Daybreak Summoner Chapter 18 (Patreon)

Chapter 18 Promotion

The sun was setting over the mountains, and the night sky was filled with starlight.

The town of Shimbu was bustling with mountaineers and miners returning from the mountains.

In a corner of a street slightly outside the center of town, there was a restaurant [The Godfrey Pavilion].

Three girls were sitting at a table in that restaurant.

"Come on, Rinna Onee-san, this is a victory party to celebrate your promotion to B Class!"

With a mug of orange juice in her hand, Shifle raised her spirits.

She has changed out of her mountaineering gear and into the white robe she always wears.

"No, I haven't been promoted yet, not until I get back to King's Landing and deliver the treasure to the guild. ...But thanks."

Rinna chuckled lightly, but seemed happy.

Her large black cloak hung on the wall, making her petite body look even more slender.

"Here, Rin-chan, grab a mug! Cheers, cheers."

With a mug full of juice in hand, Rei hurried Rinna along.

She was probably the one who was most pleased with Rinna's promotion.

Maybe even more than Rinna herself.

"I can't help it... I don't think juice would be able to keep it together."

"We're all underage, you know..."

Rinna also picked up a mug, and the three mugs clinked together in the middle of the table.

"Kanpai!"

"...Cheers."

"It's a toast!"

Shifle gulps and gulps down the juice.

Then he slammed the bottom of his mug down on the table.

"Puh-lease, I live for this."

"It's not alcohol, you know..."

"Phew."

The food had already been served and lined up on the table.

Fuu-chan, who had been left to her own devices, shouted patiently in front of the meat.

"Fuu-chan, it looks like you can't take it anymore."

"Yes, we must eat it before it gets cold."

In front of each of the three, a steak of tangled goat meat was laid out.

It was cut into thick slices and drizzled with a rich sauce and a sprinkling of garlic.

Steam rose from the freshly cooked meat, and the savory aroma stimulated my appetite.

In the middle of the table was a large bowl of Caesar salad.

The salad was mainly vegetables from the fields, but there were also some wild vegetables from the surrounding mountains.

"So let's get started..."

Rinna picked up a knife and fork and began to carve the thick meat.

Juices overflowed from the cut surface and mingled with the sauce.

She sticks the cut block of meat on her fork and brings it to her mouth.

Rinna's small mouth gobbled it up in one gulp.

"Ack!"

The moment she took a bite, the rich flavor of the meat spread in her mouth.

It had none of the peculiarities of goat meat, and the sweet and spicy taste of the sauce blended perfectly with the taste of the meat juice.

The meat was firm and not stringy, so it was easy to bite through.

I chewed and swallowed.

"Uwaaaaah~~~"

Rinna lingered for a moment on the lingering sensation in her mouth.

"Rin-chan, you look so happy. I love meat."

"I probably didn't hear that one. I'm completely immersed in my own world."

They both cut their own steaks and brought them to their mouths as well.

Shifle had cut an even smaller piece for Fuu-chan.

Fuu-chan bites into it with gusto.

She was just a chick, so she was probably just about ready to eat, but that wasn't her true form.

"Mmmm, yes! It's so delicious! I wonder if I can somehow imitate this taste, I don't know..."

Rei took a bite and marveled at the taste.

She wanted to eat it while chatting with Rinna, but she never came back from her world.

If that was the case, he would at least be able to imitate the taste somehow and let Rinna eat it.

I tasted it carefully and deduced the ingredients of the sauce.

"Oh, Fuu-chan, that's for Shifle!"

Shifle screamed as Fuu-chan took the large piece of meat she had carved out for herself.

"That was delicious, Shifle-chan, you really know your way around a place like this!"

There were empty plates and empty bowls on the table.

The three of them were enjoying their after-dinner drinks after they had completely devoured the food served to them.

Rei was very satisfied with the taste of the food, but was curious about the fact that Shifle knew of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant off the street.

"The last time I was here for a climb, I overheard about a hole-in-the-wall restaurant," she said.

"At first I thought The Godfrey Pavilion was a big name, but it was fabulous. Huh..."

Rinna was still basking in the afterglow.

She must have really liked the taste of this place.

"That's right. Using the names of the three divine beasts is a name worth fighting for unless you have a lot of confidence. In that respect, this place's taste is worthy of its name."

"The Three Divine Beasts? ...Oh, I'm sorry. I'm asking too much of everything..."

Rei unintentionally uttered an apology.

She must have felt bad that she often broke the conversation with her questions.

"Don't worry about it; Rei doesn't know anything about this world. If anything, it's me who should be apologizing for calling you out on my own."

"Asking is a temporary shame, not asking is a lifelong shame. Rather, you can keep asking me, Rei Onee-san."

"Both of you. ...Thank you."

Rei's heart lightened a little at the two's words.

Seeing that Rei's expression had softened, Rinna returned to the topic at hand.

"The Three Divine Beasts are, well... the three summoned beasts from fairy tales."

"Fairy tales? They're not actually real."

Rei was a little puzzled by the unexpected answer.

She had expected them to be the summoners with the strongest titles, but she hadn't expected them to be imaginary.

