Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family

Chapter 62: Summoner Special Selection (1)

It was pure luck that I got the No. 1 set from «Pascal Bakery».

The production times of «Pascal Bakery»’s desserts and special dessert sets were said to be confidential. Because of this, I heard that people didn’t know when it would come out—they spent whole days waiting or they visited at random to ask if it was in stock.

It just so happened that the hot off-the-press No. 1 set was being made just as I stopped by.

I was planning on buying a box of desserts, following my father’s advice that we should bring at least one gift whenever we went somewhere, but who would have guessed that it would turn out to be a ‘special dessert set’?

“I didn’t know there were two of them.”

Thanks to that, there was one more No. 1 set in my subspace. I would share it with Leila and Ernest later, and I’d give some to my sisters too.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to gain more favor with Professor Delphineso than I expected. I could take my time, but seeing as she was someone who I didn’t need to antagonize, wasn’t this a good result?

“Though, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be going to the Summoning Department.”

Of course, I was sorry to say that the complete transfer Professor Delphineso seemed to wish for would be a bit difficult.

There was so much I wanted to do.

There were a lot of things I wanted to learn.

Now that I’d been promised recommendation letters, was it all done?

“Let’s see. Then…”

I’d be getting the recommendation letters soon, so I could take the special selection test with those.

Club activities could be done slowly going forward.

Ernest would interpret the map himself.

It hadn’t even been a week since I arrived at the academy, but so much had happened that I needed to sort things out a bit. However, it didn’t seem unmanageable.

“I should head to my liberal arts class… Oh, right.”

As I was walking to the liberal arts lecture hall, I suddenly thought of my parents.

“I haven’t been able to contact them since I entered school.”

I found a suitable spot and opened my crystal ball. Then I injected magic power into it and tried to call. Soon after, the crystal ball began to glow.

⸢Dane, my son!⸣

It was my mother.

“Mother.”

⸢My son. I didn’t know it would be this hard not seeing you for a few days. Are you well?⸣

“I’m fine. I miss you both, too.”

The welcoming voice I heard made my heart ache. So, this was what family was like.

⸢I-is that our son?!⸣

⸢Just wait a minute! I’m talking to him!⸣

⸢Son! How are you?⸣

My father was there too. They both talked like we hadn’t seen each other in months, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m doing well. I met up with my older sisters and made a lot of friends. Oh, and I also created a club.”

⸢Huh? A club? Already? Isn’t our son great?⸣

⸢As expected, he’s our son! If you’re going to do it, how about making it the biggest club in the academy?⸣

My father was still as silly as always, and my mother was always warm.

I felt good.

“The classes are also really fun.”

⸢Yes, our son is very talented. Do you carry Nighthorn with you?⸣

⸢Dane, spearmanship always comes first!⸣

I felt like I needed to contact them more often. It must be lonely for the two of them to live in the castle now that I had left, too…

⸢By the way, Dane. What would you think about having a younger sibling?⸣

⸢Is there nothing you won’t say in front of our child?!⸣

⸢Wife! Be honest, aren’t you curious what talent our fourth child could have?⸣

⸢Th-that’s true, but…⸣

…they didn’t seem that lonely after all.

I also bragged about Karnas while I was at it. Their reactions were beyond shocked, almost to the point of fainting.

⸢Oh my goodness. The familiar’s egg hatched!⸣

⸢Hahahaha! Our son is the best! This will go down in history!⸣

⸢Be quiet! What if someone hears you? After all, it’s a hatched Familiar’s Egg!⸣

⸢So what? Everyone will find out later anyway!⸣

They fussed so much I wondered if I shouldn’t have told them, but it was nice to see them happy.

“Kikreuk?”

In the midst of this, Karnas, who had been sleeping soundly, slowly opened his eyes and stared at the crystal ball with a bewildered expression on his face.

⸢Oh my, he’s so cute with his eyes open.⸣

⸢Haha! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a creature. It’s definitely a familiar.⸣

Karnas instinctively smiled and wagged his tail. He really was like a puppy.

