My practice lasts for a surprisingly pleasant hour as I practice my new spell while theorizing its uses with my mother-in-law. It might have lasted longer, but she mentioned sparring and looked far too eager doing so. I judged it best to make a quick escape and distracted her with the option of breakfast.

By the time we make it to the table, the rest of the clan is already seated, including Orum. He still takes his morning walks but we haven't run into each other once since I yelled at him. The man-elf has more tact than his wife and is far less demanding. Aside from spending some time with his daughter, he seems perfectly content to simply exist. It's strange, seeing someone without desires. I don't really believe it. Rather, it makes me wonder what he does want and why he's being so patient in achieving it.

Our meal is quicker than usual, at least for three of us. Today is my meeting with Marcella Guiness. I can make a few guesses about what the merchant is hoping to gain but I only want one thing from this; I'm going to reassure her that she can do whatever she wants.

One of the most crucial elements to the city recovering is bringing back trade. Aside from food, the people of Quest need supplies and I don't expect many to have the gold for them. The city needs a wallet and if it's one thing a Guiness is good for, it's gold. Whoever ends up in charge, they're going to need her support and I want her to know she's got nothing to fear from me in that regard. If anything, I'd be grateful for her interference. Not that I'd tell her. I think the family has given up on profiting off my marriage but it wouldn't do to give them any ideas.

Maxine is joining me, at least for the journey. I don't know how welcome she'll be in the room. And since Maxine's attending, so is her favorite pirate. I'm a little hesitant about letting Rey go out with whatever is infecting her still in her guts but she's made it this far in her life without incident. Eh. Without dying.

What can I say? She asked to tag along and I didn't feel like rejecting her. There's something about the little sea monster that makes me smile.

…maybe it's because she doesn't frown or flinch when she sees me. It's not intelligent but the woman has no fear or sense of caution. She's just a ball of instinct. My wife can be beastly too but she knows restraint. That insane pirate just does and says whatever pops into her head. As annoying as she can be, it's also refreshing.

We're still lingering at the dining table when Earl discretely moves to my side. "Little Water desires to speak with you, my lady," he whispers while the rest of the table is preoccupied with Rey retelling one of her whale hunts. I ponder inviting the lady lizard to breakfast. Briefly.

It's one thing telling Miss Alyssa, who fought and bled in the campaigns, a few details about the north's situation. Maxine has nothing to do with it. As for Rey, I seriously doubt she can keep a secret.

"Tell her to wait for me around back," I whisper back. He nods and walks away without giving a single sign that he's arranging a clandestine meeting. Something squeezes my heart watching him go. I know I've given him a far better life than he could ever hope for being an orphan in league with bandits, but some part of me can't help thinking that he should be more of a child. Though I suppose he won't be a child much longer. Hmm. Come to think of it, when's his birthday? Would it be weird for me to celebrate a servant's birthday? Maybe. But Earl's not just any servant. He and his sister are almost my wards, in a way. I'd never call myself his mother but I wouldn't think it a stretch to refer to myself as his guardian. Mm, that settles it. I'll have to arrange something. At the very least, a day to celebrate all the servants in general, though saints know what Nomad would do at a party.

I find a good place to excuse myself and step outside the estate. As expected, Little Water is already waiting for me, a conspicuous figure dressed in a long robe with a hood large enough to hide her scaly face completely. She turns as I approach, her tail lifting up the edge of the robe. Is that excitement? Do lizard tails work like dog tails?

"Lou," she greets. "I have information you'll be interested in."

"Right to the point as usual," I say with a chuckle. "Before that, how are your people doing? Do you need anything? Food?"

She cocks her head, as if confused about my concern. "We are managing, though it gets increasingly difficult to remain hidden in the city."

"Why not camp outside of it?"

"I have a better chance of finding valuable things within the walls. Also, I wish to remain close to my human."

"Well, I don't have a problem with it, but proximity isn't going to help Khan."

"He doesn't need help. The warren didn't damage him."

"So you say. It should be obvious why I can't take your word for it."

Her tail sways. "I believe you will eventually. Not even your creatures will be able to undo the work of a Great Mind."

"I could just declare him a lost cause."

"You will not. You value life. You also realize that the war the humans wage will end in their destruction but aren't too invested to lead them to their deaths regardless of good sense."

I try to hold back my frown but it curls my lips anyway. Does everyone know I'm a soft touch? "What did you want to tell me?"

"Did you know there are a group of summoners in the city?"

"Ah, them. Yeah, that's a little project of mine." What feels like a lifetime ago, a man that worked in the Hall's Grand Market showed up at my doorstep basically declaring his love for my wife and explaining to me why I'm not good enough for her. Now, I don't think of myself as jealous. If I got upset at everyone that admires Kierra, laying eyes on her would be a death sentence. But Mr. Self-Made is a special case. His love has just the slightest hint of madness mixed in, making it obsessive and delusional. I knew from our first conversation that leaving him to his own devices would lead to problems.

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So I almost killed him. Had my hands around his throat. All it would have taken was a little squeeze. But Geneva stopped me, suggesting something interesting.

Summoning is disgustingly underestimated despite its massive potential. I'd love to see it more widespread. Mr. Self-Made was the perfect candidate, a desperate man of little ability, to spread it.

With that in mind, I let him go and let the succubus play her games with him. I can only say he's performing as expected, given Geneva saw his potential. "What do they call themselves? The Quest Summoners? No, it was Grand. Grand Summoners."

It's hard to tell but I think her shoulders slump. "You know of them."

"Sure, but I'm curious how you do. From what I understood, they're a small group, operating on the sidelines." Small predators snatching up tiny prey and hoping the bigger animals don't notice them.

