Chapter 19: Flight of the Black-eared Fairy

I hadn’t known the exact reason why she was crying, but I didn’t feel as if it were my place to stop her. I couldn’t even imagine what kind of life she may have lived while bearing such a title—nor how she got it in the first place. It’s not something I’d bring up on my end either. As time slowly went by and she finally settled down, her attention was turned toward the [Flight of the Fairy] summoning that had now sat quietly atop the bed frame behind her.

“Hey, Albel, does this little one have an actual name...?”
“Hm? The hummingbird? Not really.”
“...That’s a shame, I wanted to thank it personally for helping me. Oh! Hey, how about we give it a name then? Something cute like Cruubi or Ibi?”

Her eyes were now sparkling in the bird’s direction.

“I mean, it’s just a spectral familiar, you know? I doubt the familiar being summoned is the same one every single time. It’s just a sculpted form of Primal energy taken from the land that mimics the appearance of a hummingbird after all.”
“P-primal...? Energy from the land...? Why does it sound like you’re suddenly speaking in tongues?!”

The hummingbird that I had summoned was created on the fly earlier on. Its image was similar to that of a Black-eared Fairy. It was an idea that I had thought of once before, but didn’t attempt until now. I wasn’t particularly in need of any form of healing currently and anything I would make would only be able to cast [Minor Heal] at best. It pretty much wouldn’t be effective enough to use on myself. I had even walked away from the tough battles with the Grey Grimms unscathed—thus the idea was canned entirely until today.

Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to just give it a name. It’s easier than calling it by its full summoning name or just referring to it as “hummingbird” at least.

A now smiling Eru was lying upright in bed as she began rubbing the dulled white belly of the spectral bird. She seemed more mellowed now compared to earlier, thankfully. I genuinely didn’t know how it would all turn out after what had happened. The moment she collapsed; I had caught her before she hit the ground. Her body heat felt searing even against my own skin, so I immediately moved her to the nearby bed. Using [Divination] to find the best possible way to assist her, I had learned that there was practically nothing I could do for her—since nothing was shown to me to begin with. Instead, I tried to at least relieve a bit of her pain with healing magic. And that was something I didn’t have outside of that one idea.

“Hmm. I guess ‘Cruubi’ could be fine, right? Not like we can really ask about its opinion on its own name anyways.”
“You hear that, Cruubi?! That’s your name from now on! So, thank you for helping me earlier, Cruubi.”
“...”

She continued brushing the belly of the small and silent bird with her finger, but something began to happen the moment she finished thanking it. A ripple-like glimmer had spread throughout its once spectral and dulled coat of feathers—deepening their differing colors. Its emerald-green head and back was now more saturated, as with the black mask around its eyes and beak. Within a short moment, the appearance of the bird had become far more realistic than prior. From its movements, to the way it looked at us—it seemed as if it had truly turned into a real hummingbird now.

“A-Albel...?!”
“Don’t ask me! I don’t have the slightest clue either...”
“Chirp!”
“Eh?! Cruubi just made a noise, Albel!”

I couldn’t understand a single thing about what had happened to the summoning, or what had even prompted the sudden change and why. The only thing I could do for now would be my usual. Normal spectral summons only had either their generic moniker or spell name. For the bird, Cruubi, it shouldn’t be any different. Or so I had ignorantly assumed.

Name: [Healing Fairy, Cruubi]
Rank: [Hummingbird]
Level: [10]
Class: [Summoning: Healer]
Alignment: [True Neutral]
INFO: A summoning created by "Albel" and named by "Eru". As it flutters its wings, it has the ability to provide an aura of healing via [Minor Heal]. It has no fighting capabilities, but has the potential to further its healing spells and gain more as it levels. Can passively draw energy from the lands and remain active indefinitely until recalled or destroyed. Very weak against all forms of attacks.

“Wait a second. What...? No, no, no. That can’t be right, can it? Really...?”
“Look! Look! Albel! Cruubi is sitting on my head! Aaaaa! How cute...”
“Chirp! Chirp!”

Eru began playing around with Cruubi, yet I was still in shock. I had never seen something like it before. A spectral summon that had transformed after being named—and not only that—it had the ability to learn more spells as it leveled. All summons had a Level, but it would normally be locked. Instead, you would have to switch to a variation of said summon. For example, moving from a “Lesser” to a “Greater” form. If said summon didn’t have a variation of that degree, then that had either been the peak of that type of summon or its peak had been claimed by a named variation.

Does creating an entirely new summon from scratch that wasn’t in MO bring about a different result for the summon then? Does it really allow for the summon to level and potentially evolve with just a name? If that really is the case...

I pulled out my stave, immediately delving into an impulsive and experimental mode as I extended it outward in front of me. If Cruubi could become a named summon that easily, then such could naturally apply to another summon as well. I couldn’t help but want to find out right away.

“Um, A-Albel....?”
“Don’t worry, just testing something out.”
“I think testing something out in a room of my inn definitely warrants a respectable amount of worry on my end, shouldn’t it?!”
“Just trust me. Nothing will explode or anything like that... At least, I think it won’t?”
“ALBEL?!”

Eru was being quite loud as she panicked and quickly darted to the side of the bed, holding Cruubi in her hands as she watched on intently. I didn’t see any reason for her caution here. Cruubi’s transformation went completely fine and this wasn’t something as dangerous as concentrating and condensing mana or merging three power sources.

“Summoning: [Divine Wolf].”

