Chapter 99: Could You?

Goddess of Fire.

Incarnation of the sun, sovereign of all flames in the world.  

It was the strengthened form of Ifrit.  

—Stella, marry that child.  

“…What?”  

Since gaining divine power, Ifrit had not only shed her former appearance but also her way of speaking.  

Her tone now felt mature—almost overbearing.  

—To wield power like this… Perhaps you’ve realized there are many ways to grow stronger.  

Ifrit spoke while looking at Ian, who nodded cautiously.  

How could he further strengthen Ifrit? The options were overwhelming.  

She hadn’t even reached her full level yet, but what if she reached level 10 and received the Blue Bird buff along with her exclusive armament? Her strength would transcend logic and enter the realm of myth—something words could not begin to describe.  

“Hold on a second.”  

Syrah, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly pouted, clearly displeased.  

Seeing her, Ifrit tilted her head and muttered as if just now noticing her presence.  

—Oh… You were here too.  

“You just realized? Seriously—what’s wrong with you? Isn’t it thanks to me that you became this strong?”  

Syrah looked at Ian, silently seeking his confirmation.  

And it was true—Ifrit’s transformation was entirely due to Syrah, and the Blue Bird she had summoned.  

Ian nodded, and Syrah proudly straightened her posture and stared down Ifrit.  

“Of course, if it weren’t for Ian, I never would’ve realized I had this kind of power… But that doesn’t mean my contributions are insignificant.”  

—…So what are you trying to say?  

“Who are you to take Ian from me?”  

That was the real point—to keep other girls from getting too close to Ian.  

Even if it was intimidating to stand up to Ifrit, who had obtained divine power, Syrah believed that no summon would dare to harm another summoner.  

Summoners were chosen through a divine system created by God.  

In essence, they were God’s apostles.  

A creature dependent on that system couldn’t just act freely.  

If summons could kill their summoners at will, then Demon Kings or whatever else wouldn’t matter—the human race would have been destroyed by their own summons ages ago.  

“I don’t care if you’re the Fire Spirit King or whatever—stay out of human affairs. Got it?”  

—You’re quite bold. If it weren’t for Stella, I might’ve chosen you instead.  

Seeing Ifrit smile gently, Syrah thought the confrontation was over.  

But then, flames erupted from Ifrit’s entire body—sun-like flares blazing forth as her divine presence surged.  

—But aren’t you being a bit too arrogant toward a god?  

Ifrit extended her hand toward Syrah.  

Stella had no time to react.  

Syrah tightly shut her eyes and shielded her face with her arms. If her face got scarred, it would be a disaster.  

But just as Ifrit’s flames were about to reach her—  

Poof!

A deflating sound echoed, and Ifrit’s body suddenly shrank.  

—Huh?  

She had reverted back into her usual childlike form, staring at her limbs in confusion.  

“The duration ended,” Ian said calmly, watching the scene unfold.  

Although the Blue Bird’s power granted near-omnipotence, it didn’t provide true omnipotence or infinite strength.  

The greater the difference in levels between allies and enemies, the shorter the enhancement duration.  

So, the 4-star summon Ifrit had only been able to stay strengthened for a short time with the help of a 1-star Blue Bird.  

—…What is this? No! Give it back! I want my power back!  

“…Heh, I guess I’ll have to do it again,” Syrah sighed.  

She considered strengthening her own summon, the Black Mamba—or perhaps helping to power up Ian’s summons. Even Stella’s other summon was preferable to a summon like Ifrit.  

Watching Ifrit stomp in frustration, Ian looked at both girls and asked softly: “Now… do you understand why Syrah is the most important person?”  

“…Sorry, but—yeah, a little bit.”  

Who could have imagined that such hidden potential lay dormant in an insignificant 1-star summon?  

For people from another world, who didn’t even know leveling up was possible, the idea that a 1-star summon could unlock special abilities at max level was likely a mystery they’d never unravel.  

If not for Ian, Syrah would’ve remained just an ordinary summoner with a decorative, underwhelming summon.  

“By the way, something’s bothering me.”  

“What is it?”  

“Ian, how did you even know this?”  

Stella furrowed her brow.  

