Volume 1, Chapter 1: The Summoning of an Unworthy King
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The Academy of Magic – The Summoning Ritual
The scent of burning incense filled the circular stone chamber, its walls lined with intricate glyphs pulsing with arcane energy. A grand gathering of noble students, clad in elegant robes embroidered with their family crests, stood in a perfect formation around the summoning circle. Their wands glowed as they chanted in unison, their voices merging into a single, powerful incantation.
At the center of it all stood a young girl with fiery crimson hair and piercing sapphire eyes—Louisa de Vermandis. She was the prideful daughter of the prestigious House of Vermandis, one of the oldest noble families in the Kingdom of Tristain.
Her delicate fingers clenched tightly around her wand as she raised it above her head, her voice ringing out, filled with confidence.
"My name is Louisa de Vermandis! By the sacred contract of the Void, I summon thee, my familiar!"
A sudden gust of wind swirled around the summoning circle, and the once-glowing glyphs erupted into a pillar of blinding white light. The students gasped in awe, and even the academy’s faculty, who had gathered to oversee the annual Familiar Summoning Ceremony, exchanged curious glances.
Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the light shattered into shimmering fragments, revealing a figure kneeling at the center of the ritual circle.
A young man.
He was dressed in strange, foreign clothes—nothing like the noble attire of Halkeginia. A simple white shirt, dark trousers, and a thin black jacket. His jet-black hair fell just above his sharp golden eyes, which carried a regal yet scornful gaze. He was undoubtedly handsome, but his expression exuded an air of undeniable arrogance, as though he had just been gravely insulted by being summoned at all.
The chamber fell silent.
Louisa’s expression shifted from anticipation to pure horror.
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"What… is this!?" she exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief.
Her classmates burst into laughter, whispering among themselves.
"Did she just summon a peasant?"
"No, look at his clothes! He’s probably some lost traveler!"
"Maybe he’s a mute servant. How pitiful!"
However, the young man’s gaze was anything but pitiful. He slowly stood up, his posture straight and commanding, like that of a sovereign who had just stepped onto the battlefield. His golden eyes swept over the gathering of nobles before him with nothing but contempt.
With a slow, deliberate voice, he finally spoke.
"Who dares summon me like a common beast?"
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The Uncrowned King
Silence.
Not a single noble had expected such words from what was supposed to be a mere familiar.
Louisa’s face turned red, a mixture of embarrassment and rage boiling within her.
"You insolent commoner! I am your master, Louisa de Vermandis! You shall address me with respect!" she snapped, pointing her wand at him.
The young man—Priyam—tilted his head slightly, his expression utterly unimpressed.
"Master?" He let out a soft chuckle, as if the very idea was beneath him. "You expect me to bow before you? A little girl with barely enough power to light a candle?"
Gasps echoed through the chamber.
No familiar had ever spoken to their master with such arrogance.
Louisa’s fingers trembled with fury, and she immediately raised her wand.
"Silence, you wretched commoner! I will not tolerate disobedience!"
A bright spark of magical energy surged toward Priyam, but he did not flinch. He did not even blink. He merely stood there, his gaze filled with the certainty of a king watching a pathetic rebellion.
The spell struck him directly on the chest—only to fizzle out into harmless embers.
The laughter in the chamber stopped.
The nobles, who had been amused by Louisa’s failure, were now staring at Priyam with something else entirely.
Unease.
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A Powerless Yet Unyielding Soul
Though Priyam had not been harmed, he quickly realized something troubling.
He felt… empty.
In his homeland—Earth—magic was nothing more than fantasy. But here, in this strange world, he could feel it. The air was thick with an energy unknown to him, yet he could not grasp it. He had no magic. No power.
Yet that meant nothing to him.
Power was merely a tool.
And a king did not need tools—only will.
He turned his attention back to Louisa, who was still fuming in rage.
"Finish the ritual, Louisa," a calm yet commanding voice interrupted.
The crowd parted to reveal Professor Colbert, an elderly mage with spectacles and a staff. Unlike the students, his gaze was not filled with mockery but rather intrigue.
"The ritual must be completed. The Familiar’s contract is absolute."
Louisa gritted her teeth before stepping forward. She grabbed Priyam’s face forcefully, pulling him down to her level.
"Consider yourself lucky, you worthless commoner!" she hissed before pressing her lips against his.
A blinding pain shot through Priyam’s body as glowing runes burned themselves into the back of his left hand.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
"The contract is complete!"
Priyam’s expression, however, remained unchanged.
He simply looked at the magical insignia now embedded into his flesh.
This was no different from a mere leash.
How amusing.
Very well.
If they wished to bind a king in chains, he would humor them.
For now.
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End of Chapter 1
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Next Time: A Commoner Among Nobles
Priyam is forced to live among arrogant nobles who see him as nothing more than a useless familiar. But his defiant nature quickly makes him a target of ridicule—and admiration. How long will he remain powerless in this world of magic? And just what does fate have in store for the Uncrowned King?