It's Called an Academy

I checked Echidna's status window again and handed her the mace woven from shadows.

"...?...!"

Whoosh, whoosh!

Shadows had no weight, so there was no need to adjust the size. Watching Echidna swing the mace this way and that like a brand-new toy, a fond smile rose unbidden to my face.

Of course, that was just a figure of speech. I wasn't actually grinning like an idiot. Even if she couldn't see my face, the joy I felt would be flowing to her through the link that bound us.

Why she had ended up looking like that woman was something even I didn't fully understand.

If I had to guess, it was because the fixed image of a devil in my mind had been that pitch-black copy of Riri. During the summoning, the form that had been branded most strongly at the end was Lee Se-rin's appearance, and that must have heavily influenced Echidna's looks.

The image of the jet-black creature that had copied Riri, mixed in just the right proportions with its complete opposite—an image of pure, flawless white—had produced this form. Layered on top of that were the racial traits unique to devils: pale pink pupils, the horns on her head, and the devil's tail.

"Ahem..."

While I was examining Echidna, someone beside me deliberately coughed loud enough for me to hear, fishing for attention. I ignored it. She pouted and jabbed me in the side with her finger.

That actually hurts, so cut it out. Fuck.

Anyway, starting out biased toward the physical side is unavoidable.

Somehow, most of the summons I had ended up with were close-range types. There was no helping it. I still didn't have enough power to settle on a concept and carefully raise something specialized.

When you couldn't do this or that properly, the best option was simply to smash things with raw physical force.

Against mid-tier opponents I could confidently say I was strong, but the moment the depth increased even a little, my head tilted with a doubtful "well..." I was stuck at that awkward level.

I didn't even need to look far. If I fought the academy professors right now, I would lose nine times out of ten. The remaining one would be a first-time-only fluke where I lured them into dropping their guard and had Kallion blow them up in a single shot.

Even then, once information about me spread, they would be able to counter it easily. My structure still wasn't tight enough. Even if I landed a counter, I lacked the leeway to return it or exploit the opening it created.

So I never grew arrogant. More accurately, I couldn't afford to.

The strongest being in the world was standing right beside me, so even if I wanted to get cocky, it was impossible. Getting full of yourself with a monster like that next to you? You were either completely oblivious or just an idiot—one of the two.

In front of her, I and the academy professors were all the same.

It was like looking at a bloodworm and a dirt worm side by side and calling them both just worms. From her perspective, anything that squirmed when stepped on was identical.

That was exactly why she was such an eccentric.

I still didn't understand why she deliberately put on these pointless little plays just to mingle among the worms. What was so fun about willingly diving into annoying trouble?

It was a way of thinking I would never be able to relate to, not even if I lived a lifetime.

The place we were in now was a wide, plaza-like open area a short distance from the cave-like space I had created earlier.

If anyone asked why I had chosen somewhere with such a clear field of view, the answer was obvious: it made covering Echidna easier. More importantly, I could summon Growl.

Her physical stats weren't bad, so her athletic ability itself was decent, but her body structure was still locked within the range of a young child, which put clear limits on her movement.

Until she got used to combat, I would have to attach Growl as her escort and have him mark her one-on-one.

I had already thoroughly tested the performance of Kallion's magic. Now it was time to make the most of those results and give Echidna the optimal leveling.

A characteristic of field-type dungeons was that high-rank monsters clustered only in areas that advanced the dungeon's progress. Everywhere else, the monsters' levels were relatively low.

Even so, "relatively low" still meant experience equivalent to upper C-rank, which made it perfect for education and training.

They should be arriving soon.

What we were about to do was a form of power leveling that online gamers commonly called "boosting."

It was a familiar sight in level-based MMORPGs—a method ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that used overwhelming disparity to safely and easily provide those below with high experience and byproducts they could never obtain on their own.

"...This isn't what I had in mind. I wanted a romantic drive while flying through the sky."

"Shut it."

Romance in a dungeon, my ass. I ignored Lee Se-rin's constant grumbling and complaints as she tried to rain on the parade, and looked up at the sky. Before long I spotted a black flock flying toward us from the far side and opened my mouth.

"Combat ready."

"...!"

"Woof!"

At my words, Growl and Echidna, who was mounted on his back, settled into stance. Kallion quietly began preparing magic with mana from behind, while Lee Se-rin sat herself down on a nearby rock with an "whatever" attitude.

I could clearly sense her presence, yet her form looked hazy, so she must have been using some kind of perception interference. She was probably declaring that she would thoroughly remain a spectator.

