I was quite behind on classwork but it wasn’t anything significant. As long as I paid some attention I could always recover. I’d already recovered from a monthlong absence, I could definitely recover from this three-week one too.

However, I had to attend practical classes now. Actual practical classes had started just two days ago so I shouldn’t have been that behind. I was definitely behind on the Magics class though, so I went there first. Classes were over for the day but Mr. Arjan was casually just sipping tea.

I explained my circumstance to him and he happily gave me some notes. Since he mostly just taught theory, I didn’t really miss out on much. Everything he lectured on was here. If I had any questions, I was free to ask him whenever he was free.

“By the way. Is there any healing magic?” I hadn’t read anything about magic that could heal. There were some divine arts said to be capable of closing wounds and preventing death up to a certain degree but it wasn’t classified as healing magic.

“Unless you’re a saint, no chance,” he said.

“Well, I’m not one.”

“Exactly.”

I thanked him profusely and made it back to the first floor and started searching for room 105. Apparently, that’s where I was taking my practical classes. I only had two. One, spirit summoning and two, etiquette. I could have just ignored the second one but considering how tightly intertwined my life with the nobility had become, it was probably a good idea to brush up on that too.

103, 104 and-

Wait, 104!?

I found someone familiar actually. I thought it was strange how I hadn’t seen him since enrolment but I figured we were probably just in different classes. And we were, technically.

However, instead of being in a different class. He was the different class. Alustur the mercenary. He was dressed in his rag like armor and cape. That honking sword was definitely calling out to me. He wasn’t doing anything right now, just watching over kids practice with practice swords. As I kept on staring at him, his eyes fell on mine. He smiled, albeit faintly. I gave him a wave, he waved back.

And then I casually went into 105.

***

Spirit summoning felt like demon summoning.

Now granted, I didn’t know much about demon summoning to begin with or if that was even possible in this world but it was fairly similar. Back in my high school days when things were going horribly wrong, I had the brilliant idea of joining the occult club. We didn’t do much other than explore half a dozen abandon houses in the not-so-great part of town. But one thing we did was fairly controversial, even by my standards. And that was summoning a demon.

We started off with a magic circle that our club leader, Elise carved with her own blood… no, not really. It was cow blood she got from the butcher. At least that’s what she’d told me.

She carved the circle on the floor with Arabic like symbols and placed some candles around it; whole six weeks worth of research. It was already close to midnight and we really weren’t supposed to be in here, so we had no choice but to just use candles for everything. If we turned on the lights, the guards would have spanked our assess after all.

There were four of us, three of us were shaking in our boots, myself included. Elise wasn’t the least affected though. If I had to draw a connection, she and Shia were very similar in that regard.

“On a count of three,” Elise had said.

Each one of us started chanting a special chant. I still remembered some of it. Come guide us to the nether-

Or something like that. Nothing happened. Nothing other than the candles going out all at once. Every single one of them… poof! Now granted, a gust of wind did come through the window but still!

Scared shitless, we went home and I don’t know about the others but I was afraid of even going to the bathroom. I didn’t believe in ghosts; I didn’t believe in spirits and I didn’t believe in demons of all things. But God damn was I scared and it was one of the longest nights of my fucking life.

Of course, nothing happened the next day and life moved on. Some weeks later I heard Elise ran head first into a truck, painting the road red, which dissolved our club; I always had a feeling she was going to go out with a bang. But it was fun while it lasted.

But anyway, those brilliant days aside, Spirit summoning was very similar. We had to draw a circle on the ground.

Instead of using blood, we were going to use high quality feed (preferably grains). The symbols were quite unfamiliar, kind of like Kanji but not quite.

“We’ll only be summoning a beginner spirit,” the teacher said.

Class 105 was big. Bigger than most of the classrooms and had plenty of students. Apparently, even without aptitude you could summon beginner spirits and form contracts if they really liked you; assuming you were diligent enough. As long as you could summon and befriend one, you could pass the beginner stage. Intermediate stage required a lot more effort and raw talent but that wasn’t important right now.

The magic circle was going to serve as a mana source since they’d used some fishbone powder with the grain. Meaning, I didn’t really need much mana.

The instructor drew me my first one but the rest of the kids were drawing their own. So this might take a while, huh?

Here goes. “Come spirit of light. I offer you my hospitality, so that you may offer me your protection.”

The circle glowed. And a few seconds later something emerged. Something with scales… and legs? Beautiful eyes, amazing white scales with some red accents, specially just over the eyes. About half the size of a typical housecat.

It’s a fucking lizard.

And now everyone would freak out and I’d be branded as a heretic and sirgh….

“Oh a baby drake,” the instructor said. “I’d expect nothing less from you, Mr. Soler, Sir,” he said.

Apparently, he was a commoner and he was under the impression that I was a short-tempered assassin. Rumors had begun flying left and right after the whole incident at the duke’s place. Who’d have thunk knocking people out was an assassin’s skill?

I cleared my throat. “Please sir, address me as you would any student. Besides, I’m barely a noble at the bottom tier. I’m hardly worth title in the first place.”

“Please don’t be so humble,” he chuckled, a little relieved. “But I shall honor your request.” He cleared his own throat. “But truly, this is magnificent. A baby drake is a very rare first summons.”

He clapped, the rest of the kids too.

But this is clearly a lizard.

Most of the kids hadn’t summoned anything at all and were going to come back here tomorrow. Some of the other kids who’d summoned slimes (yes there were slimes), goats, kittens, cubs and all that stuff were really eagerly looking at me and my white little lizard. You’re not one of Rexen’s kids, are you?

The baby lizard winked and I could have sworn the mark on my hand felt warm.

I should have known…. “What now?” I said.

“You’ll live together and try to get along. Once you form a contract, please come see me. if you have any problems, also come see me.” He laughed. “Though, I doubt you’ll have any.” Pleased, he handed me some books, free of charge mind you. “Baby drakes are really rare and can sometimes become superior spirits once they grow up. Please take good care of her.”

Her? Wait kid, you’re a girl? No wonder the thing was so damn pretty. The face reminded me of a rattle snake so I was close to pissing my pants any moment though.

Wait, wait, wait, doesn’t this mean I could just pass my insignia off now as a contracted spirit summoner?

Hmmm…. Probably not….

Took too many breaks lately. I'll try to upload tomorrow too