Niel Niverna is one of the Heroes' party members. He is the Summoner, capable of summoning any kind of monster he sees, even legendary ones. As long as he meets them, he can summon them immediately. The only problem with his power is that when he summons a new monster, he needs to fight them first before they obey him. It's not necessarily until he defeats them; he just needs to be strong enough to gain their approval.
After that, he can summon them as much as he wants. Even after the summoned monster dies, he can summon them again and again. The limitations on how often he can summon a monster depend on how strong the monster is—the stronger the monster, the fewer he can summon them. As one of the Heroes himself, Niel can summon up to five legendary monsters at once.
But for Niel, his legendary monster is not that strong compared to his party. Even Niel himself could defeat them by himself. Right now, his summon is only used as a convenient luggage carrier and as a mount. The best they can do is keep the enemies at bay or act as a meat shield. His summon can't even hold a candle against their recent enemies; they can't even scratch the enemies with their powerful attacks.
After their failed conquest on the Hakaga Continent, Niel's party is coming back to the Oracle, Reignfable Capital City.
Like always, the first thing they do when they arrive is to go to meet with The Oracle. Usually, all the party members are present at this meeting. But this time, Niel is not allowed to go to the meeting. At first, Niel tries to object, but since the Oracle themselves forbid him, Niel can't do anything. While his party has a meeting with the Oracle, Niel needs to wait in one of the rooms. He doesn't know why he's the only one left behind.
"*Sigh... Why am I the only one that needs to wait here?"
As Niel reclined on the couch, he attempted to engage in conversation with the small dragon nestled on his belly. Although the slumbering dragon, named Villy, remained unresponsive, Niel merely smiled and gently stroked her. It was only when Niel caressed her head that Villy stirred from her slumber. She fixed her round, light blue eyes upon Niel's face and briefly surveyed her surroundings. Finding nothing of interest, she let out a big yawn and resumed her peaceful slumber.
"You're having it easy, huh?"
"..."
"Or maybe not..."
After their last battle, Villy is the one that helped them run from the enemies. It's really almost a one-sided battle. Niel doesn't remember how many times one of his party members almost died.
While Niel's summon is weak, Villy is not a summoned monster and far stronger than all Niel's combined summon monsters. Instead of a pet, Villy is more like one of the party members despite being a dragon. Villy is actually allowed to go to the meeting with the Oracle, but she inclined to stay with Niel.
Niel continued to gently stroke Villy's exquisite blue scales. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps approaching, and shortly after that, the door swung open.
A resplendent woman clad in pristine white armor with beautiful amethyst gem on it, her graceful silhouette retained even beneath the protective layers. Her silver locks cascaded gently over her shoulders, lending an ethereal quality to her presence. Yet, it was her luminous, amethyst eyes that spoke volumes, revealing a steadfast determination that rivaled the gleam of her armor.
"So why am I being left out, Remilia?"
Even without glancing, Niel already knew who stood at the door as he continued to stroke Villy without breaking his rhythm. He engaged in conversation with her without ever turning his gaze.
Remilia, Hero of the light, on the other hand, remained fixated on Niel. She let out a sigh and sat on a nearby chair.
"Niel."
As Niel was called, he shifted his gaze to Remilia, sensing that she wanted to say something but was hesitant to do so.
"What is it? Did something happen?"
Niel has known Remilia since they were little, and they've spent more than half of their lives together. He noticed that she was acting differently, which was surprising to him. Remilia was always a straightforward person who would say whatever was on her mind, so seeing her like this left Niel astonished.
"Did the Oracle say something?"
Niel, who had been reclining on the couch, sat up with Villy in his lap. The small dragon had just woken up and was attempting to make sense of the situation.
"Niel, can you try to summon any monster?"
"Summon a monster? Like, right now?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Niel found himself puzzled by Remilia's sudden request, his mind racing with numerous questions he wished to ask. Despite his curiosity, he refrained from voicing his inquiries and obediently carried out her instructions.
A red scroll appears floating in front of Niel, and the scroll opened itself. Remilia was surprised when she sees the scroll, which made Niel even more confused. Remilia already knows how Niel Summoner's power work, so this is not something new for her. Why is she so surprised about this? Niel thought.
"So, what shou-"
"Just summon anything!"
While inside the room, Niel attempted to summon Red Crown, a bird-like monster of modest size, fitting for the confined space. As he uttered the incantation inside his head and reached for the scroll, an unsettling silence filled the room. To his dismay, nothing happened, and the scroll fell to the ground with a thud. The sudden turn of events left Remilia, who had been visibly excited moments ago, gasping in disbelief, her expression now reflecting deep disappointment.