It wasn’t that people hadn’t leveled up because they were foolish…

They couldn’t do it—because it was impossible to level up. 

Even now, with just Ifrit, there were Stella’s father, his father, and his grandfather before him. How many demons had their countless ancestors burned?

Even so, Ifrit’s level had never risen beyond 1.

It was hard to accept, especially when she’d only been with Ian for a few days, and yet Ifrit had already reached level 2.

“No matter how I think about it, it just doesn’t make sense.”

Stella muttered to herself, while Syrah, standing beside her, looked equally puzzled.

Seeing this, Ian offered a simple explanation they could both understand.

“Stella, there are people in this world who can easily do things others could never dream of accomplishing.”

“…No, but still—”

“More importantly, the summoning system was created by God, wasn’t it? Sometimes, there are things that the human mind just can’t comprehend.”

Take, for example, when a summon with only a 1% probability refuses to appear even after 300 gacha pulls—yet someone else might get it in just one.  

All you can do is cry out to the heavens and ask why.  

That’s just how the world works.  

And there are people who are blessed like that.  

“We call them Heroes,” Ian said.  

The kind of people who make the impossible possible.  

Those who carry that gift.  

By that logic, Ian could very well be called a hero.

Yet, seeing the two still frowning in confusion, Ian sighed and continued.

“When you come across something unreasonable, something that doesn’t make sense no matter how hard you try to understand it—when you hit a wall that seems impossible to overcome…”

The two girls turned to him, startled by the sudden shift in tone, but paused as they listened to his next words.

“…you can lean on me. Don’t shoulder it all alone—ask for help.”

“…Anything?”

“Anything.”

“…Anytime?”

“Anytime.”

Syrah and Stella exchanged glances and gave subtle nods, silently deciding to share this hard-earned opportunity between themselves.

“Oh, you were here. Marquis Ian Clark.”

Just as the two were coming to terms, a woman in a suit appeared—Lianne, the Principal’s secretary.

Ian looked at her, tilting his head slightly, curious.

“The Principal is looking for you.”

“The Principal?”

“Yes.”

“What for?”

“It’s probably not for anything good.”

Indeed, when the principal called a student, it was more likely due to trouble than praise.

Ian clicked his tongue and made his way toward the principal’s office.

Meanwhile, Syrah and Stella remained behind, eagerly beginning to plot how far they could go in making requests of Ian.

***

Principal’s Office.

Principal Catherine greeted Ian with a smile.

“Who do we have here? Isn’t it our marquis?”

“…Aren’t you a marquis too?”

“Hmph, hardly. Now, shoo—off you go.”

“All right…”

Catherine promptly dismissed her secretary and sat down next to Ian. She laid a hand on his thigh and leaned in, her voice drooping with playful disappointment.

“You’re really no fun. I told you to call me ‘Sister Catherine’…”

“I can’t say that in front of other people.”

“I know, I know…”

As she spoke, Catherine glanced at him suggestively. After all, she had kicked out her secretary—she clearly wanted to hear Ian call her name with that sweet voice.

Understanding her intent, Ian sighed and obliged with a slightly annoyed tone.

“Sister Catherine. Did you really call me here for this? I’m busy, you know.”

“Hmph… No. No, of course not. But can’t you call me that again?”

Hearing the disappointment in Ian’s voice, the Principal finally got to the point.

“I received a call from the imperial family.”

“…The imperial family?”

“Yes. His Majesty, the Emperor.”

It hadn’t even been long since Ian returned to the Academy—and already the Emperor was calling again?

If the Emperor himself had summoned him, it must be a matter concerning humanity.

Realizing there was no point in speculating, Ian took the crystal ball from Catherine and activated the direct communication channel with the imperial family. 

A signal was sent, and moments later, the Emperor’s face appeared, smiling.

—Marquis, it’s been a while.

“Long time no see, Your Majesty.”

—Yes. Did you hear what this is about?

“I thought it would be quicker to hear it from you directly.”

—Ha ha! Yes, I suppose that would be quicker.

While Catherine’s face twisted in silent frustration at the Emperor’s laughter, Ian focused solely on the matter at hand.

The Emperor soon composed himself and asked:

—Marquis Ian Clark, could you… possibly die?