Levi and Louis shook hands as Levi prepared to leave for the city gates, beginning his journey back to Arcross. Before parting, Louis reached behind his back and pulled out another map.

“This is the map I promised Princess Anna I’d provide,” Louis said, handing it over. “It marks several towns that need assistance or have posted notices about monster issues for passing magic users. Princess Anna mentioned that this is something you’d gladly do.”

Levi unfolded the map briefly, scanning it before tucking it away. “Did she now? I’m surprised she said that.”

“Was she wrong?” Louis asked, a note of hesitation in his voice.

“She wasn’t,” Levi admitted. “I want to help as much as we can. I’m just surprised that Little Miss Stick to a Schedule would be ready to accept detours.”

Louis smirked. “Is it always this easy for you to talk so casually about a crown princess?”

“If you think that’s disrespect, we wouldn’t get along,” Levi chuckled. “I call it friendly banter.”

“Call it what you will, but speaking so distastefully of a crown princess is still disrespectful.”

“Then I guess I’m a disrespectful person,” Levi said with a shrug. “Anna knows where she stands with me, and that’s all that matters. Anyway, thanks for the maps. By the way, Lord Louis, why are you asking us to visit these small towns?”

Louis nodded at the question, his expression thoughtful. “A valid question. My family may no longer rule the nation as we once did, but our responsibilities have always been to look after the people, ensuring that things run smoothly. Over the years, politics have caused the smaller towns to be overlooked. I had hoped the adventurer’s guild established by the Calders would train and produce teams willing to help, but…”

“But that didn’t happen,” Levi finished.

“Correct,” Louis said, sighing. “It didn’t. The smaller towns are left to fend off monsters with pitchforks and torches, scraping together what little they can. Many save up their entire lives to afford a single magic essence—or hope their child is born with the potential to wield magic. But that’s rare.”

“And essences don’t just… appear randomly?” Levi asked.

Louis shook his head. “Not in this region. Perhaps in the land of the elves or Stravenia, where magic is stronger. But not here.”

“So the adventurer’s guild just became another tool for the wealthy to train their kids, ensuring they don’t die as easily.”

“More or less,” Louis admitted. “It’s turned into a popularity contest. Meanwhile, the little guys are left behind.”

“I can see why they post notices for help,” Levi said, his tone thoughtful. “Don’t worry—we’ll help them as much as we can. I’ve got a few items I can donate as well. Back near Arcross, there was a village being raided by barbarians. They’d saved up for years to send one teenager to get a magic essence, but Arcross jacked up the prices.”

“What happened?” Louis asked, his curiosity piqued.

“We killed the barbarians,” Levi replied. “Then I sold him my essence for half the price. I’ve got plenty of items I don’t need. If selling them doesn’t help these towns, I’ll just give them away.”

Louis looked at Levi, clearly impressed. “A noble stance. Though I imagine Princess Anna would prefer you donate to towns in the Onyx Kingdom.”

“Tough cookies,” Levi said with a smirk. “My stuff, my choice. But you have my word, Louis—I’ll help these villages. Maybe even get a few of them to become magic users and give them a fighting chance.”

“That would mean a great deal to them,” Louis said, his voice heavy with gratitude. “And to me. Thank you, Levi. Good luck on your journey.”

“Until we meet again,” Levi replied.

Louis walked away, heading toward another part of the city as Levi made his way to the gates. Anza walked beside him, her metallic frame gleaming in the morning light, while Serenity napped in her usual spot on his shoulders.

“What are your thoughts on the vision?” Levi asked Anza after a moment.

“I was unable to see what you saw,” Anza replied.

Levi frowned. “Guess it wasn’t through my regular sight—it must’ve been tied to that bard ability.”

He explained the vision to his familiars in detail. Vapor materialized beside him, hovering lazily as her vaporous form drifted in the breeze.

“Veluvius…” Vapor mused.

“He looked nothing like I thought he would,” Levi said. “But then again, I’m terrible at guessing what people look like.”

