Poro

"Poro? Is that its name? What a cute sound!" Mira seemed to really like the fluffy little Poro.

Rhode thought Poro was cute too, but... what use was cute alone? What he wanted was a hero with overwhelming combat power!

Rhode held Poro up in front of his face and looked into its round black eyes. Could this little thing fight?

Poro's huge tongue came licking toward him. Rhode instinctively leaned back, successfully avoiding a face-washing service.

Makarov asked, "You know this creature? Does it have any special abilities?"

"His name is Poro. He lives in an extremely cold place. As for his abilities..." Rhode thought carefully.

"He can eat. He grows after eating, and if he eats too much, he explodes. Other than that, he can also... act cute?"

Mira praised, "What an interesting ability! He looks like a wonderful contracted creature."

Rhode listlessly replied, "Ah, thanks for the encouragement."

"I see. So he is an ornamental creature? Don't be discouraged. There are ornamental Celestial Spirits too, like Little Dog Constellation Nicola."

Makarov said, "Isn't it wonderful to have such an adorable little creature by your side?"

Poro seemed to sense Rhode's disappointment. The pair of little horns on his head slowly drooped, and he pulled back his tongue. He looked pitiful, like an abandoned puppy.

Rhode scratched under his chin. "I'll just keep you as a pet."

"Rrrrulu~" Poro rubbed against Rhode's palm and made a comfortable sound. His little horns stood back up.

Rhode pinched Poro's little horns, stroked the top of his head, and kneaded his heart-shaped belly. Gradually, he started to like the fluffy, soft feeling.

Poro seemed to enjoy it as well. He lay on the counter with his tongue lolling to one side.

"He looks like a little sheep, but his personality is more like a puppy." Mira picked up a piece of diced apple. "Want some?"

Poro flipped away from Rhode's massage service and dashed straight toward Mira's food offering, showing agility far beyond expectation.

Did this thing have a setting where it recognized food but not people? Rhode fell into deep thought.

Makarov gave a light cough to draw Rhode's attention, then said to him:

"Never mind whether Poro is strong or weak. When you opened the door just now, did you feel a force leaving your body? That was magic power."

Rhode thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I think I did..."

"Generally speaking, after a Celestial Spirit Mage opens a gate, maintaining the Celestial Spirit's presence also consumes magic power. I imagine the same applies to you."

Makarov said, "Now meditate according to my instructions. Feel the magic power slowly draining away, trace it to its source, and then see your own power clearly."

"Yes!"

Rhode sat down cross-legged on the spot. Following the Master's guidance, he closed his eyes and concentrated on sensing the power slowly flowing out of his body.

The tavern's noise gradually faded away. The sounds of Poro and Mira playing also drifted farther and farther off, and the world became quiet.

Amid the darkness, Rhode saw himself sitting cross-legged, surrounded by tiny blue points of light like mist.

Outside the body of "himself," a faint, winding thread formed from blue points of light floated toward a spot beside him. That should have been the connection between him and Poro.

But Rhode focused on the inside of his body. Among the mist-like blue points of magical light was a conspicuous little vortex, slowly turning at the center of his body like a miniature galaxy.

It seemed that all the magic power in his body dispersed from within it. At the same time, sparse points of light seeped in from outside his body and gathered toward the vortex.

Magic power was being consumed, but it was also recovering.

Rhode sensed that easily.

He could even sense the rate at which maintaining Poro consumed magic power and compare it with the rate at which it recovered.

Put in terms commonly used in online games:

MP-1

MP+99

The amount beyond the consumption rate was probably used to replenish the magic power spent when opening the gate.

Once Rhode realized how low Poro's magic consumption was, he completely gave up hope for his combat ability.

Putting Poro aside for the moment, Rhode focused on observing "himself" and tried directing the points of light within his body.

Though it felt somewhat awkward, he really could simply control the direction in which those points of light—his magic power—flowed.

In the real world, as Rhode mobilized his magic power, his hair gently swayed as though stirred by the wind, drifting left and right.

The tavern was much quieter than usual today, because the Master was watching.

Whenever someone looked like they might start a fight and potentially affect Rhode, the Master's palm would land on that person's head.

When Rhode opened his eyes, Makarov revealed a satisfied smile. This child had good talent.

"That will be all for today's magic power training. You should check on Poro."

Makarov reminded him, "Celestial Spirit Mages generally need to form contracts with their Celestial Spirits and maintain good relationships with them. In your case, you will have to figure things out on your own."

"All right. Thank you, Master." Rhode stood and looked toward Mira, only to find that Poro was no longer with her.

"Over there." Mira smiled and pointed at the little fellow frolicking around the tavern.

Rhode followed her finger, then discovered... his social skills were worse than a dog's.

He had meditated for less than an hour, yet Poro had already gotten familiar with many people in the tavern.

With his tongue hanging out, he kept weaving among the tables, occasionally rubbing his fluffy body against someone's calf.

Whenever someone who liked cute things picked him up, he would act spoiled and stare fixedly with his big eyes at the food on the table.

It was as though the words "Please feed me" were written right across his face.

Most impressive of all, once he had tricked someone into giving him food, the little fellow would immediately run off toward his next target, utterly heartless.

In a very short time, everyone in the tavern remembered this adorable creature, but only a few, after introductions from Mira and Laki, remembered his owner's name.

Rhode waved.

Poro trotted over on his little short legs, but accidentally tripped and rolled like a ball of yarn to Rhode's feet.

The little guy simply did not get back up. He rolled over and exposed his belly, becoming ever more practiced at the routine.

Rhode could not help kneading his heart-shaped belly again before placing Poro on the counter. "You can understand what I'm saying, right?"

"Wrrrulu~" Poro tried hard to nod.

Rhode asked, "Do we need to sign some sort of contract?"

Poro shook his head vigorously, nearly shaking himself over.

"Then if you go back, will it still be you when I summon you next time? I remember there are lots of Poros in the Howling Abyss, right?"

The little Poro nodded, then shook his head again, a pleading look appearing on his face.

Rhode guessed, "It will be you, but you do not want to go back?"

Poro's expression brightened with joy.

Rhode looked awkwardly at the Master.

Makarov said, "If your magic power allows it, and neither side objects, he can stay as long as he wants."

"However, if he affects your ability to open the next gate, then send him back when the time comes."

Rhode nodded. "Since you like it here, stay for now."

The little Poro spun around happily.

Mira suggested, "Should we give him a name?"

Rhode said, "His name is Poro."

"But Poro is a general term, right? Like dogs or cats, it is a species. I mean a name that belongs to him alone."

Poro looked at Rhode expectantly.

"Hmm... I have trouble naming things..." Rhode stared at Poro and thought for a while. "Little White? Dumpling? Fluffball?"

Poro's little horns slowly drooped. It all felt rather perfunctory.

Rhode was troubled. "Master, Mira, do you have any suggestions?"

"How about Wom?"