The next few days at the small town would be a busy one for the small spearman. The subjugation requests from the mercenary's den all lead to larger monsters from the jungles, the two-headed blue ogre and the owlbear netted him quite the bounty. The new summons in his arsenal helped tremendously.

With two flame sprites and ten bulky imps, his summons alone were enough to be considered their own raid party.

Souls 200 -> 152, subtracted fifty for the imps, the two souls he did gain were from each of the two subjugation targets.

The imps were the soldiers he was looking for, while individually they were barely stronger than a human who couldn't use aura. Their sheer durability and the extra manpower they provided was enough for Hektor. Though he was down to only five of them after the scuffle with the blue ogre, he liked the fact that they only had a soul cost equivalent to a crow.

They were expendable, just the kind of soldiers that he needed. Much like his initial plan in how he brought the carrion feeders, the group of imps would be guided away from other travellers by the crows.

Hektor entered the mercenary's den with the heads of the ogres and the owlbear in tow. A few of the other mercenaries whistled while most of them looked on in shock. If they didn't believe his silver plaque earlier then they surely did now. Hektor fetched his bounty and moved on, but rumors began to move about him once more.

The boy who rejected knighthood, the caller of crows, said to be a disciple of the Blue Tiger dojo. Multiple stories began to arise about him, fetching the bounty of a few powerful creatures all on his own simply added to the list of names that they gave him. Soon enough, his status screen would reflect that.

"The Caller of Crows" He read from his status screen.

Hektor now had enough funds for the journey ahead, not enough for the mana circle that he was eyeing but enough to travel at least. The town of Belugrass was only three days away from the edge of Lumont Territory. He was close to Lina's whereabouts.

Hektor decided to head to the area on his own, it seems that he missed the escorting mission that was meant for that path. The first two days of his journey was spent on summoning more imps, he managed to summon ten more imps putting his soul count to only 102. With fifteen imps in total he could easily crush most of the monsters that went his way, without even lifting his spear.

Every couple of days he would receive letters from all over the kingdom, reports from Eliza and her situation, Lufan and Teksar's journey to the capital and updates from Garnesh and Tarik. While physically his only companions were his summons, communicating with friends from outside his reach gave him a sense of ease. Like the loneliness of traveling on his own was lessened due to the fact that he was still conversing with real people.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Lumonts are known to be a clan that specializes in the use of spirits, but those loved by the spirits themselves are a rare breed. The Lumonts used most of their resources on two things, one was the search for individuals loved by the spirits and second is the funding of magical academies.

While they are not considered to be the main hub of magic in the kingdom, they come at a close second or third depending on who you ask. They are the source of multiple spellcasters provided to the kingdom's military, producing upwards of four thousand mages and the like a year. The Lumonts control two whole academies and a sizable library that spellcasters from all over the land would travel for.

Stories about a famed young spearman reached the ears of the Lumonts. He is said to be accompanied by two sprites, a lower form of the elemental spirits that they were researching. Such a visitor would be a person of interest for the scholars and officials of the area. Which is why upon presenting his silver plaque to the guards, he was quickly whisked away to one of the nearby mansions.

"Follow me sir, the young master has been expecting you." A guard said, with him were a dozen other soldiers forming a protective line around him. "We greatly appreciate your arrival, Sir Hektor."

"Indeed, the young lady has told us stories of your achievements, Sir Hektor."

The guards showered him with praise, Hektor was still processing his situation but they arrived at the mansion in only a few minutes.

The manor smelled like a garden, though the living room itself had a pungent scent that only expensive candles could muster. There were marble decorations, a few stone statues and paintings on every wall. A place that Hektor could only imagine of going to just a few months ago. While he was unsure of the current situation, he did know that the people seem to be friendly.

They at least had the courtesy to let him keep his weapons on hand while the birds he had were following him.

"The young master and Miss Lina will be with you shortly, Sir Hektor." A butler informed him, this same butler placed a tray of snacks at the table in front of him. Hektor ignored the food and went straight for the drinks that they provided.

'Then my search is over…' Hektor thought to himself, a bit disappointed that the goal he set out for himself would end just like that.

Lina looked a tad different from what Hektor was used to, gone was the messy head of brown hair, replaced with smooth slick hair that reached only until her shoulders. Instead of wearing whatever random clothing she could get her hands on, she wore a yellow dress that complimented her fair skin. A smile encompassed the young spearman, here she was safe and sound.

"It's good to see you again Lina."

The young lady ran up to give him a hug. In the orphanage it was common for people to pick on the weak, as one of the weaker students before she awakened her personal skill Lina was one of the more vulnerable children. During those times a few of the others would stand up for her, and among them was a small boy who treated her like a younger sibling.

"Big Bro…I" She sniffled. "I never thought that I'd be able to see you again!"