11 Percia

The vast land which was once the home of trees was now but a desolated place. Bandits wouldn't even come to live in here. That's how bad the place was. Seeing a normal land was a minority; scorched up land was the norm. If you could spot a land where grass has made its home, it's not an exaggeration to say that you used up your whole life's luck.

And now, as if a god has decided to save this land, water has started to flow. Flowing from a point unknown to some, it has started to become rough. At one point, it looked like one big wave from a coast.

Taking this one was the humans who were completely helpless at the raging water. Setting fire to the forest to hunt their prey, their enemy used the same tactics to counter them.

Unable to stand in this midst of this wave, humans who didn't have a good footing lost their balance and fell. The ones who were lucky and used something to stand still were being gripped by some of their comrades.

After the water completely went still, it reached an adult human's chest. There's no way the knights dressed with armors could fight on. The same was the truth with the soldiers. Magicians used earth magic to try and make some footing, saved their own skin and while they're at it, they also saved their lord, Baron Tell.

After stabilizing, they soon reached out to other humans. The one watching the humans from afar clicked his tongue.

"Tsk! I blasted that wall of water for them yet they are so useless!"

From his tone, one could perceive that he was annoyed and agitated at the humans who have failed to fulfill their role. At least to him, that's what it looked like. Of course, none of the humans think they failed.

"I kept supporting them but they can't produce results at all. What the hell is Gregor doing? He's supposed to be in the front!"

His annoyance turned to anger after he voiced his comrade's name who was supposed to be in the front. But after a moment of silence, he soon shouted.

"Ah! That's right; he's fighting that woman. Good grief, I keep forgetting things."

The man's hands went into something that could be called a pocket but…the pocket was grabbed by his hands and after taking a look at it; the pocket burned to ashes.

Seeing that, the man nodded as he muttered.

"I haven't seen the child yet so there's the chance that he ran. That would mean…this whole maneuver is a waste of time?! God dammit!"

Returning to his annoyed tone and rough voice, he talked with no one in particular as he watched the fight…no, farce in front of him.

****

'What's that…'

Desire talked to himself as he tried hard at keeping his consciousness with him. Water forced inside his nose, he couldn't breathe. Feeling that it's starting to run amok inside his body, he's starting to feel weak.

As strange as it may sound, Desire's stats was as high as an adult. Even if his body was still that of a baby, he could survive for as long as an average man could underwater.

Whether his eyes were playing a trick on him or not, he could see light. Light that wasn't there before was shining so brightly before him.

Desire thought.

'Is that heaven…I'm not ready for it…'

Desire concluded that the light in front of him was the heaven. Considering his situation, it wouldn't be strange for him to think that way.

He closed his eyes for he started to feel numb all over his body. But…even after closing his eyes, he could see the light.

'W-what the hell?'

He didn't have the strength to cause a ruckus but it's true that he didn't have the time for that. As he stared into the blinding light, letters started to appear. The letters formed were something Desire could understand even though he didn't study. It clearly stated that…

[Desire's vessel has reached the maximum limit that could be absorbed]

[Desire has gained resistance to magic: Magic resistance G]

[Desire has gained a sub-skill to the summoning familiar: Summon Aquatic Lords G]

[To let out the water absorbed by Desire, Summon Aquatic Lords will be used]

'Eh? What's that all about?'

Was the first thought that came across Desire's mind as he looked at it over again. It looks like the system used his sense of sight to tell him such matters as he was underwater or maybe not. He couldn't correctly guess what happened.

He regained his wits after feeling something that was not water. He opened his eyes and without him knowing it, the water that was drowning him wasn't there anymore. Completely gone could be said about the situation.

Desire breathe a sigh of relief at knowing that his surroundings became normal and he looked around him. The women that were working with him at putting out the fire weren't there; it looks like he was washed out in a bit of a distance by the water.

Noticing that he wasn't saved by one of them, he didn't become angry. He knew what this fight means to the Suckus. In fact, he was relieved that not one of them went to save him. If t hey did send one to save him, it's still a big loss for the Suckus that were clearly short of hands.

