BSS 15

chapter 15

“Undine!”

“Uuuuuh?”

I was still chewing bread, my mouth full.

The people lined up behind Teacher Eiel all glared at me with terrifying eyes.

From the headmaster I was somewhat familiar with, to the vice principal, and several older elementalists I had seen only a few times.

“Call it! Call it now!”

“The water elemental!”

“Let’s see it!”

Only then did I understand the situation. I realized they were making such a fuss because they wanted to see my Undine.

Well, my Undine is kind of cute. No wonder they were so startled.

“Undine.”

I happened to be thirsty and needed some water.

Holding a cup over the table, I called out loudly. Instantly, water droplets gathered in the air, forming the shimmering figure of a small mermaid-like water elemental. My little Undine.

As soon as she was summoned, she just looked at me.

“Some water here…”

I held up the empty cup. Undine nodded slightly and filled it to the brim.

It seemed effortless. While I knew mana was being spent to create the water, the sight was mesmerizing. The water rose from the bottom of the cup as if nothing had existed there before.

“Ooooh!”

“How amazing!”

One of the teachers even lifted his glasses in astonishment.

“So this is an elemental? I’ve never seen one in real life before.”

“Well, I’m a specialist, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen an Undine with such clear form! Look at that exquisite detail!”

“Usually, they don’t appear so finely shaped.”

“Incredible. At just ten years old, to reach this level…”

Listening to the admiration for Undine, I straightened my shoulders and drank. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but the water tasted exceptionally refreshing and clean.

“Thanks, Undine.”

Glug.

“This is the best water I’ve ever had!”

Undine shook her small head shyly, as if embarrassed.

I was utterly captivated by her cuteness. In that moment, the fact that the first elemental I ever contracted was Lye completely slipped my mind.

Far, far away.

My first elemental is Undine! Of course! Undine is the best! The cutest in the world! The fairy of my heart!

[Master! You were about to leave me just now!]

Ah, I nearly added another candle to the dining table.

“Hic.”

I realized how overconfident I’d been and clutched my still-throbbing chest, hiccuping. What an unexpected disaster.

I had barely contracted a low-rank elemental, and now I was summoned to an audience with the king!

From the moment I woke up, I had been rushed to the royal palace.

When the headmaster and Eiel knocked on my door in their fancy attire, I should have run away!

When my home tutor lifted my drowsy head and dressed me in a beautiful outfit, I should have fainted!

Why didn’t I?

The royal palace, which I had never visited before, was much larger and more magnificent than the academy, with knights standing at rigid attention wherever I looked.

[Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve been to the palace.]

[Have you ever been here before?]

[A long time ago. Back then, I ate a crown made of orichalcum, and the humans thought thieves had broken in…]

[Don’t eat anything here!]

I clutched the scarf brooch holding Lye, but my heart still pounded wildly.

Why was I so nervous? Meeting just one person—albeit the king—shouldn’t be so frightening…

But yes, he is the king. One wrong word could cost me my head, even a small insult could cost my hand.

Besides, I was a student at the Royal Academy, essentially a training ground for the king’s personal guard. From a very young age, I had been brainwashed to revere the king.

Apparently, the brainwashing, which I had once scoffed at, had some effect. I was trembling like this.

“Hic!”

“Calm yourself, Genie.”

“How can I calm down? This is way too sudden!”

“Hoho, there’s no need to be nervous. You’re here to be praised.”

The headmaster, whose beard had begun to gray, tried to soothe me gently, but it was no use.

It made sense. I had just been force-fed 124 ways not to offend the king, all my sharp objects were taken away, and I was walking a path flanked by armed knights.

I clung to the headmaster’s sleeve, shuffling along timidly.

I had never considered myself cowardly, but I did understand the value of life.

This unfamiliar, austere palace felt as precarious as walking on thin ice. Any errant behavior might cost me my head.

“The king heard of your story and was very impressed,” the headmaster said.

If I were impressed twice, my heart might stop! Why put me through this trial!

“Summoning an elemental at just ten years old has no precedent in the empire. So it’s natural for the king to want to see you. You may straighten your shoulders. His majesty highly values talented individuals.”

As I passed through the line of knights, an expansive garden opened before me.

Thickly scented rose bushes overwhelmed my senses, their fragrance almost dizzying.

Roses of red, white, pink, yellow—every color imaginable heightened the sensation.

Walking further into the garden, a breathtaking outdoor terrace with an arched design appeared, almost like a work of art.

And again, a group of knights stood guard. No matter where you went in the palace, there were knights. Here, in particular, they were layered in multiple ranks.

I instinctively knew the king stood at the center, where all eyes were focused.

My breath quickened. It didn’t feel real. To actually see the king I had heard about endlessly…

The strongest knight of the Dmitri Kingdom, a seasoned swordmaster, the absolute authority of the kingdom—

Dikel III.

Being born a noble in this thoroughly aristocratic society was relatively lucky, but the king was still an overwhelmingly formidable figure. The highest-ranking human I could meet would be Dikel III.

Of course, the emperor of the empire ranked higher, but I was a citizen of Dmitri. Thus, my king was only Dikel III.

A being I had served since birth. The pillar and root of this country.

I had to define what a king meant to me, right now.

“Greet him, Genie.”

As I struggled with anxiety, I was suddenly nudged forward.

Rude as I was, I looked straight up at the king. I was a small child, and he was a large man standing with the sun behind him.

The king was stronger, more beautiful, and more commanding than any human I had ever seen. Merely standing there, he dominated the space. I could immediately sense his presence as authority.

Although middle-aged, he looked much younger, his trained body and mind shining in his eyes.

His blue hair glistened in the sunlight like a halo. His expression seemed indifferent at first glance, but exuded audacity, befitting a king.

The first emotion I felt was fear, followed by admiration and awe.

“Genie?”

“Greet him now.”

Dikel III made me shrink, yet I couldn’t help looking at him. The king radiated a clarity that words could scarcely capture.

Elementalists are naturally intuitive, and I felt it too.

My instincts told me: the king is…

“You must be Genie Crowell.”

“…….”

“I hear you are a remarkable talent. Truly a source of pride. I am pleased to meet such a young subject after so long.”

A large hand rose above my head while I stood frozen, eyes wide, not yet bowing.