As a Holy, spectral wolf was summoned in front of me, the contrast in Cruubi’s animations versus the nameless wolf was far more apparent now as it simply stood motionless—waiting to be commanded. It was a self-created summon, or alteration really, of the [Winter Wolf] spell. The only difference was its attribute. Even so, like [Flight of the Fairy], it wasn’t a summon that was originally in MO. It should in theory bring about the same result. Thinking back on how Cruubi transformed, I simply tried to mimic the process.

“Let’s see... From now on, your name shall be Jiro. Okay, Jiro?“
“...”

As I waited several seconds, nothing had happened. The [Divine Wolf] continued to stare with no other reaction at all. No glimmer, no random yip of celebration toward its new found name and power. I was met with absolutely nothing of worth, simply silence and an awkward stare down with the summon.

Huh? This wasn’t supposed to happen... Did I do something wrong? Was it not that simple then?

“A-are you done yet? Nothing happened, right...?”
“So, that’s how it looks to you too, huh? Seems like it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Ugh, how frustrating. I was pretty sure it would work...”
“Maybe it only works under certain circumstances? Or Cruubi is just special and not every summon can be like it, right, Cruubi? Second to none!”
“Chirp!”

I recalled the spectral wolf, slumping back into my chair in dejection. For now, it was a failed experiment. Like Eru stated, I could only assume that there was other conditions or restrictions in place that I needed to meet or avoid first. That being said, I was absolutely exhausted now. It had been a rather long week and I could feel my brain turning to mush the more I tried to think. I still hadn’t restored my Divination uses either, which was back down to a single one after the incident from earlier. I was ready to turn myself in for the rest of the day.

Hold on. That reminds me...

“Hey, Eru?”
“Yes?”
“You know, you’ve been acting rather comfortable on the bed that I paid a week for—in advance. It’s been what, a few hours already?”
“Huh...?”

She had repositioned herself back on the bed after my failed naming experiment. Occupied with Cruubi, she was holding it against her cheek, glancing at me in a frantic manner as her eyes darted back and forth around the room. It was as if she finally noticed that she was making herself at home in a room that was supposedly rented out to someone else. I couldn’t seriously fault her for it, but I was honestly getting tired enough to just drop on that same bed at any moment.

“U-um, you see, I...”

She slowly began lifting herself from the bed, adjusting the covers in tidied manner, as she then tiptoed her way toward the doorway. Making it to the door, she opened it slightly and then stopped. She was still holding Cruubi in the palm of her hands. Her eyes once more darted to me, then to the small bird—back and forth.

Of course.

I sighed aloud and nodded to her. She smiled brightly and took Cruubi along with her outside the room. Before closing the door completely, she popped her head in one last time for some words of farewell.

“Oh, um, please have a good rest, Albel.”
“I will, thanks, Eru. We can talk more later.”
“Mhm.”

I was now left in the room alone as I made my way to the bed—doing exactly what I figured I’d do. Dropping onto the bed, it was far more comforting than I thought it would be. It felt as if it were part cloud, and yet, still sturdy enough to not further inconvenience one’s back. It was perfectly balanced.

“That’s Druhwood for you again. Aaaah. It’s been over a week since I had a real bed to lay on too.”

There’s also still THAT as well. The hot springs! But as much as I want to head over...

I could feel my eyes getting heavier as my back sank deeper into the bed. Thanks to that, I could easily tell. I’d—without a doubt—end up falling asleep inside if I headed over in my current condition. Instead, I decided to reflect on the day for a bit. It was filled with a variety of information after all. Eru’s status and nature being the most notable.

There was also Chief Torrel as well. Eru’s grandfather. Hm? That’s right... He didn’t have the “Other” factor in his rank though, did he? Did she not inherit that from her parents? But even then.

If she was an Aberrant, then it had to run in the family. And yet, her grandfather didn’t have a similar rank to her. It wasn’t something that would skip a generation either. Just as the royalty in Nefra was headed by an Aberrant, her predecessor, the Crethian King had been one as well in MO. It was intertwined in his lineage—his blood. That being said, it didn’t mean that anyone who was an Aberrant was of Crethian royal blood though.

“Maybe I’ll ask her about it next time... It’s surprising though. I didn’t think I’d say as much as I did about myself today...”

It was a weird feeling, since I had always been one to mostly keep to myself in my original world. In regards to Marna, she had already known a few things about me, so I didn’t have to say as much to her as I did to Eru—someone who was completely uninvolved with me prior. Even then, I still held back on saying certain things to either of them.

“It reminds me of what that man said that day... Keeping secrets between each other, huh? Hmm...”

My eyelids felt heavy once more, and finally, succeeded in overtaking my sight completely.

❖

Around the same time.

“How about we go and get some more coffee, hm, Cruubi?”
“Chirp! Chirp!”
“Hm, I wonder, do you even have to eat or drink anything?”
“Chirp!”
“Aha, I see! I can’t understand a single thing you’re saying. But it’s a work in progress! One day, right, Cruubi?”
“...”
“Hey! At least have some bit of faith in me! Don’t go giving up on me that fast!”
“Eru.”

Amid my back and forth with Cruubi, my grandfather had called out to me as I finally made my way down the stairs and onto the first floor. He held a rather annoyed expression on his face. One that I had seen from time to time these days.

The only time he looks like that is when...

“...Yes, Grandpa?”
“Come here. We have to discuss an issue that involves that damned merchant from today...”
“...Did it send a message again?”

As he nodded to me, I immediately understood what it meant. The Spirit of Enheim had made a sudden request once again.