The next morning, he wakes up feeling refreshed and ready for another day at the academy. His psionic overexertion feels fully recovered from, and he's eager to learn more. He eats breakfast with his mom and heads out, waving goodbye. He walks to the campus, feeling upbeat. His first class is magic with Nya, and he's looking forward to seeing her again. He wonders if she'll have any new spells or challenges for him.
He enters the classroom and sees her already there, setting up some props and materials on a table. She looks up and sees him, and her face lights up with a smile. "Good morning, Felix. How are you today?" She asks, her voice friendly.
"Good morning, Nya. I'm feeling great, and ready to learn. How about yourself?" He replies, his tone cheerful.
She giggles, her ears twitching. "I'm feeling good too, thanks for asking. I'm going to try using the wind magic you used to amplify the volume of my voice myself, but I'm still worried about stammering and being nervous while talking to the whole class. Though of course, I'll do my best." She says, her voice hopeful. She then tells him, "Plus, now that we're past refreshers on the basics of magic, we can get into talking about learning new spells." She says, looking excited.
He smiles, feeling intrigued. "That sounds cool. What kind of spells are we going to learn?" He asks, curious.
She claps her hands, her eyes shining. "Well, I was actually thinking I'd open that up to suggestions from the class. There are practically as many spells to learn as stars in the sky, so maybe asking the class what they want to learn would be more helpful." She explains. "What kind of spells do you want to learn, Felix? Anything in particular?" She inquires.
He thinks for a moment, "Huh..." He thinks some more, "Now that I think of it... I'm actually not sure. I've been excited about learning new spells in general, and don't have anything specific in mind to learn right now. Maybe I'll see what others in the class are interested in learning, and see if that sparks some inspiration." He says, feeling a bit indecisive.
She nods, her expression understanding. "That's a good idea. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something that interests you. Magic is a wonderful and diverse art, and there's always something new to discover." She says, encouraging him. She then glances at the door, where other students are starting to arrive. "Oh, it's almost time to start. You should go to your seat, and remember, I'm always here if you need any help or advice." She says, giving him a warm smile.
He nods, thanking her and going to his seat. He watches as the class fills up, and Nya begins her lesson. He listens attentively, eager to absorb everything she says. He's determined to make the most of this opportunity, and to impress her with his progress. He feels a surge of motivation and confidence, and thinks that today is going to be a great day.
Nya stands in front of the class, her nervousness still palpable despite her best efforts to hide it. Her voice is barely audible at first, but she quickly remembers to channel a bit of wind magic, amplifying her words just enough to be heard. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"Good morning, everyone. Today, we'll be exploring new spells based on your interests. This is your chance to guide our learning journey." She manages a small, encouraging smile, though her ears twitch anxiously. "Please, share what you'd like to learn. Any ideas are welcome."
Instantly, the classroom erupts into a cacophony of voices. Students shout over each other, each trying to make their suggestion heard.
"I want to learn fireball!" a boy yells from the back.
"No, invisibility is way cooler!" a girl counters.
"How about summoning a familiar? That'd be awesome!" another student chimes in.
"Can we learn to fly? I've always wanted to fly!"
Nya's eyes widen in alarm as the suggestions come faster and faster. Her quill hovers over a blank page, but she's paralyzed by the sheer volume of ideas. She tries to interrupt, but her voice is lost in the noise.
"Please, one at a time," she attempts, but it's futile. The class is too excited, too caught up in the moment.
Felix watches, feeling a pang of sympathy for Nya. He knows how hard she's trying, and it pains him to see her struggling. He raises his hand, trying to get her attention, but she's too flustered to notice.
Then, an idea strikes him. Summoning. It's a versatile school of magic, one that can encompass many of the other suggestions. A summoned creature could potentially provide light, protection, or even companionship. It's a perfect middle ground.
Taking a deep breath, Felix projects his voice, using a hint of wind magic to carry it over the din. "How about summoning magic? It's practical and offers a lot of variety."
The room quiets down as students consider his suggestion. Plenty agree, but some are still pretty committed to their niche. After a few more moments of deliberation, Nya steps forward, seizing the opportunity to regain control.
"That's an excellent suggestion, Felix," she says, her voice stronger now. "Summoning magic is a fascinating discipline. We'll start with the basics." She turns to the class, her expression serious. "Though before we dive in, I need to introduce a crucial safety rule. No summoning here in the classroom, understood? We'll move outside to practice summoning, to a proper practical magic training area. It's too risky to do it here."
