Shirley the Ferret

Shirley the Ferret

After their unscrupulous captain introduced Zhang Yuan to everyone, his teammates surrounded him moments later, astonished that a mage had actually joined them.

"Hey, hey, we actually have a mage in our party? Is he a real mage? Don't let him be another idiot pretending with a magical item like that guy last time."

Ah, sorry, I can't afford the magical item you mentioned, someone grumbled inwardly.

"By the way, what's your mage level? A mage who's too advanced probably wouldn't even look twice at our party."

You know too much. Not only am I not advanced, I'm only level one.

"Just as I thought. Still, having one is better than having none, right? Forget spells—even an ordinary mage knows more than us sword-and-knife guys, doesn't he?"

I'm really sorry. As a bumpkin from another world, I really don't know much. No, I don't even have common sense.

After enjoying the treatment usually reserved for a giant panda, Zhang Yuan was both pained and delighted. It was certainly a good thing that his teammates had accepted him so warmly, but he was only a first-level mage. What if their expectations rose too high and their disappointment became even greater?

At this point, Zhang Yuan still had the mindset of a student. Although he had read plenty of novels and books, he was still too young and immature. He needed to study harder and gain more experience in life.

If a certain Jia Yue Ting had been here, he would have already been boasting wildly and chatting merrily with the teammates around him.

Better a short pain than a long one. Zhang Yuan ultimately came clean about his spellcasting level. Although his teammates were somewhat disappointed when they found out, they did not really mind. Something was better than nothing.

"Hey, newcomer, what spells can you cast? Can you show us something?" one of the mercenaries asked, unable to hold back.

"That's his business. Don't stick your nose in it. Besides, his name is Charnem. Didn't you hear what the captain said just now?" another teammate interrupted his curiosity.

"It's fine. I happen to have prepared a spell, just for today." Zhang Yuan took over the conversation.

Oh? As soon as they heard there would be a spell demonstration, the teammates who had been about to disperse gathered around once again.

Skar came over as well and said to the amateur spellcaster, "You don't need to waste a spell on a performance. A mage can never have too many spells prepared."

Knowing that he meant well, Zhang Yuan explained, "Casting this spell won't affect anything. I plan to summon my familiar."

Skar no longer tried to dissuade him and simply watched the scene quietly.

"Facio, Voco, Ferre!" As the incantation ended, a beam of white light erupted out of nowhere from the ground before Zhang Yuan. When the light faded, a pure-white creature resembling a bamboo rat stood upright on the ground.

The creature had large, glossy eyes. Its expression showed none of the ignorance or dullness of an ordinary animal. Instead, it was remarkably humanlike, brimming with slyness.

A small tail dragged behind it, while its fur was snow-white and fluffy from head to toe. Fortunately, everyone present was a bunch of rough men, so there was no scene of anyone shrieking and rushing over to hug it.

"Is that a ferret?" A well-traveled mercenary had already recognized it.

Yes, a magical ferret. Very clever—the sort clever enough to steal your wallet. The mage, who already knew what he would summon, thought about it unscrupulously.

With the ferret's appearance, Zhang Yuan sensed an inexplicable and unknowable connection forming between himself and the little animal before him. Through it, he could not only sense the ferret's emotions, but also feel a gentle power reinforcing him.

Unlike protective magic, this power seemed to come from the same source as he did, arising from within. It was probably the feedback brought to him by the little creature before him.

Zhang Yuan held out both hands toward the ferret. The little thing seemed to have known him for ages and jumped straight into his hands. As if trying to show its affection, it stuck out its pink little tongue and licked his nose.

Overjoyed, Zhang Yuan's chuunibyou side took over. Hugging the ferret, he clattered up onto a wooden platform beside the training ground. He raised the little creature before him with both hands and declared, "This is my familiar. From now on, your name is Shirley!"

The teammates, who completely failed to understand the reference to The Lion King, only thought the newcomer was far too excited. Skar, meanwhile, could barely stand watching. "Come down. Stop making a spectacle of yourself up there. Why are you so excited over summoning a familiar? Anyone would think you'd summoned a dragon."

Zhang Yuan paid him no mind. Hugging his pet, he jumped down from the platform and ran over to Skar. "Is there anything we can feed it? What do ferrets usually eat?"

Skar sighed. "You should feed yourself first. It's lunchtime. You have an hour, and after that, there won't be any more."

"Normal ferrets are carnivores. As for the one in your hands, I'm not sure."

Zhang Yuan was just as confused, so he decided not to overthink it. He could simply put different foods in front of Shirley when the time came. His pet looked quite intelligent, after all.

Not knowing where else to find food, the newcomer simply stuck to the captain. Wherever the captain went, he went.

With Skar and the other teammates following along like they were attached to him, they arrived at the left side of the first floor of the dormitory. Only then did Zhang Yuan discover that his party had a cafeteria.

"This is our party's dining hall. Usually, everyone takes turns cooking, and headquarters reimburses the cost of the ingredients. When we're really short-handed, we also have outside taverns deliver meals," Skar explained.

That was great. Why wouldn't free lunch be delicious? Zhang Yuan, who was already starving, went to the teammate on duty and took a set meal. He also asked for some food for Shirley.

Who could have guessed that Shirley would be so picky? It would not touch the vegetables and only focused on the meat. Although the stingy owner's heart ached, he still could not bear to stop it.

After finishing his "vegetarian meal," Zhang Yuan dispelled the summoning and let his familiar return to its own space. With nothing else to do and no idea what to do next, Zhang Yuan simply turned around and went looking for Skar to chat.

All the teammates they passed greeted him warmly. Zhang Yuan responded to each of them and soon arrived in front of the captain.

"Are mages really that rare in the Sword Coast region?" Secretly delighted, Zhang Yuan felt that his popularity must mean he was a rare commodity.

"Rare my ass!" Skar ruthlessly shattered Zhang Yuan's beautiful dream. "In reality, there are plenty of low-level mages like you. In other words, no low-level profession can really be called rare."

The man stared blankly and opened his mouth wide. "Th-then why were so many people gawking at me this morning?"

"What do you think they found so unusual? They weren't amazed by the fact that you were a mage. They were amazed that a beginner mage like you had come out to adventure and even joined our party."

Skar explained further, "There are several mage towers standing in Baldur's Gate alone, and the number of mages and apprentices living there is far greater than that. But the mages who come out to gain experience are basically intermediate-level or at least close to intermediate. They generally don't join mercenary groups, either. Instead, they recruit followers and companions themselves or become private spellcasting advisers to nobles, protected by their private soldiers."

"A rookie like you should be obediently staying beside your mentor, studying spellbooks. You wouldn't even have enough time for experiments, let alone wandering around outside."

"Run into such a weirdo as you, and you have to take an extra look while you can." Skar's verdict struck like a hammer, smashing the mood of a certain rookie mage to pieces.