“I go buy you an umbrel, if you would like.” The hostess offered as we were about to leave.

  “No thank you.” I answered. “I have a pn.”

  “Brian?” Alice looked at me. “Are you really going to stop the rain?”

  “I already said I wouldn't do it. There are other ways of doing it.” I told her.

  A summoner will deal with small problems in the summoner ways, after all.

  I pulled two monsters out of my colle.

  The first one being: “Dark Magi.” I said as I summohe first monster.

  “Hello Master.” He said as he stepped out of his card. I heard some surprised gasps from the people enjoying their lunch. “What might I do for you?”

  “I need a spell that protect us from the rain.” I told him. “That shadow shield that Mana uses should suffice.” I told him.

  “As you wish.” He agreed. “Dark Shield.”

  A rge shadowy pne appeared above the front door of the inn. It was rge enough that I could summon the seonster within it.

  “Thank you. Now, Overdrive.” I summoned my seonster. You don’t o walk in the rain, if you use a meical carriage. This is at least 120 IQ move.

  “Brian.” I felt Alice pulling on my sleeve. “Is he the same summon as the ohat had the purple robe?”

  “Yes, but also no.” I told her. “It’s plicated.”

  “Could you expin it to me?” She asked.

  “Later.” I postpohe problem. “Let’s get back to the manor first.”

  I took Alice to the passenger side door, ope for her and helped her inside. I’m trying to be a gentleman here. Theered the driver seat and Dark Magi got in the back seat. I’ll need him at the manor as well, so I won’t unsummon him just yet.

  After we got inside and closed the doors, the dark shield that was keeping the rain from us disappeared, and the raindrops began hitting the roof of Overdrive.

  “This was your pn?” Alice asked.

  “Yes. Works perfectly, does it not?” I answered.

  “Well, I guess.” Alice admitted.

  “e o’s get bae.” I told her.

  Now, to the manor.

  —

  I was driving Overdrive slowly. Not because I couldn’t drive quickly, I think I proved that part when I reparing to deal with the wyverns, but because there were a lot of people running ireets. People trying to get home before the rain really picked up. I also have no clue how well Overdrive’s tires would hold in the rain. They had good grip on the grassnds so it should be fine, but I’d rather not crash into a person or a building. And we were in no rush to get back.

  “Brian, are you sure it’s fio use summoning like this?” Alice asked.

  “Sure it is. Or more like, why wouldn’t it be?” I shot back.

  “Well, I just feel like it’s… a waste.” She answered.

  “A magi uses magic to stay dry and a summoner uses summons to stay dry.” I told her. “I see no difference.”

  “... I suppose, but … I just feel like you are using a military golem as a carriage.” She argued.

  “Oh, I totally am.” I told her. I think Overdrive would t as a military golem. It has a gun, so it must be for the military only. At least if you ask the people that make the w. “But is there something wrong with it?” I asked.

  “Doesn’t it use magic fuel or something?” Alice asked.

  “I think you fot one fact. This is a summon, not a golem. Do I feed my summons because they look like humans? Do I o refuel my meical carriage, because it looks like a golem? I don’t, as they are not normal.” I told her.

  “... you are se.” Alice admitted. “You make no sense.”

  “Thank you. I’ll break your on sense if you are not careful.” I told her. “Just accept it and move on.”

  It took us a while to make it to the gate of the manor, as I was driving at just a little faster than walking speed. The gate guards got out of the guard house as I pulled up with Overdrive, but they didn’t make a huge fuss about it. Perhaps they’ve heard of it beforehand.

  I had Dark Magi step out first and make us another shield. Then I got out a over to Alice’s side to help her out. I unsummoned Overdrive and the guards opehe gate for us. I apologized to the guards for surprising them as we got inside.

  As we got ihe house, I turo Dark Magi.

  “Thank you. You go now.” I said to him.

  “Always, Master. But please, try to summon me when you need bat strength ime.” He said as he entered his card.

  “No promises, but I’ll try.” I answered. I took the two cards that were on my DiaDhank and pced them bato the colle.

  “Wele back.” Christina was in the front room waiting for us. “I was thinking of sending a carriage to get you, but it seems like that was unnecessary.”

  “Mother. We are back.” Alice responded.

  “Yes. We got back here pletely dry.” I told her.

  “I noticed. I’m surprised you mao keep yourselves dry in the rain. I know it’s still just pig up, but still.” Christina said with slight amazement.

  “Brian did that. He used a summon to make us a rain shield and then we used his golem carriage to get to the gates.” Alice expined.

  “Oh that. I’ve heard of it, but never seen it. Brian, will you give me a ride in it as well?” Christina asked.

  “I , but I’d rather do it when it’s not raining.” I told her.

  I always use Overdrive when we go to the duo name Christina as the dungeon master.

  “And here I was hoping we could ght now.” Christina teased. She then turned her head towards Alice again. “Alice, did you get a aff?”

  “Yes, Brian got it for me.” She responded.

  “May I take a look?” Christina asked.

  Alice seemed a little hesitant to let go of her staff, but did hand it over to her mother.

  Christina was cheg it out and seemed to like what she saw.

  “Where did you get it? I don’t think Baku would hold something like this.” She ented.

  “It’s from the Traveling wonder.” I answered.

  “Oh yeah, that little store. I’ve been looking for a aff for Alice since she cast her first spell a few days ago, but I didn’t think something like this was so close. I guess I shouldn’t uimate a failing store.” Christina said.

  Failing? Is that stoing under? Well, perhaps Lawrence just ’t pete with Baku. Baku has a rger store and multiple ine sources, so even if he ’t sell his vares, he just rely oransport aspect of the business. But Lawrence doesn’t have something like that. Or maybe he does and I just don’t know of it.

  “So you went with treant wood staff. You o be careful not to overload it as you start using it.” Christina was instrug Alice. “You don’t want to break something Brian gave you, now do you.”

  So it break if she overloads it. I guess if it is ohat grows over time, it might be brittle early on.

  “You seem knowledgeable about staves and treant wood. Do you perhaps have a treant wood staff yourself?” I asked.

  “Oh I do.” Christina told me. “I got it almost a year ago, but it still ’t hold up to powerful bat magic, so I ’t use it fully.”

  “Does it take that long for a treant wood staff to grow?” I asked.

  “Yes, it really does. Some say it’s foolish to even attempt to use a treant wood staff before you’ve grown it for at least three years. Some say only a month is enough, but then again, the longer you nurture the staff, the stro will be.” She expined.

  “Could I see yours? For reference.” I asked.

  “Yes. Please wait a moment. I’ll go get it.” Christina said as she left the room.

  After her mother left the room, Alice turo me.

  “Why are you so ied in staves all of a sudden?” She asked.

  “I just want to know some of their limits.” I told her. “If I don’t, I’ll end up breaking yours when I offer to upgrade it.”

  “Please don’t break it.” Alice plead.

  “And that is why I study. I hold it for a bit?” I asked.

  “...will you do something stupid?” She asked.

  “No, I’ll just analyze it.” I told her.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’ll use my power as a dungeon fouo find out more about the staff.” I told her. “It shouldn’t cause any damage to it.”

  “... just don’t break it.” She said as she hahe staff over.

  “If I do, I’ll get you another one.” I promised her. “Perhaps I’ll carve one for you myself.”

  “Having a summon do it, is not doing it by yourself.” Alie.

  Well, she is n. I have some wo experience, but not enough to carve something like this. School for the win. And projects with my dad. But then again, modern tools are required for that, so I really couldn’t do something like this.

  I analyzed the staff, before handing it back to Alice. See, no damage.