S-rank Summoning Magic Item

The rabbit-eared clerk gave the two a slight bow. Clients this big were a rare sight.

After all, aside from great nobles who enjoyed collecting flashy weapons and armor, practically no one would spend so many Asura Gold Coins to forge such expensive equipment. They absolutely had to do their best and make it a success. That would likely earn their trust, and they should come back next time.

"Ah, by the way, could you appraise this magic item for us?"

Roxy pursed her lips and handed over the orange gem she had been holding against her chest.

The bunny girl clerk appeared to be an appraiser. Her smiling expression turned serious as she placed a hand over the orange gem Roxy had handed her, and a faint light slowly began to shine.

"Appraise."

Once the appraisal was complete, the bunny girl clerk let out a soft sound. Her rabbit ears stood upright, and the corners of her mouth twitched violently as she looked at the two of them.

"W-What is it!?"

Roxy and Cain could not help swallowing. Was there something wrong with the treasure?! Or was this magic item actually useless?

If the Red Dragon's core could be explained away as the two being lucky, then this Dragon Jade was undeniable proof of the owner's extraordinary strength.

"Y-You must be an S-rank adventurer, right...? May I ask your name?"

Cain and Roxy blinked at the rabbit-eared clerk's grave expression.

"Kain Brand Reiback. What is it?"

"You're the Sword God who slew three Red Dragons!?"

Huh?! Was I that famous...

Cain scratched his cheek, confused as he looked at the excited bunny girl clerk.

He had no idea that his slaying of three Red Dragons had already become the talk of the Ranoa Kingdom and its two neighboring countries.

Seeing the female clerk suddenly grow excited, with a hint of admiration on her face, Roxy slightly furrowed her brow, puffed out her cheeks, and wrapped her arms around Cain's arm.

"I am his master, Roxy Migurdia."

Mm! The bunny girl clerk gave an awkward smile. It seemed Cain's jealous master had misunderstood something.

She gave Roxy a slight bow.

"My apologies. It's simply that this magic item possesses an extremely unusual ability. Ordinary adventurers could not defeat a dungeon guardian carrying a magic item with such formidable power, so I wanted to confirm your identities."

The female clerk spoke with certainty.

Yes, this Dragon Jade was definitely a magic item dropped by an elite boss Demonic Beast even stronger than an S-rank dungeon guardian. This was not something ordinary adventurers could possess.

"An unusual ability?"

"That's right. It's my first time seeing one as well. An incredibly complex summoning magic circle is inscribed within this gem. If mana is infused into it, it can likely summon a guardian Magic Beast. I'm very curious myself. Could you show me what it can do? Of course, whatever kind of magic item you wish to forge in the future, our shop will give you a discount."

Cain's mouth twitched as he looked at the curious female clerk. Did a mere shop clerk really have the authority to make that promise...?

"Roxy, what do you think?"

Cain looked toward Roxy. Although he had defeated Flame Red Dragon Grashum, they had fought it together after all. Roxy also had a share in the right to use this gem.

"You can decide something like that, Cain. You were the one who defeated that boss."

"If you can show us, we'll give you a twenty percent discount. No, twenty-five percent."

Cain sighed, nodded slightly, and held the gem in his hand.

"Yes, just like that. As long as you infuse mana into the magic item and silently recite 'summon,' you can activate the magic circle within it. Of course, we have no idea what kind of guardian Magic Beast it will summon."

"Is this really reliable...?"

"It should be fine."

"Don't say 'should.' Please give me a definite answer." Cain's mouth twitched. The rabbit-eared female clerk in front of him seemed rather unreliable.

Cain turned back to look at Roxy, who was staring curiously at the gem in his hand. He sighed. Since Roxy was curious too...

"Roxy, please move back a little. We don't know how large this summoned Magic Beast will be or whether it will attack people nearby."

Roxy nodded, gripping her staff as she blinked curiously and retreated to the doorway. The rabbit-eared female clerk hid behind Roxy.

"Hey, you rabbit-eared one. If you dare use Roxy as a shield, I'll definitely make a move!"