"Wh-!!!"
And that's how Niel found himself losing his Summoners power.
***
Niel was truly at a loss for words when he found out he couldn't summon the monster. Villy, who was on Niel's lap, looked at him with worry.
Another red scroll appeared in front of Niel, and he immediately tried to summon another monster. Just like before, the scroll fell to the ground.
"What happened?! Why can't I suddenly feel it anymore!?"
Usually, when he summoned a monster, he could feel the creature answering his call. But now, he felt nothing, as if his call didn't reach the monster.
Niel kept trying over and over again, attempting various monsters. The floor around Niel was covered with scrolls of different colors.
Remilia looked dejected, clenching her fist and biting her lips while trying to accept the reality of Niel's inability to summon any monster. However, her disappointment stemmed from something else.
"Niel..."
"..."
"The Oracle told me that-"
As Remilia started to talk, Niel just sat with an empty look on his face. Remilia's voice sounded like a breeze in his ears, drowned out by questions about why these things were happening.
"Niel!"
When Niel snapped back from his thoughts, he saw Remilia in front of him, holding his shoulders. Her beautiful amethyst eyes reflected his face, making him realize how terrible he looked.
"S-sorry..."
Without uttering a word, Remilia suddenly embraced him. Despite the coldness of her armor, Niel felt a comforting warmth. His mind settled, but he noticed Remilia's entire body trembling.
"Lia..."
Niel tried to ask her what happened but held back. Instead, he embraced Remilia back, trying to hold her gently. This was the first time Remilia acted like this. She was always calm and composed, never showing her own weakness or crying.
But right now, Niel could feel it. She was holding back tears.
"Niel."
Remilia pulled away from Niel, back to her usual self, as if nothing happened.
"From now on, you are not part of our party anymore."
"!!"
"Pyui!!"
Though Niel expected this, hearing it directly from Remilia shocked him. Villy, who had been watching, also seemed surprised and launched herself at Remilia. Remilia caught Villy before she could hit her head.
"Pyui! Pyui pyui pyui kyui!"
Even if Remilia and Niel didn't understand what Villy said, they knew she wanted to reason with Remilia. But Remilia just stared at her.
"Villy, you will go with us. We still need you."
"Pyuuuuiiii!! Pyuii! Pyuuii!!"
Villy tried to break free from Remilia's clutch, but with Remilia's monstrous strength, she couldn't budge her.
"Well then, farewell, Niel."
Remilia walked toward the door with Villy still struggling in her hand. Before Remilia could reach the door, Villy released her breath, and blocks of ice immediately formed to block the door.
"Villy. You will give people in this place a lot of trouble."
"Pyui!! Pyuuuuiiii!!"
Despite the blocks of ice in front of her, Remilia walked casually toward it. Instead of breaking, the ice crumbled into small pieces of square blocks, as if she was ruining perfectly made building blocks.
After watching her easily crumble the ice, Villy tried to transform into her true form, her body emitting blue light. But before she could complete the transformation, Remilia knocked her out.
"I'm sorry, Villy. I can't let you destroy this place."
Remilia start walked out the room leaving Niel alone. Niel just sat on the couch, trying to calm himself. He can't say anything to her. He want to say something to her, but words couldn't comes out of his mouth.
"Guess I'll go back to Noel's place."
There is no one he could talk to, but he said it out loud just to tell himself what he needs to do next.
***
The city of Oracle buzzes with life on a bustling day. Cobblestone streets wind through the vibrant marketplace, where merchants peddle exotic spices, shimmering fabrics, and magical trinkets. The air is filled with the aroma of sizzling meats from street vendors, and the distant melodies of minstrels echo through the crowded alleys. Towering stone structures adorned with intricate carvings line the streets, while colorful banners flutter in the breeze. Knights in armor march alongside peasants haggling over goods, creating a lively tapestry of diversity in this enchanting city.
But in the middle of it, there are two persons that really catch everyone's eyes. A stunning woman adorned with cascading, fiery-red hair that drapes down her back. Her emerald eyes exude a gentle allure, framed by a light brown high-waisted jacket paired with a dark red crop top that bares her midriff. Completing her ensemble are sleek black shorts, knee-high light brown boots, and a pendant featuring a sizable red gem. Suspended from her waist, two daggers add a touch of intrigue to her formidable presence. She is one of the heroes' party members, known as Selia The Crimson Archer. Even though she's an archer, she's also capable of detecting traps and enemies, scouting, and the cook of the party. She also takes care of managing their expenses and belongings. Taking their laundry when they're traveling, and always make sure all the party members are well-fed. Pretty much she's handling almost all of their daily life necessities.
