Rise of the Weakest Summoner

“Absolutely not!” Miria protested right away, crossing her arms over her chest.

Oria turned to her daughter. “Miria…”

“No! This is different! Earlier, it was clearly the best option, but you aren’t going to risk yourself as bait again so soon!” The younger Pantherkin wasn’t having it. “There are other things we can still consider or come up with!”

“I understand your worry, but you should already know that I’m not as defenseless as you imagine, even if I’m not much compared to you.” The older panther woman smiled kindly. “I appreciate and value how much you care about my well-being, but I must remind you we are both adults here. Just as you have the right to make your risky decisions, so have I. And I believe you’ve gathered a few of those under your belt without me nagging you much.”

Miria’s face scrunched lightly and her ears lowered too. Asterios could think of a few moments like that, with the decision to blindly jump into another realm being one in the eyes of the feline pair, no matter how well it had turned out. Besides that, there was no doubt the women had experienced plenty of tense situations before he had appeared in their lives.

Still smiling tenderly, Oria stepped closer and began lovingly caressing Miria’s ear. “The friends from my past might not be as important to me as you and your father are, but they still have a place in my heart. Just like you would, I want to make sure I can help them to the best of my ability. Don’t you agree with me?”

The panthergirl’s eyes drifted towards the wolfgirl standing a bit further away. “Yes…”

Zoe was Miria’s best friend from around her birthplace so it wasn’t surprising she was considered special. And the Blackclaw family clearly shared this one trait rather strongly, feeling supportive of their close ones, which could encompass both protection from harm and help in any necessary format, simply wanting to make the other person happy.

“So, you know perfectly well how I feel,” Oria continued softly. “If someone is coming after me, there’s a high chance they are also tracking down the rest of my team. Perhaps it’s already too late and they have gotten to my companions before locating me, but I still want to at least confirm that on my own, and in the worst-case scenario, take the revenge they deserve. Keep in mind that my friends have most likely built their own families just as I did, spending their days peacefully with their mates and children. I know of at least two who had if you recall my earlier story.”

The mention of families and children caused Miria to tense a bit. But, it wasn’t an awkward, anxious, or uncomfortable tension. No, as her gaze found Ast’s, he could feel the slowly rising anger sizzling deep in his cheerful lover’s heart. She was probably starting to imagine their happy family in the future being pursued by an unknown enemy.

“Therefore, I would be happy if we could gather some useful information and manage to warn my old acquaintances. It certainly won’t be easy finding them. That’s why interrogation is our best bet right now. The pursuer assigned to me might know something about the others or this group’s main base of operations,” the long-haired lady added. “They are undoubtedly smart so there has to be a leader. They also most likely won’t give in too easily to interrogation techniques and will be ready to take their own lives to ensure the secret doesn’t get out, drowning us in fake and misleading information masked as their desperate pleas for mercy. Subterfuge is still one of the best approaches we can take.”

Miria let out a defeated sigh and nodded faintly. “I can tell how much this means to you, Mom. And I can understand it too. Just… I think I know how you felt each time I snuck out to go on an adventure without telling anyone now… I’m sorry…”

Oria let out a cordial chuckle and hugged her daughter. “Better to realize that now rather than when you have to fret over your own kittens, dear. I didn’t get that opportunity.”

A heavy blush began surfacing on the younger feline’s face as she tried her best not to look straight at Asterios.

“I hate to break the moment, but I would suggest we move away before discussing the details of this operation,” Silvia joined in with a polite tone. “Just in case the perpetrator chooses to return in the next hour or so. That would ruin the entire plan, even if it’s not yet fully developed.”

“I agree.” Tina nodded decisively. “Though, should we do something with the structure? The bad guys might realize it was tempered with, right? I’m just worried about the village since we are technically here to stop the attacks.”

“We are now aware of the issue’s location. It shouldn’t be that problematic to rearrange our patrolling routes to favor the nearby area without making it too obvious to the culprit. In the end, a clever hunter should be able to figure out the general direction the sick beasts are coming from, just like we did,” Zoe chimed in with her professional wisdom. “We’ll have to lie, though, and say that we recognized the patterns but still need to investigate further to fully resolve the incident.”

“I don’t like it much, but I can see how this might be necessary,” Asterios agreed with her, making Zoe’s tail wag a little faster. “It’s good we didn’t use any too obvious means to dispatch these creatures. Let’s pick our kills up and leave only the corpses that died of natural causes. Including infighting.”