Cain stared sternly at the clerk. She was actually hiding behind a customer?! And behind his Roxy, at that! What a cowardly rabbit Magic Beast!

"S-Sorry, Sword God!" The bunny girl clerk's ears shot straight up in fright as she hurriedly jumped aside.

Roxy smiled helplessly, though for some reason, she felt a little happy inside.

"By the way, how do we send the summoned guardian Magic Beast back? If it's too big and damages this shop, that would be troublesome for us."

Hearing Cain's question, then seeing the look Roxy gave her, the bunny girl clerk's mouth twitched.

"I-I guess that's true!"

What did she mean, "I guess"?! Had she not considered that?! Was she really a clerk at this shop...?

But it was already too late. The magic item in Cain's hand was a Dragon Jade. Even without saying the word "summon," once enough mana had accumulated, it would summon its guardian.

With a thunderous crash, the rabbit-eared clerk watched in terror as a massive dragon skull suddenly appeared and smashed through the ceiling of her shop!

A monster with an enormous dragon skull and four skeletal arms, each wielding a different weapon, appeared before the three of them. Its huge bony feet crushed the shop's mahogany floor as it appeared before Cain in a half-kneeling posture.

"An S-rank Flamebone Dragon Guard?!"

Cain's mouth twitched violently. This was an elite guardian from an A-rank dungeon that could use the Blade of Light and the Secret Art: Flow of the Water God Style. Even a Sword King might not be able to take it down. Its overall strength was probably already close to Emperor-class.

Cain instinctively drew Instant Void, but Roxy quickly stopped him.

"Wait, Cain! You summoned it, so it won't threaten you."

Idiot teacher...

Cain looked at Roxy with concern. He had once killed a Flamebone Dragon Guard in seconds. How could he possibly be afraid of it?

"Precisely because I summoned it, I'm not sure whether it'll attack you, Roxy."

"Ah, i-is that so?" The little happiness in Roxy's heart grew again, though she did not know why.

Standing between them, the huge, upright skeletal dragon-shaped monster loomed over them.

The rabbit-eared female clerk was nearly in tears. Her legs trembled so badly that she almost wet herself.

So you two... couldn't you spare even a little concern for me...?

Battle aura wrapped around Cain's katana. His concern was not unreasonable. Summoned Magic Beasts and summoned divine beasts were different. Demonic Beasts should possess their own consciousness, and one like this might instinctively regard every living being other than its summoner as an enemy.

Cain immediately gave an order to the Flamebone Dragon Guard, which was half-kneeling on the ground and stood over four meters tall.

"Do not attack any living beings nearby."

Cain felt that undead creatures would likely be hostile toward living beings with souls.

Roxy blinked and saw that the Flamebone Dragon Guard remained perfectly still as it knelt there. She sighed in relief and gave Cain a faint smile.

"Cain, the Migurdia Tribe raises a kind of Demon Tree. They are also a type of Demonic Beast, but they have gentle temperaments. They can repel insects and easily form bonds with our people, making them suitable for cultivation. Our people usually plant them beside the fields to drive away crop pests."

Cain, still holding his sword as he watched the Flamebone Dragon Guard, froze at her words and looked at Roxy.

Teacher, this thing isn't some weakling like a Demon Tree... And can something like this really form an emotional bond with people...?

Still, curious Cain asked.

"Um... Raising Demonic Beasts?! And they can form bonds with people? Really?!"

"Yes, it's true, Cain."

The Flamebone Dragon Guard's skeletal eye sockets looked at its master, then at the blue-haired little girl in front of him, who was smiling as she endlessly explained her knowledge. It scratched its dragon-bone skull with a claw.

So what exactly did my master summon me here for...?

"U-Um, although I really don't want to interrupt you, c-could you perhaps send that big guy back...?"

Cain and Roxy blinked, then turned to look at the pale-faced bunny girl clerk. They looked at the destroyed ceiling, then at the two huge holes the Flamebone Dragon Guard had stomped into the floor, and their mouths twitched.

"S-Sorry... In any case, we'll compensate you..."