Chapter 61
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Summoning #2
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An airship's greatest strength was its ability to ignore terrain.
The detours that were an inevitable part of overland travel simply didn't exist for an airship. Of course, one had to consider air currents to some extent, but it was nothing compared to a carriage that had to go around mountains and rivers.
To get from the Spider Forest to the Lycanthrope Palace, one first had to enter Lycanthrope territory, and then cross nearly half of it.
The journey would have taken at least ten days by land, but it was a different story with an airship.
Sephira, the first mate and surveyor of the *Black Flame Dragon*, reported her calculations: they could reach the Lycanthrope Palace in as little as two days, or three at most.
And during that time, the party was not about to sit idle.
Amita gathered everyone in the largest room on the airship, the captain's quarters, and spoke while nestled in Daphne's arms as always.
"The general preparations are finished, so I'll take your individual orders now."
Judging by her face, she looked like someone who had reached enlightenment. It was as if she'd finally given up and accepted a task she desperately wanted to avoid.
"Tell me what kind of equipment you each desire."
The first to respond to Amita's words was Daphne. She gently stroked the furry creature in her arms and said.
"As I mentioned before, I'd like some defensive gear."
"Right, I'll make you a garment with defensive magic circles embroidered into it."
Amita nodded with a rather warm smile. From the way they spoke, it seemed they had already discussed what to make a few times.
Karak blinked and asked.
"Hm? Master Raccoon, you can make clothes too? Don't tell me you can sew?"
"What, you got a problem with that? Huh? You got a problem?"
Amita growled, glaring at Karak. But the rest of the group was staring at Amita's tiny paws. The thought of those paws sewing, even on a grumpy raccoon, seemed incredibly cute.
Karak had a similar thought, but instead of letting it show awkwardly, he met Amita's temper with a sly grin.
"Not at all. You're a raccoon of many talents, I see."
"Hmph."
Still, the compliment didn't seem to displease her, as her expression softened a bit.
"Anyway, let's continue. Satyr, state your order."
At Amita's call, Karma glanced around for a moment before speaking in a cautious voice.
"I'd like to request a suit of armor."
It seemed she still felt bad for not participating in the fight to protect the Final Flame, let alone the negotiations.
Hearing Karma's timid request, Amita clicked her tongue, then looked her up and down.
"You seem to focus on speed, so it'll have to be something light. Partial armor should do. Alright, next."
Amita's gaze turned to Seira. Seira responded with a serious expression.
"I need armor that I can still wear after I transform."
"Hmm, I'll have to make resizable partial armor. While it depends on the material, armor is fundamentally heavier the more defensive it is. What do you want?"
"A certain amount of weight is fine, since I'll be using it after I transform. However, I'd appreciate it if you could take into account that I'm a martial artist."
"Understood. I'll keep that in mind. And you?"
Amita's voice grew quite sharp at the end. Her question was directed at Karak.
Karak stroked his chin with a sly look, then grinned and answered.
"I'll also take a suit of armor."
It was the third armor request in a row, following Karma's and Seira's. If one considered Daphne's request for cloth clothing to be in the broader category of armor, then every order so far had been for armor.
Amita leaped down from Daphne's lap and began thumping her tail against the floor.
"Why is every damn order for armor! Isn't this too much? Huh? You know armor is the hardest to make, so you're just trying to mess with me, aren't you?!"
After all, armor was the largest piece of equipment.
Karak held up his hands and shook his head as if to say it was a misunderstanding.
"What can we do if we need armor? We've met the greatest artisan, so ain't it only natural to want some sturdy gear to protect our lives? Besides, Karma, Seira, and I are all in positions where we have to guard the princes and princesses. We naturally get into a lot of physical scrapes, so we're desperate for armor."
It was a logical argument, befitting an orc.
Unable to think of a rebuttal, Amita let out a sigh, her clenched fists trembling. In a corner of the room, Sephira, who was standing with Silvan, stared at Karak in surprise.
Just as Delia, noticing the stare, subtly shifted to block her view, Amita leaped back onto Daphne's lap and looked at Delia.
"What about you? Don't tell me you want armor too?"
Delia was an attendant, just like Karak and Seira.
