True Potential

Lucas gawks at me. “Nora… why’d you feel the need to piss off Boldheart like that?”

“I didn’t mean to! It just… slipped out.”

Jane lightly taps me with her elbow and whispers, “Well, I thought it was cool.”

We both giggle.

Lucas gives Jane a reprimanding glare. “Please don’t encourage her.”

I grab his arm. “Come on, Lucas! I heard what you mumbled. I know you were upset too.”

“Okay, yeah, maybe. But that doesn't mean I’d ever tell her off like that. You want to prove people like her that they’re wrong about you? You keep your head down and work hard until you can produce results they can’t deny.”

“I mean… I guess that makes sense… What were you trying to tell her earlier anyway?”

“That’s… not important.”

“Yes it is! I’d be interested!”

He adjusts his glasses. “Well, that’s too bad, because it’s none of your business.”

“Aw, come on, Lucas! Please! We’re orientation buddies! I want us to get to know each other better. Don’t you?” I press up against him and hit him with the puppy dog eyes. “Pleaaase, Lucas?”

He tries to resist, but it’s no use. “Ugh, fine! I was upset because I don’t think it’s fair to test my summon without equipment. It can’t properly use mana without the right gear, but I couldn’t bring any from home. If they’d just let me postpone my summoning tests until the end of the day so I could use the campus workshop first, I could’ve thrown something together to show them its true potential.”

“Equipment… for monsters?”

“Yeah, yeah—go ahead and laugh just like everybody else, I’m used to it by—”

“That’s so awesome!”

“...Huh?”

“That’s such a great idea, Lucas! Humans use equipment to get stronger, why not the summons that fight alongside them? You’re a genius!”

Lucas gets flustered. “I—Well, uh… I don’t know about genius.”

I turn to Jane. “Don’t you think that’s a great idea too?”

She looks off to the side. “I mean… honestly? No. It makes me pretty uncomfortable. These are monsters we’re talking about here. The idea of taking such awful, violent, senseless creatures and dressing them up like they’re human—like they’re even remotely on our level… it freaks me out.

Lucas looks away bitterly, and I drop my gaze.

“That being said—”

We both turn.

“They do give horses equipment in war sometimes… so I guess it’s a little like that… and truthfully, I’ve never been particularly good at magic, meaning with a summon as unexceptional as mine… I worry I’ll never become a worthy summoner. So if pushing down that icky feeling means becoming a stronger summoner… I could maybe live with it. Though, I have to ask, Lucas—if a summon like mine were to use equipment, what would you have in mind?

Lucas contemplates. “Well… the top of your Quill Boar is pretty hard for enemies to deal with, right? The problem is everywhere else is vulnerable and easy to target. But what if you covered those areas in armor? Suddenly it has no glaring weak points. Plus, can’t it fire its quills? What if you attached bombs to some of the quills, or coated them all in some kind of paralyzing agent? Do that, and suddenly getting hit by one becomes an infinitely bigger deal.

Jane’s eyes widen. “Is that really possible?! Could something like that be made for my summon?”

“I mean, yeah. I don’t think it’d even be that hard to—”

“Could you do that for me, Lucas? Please?”

“Jane, making equipment costs—”

“All of it! I’d cover the cost of all of it! And then some! Whatever would make it worth your time! Please?! The extra money could help you build equipment for your own summon too, right?!

Lucas’s ears do a small wiggle hearing that last part.

He adjusts his glasses. “Ahem. Well. I suppose I could make the time… for a fair price—”

Jane squeals and hops up and down. “Yes! Thank you, thank you! I promise, you won’t regret it!”

“Well, if you say so—”

“Attention!” Coldheart shouts. “Set up is now complete.” She gestures to the various targets and obstacles now strewn around the area. “For this next test, you'll be demonstrating the level of control you have over your summon. When your name is called, come up and use the course however you see fit to show us as many trained commands as possible.”

One by one, she calls up my classmates. As they’re tested, I’m shocked at the level of control each of them have over their summons. They’re all so… lame.

Most students can only command their summon to attack a stationary target—if even that—using whatever various abilities their summon has at its disposal. Even among the more skilled students, most can only manage a few extra commands, like having their summon move to a general location or return by their side.

“Littleroot!”

A massive grin spreads across my face. I walk up, summon Pudding, scoop him into my arms, and give him a few pets and a loving smile. Who needs control over your summon? All you really need is…

Teamwork!

Time to put on a little show! I throw Pudding up into the air. “Alright, Pudding—have fun!”

“Squeeee!”

Pudding spins in the air, lobbing slime at targets all around the course and hitting every one dead on. After landing he bounces, rolls, weaves, climbs, and slides his way through every obstacle in the course with effortless finesse.