The canine huntress approved of this notion and they got to work, tidying up the riverbanks as quickly and carefully as they could. When they were done, Asterios cooperated with Selene and Tia to further remove their traces from the area. He spent one of his crystal tokens for a wind control spell while the fox lady assisted him with her spiritual energy, and their Dryad partner replicated all the natural scents, musks, and odors of an undisturbed creek, turning it back into the state it had been before their arrival.

Having a master of nature in their midst made things so much easier and more certain when dealing with the extremely sharp senses of beastfolk.

Satisfied with the results, their group was moved by Asterios and Umbra back to the edge of Miria’s village so that they didn’t leave any more tracks behind. From there, they casually strolled to her and Oria’s house in relative silence. Zoe hesitantly offered to return home too, but her best friend’s mom sniffed out her uneasiness and assured the wolfgirl that she was now part of their team and should not feel awkward being in the know, which Miria only reinforced.

They stepped inside and headed for the guest room, stumbling on Rook in the hallway.

“You are back. How did it go?” The blond-furred Tigerkin exchanged light pecks on the cheeks with his wife.

“We traced the issue back to its source,” Oria replied, a slightly strained smile painting her lips. “Rook, it’s happening.”

Understanding instantly dawned on the man’s face, which became partially serious. “I see. And… They know?”

He peered past the woman’s shoulder at the rest of the group and she nodded.

Rook escaped his mate’s embrace and glanced at his daughter sadly. “Miria…” 

Miria rushed to him, wrapping her father in her own hug. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m not angry. You and Mom didn’t want to make me feel confused and endanger me. I forgive you. Love you, Dad.”

Relief flooded his body and he ruffled lovingly through her hair. “Love you too, kittygirl. Now go and take a seat. I can tell you have lots to talk about. Yes, I will join you. With some tea and other refreshments.”

She let him go with scarlet cheeks, peeking back at the others. Zoe moved closer and intertwined their fingers, giving Miria’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“My mom still calls me her puppy too,” the wolfgirl admitted in a whisper and both girls giggled quietly.

They led the others the rest of the way and everyone comfortably settled down. Rook came in a few minutes later as he had promised and brought a few jugs of juice, a cute teapot, and some delicate cakes. Judging by Miria’s expression, at least a few of them were her favorite.

“Well, then. Where are we at?” he asked curiously after taking a seat.

“Bad guys put some evil trap near the village to lure Mom out,” Miria began.

“We are thinking of ways to lure them into our trap instead,” Oria continued. “I could make regular trips to the area while acting like I’m investigating the source of the trouble, having recognized it as something that might point to a connection with my past. Then, we confront the culprit and verify what they know.”

“I see.” Rook scratched his chin.

“And you are not even going to try to stop her?” The slightly surprised panthergirl raised her brows at him.

He chuckled softly. “If you think I’m able to stop your mom from doing anything when she sets her mind—”

“Rook, if it’s you—” Oria interrupted him, but he cut her off too.

“I know.” The Tigerkin man raised a hand and gestured at her to wait. “I know that if I wholeheartedly begged you to consider how we would feel for a moment, you would give up for our sake. And I’m not aversed to doing that. But, when we got together, I made you a promise. You never belittled who I am and what I do, always welcomed and encouraged it further. I swore to accept who you are too, with everything it included. Otherwise, it would make me a hypocrite. You are a proud warrior and I told you I would always be there for you when you need my support. So, I’m doing exactly that. Tell me what you need and how my skills can be of use to you.”

Oria looked like she wanted to bolt straight up and launch herself at him, but she held it back enough to only shake a bit in her seat. If not for the fact that she had chosen to sit with Miria, Selene, and Zoe, while he had plopped down next to Asterios and the other girls, she would most likely be draped all over his furry arm, purring lovingly.

Asterios smiled warmly, having an inkling of an idea of how his father-in-law could have possibly stolen the heart of the fierce woman that Miria’s mother was.

“This isn’t the worst plan,” he joined in, trying to act as a mediator between the mother and the daughter. “We just have to iron it out properly so that there is no room for mistakes. Zoe mentioned speaking with the hunters and the scouts to alter their routes and I think we can leave that in her reliable hands. What we can do is ensure Oria’s safety. I know you are strong, Mother, but whoever is after you knows that well too. They wouldn’t send a nobody to figure you out.”

