Chapter 96

A large, round moon floated in the night sky. It could be said that a full moon night was the perfect setting for a ritual to summon monsters. I had gathered all the necessary catalysts and tools during the day and arranged to use the courtyard of the school for a magic experiment. Therefore, since noon, I had been spending time drawing a magic circle with blue transference stones in the courtyard and setting up an altar. These blue transference stones, while quite expensive as catalysts, had to be used once and discarded, so I had to draw the magic circle twice.

"Since I heard you were doing something interesting in the courtyard, I came to take a look. Again—quite a complex magic circle. I've never seen anything like this at the school."

While checking the magic circle for errors, I heard a voice from behind and turned around. Rosetta must have come to watch. She approached me.

Hmm, I wonder. The conditions to learn from the system are quite strict, but since this is a ritual based on what you see, unlike martial skills, once you memorize the procedures and the magic circle, you can use it without any problems. I worked hard to memorize this, and it was a popular method among some players.

"It's not a very convenient summoning ritual, though."

"Really?"

"Yes. There's a lot of hit or miss. You never know what will come, so you need a wide space."

"…An unusual summoning ritual, huh."

This is the only summoning ritual I know. It uses the magic of the moon and stars to summon a monster that has a high affinity with the caster at random. If you're lucky, you can summon a high-level monster even in the early stages, so many magic users in BFO would perform this ritual on full moon nights as a test of luck. Since the caster's imagination tends to reflect in the summoned monster, despite its randomness, it has a high satisfaction rate.

I was one of those who used this for luck testing, but that was during the time of Kei. It was faster to get the desired familiar through alchemy rather than repeatedly trying on full moon nights.

"What are you going to do today?"

"I'm thinking of getting a familiar for Ashley and a summoning contract for Marlene."

"Um, does Princess Marlene have a talent for summoning?"

"That's what I think. She's good at communicating with and controlling distant entities. It's her forte."

"I see."

There are two main methods to control the monsters summoned through the ritual. First, choosing one monster as a familiar. This is a permanent partnership, not just summoning and dismissing. Once you make a familiar, you can't change it, so it's better to wait until you have enough strength as a magic user to increase the chances of summoning a powerful monster. Of course, if the summoned monster isn't to your liking, you can dismiss it.

The second method is to make a contract with the summoned monster, creating a magical bond that allows for summoning and dismissing. This is the domain of summoners, and other magic users can't do it. However, it's impossible if you don't have the right magical aptitude. But for Marlene, there's no problem. As a member of the Termwillis royal family, who have been experimenting with the qualities needed for the country's protection ritual, it can't get any better. She also has a foundation from her training as a priestess. I have high hopes for the monsters she can summon.

"Well, shall we begin?"

After the final check, I turned to everyone.

"Yes, Lord Theodor."

Ashley and Marlene nodded.

"Princess Marlene, I'll go first."

Ashley smiled and stepped forward, and Marlene nodded solemnly. As the elder, Ashley was taking the lead.

"Then, just follow what I told you."

"Yes."

Ashley, who looked a bit nervous, stepped forward. I had given them a memo with the procedures written on it in the morning and had them memorize it. She picked up the ceremonial sword from the altar, lightly cut her fingertip, and dripped blood onto a silver dish filled with water, creating a water mirror that reflected the moon. Then she closed her eyes and held the sword in front of her.

"By the guidance of the moon, hear my call, those who are connected to my home star."

As Ashley chanted and constructed the spell, the magic circle drawn with blue transference stones began to glow. What would appear?

The chanting echoed, and the magic circle's glow intensified. Finally, a pillar of light rose, and when it subsided, a pure white animal was seated there.

"A wolf…?"

Grace said. A wolf, and a large one at that.

"…A Snow Wolf."

Ashley has an affinity for water magic. I thought a water-based monster might appear, but it seems to have connected through ice. A wolf that controls ice and cold, living in lands perpetually covered in ice and snow. It's a high-ranking monster.

"What do you think?"

I asked Ashley.

"Since it responded to my call… I want to make a familiar contract with it, not dismiss it."

"Understood."