The students nod, their excitement tempered by her stern tone. Nya visibly relaxes, grateful for the reprieve. She catches Felix's eye and gives him a small, grateful nod. He smiles back, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Not only did he help steer the lesson, but he also helped Nya maintain her composure.
They exit the classroom and head to an open field within Academy grounds. A flat expanse of grass, with a few trees scattered around, and a clear view of the sky. Nya leads them to the center, where she stops and turns to face them. She looks a bit more confident now, having escaped the confines of the classroom. She clears her throat, and begins to speak.
"Alright, everyone. Welcome to our first lesson on summoning magic." She says, her voice clear and steady. "Summoning is a wide category of magic that covers many different kinds of spells. For our purposes today, we can divide them into three main types: sapient beings, non-sapient beings, and objects."
She gestures with her hands, as if drawing invisible shapes in the air. "Sapient beings are those that have intelligence, will, and self-awareness. They can communicate with you, and they have their own goals and desires. They are usually the most difficult and dangerous to summon, because sapient beings can refuse a summons, negotiate conditions, resist transit, or act according to their own interests after arriving, depending on the specific spell and agreement. Some examples are elementals, demons, angels, or other planar creatures."
She moves her hands to the side, creating another shape. "Non-sapient beings are alive and sentient. They can feel, think, learn, and experience emotions, but they aren't self-aware. They lack the concept of themselves as distinct individuals, and therefore can't understand or enter formal agreements. Some examples are animals, plants, or insects."
She claps her hands together, making a final shape. "Objects are things that are not alive, and have no will or feelings of their own. They are the easiest to summon. This is where I would also differentiate between summoning and conjuration. Conjuration makes things from mana, typically from nothing. Which is why it requires the most mana, as well as being the hardest of the three types. Meanwhile summoning actually brings something from elsewhere, and does not typically require anywhere near as much mana. Though summoned objects are temporary as opposed to conjuration creating the object permanently. Either way, summoned or conjured objects are usually harmless unless used as weapons by the caster. Some examples are weapons, tools, or materials."
Felix jumps to the idea of trying to summon a familiar right away. He's always been fascinated by the concept of having a magical companion, and he's eager to test his abilities. He quickly settles on the idea of summoning an imp, a small, mischievous creature that could prove to be a useful ally.
Focusing his thoughts, he pours a significant amount of mana into the spell. The mana coalesces potently before being used on the spell. He fully expects the imp to materialize instantly, but nothing happens. Confused, he channels more mana, convinced that he simply needs to push harder. The excess mana begins to crackle around him, creating an impressive display of power that catches the attention of his classmates and Nya.
It still doesn't seem to work, and he's catching his breath as he wonders what went wrong. Then something happens. The temperature seems to rise as a flaming ring portal appears, and a figure walks through. It's not an imp.
Instead, a tall, elegant demoness with fiery ruby hair and red skin, large black horns, and an elegant and cute looking frilly dress stands before him, looking quite irritated. Her dress is a high society dress that downplays her curves without completely hiding them. She has an oppressively powerful magic aura that makes Felix intensely curious.
Instead of addressing Felix with words as he looks at her with wide eyed curiosity with his tail sways behind him eagerly, she slaps him hard enough for the sound to ring out in the open area. Then she punches him in the gut hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and finally picks him up like he weighs nothing and slams him back down into the ground with a loud thud. Dazed and confused, Felix struggles to comprehend what's just happened.
The demoness's voice is laced with annoyance as she addresses him. "You insolent mortal! How DARE you! I, Princess Lilith, demand an explanation for this outrage!" She seethes, her eyes blazing with fury.
Lilith, the demon princess, stands tall and imposing, her regal bearing evident in every movement. Felix can't help but marvel at her presence despite the pain and reeling from the sudden attack. It's his first time seeing a demon, and he's captivated by her otherworldly beauty and commanding aura.
Nya rushes over, her face pale with shock. "Felix! What have you done?!" She demands, her voice trembling slightly as she tries to process the situation.
Lilith seethes, "What he did, is jump up the hierarchy and personally contact me to 'get over here' in the most uncouth and thoughtless manner I've ever heard of! No contract, no stated task, no respect for my position and status, nothing! I'm almost impressed by your audacity, and am tempted to ask how you even accomplished it... Though that doesn't change how upset I am! You rudely interrupted my tea party with my friends! I looked ridiculous and you ruined it! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
“I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to summon you. I was trying to summon an imp.” He admits, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lilith's anger only intensifies. "An imp? You mistake me for a mere imp?!" She raises her hand, and Felix flinches, expecting another blow. However, Nya steps in front of him, her expression pleading.
