Chapter 564 – Michelle's Familiar

The soy sauce koji made using the fermentation-accelerating spell formula was completed around dinnertime that day, just as I had roughly estimated.

From there, I proceeded to prepare the soy sauce, applying further processing using spell formulas to speed up the fermentation completion.

The rice koji, soy sauce koji, and others made without spell formulas hadn’t finished yet at that point, but since these were left to nature, the plan was to slowly complete them starting the next day.

“I just need to mix this regularly, correct?”

“Yes. It’s a bit of work, but I’ll leave it to you when I’m away.”

“Understood, Master. You can count on me.”

I gathered everyone – Cecilia, Mihaela, Claire the Arachne, Cyrille the Centaur, and all the other servants – and used the remaining bean bullets to practically teach them the procedures for preparing miso and soy sauce, as well as how to care for them during fermentation.

Like Grace and the others, everyone seemed to be enjoying the work. While these were unfamiliar items, since what we were making were fermented foods, they appeared relatively accustomed to this kind of work.

“While opportunities have been scarce recently, we used to make cheese and yogurt quite often,” said Mihaela.

“We also helped with this kind of preparation in the Labyrinth Village,” added Claire as they worked while chatting and laughing.

Since fermented goods are fundamentally rooted in daily life, everyone probably had more work experience than someone like me.

Thus, the servants were all quite understanding about developing new fermented foods.

While progressing with medal-based Golem production, I also discussed with Alfred about creating magic tools and making a magic array-type magic tool that would automatically reapply the fermentation-accelerating spell formula by placing magic stones filled with magical power.

This would enable efficient fermentation acceleration even while we were away. The day when the miso and soy sauce would be completed might be relatively soon.

While moving about like this with various tasks, we eventually reached the day of the full moon. From Grantios, along with Queen Eldorene, the Sirens who wished to participate in the special performance also arrived, making everything fully prepared.

While it was still daylight, we proceeded with checking the Sirens’ theater equipment and preparing for the summoning ritual at Peresford Academy… Then after sunset, I headed to Peresford Academy again with Michelle to perform the summoning ritual.

“Are you clear on the procedure?”

“Yes. I’ve practiced enough to be able to recite the incantation from memory.”

Michelle, holding the ritual dagger with a somewhat nervous expression, gave a small smile when I spoke to her.

Well, it’s not particularly difficult content, and Michelle is a fundamentally solid magician. This part should be fine.

The remaining question was… what kind of familiar would come, but Michelle might be worried about that aspect too.

Michelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked at me.

“The moon is already visible, so I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Yes. Then—”

As everyone watched, Michelle went before the altar, took a stance with her dagger, and began chanting the incantation.

Her clear, resonant chanting voice echoed throughout – and as if responding to it, a pillar of light rose from the magic array. Then, after the light subsided… a single monster stood there.

“Uh, um?”

Michelle widened her eyes at the sight and murmured like that. She seemed somewhat bewildered. Perhaps she had been worried about what to do if a fearsome monster appeared.

It was an animal with a stout body. Its body had dark brown fur, with black fur growing around its eyes. Its large, round eyes could be described as charming.

“If I recall correctly… it’s a monster called Hypnoraccoon. I’ve heard they manipulate illusions to trick people and can also put them to sleep with smoke.”

“Hypnoraccoon…”

To describe its appearance simply, it resembled either a tanuki or a raccoon.

While its appearance was charming, it was a proper monster. Its size was probably about one size larger than normal animals of those types. Though it lacked the striped tail pattern characteristic of raccoons, I’d heard its hands were quite dexterous.

Its element was either water or earth. It wasn’t entirely clear. It might not specialize in either one particularly.

It apparently had the ability to blow smoke with sleep-inducing effects and use that ability to show hallucinations similar to hypnosis.

While they were forest dwellers, they sometimes appeared in human settlements. In that respect, they might be closer to tanuki than raccoons.

They were relatively docile in human settlements, but apparently often played “tricking” pranks on people who entered their forest territory. However, they were said to generally not attack with much malice.

Or perhaps rather than pranks, they might be threatening to drive people away for purposes like protecting their territory, group members, or Hypnoraccoon children.

In terms of manipulating illusion magic, they resembled Flamia somewhat… but Firetails gave more of a mystical impression. With the monster that came through the summoning ritual, we now had both a trick fox and a trick tanuki, but somehow the differences in their personalities, impressions, and elements matched what one might imagine.

Michelle herself had magical aptitude for both earth and water… So indeed, a monster with elementally close compatibility had come.

The Hypnoraccoon stared intently at Michelle, its summoner. Michelle did the same – the two gazed at each other for a brief moment, but eventually Michelle seemed to remember something and continued the ritual.

“O one who answered my call. Here I shall reveal my name, grant you a name, and form an eternal covenant.”

Chanting this, she cut her fingertip and touched the water mirror reflecting the Hypnoraccoon.

Continuing the ritual meant accepting the summoned monster as a familiar. If she didn’t like it, she could also send it back.

“My name is Michelle. Your name shall be—Ortona.”

The Hypnoraccoon named Ortona—when the contract was established and the magic array lost its light… stood up on its hind legs as if it were the most natural thing, walked steadily to Michelle, and casually reached out its hand.

Hmm… Somehow, I got the feeling that personality-wise it would get along well with Corulis, or rather it reminded me of Corulis.

“N-nice to meet you, Ortona.”

Michelle took its hand, though somewhat bewildered.

Well, Corulis felt like it learned that behavior later, but Ortona didn’t seem to have been taught by Michelle. It gave the impression that it knew human greetings from the start and acted accordingly. It made sense given that they appear in human settlements.

After shaking hands with Michelle like that, Ortona returned to walking on all fours as if it were perfectly natural.

Well, having dexterous hands might be a good thing. It could probably help Michelle with various tasks around greenhouse management, and its bipedal walking was stable. Considering its abilities, it would likely be quite competent as a bodyguard too.

Hmm… Maybe I should give it a Levitation Magic Tool. It seemed capable enough of communication, and with experience, it should be able to handle it well.

“Quite a cute one, isn’t it?”

“It seems smart too. I’ve heard they have very dexterous hands,” said Grace with a smile, while Rosemary nodded quietly. So Rosemary knew about them too. It seemed I didn’t need to explain in detail.

Ortona was going around to greet the other people present—Ashley, Marlene, Claudia, Seraphina, then the animal group… going around to each in turn. Lavigne and the others were also calmly responding to Ortona’s greetings. Sheila and Irmhild were preparing at the theater, so they would probably exchange greetings later.

“Thank you,” said Michelle, watching the greeting rounds with a relieved smile.

“Well then, after cleaning up from the ritual, shall we return home for now? Then we’ll head to the theater.”

“Yes.”

The Sirens were already waiting at home. After the regular performance ended, we would guide the Sirens to the theater, following the flow of a special performance meant to reward the Demon-Slaying Knight Order after their training.

Well. We still had plenty of time, so we could properly clean up and introduce Ortona to everyone.