July has arrived, and the temperature is gradually rising.
Glacian MINERVA, which officially began operation last month, has been a huge success. Hunters are conducting mock battles at the Coliseum daily, and researchers are actively engaged in their studies.
This has led to an economic upturn in Glacian, but I hear that due to the misconduct of some hunters, public order has also slightly deteriorated.
Despite feeling it’s not my problem, I hope the Beastars do their best to address it.
I, too, am diligently working as an acting lord for the Esmeralda Baronetcy and the Marquisate of Amatista, but I haven’t forgotten to be vigilant against the Demise Species, which are said to be increasing due to the Divine Emperor and the Demon Race.
At the same time, with Prim and Flam due to give birth in two months, I’m also making sure to pay attention to their well-being.
Today, Mako and I are scheduled to hold a class on familiar spirits at Memoria General Academy.
The Battle Horse is the most popular choice for familiars, followed by the Grantpus and Wyvern. For those who spend a lot of time near water, the Preciser is a good option, and many C-rank monsters are popular.
Many people also form contracts with I-rank monsters, and a minority even have contracts with B-rank monsters.
Of course, it’s up to the individual what kind of monster they choose as a familiar, but it’s always best to have more options. Moreover, familiars can sometimes undergo special evolution depending on the circumstances of the contract, so I want to show them examples of this.
I myself have contracted with the P-rank Hippogriff Philius, and Mako has contracted with the P-rank Snow Mirage Tiger.
Snow, Mako’s Snow Mirage Tiger, is technically a summoned beast, not a familiar, but it’s essentially the same, so there’s no issue.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Isra.”
Another person joins us: Isra Manatial, a P-rank Hunter of the High Undine.
“Likewise. I apologize for imposing on you.”
This is my first meeting with Isra, who has just disembarked from the regular ship that arrived at Memoria Port.
Isra is based in Okeanos, the capital of the Topazion Earldom in the southern part of Amister, and her activities primarily take place at sea.
Furthermore, just like us, she rescued an injured young Éclair Dolphin and ended up forming a summoned contract, not a familiar contract, with it.
That Éclair Dolphin has evolved into the S-rank Monster Rayspark Dolphin, and because it became a specially evolved summoned beast, it ranks one level higher, equivalent to G-rank. With Isra also being a level 54 High Undine, she is reportedly almost invincible in the waters off Okeanos.
I had heard about this from Emperor Reinhardt previously, so when I proposed her as a lecturer, I immediately recommended Isra and arranged for her to have time.
Incidentally, Isra is 34 years old and has an 8-year-old daughter.
She is not married, so she entrusts her parents with her daughter’s care when she goes hunting. She mentioned that it’s quite common, and they are both used to it.
The reason Isra accepted the lecturing request is to scout the academy as she wants her daughter to enroll in two years.
“Well then, apologies for the haste, but could you summon it?”
“Of course, but Memoria General Academy is quite a distance from the sea, isn’t it? Mar can fly a short distance, but it would be difficult to make it all the way for the class, wouldn’t it?”
“Mar” is the name of Isra’s summoned beast, the Rayspark Dolphin.
Normally, a rare species of Éclair Dolphin evolves into a Tempest Dolphin, but Mar has undergone special evolution, allowing it to fly in the air for longer than a Tempest Dolphin.
However, it is fundamentally an aquatic species, and it cannot stay in the air like that unless it evolves into the An species, the Disaster Dolphin.
Since Isra is lecturing and it’s a class about familiars, Mar needs to be summoned.
Therefore, although it will be a bit inconvenient for Mar, I plan to have it enter a pool with a mirroring enchantment on the rear deck of the Multi-functional Beast Carriage.
I heard that Éclair Dolphins are about 2 meters long, and when they evolve into Tempest Dolphins, they are about 3 meters long. So, I created a pool that is 5 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 1.5 meters high.
It doesn’t look like a regular pool, but more like a water dish for birds, and the back 1×1 meter section is box-shaped with a 20x mirroring enchantment, creating a space equivalent to a 20-meter pool.
The depth is also 20 times, so I believe it provides enough space to move around.
“W-what is this…?”
“This is just a prototype of a prototype, so it’s not exactly user-friendly.”
This pool is an early version developed by Flam, who is currently pregnant, for her familiar, Flow.
The finished product is installed in the courtyard of the Tree-made Multi-functional Beast Carriage, but it’s a fixed installation and cannot be moved.
This early model can be stored in a spatial storage, but it doesn’t have wheels, so it’s impossible to move without a deck on a Multi-functional Beast Carriage.
However, Isra looks like she desperately wants it, as it might allow her to travel with Mar even when she’s away from home.
“A Multi-functional Beast Carriage… I could afford one if I really pushed it, but something that allows me to travel with Mar would be completely custom-made, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, that’s how it would be.”
