The Next Summon

Arkanos met her gaze, his own unwavering and assured. "I've come to pay my respects to the goddess," he said smoothly, then added, "and to perform another miracle."

The murmurs began instantly.

"A miracle?" a young priestess whispered, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Did he say another miracle?

"By the goddess, could he truly mean it?"

The buzz of voices grew louder, spreading among the clergy like wildfire.

Isode raised her hand and clapped her palms together once. The sound echoed sharply, silencing the murmurs.

Her smile remained as she addressed the gathering. "Composure, please. His Majesty's presence alone is a blessing. Let us not sully this moment with idle chatter."

The crowd fell silent immediately, bowing their heads in respect.

Turning back to Arkanos, Isode inclined her head slightly. "A miracle, you say? I am humbled that you would choose the goddess's sanctum as the place to perform such a feat. If it pleases you, I shall personally escort you to a room worthy of such an act. Right this way, please."

She turned with grace, her robes flowing behind her as she gestured for the emperor to follow.

Arkanos nodded. "Lead on."

As they began to walk, Seraphine glanced around at the priests and priestesses who still stared at Arkanos with wide eyes, their awe barely contained. She whispered to Arvel.

"They look at him as if he's a living deity."

Arvel adjusted his monocle, muttering in agreement, "Perhaps, in their eyes, he already is."

Arkanos's sharp ears caught the exchange, but he said nothing, his attention fixed on the path ahead.

The Head Priestess Isode led the group through the grand corridors of the cathedral, their footsteps echoing off the polished stone floors.

They finally arrived at an expansive chamber, its ceiling soaring high, with beautiful carvings of celestial beings. At its center was an altar, surrounded by softly glowing candelabras.

"This is the Hall of Radiance," Isode said. "It is the most sacred and spacious place within the cathedral. I trust it will suffice for your purpose, Your Majesty."

Arkanos nodded approvingly as he stepped forward, his boots tapping against the polished marble.

'Now to pay my respects to the goddess...'

'Damn I wasn't really a religious person back on earth so this kinds feels weird to me.'

'Anyways, I won't have to do this often, so I might as well get it over with.'

'Just a few words should do.'

He approached the altar with a calm expression. Turning to the gathered priests, priestesses, and his companions, he reused his left hand for silence.

Placing his right hand on the altar, he bowed his head slightly and closed his eyes.

"Goddess of purity and justice... Pretoria."

"I stand before you to honor your grace and to seek your continued blessing."

Arkanos linger there for a few moments.

As Arkanos lingered, a faint glow began to emenate from the altar. The air seemed to shimmer as if infused with a divine power. Then, a notification from the system appeared before him.

〘 ⋄ System Notification ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Your Favorability with the Goddess Pretoria has increased. ⋄ 〙

- The Goddess appreciates your display of devotion, especially from one of your stature. -

〘 ⋄ You have been blessed with the skill: Lie Detection (Rank A). ⋄ 〙

Arkanos red the notification with a touch of confusion.

'Well, this was unexpected. Lie Detection, huh? Never part of the plan, but I'll take it. Could come in handy.'

He straightened, his gaze meeting Isode's curious expression. The gathered clergy remained silent, their breaths bated as they awaited his next move.

Arkanos took a step back from the altar, his voice resonant and steady. "With that done, I shall now perform the miracle I spoke of."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd, but a single sharp glance from Isode quickly restored order.

'Aright, system,' Arkanos thought, suppressing his smirk as he maintained a calm exterior. 'Open the gacha pool.'

The familiar blue interface flickered before his eyes, the options illuminating one by one.

〘 ⋄ Gacha Pool: Opening... ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Gacha Pool: Opened! ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Pull Types ⋄ 〙

『1. Monsters』

『2. Heroes』

『3. Ego Items』

『4. Manpower』

『5. Skilled personnel』

The options blinked, each category glowing faintly.

Arkanos again, tapped on the Heroes option.

〘 ⋄ Hero Summon: Please select summon type. ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Hero Summon Types ⋄ 〙

『1. Assassin』

『2. Warrior』

『3. Mage』

『4. Tank』

『5. Support』

Arkanos surveyed the glowing options before him, 'Mage,' he responded.

〘 ⋄ Mage Summon: specific [will cost more] or Random Pull? ⋄ 〙

'specific.'

The interface shifted, and a new list of options appeared, each labeled with the specific mage types available for summoning.

〘 ⋄ Please select the Mage Type: ⋄ 〙

『1. Elementalist』

『2. Star Sage』

『3. Arcane Enchanter』

『4. Chronomancer』

『5. Shadow Weaver』

『6. Lightbinder』

『7. Storm Caller』

『8. Riftwalker』

'Elementalist.'

〘 ⋄ Elementalist Summon: Select Element ⋄ 〙

『1. Fire』

『2. Water』

『3. Earth』

『4. Air』

『5. Lightning』

『6. Ice』

『7. Nature』

『8. Metal』

『9. Light』

『10. Darkness』

Arkanos's mind worked swiftly, weighing the choices. 'Nature.'

The system's glowing text shifted again, offering its final query.

〘 ⋄ Nature Elementalist Summon: Custom or Random Pull? ⋄ 〙

"Custom. SSS Rank."

The glowing interface brightened, the energy around the altar intensifying as the summoning process began. All eyes remained on Arkanos, the clergy captivated by the scene unfolding before them.

〘 ⋄ System Notification ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Processing Custom Summon... ⋄ 〙

Before Arkanos, a swirling vortex of light began to form in the air. At first, it was no larger than a coin, but it rapidly expanded, radiating a dazzling spectrum of colors. The vortex spun faster and faster, its brilliance illuminating the grand chamber as dense magical aura filled the air.

The atmosphere grew charged, the temperature fluctuating as winds whipped through the Hall of Radiance. The gathered priestesses gasped, several stepping back in awe and uncertainty.

"What is happening?" one whispered, clutching at her robes as the vortex's power intensified.

The Head Priestess Isode, however, seemed entranced, her euphoric expression fixed on the phenomenon. Her eyes shimmered with wonder, and her hands clasped tightly before her chest as though in silent prayer.

"A miracle," she murmured, her voice quivering with reverence.

Arvel shielded his eyes with his arm, his brow furrowed as he scrutinized the vortex.

"This is... strange," he said, raising his voice over the rush of wind. "He's not using a magic circle. There's no incantation—nothing to indicate this is a traditional summoning spell."

Seraphine, standing beside him and doing her best to shield her own eyes, replied breathlessly, "Of course it's strange. It's a miracle. He doesn't need to use incantations."

Arvel hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You have a point," he admitted, his voice filled with a touch of admiration.

In all of this, another system notification appeared before Arkanos.

〘 ⋄ System Notification ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ Arvel's Loyalty has risen to 55%. ⋄ 〙

- Your leadership and miraculous display have deepened his admiration and trust. -

A second notification quickly followed.

〘 ⋄ System Notification ⋄ 〙

〘 ⋄ The Gods are watching you curiously. ⋄ 〙

- Your actions have piqued the interest of divine beings. Proceed with confidence. -

Arkanos noted the updates with a smirk. 'Good,' he thought. 'Arvel's loyalty rising is a bonus, but having the gods' attention? Perhaps soon one of them will voluntarily grwnt me a divine blessing.'

He steadied his stance, his gaze fixed on the swirling vortex as the summoning was nearly complete.