Valerie’s eyes grew glassy with tears, and a smile broke across her lips. "How did you all know?" she asked, her voice shaking just slightly.
Eduardo waved one hand dismissively, as though it had been no trouble at all to find out.
Valerie’s eyes widened again as realization hit her. "Oh..."
When Ethan had agreed to give her official employnt at the manor, Eduardo had made it his duty to ask for more information about her. So she had to submit what was essentially a profile docunt with basic details like her birthdate included.
Ethan then moved forward and said, "Admittedly, I only just found out it was your birthday when I saw them walking over to this room."
He paused for a mont, then added with genuine warmth in his voice, "Happy birthday, Valerie. You’ve been of trendous service."
Valerie nodded, her smile still firmly in place."Thank you, Master Ethan."
She turned toward Francesca and carefully took the cake from her hands. "Thank you, Miss Francesca."
Then she turned toward Eduardo with another respectful nod. "Thank you, Mr. Eduardo."
Both Francesca and Eduardo exchanged a brief glance with each other, then turned away to leave the room and give her so privacy to enjoy her birthday cake.
But just as they were about to step out into the hallway, Ethan spoke up again.
"I have sothing for you."
Valerie’s head turned back toward him imdiately, her expression curious.
Ethan moved his hand from behind his back and extended it forward, revealing a book he had been holding out of sight.
Valerie’s mouth fell open in complete disbelief.
"This is... Granny Jenner’s grimoire..." she whispered.
Ethan nodded and said calmly, "I was actually going to hand this back to you after the good job you did today. And now does seem to look like a good ti for it."
Valerie slowly reached out and took the book from his hands, her fingers trembling slightly as they made contact the book.
Her face was still dazed, as though she couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
Ethan continued speaking. "I know you’ve only been working here because you’re trying to get this back. And I think you’ve earned it."
He paused for just a mont before adding, "You may also decide to resign at this point if you want. I’ll understand."
Valerie hadn’t said anything yet. She just stood there holding and staring down at the grimoire.
Ethan took her silence as acceptance and turned away, preparing to leave her room so she could have her mont in peace.
But just as he was about to step through the doorway, her voice called out softly.
"Master Ethan..."
Ethan stopped and turned back around to face her.
Valerie looked up at him now. "I have two questions."
Ethan nodded and said, "Go on."
Valerie hesitated for just a second before asking, "Is it okay if I continue to stay, Master Ethan?"
A genuine smile appeared on Ethan’s face at that question. "Yeah."
Valerie nodded in visible relief, then her gaze dropped back down to the grimoire in her hands. She tilted the book, running her fingers over its cover thoughtfully.
Then she asked her second question. "I know you studied the spells in here... so are you done with it?"
Ethan began answering, "Uh, well, not really, I still have—
Before he could say anything else, Valerie cut him off by extending both hands, holding the book out toward him.
"Then you can borrow it," she said. "Return it when you’re done with it, Master Ethan."
Ethan stared at the offered grimoire for a mont, then smiled as he reached out and took the book back from her hands.
"Thank you, Valerie."
She nodded with a smile of her own.
Ethan then he turned away and began walking toward the door. But he stopped at the doorfra and turned back around with a curious expression on his face.
"Just out of curiosity, Valerie... how old are you again?"
Valerie’s face imdiately went bright red with embarrassnt. She turned away from him, one hand coming up to cover part of her flushed face.
"Master Ethan..." she said in an exasperated tone. "Haven’t you heard? It’s not nice to ask a lady about her age"
Ethan shook his head with an amused smile and turned toward the hallway. "Goodnight, Valerie," he said as he walked away.
"Goodnight, Master Ethan," she called back after him.
—
At the manor’s basent...
Before checking what the special reward was, Ethan wanted to verify sothing first.
He lifted his hand out in front of him, and a ring materialized from his inventory, floating just above his palm.
The ring bore the Fitzgerald family crest. It belonged to Dante, and Ethan had pulled it off the summoner’s body right after his death before sending it straight into his inventory.
Just like he had done prior to summoning Joe, Ethan brought his other hand up to his mouth and bit down on his index finger with one of his fangs. A small bead of blood welled up from the puncture wound as he let the drop fall onto the ring’s surface.
The blood itself spread from there, turning into a glowing magic circle before Ethan began the chant.
But just as the ritual reached its final stage, right before Dante’s spirit would erge through the circle, Ethan felt sothing unexpected.
There was another pull tugging at his awareness from a different direction, like two separate threads trying to lead him toward different destinations.
Usually, when a summoner was about to call forth a spirit for the first ti, they felt a pull to that spirit right at the last mont before manifestation. It was the final confirmation of the contract being established.
But this was different. This wasn’t one pull. It was two.
A system notification appeared before his vision:
[You are invoking your authority to call forth a Summoner class spirit who was bound to another spirit during life]
[As Spirit King, you may choose to directly call either the summoner OR the spirit they were bound to, but not both simultaneously as the ring will only serve as catalyst to just one]
[This privilege is granted only to those who possess Spirit King’s Authority]
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly as he read through the ssage. "Oh, I see."
He paused for a mont, then asked, "So Dante will not be able to serve ?
[Not in the capacity of a summoner]
A smile appeared on Ethan’s face. "I suppose the dead cannot lead the dead"
If he summoned Dante, he’d just be getting another summoner without any summons for that summoner to actually use.
"Answer my call, Bierzim," Ethan said, redirecting the pull toward the demonic spirit instead.
The magic circle flared even brighter for just a mont, then from its center, the massive form of the demon began to erge.
Bierzim rose up through the glowing symbols, and most importantly, the grievous wound it had sustained to its throat during the battle was gone.
It was in the center of the circle, towering over Ethan at its full eight-foot height, its multiple arms hanging at its sides as it stared down at him with those glowing red eyes.
Ethan nodded in satisfaction and waved one hand dismissively. "You can go."
Bierzim dissolved into purple motes of light and vanished.
With that confird, Ethan turned his attention back to the matter he had originally co down here to check.
His special reward.
"System, show the reward."
A new notification appeared before his vision:
[Congratulations! You have been granted a New Summon]
[Summon Na: Arael]
"Hm..." Ethan stared at the notification for a mont, curious about this new addition.
Then he spoke. "Co, Arael."
A purple magic circle imdiately ford on the floor in front of him, and from within that radiant glow, a figure began to erge.
What materialized before him was a woman with an otherworldly presence.
She had long black hair that fell past her shoulders and frad her face. Her eyes were a striking blue, but what imdiately drew attention were the massive wings extending from her back.
They looked like an angel’s but appeared to be made of pure prismatic light, shifting through a full spectrum of colors. Rainbow hues of pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, and orange flowed across the wing surfaces in srizing patterns, as though they were made of living aurora.
Her body was covered in elaborate, colorful tattoos that were wrapped around both her arms in, extending down her legs in swirling patterns.
She wore minimal black clothing that left most of the tattoos visible, with her blue eyes fixed directly on Ethan as she awaited his command.
Ethan stared back at her, completely taken aback by her appearance.
"Well," he said slowly, "you’re certainly... different."
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