That actually worked in my favor—she wouldn't get in the way.

Even if this was power leveling, it was also a place to raise Echidna's combat ability. It couldn't be too easy, and it couldn't be too hard.

Finding that proper middle ground wasn't simple, but for someone who already had the successful case study of raising Ban Taewung, it was easy work.

"Cawww!!"

At Hive's cry, the shadow crows scattered in every direction at once. The dozens of birds that had been following them suddenly lost their bearings, flustered by the crows' abrupt dispersal and unsure which way to go.

Kallion's magic seized that opening.

"Crush them."

"Grrrr!"

It was the same application of the Force magic as before. Trusting only in the sheer volume of mana, he forcibly expanded a magic formation that instantly pressed down on the monsters hovering in the air and slammed them into the ground.

Thud, thud, thump!

The monsters fell from the sky like rain. Sprawled across the earth, they let out all sorts of screams. Most of their wings were broken or bent at grotesque angles from desperately thrashing against the pressure. Some had simply fainted from the impact; a few still had intact wings.

Being monsters, most of them were larger than me. To Echidna they would look even more enormous.

Whatever method Hive had used to provoke them, the mere fact that Hive had landed beside us made them recognize us as enemies and burn with clear hostility.

Their behavior was completely different from ordinary animals that prioritized survival instinct. That alone made it obvious they were monsters.

"Echidna."

"...!"

At my call, Echidna—who had been flinching and trembling at the ferocious monsters—readjusted her grip on the mace.

Kallion's role ended here. Anything truly threatening would be cleaned up by Growl. The rest belonged entirely to Echidna.

"Let's go."

"...!"

My job was to show her a sample of how she should move. I formed a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shadow mace and swung it at the head of the nearest bird.

Crunch!

The density of the mana I had packed into it was stronger than the creature's skull. The protruding part of the mace met bone and crushed it inward. Watching with a stiff expression, Echidna raised her own mace the same way and swung.

Thud!

"Kraaaagh...!"

"...?!"

Perhaps because she hadn't reinforced it with mana, the dull impact left the creature still moving. It swung a wing at the one who had attacked it.

"...!!"

She hastily raised the mace to block, but she couldn't withstand the force. She was sent flying and tumbled across the ground behind her.

Her face crumpled as she lost her grip on the mace. She clutched the hand that had held it tightly to her chest, looking as if she were desperately enduring the pain. When I examined it closely with mana, I saw that Echidna's fingers were bent in a direction they should never bend.

Her pure white skin had turned red, then blue, as if badly bruised. I could have poured mana into her right then and healed it, but I deliberately did not.

The enemy had already taken a hit and was half-dead. Echidna was injured too, but the degree was different.

It was only one hand. This wasn't some other weapon—a shadow weapon had no weight. She could still finish the enemy with her remaining hand.

Even if her appearance was young and feminine, my original plan to raise Echidna as a healer-slash-tank remained unchanged. Half-heartedly coddling her would be the most irresponsible thing I could do.

What I wanted was a comrade with real practical value, not a pretty doll to look at.

More than that, the doctrine I intended for her to hold was not simple might-makes-right. That path would only lead her to thoroughly trample and exploit the weak.

What I wanted was something like a guide—someone who understood the position of the weak and then showed them the path to become strong.

I was thinking not only of what was right in front of me, but of the future. As I raised my Summoner job level, I would create more initial familiars. Going through the same process with every single one like Echidna would be a massive waste of time.

So even if she was weak, she needed the strength to challenge the strong, collide with them, and bridge the gap between them.

"..."

Echidna's gaze met mine.

Her face was twisted with pain, on the verge of tears. Did she understand the emotions flowing from me? She probably did. She was simply too busy dealing with the immediate threat in front of her to process it with her head.

"Overcome it."

You can do it. It doesn't matter how many times you lose. You'll grow that much stronger. No matter how badly you're hurt, it's fine. I can heal you.

As long as you don't break, any pain that cannot lead you to death will become ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your growth.

"...!"

Despite her blank expression, the scorching torrent of emotion that burned even her own body finally made Echidna grit her teeth.

She released the hand that had been cradling her broken one and seized the mace that had fallen to the ground with a grip that looked ready to crush it. A murderous glint settled in her eyes.

Rage at the monster that had put her in this state. Self-reproach for letting such a weak enemy wound her and force me to worry. And above all, the desire to repay the one who had believed in her from the very beginning.

She lifted the mace.

"You don't need to force mana out recklessly. Be aware of the blood already flowing through you and melt the mana into it. Then, as if slowly releasing that carefully infused mana, wrap it around your entire body."