I peek behind me. All the students' heads are bobbing back and forth as they follow Pudding’s every movement in stunned silence—much like Vincent once did—their mouths hanging wide open.

Hm. Not bad… but I think we can do a little better!

“How about you play them a little music, Pudding?”

“Squee!”

Pudding hops in front of a set of metal targets and fires at them in a rhythmic pattern, their clangs filling the air with a fun little jingle while he happily squeaks along in the closest thing a slime has to singing.

“Dance break!”

Pudding slides around me as we both do a little jig.

“Herb time!” Having learned my lesson from before, I sorted my herbs while we waited for our turn. Now I can quickly feed Pudding exactly what he needs before each display of his adorable prowess.

“Shrink!” Pudding becomes so tiny it’s almost like he disappears.

“Where’d he go?” I ask, pretending to search for him.

“Expand!” He grows several meters tall, sweeping me off my feet and lifting me into the air atop him.

“Squeeeeee.” He rings out, now in a much deeper pitch.

“Eject!” He spews a geyser of slime at a target, shrinking back down to normal size as I hop off halfway through. Once he’s finished, I whip out the next herb.

“Bouncier!” He starts jumps up and down, reaching higher and higher with each leap—

“Harder!” I hand him an herb on his way up, and atop his final bounce, several meters in the air, the next herb takes effect. He solidifies—falling to the ground with a thud.

“Time for the finale, Pudding!”

“Squee squee!”

“Fire!” He shoots out a fireball, lighting a small patch of grass aflame.

“Wind!” He lets out a gust, spreading them across more of the grass.

“Water!” He weakens the flames, hitting them with a stream of water.

“Earth!” Then finally he spews out a pile of dirt, extinguishing the flames.

“Tadaa!” I strike a pose for the crowd, losing myself in the performance, having completely forgotten this is supposed to be an exam.

The other students erupt into confused chatter, unable to comprehend what they just witnessed.

Pudding tackles me to the ground as he leaps into my arms. “Squee-squee-squeeee!”

I can’t help but giggle as I give him a warm embrace and a small nuzzle. “Pudding, you were amazing! Great job, bud—”

“Vincent.” Coldheart turns to him with a serious look on her face—no anger—only uncertainty. “What is this? Who is this girl?”

“I already told you.” He smirks. “She’s special.”

“Afraid you’re gonna lose the bet, now?” I taunt. I stretch my eyelids wide with my fingers and stick my tongue out at her.

Coldheart snaps back into her usual foul mood. “Why you disrespectful little—”

“Remarkable.” The old man from before steps forward. “Truly remarkable.” He turns to Vincent. “Vincent, you do realize what you’ve just brought me, don’t you?”

“Just wait until you hear how she contracted her summon.”

He laughs. “Ho ho! I’m sure it’ll be most enlightening!” He turns to me. “And you, little missy, good show. Exams like these do tend to be rather dull, I appreciate your brightening things up a little. Most impressive.”

I beam. “Thanks!”

The man claps twice. “Now, let us resume. You may continue Miss Boldheart.”

She calls up the next student, and after de-summoning Pudding, I head back in line.

“So, what’d you think?” I ask Lucas.

“Nora…” he sighs. “I can’t even begin to process what I just saw.”

“No—I mean, the herbs!” I grab his hands. “We’re the same!”

Flustered, he looks away. “And how in the world did you come to that c-conclusion?!”

“Our summons! They may seem weak on the surface, but if you take the time to truly understand them—to meet their needs—you can bring out their true potential! I think that’s what we both see that everyone else misses—the true potential in monsters.”

His expression shifts as he turns to look at me. I can see it in his eyes. Deep down, he knows I’m right. At least a little. I’m confident I’ve finally found someone who understands monsters the way I do.

After staring for a moment, he shakes his head and pulls his hands away. “A-anyway, true or not—you gotta learn to give people more personal space. It’s not normal to be so… touchy.”

I turn to Jane, who was eavesdropping on our conversation.

She shakes her head. “It’s not.”

“Oh, okay.” I turn back to Lucas, pat him on the back a few times, and give him a smile. “Understood.”

He sighs. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

We go back to watching the remaining students take their turns while I jot down notes, just as I did during the first test. These summoners’ control over their summons may not be impressive, but the summons themselves sure are.

After the last student finishes, I tuck my encyclopedia away.

As the staff begins clearing away the equipment, Coldheart announces, “That concludes the summoning portion of the exam. Next, we’ll be evaluating your spellcasting.” She looks my way and shoots me a spiteful glare.

I return it with a smirk. Coldheart has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.

I’m only just getting started!