“Veluvius appears to be an ancient power,” Serenity chimed in, stretching slightly from her perch.

“That does seem to be the case,” Levi agreed. “Which makes me wonder—how old is the prince?”

“Older than you’d like,” Serenity said. “He must be at peak 4-star.”

“Fantastic,” Levi muttered sarcastically. “Just what I wanted to hear. And this just confirms there are so few summoners left in the world. Using someone, then trashing the very thing that helped them—that’s a multiversal constant, it seems.”

“Does that happen often in your world?” Vapor asked.

“Oh, all the time,” Levi replied with a wry smile.

Levi made his way toward the city gates as he had planned with the others. He hoped that Piper had gotten all the items that she had wanted. It did remind him that he was going to look at other armor but ultimately decided it was for the best that he kept what he had. It was just weird to have so much money and nowhere to spend it. He checked his inventory and saw how large it had gotten. There were definitely some items he could donate.

While he was walking over, he held the essence he had obtained in his hand. It was a star-like glass object, and the essence contained small shooting stars.

Item: Essence of Wishes

Rare

3-star

An essence that has the power of wishes. It can be used in a ritual.

Levi had gotten used to the vagueness that always appeared with essences. They rarely told him what they did besides the fact that it could be used in a ritual. Levi had one more slot available for a familiar. The choice had been made to try to summon a djinn. He wasn’t sure what the ingredients in the rune circles would be. It would obviously be a three-star ritual. That was something that he would have to find somewhere before he could summon it.

Levi had guessed that Arcross’ Summoner’s Guild library would have a book for him to have the exact ritual to summon it. Which meant he had to be patient. This was something he could do. He had other familiars that he wanted to learn and utilize their abilities fully before adding another one. Levi put the essence away and kept walking.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

As Levi neared the city gates, he passed through a beautiful park filled with trees, benches, and food stalls. The sight reminded him of home—of Earth. He took a deep breath, savoring the greenery.

Out of nowhere, Piper leaped from a tree, landing neatly in front of him.

“Damn,” Piper said, grinning. “You spotted me.”

“I have strong aura senses, duh,” Levi said smugly. “Your excitement gave you away.”

“Fair enough,” Piper giggled.

“Did you get everything you needed?” Levi asked, helping her up.

“Not even close,” Piper said with a sigh. “Everything was ridiculously overpriced. I’m starting to understand why you hate aristocrats—they’ve got a monopoly on everything.”

“They sure do,” Levi said, shaking his head. “Where are the others?”

“They’re on their way,” Piper said. “I just got excited and wanted to scare you.”

“Cute,” Levi said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. She looped her arm through his, and they continued walking toward the gates.

Eventually, the rest of the team joined them, strolling at a leisurely pace. Tycen held four skewers of grilled meat, happily tearing into them.

“Got some food, huh?” Levi asked.

“He insisted,” Anna said, clearly annoyed.

“It was worth it,” Tycen said through a mouthful of meat, earning a groan from Anna and giggles from Izzy. Levi noticed the way Bradley’s expression darkened slightly as he watched Izzy laugh, but he kept his observations to himself.

“I got one for you,” Tycen said, offering Levi a skewer.

“Can we go now?” Anna asked impatiently.

“Patience, Princess,” Levi teased. “I want to do these ritual upgrades for my familiars first. We’ll get to running right after.”

“Oooh, I’d love to watch!” Izzy said eagerly.

“That actually sounds really cool,” Bradley admitted. “I’ve never seen one before.”

“Then it’s settled,” Levi said, clapping his hands. They left the city gates and moved off the main path to a quiet clearing.

Once they reached the clearing just outside the city gates, Levi pulled out his tools and began preparing for the ritual. “Let’s start with the Crystal Wisps,” he announced, his excitement palpable. “I think I know what this will do, but who doesn’t love a good surprise?”

The others gathered around to watch, intrigued. Levi knelt and began drawing a summoning circle in the dirt. His two Crystal Wisps, Willow and Crystal, emerged from his eyes and floated into position within the runes. Levi then pulled out the All-Consuming Spark—a tiny flame that radiated intense heat.

