The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima

by Antony W. F. Chow

  "But the assassination attempt when we left the castle changed everything. It showed how naive my thoughts were. I don't know why we became targets. Maybe someone wished to take over the duchy. Or they wanted to eliminate a potential marriage partner for either princess. Perhaps an old enemy of my father wished to eliminate his bloodline. While I was recovering in Lumina, I recognized the need for power. With personal might, I could achieve my goals: protect my mother and become the next Duke of Heavensfell."

  [What about the Divine Church of Light? You are the 'Godson of Altima.' That means your position is equal to the pope.]

  Luka shook his head. "I don't care about them. They only see me as a sacrificial lamb, just like my dad. If they could leave me alone, I'll be happy," he remarked.

  Bel appreciated the teenager's honest response. [What will you do tonight? Are you going to rest? Or will you sneak out and practice in the shadow realm?]

  "Well, I'm sure my mother will make me run drills until I drop to the ground tomorrow morning," the teenager replied. "So, I'm better off avoiding physical activities tonight. But in the meantime, I will practice time magic," he continued.

  [Temporal magic is complicated to learn. I suggest you focus on support spells such as Haste. When you focus attention on yourself, it's easier to notice if your magic works or not.]

  "That's a good suggestion, Bel. Thank you!"

  [Ha! What will you do without your trusty familiar?] The rabbit bragged and puffed his chest.

  "Okay, I'm going to start my training now. Please alert me if someone knocks on the door," Luka requested.

  [Will do!] Bel saluted.

  "Hoot!" the gorilla joined in.

  Luka practiced Haste and slowly increased the spell's duration and effectiveness. Since there was little time essence within his environment, the mage took longer to activate this magic. But he remained single-minded on this task and saw noticeable improvement as his speed steadily increased from 1% to 5%. Additionally, the spell duration went from one second to five seconds. The mage finally ended his late-night training when he heard the bell toll at midnight. He climbed into bed and soon fell asleep.

  Chapter 39

  Hanna Wilmworth

  Luka awoke early the next morning to the sound of knocking on his door.

  "Young master, it's time to get up!" a maid called out.

  "Thank you," he replied.

  "I brought your exercise clothes. May I enter?" the servant politely sought permission.

  "Please come in," the young man said.

  A pretty maid in her late teens with curly dark hair stepped into the room. She held a white, short-sleeve shirt, a pair of long, brown breeches with drawstrings, white cotton socks, and synthetic leather shoes. "I will help you change," she said and reached to unbutton Luka's pajamas shirt.

  The young master stood up and allowed her to undress him. He knew that aristocrats, especially from upper-class families, relied on assistance for mundane tasks like putting on attire. Since Luka was the heir of a duke's house, he needed to act his role. He watched with fascination as the young maid worked attentively to unbutton his shirt.

  Seeing an unfamiliar girl with an attractive face on her knees made Luka fantasize about taking her to bed. Luka asked a question to distract himself. "What's your name?" he asked.

  "Hanna Wilmworth, young master," she answered while taking off his clothing. The maid noticed the unusual, vibrant green leaf on a necklace around his neck but made no mention of it.

  "How old are you, and how long have you worked here?"

  "I'm seventeen; I started working when I turned twelve. Under the king's decree, children may work when they turn twelve. I'm the third daughter of a quasi-noble. Your head gardener, Kardo, came from our town, and he forwarded my recommendation to the head maid. Bianna granted me an interview and then allowed me to work here as an apprentice for three years."

  "After the apprenticeship ended, she recommended to the head butler to hire me as an official maid. Since young master and I are fairly close in age, the duchess assigned me to become your exclusive attendant whenever you return from your apprenticeship," Hanna explained while helping the young master put on his workout clothes. Then, the maid put on his socks and shoes.

  Luka felt embarrassed because he could peek at her amble cleavage from his vantage point. Nonetheless, he stood still like a statue and allowed Hanna to perform her task. The sex-starved teenager couldn't help but stare at that sweet valley of womanly flesh.

