Rumors of Noah's Second Summon
It didn't take long for the rumor that the ever-innocent Noah had summoned her second summon to spread throughout the school. Of course, students with two summons weren't all that rare. There were plenty who operated two: their own personal summon plus the family heirloom. But she was the first in her generation to summon a second one purely through her own power.
The principal asked me about that secret.
"Just how did you pull it off?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about Miss Noah. A plain country girl with no special bloodline. It's a miracle she even got into the academy."
"So why ask me about it?"
If her admission was such a mystery, go grill whoever recommended her—why drag me in here?
The principal seemed to think her successful summoning had less to do with her own talents and more with my peculiarities.
"Because you suggested she try the ritual."
"She got lucky."
"Just luck?"
"Yeah. Doesn't it kinda remind you of someone?"
At that, the principal clamped her mouth shut. A stroke of fortune no one from an ordinary bloodline—untouched by blue blood—had ever achieved. It evoked the tale of the founding emperor.
A bottom-rung slave, an ignorant nobody, who drew a 5-star summon through sheer luck and built an empire.
"...Are you saying Noah's another emperor?"
"Didn't say that."
I flashed a grin and took a step back. Who're you gonna drag off for imperial blasphemy?
The emperor was impressive, sure. Pulling a 5-star on luck alone? That's not human.
But the principal, unwilling to buy it, fixed me with a glare after a moment of silence.
"Ian."
"Yes, Principal?"
"This isn't something we can just brush off."
Obviously. Someone had succeeded at a second summoning. Without even knowing what conditions made it possible. And the investigation revealed she'd only attempted it after someone egged her on.
"One way to read this: you have the power to trigger multiple rituals—or you can spot that talent in others."
That's how it looked. Even if reality was nothing like that.
"Not even close."
"Then care to explain it to me? How were you so sure Noah could succeed?"
"Wasn't sure. Just figured... if anyone could, it'd be Noah."
"Even if failure meant losing a precious heirloom?"
"Wouldn't have been too big a loss for Noah."
"...Do you even know how valuable an heirloom is?"
"I do."
Boy, do I. After all the cash I dumped into ceiling-breakers back on Earth.
But no heirloom was worth more than the protagonist's life. The principal let out a groan at my firm stance.
"Hmph... You really have no idea?"
"If you're that curious, just round up a bunch of kids and have them try the ritual."
"If it were that simple, would I be grilling you like this?"
She gave a wry smile. Sounded like there was some circumstance I didn't know about.
But that wasn't my problem.
"Anyway, I don't know if others can pull it off or not... If you need someone like that, why not track down whoever recommended Noah?"
"...Noah's recommender?"
"Yeah. They must've seen something in her to nominate her, right? People like that can spot summoning talent at a glance, no?"
Seemed to buy it—she nodded and said she'd look into it.
Finally free, I gave a quick bow and slipped out of the principal's office. Then let out a deep sigh.
'If even the principal's this worked up...'
How persistent will the other kids be?
Just imagining it gave me chills.
Stares stabbed into me like daggers.
Before, they were laced with jealousy and contempt. Now? Greed and expectation.
People always believe miracles can happen again. Miracles are miracles precisely because they don't—and no one doubts they could be the next protagonist.
Noah's case was no different. The kids quickly pieced together that I was the trigger for her summoning. Add a dash of imagination to fragmentary info, and wildly distorted rumors spread like wildfire.
For example...
"Ian Clark."
A guy a head taller than me blocked my path. His necktie marked him as a second-year senior.
"That's you, right?"
"Yeah. Who're you?"
"Name's Sawyer. Heard you have the ability to make multiple summonings succeed. Mind helping me out a bit?"
And so on.
He'd swallowed some absurd, impossible rumor from who-knows-where and was making one-sided demands. At least the brazen ones were easier to deal with. When they came out swinging with zero manners, I could match their energy.
"Don't have that ability."
"Everyone's heard the rumors—don't play dumb. Need money? Heard your family's just poor sheepherders..."
"Hey, you nuts?"
I hit him with a sunny smile, and he tilted his head like he'd misheard. Seconds later, his face boiled red like a kettle on the stove.
