Black Summoner – Chapter 248

Gown, Castle of the Divine Spirit Tree

“Sorry to barge in at this hour, Kelvin. My old man’s been nagging me,” Sabato said.

“It’s fine. I was the one who forgot the invitation in the first place,” Kelvin replied.

Following Ellie’s guidance, they arrived at the inn’s first floor, only to find Sabato there. Having heard he was an envoy from Gown, Kelvin had been on edge, but seeing a familiar face like Sabato’s put him slightly at ease. Still, he figured the Beast King would be waiting for him in the end. It was good, in a way, to take things one step at a time.

“Older Kel, do you think this is about me breaking the coliseum?” Ellie asked.

“The summons from the Beast King came before that, so it might be for a different reason. I really hope so,” Kelvin replied.

“Let’s face reality, Master,” Melfina said.

They were now being led by Sabato through the Castle of the Divine Spirit Tree, Gown’s castle. Since they couldn’t all go to the castle incognito, Efil, Rion (with Alex hidden in the shadows), and Ange were accompanying him openly, while the others were temporarily stored within his magic.

“My word, I got so excited seeing Kelvin’s face earlier. Ah, yes, I’m sorry… I don’t think even the Judge could have anticipated that with Melfina,” Ange said.

Ange hadn’t exactly been focused on property damage. She’d certainly gone wild. Recalling the events, Kelvin thought the Dragon’s breath attack might have been the final blow. He was, of course, the one who gave the order.

“Hmm? What’s with the solemn faces, you guys?” Sabato asked.

“Oh, nothing! Right?” Kelvin replied.

“Huh? Uh, yeah! That’s right!” Ellie chimed in.

“You’re both totally flustered…” Sabato muttered.

Damn it! Rion had managed to smoothly cover for his monotone line, but this ruined it! Was Sabato truly growing faster than he’d anticipated?

“Hey, aren’t you thinking something incredibly rude?” Sabato asked.

“Whatever do you mean?” Kelvin replied.

“Stop with the monotone, seriously. Even though Gown is in such an uproar over this huge incident, you’re still the same, Kelvin.”

Huh? A huge incident?

“The complete destruction of the coliseum and the mass hypnosis of residents is more than enough to qualify as an incident, you know. Embarrassingly, I couldn’t hold back either…” Efil said, blushing. Ah, so he was talking about the gouged-out roads and blown-away houses on the way back—Wait, was he definitely guilty here? Fine, fine. He’d rebuild it all!

“More importantly, that collar Ange is wearing… Did she become a slave?” Sabato asked.

“You ask that so well! Yes, that’s right! I have become Kelvin’s! Ehehe,” Ange replied.

She was shifting the topic in another bizarre direction.

“Kelvin, you…” Sabato started.

Stop it, he’d expected it, but please stop. Don’t look at him like that!

“Haa, well, I don’t mind. But many in Gown don’t approve of slavery. If it were a criminal, it’d be different. Still, be careful, okay? I was surprised you’d resort to such measures just to win over the popular receptionist…” Sabato said.

“That’s not it. I didn’t use the kind of methods you’re thinking of, Sabato,” Kelvin replied.

It was more like a long-sought love finally blooming. A tale of pure love, so to speak.

“I get it. Ange looks happy, so I guess it’s fine? Well, we’re almost there,” Sabato said,Opening the large doors with a hint of resignation. He probably didn’t understand. Kelvin didn’t want this to cause future trouble, so he needed to explain properly. With that thought, they entered the room.

“—This place is huge,” Kelvin said.

The room Sabato led them to was quite deep and dimly lit, with only a faint light from the fixtures. It was, in essence, an audience chamber, a throne room. Since the Divine Spirit Tree was used in its construction, the walls were covered in wood. Were the decorations of giant fangs and hides trophies from vanquished monsters? And with a throne, he would naturally be here.

“Dad, I brought Kelvin,” Sabato announced.

“Your voice is too loud. I told you to keep it discreet,” a voice responded.

At the very back of the room, a throne stood in the center. To its left and right, Jereol, Yujil, and Goma were lined up. Hmm, he didn’t see his comrade Kilt. He’d only spoken to him briefly at banquets.

“The outside is so noisy anyway, so it’s fine. Here, Kelvin,” Sabato said.

“Ah, nice to see you again after two days. Things seem to have been pretty chaotic—Wait, are you the Beast King?” Kelvin asked.

He walked up to the front of the throne, intending to exchange a casual greeting, but was instead surprised by the Beast King’s appearance. Why? He was a girl.

“Kukuku… I wanted to see that face during the match,” the Beast King said.

