Chapter 169: "Guardian Magical Beast"

One month of reprieve.

I had to make the most of this time.

That said, a month really wasn't all that long. The things I could do were limited.

I couldn't let it go to my head just because Orsted had my back. He had a somewhat ephemeral quality to him—as if he was thinking, *If this time doesn't work out, there's always next time.* Maybe he'd read my diary and gotten a lead on developing time-travel magic.

…Or perhaps he himself had already experienced time-slipping.

Come to think of it, when he'd used the words "next time," he'd looked momentarily flustered—hadn't he?

It was possible he'd repeated the time-slip not once or twice, but many times over.

If that was the case, though, why wouldn't he tell me?

…Well, someone like me, who kept all manner of secrets from his own family, could kind of understand why.

Things that are hard to explain have a way of getting shored up with lies and evasions.

…There was a part of me that suspected he was hiding something even more inconvenient for me, but whether I was being deceived or not, there was nothing I could do about it right now.

For the time being, I wanted to keep on his good side.

So I'd just have to forget about his secrets for now.

Even if Orsted had a "next time," I didn't. You only live once.

Not that I had much authority to say that.

I'd listened to the story of my future self, watched him pass on, and read his diary. I'd felt firsthand a life steeped in regret.

There was no way I could brush it off with, *Well, I can always start over.* …No, rather.

Thinking like that would be a betrayal of who I'd been up until now.

So I'd push forward with everything I had.

But what, concretely, would I do?

Body enhancement.

Magic training.

I'd keep at these things the same as before. It wasn't like suddenly cranking up my practice volume was going to make me stronger overnight.

Consistency is power. I'd carry on as usual.

Beyond that, I'd set aside time for mock battles.

I'd been sensing that something was lacking. Training and practice were important, sure, but to actually use trained techniques efficiently in a real fight, you needed sparring.

In sports terms: sparring.

In fighting-game terms: casual matches.

Things like that, even if they were a substitute, gave you real combat experience.

My partner would be Eris.

She was the Sword King, and in close combat she already outclassed me by a wide margin. She had nothing to gain from me in that regard.

Well, I had nothing to gain from her either, for that matter.

But that was fine. I'd lean heavily on tricky tactics—quicksand, thick fog, things like that—to make it a learning experience for her.

After all, she was weak against that sort of unorthodox fighting, no matter what she said.

Incidentally, Eris had forgotten almost everything I'd taught her long ago.

She could manage a few simple beginner spells and still spoke the Demon God Language, but her knowledge of language arts, math, science, social studies, and etiquette had all but vanished.

As expected of things memorized on the fly. Still, if she had swordsmanship, that was probably enough for her.

Anyway, that was the direction I'd take with training.

Mock battles with Eris were exhausting, and there was always the hazard of getting ambushed in the bath, but otherwise there were no real problems.

And yet, Eris was a strange woman. She touched me constantly of her own volition, but the moment I touched her, she'd punch me for some reason. Completely unreasonable.

As for equipment, I'd have Zanoba and Cliff handle the repair and improvement of the magical armor—miniaturization, efficiency. In terms of raw performance, it'd probably be a downgrade, but this project wouldn't finish within a month, so I'd need to take a longer view. Orsted had also offered technical support, so I figured a few years would get it done.

On my next trip to the Asura Kingdom, I'd be wearing equipment that Orsted prepared. It was sure to be something earth-shaking.

Not that I disliked the robe Sylphie had picked out for me. But I was still a boy at heart, and the prospect of new equipment got my blood pumping.

So, continuing the training and equipment upgrades was a given. What about everything else?

To get things done in a short time, you needed a schedule. So I mapped out my month.

Day one: summon the guardian magical beast.

After that, about a week of observation to make sure it was actually useful.

If that looked good, I'd get in touch with Cliff. Besides the equipment work, I wanted to ask him for one more favor—mainly some kind of experiment related to curses.

While that was being prepared, I'd use Sylphie's connections to introduce Ghylaine to Ariel. At that point, with one excuse or another, I'd steer the conversation toward helping Ariel.

Then I'd spend one to two weeks trying to convince Pergius.

The favor to Cliff could run in parallel with that.

So that was the plan. The main item—the Ariel business—ended up last, but as long the guardian beast and Cliff situations panned out, I could squeeze it in.

First things first, then: the summoning.

--- The day after Orsted summoned me to discuss the plan going forward, I gathered the entire family in the courtyard.

Aisha, Lillia, Zenis—people who were always around the house—were there, along with Eris, who'd just become one of us. Roxy and Norn went without saying. Jiro and Beet, too. Little Lucy, who'd recently started standing on her own two feet, was in Sylphie's arms.

"I will now perform the summoning ceremony for our household's guardian magical beast. Applause."

"Yay!"

