After Alicia finished paying, we left the building.

  “Alicia.” I addressed her. “What did you just pay with?”

  “Just a bit of my allowance, my parents gave me. Don’t worry, I know you’re in the basics of finance class, so I can handle what you can’t pay for.”

  Is that what it was? I recalled the class involving wooden coins.

  “I meant, what do you call the coins you paid with?”

  She turned to me, wearing another expression as if I said something weird.

  “Did you seriously ask what money is called?”

  “I know the concept of money. Not its name.” I clarified, seeing her face contort as thoughts I didn’t know ran through her mind. It must just be me, but it feels like I’m becoming more of an idiot in her eyes.

  “Asking you to be my fiancé was a terrible idea.”

  “I agree, but likely for different reasons compared to whatever you’re thinking. While we’re on the topic, why did you ask to marry me?”

  When I dropped the question, her expression shifted, and her eyes wandered to a spot on the ground behind me. I checked to see if there was anything of note, but all I saw was the same brick road I drove my hovercraft on.

  “That’s none of your business.” Alicia turned around. “Consider it me getting back at you for headbutting me and trapping me in those boxes while bound by ball and chain.”

  That’s certainly an odd way of getting back at me. Keeping a secret didn’t feel proportional to getting headbutted and trapped.

  Perhaps she’s not telling for a different reason.

  “Well, if you don’t want to tell me, I guess that’s fair. Could you at least tell me if I was the first person you proposed to?”

  “No. I’ve proposed to Sebastian, but he turned me down without turning to violence.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. I thought-”

  “Save it. What’s done is done. You don’t need to apologize every time I bring it up. If anything, I should’ve looked into your background before considering you a potential suitor.”

  Wouldn’t that be stalking?

  “Hardly. Following you around wouldn’t be the only way I can uncover your background.”

  I realized she responded to a verbal thought that I didn’t vocalize, similar to what happened with Kalits.

  Could this be a side effect of my power? I’ll have to explore this aspect of my ability later.

  “Well, thank you for taking me to this place.” I turned around, looking at the building, wanting to memorize its appearance so that I could come to it later. “What do you call this place, anyway?”

  “I just call it Galumts bar, but they also serve things aside from alcoholic drinks.”

  I recalled the coins she paid with. “And what’s the price of that dessert we ate? I saw the coins, but payment happened so fast that I couldn’t get a good look at them.”

  “24 Qiliq, or 2 yellows and 4 greens.”

  “Hm. What’s the dessert called?”

  “If we were to go by the food itself, it’d be Juko pie crème with Zanine Fruit syrup. If you want a name, I’d call it…”

  “Call it what?”

  “A taste of happiness.”

  “Juko pie crème? Was the dessert originally a pie?”

  “It was, but the crust tasted horrible, so I asked for it without the crust. The result is something I’m sure many people would like if more people came here.”

  As I thought about what to say next, there was a loud whooshing. Dust on the ground blew away as the breeze picked up into an annoying wind.

  I turned to see it was Mr. Blonde, riding on top of his large, flying Golden Dragon. He landed not too far in front of us.

  “So, this is where you were.”

  “Mr. Draco, what brings you here?” Alicia asked what we were both thinking.

  “There’s something urgent I need to talk to him about. Are you planning to head back to the dorms? I can take you there if you’d like.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  I looked at Alicia, waiting for her answer.

  “No. There’s something I need to take care of. I’ll come back by carriage, if you need me to.”

  I saw Mr. Blonde- Mr. Draco toss Alicia a purple sack with a dragon made of golden thread. Inside was an assortment of green, yellow, and red coins. It made me wonder if the person who made the currency was a transmigrator like me, who based it on a traffic light. I mean, there are stories of multiple transmigrators reincarnating into the same world. Perhaps I’ll meet one.

  “Use that to pay for the ride back, specifically from a carriage driver in a leather jacket with a red arm band around their right arm, who acts disinterested and self-centered. Make sure he sees the design on the pouch.”

  “Do you need her to come back now? It sounds urgent.” I asked.

  It was an odd instruction to give to someone moments after announcing a 3-day school break. Could it be a safety measure for a danger that Alicia and I aren’t aware of?

  In the 5 days I’ve been here, I nearly died 4 times. To the old man, the water assailant, the girl next to me, and Ko… whatever the name of the Cyan-Haired attacker is. Well, 5, if we include Ms. Grey’s method of ensuring I didn’t escape the school, and wasn’t caught in the air.

  “It’s an urgent matter involving you.” He said to me before turning to Alicia. “If you’d like to return to school, I’ll be more than happy to give both of you a ride. This attack is unprecedented, and it’d give me peace of mind if everyone returned to the dorms.”

  “Well… if that’s how you feel, then my personal matter can wait.”

  I was expecting to use the Golden Dragon’s tail as a ramp to get onto its back, but Mr. Draco simply used Golden Particles to lift us onto its back for us.