“…Is that your true form, Beast King? You look quite—” Kelvin started.

Swallowing the rest of his words, he looked at Jereol, who was standing beside him. Yes, Jereol was there. That meant this was undeniably the Beast King Leonhart’s true form.

“—young,” Kelvin finished.

“Hahahaha! You think so, you think so!” the Beast King boomed.

The Beast King’s body was still wrapped in layers of bandages, seemingly from the wounds Kelvin had inflicted. But he laughed heartily as if that didn’t matter, his appearance almost identical to Jereol, his eldest son. He sported a magnificent beard, and his bearing was that of a lion. Looking closely, the Beast King seemed older, but Kelvin couldn’t imagine him being more than ten years his junior. They looked more like brothers than father and son.

“Mutter, mutter… (Actually, it’s been years since I last saw Dad’s true form. Frankly, I thought he was my brother. To be honest, I’d forgotten his face because it’s been so long),” Sabato whispered.

“Mutter, mutter… (Ah, so I wasn’t mistaken. It’s not good, but I’m glad),” Kelvin whispered back.

In his astonishment, he found himself whispering to Sabato, who was nearby. The fact that he seemed to be in such a good mood was somehow unsettling.

“Yesterday’s match was truly delightful. However, judging by your reaction, you seem unaware of the changes in lifespan due to evolution,” the Beast King said.

“Changes in lifespan?” Kelvin asked.

“Indeed. While you conceal your status using ‘Concealment,’ I confirmed it during the match. You humans have evolved and become beings who greatly exceed your original framework. I never expected it to be sooner than Silvia’s. Of course, Dahak was of a different race altogether…” the Beast King mused.

Sera was a demon, but she was more human-like than Pritia, so that was acceptable.

“And what does that have to do with lifespan?” Kelvin asked.

“You still don’t know? Races like us beastmen, elves, humans, and dwarves don’t evolve easily. However, those chosen for the species’ evolution gain much. The greatest of these is the change in lifespan, or in simple terms, pseudo-immortality.”

“…”

“Melfina, Teacher! Something’s happened!” Kelvin thought.

“It is the truth,” Melfina projected.

He’d gotten her endorsement!

“To be more precise, it’s an extension of lifespan. It doesn’t mean complete immortality. A human’s lifespan becomes as long as an elf’s, and elves, who were already long-lived, have it extended further. Though it progresses very slowly, the body’s time still moves,” Melfina explained.

“M-My time with Master will be longer—” Ellie sobbed.

Ah, don’t cry, Efil! I’ll cry too!

“M-Older Sister Efil! I want to be surprised too, but please don’t break down crying!” Ellie said.

“It’s okay, Efil-chan. I’ll be with you always!” Ange reassured her.

Let’s calm down again. Calmly. The sudden declaration of “you’re no longer human” was astounding, but he was calm now. Yes, good. …Hug Efil! Hug Rion! Hug Ange! Okay!

“…Is that enough?” Kelvin asked.

“Ah, sorry. I’ve calmed down now,” Jereol replied.

He hadn’t expected to embrace them in front of royalty. But he had no regrets. He wanted to do it now.

“Kelvin, me too! Me too!” Melfina requested.

Later, Kelvin thought to himself.

“So, does that mean the Beast King also evolved from a beastman and isn’t the age he looks?” Kelvin inquired.

“Indeed. I have lived since the great war on the Eastern Continent. Battles were occurring everywhere, which was a contributing factor, but I evolved around Jereol’s age. Then various things happened, leading to the present. Though I only became King in the last decade or so,” the Beast King replied.

Hundreds of years old, was he? The Beast King had spoken about the great war during their match in the Final Tournament. Kelvin recalled him mentioning that Gown was in a tragic state around that time. Come to think of it, perhaps that environment was why he applied such extreme Spartan training now?

“Hmm, you have a look like you want to say something,” the Beast King observed.

“…You can tell?” Kelvin asked.

“More or less. It’s something we discussed during the match. Pushing my child off a cliff. That’s a time-honored symbol of trials in Gown. Of course, in my case, I’d throw rocks from the cliff top and then kick them back down if they climbed up,” the Beast King said.

Ruthless…

“Is there any meaning in such things?” Kelvin asked.

“I’m not saying you should become like me, a beastman. On the contrary, if that were to happen, this country would perish. There will always be a need for simple-minded men like Sabato. Someone who can draw everyone together.”

“I-I’m being praised by Dad!?” Sabato exclaimed.

“Tomorrow, it will rain spears…,” Jereol muttered.

Hey, the children are incredibly surprised.

