BXBX NOVEL Chapter 330 The New Familiar
Chapter 330 The New Familiar
“Hinotori-sama!”
As I strolled through the mansion’s halls, a loud cry rang out. From the end of the hallways, a girl was running towards me, screaming my name. Behind her, a guy on the bigger side was following behind, trying to grab her.
They both came to a stop right before me.
“Hinotori-sama! Can we talk?" Taira requested energetically. Behind her, Minamoto grabbed her mouth and forced her head into a bow.
“I-I apologise for her rude behaviour-ow!”
She bit him as he apologised. He let go of her, and she punched him in the gut, although it had practically no effect.
“Haha, I don’t mind a conversation with Taira-san here, but please let’s talk as we walk.”
I led, marching forward. I wanted to inform Reiman about what happened in the Winter Zone. I’d already sent him a summary, but it was best to inform him in person about these kinds of things. It would be easier to come up with a plan of action with him.
“Oh, you know how to use honorifics, Hinotori-sama?” Taira asked innocently. Truly, she was just like a child let loose.
“I have some experience with the language," I responded in standard Japanese.
Her eyes lit up with excitement, and I could see her hair wiggling. I’d been informed I had a similar habit myself, but I doubted I was this cute when I did it.
“Have you ever been to the Empire?” The more composed Daisuke asked.
“The New Kyoto Empire?”
He nodded to my question.
“Not yet. Although I’d like to visit at least once, that is, if I can negotiate for peace with the heads.”
Both of them fell silent. I read their minds to get an idea and was quite pleased to have come to an understanding. Sure, it was sad that their parents were kidnapped, but should I get on these kids’ good side and help them free their parents, peace talks wouldn’t be so impossible.
“Have you been to the Oxaivalon Empire?" Daisuke was the first to recover, and he quickly changed the topic.
“No. I heard it was closed off from the rest of the continent.”
“Really? I assumed that was where you learned to speak our language.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“Hinotori-sama, may I make a request of you?!” Kana-san suddenly exclaimed with a deep bow. Judging from her memories, she was a typical proud person who never did this, yet here she was. I was intrigued, to say the least.
“Go on.”
“Ever since the news of our parents, a friend of ours, Shiro, hasn’t been the same. I’m not sure why, but when she heard your name, she lit up for a second. Is there something you can do to help her?”
Well, now that’s an odd thing to ask a person you just met.
“Even if you ask me that, it’s not like I know her well enough to be of some help.”
“Please! Coupled with losing her family, the strongest of her familiar cancelled their contract with her. She’s really depressed, so..."
“Oh?”
If she had depression because she was abandoned by her strongest familiar, I could easily solve that. Do exactly what adults do to kids who are sad. Replace whatever is making them sad.
“Come on out, Amethyst.”
In a puff of purple smoke, the crystal drake manifested in all her glory. When I observed her closely, it appeared her scales were even brighter than before, and her stats were better than ever. She’d been training really hard in secret. I couldn’t help but be proud of her progress.
‘Master! It’s been a while since you last summon-’
“I want you to form a contract with someone.”
“Eh?”
She ended up blurting out loud. The other two were confused as well.
“Before that, these two are Taira-san and Minamoto-san. They are friends of the person that you will be forming the contract with.”
“M-Master?”
“Is there a problem?”
“N-No, but…”
“But?”
She held her tongue. Even in her mind, she was thinking something along the lines of ‘I deserve this’.
“This isn’t a punishment, Amethyst.”
‘What?’
I felt hurt that she assumed I'd punish her for no proper reason. Just what kind of person did I come off as?
“If you don’t want to do it, there’s no problem; don’t worry." I scratched right under her chin, and her tail wagged. “I’d never force you to do something like this if you don’t want to.”
There was a moment of silence and contemplation before she looked at me with determination.
‘I want to do it, if you’re asking me!’
“Thanks.”
I turned back to face the others.
"This is my familiar, Amethyst. Shiro can forge a contract with her if that helps in any way.”
“Wahaha!” Kana was too excited. She jumped on Amethyst’s face, hugging it tightly, although she wasn’t big enough to cover it completely. “She’s so cool! What kind of dragon is she?”
‘Off my face, human!’, Amethyst tried to shake her off, but Kana was relentless.
“She’s a crystal drake, not yet a dragon, but I’m certain she’s strong enough to cover for the familiars Shiro lost.”
Amethyst was A rank, but with a little bit more training, she’d easily reach S rank.
“H-Hinotori-sama. Surely, this is too much."
“No, don’t worry. Amethyst doesn’t mind.”
“Where did you even get such a powerful familiar?” Kana asked.
“I raised her from an egg. She’s sure grown a lot.”
