Although it’s actually Pochi’s fault, what with her being the one who lied to Lylia that I wanted to talk, I was the one who kept Lylia waiting because of my ensuing argument with Pochi.

 

“We don’t have all the time in the world.
You have to manage what you have properly.”

 

“Right, sorry about that.”

 

I bowed my head and waited for Lylia’s response.

 

“…So, what did you want to discuss?”

 

Nothing.
I never even thought of a conversation opener.
Shit.

That doggo got me into trouble again! POCHIIIIII!

 

“Uh, well…”

 

“Time is of the essence…”

 

Sponsored Content

“Yes, I know! Well, why don’t we start with your topic, Lylia? Hahaha…”

 

I asked back and scratched my cheek.
Lylia crossed her arms leaned back in her chair.

 

“…It’s about Seki’teigyu, actually.”

 

Lylia said quietly, while turning her face slightly away.

So, the Ox, huh? What could be the problem with that violent creature, after all this time?

 

“Seki’teigyu…? Did something happen?”

 

“…We can’t seem to fight in sync with each other.”

 

Hope no one’s blaming me for keeping my mouth agape, because my God, I can’t get it to close.

I mean, I never expected Lylia to ever say that kind of thing.

 

“See, I can be quite tunnel-visioned when in conflict – I’m fully aware of that, and so does the Ox.
By the time I was done fighting, Seki’teigyu would still be in combat, in a location far away from me.
Happens every single time.
So that’s why I wanted to ask…”

 

“Yes? What would you like to know?”

 

“…How do we work well with each other, like you and your dog?”

 

Like me and Pochi, eh… Never thought Lylia would be worried about this kind of thing.

Her fighting style seems largely based on her instincts, so I could see that being a myriad of problems when in combat alongside a Familiar.

…And so she’s concerned about her cooperation with the people closest to her, while I’m concerned about Pochi and my cooperation with everyone else, huh?

In Lylia’s case with Seki’teigyu, though, there’s a problem in that imprinting had never been involved.

Heavenly Beasts are, well, still beasts, so unlike monsters, the process of imprinting is not absolutely necessary, but it would have helped, what with the Ox having a rough temperament to begin with.

And how well Pochi and I work together is a result of… well, living together for more than eight hundred years.
She hasn’t spent anywhere near as much time with the Ox.

I can’t tell her to just distill a Drop of Eternity and drink it, that’s for sure, and even if I could, she’d just repeat that ‘we don’t have all the time in the world,’ anyway.

Now, what should I even say to start this off…?

 

“It’s difficult to come up with a solution on the spot, I understand.
Let’s just forget this and move on-“

 

“-Aha.”

 

I blurted out, prompting Lylia to stop as she was about to stand up from her seat.

 

“What now? …Oh, which reminds me, you haven’t brought up your topic yet, have you?”

 

Sponsored Content

“Y-yes, that’s it.
Exactly.”

 

All I needed to do was tie this topic with THAT one! Why didn’t I think of this earlier?

 

“So? You needed to discuss something – at least that’s what Shiro told me, isn’t it?”

 

“I do, yes.”

 

Lylia froze in place – a rare gesture for her, seemingly because she genuinely had not expected to hear what I had just said.

 

“…Well, what is it?”

 

“You should… give Seki’teigyu a unique name.”

 

Didn’t see that one coming, did she? Just look at her – this time she’s practically turned into a stone statue.

Then, after a few moments, Lylia crossed her arms and turned away again.

 

“But that’s impossible.
A Familiar Contract, once established, cannot be altered.
You should know that much.”

 

Lylia glanced at me, suspicious.

Right, of course she’d be.
Because it’s true – A Familiar Contract, once established, cannot be altered… with the means available in this era, that is.

 

“No, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.”

 

The thing is, I’m from the distant future.
And I’ve brought with me this nifty little magecraft called Contract Modification.

I’ve actually used it before, to alter Pochi’s Familiar Contract, and as a result erasing the title of “The Fool’s Familiar” from her list.

 

“…Interesting.
Let’s see how you can do that, then.”

 

Lylia stood up from her seat and glared at me, showing a fair bit of anger.
An expected reaction from an Elf well-versed in the arcane arts.

When it comes to magic and magecraft, though, I’m not about to back down even a single step, either.

So I stood up and looked right back at Lylia, taking in her intense stare head-on.

 

“Yes, of course, I’ll show you.”

 

Once I said that, the anger in Lylia’s eyes faded away. 

Huh… Why? Did she get intimidated by the enthusiasm in my eyes?

Whatever the cause is, Lylia’s eyes are now opened wide with surprise instead.

 

点击屏幕以使用高级工具 提示:您可以使用左右键盘键在章节之间浏览。

You'll Also Like