The Phoenix That Eats Chicken

Phoenix. A shiver ran down my spine at the unexpected reward. Who could have imagined a sub-quest would offer such an incredible prize?

No, is this reward actually on the ordinary side?

The immortal elixir supplement. This was just a normal tonic. Unlike the golden apple I'd eaten before, this one had to be taken once a day like medicine over several days.

And it doesn't raise your stats in one go like the golden apple did.

As for experience points, to be brutally honest, they were handed out after every quest. When you thought about it that way, this wasn't any different from the usual rewards. It only seemed like an enormous haul because the level-up had also granted me the familiar summoning trait.

Therefore...

Give me more rewards right now!

I shamelessly demanded more inside my head, but the system message remained stubbornly silent.

Hmm. Anyway, now that I've obtained familiar summoning, I suppose I should form a contract with the phoenix.

And if I did make a contract, I'd need that mana recovery bracelet as well. The more I grew, the more tasks piled up. At this point it felt like even ten bodies wouldn't be enough.

Why the hell am I still this ridiculously busy after coming to another world?

It was right when that thought crossed my mind.

“Krrgh!”

Kiesa, whom I had just defeated, glared at me with bloodshot eyes. It seemed he still hadn't come to his senses, as if the beating hadn't been enough.

“I'll kill you!”

At that moment he exploded with mana and charged straight at me without warning. Since he was going to be expelled anyway and had nothing left to lose, he was completely unrestrained.

Just as I prepared to deal with him—

“Guh!”

A woman with snow-white hair appeared between us and subdued Kiesa in a single move.

Even from behind, her aura was utterly different from that of ordinary students. She was a character who held a near-lead role in the game and was known as the strongest person in the academy.

-Oh ho, she seems to be almost the strongest among everyone I've seen so far.

Even Miroel evaluated the woman before her that way.

I didn't expect Elsa to get involved.

The current student council president of the academy. She was none other than Elsa von Liones.

I quietly observed her through Mind's Eye.

It was so overwhelming that I wondered if these were stats a student could possibly possess. This must be why she was called the greatest student council president in history.

Well, the potential of our own group doesn't lose to hers either.

While I was thinking that, Elsa turned her elegant face toward me.

“Are you alright?”

I nodded slowly at her question.

“I'm fine. More importantly, is it really acceptable to send that person flying like that?”

“Yes. Not only did he lose a fair duel, he even drew his sword and attempted to kill a student. This much is only natural.”

She nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

At that moment—

“Krrraaagh!”

Kiesa stood up with blood streaming down his forehead.

Simultaneously—

“That's far enough.”

Dale, who had been watching, appeared in front of him.

At his appearance, Kiesa bit his lower lip hard. He must have realized it too. If he stepped forward any further, he would truly die.

“Understood.”

With those final words, he left the arena.

Thus, only I, Elsa, and Dale remained inside the arena.

Elsa turned and bowed her head.

“I apologize, student Baran.”

“Uh… yes?”

Her sudden apology left me wearing a stupid expression without realizing it. I hadn't even considered that she would lower her head like this.

“I was referring to Kiesa's behavior.”

“Ah.”

“I never imagined he would harass his juniors in such a manner the moment he returned from his dispatch mission. I had heard rumors that his character was rather poor, but still…”

Honestly, it was only natural for Elsa to react this way. Who would expect someone to enforce such brutal seniority in an academy that valued equality above all?

I was just as dumbfounded when I saw it.

Since this had become reality instead of a game, such situations could apparently occur.

As I entertained that question, she spoke in a serious tone.

“Student Baran, may I ask you one favor?”

“You mean… from me?”

“Yes.”

“I'm not sure if someone like me can be of help, but I'll assist to the best of my ability.”

After hearing my answer she offered her thanks once more, then immediately moved to the main topic.

“Would you be willing to accept a request from the student council?”

“A request, you say?”

I already had a rough idea what it might be. This was exactly the timing for the student council request, one of the sub-episodes.

When I looked at her as if asking for details, she answered.

“It isn't appropriate to discuss it here with so many ears around. Could you and student Luden come to the student council room tomorrow afternoon?”

“Hmm.”

As expected, the request Elsa brought me was none other than an original work episode.

The old me would have refused without the slightest hesitation. But now I needed to intervene directly in the original storyline. After all, I had no idea how the butterfly effect might change things.

Besides, intervening in the original should yield generous rewards.

Having organized my thoughts, I nodded.

“I understand. I'll be there.”

With those words, she disappeared from the arena.

Thus, the duel with Kiesa ended in my victory, just as expected.

The next day.

This morning was a free period, so I didn't attend any lectures. Without hesitation I headed straight to the training room to attempt the familiar summoning.

However—

-Disciple. If you intend to summon a familiar, you must prepare properly.

Watching my actions, Miroel immediately began scolding me.

Apparently you had to draw a proper magic circle for the summoning ritual. In the game it had been as simple as pressing a button, but reality was annoyingly complicated.

Miroel wouldn't say something like that without reason.

In the end I followed her instructions and slowly drew the circuit on the floor. Once I finished, I asked her.

“Now that I think about it, what kind of familiar did you have, Master?”

-Hmm. I formed a contract with the Spirit King.

It was exactly the same as the original story. She was known as the only one who had ever contracted with a Spirit King.

I asked her with a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sliver of hope.

“Then what would you think if I tried to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠contract with a phoenix?”

-What? A phoenix? No way. Even for you, disciple, that is simply impossible.

She shook her head vigorously and added an explanation.

-Contracts are usually a matter of luck rather than talent. Of course, if you possess the required materials for the familiar, summoning becomes possible. However, it is known that the phoenix has never formed a contract with anyone.

Indeed, according to the setting the phoenix had never contracted with a single person. Considering its personality, it wasn't the type that would.

I remember it being a bit insane.

Still, I had made preparations for exactly this situation. I hadn't only obtained the phoenix feather—I had made additional preparations yesterday as well.

Considering its personality and my own talents, there might be a chance.

With that thought I continued drawing the circuit. Before long—

“Haa. Thanks to you, Master, it finished easily.”

I had finally succeeded in completing the entire circuit.

Since my eyes supposedly couldn't see, she had guided my hand and drawn it herself. In truth my eyes worked perfectly, but because of the setting I had no choice but to accept her touch.

-Then infuse it with mana now, disciple.

“Ah, before that, just a moment.”

-?

I quietly took the phoenix feather out of my subspace pouch. Miroel jumped in surprise at the sight of the red feather.

-Th-that, could it possibly be…?

“Yes, that's correct. It's a phoenix feather.”

-How did you obtain such a thing, disciple!

She was so shocked that she leaned her face in close. Any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠closer and we would have kissed.

“Umm, I received it from an acquaintance.”

-Just who would give away something so precious?

To be exact, the system had given it to me. I swallowed those words and grew flustered. Miroel took a shallow breath and calmed herself.

-Huu. My apologies. It is simply such a rare material.

“That's understandable. Anyway, rather than lingering, let's proceed with the summoning.”

-Yes. Understood.

Realizing that further questions would lead nowhere, she allowed me to change the subject.

I placed the feather on the circuit and poured mana into it.

The characteristic of fire bloomed within the mana. It was obvious who was about to appear.

And just as expected—

-Munch munch.

The phoenix emerged exactly as I had anticipated.

But the moment we saw its appearance, our eyes widened.

The reason was simple.

-Who is it that called me? Hmm.

The phoenix was busy devouring a whole roasted chicken with its sharp beak. A phoenix eating chicken—it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a moment that left me utterly dumbfounded once again.