"A divine wolf that tears everything apart with its icy claw fangs, a world serpent with a body so long that it stretches to the end of the horizon, and a hell princess with immense magical power. These three are called the Three Divine Beasts."

"They are the monsters that appear in the heroic tales of fairy tales!"

"I see. Three divine beasts, that would be interesting if they actually existed."

Rei pondered over the non-standard existence.

Rinna nodded her head in agreement.

"I know what you mean, Rei, when I was little, I used to imagine myself with a God Wolf in tow. ...Even now, I'm still a little bit afraid that maybe they're really there."

"Rinna Onee-san, you're a surprising romantist."

Rinna's voice suddenly became serious in the middle of the conversation.

Shifle's tone is slightly mischievous, but Rinna's expression doesn't falter.

"It's kind of nostalgic, the sound of 'God Wolf'. I'm not sure I understand it myself."

She didn't look as if she was joking.

Her eyes seemed to be looking a little far away, which made Rei feel uneasy for no reason.

☆☆☆

It took two days and a hundred kilometers to get there by horse-drawn carriage.

When the sun was about to set, the carriage carrying the three of them arrived at the east entrance of the royal capital, Valf.

"We'll be the first!"

The one who jumped out of the carriage with great energy was Rei.

Stepping onto the paved cobblestones of the royal capital, she stretched tall with both hands.

"Ahh, I feel like I'm back!"

"You're a city girl, Rei. I think I'd rather be in the mountains. It's less cluttered."

Rinna came down next.

She was still getting used to the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Huh, the city sky is too cramped for Shifle and she's off to the mountains with Fuu-chan again."

The last Shifle to come down looked up at the sky and muttered.

Her face was turned wide upwards, so Fuu-chan on her head was flapping her wings hard to keep from falling.

"...Well, you two, Shifle is here to say goodbye."

Shifle turned to the two of them, and after a beat, began to speak.

She tried to keep her tone cheerful and as damp as possible.

"I see... I'm going to miss you..."

"We've been together for the past five days, haven't we?"

Their expressions inevitably darkened.

Shifle smiles and slides his brush across the piece of paper he pulled out of his pocket.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon. This is Shifle's address, you can come and see her whenever you get lonely."

She hands the piece of paper to Rei, stares at it, then looks over to Rinna, her eyes burning into both of their faces.

"Shifle, thank you, thanks to Shifle I can be promoted to B class with my heart on my sleeve. I really appreciate it."

"Shifle, can we play together again? Because we're friends now!"

"Both of you...yes! See you later, okay?"

With a last smile, Shifle turned away and walked away.

But then, as if remembering, she turned around.

"Oh, that's right, Rei Onee-san, I'll do my best to escort you on your date!"

"Wait! Shifle-chan! Let me finish!"

She stuck out her tongue and ran off.

"...She's gone, isn't she?"

"I'm going to miss you a little."

The two of them stood side by side for a moment, staring in the direction Shifle had gone.

Eventually Rinna opened her mouth.

"...Well, let's go to the guild. Before the sun goes down."

"Yeah, let's go, Rin-chan, are you sure you don't want to hold hands?"

"Umm... that's... please."

"Got it."

Rinna's hand is wrapped in warmth.

The city wasn't so bad, Rinna thought, if she could enjoy this feeling of security.

Holding hands tightly, the two of them stepped into the crowd of the city.

☆☆☆

"Thank you for your hard work, I have confirmed that the ten jewels registered with the Volt Lizard are indeed intact. The test is complete."

Rinna informed the receptionist that the test was finished and deposited the treasure balls.

She felt like she was going to be nervous until the confirmation was finished, but she passed the test successfully.

"Huh..., I got it..."

The tension dissipated and she leaned her weight against the counter.

The receptionist finished her work in the back and held out a yellow guild card in front of Rinna.

"Congratulations, Rinna Gelsneir, you have been promoted to Class B. From now on, you will be taking requests for B-class summoners."

"I'm a B-level summoner... I could really become one..."

"Also, the reward for completing the request will be fifty thousand G."

Rinna received  a cloth bag full of gold coins.

However, there was something that seemed to shine brighter than gold coins right now.

It was her information written on a brand new yellow guild card.

Rinna Gelsneir, Class B Summoner.

She looks at the guild card and leaves the reception desk.

"Congratulations Rin-chan!!!"

"Uwah, Rei!"

And an enthusiastic hug to greet her.

She was like a child who was jumped by a big dog.

Rinna's face was buried in Rei's ample chest.

Before Rinna could start to squirm, Rei pulled away.

"Rin-chan, you've really been promoted to B class! That's awesome!!!"

"It's thanks to Rei, if it wasn't for Rei, I'd still be in Class C."

"That's not true, Rin-chan is magnificent. Here, put your chest out."

The yellow card shone without a scratch.

As a summoner who lives up to her B-class name, she will eventually go on to A-class and beyond.

Today, Rinna was definitely one step closer to the distant back she had longed for in her childhood.

"...You're right, this isn't the goal. I'm going to catch up with my sister eventually."

--Till that day, let's walk together with Rei, with our hearts full of pride.