Chapter 50

When I came to this world, I couldn't read any characters.

Now, I've managed to learn to read a bit. I think I can probably read what would be considered 'hiragana' in Japanese. Yeah. It was easier to learn than the alphabet. After all, it corresponded quite well with the sounds of Japanese.

...But, thinking about it, it's still quite mysterious.

Why can I speak normally?

"Long ago, there was a magic that the spirits used, I've heard," Laokles answered, looking puzzled.

"It's a magic to communicate with birds and beasts. ...It might also be useful for people from other worlds to communicate with the people of this world."

"But I don't remember using such magic."

"Then, the magic must have leaked. Just like you."

...I can't deny that. Hmm.

"Anyway, it seems you suddenly started using magic after coming to this world."

"Yeah."

Now that he mentions it, that's true. I didn't have any magical power before. That's why I'm struggling to control it now.

"If that's the case, you might have gained magical power when you came to this world."

"Yeah."

"You also gained the ability to speak. ...That's the only explanation I can think of."

Yeah. That's right. It's hard to believe, though, because there are too many things I don't understand.

"...But if you were using the magic of the spirits, it would mean you are a spirit."

"No way."

I'm human. ...No, I'm starting to lose confidence. What if my body structure changed when I came to this world? I can't check, and I don't have any awareness of it, but... just thinking about it is a bit scary.

It was scary, but thinking about it was just a waste of time, and thinking about it was scary, so I decided to forget about it.

Yeah. For now, I'm studying characters. I can speak for some reason, but I'll just think of it as lucky. Yeah. I won't think too deeply about it.

After studying for about three days, I started to understand ideographic characters to some extent. I think it's about the level of 'kanji learned up to third grade' in our world, but I can read most of them. Writing them is still a bit difficult, though.

"...I was surprised by your magic control, but you're also quick to learn characters, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm not bad at studying."

Laokles, surprised, stacked the new books he bought for me next to me.

Now, I'm reading something like a children's book from this world. If I don't understand something, I ask Laokles and update my knowledge accordingly.

By the way, what I'm reading now is something like a local legend of this world. It's like a children's version of it. There are stories like 'A boy raised by a dragon, warming a dragon's egg,' 'A girl who became a fairy after eating a fruit given by a spirit,' 'A hero's tale of defeating a demon king,' and 'A ghost of a woman who drowned in the sea and kidnaps children to drown them in the sea.' There are various stories.

They somewhat resemble Japanese folktales and make me think a lot. After all, legends have a lot in common, don't they?

While reading books, I also practiced controlling my magic. As a result... it seems my seal has advanced to another stage.

"If this comes off, you'll finally be a full-fledged mage," Phai said happily while embedding the new stone into the seal.

"Then, Togo can have a summoning beast too!"

Yeah. ...I'm looking forward to that.

"Have you decided what kind of summoning beast you want?"

"Hmm... I'm still thinking."

However, the more I look forward to it, the more I'm struggling to choose a summoning beast.

I look at the encyclopedia and think about various things...

"You can draw anything, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, you can choose whatever you want to be with."

Apparently, in most cases, people go to a summoning beast store to buy a summoning beast or catch a wild creature, but I don't have to go through those steps.

I just draw and summon. So, I don't have to worry about whether it's easy to catch, expensive, or even if it exists.

...That's why I'm struggling.

"...What do you think, Phai?"

"Hmm... Well, a dragon, of course! It can fly! It's strong! And it looks cool!"

Yeah. A dragon. ...A dragon seems like something Phai would like. It's strong, cool, and can fly.

"But, Togo, not a red dragon, right?"

"Yeah."

Before considering whether it suits me or not, I think red is Phai's exclusive color.

"Right, what color suits Togo? ...Maybe pink?"

"No."

"I think pink would suit you..."

...A pink dragon might be cute if it existed... but somehow, a bit.

"Other colors, maybe white?"

"White?"

"Yeah. Togo seems to have a white image, doesn't he?"

I'm not sure.

"Well, in that case, my recommendation is a dragon! ...But, it doesn't have to be a dragon. A flying creature is helpful. My fire spirit is bird-shaped and has helped me a lot. Also, a creature that can carry you, like a wolf, is useful."

I see. Yeah. A flying creature or one that can carry me would indeed be helpful.