"Please, your highness, he didn't know any better. He's just a student. He's never summoned anything before. Also... He has a very unusual way of casting spells, which probably lead to the unusual results..." She says, hoping to calm the demoness down.
Lilith huffs, crossing her arms, though she eyes Felix with some curiosity, "Is that so? I suppose I won't rough him up more for right now, but I'll need to know more about exactly what he did and how he did it." She says, her tone still haughty but a little more patient.
Felix feels a rush of gratitude towards Nya for her protection, but he knows he can't rely on her forever. He gathers his courage and struggles though getting back up. "I apologize for my mistake, your highness. I didn't know I was contacting you. I cast my spells through psionic intention rather than using the chants and gestures. I intended to summon a familiar, and when it didn't seem to work, my thought process was that using more mana would make it work." He says, his voice respectful but also honest.
Lilith raises an eyebrow, intrigued by his explanation. "Psionic intention, you say? That's a rare and interesting method. I've never encountered a mortal who uses it like that." She studies him more closely, her eyes narrowing. "You must have some potential, to be able to reach me with such a crude and clumsy summons." She then smirks, her expression turning sly. "I think how you'll make amends for this transgression shall be rather karmic." She proclaims, "I will make a persistent summons contract with you. Like what summoners normally use with a summon they've negotiated with, but with you as the summon. Let's see how YOU like getting called out of the blue to do something for ME. The best part is you won't know when it's coming~."
Felix blinks, not sure how to react. "What? You want to make me your familiar? Why would I agree to that?" He asks, his voice confused.
Lilith chuckles, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Because, if you don't, I'll thrash you till you change your mind, how about that?" She then snaps her fingers and brings up a contract. "Look this over before you sign it." She offers casually.
Nya looks horrified. "Your highness, that's not fair! He's just a student, and he already said he was sorry." She protests, her voice alarmed. "This will severely impact his life, it's a very serious commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly."
Lilith shrugs, unfazed. "Life is not fair, little witch. It's a punishment. Meant to teach him a lesson, but don't worry. Not one meant to kill him, and there will be frequency and duration restrictions. I don't suddenly want him attached to me like a leech. Just enough to be annoying." She says, her voice indifferent. She then turns to Felix, "I'm a princess, and I don't have time to play with mortals all day. If you want to prove your sincerity, you'll fully read the contract, understand your obligations and the limits of your obligations, and serve competently when summoned. I don't want to have to explain it to you later, so I'm serious when I say to fully read and understand it." She warns, her tone firm.
Felix is stunned, but he knows he has no choice. He has no leverage against a demon princess, and he doesn't want to make things worse. He reluctantly takes the contract and reads through it. It's a standard summons contract, but with him as the summoned party. It states that he must obey Lilith's commands whenever she summons him, as long as they don't violate his core values or harm him permanently. He can refuse an order, but if he doesn't do as asked or she considers his performance unsatisfactory, it won't count against the summon limit. It also states that she can only summon him four times per month, for a maximum of two hour per summons. The contract can be renegotiated one per year.
Lilith looks unconvinced he completely read it. "Just to make sure you read it properly, how often does it say I can summon you, and for how long?"
"You can summon me up to four times a month, for up to two hours at a time." He says, repeating what he read.
Lilith nods, "And if I gave you an order that directly contradicted your moral values? For example, 'kill that person for me'. What do you do?"
Felix answers, "I can refuse the order without it counting as a completed summons."
"Right. How about if I make you do a task and you do it, but do a terrible job? How does the contract define 'unsatisfactory performance'?"
Felix thinks back, "It doesn't, that's left up to your discretion. Though it's not specified if you could be completely unreasonable about it. Though I believe the spirit of the contract would imply a reasonable person would only call it unsatisfactory if it was obvious I wasn't even trying."
Lilith smiles, "Very good. Maybe I'll have some hope for you after all. I can tell when you're being intentionally obtuse, but you seem to have read it thoroughly enough for now." She produces a pen and inkwell, "If you're satisfied with the contract and accept the terms, sign here." She offers, pointing to a line at the bottom.
He sighs, feeling resigned. "Alright, your highness. I accept your terms." He says, taking the pen and signing his name. As soon as he does, he feels a strange sensation, like a tether connecting him to Lilith. He knows that the contract is now binding, and that he's officially her familiar. He feels a mix of dread and curiosity, wondering what awaits him.
Lilith smiles, looking pleased with herself. "Excellent, but this has been exhausting and I want to get back to tea. So you're free to go back to... Whatever this is."