He hurriedly placed the Spark into the circle, wincing as it scorched his fingers. “Damn, that hurt like hell,” he muttered, shaking his hand. Once everything was set, Levi stepped back and channeled his mana into the circle. The lines began to glow, and so did the two Crystal Wisps. The Spark flared brilliantly, becoming a blinding white light.

The group shielded their eyes as the light intensified. When it faded, a third Crystal Wisp floated before them.

Willow and Crystal immediately darted over to inspect their new sibling.

Familiar: Crystal Wisp – Willow, Crystal, and Carbon

The All-Consuming Spark has been consumed. The summoning has created an additional Crystal Wisp with the power of storms. Limited storm spells are now accessible.

Levi grinned as he studied the new wisp. Its dark gray body and glowing red eyes contrasted starkly with Willow and Crystal's bright colors. Willow’s crystal-blue body and yellow eyes shimmered, while Crystal’s white form with blue eyes glowed softly.

“It looks like your orbs of chaos,” Piper observed, pointing to the new wisp.

“That’s exactly what it looks like,” Anna said, nodding. “If it had red lightning, it’d be a carbon copy.”

As if responding to her words, the new wisp turned toward Anna, its red eyes narrowing with curiosity. A text box appeared in Levi’s vision.

Summoner, how did that woman know my name? – Carbon

Levi chuckled. “I don’t think she did, Carbon. I think she was just using an expression.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “Wait, what did it say?”

Levi ignored her question momentarily, speaking to the wisp instead. “Call me Levi, by the way.”

I see. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am pleased to see you have other wisps in your service. I do not like being alone. – Carbon

“That makes sense,” Levi said with a nod. “Welcome to the family, Carbon. We’re happy to have you. Do you have a chaos affinity?”

I do. – Carbon

“But you’re the Wisp of Storms?”

Correct. – Carbon

“How fun,” Levi said with a grin. “Go ahead and get to know your siblings. I’ve got a few more rituals to perform.”

Carbon floated over to join Willow and Crystal. The three wisps swirled around Levi in joyful, synchronized movements as if dancing.

Serenity stepped forward and blasted a fireball into the used summoning circle, reducing it to scorched earth.

“Why’d you do that?” Izzy asked, startled.

“To clear lingering mana,” Serenity explained. “Burning the remnants prevents interference with future rituals. This isn’t necessary in prepared ritual rooms with stone circles, but in the field, it’s critical.”

“That makes sense,” Izzy said thoughtfully. “I’ve only done rituals in guild-sanctioned rooms.”

“You’ll see in battle that we sometimes need to adapt,” Levi said. “If I didn’t have Serenity, I’d just move to a different spot.”

Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing another summoning circle. This time, he held the Sphere of Smoke in his hands. The sphere wasn’t encased in glass—it was literal, dense, tangible smoke. Levi turned it over in his hands, marveling at its texture.

He placed the sphere in one rune circle while Vapor entered another. Vapor added a stream of her own smoke to the final rune. Levi stepped back and pushed his mana into the circle.

The Sphere of Smoke exploded, releasing a thick, impenetrable cloud. The smoke filled the area, so dense that even Levi’s aura senses couldn’t penetrate it. Then, from the center of the cloud, two white eyes appeared, locking onto Levi.

“So creepy,” Levi muttered, shivering slightly. “Can’t wait for those nightmares.”

When the smoke cleared, Vapor emerged. Her usual white hooded cloak had turned a smoky gray, with the blue vapor design now sharper and more vivid. Her eyes, hidden in the shadows of her hood, seemed brighter than before.

The change was cosmetic, by all appearances, but Vapor spoke up. “Hold out your hand,” she instructed.

Levi did as she asked, and a staff materialized in his grasp. It was made entirely of dense, dark smoke, but it felt solid in his hand. He twirled it experimentally, finding it lighter and more balanced than any staff he’d ever used. When he struck the ground, the staff left a deep impact.