Nodding, Ashley continued to hold the ceremonial sword and chanted.

"To the one who answered my call. I will show my name, give you a name, and form an eternal contract."

The water mirror now reflected the Snow Wolf in front of her. Ashley dipped her cut fingertip into the water mirror as she chanted.

"My name is Ashley Rodias Syl. Your name is—Lavine."

The Snow Wolf—Lavine—howled at the moon. The magic circle lost its light, and it moved to a position beside Ashley, as if waiting for her.

"Please take care of me, Lavine."

It obediently bowed its head. It seemed to have worked. As a familiar, it's perfect. I think it will have a good compatibility with Ashley. The next step is to teach her the sensory link and the spell to control the familiar.

"Marlene, can you do it?"

Marlene nodded seriously and took the ceremonial sword from Ashley. She approached the unused magic circle and began the ritual, following the same steps. However, there was no chanting. As long as the form of chanting exists, she can perform the ritual without chanting. Originally, calling through prayer is her specialty and forte. She can't name a familiar, but she can make a contract to summon a creature.

She held the sword with both hands and made a praying gesture. The magic circle responded to the spell Marlene constructed and began to glow more brightly.

Suddenly, it intensified—

"This is—"

I could tell Grace and the others were on guard. A black, armored horse stood in the center of the magic circle. It wasn't an ordinary horse. Its eyes, mane, and tail were green flames. On its back, a black knight was mounted, wearing a tattered cloak and filled with darkness in the gaps of the armor. However, there was no head on the armor.

No, it was there. The helmet he held under his arm revealed that. The inside of the visor was unknown, but green flames flickered.

"A Dullahan, huh."

A headless knight. To have this appear suddenly.

"An undead…?"

Celia whispered.

"No… Despite appearances, it's said to be closer to a spirit."

"A spirit…?"

"Yes. It's not an unclean being. It's often said that spells for dealing with the undead don't work and can even be ineffective."

…A spirit. Indeed, Marlene, who trained as a priestess at the Moon Temple, would have a high affinity with a Dullahan. Since it appears at night, that aspect is also relevant. For Marlene, it's more likely that she would summon creatures like this or phantoms rather than ordinary monsters.

The Dullahan dismounted and knelt at the edge of the magic circle, bowing to Marlene. Marlene, who looked slightly surprised, composed herself and cut a bit of her hair with the ceremonial sword, throwing it into the water mirror. The Dullahan made a gesture as if receiving something invisible with both arms. By offering a part of her body, such as hair or a fingernail, she creates a bond and forms a contract.

The Dullahan returned to the center of the magic circle, and the circle glowed again. In the next moment, it disappeared. From now on, it should be possible to summon it as a creature through the summoning spell.

Marlene, who had successfully completed the contract, sighed in relief and healed her cut finger with a healing spell, as Ashley did.

"Well done, Princess Marlene."

Marlene nodded happily. Yes.

The difference between a familiar and a creature is that the summoner's magic power is consumed as a cost while the creature is summoned. There's no sensory link, but it can be controlled and given commands through spells.

"That's a scary monster, isn't it?"

"No, it's actually quite strong. That one."

I replied to Ilmehildt. It has a commanding presence, and in an emergency, it can even carry Marlene on the horse. It's a bit too formidable for self-defense, but it's a good match for her purpose.

Should we continue the summoning ritual on every full moon? The more types of monsters Marlene can summon, the more versatile her response will be. Her goal is to summon and control multiple monsters.

Hmm, what about taking her to the dungeon? I'll discuss it with King Melvin. We have more familiars now, and everyone is used to the monsters in the Twilight Forest. With Dullahan, Caduceus, and Lavine providing strong protection, I think there's nothing in the Twilight Forest that we can't handle.

"Marlene, it's good to keep the ceremonial sword. It will strengthen your bond with the creature."

Marlene nodded. By the way, the sword is made of mithril silver. Raising the rank of the catalysts and tools affects the rank of the summoned monsters. It's expensive, but we will continue to perform summoning rituals.

Still, a Snow Wolf and a Dullahan. I wondered what would appear, but it's even higher rank than I expected. That's great.