Nya answers, "Um, class, your highness. We're learning summoning magic here." She says, her voice timid.
Lilith raises an irritated eyebrow, "In that case I'm staying a little longer. No more summoning mishaps from you, kitten."
Nya tries to take back control of the class, "Right, no sapient summoning for this class. Let's try summoning an animal, like a bunny. Any volunteers?"
Lilith stops Felix as he tries to raise his hand, "Not you, you've done enough summoning for one day. Sit down, and let someone else do it."
Felix complies, feeling a bit embarrassed. Nya proceeds with the lesson, showing the students how to cast a simple summon animal spell, and how to choose the target and the location. She then asks for a volunteer to try it, and timid girl with glasses steps forward. She does the chants and gestures very carefully. The result is adorable, but anticlimactic. A fluffy white bunny appears on the grass, twitching its nose and looking around with curiosity. The class applauds, and the girl looks proud.
Nya explains, "Good job. Doing the chants and gestures carefully is especially important here. The underlying metaphysical structures heavily rely on it. Though the same spell can be modified to summon different animals, or even objects, as long as you know the name of the creature or the item. You can also adjust the duration and the location of the summons, by adding or omitting certain words or symbols. The possibilities are endless, as long as you have enough mana and knowledge." She then looks over at Felix sheepishly, "As much as I'd rather not single him out... What Felix did is an example of what you absolutely shouldn't do..."
Felix looks embarrassed but also intrigued, "Underlying metaphysical structures? It's not just making the summon target appear?"
Lilith glares at him, "Really? Is that what you tried to do? Force me to just 'appear' by imposing your will on reality? Do you have any idea how rude and insulting that is? How much you disregarded my own existence as a person?"
He realizes that's exactly what he did, "I... I'm sorry, your highness, I didn't mean to..."
"Of course you didn't, because you didn't even think about it. You just assumed that whatever you wanted would happen, but know this, if you ever try anything like that again... I'll make sure you never forget the consequences. Forget the beating you got this time, you don't even want to imagine what I’d do if there's ever a second time." She warns, her voice harsh.
He nods, his ears flat against his head. "I understand, your highness. I'll be more careful." He promises.
Nya decides to try and ease the tension, "Now, now, let's all calm down. I think we've all learned a valuable lesson today. Magic is a wonderful and powerful tool, but it also requires responsibility and respect. You can't just use it without thinking of the implications, or the people and creatures you might affect. Always remember to consider the source, the target, and the outcome of your spells, and to follow the proper etiquette and protocol. Otherwise, you might end up with more than you bargained for." She finishes, her voice earnest. She then claps her hands, signaling the end of the lesson. "That's all for today, everyone. Thank you for your attention and participation. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all tomorrow." She says, smiling.
The students start to disperse, chatting among themselves about the lesson. Some of them are still staring at Felix and Lilith, whispering and pointing. He knows he kind of deserves it, and probably should hold off on summoning for a while. He never expected his third day at the academy to be so eventful, or to end up a familiar to a demon princess. The day isn't even over yet, this was the first class.
Nya approaches him, looking concerned. "Felix, are you okay? I'm so sorry this happened. I should have been more clear about the risks and rules of summoning. It's my fault." She says, her voice apologetic.
He shakes his head, forcing a smile. "No, it's not your fault, Nya. It's mine. I was the one who was reckless and ignorant. I'm just glad you were here to help me." He says, his tone grateful.
Lilith huffs and crosses her arms, "Ugh, enough with the mushy stuff. I'm not here to watch you two flirt. I have tea to get back to, so I'm out of here, and I'll be in touch, familiar. You'll know when I call you, because you'll magically show up where I want you. Ta-ta for now."
With that, she snaps her fingers, and a flaming portal appears behind her. She steps into it, and it closes behind her, leaving a faint smell of sulfur in the air. Felix and Nya stare at the empty space where she was, feeling a bit bewildered. They look at each other, and burst out laughing. It's the only way to cope with the absurdity of the situation.
After they calm down, Nya puts a hand on his shoulder, her expression serious but caring. "Felix, be careful, okay? I don't want you to get into any more trouble, and if you ever need anything, you can always come to me. I'm here for you, as your teacher and your friend." She says, her voice gentle.
He smiles, feeling touched by her kindness. "Thanks, Nya. You're the best teacher ever. I'll be careful, I promise. I'll see you soon." He says, his voice sincere. They part ways, and he heads to his next class, hoping combat class can be less eventful.