A Noble Spirit Summoned

…

With warm morning sunlight streaming into his room, Joseph awoke groggy and tired, though at least the aches in his body had vanished. Yawn. “Ugh, a shitty bed has never felt so comfortable.”

Sitting up only to flop back down, he stretched until his joints popped, relishing the rare feeling of a good night’s sleep. With no clocks to tell the time, he could only judge by the sun’s low position and faint glow that it was still early.

Not knowing how or why his body decided to wake at such a ridiculous hour, he stood up regardless. The groggy tiredness quickly flowed away.” Dressing in his ragged clothes from earth, he quietly wandered the guild house, unsure if the others were awake.

Besides the 8 tiny bedrooms, only a storage room stuffed with odds and ends was on the 4th floor, while the 5th was little more than a lookout with a few dusty artifacts.

Heading all the way down, he stopped first at the outdoor toilet before dousing himself with cold magical water to shake off the rest of his grogginess, then dipped in the steaming bath.

Breakfast was simple—day-old bread and slices of cold meat pulled from what looked and acted like a fridge. Except this machine hummed with magical energies instead of electricity, a small blue crystal embedded in the back, with purple lines forming dozens of different patterns on the inner walls.

Sitting at the bar, he chewed thoughtfully, looking around at the mismatch of modern but also primitive equipment.

‘Fridges, huh? Saves me the trouble of designing one I guess, I did consider that a possible source of income though. The toilet’s less modern, though calling a pit with what looked like a slime at the bottom, an “upgrade” is questionable.

Wonder if the upstairs one’s better—or I’ll still need to sort something out. Can’t be running outside every time I need to piss.’

Refilling his plate and grabbing a large wooden cup of water, he pulled out a notebook and pencil Han had given him. Scribbling in English, he listed his plans for the day and week—mostly skills he wanted to attempt.

Quiet, uneven footsteps descended the stairs. Joseph kept writing, not one for pleasantries unless necessary. But the other person spoke up.

“Good morning, Joseph. I hope you managed some rest. Those old beds aren’t much, but I’ll see what I can do to improve things soon.”

Joseph glanced left. Osric, pale and sickly with his striking white hair, moved carefully into the kitchen. Wrapped in a robe over nightclothes, he busied himself steeping dried leaves in hot water.

“Compared to sleeping on the floor, it was fine,” Joseph muttered, head bent over his notes.

Osric smiled faintly, pouring tea into a cup. “Tea?”

“I’m good.”

Still, Osric carried the pot and a spare cup to the bar, sitting beside him. Steam curled as he sipped, voice calm. “Plans for today?”

Joseph shrugged. “Hunt, train. Unless Han ropes me into something.”

“Han told me of your arrangement—with Tokko, was it? I apologize for not being too sure, she was quite… reserved.” Osric’s smile was warm, with a hint of embarrassment.

“It is Tokko.”

Osric tilted his head, looking determined to break through the brick wall in front of him. “Have you known her long? She seemed very distraught when you didn’t return last night.”

Joseph paused, then shrugged again. “Few days. I don’t control her every behavior, but soon enough she will hopefully not do that as much.”

Respecting the cold answer, Osric changed topic. “May I ask what language you’re writing in? I consider myself well-versed, but I don’t recognize it.”

“…Nothing special. Just my homeland’s.”

“Your homeland?” Osric’s gaze softened. “Rare, for a lost one to remember their tongue. Most forget entirely… whole cultures, languages, knowledge—all lost. Tragic, really.” He caught himself, lowering the cup. “Ah—thoughtless of me. Forgive that.”

“Eh,” Joseph leaned back, closing the notebook. “I don’t dwell on it.”

Smiling faintly, Osric stood and looked Joseph’s way. “I admire that. Moving on is one of the hardest things to do in life. I’m envious.” Osric’s gaze lingered in the air, with a clear story to tell. Regardless he soon brought himself back and refilled his empty cup.

“Anyway I won’t bother you further, I’ve a lot of paperwork to file over these next few days. Can’t have you all branded as criminals without documentation—the kingdom takes such things quite seriously. If you need me, my office door is always open. Help yourself to the tea if you would like.”

Joseph nodded him off, the fragrant, slightly sweet smell from the tea wafting into his nose. Too curious, he reached for the pot, pouring himself a cup anyway.

Later, with an empty jug left over on the counter, he left the house and stood on the hill beyond what he had learned was the guild’s barrier, preventing unauthorized people and monsters from entering the compound.

‘No monsters, no people, only insects and birds. Perfect for testing.’ He thought, looking over his skill list.

Raising his hand, he merely thought of a skill; the ground glowed and winds swirled, pulling in leaves and loose debris until a faint vortex formed. A greenish hue bled into the air as spirits lent their power, then coalesced into a hovering orb.

Nausea swept through him as a glowing figure emerged: a falcon, radiant and green-feathered. Soon the figure came together, creating a semi-solid form as it hovered mid-air, wings still.

“Ah… a human. At last. Centuries may have passed since one worthy called me. You should be honored—I am prepared to offer you a contract, a once-in-an-epoch chance to allow you a portion of my strength. Even the….”

Its voice was pompous, a noble’s act as it kept spewing nonsense, only annoying Joseph as it spoke.

Joseph stared flatly, cutting it off mid-sentence. “Shut up and skip the performance. What can you actually do?”

The falcon faltered but puffed its chest. “I command the sky itself. The breath of the wind is mine—few mortals can wield it. How dare you tell one such as myself to, ‘shut up’.”

“And yet you’re here, begging the first summoner you got. You’re still just a lesser spirit, so shut up and get rid of the performance.”

For a moment its beak clicked shut. “Let’s say certain doors are closing. You… slipped in before the last one shut.” Closing one eye, it still tried to keep an air of nobility, though it had sunk heavily.

Looking over it, disinterested, Joseph couldn’t care less about its personal problems. “Not my problem. I only care if you’re worth it to me, otherwise you’re wasting my time.”

It gave a cough, wing bending impossibly to its beak like a human arm, then shifted its tone, feigning cleverness.

“Would you really pass this up? Every step faster, every escape certain—survival itself for a sliver of space in your service. I’m not offering tricks, human. I’m offering you a second life… in effect.”

As the spirit whispered those last few words under its breath, Joseph smirked faintly. “’ in effect, huh? Are you unable to lie about what you’re actually able to do?”

The falcon’s smile faltered and twitched, trying to explain itself. “How dare you… I do…”

“Shut it.” Cutting it off rudely once again, Joseph’s eyes lost even more interest. “While what you offer does sound useful, it’s nothing I can’t sort out through other means. So, good riddance.”

“Wai—”

The falcon vanished as Joseph cut off the skill with a thought. Dissatisfied, he moved into the forest. ‘So much for my first spirit being something super rare and awesome. Guess I’m not the protagonist after all… maybe I could get Han to summon one for me?’