His intentional wording successfully brought the feline lady back to the active discussion as she glanced at him curiously and then smiled dearly after realizing how she had been addressed. Unfortunately, it had the side effect of turning Miria’s face completely crimson due to such a bold way to emphasize that they were now a real family, part of the same clan or tribe.

“Thank you, Asti. I’ll gladly leave the outlining to you and your mates.” Oria grinned impishly.

He rolled his eyes with a gentle smirk. But of course, his actual mother would rope the others into calling him that. Though, he guessed if it was them, he didn’t mind. It was a form of endearment he had previously only shared with Kindra, but his life was changing, progressing. And sometime in the future, it would involve a lot of people he held close, which included quite a lot of parents-in-law. He wasn’t going to consider them any less than the kind lady who had brought him up.

“Then, we can have Umbra take up the task of watching over you in the meantime,” Asterios suggested. “If he doesn’t mind taking a short break from socializing with Kori, I think he is the best person for the job.”

~Say no more, Master,~ Umbra replied proudly.

“And his interrogation techniques will be of great help if the perpetrator proves to be difficult to work with.” Selene showed a slightly wicked smirk, hiding it behind her slender hand.

“But, this only works if the culprit shows up before we wrap things up with the Dragons since Umbra is going to accompany us into his sealed realm, where we aren’t sure if it will be easy and quick for us to return here at any given moment,” Miria countered with a very clever remark, Asterios had to admit. “I don’t want Master to delay this matter again or we won’t get anywhere with how much we have to do. I would rather go to the dwarves so we can help him with his memories, but I respect his promise to Umbra and Abyss.”

“This is a possibility.” Tina hummed thoughtfully.

But, before she or anyone else could give their suggestions, Miria turned to her mother with a serious expression.

“That’s why, you are going to form a bond with Master before we leave this house,” the panthergirl demanded. “You will be able to talk with everyone, and Zoe, Ronye, maybe even Selene’s tribe’s Matriarch will have enough time to react and help you out. Maybe even Grea and Bryn would agree to take turns staying in our realm so that at least one of them was around just in case. Though, I know they are supposed to be taking care of their own matters while we are gone.”

Oria faced her with a slight shock, which quickly morphed into foxy amusement. “Oh? Is my timid girl no longer embarrassed about sharing her mind with her mother?”

Even though Miria’s cheeks continued to glow scarlet, from earlier teases and the current challenge, she did not back down and kept the stern look on.

“I won’t let you endanger yourself with no way of asking for help from anyone,” she said firmly. “If this is what it takes to make sure nothing bad happens to you, then I’m not going to let my emotions stand in the way, no matter how embarrassing it is. I will put up with it. For you.”

The mature panther lady bit her lip and gazed at her confident daughter. Mere seconds passed before she scooped the young girl into her arms and the two hugged each other affectionately. Loud, content purrs filled the room, coming from both happy felines, who rubbed each other’s backs with deep love.

Rook leaned into Asterios a bit more. “I can tell she takes quite a lot after her mother. If she ever locks up with you like this, let me know, I’ll try my best to help.”

Asterios smiled fondly. “Thanks, but I think I know a way or two to handle it. She resembles both of you in certain aspects.”

His father-in-law raised a somewhat confused brow at him, but he chose not to elaborate while his ladies chuckled knowingly.

When the mother and daughter duo separated, Asterios met their eyes. “I think the thing with Grea and Bryn can be arranged. Each of them can make a gate to their homes, meaning our castle and Bryn’s ARK. If they both meet here, one will be able to return to her responsibilities while the other stands guard over Mother. Then, they regroup through the portal between them and switch, letting the second person go home. Rinse and repeat.”

“Will it work like that without you around?” Zoe asked.

“It should. Especially with how deeply we are connected.” He nodded. “But, we can always test it out first. Miria, would you mind? We need someone whose home isn’t anchored in my realm for this.”

“Of course not, Master!” Miria hopped up and walked aside, raising her personal gate next to the sofa.

A moment later, Grea’s head poked out of the swirling crimson. “Heard you talking shit about my ass.”

“No, Grea, your ass is as perfect as always.” Asterios let out an amused chuckle at the way she addressed herself. “We are just checking if there are no issues with portals between the girls since you and Bryn might soon receive an important mission to fulfill.”

“Awwwwwwwwww. Love you too, hubby.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “It must be if you mentioned it three times in one sentence.”

He shook his head at her usual antics.