“What I desire is a bit of wisdom, intelligence. Beastmen aren’t devoid of brains. Of course, we’re wary of things we dislike. But we beastmen are often so single-minded that once we get fired up, we forget ourselves. That’s why we must continue to teach them through ingrained learning. To increase their survival rate in any situation.”

“…I cannot agree with that,” Kelvin stated.

This could be attributed to Gown’s national character, but still.

“Well, but ever since Dad became Beast King, there have been beastmen who use magic, like Kilt. Even the army’s strategies aren’t just reckless charges like they used to be. Still, if you want to argue, defeat the Beast King. That’s Gown’s law. In fact, challengers to my father never cease,” Sabato said.

“However, Father remains on the throne of the Beast King. That means there are still no beastmen who surpass him. Not just physically, but also in terms of strategy…” Jereol explained.

“There are other battles waiting before we even get to the match itself, that one,” Yujil added.

It seemed Jereol had experience in challenging him. Was it a battle of schemes? Kelvin preferred it to be a direct battle. Not that he had any intention of becoming king.

“We beastmen sometimes possess wilder instincts, especially when it comes to romance. We’re too straightforward, so things like honey traps have been a significant source of trouble. Right, Yujil? Where was the girl you fell in love with from?” the Beast King asked.

“Ugh… F-Father, I… I’m sorry…” Yujil stammered.

Kelvin didn’t intend to dredge up past events, but judging by the conversation, something similar must have happened with someone from Trisen or another country. And he was being taught the ways of women directly by the Beast King. It must be a constant struggle, but all Kelvin could offer was encouragement. He was doing his best too.

“However, if that’s the case, then Prince Jereol, who has a wife, is fine, but isn’t Prince Kilt in danger? From those kinds of schemes? He’s not here today, though,” Kelvin said.

He might follow anyone who called him “Older Brother” without question.

“Ah, Kilt has been holed up in his laboratory since then. Apparently, he’s passionately focused on creating equipment to maximize Goma’s physical abilities,” Yujil answered his question.

Prince Kilt, he cared that much about Goma…

“He’s not that weak to that sort of seduction, actually. His feelings for Goma are second to none. I’m not particularly worried about Kilt. Depending on the results, I might even consider a wedding ceremony with Goma—”

“Please, stop that!” Kilt protested.

“My comrade, behave like a gentleman. I support you!” Kelvin thought.

“Well then, enough of this stuffy talk. Let’s get to the main topic for today. As you know, yesterday our proud coliseum and its surroundings were destroyed by someone. Since the surrounding residents and even the soldiers were hypnotized, there are no witnesses. I heard the coliseum collapse and rushed over, only to find this. I was also in this state at the time, so my response was delayed,” the Beast King said.

“…Shall I remake the coliseum with magic? I think I can recreate it if I have the blueprints. We also have someone good at fixing houses,” Kelvin offered.

“Oh, you can? But—”

“Just do it. I want to do it.”

Kelvin said that, but the Beast King might know the truth. After all, he was the Beast King. So, he’d cooperate with the reconstruction proactively. Besides, his own responsibility was great, and the residents were merely inconvenienced. Kelvin also felt uneasy about the situation as it was.

“I’m sorry, Kelvin. We’re currently investigating the details of this matter. However, with this situation, it’s difficult to continue the Beast King Festival. We have decided to cancel the finals and the third-place match originally scheduled, and will hold a naming ceremony in the castle courtyard tomorrow,” Jereol announced.

“Cancelled, huh,” Kelvin said.

It was only natural, but he was disappointed. He’d been looking forward to getting revenge on Sera. Oh well, they could have a match when they got back.

“The prize money originally intended for the winner will be awarded to you, Kelvin. Both of them are your allies, after all. Rest assured on that matter,” Jereol continued.

“We don’t mind, but… judging by today’s events, it’ll be hard to convince the citizens,” Kelvin said.

“We plan to open the castle to the public free of charge on the day, but completely convincing them will be impossible,” Jereol sighed deeply.

He seemed to be the most troubled prince.

“At the naming ceremony, in addition to granting family names, we will also hold a ceremony to commend the Demon King’s subjugation in Trisen. It has been a long wait, but we have prepared compensation for Kelvin through various countries and guilds. Please look forward to tomorrow. This is what I wanted to inform you of today,” Jereol explained.

Compensation money… Kelvin wasn’t particularly short on cash. But he’d take it if offered. After hearing the details of the naming ceremony, they prepared to leave.

“Ah, right. There was one stage that survived the coliseum’s collapse. A spare that was in the courtyard. We might be able to hold one exhibition match,” the Beast King murmured with a knowing tone just before they left.