Dark Fantasy Guide for the Summoner - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 48.
Reorganization III
A die roll of twenty is jackpot, no question about it.
That much was clear, but….
‘Mechanical Heart?’
It was a trait I’d never heard of before.
Even if I’m a veteran player of PoP, I don’t know every trait that exists.
I opened the Party Window to check the trait.
Mechanical Heart
You gain exceptional talent in all aspects of Machine Crafting. Additionally, you become capable of deeper communion with artificial lifeforms.
*Beware. The iron heart shall ever seek only the opportunity to cool hot thoughts.
From the description alone, it was a superior version of the Puppeteer trait.
Machine Crafting would naturally include Golem Crafting as well.
‘The problem is that warning underneath it.’
Traits came with a warning like “Beware” only in one case.
When a single trait harbored both positive and negative characteristics. Most of Cria’s traits were like that.
“You feeling anything strange?”
“Pardon?”
“Like your mind feeling uneasy all of a sudden, or getting some odd thoughts?”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m experiencing anything like that, no.”
……
Next, I checked Kazen’s status window.
Name: Kazen (?)
Level: 22
Occupation: Mage (?)
Trust with you: 61
Stress: 2
Attributes
Strength: 8

Agility: 5
Endurance: 7

Mana: 17
Talents
Physical: F

Mental: C
Artistic: A-

Intuition: D
Skills
Beginner Magic
Traits
Inventor’s Touch, Inspiration, Dexterity, Aesthetic Sense, Mechanical Heart
▶ Kazen harbors a special secret. You can uncover it as your Trust with him increases.
In truth, I’d already committed it to memory before coming here.
As the variety of magic he could cast grew, basic spells got bundled under the Beginner Magic category—
And as Kazen’s Trust increased, more information unlocked as well. Predictably enough, his talent stats were nearly a match for Cria’s.
‘Especially that Artistic talent at A-class.’
His Physical, Mental, and Intuition were relatively lower, but they weren’t drastically behind….
And unlike Cria, who came laden with perilous traits, Kazen’s traits were nothing to complain about.
…At least until Mechanical Heart attached itself to him.
‘The real issue is that there’s no Trait that creates synergy with a Mage.’
Looking over Kazen’s Traits one by one……
Inventor’s Genius
Possessed of extraordinary intellect and boundless inspiration, you can rapidly comprehend and replicate even the most intricate mechanisms. You demonstrate exceptional talent in design and fabrication work, with your true prowess revealed in ever more challenging devices.
Inspiration
The difference between a masterwork and mediocrity lies always in a moment’s flash of brilliance. The probability of creating a masterpiece when crafting equipment items increases significantly.
Deft Hands
Your hands shape thought into form without hesitation. With fingers that marry delicacy, speed, and precision, your handiwork maximizes the efficiency of every manual task you undertake.
Refined Aesthetic
You grasp the beauty and principles of completion in superior works faster than anyone, and you can infuse their essence into your own creations. The quality and finish of your work increases, and the likelihood of producing refined results grows higher.
Aside from Deft Hands, there aren’t any Traits worth using in expeditions right now. They don’t help in combat either.
It’d be the same even if the Machine Heart Trait appeared.
‘I’d still need to learn the Golem Crafting skill, and more than that, the material costs for construction would be substantial.’
This is why the early difficulty for an Alchemist is particularly steep.
Not for any grand reason—just because there are too many places money needs to go.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“……No, it’s nothing. Just tell me if anything feels off.”
“Haha. Understood. Well, since everything seems fine for now, shall we head back to the lodgings?”
“Let’s do that.”
The kid’s anxious about all sorts of things, but I’ve put at least basic safeguards in place.
This morning, I brought Kazen and Cria to the Delver Guild and had them sign a contract.
‘In modern terms, an Exclusive Contract.’
A three-year agreement that they’d stay with my party and explore the forest for that duration.
The siblings looked genuinely moved, which made me feel a bit guilty.
I can’t exactly claim my own intentions are purely above board.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Safeguards are essential.
You outfit them, feed them, raise them well, and then they jump ship to another party.
Of course, given their personalities the odds are low, but it happens often enough in the PoP that it’s worth preparing for.
‘I’ve got 2.8 million Seeds left.’
When I account for lodging, food, equipment, consumables, provisions, and tuition for the Side Master, there’s not much breathing room.
