"So, what do you think? Should I give the girl the Chrono Fragment?" Fay asked Elaruîn after his teacher had settled in.

They were in Harriett's new bar.

The lady hadn't wanted to let Fay in at first, but after seeing the two leaders of two of the most important tribes seated in her establishment and the attention it was drawing she finally relented, though not without warning her customers.

Fay didn't fully understand why the warning was necessary, but at least the woman had thrown on a coat. The men, well, they had calmed down a bit more.

"And here I thought you were going to join us for drinks, boy," Nahrin chuckled, knowing full well the reason the bar had grown less rowdy.

"Don't start, Nahrin. I know you love alcohol, but they're too young. Now, about the girl… call her up. Let me check on her, and then we'll decide whether to give her the core. Just remember, if it comes down to it, we might have to kill either the creature or the summoner. You were spared, but anyone normal can break when using something that dangerous."

Fay handed his teacher the core, just to be sure it was safe. He always kept it on him, and so far, it hadn't shown any reaction.

"Looks fine. A little small, not much aether inside, but that might actually be better. The less refined it is, the lighter the burden on her."

Fay nodded as he received the core back and returned to chatting with the two leaders.

Horin and Selûne were beside them, eating and drinking their fill before everyone would head into the palace.

Once they'd finished, Fay began asking around for the girl Marie.

She was easy to find thanks to Horin's bird. The girl was always tending to the herbs she and two other catkin cared for. They were apothecaries, and their work had become essential now that the town needed to produce its own medicine.

"She'll be with us soon. We should just meet her in the palace. I already told her that my bird would find her when we need her."

Horin, who had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on the place, kept everyone in check. She was like the town's peacekeeper; if she spotted someone in need of help or a fight about to start, she would quickly dispatch aid.

Fay nodded and began to lead them up the long set of stairs.

"What a large palace you have, Fay… I hate it. I can already tell how much manpower it took to build, and I bet it was mostly demi-humans who died making it."

Fay nodded at Elaruîn's remark about his own home.

He didn't like it either, the towering five-meter entryway, the endless corridors leading to every room, and worst of all, the staircase they had to climb each time they wanted to go into town or return from it.

"I don't know what to do, though. Should I make a new home in town? It might be a waste, though… we need the large palace's space for Mirage for whenever she starts changing forms."

The girl in question was sprawled on the golden throne again, sleeping without a care in the world.

No one dared approach or wake her.

"Just stay here, kid. You don't need another place for now. Just make sure you don't let it get to your head," Nahrin scoffed. He and Horin had already set up a new tent in the open area within the palace walls, followed by most of the other Ravari, who had done the same.

After learning that the savanna was still suffering from the plague, they had no plans to return yet. For now, they'd decided to establish a temporary camp.

Soon, Marie arrived. She looked out of breath but eager to see if they would allow her to summon her creature.

"The young girl, I assume?" Elaruîn asked.

"Yes, that's her. Come, Marie, this is my teacher, and he'll be the one to oversee whether your monster is safe. Just remember what we talked about."

Marie, the sixteen-year-old girl with black hair, had grown a bit closer to the group after the first few days. She was still somewhat odd and distant at times, but she seemed kind at heart.

Fay had always liked the small mole beneath her eye. It reminded him, in a way, of his mother, though the rest of her features were different.

"If there's trouble, please let me try to calm it first," Marie said. "Give it a chance to live, at least."

Elaruîn sighed but appreciated her response. She seemed to be one of the few who didn't see a summoned creature as just a tool, and that brought him confidence that she would be a good summoner.

"Alright, let's hurry. We have more pressing matters to deal with after this."

Fay quickly passed the Chrono Fragment to Marie and stepped back to let her begin the summoning.

This time, everyone stood with their weapons drawn. Unlike the previous rituals, each person was tense, ready to act the moment anything went wrong.

Even Mirage came to see what was happening. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning, but stood ready for battle, just in case.

"Okay… here goes. I think I can do this right…"

Marie, dressed in a simple white gown, began to chant. The words she used weren't native to this world; they were from Earth.

They were more like a prayer than a spell.

The wind stirred around her, but it wasn't ordinary wind. It felt like a phenomenon, an aura that distorted the air within a meter of her.

The beast that emerged shimmered gold and somewhat mechanical. It had the head of an owl, broad wings, and feathers that kept circling around it like a dial, slowly and steadily moving in a rhythmic pattern.

"Chrono?"

Mirage was the first to speak. Everyone turned toward the dragon, sensing that she recognized the creature.

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