Beside her there is a man. He exudes an air of striking handsomeness, with his lustrous blonde hair and blue eyes that radiate warmth. His stature was impressive, standing at around 180 centimeters. He wears a red robe adorned with sleek black lines, black long pants, and brown shoes. Tristan Tilecrow, The Grand Sorcerer. He is also one of the heroes' party members. He is able to use any kind of magic; he is the crowd control of the party, able to sweep hundreds of weak monsters in an instant, intervene enemies' attack to make sure Remilia can focus on the toughest enemy, and dealing with monsters' corpses.
Right now, the two of them are exploring the marketplace to buy some necessities for their next journey. With how beautiful and handsome these two are, they look like a perfect couple. No matter where they go, people always look at them with awe. People that know who these two are will admire them, and people that don't know who they are will be captivated by their charms. But the thing that makes those two stand out the most is bags of groceries and some other traveling items that are floating above them. Those things are not something that happens every day, constantly using magic without looking to where you are using it while keeping the output stable is really a feat to be achieved, not to mention doing it while moving around. But since those two are mastering wind magic beyond its limit, it's just like moving around their hands for them. But for normal people that was a sight to see.
"I guess this is all we need."
Selia says as she looks around while thinking if she missed something. And Tristan busily browses the stalls looking if there's something he wants to buy. They just keep ignoring everyone that is staring at them, since they always stand out no matter what they do. It's just a common occurrence for them when they're in the crowd.
"Oh yeah! While I remember, I should buy that for-"
Before Selia completes her sentence, she stops herself and looks dejected.
"I wonder if Remilia is able to tell him properly."
"Hm? What?"
Tristan who is busy looking around, heard Selia said something.
"Nothing. Just thinking if Niel will be alright."
"Oh, Niel? Don't worry, I already send a letter to Noelle to take care of him."
"Send her a letter? Did you tell her to go here to take Niel back to Tilecrow?"
"No way I let her go here by herself. I already told Remilia to tell Niel to go back to my house."
"Well, if that's the case..."
Noelle is Tristan's wife and also Niel's big sister. He is also acting as The Lord of Tilecrow, which makes him a noble, but he can't just stay there doing desk job since he's part of the heroes' party member. While Tristan is doing his job as Heroes' party member, Noelle is taking his position to manage their territory. Tristan also has his motives to send Niel to his house. For him, sending Niel to Tilecrow is beneficial to his territory and his feelings. While Niel is a Summoner, his strong point is not his summon monsters. Niel is the second strongest member in their party in terms of physical strength, even stronger than Greg. And because Remilia always gives him brutal training, he is also a master in swordsmanship, just second to Remilia. Placing him under Noelle's care will give Tristan peace of mind since he can also act as Noelle and his son's bodyguard. It will also give Noelle fewer things to worry about, as she's always concerned about Niel.
"Wait. Doesn't that mean he needs to go there by himself?! Tilecrow is pretty far from here! What if he ends up in a monster's den?!"
Selia panicked when she realized that Niel needs to go to Tilecrow by himself. She knows well how bad Niel's sense of direction is, and despite his strength, he is really clumsy.
"Don't worry about it. I already handled it."
"That's good news, then."
Selia immediately calmed down after hearing it. Tristan is a capable guy, and if he said he already handled it, then everything should be alright. Since it's about Niel, his brother-in-law and childhood friend, he will do his best to help him. Selia knows how much Tristan adores Niel.
"But still... I hope nothing bad will happen."
"Please stop being pessimistic. You make me worry about him now."
"Well, you cannot really blame me. His clumsiness almost killed him before."
"Stop throwing dead wood into the fire."
With how much Selia worries about Niel, Tristan lets out a long sigh. He doesn't want to leave him alone here; if possible, he wants to send Niel to Tilecrow himself. However, the Oracle told them to leave him alone immediately and not to meet or communicate with him afterward.
"At least let me say goodbye."
Tristan said it out loud without realizing it. Selia, who heard it, just looks at him in silence. She also feels the same way. There are a lot of things she wants to say to Niel.
"Let's go back to everyone. I think we have all the things that we need."
"Huh? Oh yeah. Let's go back."
Trying to distract herself, Selia decides to go back to their lodgings. Tristan, who starts spacing out, snaps back. As they go back to their lodgings, they walk past two women at one of the stalls. A beautiful woman with long golden hair, wearing a beautiful white dress, and the other one is a woman with dark short hair wearing dark blue armor with a sword hanging on her waist. Selia notices them, and somehow one of them feels familiar. But she brushes it off and continues walking.