She perks back up. "If they were trying not to draw attention to themselves, they have changed their doctrine. Last night, I witnessed a group conduct a summoning in the middle of a bar."

I gape at her. Wish I could see her face. That'd be the easiest way to tell if she's lying. She wouldn't lie about something like this, right? But…it's so ridiculous.

"The owner stood aside while they set up a whole circle?"

"It didn't take very long. They merely carved a simple groove in the ground."

I recoil in disgust. "Their circle was a line? A line carved in cheap wood used for a bar floor?!"

"Yes."

I take it back. The Grand Summoners was a terrible idea. I should have Geneva assassinate the idiot before he can do anymore damage to the art. "He's making a fool out of all summoners," I growl.

"The circle was successful in summoning an elemental."

"...really?"

"One of the members also arranged a contract."

That shouldn't be possible. Unless…unless they're not idiots and actually did their research to find an elemental who doesn't give a damn about the presentation. But something like that would be incredibly unspecific. They could only get the specific elemental they were looking for if they had its name, which would require a whole lot more research.

The question is why? What do they get out of using a plain circle? There's speed of course but summoning isn't for those who lack patience.

I suppose that's the point. No one's going to be interested if you tell them they have to spend a whole lot of money and study for years just to get turned down. But if you can pull off a relatively quick summoning without any materials, you could lure a bunch of those hesitant people to give summoning a try. And once they realize the true extent of the possibilities it offers, they'll stay regardless of the tedium.

I grin. Mr. Self-Made, I take it back. Why did I doubt that wonderful elemental of mine? He's quite competent.

"Sounds like they're doing well for themselves. What was summoned?"

"An abominable creature with no other limbs besides arms and hands like those of a human, its flesh like a fresh cut. It spoke with twisting fingers, though a bird-like creature spoke in the Common tongue."

I freeze. Oh no. "Did you hear their name?"

"Arrbutor."

…wow.

"Is something wrong?"

I wave off her concern. "No, no. It's fine…probably. Really, it is. As long as they did their research, which it seems they did."

While I consider myself a great summoner, I don't have extensive knowledge on every elemental in existence; such a thing is impossible. It just happens that Arrbutor is familiar to me. The Tome family has spent generations looking for an elemental that can compete with the succubi, particularly regarding the physical affinity; the mental affinity is basically owned by the crown, while healers are free to do as they please and are incredibly valuable. There is a record dedicated to Arrbutor in the Tome family library.

In fact, The Scarlet Hand was one of the cautionary tales Father used to instill proper respect of elementals in me. Two centuries ago, a Tome with the water affinity contracted the creature. My ancestor's plan was to offer melding to nobles to build wealth and influence, hoping to use the connections he built as a shield against the Grimoires. I know this because the young heir wrote as much; I remember I could practically hear the cackling in his writing.

For a while, it looked like it was working. My ancestor got in good with a duke by melding his daughter to be particularly beautiful, allowing her to seduce a prince. However, there was a problem with his contract.

Usually, when a summoner says that an elemental is dangerous, it's because it has terms that can put the summoner's life in danger. By that measure, Arrbutor is definitely dangerous, but not in a direct way. The thing is…well, my diplomatic ancestor called it curious. Unfortunately, it's not the innocent curiosity of the boy who asks his father why the clouds make funny shapes but the detached and sometimes cruel whims of a boy that pulls the wings from a fly.

Elementals aren't human. No matter how similar they look, they don't think like us. It's especially telling when an elemental capable of shapeshifting decides not to look like us. Arrbutor didn't care about making my ancestor trust it and doesn't get it kicks concocting elaborate schemes like succubi. It has one drive; to further its magic. To do so, it needs…materials. Bodies to experiment on. It also prefers to use intelligent races.

In Harvest, that only describes one group, or at least as it was known back then. My ancestor struck an unnerving deal; each month, he provided Arrbutor with a dozen victims to do with as it pleased. My ancestor got away with it for years, as he was careful to pick targets that wouldn't be missed, but it couldn't last. Twelve people a month every year is over a hundred souls. There are plenty of villages that don't have half that many people living in them.

Eventually, the Grimoires caught wind of his actions and used them to turn the public against him. And once Arrbutor's experiments were revealed, not even a duke could shield the summoner; he was detained and sentenced to death in short order, all his efforts negated in one fell swoop.

Honestly, my ancestor glossed over most of Arrbutor's actions but even what was written is so disgusting that I'm not surprised or upset that he was stopped. That thing isn't like the overwhelming competent Geneva or my magical wife who can wish miracles into existence. It is a simple caster. That means it learns through trial and error. Lots of trial and error.

The worst part is, Arrbutor's victims were usually kept alive, to see how its experiments fared over time. My ancestor wrote about hiring earth casters to create a network of tunnels outside of the village to house the victims. It's one thing to die a horrible death but to live months, or years, with two heads? Five arms? Organs you can't even name growing out of your back?

…

Arrbutor is definitely on my list to never get involved with, but he isn't the worst the realms have to offer. After all, it doesn't attempt to harm its summoner or circumvent its contract. As long as it's left to do its heinous work in peace, I'd go as far as to describe its behavior as docile.

So, if a competent summoner were to negotiate a strict contract to limit its victims and the type of experiments it's allowed to do, it's no threat at all.

I'd be worried if they summoned it without knowing anything about it, but they knew its name. Whatever record contains that detail would have ample hints about its nature. Whatever I may think of him, Mr. Self-Made hasn't given any signs he's an idiot.

And only an idiot would let a master physical caster with a penchant for turning creatures inside out run amok.

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