But Delia shook her head.
"Master Amita, I would like a shield that is small and light, but has excellent defensive power and a wide coverage area."
Delia was a dark elf, and like most dark elves, she usually wore revealing clothes. Revealing armor naturally offered little protection, so she preferred a shield over a half-baked suit of armor.
At Delia's request, Karak and the other attendants looked at Amita with tense expressions. They expected Amita to fly into a rage, as Delia's order was quite contradictory.
Small and light, yet with a wide coverage and excellent defense. Was such a thing even possible?
"A shield, then. It's defensive gear, but it's not armor. Good. I like it."
Apparently, it was possible.
Amita nodded with a satisfied look, and Delia returned to her spot with a faint smile.
With the attendants' orders complete, all that remained were the Demon King's children.
Amita first turned to Caitlin.
"What about the amazing princess?"
"Uh... um..."
Caitlin didn't answer right away, her lips moving hesitantly. She still hadn't decided between gauntlets and armor.
Having grown up among Lycanthropes who didn't use weapons, Caitlin had never equipped a proper weapon, nor had she ever even considered using one. She had thought there were no weapons a martial artist could use.
But seeing Juingong use Earthquaker had changed her mind somewhat.
*I want gauntlets that can also be used as a weapon.*
*But I also want armor.*
As Caitlin agonized with a groan, Amita's tail began to tap restlessly on the floor.
As everyone grew anxious, Juingong pulled Caitlin's hand and whispered in her ear.
"Ask for the armor. I'll give you my share of the gauntlets."
At Juingong's suggestion, Caitlin's eyes widened in surprise.
"Really? Is that okay?"
It wasn't a whisper, so everyone heard. They all looked at Juingong and Caitlin with curiosity. Juingong chuckled and nodded.
"It's okay."
After all, Juingong had been promised a full set from Amita.
Since it was a full set, he had planned to get gauntlets and a shield, but he already had Earthquaker and White Eagle. It was better to distribute the gauntlets and shield where they were needed most.
The gauntlets for Caitlin, and the shield for Karak.
It was for a similar reason that Karak had chosen armor over a shield.
With her dilemma resolved thanks to Juingong's consideration, Caitlin beamed and said with a bright smile.
"I'd like to request a suit of armor. Something light but sturdy would be great."
It was the sixth piece of defensive gear, and the fifth suit of armor. Amita's shoulders slumped as she sighed.
"I'm going to become an armor specialist. Fine. An order is an order, I have to take it."
Her face now one of worldly detachment, Amita turned to Felicia.
"What do you want? Armor for you too?"
Though she mentioned armor, her eyes held a hint of expectation.
Felicia was a dark elf, just like Delia. Even now, she was wearing a revealing outfit that left her navel, back, and shoulders exposed.
Receiving Amita's intense gaze, Felicia rolled her eyes once, then snapped open a fan to hide her face. She looked away and said.
"A sword."
A sword.
Not a shield, or armor, or a staff, but a sword.
"Huh? Weren't you a mage?"
Amita asked, her eyes wide with surprise. Felicia lifted her fan a little higher and replied, feigning indifference.
"It's not for me. Please make a sword for Silvan."
"Felicia?!"
Even more shocked than Amita, Silvan shot up from his seat and raised his voice. Felicia turned away slightly and muttered in a small voice.
"Well, I'm a mage anyway. It's not like I really need armor or a weapon."
The fan covered her face, but it couldn't hide her long ears. Seeing Felicia's reddened ears, everyone smiled warmly.
"Felicia!"
Unable to contain his emotions, Silvan swept Felicia into a fierce hug. They were twin siblings, but there was a significant height difference between them. Nestled in Silvan's arms, Felicia said sharply.
"Hey, stop it! Keep this up and I'll change my order."
But her face was still flushed. Instead of letting her go, Silvan laughed heartily and planted kisses on her forehead and cheeks.
"You know your big brother loves you, right?"
"I know."
Felicia muttered in a prim voice, and Silvan laughed as if he owned the world.
Amita, too, nodded with a pleased expression.
"I love you too. A sword, how wonderful."
Finally, a weapon on the seventh order.