⸢Raise him well. If you have any problems because of that child, please contact me at any time.⸣

⸢We’ll come running anytime.⸣

This reassurance… I had my own talents and special qualities, but it was my family that allowed me to live with confidence and be happy in a world that was different from my previous life.

So, I ended my long-awaited correspondence, headed straight to the liberal arts hall, entered the classroom, and left after ten minutes. They said that the class usually ended with a short and concise orientation, and that was exactly the case.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to call it a day. Upon returning to the dorm, I fed Karnas and ended the day by studying my ancient magic.

First thing in the morning, I received a call from my second sister.

⸢Dane! I got a call from Professor Delphineso!⸣

“What?”

⸢She already sent the recommendation letters and the Summoner’s Association contacted her today! They said the Association will immediately send an examiner to the Academy.⸣

That was faster than I expected.

⸢Professor Delphineso seems really like you. How did you do it? She’s such a picky person.⸣

I smiled at those words. It seemed like desserts were the best gift.

⸢Anyway, it looks like your test will be soon… In my case, I had to summon three summons at the same time, maintain them for an hour, and enhance our link.⸣

Even in my opinion, it was a very difficult test.

“It must have been very difficult.”

By the way, my second sister had also gone through the special selection test. Clare had probably passed it when she was sixteen.

⸢Actually, I don’t know what kind of test you’ll be given. They’d make a rough preparation, but they won’t tell you. Well, actually, Professor Delphineso’s letter should be enough to qualify you… However, there are also some power struggles within the association.⸣

“Power struggles?”

⸢Dane, it might be a little difficult to understand at your age, but um… Professor Delphineso has a history of consistently refusing requests from the Summoner’s Association. So, the association doesn’t like her.⸣

I think I roughly understood.

“So, does that mean the test might be difficult?”

⸢That could be true. I’m not too worried, but, um… Honestly, I think I’d be a little sad if you got hurt in a fight between adults.⸣

I smiled at that.

“Don’t worry.”

Because that wouldn’t happen.

Professor Delphineso urged Professor Temeric to write the recommendation letter and send it to the association, and then she immediately started preparing for the test.

In fact, there was nothing much to prepare for in the special selection test, as all one had to do was pass the arbitrary evaluations of the association’s examiners.

The Imperial Academy was full of places that could be used as testing sites and was fully equipped with relevant tools. As a result, when recommendation letters were sent to the association and a request for quick processing was made, examiners were dispatched in less than two days.

“Ahem. Professor Delphineso. Long time no see.”

“Hello, Chairman. How have you been?”

The Imperial Summoner’s Association.

Elgard Foden was the chairman of Altheon Empire’s summoner association, to which all summoners were obligated to be a part of. He showed his discomfort when he saw Professor Delphineso, who had come out to greet him.

“Just how great is this child that you rushed me like that?”

In any organization, the people above tended to have heavy butts. This was also true for Chairman Elgard, who ranked just below the president and vice president.

“I’m sorry, Chairman. I couldn’t help it because he is so talented.”

“Ahem. Then you should have taken the position when the association offered it and processed things quickly. Tsk tsk.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Elgard did not hide his disgruntlement.

In terms of skill, Professor Delphineso was superior to him. But this world didn’t revolve around ‘ability’ alone, did it? The title of Chairman of the Association, which held the reins of all Summoners, was not one to be taken lightly.

“You know that if you get a position, you have to work for it. I wouldn’t be able to focus on my academy work.”

Professor Delphineso smiled faintly without giving in. She knew well of Elgard’s dark intentions, as he always tried to bring her in and use her.

To be honest, she was sick of associations. Because of her outstanding skills, she was dragged here and there from a young age, and above all, she was mobilized to war countless times.

Of course, she would have participated in the war even if she hadn’t been in the association… but because of the association’s greed, she was thrown into reckless operations and battles, and she was exhausted or almost killed many times.

‘Hmph. I’ll take a look since they sent the recommendation letter, but… I honestly don’t like this.’

Elgard looked at Professor Delphineso and scoffed inwardly.

“Alright, I understand. You said Dane Sogres? Clare Sogres’s brother?”

“Yes, that’s right. Blood is thicker than water, after all. That’s a great talent.”