"You just what to a senior?"
"Be a senior if you wanna get senior treatment. I said I can't, and you drag my family into it? Wanna get wrecked?"
"...Hah, what vulgar speech. No wonder you country bumpkins—"
Thwack!
After a few scuffles with these mouthy punks, the approaches dried up. No one wanted to risk a fight with a 3-star summoner who played dumb about it all.
But kids always found another outlet.
"Ah, um... Guys...? I really can't do that stuff..."
"C'mon, just tell us once? Pretty please? I'll make it worth your while!"
"...I got money."
"A commoner's savings? Pfft. Help me once, and I'll gift you land ten times your farm!"
The kids swarmed Noah, begging left and right. Too kind-hearted and unable to say no, she just stood there, frozen, unable to shake them off.
I shoved through the crowd and reached her. Spotting me, her face bloomed into a bright smile.
"Noah. Let's go."
"Uh, yeah! S-sorry, guys, gotta head out!"
She bulldozed past them in a flash and followed me out of the classroom. Glancing back, she let out heavy sighs.
Seeing her like that, guilt started gnawing at me.
"...They giving you a hard time?"
"Huh? No! Not harassing me!"
"Looked like it just now."
"No... It's just... overwhelming. Never dreamed it'd be like this."
Back when she'd just summoned her 3-star, she couldn't have foreseen this torment. Even I hadn't. Unavoidable.
"Time'll sort it out."
"...Think so?"
"Or beg Stella for help?"
"...Stella won't meet me."
"What? Why the hell not?"
Noah was Stella's one true friend. What gives?
"She said hanging out might spark rumors that her duke family’s hogging the ability... Said she'd handle it her way and we'd lay low till the gossip dies."
Classic noble politics—beyond a commoner like me or Noah.
I needed to prove ASAP that she had no such power. But how do you kill a baseless rumor? It stemmed from desperate kids chasing a shot at glory. Couldn't suppress human greed...
Lost in grim thoughts, my hardened expression spooked her. She grabbed my sleeve, trembling.
"...Ian."
"Yeah?"
"You... won't abandon me, right...?"
"...Abandon you?"
"But... you're a noble too."
She shook as she spoke. The bright, pure country girl had shattered overnight. Easy to see how much pressure she was under.
And obviously, I wouldn't ditch the protagonist I'd handed an heirloom to. If anything, the opposite.
"Never. Not ever."
No way in hell. I gripped her hand on my sleeve.
"I'll stick to you till you get sick of me."
"...For real?"
"Of course."
Hope sparked—her trembling eased. Soon, her usual radiant smile returned as she beamed ahead.
"Ian! Let's eat out today!"
"...Eat out?"
"Yeah! Not cafeteria food—real food!"
"Broke as hell."
"It's fine! I got money now!"
A commoner with "money" wasn't rolling in it, but... I got her need to rack up debts with me, however small.
With a shrug, I followed her.
'Ian.'
Ian Clark. Prince on a white horse.
Why did you choose me?
'Feels gross.'
Her stomach churned. Overblown expectations clashing with harsh reality, nausea rising.
'...Wanna die.'
For the pure country girl, the nobles' relentless coaxing and obsession was unbearable pressure.
Look at this girl smiling in her face. What, commoners can't even save up? How much disdain to spit that so casually?
Noah felt sick again.
'Wanna escape.'
But she didn't know how to refuse. Especially as a country girl. In tight-knit villages, turning down requests wasn't even a concept.
So the ever-pliant Noah was easy prey for nobles who only schemed to exploit others.
"Noah, c'mon? If you can't, ask Ian for me? It's just a word!"
'It is hard.'
"Ahaha."
"What, you and Ian gonna hog it? You know how evil that is...?"
"Noah."
And then her prince arrived. She shoved the kids aside and stood.
Always saved by him. So she wondered—what if he vanished?
"...Ian."
"Yeah?"
"You won't abandon me, right?"
He chuckled like it was hilarious. Then took her hand.
"Even if you hate me, I won't let go."
Whether he said exactly that, who knows. But that's how it rang in her ears.
Don't let go.
The flower you plucked—don't release it.
Plant it deep. Keep it by your side.