Enthusiastic applause from the whole crowd.

Tonight was going to be legendary.

Oh my, Jiro and Beet—why aren't you clapping? That won't do. I'm about to summon one of your kind, you know.

"As for this summoning, I don't know what kind of creature will come. But it'll almost certainly be quite powerful. Its job will be to protect the family's safety."

"Hey, are you sure about this? It's something Orsted made, right? What if it goes haywire while you're out and eats everyone?"

Sylphie's anxious voice.

What a terrifying image.

But wait—come to think of it, I'd read about exactly that kind of incident in an old book. You summon a magical beast you can't control, and it devours you.

"But, I mean… the magic circle itself was crafted by the Dragon God, so…"

"That's exactly what worries me."

I guess so.

Still, it was hard to imagine Orsted going to such elaborate lengths just to set up a betrayal. A long game for some future double-cross?

…Nah, the odds of that were pretty slim.

"Alright, I'll just go ahead and summon it. If it's dangerous, we'll all take it down together and file a complaint with Orsted."

"Got it!"

That was Eris, responding with characteristic energy. She drew her sword with a sharp *shwing*. Incidentally, the demonic blade "Sibyl" that had been gifted to me the other day hung at Eris's hip. Between that and her own, she had two swords on her left side and one on her right. Didn't that get heavy?

"This time, we can finally fight Orsted together!"

We're not fighting him. We're just complaining to him. If we actually fought, he'd probably wipe us all out this time for real.

Also, Eris looked way too happy about the idea. Was she seriously looking for an excuse to fight Orsted?

"We won't be fighting Orsted again anytime soon, but there will be opportunities to fight together in the future. Until then, let's build up our strength."

At that, Eris looked a bit disappointed. Fighting anyone else was fine—I just wanted to spare myself another encounter with Orsted. That level of despair was something I never wanted to experience again. Next time, I'd probably wet myself.

"Still, are we really sure about this magic circle? Wouldn't it be wise to show it to Lord Pergius and get his opinion?"

That was Roxy. She was on guard because of the Orsted connection. Seriously, the curse Orsted had placed on me was powerful. When everyone around you reacted this sensitively, it lent credibility to the whole curse business, which made it easier for me to judge things too.

But I should at least take a look.

"Hmm."

At first glance, it looked like a standard summoning magic circle. The summoning conditions were written in a formula I didn't recognize, but nothing seemed off about it.

Maybe I should have Nana Hoshi take a look?

No—this magic circle was something I couldn't draw myself, so Orsted had drawn it for me. Me doubting it on top of that was ridiculous.

"It's fine."

"If Rudeus says so, I believe you… but I'm going to get my staff, just in case."

Roxy seemed half-convinced. She said she believed me, but went back inside and brought out her favorite staff all the same.

"I don't know why everyone's being so cautious, but… Brother, it's not actually dangerous, is it?"

That was Norn, looking a bit uneasy. Aisha placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be ridiculous, Norn-nee. Onii-chan would never use something dangerous near us."

Aisha's trust stung a little.

Come to think of it, I hadn't actually verified the safety of this magic circle. Was it really okay to use? Should I ask Pergius right now, "Hey, is this really safe?" But if I did, Aisha would look at me sideways, and it might plant seeds of doubt in Orsted.

No, no. I'd trust Orsted. He'd said he trusted me.

"If the worst comes to pass, I will be your shield. Please act freely."

Lillia's words were rather ominous.

I really didn't think it would come to that… but after hearing everyone's concerns, it did start to look genuinely dangerous.

Was this really okay?

But—fine.

"Then I will activate the magic circle."

At those words, everyone nodded. I placed the magic circle on the table I'd made with earth magic.

"Here goes."

I braced myself and put my hand on the circle. I focused my consciousness, threaded my mana through my bloodstream, and pushed it out through my palm—directing it straight into the magic circle.

I didn't hold back on the mana. This was the being that would protect my family. Even pouring in everything I had wouldn't be enough. Ideally, Orsted would pour in everything too.

Well, even if he did, that didn't necessarily mean an equally powerful beast would come out.

Anyway, I'd pour in as much as I could.

Oh, and Orsted had said the mental image was important. An image of protecting the family. That was pretty vague, though…

Hmm. Anyway, it needed to be strong. Strong enough to protect everyone, no matter what showed up. And loyal—someone who wouldn't defy me. Also, given that its job was protecting the family, it'd be better if it wasn't something vulgar. If a slime-covered Loper came lumbering out, that'd be a terrible influence on my sisters and Lucy.

Right—it was Lucy's knight, so something noble would be ideal. Noble, loyal, and strong.

Alright. Here we go!

"Appear, guardian magical beast!"

The magic circle blazed with brilliant light. Not just white—blue, red, yellow, green—an overflow of colorful radiance.