Isra, who is also a Summoner, only has Mar as her contracted summoned beast.
As a P-rank High Undine, she has no trouble earning a living for food expenses. However, considering her main hunting grounds are at sea, she cannot take terrestrial summoned beasts with her on hunts. Conversely, she cannot take Mar on land hunts, so she’s been hesitant to form contracts with things like Battle Horses.
“A Lithos is probably the best option, but I don’t think they inhabit the southern part of Amister, do they?”
“Yes. Lithoses are only found on the eastern side of the Nadal Sea. Besides that, perhaps in a Labyrinth.”
I think the Blue Lake Bull is also an option now, but since it has only recently been domesticated, there’s a question about its suitability as a familiar.
On the other hand, making them self-propelled might deal a significant blow to the ranchers who raise Battle Horses and Grantpuses, so I think it’s better not to.
However, I need to go to Memoria General Academy now, so Isra will have to think about what to do later.
“I’ll think about it later. For now, Your Excellency Yamato, I will gratefully accept this pool. ‘Summoning Mar!'”
After bowing to me, Isra summoned Mar.
I have hunted Éclair Dolphins several times, but this is my first time seeing any other type of Dolphin species.
The Rayspark Dolphin had a dark blue, almost indigo coloration.
The deep sea is dark, so it’s likely camouflage.
However, both of its fins have claw-like appendages, and its dorsal fin is as sharp as a blade.
It didn’t have fangs, but there was a small bump on its forehead that seemed to be slightly charged.
“Is this Mar? I’ve never seen it before, but is the only difference from a Tempest Dolphin the bump on its forehead?”
“Yes. Tempest Dolphins use water attribute magic as well as wind attribute magic, but Mar can use lightning attribute magic and light attribute magic in addition to water attribute magic.”
So, it lives up to its name.
Oh, that’s interesting, but first, Mar needs to get into the pool.
“Alright Isra, please have Mar get in. Oh, and Isra, you can check it out too.”
“Understood. Then, I apologize, but I will also get in. Mar, come.”
Saying that, Isra called out to Mar, dispelled her humanization magic, and entered the pool first.
Mar followed Isra into the pool, looking a bit hesitant.
Well, she apparently has the freedom to do as she pleases at the port of Okeanos, and at night she returns to Isra’s home, which faces the sea or rather has a part of it connected to the sea, and sleeps in her dedicated space.
After a while, Isra emerged from the pool.
“This pool is amazing. It’s more spacious inside than I expected, and Mar is swimming freely.”
“I don’t think it’s *that* spacious, but if it’s not uncomfortable, it should be fine during the class?”
“Yes.”
That’s all I needed to hear.
“Alright, let’s depart. Alice, please.”
“Understood.”
With the pool secured on the rear deck of the Tree-made Beast Carriage, I spoke to Alice, who would be our charioteer, and had Jade set off.
It takes nearly an hour by beast carriage from Memoria Port to the General Academy.
The class is in the afternoon, so we have plenty of time.
“By the way, Yamato-kun.”
“Yes?”
As I was sitting next to Mako in the observation seat, she asked me as if she had just remembered something.
“Well, Mar is a completely aquatic species, isn’t she?”
“Even with special evolution, she was originally an Éclair Dolphin.”
Although she can fly, or rather swim, in the air after evolving, she is fundamentally a sea monster.
“But the General Academy doesn’t have any facilities like a pool, does it?”
“Ah…”
I hadn’t thought about it at all until now, but indeed, there is no pool at the General Academy.
Even if we set familiars aside, it would be better for Hunters and Ritters to be able to swim, and it’s essential for certain professions, so it’s an absolutely necessary facility.
“This is problematic. We do have a space, but even if we start building now, it won’t be finished until autumn at the earliest, and we would have to wait until next year to use it.”
“Indeed. But there’s no doubt it’s better to have one, so I’ll discuss it with Rika later.”
Although construction is fast with magic, this would be a sudden addition, so we’d have to start with material procurement.
We also have to consider that we can’t use shoddy materials because Raus and the others are involved, and we need to arrange for crafters. So, as Mako said, it will be autumn at the earliest, and possibly even spring of next year.
“I’ll leave that to you. I’ll see what materials are usable.”
“That would be a great help.”
Regarding the construction materials, wood would be difficult to use for a pool.
Sakura trees or Fusang trees would be fine, but a wooden pool is a bit concerning, and metal materials are out of the question, so deciding on the materials is a very tricky issue.
However, if Mako can find suitable materials, it would be a huge relief for me.
Of course, there’s also site selection, budget, design, and engineering, so I’ll need to arrange for crafters and traders.
Rika will probably help, but I can’t just leave it all to her, so I need to think carefully as well.