"...By the way, what about a Pegasus? There are plenty in the forest, right?"

"Yeah... but I feel like it might cause a fight..."

Horses can indeed fly and carry people, but if I choose just one as a summoning beast, it might cause a fight.

"Hey, Laokles. What kind of summoning beast should I choose?"

"A flying creature. A creature that can carry you and run fast. A creature that can be stealthy. A creature that can protect you. Having these four would be sufficient."

Suddenly, it became four.

...I thought one would be enough, but thinking about it, Phai had four fire spirits when we first met. I see. Maybe that's the right number.

"...For example, a Pegasus or a Unicorn can carry you and fly. They can also fight to some extent. But, it's better to have a stealthy creature."

"Why is that?"

"If you're kidnapped and disarmed, you won't be able to do anything. If you have a summoning beast that can secretly send a message, the situation can change dramatically."

It seems Laokles has thought about many things. He's a professional guard, so his advice is very helpful.

"Phai said it would be good to have a creature that can carry you and fly. He also recommended a dragon."

"Ah, a dragon. Yeah, that's fine. In fact, if you have the money, everyone wants a dragon as a summoning beast."

...Dragons are popular, huh. Well, they look cool, so that makes sense.

"Also, he said a white one would be good."

"...I see."

He seemed to agree. I wonder why.

"Well, regardless of appearance, it's better to consider convenience. It's a summoning beast to protect you."

"Yeah."

A creature that can fly, run, carry me, and fight. And one that's good at hiding. ...In short, a convenient creature would be good as my summoning beast.

Hmm...

Convenient.

What would be convenient?

"...I think a creature with various colors would be better than a completely white one."

"...Oh?"

When I said this after thinking, Laokles looked a bit suspicious.

"Why is that?"

"If I run out of paint, I can use the colors of a creature with various colors to make paint."

As soon as I said this, Laokles looked exasperated... then, he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that makes the most sense for you."

"Yeah. So, I thought a creature like that would be good."

"...A creature with bright colors might not be suitable for stealth."

"Well, I'll think about that separately. Anyway, finding a creature that can fly, run, fight, and hide is difficult..."

So, I immediately opened the encyclopedia. I can read the characters in the encyclopedia, so I can understand the names of the creatures depicted to some extent.

"Um... a creature with various colors that can fly, carry me, or run and fight, maybe..."

"...Basically, a summoning beast that can fight is the best."

Yeah. So, a strong one. A colorful and strong one...

After about an hour,

I was flipping through the encyclopedia from the beginning to the end and was struggling.

"...There aren't as many colorful creatures as I thought."

Yeah. There weren't as many as I thought.

"There were some close ones, though."

I showed the page to Laokles, who was peeking over my shoulder.

"Look."

"...A mermaid, huh?"

Yeah. A mermaid. Some mermaids have rainbow scales. I thought it might be good, but...

"It would be cruel to bring them to land..."

"...Yeah."

It would be cruel to make a mermaid live on land. No matter what. Also, I can't live in water. I can't draw in water. Watercolor paints would dissolve, and the paper would get soggy...

...Is there another creature like this? It doesn't have to be a single rainbow scale. A moderate number of colors would be fine. As long as it has red, yellow, and blue, it would work.

A creature that can fly or run and is relatively strong...

I thought about it for a while. Looking at the mermaid page, I thought... this mermaid kind of looks like a shachihoko.

It must have spun around in the water. The way it swam with its body arched and playfully was... a bit like the pose of a shachihoko.

When I think of a shachihoko, I strongly imagine it sitting on a roof. But I think it's based on a mythical creature called a 'shachi' whose shape is depicted on the roof.

However, a shachi is a fish, so it won't work. Creatures that live in water can't be summoning beasts.

So, another creature... another, another...

...There was another creature that sat on roofs.

And it could fly and was colorful, I think.

"...What is it?"

"A phoenix."

I immediately started drawing a phoenix.

Yeah. A phoenix. ...A legendary bird.

I think I read about it in a book at the teacher's house. The book described a phoenix, and I remember being surprised because it was quite different from the phoenix I imagined.

When I think of a phoenix, the first thing that comes to mind is the Phoenix Hall at Byodoin Temple. There should be a phoenix on its roof. I remember visiting it on a school trip in middle school.