And then, just for a moment, I felt a strange resistance, as if something had caught on my hand.

What was that?

Either way, I kept pushing mana in.

『RRRRRRRRR』

A growl came from somewhere. Could this be the voice of the beast that would protect my family? A sinister sound, like something enduring great strain.

But I pushed even harder, dragging it out of the circle.

"OOOOOOOH!"

The growl became a clear roar in my ears—and at the same instant, the flow of mana cut off.

The brilliant light slowly receded, and what emerged from within was…

"Im—impossible…"

A yellow mask. A white outfit resembling a uniform. A large dagger at its hip.

The figure knelt on one knee, both arms wrapped around its own shoulders, perched atop the earthen table.

"That I… should have my contract with Lord Pergius severed…"

It surveyed the room from that pose. Even behind a mask, I should have been unable to read its expression—but our eyes met.

"What is the meaning of this?"

It spoke in a quiet voice.

No—not "it." He.

It was Almanfi, the resplendent—a foremost servant of Pergius.

He sat in the pose of a fallen angel.

If you wanted a name for it: *The Noble Fallen Angel*.

Resplendent, after all.

Heh.

"What is the meaning of this, I said—Rudeus Greyrat!"

He leaped off the table and lunged for my collar, but stopped midway, his body trembling.

Seeing that, Eris took a combat stance. I held her back with my hand. Hold it, Eris.

But seriously? The summoning had pulled out Almanfi—noble, resplendent, and all?

Then again, this guy was technically an elf since he took humanoid form. So maybe this sort of thing was possible?

I had no idea.

Or maybe Orsted had played me? Did he actually want me to kill Pergius? Do it yourself, then.

"…I—I don't know what happened either. I activated the magic circle Lord Orsted gave me, and this was the result."

"A magic circle from Orsted…? What was it meant to summon?"

"Our household's guardian magical beast."

Almanfi picked up the magic circle from the table. After reading it, he let out a stunned cry.

"What an outrageously complex formula…"

"What kind of formula is it?"

"It compels absolute obedience to you, and requires the caster to continuously ward off calamities befalling your family. The contract period is… eternal."

Essentially a slave contract.

But that proved Orsted hadn't been lying!

"Anything else?"

"The summoning target is 'as determined by the caster.'"

So I was the one who chose who to summon. Good.

"Change."

"…Change?"

"Almanfi, this was a slight mix-up. I'm going to pick someone else."

"Then dissolve this contract at once. I, Almanfi, am a proud servant of Lord Pergius."

"Oh. Right."

Then again, having Almanfi as a guardian wouldn't be half bad. He was mysterious and elusive—excellent as a liaison if anything happened.

…No, Pergius would miss him, and it'd start a fight. Better not.

"Um… how do I dissolve it?"

"…Order me to go to Lord Pergius immediately. The destructive Dot Burst will annihilate the contract."

"I see."

"Give the order."

Because of the absolute obedience clause, he couldn't move without my command.

"Then… please take the magic circle to Lord Pergius and relay this message: 'I'd appreciate advice on how to summon a proper guardian beast.'"

At my command, Almanfi took the magic circle from the table and vanished in a flash of light.

"Sorry, that was a mistake."

I turned around. The whole family was staring with blank expressions.

--- Some time later, Almanfi returned. He delivered Pergius's message, and also added a parting curse of "Don't you dare do this again."

For beings like them, serving under Pergius was a proud status symbol. I felt genuinely bad for having taken that away.

The magic circle apparently lost its power once the contract was dissolved, and Pergius had drawn a new one for me. To provide such a service after the way I'd treated him—Lord Pergius was truly magnanimous.

But what was truly terrifying was the summoning magic circle itself, this creation of the Dragon God, capable of such feats. Or was it my mana? Perhaps both. A small fire from either one, but together they'd become a conflagration.

Either way, I steeled myself and tried again.

According to Pergius's advice, it was better to focus on a simple image of an animal, rather than something complex like "Omniscience" or "Omnipotence."

Orsted should have said that from the start if that was the case. Although he might have been secretly hoping I'd summon Almanfi again.

"Alright, let's try one more time."

I surveyed the family and placed my hand on the magic circle once more.

This time, I'd hold a clear image. A strong, proud animal.

A lion.

I wasn't sure whether lions existed in this world, but the word for lion did, so they had to be somewhere.

King of beasts. The strongest animal among all beasts.

But for loyalty, wasn't a canine better than a feline?

No—absolute obedience was already baked in, so I'd prioritize strength. The mightiest creature in this world.

I gathered every last drop of mana in my body into my right hand. Then, throwing it down like a hammer blow, I opened my eyes wide and poured my mana into the circle.

Here goes!

"…!"

The magic circle blazed to life. The same kaleidoscope of colorful light spilled forth.

