Guide on Casting the High Magic Summon

Too many distractions have happened in my life.

Ever since then, I kept asking myself: why do I even need friends? Do I want to be understood? Or maybe… I'm just starved for connection?

Riven, Ash, Salazar. Their lives never interested me—at least not until recently.

I met the first just to copy his homework. The second manipulated the situation so I'd end up beside her. And the third…

…lost his gift.

Still, I don't consider them bad people. Each of them brought a drop of something new into my existence.

But one question still haunts me.

Why would someone like me—a summon—need good memories?

Since the moment of my reincarnation, I've pondered this. I live for one purpose: to protect my mistress.

Lirael. Though I wouldn't say she even needs my protection—nothing ever happens in her life, just like in the lives of millions of others.

Her family despises me. Why do they even keep me around? Why hasn't she dismissed me yet?

Is it just to balance the cost? A contract with a High Spirit siphons half of the user's mana… permanently.

She's a smart girl, with her whole future ahead of her. Though the mana won't return, its capacity can still grow.

I couldn't grasp the reason for my existence.

Am I... human? Or merely a servant?

But today, when I finally managed to use High Magic for the first time… to summon a crystal that floated in my palms like a lantern, I realized something.

Or rather, I remembered my purpose.

I was given a second chance. A new meaning. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep it.

I'll grow stronger.

Master even greater magic.

Maybe… just maybe, these new bonds will change me.

Damn it. I've gotten way too sentimental lately.

That night, after the long-awaited battle had ended, I returned to the palace and practiced High Magic in the courtyard. It was vast—an entire hectare of gardens and a stream. Aristocrats, what can you expect.

Open terrain for training.

Under the moonlight, I felt most at ease. Maybe in a past life, I favored the night.

"Bang!"

A surge of violet energy gathered in my palms, condensing into a burst of wind before it detonated the air around it.

It's not much—a spell barely good for cutting trees—but it was a start. And I was satisfied.

But the stress lingered. Time was slipping through my fingers. To summon a familiar, I needed at least Tier-3 spell proficiency.

How the hell was I—some paladin relic from the last era—supposed to learn summoning in just three days?

The next morning.

All family members, except for the grandfather and the eldest daughter, had gathered for breakfast. The maids had covered the long table with a light meal. I stood in the back, reflecting on the information I had learned from the tomes.

Lirael ate her breakfast with serenity in her soul, paying no attention to the others.

"My sweet little sister!" Meliora came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her.

Meliora was the middle sister, studying in the same group as Saddler. Silver hair with a bluish hue, always radiating hyperactivity. She was well-known in the academy for being involved in every single event.

"Hurry up and eat! You're looking extra cute today~"

She rubbed her large breasts against Lirael's face and rocked her back and forth.

"If you keep touching me like that, I'm never going to finish my food."

"Oh, come on! I just love you more than I did yesterday! No wonder they call you the prettiest girl in the academy."

"Right… You seem to be in an awfully good mood today. Did something happen?"

"Hmm? Let me think," Meliora tapped a finger to her lips. "Nope! Absolutely nothing!"

"I see. So it's that version of you. The one that can't sit still."

"Don't be so mean!" she pouted. "Want me to give you a shoulder massage?"

"I'll pass."

Their father spoke up. His tone was stern, but he didn't try to raise his voice.

"Meliora, Lirael. If you waste time like this, you'll be late for school. The Ataraxia family is never known to arrive less than thirty minutes early to class."

"Yes, yes," Meliora looked away. "So, sis, when are you finishing up?"

"Can't you see I can't eat because of you? Stop rocking me."

"Your loss. Big sister Elise used to love it when I did that. Shame she moved away."

She turned to me thoughtfully, flashing a sly smile.

I ignored her. Just stood there, my mind overflowing.

"Lirael, after class… Could you come to my room?"

It was their mother. A tall, slender woman. Her gaze was fragile—almost uncertain.

"Ah, of course, dear mother."

Everyone adored her for her kindness. Even with me, she wasn't unkind, though we hardly interacted.

Sunrise came and went. By evening, we had already returned to the palace. Lirael always arrives and leaves alone. She hates when I hover near her.

I escorted her to her mother's room. We hadn't spoken even once the entire way.

"You really don't have to escort me everywhere, you know."

It felt strange to hear her speak to me.

I said nothing. She entered the room.

"Dearest mother."

"Lirael, how were your lessons today?"

Her mother sat on a luxurious bed, her gentle eyes turning toward her daughter.

"As usual. It'll be quiet until exams begin."

"I see… Come here, sweetie."

I stood pressed against the corridor wall. I wouldn't have heard their conversation if it weren't for my Perception technique.

Lirael stood before her. Her mother took her hand and gently stroked it.

"You've done so well. Always working hard for our family. Lately, your father's been… different. Everyone has bad days, but… He wants to speak with you about something."

Lirael listened intently.

"Do you… want to dismiss your summon?"

My eyes slowly opened.

"If he no longer serves a purpose, there's no need for him to continue a life he doesn't care for. Your father thought it might be better than forcing him to serve us."

"Father wants to dismiss him?"

"My dear daughter. What matters more here isn't what he wants… It's what you want. If you've grown attached to him, we won't pressure you."

"No. Not at all. I have absolutely no attachment to my summon."

"You know, he's made it quite clear himself that he doesn't belong here. He spent all of last year in the academy acting like an outsider. Word got around."

"Yes," Lirael replied. "He really doesn't care for his duties. If he wanted out, he would've said so on the very first day."

"That's why we have the seal between summoner and summoned. A contract binding souls — to serve both sides. Sweetheart, I know we're asking a lot after all you've done, but if you want to dismiss him, nothing's stopping you now."

I didn't feel sad hearing all that. I wouldn't beg for my life—let alone plead to stay. Not at all.

From the very beginning, I knew my new life was nothing but borrowed time. A miracle that could be undone with one simple seal.

I'm not a person. I'm a servant. A soul that belongs entirely to one girl.

"You know, dear mother… I don't feel good or bad about Atheron's presence."

Flashes of my interactions—unintentional though they were—with my classmates flickered in her mind. The faces of Ash, Riven, and Salazar always reminded her of me.

"And the fact he was summoned here… is entirely my responsibility. I won't reject him. Because if I did, it would mean another soul lost its purpose. Even if he died long ago… now, he's nothing short of human."

My pupils shimmered.

"I understand," her mother replied and smiled. "A worthy answer—just what I'd expect from you, my little girl."

She patted Lirael's head. Lirael blushed.

"Keep making me proud, you little troublemaker. I remember how you used to chatter nonstop. Look how grown-up you've become."

"M-mom…"

I disabled Perception and sighed. What a fool. Holding onto me like there's a reason.

She thinks of me as a human…

"Hey, why're you just standing there?"

Meliora appeared beside me in the dim hallway. The curtains nearby rustled in the cool wind.

Author's note:

Want to know why Meliora turned to Atheron? I've divided this chapter into three parts, so the story continues in the next chapter!