However, according to the book I read at the teacher's house, the phoenix is described as a bird with white, black, red, blue, and yellow feathers. The feathers are beautiful, bright, and very colorful.

Remembering this, I started drawing the phoenix. Since a phoenix is a mythical bird, it must be strong.

Or, it doesn't have to be strong. As long as it can fly.

"It's different from a phoenix, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A phoenix."

While Laokles watched the drawing paper with interest, I steadily drew the shape of the phoenix.

As I was about to finish, I hurriedly made a gemstone. Phew, that was close. I almost made the mistake of 'locking the stable door after the horse has bolted' or 'buying a bookshelf after cleaning the room.'

After thinking for a bit, I chose an opal. I drew it based on the mineral encyclopedia Phai gave me.

The opal, with its milky white color and various hues, seemed perfect for a phoenix with colorful feathers.

...So, I drew a few large opals and completed the phoenix.

I was a bit nervous. I wonder how it will turn out. Will the phoenix like me? Will it be okay to be with me?

Nervously, I added the final touch... and then.

The wings spread gently.

The feathers were colorful, and each one seemed to shine.

Yet, it wasn't too flashy. Strangely, the colors blended well.

The wings, when spread, were longer than my height. The chest was covered with fluffy feathers, but from the chest down to the belly, the feathers were arranged like fish scales. The decorative feathers on the head swayed gently, and the tail feathers gracefully trailed behind. ...It was a very beautiful bird.

The phoenix, which had flown out of the drawing paper, circled around and returned to me.

The phoenix, perched lightly on the easel, stared at me intently.

"Um..."

The phoenix's eyes seemed to see through my heart. It tilted its head slightly, as if to say, "I can see that you're nervous and unsure."

"...I'm sorry for the sudden request, but... would you be my summoning beast?"

Feeling a bit intimidated, I asked... and the phoenix blinked a few times, then closed its eyes and stretched its neck toward me.

"Wow."

Then, the phoenix gently rubbed its head against my hand.

...It seems the phoenix liked me to some extent.

Thinking it was time, I took out the opals.

"I hope you like one of them."

I showed all the opals I had drawn. I wanted it to choose its favorite.

...The phoenix, surprised, let out a soft chirp and flapped its wings. It almost fell off the easel, flapped its wings again, and then returned.

"...Do you not like any of them?"

After watching its actions, I asked, and the phoenix... seemed to ignore my words and carefully examined each opal.

Hmm... it's choosing, I guess.

After about ten minutes, the phoenix finally chose an opal.

It pecked at the chosen opal with its beak.

...Then, the phoenix was suddenly sucked into the opal.

The phoenix stayed inside the opal for a while, then came out and flew toward me, chirping. It then rubbed against me again. ...It seemed to be a friendly parrot or canary, and it was cute. It was about my height.

"Let's get along from now on."

When I gently stroked the phoenix's head, it closed its eyes in contentment and chirped again.

I feel like we can get along well.

"...A beautiful creature."

"Yeah."

Then, I talked a bit with Laokles.

The phoenix was leisurely flying in front of us. ...The horses, seeing this, looked up at the phoenix with interest, as if a new member had arrived.

"Is it a creature from your world?"

"Um... hmm, hmm... Probably, yes."

Do mythical creatures count as creatures? Well, it doesn't matter.

"...I'm not very knowledgeable, but it looks like a creature with high magical power."

I'm not very knowledgeable either, but if Laokles says so, it probably is. Yeah. It's a mythical creature, so it's not surprising that it has a lot of magical power.

"I hope it gets along with the unicorns."

"Yeah. I think it will be fine."

The phoenix immediately landed by the spring and blinked at the approaching horses. There was no sign of a fight, so I think they will get along. If it can get along with the horses here, it should be able to get along with Laokles' unicorns too.

While we were talking, the phoenix started drinking from the spring. It was drinking the spring water with the horses. ...It seems they're getting along well already, which is good.

...But.

"By the way, what does it eat? It seems to drink water, but..."

Huh?

...What does the phoenix eat?

Hmm, it's drinking from the spring now, but...

"Does it live on magic alone? I've heard that fire spirits do. But if that's the case, I'm a bit worried about the burden on you..."

...I remembered and was shocked.

In the book I read at the teacher's house, it said that the phoenix eats...

...the water from a beautiful spring and...

...the seeds of bamboo.

How often does bamboo produce seeds...?