“Whoa,” Levi said, clearly impressed.

Familiar: Smoke Spirit – Vapor

Vapor has merged with the smoke from the Miasma Realm. The smoke is dense, toxic, and tangible, allowing Vapor to conjure weapons tailored to her summoner’s aura. These weapons enhance all chaos-based attacks.

Levi noticed the confused expressions on his teammates’ faces and chuckled. He grabbed the floating text box and flung it at them. They each blinked as the information flashed in their vision.

“Holy crap,” Piper said. “So, you don’t need weapons anymore?”

“He doesn’t,” Vapor confirmed. “My conjured weapons will suffice.”

“How does that work?” Levi asked, intrigued. “Does it hurt you when you create them? What happens if the weapon breaks? Do you lose part of your smoke?”

“It does not hurt,” Vapor explained. “The process is similar to losing a clone but with less pain.”

“Can’t wait to test this out,” Levi said, spinning the staff once more before dismissing it. “But let’s not stop here. We’ve got more rituals to do.”

----------------------------------------

While Levi prepared the next ritual, Bradley leaned over to whisper to Izzy. “Do you feel as inadequate as I do right now?”

Izzy laughed softly. “You’re ranked. Imagine how I feel.”

“It’s a strange feeling,” Bradley admitted, his tone serious. “Being around someone who’s stronger than the strongest people I’ve ever known. And he’s not much older than us.”

“I know what you mean,” Izzy said, her gaze lingering on Levi. “I think I understand now why he thought it’d be dangerous for me to join his team. He’s operating on a level I could never reach.”

“No kidding,” Bradley said. “I really want to see him fight—to see him go all out against something. He hasn’t done that yet, and I bet it’s insane.”

“I want to see all of them fight,” Izzy said with a smile.

Bradley sighed. “I can’t shake the thought of what would’ve happened if Levi hadn’t been in a good mood when we first met. What if he’d been pissed? What if he’d actually sent one of his familiars after me? I don’t think I’ll ever be this strong.”

Izzy looked at him, surprised by his vulnerability. She nudged his shoulder gently. “That doesn’t matter, Bradley. He forgave you and welcomed you on this trip. I know you joined for your own reasons, but… thank you for coming with me. It’s nice having a bit of home, even if we’re just ten meters from the city gates.”

Bradley chuckled. “Yeah, we didn’t get far, huh? For what it’s worth, I didn’t come just for selfish reasons. I wanted to make sure you’d be safe.”

Izzy glanced up at him, warmth in her eyes. For a moment, she didn’t hate the fact that they were engaged.

“It seems the two are falling in love,” Anna said to Tycen, her voice low as she observed Bradley and Izzy from a distance. She and Tycen sat a few meters away, watching Levi’s preparations while keeping an eye on the others.

“Good for them,” Tycen said sincerely.

Anna raised an eyebrow. “Good for them? You’re not upset? This is the second time you’ve liked someone, and they chose someone else.”

“It is,” Tycen admitted calmly. Anna awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear, unsure of how to respond.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Piper asked, walking over to join their quiet conversation.

“No, it doesn’t,” Tycen said simply. “I’m in no rush for a relationship. My priority is my home. I want to make enough money to create more magic users in my tribe—to make the Washiro name mean something.”

Anna tilted her head. “I didn’t know that.”

“It wasn’t information I was eager to share,” Tycen said with a slight shrug.

“Does Levi know?” Piper asked curiously.

“I imagine he has some inkling,” Tycen replied. “He’s a lot more observant than he lets on.”

“You know he’d help you in a heartbeat,” Piper said.

“I do,” Tycen said with a soft smile. “If I need help, I won’t hesitate to ask. I’ve learned that Levi gets more upset when someone doesn’t ask for his help than when he’s unable to give it.”

Anna chuckled softly. “True. He’s oddly protective of all of us, even if he pretends not to be.”

Before they could say more, Levi called out, “Alright, next ritual is ready!”