But there was still a long way to go. Amita sighed as she turned to the person whose order would equal the volume of all previous orders combined.
"You're getting a full set... so full plate armor, a shield, and a helmet should do it?"
Since he'd said a full set, it was whatever he wanted it to be.
Juingong smiled as slyly as Karak had and replied.
"I'd also like to request adjustments for Earthquaker and White Eagle."
"By the Final Flame..."
Amita lamented, but the Final Flame was on Juingong's side. Moreover, another trial still awaited her.
"Talking raccoon, do not forget me. You must take my order as well."
Green Wind, who had materialized right next to Juingong, said crisply. Amita, now lacking even the energy to thump her tail, sat on it and looked up at Green Wind.
"What do you want?"
"Hmm, I want something that will be helpful to my master. I belong to my master, and what is mine is my master's. Master, what do you want?"
To Juingong, they were lovely words, but to Amita, they were simply dreadful. The orc, the master, and the servant—all of them were utterly vicious.
Juingong chuckled and stroked Green Wind's hair.
"I'd like to make a special request. This is related to the adjustments for Earthquaker and White Eagle, so I think we'll need to discuss it in more detail."
"My master says so."
Green Wind smiled happily and looked at Amita, who nodded with slumped shoulders.
"Fine, we'll talk again later. Anyway... I found a makeshift forge on this airship. I'll start the work there. And, 9th Prince."
Amita, addressing Juingong at the end, stood up and asked.
"Your estate in the Demon King's Castle has a forge, I assume?"
"Yes."
In truth, it didn't, but building a new forge was a simple matter. He would be earning a good deal of merit points upon his return, so installing a new facility would be no trouble at all.
Once all the orders were in, Amita covered her face with her tiny paws.
"I'm a complete personal slave, a slave. To think I'd be churning out equipment like this."
Usually, making even one piece a year was considered quite a lot.
"Master Amita, we're counting on you."
Daphne hugged Amita as if to comfort her, and Amita nodded amidst her laments.
&
Ten days was both a short and a long time.
They had used one day to heed the summons and join Amita, leaving them with nine days.
To save every possible moment, the *Black Flame Dragon* flew day and night, and thanks to that, they arrived at the Lycanthrope Palace in exactly two days, just as Sephira had calculated.
Even in the Demon World, where all sorts of magic existed, massive airships like the *Black Flame Dragon* were a rare sight.
For that reason, the *Black Flame Dragon* with its many black sails was, in itself, a form of identification.
The Lycanthropes, who had spotted the *Black Flame Dragon* early on, responded with fluid and natural swiftness as soon as contact was made via a long-range communicator.
The designated landing site for the *Black Flame Dragon* was a training ground located on the outskirts of the Lycanthrope Palace.
As airships were rare, the palace lacked a proper landing strip, so the training ground was really the only suitable place to land. Landing anywhere else risked ruining the well-manicured gardens.
With the exception of Caitlin and Seira, who were returning to their own home, the rest of the party grew strangely tense as they neared the Lycanthrope Palace.
This wasn't the Demon King's Castle, but the Lycanthrope Palace, the home base of the 4th Queen.
As children of the 3rd Queen, Silvan and Felicia couldn't help but feel nervous.
The *Black Flame Dragon* finally touched down.
Standing on the deck, Juingong saw the group of figures arrayed on the training ground. Twenty members of the Lycanthrope royal family's elite guard, the Blood Wolf Guard, were assembled. The man at their head was undoubtedly the captain, Ludwig.
Juingong's gaze shifted further. Though they were quite a distance apart, he could feel their eyes meet.
The 4th Queen, Elaine Moonlight.
A woman with an appearance just like Caitlin's, but entirely different on the inside.
Standing between the Blood Wolf Guard and her handmaidens, she gave Juingong a radiant smile.
Juingong smiled back. He did not avoid the gazes of Chris, who stood beside her, or of the strongest Lycanthrope, Grandmaster Bruce.
Silvan's crew lowered the folding staircase.
Elaine's eyes asked the question.
*Have you made your decision?*
The proposal she had made.
Juingong took a step forward. It was time to give her his answer.
&
"Is that a pet?"
< Chapter 16 - The Summoning #2 > End