Take Potions alone, for instance—they’re called the party’s extra life.
‘A low-grade Potion costs 100,000 Seeds per bottle, doesn’t it?’
By convention, you carry one per person, so by current count I need at least three bottles.
That alone burns through 300,000 Seeds.
‘The problem is……’
There’s one other major expense I haven’t accounted for yet.
* * *
“So this is the Magic Tower…….”
Two days later, Tuesday.
This time I brought Cria to the Royal Capital 3rd District.
Watching her gaze up blankly at the Porto Magic Tower, I asked.
“Your first time seeing it?”
“I suppose it must be……?”
“Odd. Kazen’s a Mage too.”
Half-baked though he is—I decided not to voice that out of consideration.
“Kazen is a half-baked Mage though……. And on top of that, he’s so pathetically weak he couldn’t even enter a Magic Tower academy.”
……My consideration was wasted.
Come to think of it, has this girl become a bit sharper-tongued since traveling with Seigrena? Or am I imagining things?
“……Let’s go inside.”
I headed toward the desk on the first floor.
Of course, the line here is different from when I came to submit items for auction. Today’s business is with the Magic Tower, not the Auction House.
“Hello. What brings you to the Porto Magic Tower today?”
“I’ve come to seek treatment for a side effect related to Mana.”
“Ah. What are the specific symptoms?”
“It appears to be a Spell Runaway.”
“Spell Runaway.”
The man who appeared to be a Mage unfolded a small sheet of paper and checked it, speaking.
“A 1st Grade Mage with a free schedule today…… Ah, fortunately we do have someone available. We can proceed with treatment this afternoon, but what would you prefer?”
“Could you tell me the price first?”
“I’ll need to examine the symptoms more closely, but generally we’re looking at somewhere between one million and one point five million Seed.”
Damn.
I barely swallowed the curse that threatened to spill out, watching Cria’s pupils dilate in shock—she looked five times more panicked than I felt.
“……I’ll book the appointment.”
Look on the bright side. At least there’s a problem money can solve.
Besides, if I left this untreated, her condition would worsen and the cost would skyrocket anyway.
“I’m, I’m sorry…….”
Cria was shrinking in on herself again, so I took her to a nearby restaurant and bought her a proper meal to cheer her up.
She picked at it half-heartedly, guilt written all over her face—which made me realize that a high Spirit stat and a thick mental skin are apparently two different things.
I comforted her before her self-worth hit rock bottom again.
“What are you sorry for? If you hadn’t pushed yourself back then, we’d all be dead.”
“Is that so……? But wouldn’t Kazen have done something about it?”
“What could I do in that situation? If you’re pricing a life, 1.5 million Seed would be a bargain. Own it.”
“But still…… Ah! Um, should, should I pay for it myself……?”
The offer tempted me for a moment—
“No.”
That’s dangerous thinking.
Any damage that occurs during party activities must be settled with party funds.
Letting one thing slide, overlooking one rule here and there—that kind of complacency erodes trust between members and tears the party apart.
“……Thank you.”
[Companion ‘Cria’s’ Trust has increased.]
After lightening her mood, I headed back to the Magic Tower at the appointed time.
The 1st Grade Mage performing the treatment was a young woman with dark circles under her eyes—though “young” might be the wrong word.
Her ears were pointed.
‘An Elf?’
In a fantasy world, there were naturally all manner of races, and among them were certainly Elves.
Though they weren’t particularly common in the Hoffman Kingdom.
“Hmm.”
The Mage took hold of my wrist like someone checking a pulse, nodding as she spoke.
“You came in early, which was good. You handled it well too. You gave her a potion brewed from Ironwort?”
“Yes.”
“Good call. Much longer and the cost would’ve doubled.”
“How much is it now?”
“900,000.”
Still outrageously expensive, but at least it didn’t cross the one million mark.
“It might hurt a little.”
“Uuuughhhh……!”
The Mage’s hand trembled against Cria’s back as she realigned the overheated mana circuits, then prescribed medicine before we left the tower.
“The medicine is a week’s supply, so rest up and take it regularly during that time.”
“Mm…….”
Back at the lodging, I’d made my decision: I’d need to catch next month’s carriage right away.
‘……About ten days left, I guess?’
Not long, not short—but plenty of time to strengthen my foundation.
What consumed most of my attention was the Proficiency of Scythe Mastery. Through dramatic negotiation with my Side Master Carmelin, I’d paid one million Seed for eight lessons.
‘It’s not exactly cheap, honestly.’
But once I started receiving direct instruction, that thought evaporated.
“Don’t go soft! Aren’t you gripping hard enough? You want to drop your weapon the moment you face an enemy?”
⁝