  [As the master, you could order this maid to enter your chamber at night.] Bel chuckled.

  Luka immediately tried to silence the mischievous familiar with a "shush!"

  Hanna heard it and looked up. "Could you repeat your order, young master?" she requested politely.

  The young noble waved his hand and turned his head aside. "It's nothing. I see that you finished putting on my shoes. So get up," Luka replied and suddenly held out his hand.

  The young maid blushed as she reluctantly let him pull her back to her feet. "Thank you, young master." She led him into the bathroom. "Please allow me to wash your face and brush your teeth before heading downstairs," Hanna requested.

  Luka stood stoically and allowed the helper to clean his face, brush his teeth, and groom his hair. The noble checked his appearance in the mirror and nodded his approval. Luka made sure his magical necklace was out of sight because he didn't wish to discuss its origin.

  Luka hurriedly left the manor and encountered Juliette, who waited impatiently.

  "You're late," she grumbled with a frown.

  "I apologize for not waking the young lord earlier," Hanna intervened on his behalf with a curtsy while staring at the ground.

  "The master is responsible for his retainers' actions. So even if you were at fault, Luka must take responsibility," the duchess replied. "As punishment, he will skip breakfast this morning," she decided.

  Luka felt the killing intent from Bel and Gripper; they stood behind him. "Mother, I wholeheartedly accept my punishment. But I humbly ask for my pets to be fed," he requested.

  Juliette glanced that the animals, who quickly offered pitiful expressions on their faces.

  Hanna witnessed the superb acting by these creatures and bit her tongue to avoid laughing out loud.

  "Is there something funny?" Juliette asked coolly.

  "No, Your Excellency," the young maid replied with fear in her voice.

  The noblewoman rendered her judgment. "Luka will run fifty laps around the estate. If his pets can accompany him for half the assignment, then they will receive breakfast today." Juliette clapped her hands. "Go!"

  Luka took off and ran at his top speed. Frankly, he didn't care about skipping breakfast because the mage stored plenty of food from Langerlan inside his dimensional storage. On the other hand, he felt thankful because this punishment gave Luka time to walk around the family estate and go sightseeing. The young heir was anxious to discover any changes to this land within the past decade.

  Luka moved at a steady pace. He enjoyed the smell of flowers from the garden in front of the mansion. Luka ran around the property's outer perimeter and saw few changes aside from unfamiliar personnel already working. But evidently, word had spread of his return; the employees all stopped and bowed their heads when he ran past them.

  The mage used his Spatial Sense to determine his companions' locations. Luka was pleasantly surprised to discover that Bel and Gripper had kept up. He couldn't help but smile at their desperation to avoid skipping breakfast. The trio soon finished the first lap around the estate and continued moving forward.

  Juliette was busy practicing her swordsmanship. Thus, she didn't keep track of their progress. Instead, she assigned James this task.

  The butler used a page in his notepad to record the trio. He dutifully made a tick mark as each participant completed a lap. James did this out of habit because he knew that Juliette occasionally audited his work and required meticulous record-keeping. The servant was surpri
sed when he saw that Luka, Bel, and Gripper all finished their assignments. The two animals stood next to the butler and waited for Luka to finish running.

  Then the trio accompanied James as he approached Juliette. "Luka and his pets completed their punishments, Your Excellency," he announced.

  "Have the kitchen staff make breakfast for the animals. And ask someone to bring them to the dining hall," the duchess ordered.

  "Is it appropriate to let animals eat there?" the butler asked.

  Juliette pointed her wooden sword at the rabbit. "This is Luka's magical familiar, and his name is Bel," she introduced. "That gorilla is his contract beast, named Gripper. They aren't simply his pets. Their superior statuses require us to treat them as my son's retainers. Thus, they should eat in the dining room like other humans," the duchess explained.

  "I see," James accepted her explanation with a perfect bow. He called a servant to bring the two animals into the house and arrange for their breakfast.