“From the recommendation letters, I see that he can already summon the 5th-rank Gendpu, strengthened the link, and during the Autonomous major exam, he even created a ‘multi-link’ with your summons?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s such an absurd talent that there was a lot of talk about it internally,” Elgard said with a dubious expression on his face. “Clare Sogres… I saw it with my own eyes, but I don’t think her younger brother could be better than her. Wouldn’t he be on the same level as ‘Galderan’?”

Galderan.

He was the last summoner who could summon from ‘Beyond the Horizon’, which was like a dream to summoners. Although he was a figure from two hundred years ago, he was a role model and a source of nostalgia for all summoners.

That was why the fact that Elgard specifically mentioned ‘Galderan’ showed how much he thought this was nonsense.

“I’m not sure if he can be compared to ‘Galderan’, but you’ll know if you see him.” Professor Delphineso smiled faintly, and Elgard shook his head helplessly.

“I will evaluate very, very strictly. As you well know, special selections have historically been like that.”

“I know.” Professor Delphineso smiled brightly, undeterred by Elgard’s threatening appearance. “Alright. Please come this way, Chairman.”

“Hmm.”

Elgard led the evaluation team and followed Professor Delphineso. Naturally, everyone’s attention was focused on them.

“What, what? Are they from the Summoner’s Association?”

“What is it? Why are they here?”

“I heard that Dane Sogres got a special selection recommendation. You know, that freshman who took Professor Temeric down a peg in his class.”

“Ah! That one who even strengthened his summons?”

“Damn. What the hell? Why is he so good at everything?”

Amidst the murmurs of surprise, admiration, envy, and even jealousy, Elgard, the examiners, and Professor Delphineso finally arrived at the gymnasium where the test would be held.

“This is the place.”

“Let’s go in.”

Elgard, who entered, was satisfied at the sight of the well-equipped auditorium. Of course, he had no plans to pass Dane with that. After all, he had prepared the ‘most difficult’ test possible.

“Who is the examinee?”

In response to Elgard’s question, Professor Delphineso gestured, and the academy staff member who had been waiting opened the door.

Dane walked in.

‘Did they say he was fourteen?’

A height and stocky physique that made it hard to believe he was fourteen.

Silver hair that swayed with every step.

Even his confident gait caught the eye.

Elgard could see why Professor Delphineso sent that recommendation.

“I am Dane Sogres, the youngest son of Count Arken Sogres, the lord of the South and head of House Sogres. It is an honor to meet you.”

“I am Elgard Foden, the chairman of the Summoner’s Association.”

Elgard, either expressing his discomfort or wanting to exclude everything unrelated to the evaluation as an examiner, ended the introduction there and got to the point.

“Whether or not you pass the exam is entirely up to me, Elgard Foden. If you have any objections, you may abandon the exam now.”

“I agree.”

Elgard’s eyebrows twitched for a moment at the unhesitating answer.

“Please keep in mind that there should be no cheating during the exam, and if the exam is judged to be unfair, the results of this test can be invalidated at any time at our discretion. Even your qualification as a Summoner can be revoked.”

“Yes, understood.”

At the still unhesitating answer, Elgard realized that his threats were meaningless. Was he being cocky or just confident? He hoped it was the former.

“The basic condition of summoning a 5th-rank or higher summons with a blank sign and maintaining it for more than thirty minutes has already been met through many testimonies, so I will not bother testing it.”

It wasn’t really something to be happy about.

“But you have to show something special.”

The third condition of the special selection test一

Showing something special.

Elgard smiled strangely.

‘Can he really pass?’

He imagined the spectacle that would unfold, the sight of Professor Delphineso going crazy in shock because of it一

“Let us start.”

Finally, the test began.

The remaining five examiners moved in unison. They came for the evaluation, but more specifically, for ‘this’.

Whoong!

The five moved to the end of the auditorium where the test was being held, then gathered their magic power to form a dome-shaped protective shield.

Professor Delphineso’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Surely not.”

The reason the auditorium was protected with a dome-shaped shield was…

“Answer my call.”

It meant that an unexpected creature would be called upon.