no issue. Irelia had already seen him in his full glory anyway.

And so, the footsteps of a small patrol escorting a group of people reached their ears and everyone made final fixes to their appearance and posture. A moment later, four sentries walked the Richtenstein trio in. The family’s eyes widened instantly at the sight before them and it was clear that the only thing preventing them from freezing in place from stupor was the insistent guidance of their escorts. Miria couldn’t withhold a quiet snicker but hastily schooled her expression when Selene squinted at her.

Their reactions were to be expected. A mesmerizing venue with a fancy black stage decorated in crimson and scarlet did look rather imposing and respectful. But the more respectful part had to be the two rows on the sides of the onyx walkway made by the members of the Royal Division. Ex-members, to be precise, but that was just a small detail.

The riders sat proudly on their steeds, both dressed and geared up for an official setting. All that still bore the insignias of Silvia’s lineage, but that was more than fine. Richtensteins knew of the Royal Division and having one of its teams stand ceremonial guard to an event related to their family had to be a huge honor, if only due to the unit’s fame.

But, that wasn’t all.

Atop the stage at the back of that formation stood Asterios and his women. They had dressed up for the occasion too, though perhaps not the way the family might have expected. Each of the girls now wore a military-themed uniform jacket as their top, every single one of them in a unique, characteristic color already associated with their other dresses and outfits. To match that, they had put on silky-smooth black pants.

They looked like a row of renowned generals.

As for Asterios, he had only slightly altered his usual spiritual clothes. His coat gained a slight military styling too and he replaced the rest with a formal suit. He kept his hands on the pommel of his greatsword, which stood vertically in front of him.

Quite a stately but still welcoming and respectful display.

The guards led the trio to the beginning of the wooden black path, saluted, and were on their way. Irelia wore her full armor, the one she had received from the elves as per Ast’s request, so it was hard to peer at her face through the openings in her helmet, but they could still see her young eyes consume all the details with wonder and awe. The helmet itself was similar to those from the Demon Continent, with the front more or less open, a vertical guard extending down over the nose, and the cheekbone parts protruding towards the middle too. The only thing it lacked was the feathery mohawk at the top, but it felt better without it in her case.

If not for her mother’s gentle tap on the shoulder, she might have remained charmed by the scenery, but Irelia hastily regathered her wits and poise, giving her parents a confident nod. As they stood there with smiles on their faces, she stepped onto the path and marched respectfully through the middle with her shield on her arm.

When she reached the winged tigers, the beasts all roared in unison and their riders lifted massive flagpoles at a steep angle. The fabrics attached to them bore the emblem of Dragon Valley as they hung just above Irelia’s head. She pushed through the flapping corridor and stopped in front of the stage, which ended at around the level of her waist. Hitting her metal chestplate once, she lowered herself to one knee with her fist set against the ground.

As silence descended upon the area, Asterios nodded at her parents and glanced down at her. “Irelia Richtenstein, we welcome you and your family at the site of today’s ceremonies. With the proud members of the Royal Division to bear witness, I’m going to ask you one last, final time. Are you certain you wish to further deepen the oath you have given me and step onto a much more dedicated path of servitude to my sole person?”

“I am,” Irelia replied firmly, keeping her gaze on the ground.

“Are you ready to carry out my will no matter what it might be?” he asked.

“I am,” she answered.

For a moment, it looked like Irelia wanted to continue, but stopped herself in time. Knowing the young girl well, she might have intended to say something about believing he wouldn’t demand anything outrageous of her, deciding not to break the script in the end.

“And are you aware that accepting this gift of mine that comes with the benefits of strength, power, and spirituality, binds you to me through an ancient ritual of submission that turns you into an equivalent of a spiritual servant?” Asterios continued.

“I already am a servant of My Lord,” Irelia responded. “I am aware, and I yearn to become a retainer My Liege can trust unconditionally.”

He smiled softly and moved his attention to the pair standing at the back. “And do you, the parents and legal guardians of Irelia, agree with your daughter’s vision and give your blessing to the choice of the path of life she is going to make here and now? Speak if you have anything to say.”

Both of them glanced at each other before bringing their hands to their hearts and entering a respectful bow, raising their voices in unison. “With our blessing.”

Asterios caught how Irelia’s fist clenched and noticed through the gaps in her helmet the lightly bitten bottom lip as she did her best to blink away the happy tears that threatened to disrupt her composure. His smile grew a bit and the girls also stared at her fondly.

“So be it,” he announced. “Rise and approach.”

Irelia gracefully stood up and slowly marched to the short stairs on the side of the stage. After getting on top of it, her eyes briefly darted aside toward her parents, but she hastily refocused herself on her destination. Arriving in front of Asterios, she took off her helmet and held it under her armpit. Silvia stepped forward to take it from her for the moment and she obliged.

Althea appeared at Ast’s right with the ornate chalice while Miria took his left with his ornamental dagger in her furry hands. He dismissed part of his sleeve in crimson flames and allowed the women to draw out some of his blood from his wrist, healing himself in a flash. Accepting the chalice from his mentor, he held it ceremonially towards Irelia.

“The moment you accept my blood, you form a spiritual connection with me,” he said resolutely. “The decision belongs to you.”

They looked each other in the eyes for a few long seconds before she respectfully received the cup and held it in front of her, waiting for further instructions. Asterios nodded gently with a soft smile and dipped his finger in the scarlet liquid, tracing a small sigil on her forehead. Evaporating the blood from his skin with a tiny burst of flames, he gestured at her to continue, and Irelia took a big sip of his blood, scrunching her nose only briefly. When she was done, Althea took the chalice away, and Asterios leaned forward to place a chaste peck on the symbol he had drawn earlier.

Retreating, he could see it disappear, so the connection formed properly. He could also tell that she had received the rank of a servant. Judging by how she was glancing at herself, she could notice some change in her circuits or even soul too. It wouldn’t be much since she wasn’t a True Servant, but that option wouldn’t be on the table for quite a bit still, if ever. Asterios was happy to simply offer the kind young lady his protection without requiring anything back.

“Now, you are officially one of my people,” he informed her with a pat on her pauldron. “We will watch your achievements with great interest.”

She allowed herself a warm smile too before schooling her expression and taking a step back. Giving Asterios a polite bow, she turned towards the edge of the stage and unhurriedly drew her weapon. Holding her magnificent longsword with both hands in front of her face, she concentrated on something, and soon, it burst with a natural-looking flame, tinged a tiny bit with crimson at the edges.

Raising it over her head, Irelia released a valiant shout and sent a flaming arc through the very middle of the lined-up riders. The fire crescent ruffled all the flags before disappearing into thin air and the tigers took that as a signal to let out another booming roar together, completing the event just like it had begun.

“Such an impressive ceremony.” A familiar, manly voice reached their ears alongside the clapping sounds coming from afar. “Our own little ritual can’t even hold a candle to this.”

As everyone glanced toward the source, they found four more people standing next to Irelia’s parents. One of them wasn’t that much of a surprise since it was just Kindra, but no one would have ever expected to see her parents there too. A faint smirk on James’ aged face was the perfect evidence of that.

And to top even that, a certain tall blue-haired girl in a guild uniform waved lightly their way, causing Tina to grow so excited as to rival Miria in her most cheerful hours.

It looked like the surprises had only just begun.