  After we got off the dragon, Alicia returned to her dorm, while Mr. Blonde- Mr. Draco took me to his office, locking the door.

  When we were inside, he waved his arm, causing more golden particles to manifest. The room took on a more yellow sheen.

  “So… what have you brought me here for?”

  Mr. Draco sat at his desk.

  “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate you on passing through the language barrier. It must not have been easy, having to put up with that.”

  “It was annoying, but I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore,” I observed the yellow decorating the room. “What’s this for, anyway?” I pointed all around.

  “Soundproofing to ensure no one hears our conversation.” The man leaned forward, fingers interlaced, hiding his mouth. “Nolval, your summoner, Kiori, has committed a grave offense.”

  “How grave?”

  “He summoned you, and summoning is outlawed.”

  Well, that’s wonderful news.

  “Am I gonna be declared a criminal because I’ve been summoned? Wonderful, I’m basically an infant in terms of age, and I’ve already been deeply involved in a crime!” I retorted sarcastically.

  “No, but to ensure no one else suspects of your true status as Kiori’s familiar, I’ve enrolled you in our school, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed.”

  “Being enrolled in this school against my will wasn’t something I was looking forward to, but I could somewhat understand it. What I don’t understand is why summoning is outlawed?”

  There has to be a reason why that’s the case, as laws always start with something being done, and explaining why it shouldn’t be done again in the future with police and government enforcement. There’s also the corresponding punishment for breaking said law.

  “Because the Flame Arch Mage, Gasir Uadel, had passed a law outlawing further summoning, with the death penalty as punishment.”

  MY eyes widened.

  “Oh.”

  “Oh, indeed, Nolval.”

  “Does that mean Kiori will be sentenced to death?”

  “No.”

  The tiny, golden dragon appeared on Mr. Draco’s desk.

  “As someone who performed a summons myself, I can assure you, Kiori will be safe. However, there is only so much I can do to ensure his safety. You, his familiar, must not reveal your status as his summons.”

  I looked over myself before responding. “That shouldn’t be too hard. I mean, I look human.”

  “That is true, but you’ve made it increasingly harder to explain your abilities.”

  “I just didn’t want to be useless, especially in a time of crisis.”

  I also felt that I hadn’t used my power enough in the 5 days I’ve been here, so I manifested whatever came to mind without much thought.

  “And we, Megalia’s teaching faculty and the townspeople of Tirja, thank you for that. However, you’ve showcased certain abilities that can’t be explained by magic law. And just to be clear, these aren’t laws that restrict what a mage can and can’t do, but define what is theoretically possible following magic principles.” Mr. Draco rested his hands against his desk. “Tell me, Nolval, what have you noticed about magic?”

  “Well, I’ve noticed different people showcasing various levels of creation and control over Fire, Wind, Ice, Water, Earth, and Vines. As for my summoner, I believe it’s string, but I haven’t outright confirmed it.”

  “Your assessment is correct. Kiori wields the never-before-seen attunement, string. He’s a smart mage, but because he wields an element no one else does, it’s been hard for him to keep up with his peers.”

  The situation Mr. Draco explained felt surprisingly familiar to an anime I’ve watched.

  “Is it because he’s been lagging behind that he felt the need to summon me?”

  “I believe it’s because of the difficulties he’s gone through that he felt the need to perform a summons. It just so happens that he summoned you.”

  I’m not sure it’s as random as Mr. Draco believes, considering my prior encounter with a god.

  “While we’re on the topic, Nolval, have you felt any changes during your time here?”

  “Is there something specific you have in mind?”

  “An intrinsic desire to be near Kiori’s location at all times? A desire to understand him? Perhaps even a crush?”

  “I promise you, I don’t have a crush on him. Also, wouldn’t it be inappropriate for you, who’s in charge of the school, to suggest I have such an intimate relationship with him, when I’ve only been alive for 5 days?”

  “My apologies for misspeaking. If I’ve offended you, then I’ll retract that question. I’m only asking if you’ve felt some sort of connection with Kiori, perhaps a change in your body or feelings that wasn’t there before.”

  I thought back to my time in this school- that I’ve now identified as Megalia- trying to recall a moment where I’ve felt what Mr. Blonde is describing. “Not really. The only proof I’ve got that something’s changed is the moment the language barrier disappeared.”

  “Try and think back to that moment. Are you certain there’s nothing at all? Something you’ve thought odd and out of place?”

  I recalled the moment I was laughing with Kiori at the boy with snow-white hair hanging upside down by Alicia’s ice. There was a moment I heard a weird ‘click’ sound, but I chalked that up to something else happening at the feast behind me.

  “There was a sound I heard, but I dismissed it because I thought it was coming from the celebrations. It was immediately that I heard my summoner speak.”

  “Nolval, that sound you heard was an establishment of your pact with Kiori. This connection means that if he dies, you die too.”