The Summoner's Daily Life with His Tamed Beast

2-7

"Don't be afraid, because," he sat up, gently lifting Necy's hand and placing it on his curly black hair. "They're like me, they love being petted and indulging in sweets. There's not much difference."

Necy stared at him blankly for a moment, then hesitantly reached out to stroke his head. The black sheep, who had lied about his level, closed his eyes in comfort, seemingly enjoying the touch.

Seeing this, Necy couldn't help but burst into laughter, erasing the trace of sadness and unease from his face. Glancing at his expression, Nor made up his mind.

"Adopt me."

"Huh?" Necy wondered if he had heard him right.

"I'm easy to take care of. Just feed me often and pet me."

Necy was truly stunned now. What was this man, who was over a foot taller and at least five years older in appearance, talking about? He needed time to process it.

But Nor didn't think there was anything wrong with his words or actions. This summoner, who baked him treats, stroked him, and didn't get angry at his laziness, was one of a kind. The chances of being summoned by the same person again were slim, so he had to secure this master before returning.

"I'll tell you stories about monsters," he said. "Like the Golden Ram Chrysaor and the Headless Knight LeGraunce."

"...Really?" Necy's eyes lit up. Nor knew that monsters' tales fascinated him the most.

Compared to farming or fighting, completing tasks by simply eating and telling stories was as effortless as it could be. So he nodded, reminding him of the time limit before he would be recalled.

"Oh! I almost forgot you're not my summon anymore... Are you not listening to others again?" Necy chuckled as he stroked his head, and Nor happily nodded.

"Like this, we can only sustain for about half an hour. No wonder you were so eager to rest."

In the first half-hour after being summoned, monsters don't consume the summoner's magic. After that, the user has to pay to keep them. The Summoning Association stipulates that the longest stay can be extended to six hours with the summoner's magic, and after that, they'll be forcibly returned. Of course, if the summoner is dissatisfied with the monster, they can send it back during the free period. (At this point, Nor suddenly felt that the bulky man wasn't so bad, at least he didn't force him to go back.)

There's also a cooldown period for summoning the same monster to ensure their rest. To summon the same monster again, one must wait twice the duration of the monster's stay in the human world. In other words, if the monster stays for six hours, one must wait twelve hours before summoning it again. However, the Summoning Association doesn't prohibit other summoners from summoning the monster during the cooldown period, so Nor felt that this cooldown was virtually non-existent.

"Come here." Necy picked up the nearby grimoire, flipping to a blank page facing him. Like pressing a seal, Nor placed his palm on the empty page.

As if written by an invisible quill, the book began to depict his image. He stood still, stretching out one arm to the side, palm facing down. Seeing the quill about to continue drawing, he felt a surge of nervousness and quickly stopped the invisible quill in his mind. Amazingly, the ink obeyed, skipping that part and simply described him in a brief line below. Then, a row of magical words appeared on the empty space below, much larger than the description and etched like a seal, their iron-red color giving them a three-dimensional look. It was his contract inscription.

Most summoners carry a grimoire with them, storing their frequently used monsters for easy summoning. This was the first time Nor's contract inscription was registered in a summoner's book, giving him a strange sense of novelty. As if welcoming him, Eva, who had been perched on Necy's shoulder, climbed down his arm, lifted her head to look at him, and shook her antennae.

The summoning circle appeared beneath his feet, signaling that it was time for him to return.

"Wait, Nor," Necy, who had glanced at the grimoire, called out to him hurriedly before he could jump back into the portal. "Are you the Guardian of Eldia?" "..." He silently leaped back into the portal.