“Anyway, it does seem to work fine. If you have any more questions, I’ll let you fill me in later, so you can ask them whilst.” Grea winked at him. “See ya, love!”

And she disappeared back into whatever she had been doing before they rudely interrupted their demon companion.

“There goes that.” Asterios gestured at the others. “As she said, I’ll discuss this matter with both of them later. I don’t think they will be opposed to it, though. They care about Miria as much as I do, and through proxy, about her family too. You’ll get their full support.”

“I know I can always count on all my sister-mates.” Miria gazed into the eyes of all the present girls mated to him with deep appreciation. “Okay, let’s do the ritual before I second-guess myself. Is that alright, Master?”

“Naturally.” He nodded at her shy glance, getting up to bring Miria into the preparations so she could take her mind off the issue.

They made some space in the room while Zoe answered Rook’s questions about the ritual. Selene added a thing or two during their conversation, and Oria picked up on the details while the trio talked. Asterios brought out his ornamental dagger and everything else he needed. Soon, they were ready to take the next step and both of Miria’s parents were on board with the idea.

But, that only revolved around Oria, as Rook, when given the same offer by Asterios, politely rejected it, making Miria sigh in relief on the sidelines. It was clear she might not be able to withstand the two of them being able to peek around their connection together.

As the reason why, Rook gave them something quite smart, in Ast's opinion. The man certainly knew who he was as he had said earlier. He was aware that even in the case of an emergency, he would be more of a hindrance than a help as he was a dedicated craftsman. Even with his strong bloodline and general capabilities that all beastfolk possessed.

Therefore, he claimed that he would rather stay out of the loop than stay at home stressing out when Oria got herself in trouble and he knew there was nothing he could do but still was forced to listen to everyone report the situation. Or to sense and feel his mate’s distress. Or even worse, pain. Even if he would be able to tune himself out, he was certain he would not be able to stop himself from checking on the connection.

So, he wished to remain blissfully unaware and everyone commended him for his incredibly supportive approach. For a moment, the poor Tigerkin man was surrounded by all the women who showed him how much they appreciated it and how much it made them proud by hugging him. Oria being the first in line. The others simply piled up on the pair.

After that was out of the way, they went through the ritual.

Asterios followed all the steps slowly and properly. He asked multiple times if this was what Oria wished for, then proceeded further. He took care of the sigil on her forehead, Miria offered a noble chalice to catch the blood that her mother drank, and he sealed the contract with a chaste peck onto the red sigil on her forehead. With the familiar sensation inside their bond, the Pantherkin lady was accepted into the family, bearing the mark of a Servant, just like the other mothers.

For the next few minutes, Miria insisted on teaching her how to properly hide her thoughts from others, respect their privacy, hold personal conversations, and so on. It amused Oria, but she kept her teasing to herself for the moment, understanding that she was already pushing the limits of her timid daughter. She offered Asterios a grateful nod and continued to obediently listen to the lecture.

Since it looked like it would take a while, the others escorted Zoe back into the village and Asterios decided to accompany the wolfgirl as she shared a limited amount of information with the hunting lodge and their scouts. It was a good decision as she welcomed his support whenever she couldn’t find proper words to describe the situation without revealing too much.

Afterward, they took Zoe home and returned to Kraedorion too.

A small meeting with Grea and Bryn took place, where Asterios and the other girls—save for Miria—discussed the details of their plan to catch the bad people looking for the panthergirl’s mom. Of course, Umbra was present too, as he was crucial for the operation. Until they had to leave for their quest in his realm.

But, the chance of anything happening in these few more days they had before meeting up with Rhufija of the Lesser Dragons was rather minuscule.

Having planned every possibility thoroughly, they retreated for the night, and Miria rejoined them in the bed. She was still a tad embarrassed about the whole thing, so Asterios showered her in attention and loving caresses as the girls gave them a little space by skirting to the edges. Occasionally, they joined in on reassuring their precious sister-mate until they all fell asleep.

Then, somewhere around the early morning, a voice echoed through their minds.

~I think I’m being tailed,~ Oria said tensely. ~It’s hard to verify while keeping the oblivious act.~

Flipping onto her belly, Miria groaned loudly and covered her head with her pillow. “I should have waited with the ritual until we were about to leave the realm…”

The girls laughed lightly and everyone got up right away. Asterios stole the pillow, offered his regretful mate a loving peck on the cheek, and helped Miria up too.

They had a very serious matter ahead of them.