This time, there was no odd sensation. The mana flowed smoothly, and something answered my call. It felt like a hand reaching out to me—I grabbed it and pulled.

I was certain of success.

"Come!"

"WOOOOOOF!"

The cry erupted from my own mouth involuntarily, and something howled in response. The howl grew louder and louder, echoing in my ears.

Meanwhile, a passing thought floated up: *Do you actually have to shout when performing a summoning?* I decided it didn't matter.

And then the light faded.

What stood there was a white lion.

Roughly two meters long. No mane, so probably female. Her snout was elongated—not so much feline as canid, really.

Actually, this wasn't a lion at all. It was a dog. And judging by its short limbs, a puppy.

Also, its fur wasn't white—it was silver. A silver Shiba Inu, large-size edition.

Hmm…

Had I failed again?

"Aw, it's so cute!"

"But for a guardian beast… isn't it kind of lacking?"

Aisha squealed while Norn sounded skeptical.

"Still, for a puppy, it's got a pretty impressive look, doesn't it?"

"It has an aura of purity—hard to believe it's a magical beast at all."

Sylphie and Roxy gave positive reactions. Lillia was expressionless, hard to read, but at least she wasn't scowling. Zenis was her usual self. Beet was hard to read, but Jiro had already rolled over in a posture of submission.

First impressions from the family were good.

Wait—I'd seen this puppy somewhere before.

"Hey, isn't that the one that took a liking to Rudeus back in the Doldia village?"

"Oh—"

Eris reminded me.

What was Beast God Language again? Let me see…

『Could you be the Holy Beast?』

"Woof!"

When I asked, the little creature licked my face in answer.

So brash. The nerve.

But I knew now.

Right. The Holy Beast. The one treasured deep in the Doldia village.

Ugh… what do I do? If word got out that I'd summoned and bound the Holy Beast to service, the beast-kin would absolutely lose their minds.

If the beast-kin put a bounty on my head, that'd be bad.

Another Change, maybe?

But dissolving the contract again would just cause more trouble for Pergius or Orsted. And there was no guarantee that swapping in someone else would produce anything better.

Hmm…

『Holy Beast, do you have the power to protect my family from calamity?』

"Woof!"

The answer was practically *Leave it to me*. Full of enthusiasm.

But this thing had been kidnapped before. Would it really be alright?

Orsted had mentioned something about how humanoids didn't really mess with families… or something like that.

"Kuun?"

While I hesitated, the Holy Beast jumped down from the narrow table, rubbed against my leg, and licked my face.

Oh, so soft. This fur definitely had fabric softener on it.

If this became the guardian beast, I'd get to enjoy this coat every day.

"No—this isn't the Holy Beast."

Yeah. This was no holy beast. Definitely not the guardian deity of the Doldia tribe.

The Holy Beast would never end up somewhere like this.

It was a different dog—one that looked very much like it.

Right. This was a lion. A lion cub that I'd summoned from the infinite other world.

Yes. That was what I'd decided. That was how it was.

Besides, I'd probably get in trouble the moment I admitted it was the Holy Beast. If it really seemed like a problem, I'd ask Pergius to do a Change.

Until then, it was a temporary hire.

"Alright. From today, your name is Leo."

I held out my hand. The Holy Beast licked it, then sniffed my palm with a little snort.

Then it looked up, noticing someone.

Roxy.

Leo trotted over to her… and shoved its head under her skirt.

"W-Wha! Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

Roxy bonked the Holy Beast with her staff. The little pervert whimpered and licked Roxy's foot, then settled down with its large body pressed against her legs.

"Um, Rudeus… what should I do?"

Roxy was flustered.

I wasn't quite sure what was happening, but I guessed it had taken a liking to her. Good enough.

『Leo. Now that you've been summoned like this, you are my servant. Your mission is to protect the family gathered here. Understood?』

"WOOF!"

The Holy Beast—Leo—answered with a bright bark.

I didn't know how useful this mutt would actually be. But it had been summoned, and it was the guardian beast now. Surely it would prove its worth.

『Leo, let me explain your terms of employment first.

Until now, you've probably lived a carefree, do-as-you-please life. That won't fly here. You'll wear a collar, sleep in a doghouse. If an intruder appears, you bark, you bite, you neutralize them. If the enemy is powerful enough, you have permission to kill.

Meals three times a day. Nap time is free. If you want, I'll take you for walks. If you agree, bark once.』

"WOOF!"

Good answer. We were on the same page. He understood the Beast God Language, after all.

『And of course, if you ever harm the family yourself…』

"Kuuun."

Leo whined, sounding wronged.

『Good. Then the contract is sealed. Shake.』

I extended my hand, palm up. The Holy Beast—Leo—placed its front paw on it.

--- And so, one more pet joined our household.