  Once they departed, Juliette tossed a practice sword at Luka, who caught it. "Let's spar," she said.

  Her son raised a hand. "Can we practice with magic?" he requested politely. "Since your expertise is ice magic, I wish to learn from you," Luka added.

  The mother scowled. "I can't use magic anymore. We'll practice swordsmanship only," she declined.

  Luka's eyes widened in shock. "How did that happen?" he asked with alarm.

  "Stop asking stupid questions!" Juliette jabbed at his chest.

  The son reacted in time to parry the sneak attack and knocked her sword to the left side. He retaliated with a slash from left to right.

  But she sidestepped the strike and kicked his face!

  Luka tumbled forward to avoid it and slammed at her remaining foot.

  Juliette hopped over him and kicked her heel into his tail bone.

  "Ow!" he cried out and rolled away from her to regroup.

  The two continued to spar for an hour. Juliette got a few licks in while Luka came up empty. But he wasn't disappointed with the result because Luka almost succeeded in landing several blows. The problem was that her mother was a tick quicker than him, and she took advantage of her superior speed to evade his attacks.

  Juliette finally raised a hand to signal the end of their practice session. "You improved," she admitted grudgingly.

  "I sparred with my foster mother in Langerlan every night. As an elf, she is naturally quicker than me," he explained.

  "Go wash up," Juliette ordered. She turned toward Hanna, who stood nearby. "Give him an orange," the duchess commanded.

  "Yes, Your Excellency," the maid replied with a curtsy.

  Although Luka felt exhausted from the intense sparring, he walked with a straight back and tried to breathe normally. The young lord followed Hanna back inside the mansion. However, Luka hadn't forgotten his mother's refusal to explain how she lost her magic. He decided to research this topic and seek a way to help her recover.

  The butler sent some servants ahead to prepare a bath for the young master. James was very impressed by the heir's physical condition. He initially harbored misgivings when the duchess handed Luka over to Alectos for a ten-year magic apprenticeship.

  The butler feared that the teacher would neglect his pupil's need for physical exercises. But James witnessed the young master running laps around the mansion without trouble, and this activity alleviated the steward's worry.

  Luka permitted Hanna to remove his sweat-soaked clothing in the bathroom and wash his back. He realized this was part of her duties as his attendant. Then the young master entered the tub and relaxed. Luka spent a good quarter-hour inside the hot tub before he reluctantly exited.

  Hanna wiped his body attentively with a thick towel. The maid avoided staring at his crotch but couldn't help blush. She quickly finished drying him and then helped the young master put on a fresh set of clothes.

  Luka checked his attire in the mirror and nodded his approval. He returned to his bedroom and saw an orange and a mug on the small table beside his bed.

  "I asked another maid to bring a cup of milk," the maid explained helpfully with a wink. Hanna knew that the young lord was skipping breakfast as punishment. But she secretly ordered the drink while pretending it was cold water.

  "Thank you for your kindness," Luka said and accepted the cup from her hand. He drank the fresh milk but ignored the orange. When he looked out the window, Luka saw a caravan approaching the mansion!

  The group included a white-colored carriage surrounded by a phalanx of knights on horseback wearing white tabards decorated with red crosses. Their armaments consisted of shields, swords, and spears. Luka didn't recognize them, so he asked Hanna instead. "Who's coming here?"

  The maid looked out the window and gasped aloud. "Those are templars, who serve as the personal guards of the Pope of the Divine Church of Light!" she exclaimed with astonishment. The girl turned toward him and said, "Young master, may I suggest that you go downstairs and greet them at the door?"

  "Okay," Luka nodded. He hurried down the steps and saw his mother waiting at the entrance.

  Duchess Silverblade examined her son's attire and nodded her approval. "Wear this ring," she ordered and handed it to him.

  The son received a silver ring and wore it on his right pinky. Luka sensed a strong magic aura emanating from this item but didn't question her.