“If an attack fails, think about your next move immediately. Don’t you know that a slow attack means sloppy thinking?”
⁝

“Your momentum’s weak. Back off. What are you trying to kill with that pathetic little killing intent?”
The lessons were supposed to be two hours each, but somehow every session stretched into half a day in what felt like the blink of an eye.
‘Does she not have other students?’
Not that I minded. I was getting my money’s worth.
[Scythe Mastery’s Proficiency has increased.]
Through those sessions, I learned a little more about Carmelin too.
My first impression had been right—this woman was definitely hard up for money.
‘Why is someone with skills like hers in this situation?’
Even if I entered the forest as a Delver right now, I’d earn millions of Seeds in a single exploration run without breaking a sweat.
When I probed the subject, Carmelin replied curtly.
“Going to the forest means losing several weeks minimum, you know? I can’t afford to be away that long. There are plenty of vultures circling this estate.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just assume that’s how things are. I’d rather not get into it—too exhausting.”
……
It seemed she had various side hustles beyond teaching. They didn’t look particularly legal, so I didn’t press further. Everyone’s personal affairs were sensitive territory.
[Scythe Mastery proficiency has increased.]
[Scythe Mastery proficiency has increased.]
⁝
[Scythe Mastery proficiency has reached its limit.]
[Mastery rank has been promoted to Intermediate.]
[You have acquired the skill Specter Dance.]
In any case, my training proceeded smoothly.
Because the rank was low, proficiency climbed steadily and promoted to Intermediate, and I learned a new skill.
Specter Dance
Type: Close-range, Area Attack
Cast Time: Instantaneous

Attack Range: 15-meter radius
Duration: ―

Cooldown: 30 seconds
Deals damage to all enemies within a 15-meter radius. Damage scales in proportion to your character’s Attack stat.
Getting an area attack as my first skill was unexpected, but it wasn’t bad.
Used properly, I could get considerable mileage out of it.
While building my foundations in the Royal Capital proceeded smoothly, I was beginning to feel psychologically uneasy.
My purse was growing lighter by the day.
True, the date for entering the forest drew closer hour by hour, but there was a thorny problem I had to solve first.
‘Party composition.’
To put it bluntly, our party’s balance was a complete mess.
A staggering imbalance, really.
Out of three members, two were backline. As for my own role, if I had to be honest, I was closer to a Dealer than a Tank.
‘The system keeps calling me All-Position, though.’
It’s not like I’d actually learned any Tank skills yet, so that hardly counted.
In other words, I had to secure a front-liner somehow, but that was far easier said than done.
The first reason was Cria’s occupation.
‘She doesn’t have a criminal record per se, so she won’t get arrested on the spot if exposed….’
But even so, I’d have no choice but to tell my party members her occupation, and well.
I’d bet nine times out of ten they’d backpedal the moment they heard it.
“Sigh.”
Second floor of the Delver Guild.
It was commonly called the recruitment center among players.
I scanned the recruitment board shared by all Delvers, but—
‘Frustratingly vague.’
There wasn’t a single prospect worth joining our party, and the more promising candidates obviously had no reason to slum it with a low-tier group like ours.
‘Should I just lower my standards?’
The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head.
I’d already lowered them quite a bit. Anything more shoddy than this was just garbage tier.
‘At least Kazen and Cria have potential, and I had no other choice back then.’
I wasn’t about to take an ally into an exploration with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Each expedition was too valuable in this stage.
‘Seigrena would’ve been a godsend, all things considered.’
Despite her personality, her stats, traits, and combat ability were exceptional.
“Oh! There you are!”
Perhaps that thought had summoned her—a shrill, familiar voice rang in my ears. I turned to see a woman with brilliant golden hair fluttering behind her.
“Seigrena?”
What was she doing here?
“Hmph. That look on your face tells me you still haven’t found all your party members.”
“Well, that’s true, but why are you asking?”
“Why? Because I, Seigrena, am offering to become one of your party members.”
……What is she talking about now?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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