Deciding to hurry back to where he was before, he scrambled off to that direction. At the distance, he could see the fire still raging on but it wasn't as big as before.

He was about to go running when suddenly a voice stopped him. The voice was rough and all but it had a gentle side to it.

"Wait!"

Startled by the voice, Desire tried to see the owner's voice but even after turning his head here and there, he couldn't see it.

"Fool! I am here!"

Guided by the voice, Desire tilted his head. To be precise, he was looking up at the sky. There he saw the owner of the voice. Taking the form of something that looks like a bird, the creature before his eyes was swimming through the sky. It wasn't large or anything; the size was exactly that of an animal bird. However what made it peculiar is that it had three heads connecting to the body. What's more was that it had the shade of blue, dignity flowing out of its body.

The bird talked without moving his mouth.

"That's right! I am the one who you summoned: Percia the king!"

"Woah! A monster! What's more is that you have three heads! That's freaking nice!"

Blinded by his love of monsters, Desire screamed out with all his might. The creature before him took all of his attention but of course, it's not like he really forgot the situation with the fire.

"Why is a human capable of summoning me? You sure are peculiar and your tastes for heads are weird too."

"Wait! You just said I summoned you? I don't recall any of it though…"

"Idiot brat! Your body unconsciously did it because you were drowning! Though it seems like you used the water as a means to summon me."

Indeed, the reason why the water subsided to the point that it vanished into thin air was that it was used to summon Percia. Hearing about the drowning and water, Desire finally brushed off the matter with the new monster and decided to go help once more.

"Sorry but I have to go! Since I summoned you, you can do work right? Can you use water magic?"

Percia scoffed at those words. It was quite a sight seeing all three of his heads move the same.

"Who do you think you're talking to?! You summoned me without knowledge?! You braaaat!"

Angered at the fact that his summoner didn't know a thing about him, he tried to lash out at him. A summoned being can kill its summoner. Summoning skills and magic doesn't magically bind the summoned being to its summoner like a servant. That is why getting to be liked by familiars and such is quite a task. However…

'W-what's happening…I feel disgust?'

Trying to attack Desire, Percia suddenly felt weird. His instincts and emotions didn't want him to attack the kid that seems so innocent. It felt like if he did it, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Noticing that there's something about Desire, he decided to put it off.

'The moment I expressed my desire to attack him, I suddenly felt weird then when I stopped my malicious intent, it also stopped. What the hell is this brat?'

He thought about the reasons but Desire talked to him.

"Mind you, I am child! Anyways, if you can use water magic then help put out that fire. It's a problem for the people that I am living with!"

Being asked sincerely by the child in front of him, Percia couldn't bring himself to deny it. In fact, he was delighted that the child was relying on him. There were many who tried to summon him and befriend him but not one of them could compare to the one before him.

"Hmph! That's a problem? In just but a minute, it wouldn't exist anymore."

Percia moved his small body and let off a blue shade of light. As his body was still glowing, he flapped his wings once and soon the weather changed to a rainy one. Waves of water greater than its precedent were forming. Coming from all four sides, the waves clashed with the fire.

"Hmm? Oh, there's someone who's controlling the fire."

Noticing that the fire wasn't going out despite his work, Percia muttered.

"Can you keep up?"

Flapping his blue wings once more, Percia was creating a greater storm! Urged by him, the waves kept forming but as if it was all a joke, it didn't touch the ground. After the second clash with the water, the fire finally died down.

Percia spoke to Desire.

"See that?! That kind of fire is nothing to me! Foolish brat!"

Desire didn't respond; finding it odd, Percia looked down. When he looked down, he saw eyes that were sparkling. The mouth of Desire was hanging and his small teeth could be seen. Then Desire shouted.

"Wow! You can do that?! Wow, what kind of monster are you? You're so much better than the previous guy I summoned!"

The fire died down in the forest but a fire has been lit inside Desire…