I demonstrated, slowly coating my whole body in mana. Spreading it evenly like this lowered the destructive power compared to concentrating it on a single point, but the sustainability was overwhelmingly superior.

Once she grew familiar with this mana reinforcement, she would be able to maintain the reinforcement while adding more mana to specific parts, rapidly strengthening the strengthening itself.

I didn't expect that much from Echidna yet. She didn't even need to wrap mana around the weapon. The shadow weapon itself was already made of my mana and reinforced.

All she needed was the power to resist the unreasonableness right in front of her.

"...!"

"Kraaaagh!!"

This was no longer the limp swing of someone merely copying my movements. She poured killing intent and emotion into it, swinging the mace with everything she had under the single-minded resolve to kill the enemy no matter what.

Crack!

She raised the mace and knocked aside the wing that had been swinging at her, changing its trajectory. Even that alone made her entire body sway heavily. She still wasn't used to the mana reinforcement and couldn't fully absorb the impact.

"...!!"

Whoooosh!!

Even so, she did not give up. She lowered her body, dodged the beak that snapped at her, and concentrated mana into the arm holding the mace.

All that remained was to swing.

Squelch!!

Starting from beneath the beak, the head burst apart as if shattered. The enemy twitched a few times, then fell silent. Echidna, breathing hard, widened her eyes. Then she lifted her head slightly and looked at me.

I slowly nodded.

Well done. Looking at me instead of immediately checking the enemy is a deduction, but forcing that on her right now would be too harsh. If it becomes a bad habit later, I can scold her then.

So praising what she did well is also necessary.

"...!"

Echidna squeezed her eyes shut and trembled. She was probably unable to contain her joy.

Only after seeing that did I heal her wounds. Watching her hand gradually mend, Echidna let out a soft sigh and slowly readjusted her grip on the mace.

A new emotion bloomed in her eyes.

If what she had felt until now was pure joy of victory, this was greed. As if representing her race, she had instantly become addicted to the thrill and excitement that victory brought.

A little more, a little more—

She began craving even greater joy that surpassed her limits. If I had to put a word to the vivid emotion flowing from her, it would be ecstasy.

Victory, simultaneous healing of her wounds, and the activation of Subjugator that raised her actual stats had all combined to elevate her already pleasant high even further.

Whether the first step had been voluntary or forced no longer mattered. Once you experienced this joy even once, you learned that nothing else could ever fill it. It was no different from stepping into a swamp you could never escape.

If this temperament worsened, she would almost certainly become a battle maniac, but if it could be properly controlled, nothing was more useful in combat. As long as she observed the right time, place, and occasion, people didn't really care whether someone was a battle maniac or not.

Fighting was fear and hardship, but if you overcame it and seized victory, you could obtain a joy beyond anything else. Simply having her regard it that way already made this battle a success.

From the beginning, I had guided Echidna toward exactly this.

In fact, she no longer showed the fear she had felt at the start against the countless beasts before her. Instead, she burned with aggressive will and began to smile purely.

As if to prove it, system messages appeared before my eyes.

"Done."

With this, the foundation was laid. Continuously leading her and forcing her into the direction I wanted wouldn't be bad, but that would rob it of a great deal of meaning. I was only offering help. Everything else depended on her.

Yes. No matter how the doctrine transformed from here on, everything would be up to her. The framework was different, but this was the process of creating a narrative that belonged to her alone.

It didn't matter how trivial it was. She could think of it as a diary. Everything she thought, everything she believed, everything she painted—she would "record" it all.

And that would become the doctrine.

Empty legends passed down by word of mouth without any example could never produce true faith. She herself would prove it. Not anyone else—she would make it known to everyone through her own power.

By doing this, she would certainly receive a reward. By showing it with her own body, she would appeal to all. Make them believe without doubt that her doctrine was just.

Originally, faith was not something forced upon others, but something that made them come to believe it on their own.

Ah, of course I was an atheist. As if I would believe in gods. I had been that way in my previous ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠life, and in this life the tendency had only grown stronger. Rather than believe in some defective god who pretended at equality while ultimately playing favorites, I would bite my tongue and stick to atheism.

I immediately invested the points Echidna had gained from leveling up into Intelligence.

Watching the girl's back as she smashed enemy skulls with even smoother mana movements, I let a thoroughly satisfied smile slip out.

"Daughter-obsessed fool..."

I ignored the words that drifted from behind like a muttered aside.

Who's calling who a fool? If you're going to spectate, at least stay quiet.