Chapter 61 - The Spirit Summoning Ceremony
The day of the Spirit Summoning Ceremony finally arrived.
I sat in the VIP section alongside His Highness to observe the proceedings. Members of the Order of Mages and high-ranking Church officials had also been ushered into these seats. Aside from His Highness and myself, only Cyril, seated on the other side of the prince, wore a student uniform. The rest were draped in the vestments of priests or the somber black robes of mages.
From my vantage point, I had a clear view of Theodore-sama as he made the final preparations in the center of the arena. He wore his usual black robe, his long silver hair tied back with a simple black cord. Despite wearing the same attire as the surrounding mages, he stood out effortlessly, drawing every eye in the stadium.
Theodore-sama began tracing a massive magic circle into the ground with his staff. His expression was one of absolute focus, a sharp departure from his usual demeanor. The students in the stands watched him, utterly captivated.
"He looks like a different person, doesn't he?" His Highness leaned in close to my ear, his voice tinged with amusement as he watched Theodore-sama.
"Yes. It truly hits home just how incredible he is."
"Indeed. He is remarkable. Normally, a magic circle for spirit summoning requires several mages working in tandem to construct."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Yet he does it so easily. He truly is an outlier."
His Highness shrugged, but his expression held a hint of admiration. Despite their banter, he clearly respected Theodore-sama from the bottom of his heart.
"This is your first time witnessing the Spirit Summoning Ceremony, isn't it, Rachel?"
"...Yes."
"I see. Then you'll likely find much to be surprised by."
My heart skipped a beat at his words. I couldn't exactly tell him that I had participated before—or that I had watched it from the stands during my previous first year.
"That said, I haven't participated in the public ceremony myself. Cyril, you did yours last year, correct?"
"Yes. There isn't much for us to do on this end, really. My memory of it is that it was over in a flash," Cyril replied, prompted by His Highness, who had rested his chin on his hand in thought.
Come to think of it, Cyril and Ernest had participated during my previous first year, but His Highness had not. Members of the royal family performed their spirit summoning in secret at the age of ten. Given their descent from the Saint, the royals possessed immense mana, and it was common for them to contract with spirits of light. It was said to be exceptionally rare for anyone outside the royal bloodline to form such a contract.
I wondered about Theodore-sama, who claimed to possess the power of an ancestral throwback. Is his contracted spirit also one of light?
"What about Theodore?"
"Oh—did I say that out loud?"
"No, but you were staring at him quite intently. I thought perhaps something was on your mind?"
His Highness questioned me with a curious look. I must have been lost in thought while gazing at Theodore-sama.
"No, I was simply wondering what kind of spirit Theodore-sama—whom you call an outlier—might have contracted with."
"Ah. You should ask him yourself sometime. I'm sure his answer will surprise you."
"Surprise me?"
I must have looked blankly at him, for His Highness narrowed his eyes and laughed. "Yes. He is anything but ordinary."
Anything but ordinary... I wonder what that means. Theodore-sama becomes more of a mystery the more I learn.
As those thoughts swirled, the signal for the ceremony to begin echoed through the arena. The chatter in the stands died down instantly, replaced by a heavy silence.
Abbott-san was the first to step forward, standing alone in the center of the magic circle. The moment Theodore-sama began to chant, a sudden gust of wind swept through the venue.
Ah! It's a success.
In the distance, Abbott-san smiled joyfully. A light-brown squirrel appeared, nestled in her outstretched arms.
Oh, how lovely! It's nuzzling against her. How adorable.
"A lower-tier earth spirit," His Highness noted.
"Yes. I'm so glad for her."
Abbott-san had succeeded in the previous timeline as well, so I hadn't been overly worried, but seeing her look of genuine relief filled me with warmth. Following her, two male students successfully summoned lower-tier spirits of earth and fire respectively.
"Anna Carroll."
One of the mages called the name, and a lovely voice like a ringing bell responded. Anna-san stepped forward, showing no signs of nerves, her face bright with her usual smile. Even from a distance, I could tell she was enjoying the situation. she looked around curiously as she walked toward the center of the magic circle.
Once she reached the center, she paused and scanned the spectator stands.
Did our eyes just meet?
It was too far to tell if she was looking at me or His Highness. However, Anna-san definitely directed her gaze toward us before giving a small, solemn bow.
What does that mean?
I didn't understand the intent behind her gaze or why she had bowed. Yet, that look she threw our way left me with an inexplicable sense of unease.
Finally, it began.
Theodore-sama's chanting voice resonated through the arena. Suddenly, light erupted from the magic circle. The brilliance was so blinding that I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut. Even with my lids closed, the light felt like a physical weight against my face.
What is this light...?
Before I could process it, a violent gale tore through the stadium. It was practically a tornado. Cries of shock and alarm broke out from all directions.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes..."
As I kept my eyes shut and held down my hair, His Highness pulled me close, shielding me in his arms. The light and wind lasted only a moment, followed by a sudden, absolute silence.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"What in the..."
"Eh...?"
Anna-san was simply crouching on the magic circle. There was no spirit by her side.
What happened? Did nothing occur? What was that light?
The other students seemed just as bewildered. It wasn't just the students; the mages and priests in the VIP section were exchanging troubled glances. The strange turn of events caused a stir in the crowd. Whispers of "A failure?" and "What was that just now?" rippled through the stands.
Anna-san, who had been at the center of the light and wind, looked utterly confused as she remained huddled on the ground. However, right beside the magic circle, one person remained standing tall. Theodore-sama had not buckled. He was staring intently at the magic circle. His lips moved as if adding a further incantation, and then his mouth curled into a delighted, predatory smirk.
"Who is it that has called upon me?"
In that instant, a dignified voice rang out from the magic circle alongside a divine radiance. The form was obscured by the white light, but the sight of long, beautiful golden hair fluttering in the wind was seared into my vision.
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