CH.83 Operation Umbre
<span style="font-weight:400">“I can go buy you an umbre, if you would like.” The hostess offered as we were about to leave.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No thank you.” I answered. “I have a n.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian?” Alice looked at me. “Are you really going to stop the rain?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I already said I wouldn''t do it. There are other ways of doing it.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">A summoner will deal with small problems in the summoner ways, after all.
<span style="font-weight:400">I pulled two monsters out of my collection.
<span style="font-weight:400">The first one being: “Dark Magician.” I said as I summoned the first monster.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hello Master.” He said as he stepped out of his card. I heard some surprised gasps from the people enjoying their lunch. “What might I do for you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I need a spell that can protect us from the rain.” I told him. “That shadow shield that Mana uses should suffice.” I told him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As you wish.” He agreed. “Dark Shield.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Arge shadowy ne appeared above the front door of the inn. It wasrge enough that I could summon the second monster within it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. Now, Overdrive.” I summoned my second monster. You don’t need to walk in the rain, if you use a mechanical carriage. This is at least 120 IQ move.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian.” I felt Alice pulling on my sleeve. “Is he the same summon as the one that had the purple robe?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, but also no.” I told her. “It’splicated.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Could you exin it to me?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Later.” I postponed the problem. “Let’s get back to the manor first.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I took Alice to the passenger side door, opened it for her and helped her inside. I’m trying to be a gentleman here. Then I entered the driver seat and Dark Magician got in the back seat. I’ll need him at the manor as well, so I won’t unsummon him just yet.
<span style="font-weight:400">After we got inside and closed the doors, the dark shield that was keeping the rain from us disappeared, and the raindrops began hitting the roof of Overdrive.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This was your n?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Works perfectly, does it not?” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I guess.” Alice admitted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Come on. Let’s get back home.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Now, to the manor.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">I was driving Overdrive slowly. Not because I couldn’t drive quickly, I think I proved that part when I was preparing to deal with the wyverns, but because there were a lot of people running in the streets. People trying to get home before the rain really picked up. I also have no clue how well Overdrive’s tires would hold in the rain. They had good grip on the grasnds so it should be fine, but I’d rather not crash into a person or a building. And we were in no rush to get back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian, are you sure it’s fine to use summoning like this?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure it is. Or more like, why wouldn’t it be?” I shot back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I just feel like it’s… a waste.” She answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A magician uses magic to stay dry and a summoner uses summons to stay dry.” I told her. “I see no difference.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I suppose, but … I just feel like you are using a military golem as a carriage.” She argued.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, I totally am.” I told her. I think Overdrive would count as a military golem. It has a gun, so it must be for the military only. At least if you ask the people that make thew. “But is there something wrong with it?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Doesn’t it use magic fuel or something?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think you forgot one fact. This is a summon, not a golem. Do I feed my summons because they look like humans? Do I need to refuel my mechanical carriage, because it looks like a golem? I don’t, as they are not normal.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... you are so strange.” Alice admitted. “You make no sense.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. I’ll break yourmon sense if you are not careful.” I told her. “Just ept it and move on.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">It took us a while to make it to the gate of the manor, as I was driving at just a little faster than walking speed. The gate guards got out of the guard house as I pulled up with Overdrive, but they didn’t make a huge fuss about it. Perhaps they’ve heard of it beforehand.
<span style="font-weight:400">I had Dark Magician step out first and make us another shield. Then I got out and went over to Alice’s side to help her out. I unsummoned Overdrive and the guards opened the gate for us. I apologized to the guards for surprising them as we got inside.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we got inside the house, I turned to Dark Magician.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. You can go now.” I said to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Always, Master. But please, try to summon me when you needbat strength next time.” He said as he entered his card.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No promises, but I’ll try.” I answered. I took the two cards that were on my DiaDhank and ced them back into the collection.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee back.” Christina was in the front room waiting for us. “I was thinking of sending a carriage to get you, but it seems like that was unnecessary.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mother. We are back.” Alice responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. We got back herepletely dry.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I noticed. I’m surprised you managed to keep yourselves dry in the rain. I know it’s still just picking up, but still.” Christina said with slight amazement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian did that. He used a summon to make us a rain shield and then we used his golem carriage to get to the gates.” Alice exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh that. I’ve heard of it, but never seen it. Brian, will you give me a ride in it as well?” Christina asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I can, but I’d rather do it when it’s not raining.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">I can always use Overdrive when we go to the dungeon to name Christina as the dungeon master.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And here I was hoping we could go right now.” Christina teased. She then turned her head towards Alice again. “Alice, did you get a new staff?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, Brian got it for me.” She responded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“May I take a look?” Christina asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Alice seemed a little hesitant to let go of her staff, but did hand it over to her mother.
<span style="font-weight:400">Christina was checking it out and seemed to like what she saw.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where did you get it? I don’t think Bak would hold something like this.” Shemented.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s from the Traveling wonder.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh yeah, that little store. I’ve been looking for a new staff for Alice since she cast her first spell a few days ago, but I didn’t think something like this was so close. I guess I shouldn’t underestimate a failing store.” Christina said.
<span style="font-weight:400">Failing? Is that store going under? Well, perhaps Lawrence just can’tpete with Bak. Bak has arger store and multiple ie sources, so even if he can’t sell his vares, he can just rely on the transport aspect of the business. But Lawrence doesn’t have something like that. Or maybe he does and I just don’t know of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So you went with treant wood staff. You need to be careful not to overload it as you start using it.” Christina was instructing Alice. “You don’t want to break something Brian gave you, now do you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">So it can break if she overloads it. I guess if it is one that grows over time, it might be brittle early on.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You seem knowledgeable about staves and treant wood. Do you perhaps have a treant wood staff yourself?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh I do.” Christina told me. “I got it almost a year ago, but it still can’t hold up to powerfulbat magic, so I can’t use it fully.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Does it take that long for a treant wood staff to grow?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, it really does. Some say it’s foolish to even attempt to use a treant wood staff before you’ve grown it for at least three years. Some say only a month is enough, but then again, the longer you nurture the staff, the stronger it will be.” She exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Could I see yours? For reference.” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Please wait a moment. I’ll go get it.” Christina said as she left the room.
<span style="font-weight:400">After her mother left the room, Alice turned to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why are you so interested in staves all of a sudden?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I just want to know some of their limits.” I told her. “If I don’t, I’ll end up breaking yours when I offer to upgrade it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Please don’t break it.” Alice plead.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And that is why I study. Can I hold it for a bit?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...will you do something stupid?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, I’ll just analyze it.” I told her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What does that mean?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll use my power as a dungeon founder to find out more about the staff.” I told her. “It shouldn’t cause any damage to it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... just don’t break it.” She said as she handed the staff over.
<span style="font-weight:400">“If I do, I’ll get you another one.” I promised her. “Perhaps I’ll carve one for you myself.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Having a summon do it, is not doing it by yourself.” Alice told me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Well, she is not wrong. I have some woodworking experience, but not enough to carve something like this. School for the win. And projects with my dad. But then again, modern tools are required for that, so I really couldn’t do something like this.
<span style="font-weight:400">I analyzed the staff, before handing it back to Alice. See, no damage.