Actually, just a few months. Her growth rate was almost as frightening as mine. I guess from onlookers we were both growth monsters of the same kind. If she’d started when I started, would she and I have the same amount of strength?
“This is my stop, so you can introduce Amethyst to Shiro.” We had arrived at the door leading to my office. Reiman was inside waiting for me because he apparently had an idea for a potential ally. This was an exchange of information! Time to pull out the smart-ass glasses, heh.
“Thank you very much!”
“Hopefully Amethyst will liven up Shiro once more.”
Both of them left with Amethyst and I entered the room.
Hopefully? There was no way Shiro wouldn’t be elated, especially considering Amethyst was the sacred beast of Larm.
Wait, did I just offer up the most important being in Larm to a 15-year-old human girl because she felt sad? Also, normal kids don’t just get excited at the thought of a gone friend being replaced, right?
There was no way this didn’t end in some bad way.
Hmm, I guess I’ll just monitor them for now. The human group plans to spend a week here, so I have to make the most of it.
“Lady Hinotori?”
“Yo, Reiman.”
I took my seat in front of him and smiled. But my smile quickly faded when he gave his suggestion.
*********
SHIRO POV
‘Master, there appears to be something dangerous outside.’
Karma was hissing at the door, cautiously keeping its distance from it. From what I could sense, there were three entities in front of the door. Two of those were Kana and Daisuke-san. The third was unknown to me, although it was immensely powerful. If anything, it resembled... Hinotori!
I frowned at Karma’s cowardice and approached the door. Right as I was about to hold the handle, the doors burst forth with a kick.
Marching in like a queen, Kana had her head held high. Daisuke followed behind like an exasperated guardian, and behind him was a beast. A monster far too large to fit through the doors that still somehow slipped through. It resembled a drake but was something more majestic. With scales that resembled jewels, a white mane, and sharp horns on her head, this beast was more akin to a dragon. In fact, this was the most unique drake I’d ever seen. I’d only heard rumours of drakes like these.
It walked up and stuck its head up proudly. Quite the magnificent creature, if I had to say.
I had to take a few steps back just to take it in all its glory.
“You can ask us what we’re doing here now?" Kana urged hurriedly. I took one look at her, then at the drake.
“Where did you find this beauty?”
‘Master! It’s dangerous!’
“Oh, hi. I’m totally doing great and stuff, you know?”, Kana pouted and turned away. I walked up and patted her on the back. “Hehe, you’re forgiven.”
Honestly, I felt bad for how easy it was to manipulate her emotions. I gave a look at Daisuke. He should have done a better job teaching her.
“What did I do?”. He asked, confused by my glare.
“Hinotori-sama said you could form a contract with her if you want," Kana explained.
“What?! Really? Just like that?”
They both nodded.
Hinotori did? She just offered to give me such a unique drake out of thin air with nothing attached to it?
I left Kana and moved closer to the drake. I could see my reflection in her scales. She didn’t lower her head even as I reached out my hand, but rather spoke directly to my mind.
‘I am the first of the great Hinotori’s familiars and the most loyal. Approach only after giving a proper introduction, human.’
She sounded powerful. Her aura was suffocating, but it was still comparable to Tora’s. I’d been dealing with that for years, so this was no problem as well.
I bowed and introduced myself first.
“My name is Tatsumaki Shiro. I am a summoner, with two familiars under my belt, currently.”
I kept my head down, waiting for a response. The drake brought its head down and sniffed me, eventually puffing a load of smoke.
‘Very well, you may call me by the name given to me by my master, human.’
“And that is?”
The creature remained silent for a moment, as if regretting what it was doing, but it eventually spoke.
‘Amethyst.’
“Just like your scales?”
‘A really excellent name, no?’
‘If anything, the one to name you was just being lazy.’
“Yes, quite the excellent name for the excellent being.”
‘Master, I don’t think you should form a contract with this being.’
‘That’s enough out of you, Karma.’
‘But-’
‘But nothing. Don’t get in my way here. Go explore the mansion or something.’
‘Master…’
‘Don’t make me repeat myself.’
It finally gave up. Sulkily, it dragged its feet out of the room, leaving us be. Honestly, this one was too much work.
‘That’s quite the way to treat your familiar.’
Amethyst’s voice sounded annoyed. I trembled a bit but kept my composure.
“S-She’s just a bit hard to talk to sometimes. Like an actual child, you know?”
‘Is that so? I won’t get too much into your business. Let us form this contract.’
With that said, I started to feel her mana flow into me.
A/N: You know, for the longest time, I'd wondered where Shiro and Karma's characters were headed. A while back, I figured it out for Shiro, but Karma was always an odd one for me. Her original conclusion felt forced and out of nowhere, so I was so happy when I finally figured out how to conclude her in this chapter. Look forward to both their stories in the future!