  The mother waited until he put it on. "Let's go!" She exited the house and stood at the top of the front steps. The servants lined up neatly to her left and right. The mother pulled Luka over to stand to her right while the butler stood to her left. The entire group waited anxiously for the arrival of unexpected guests.

  Chapter 40

  Pope Isaac Demetrius

  Clop-clop-clop-clop. The horses approached the mansion in an orderly fashion and parted to permit the horse-drawn carriage to continue ahead. The coachman wore the white gown of a priest. He quickly got off his seat and opened the cabin door.

  A young man climbed. He wore a black robe with a white cross on his chest. The priest turned around and waited for another person to exit.

  A wizened man gingerly stepped off with the coachman's assistance. The passenger wore a red mantle over a white gown and a flat, red cap. He held a wooden cane in his left hand to assist in walking.

  The young priest gently grabbed his arm and slowly led the elderly to the front steps.

  "I am Duchess Juliette Silverblade of the Heavensfell duke house, and I humbly welcome you to my home, Pope Isaac Demetrius," Juliette greeted as she approached and knelt before the old man. She took his hand, ravaged by old age, and kissed the ring representing his authority.

  "And I am Luka Heavensfell, the heir of the Heavensfell duke house." Luka followed his mother and tried to take the man's hand to kiss his ring.

  But the guest abruptly pulled his arm away. "Luka, you are the Godson of Altima. Your standing within the Divine Church of Light is equal to mine. Therefore, I cannot accept your display of respect to a superior," the pope explained with a smile. "Instead, let us hug and greet each other as fellow brothers in the service of our goddess Altima," he suggested and opened his arms.

  Luka reciprocated the gesture, and the two hugged.

  Demetrius studied the child's face and smiled again. "When I look at you, I'm amazed at your remarkable resemblance to your father, Tsunka," he stated with a wistful expression. "I was his close advisor, and he asked me to look after you. I hope you will regard me as your godfather."

  The teenager was stunned by this offer and became speechless. Luka wasn't sure what to make of it.

  "Say thank you, Luka," Juliette prodded him.

  "Thank you, godfather," the teenager replied in acceptance.

  The pope smiled broadly at Luka's answer. Suddenly, he patted his forehead. "Ah, I almost forgot. This young man next to me is Mattrim. He watched over you during your brief stay in Lumina city," he noted.

  "Hi, I'm Matty. Not sure if you remember me," he said with a big smil
e and offered his hand.

  Luka shook it. "Yes, I remember you," he smiled back. The nobleman noticed that Matty was a head taller and fairly muscular compared to Luka. To denote his entry into adulthood, Matty began to grow a beard while Luka retained his baby face. Frankly, Luka was jealous of Matty's physical maturity.

  Bel watched the exchange with a frown.

  Demetrius handed his cane to Matty and grabbed Luka's arm. "Please escort this old man," the priest requested politely.

  "It would be my honor, Your Holiness," Luka replied and slowly guided the VIP inside the mansion.

  Juliette followed them with a neutral expression.

  A half-dozen templars entered the residence and followed behind her. When the pope sat down on a throne-like sofa chair, they stood guard at the doorways connected to the parlor room.

  Juliette took her seat directly across the table from Demetrius, and Luka sat to her immediate right. The butler stood behind the duchess while Hanna stood behind the heir. Matty hovered behind the high priest.

  The head maid pushed a cart into the room and began to serve tea at the table. Then Bianna quietly backed away and stayed near the wall.

  After the guest took a sip of the hot tea, the hostess took out a magic tool and placed it on the table. The item was a crystal orb that floated in mid-air. Juliette took out a magic crystal and touched the globe with it. The stone crumbled to dust while the floating ball began to glow in a purple hue.

  "This magic globe creates a Wall of Silence around the room and prevents eavesdropping. I also ask that people in this room swear before the pope not to disclose our conversation," she requested.

  "I swear not to disclose today's conversation," the people around the room swore immediately.

  Juliette nodded and began to talk. "Your Holiness, may I inquire as to the nature of your sudden visit?" she asked in a deferential tone of voice.