The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima

by Antony W. F. Chow

  Luka felt all eyes on him and inwardly groaned because he hated being the center of attention. Moreover, he resented Etla for reminding everyone of his special connection to Altima. But Luka felt a responsibility toward the girl and her family's faithfulness to the goddess. Hence, he granted her wish.

  The mage stepped out of his group and walked forward until he stood in front of the platform. He took out the Staff of Alraune and performed a Divine Summoning. The nature god, Alraune, hovered above his head.

  The audience gasped when they felt her enormous magical power pressing down on their human souls. Some people followed their urges to kneel and prostrate themselves in her holy presence.

  Luka brought an image of a pink carnation to his mind and asked Alraune to distribute flowers to the students. Plants began to grow in the schoolyard, and pink carnations appeared until a colossal flower garden surrounded them.

  The girls in the audience joyfully picked out the flowers and gathered them. The female students giggled and shyly glanced at the caster because they believed he was flirting with them.

  Ladis stared harshly at Luka, who shrugged. The mage asked Alraune to stop the flowers from blooming. The divine spirit flew over the student assembly, and the unpicked flowers began to wilt and wither until they crumbled into dust. But the god carefully left alone the remaining flowers held by humans. Once Alraune completed her task, her figure faded.

  The headmaster frowned at the mess that Alraune left behind. "The morning assembly is over. Homeroom teachers shall guide their students back to class. Dismissed!"

  As the freshman classes departed, the students glanced at Luka with admiration, wonder, and jealousy. Many bowed reverentially to him. Matty smiled and patted Luka's shoulder when the escort passed VIP. "See you at lunch."

  Chapter 69

  Luka Fan Club

  When Luka returned to his homeroom, he felt a heaviness in the air. His classmates were perplexed by his presence. Half of them scored less than a thousand points during the field trip, and they were in jeopardy of dropping out of the class next year. But at the same time, Luka was the only healer within the group. Therefore, he was the most irreplaceable person within the party.

  The homeroom teacher saw their somber expressions and understood their dilemma. "That student assembly was certainly an eye-opener, right?" Tannyll spoke up to break the silence. "I'm sure that you're surprised by Luka's score but also concerned by its effect on each of you personally. He is the embodiment of a 'frenemy,'" the teacher said and chuckled.

  "Well, Luka is a member of this Elite Class, and he won't be going anywhere. So your task now is to reconcile with this fact and live with it. In my view, he is your secret weapon and a safety net of sorts. He possesses unique magic which could help your party face any challenge."

  "But at the same time, his excellence during your field trip DID come at your expense. This situation came about not because Luka had any malice toward you but rather due to the limited points available. In a different context without such limitation, you can rely on Luka to lead the class to first place."

  "As your homeroom teacher, I watched your adventures within the dungeon. And I have several tips to improve your performance. I will now distribute my individualized advice to each of you in the format of a scouting report. If you have any questions about what I wrote, you may discuss with me privately." Tannyll walked around the classroom and gave each person a sheet of paper.

  Luka was surprised to see a single sentence in his report: "Learn to trust your teammates."

  The elvish teacher smiled at Luka's reaction but returned to the front of the classroom. "Okay, our homeroom period is almost up. Please focus on your lessons for the rest of today." The school bell rang promptly, and Tannyll walked out.

  When Luka arrived at the mess hall, a group of girls accosted him.

  Etla Agan stepped forward to address him. "Hello, Luka! We were impressed by your performance during the field trip, and we decided to start your fan club. The girls with me are representatives from each freshmen class," she explained.

  "We know that you haven't joined any factions in school despite receiving multiple invitations. We want you to become our Prince!" a fan added.

  "Yes, you are our Prince Luka!" the girls shouted enthusiastically.

  Luka noticed Matty standing nearby and motioned with his eyes for help.

  Unfortunately for him, the escort proved treacherous. "Luka is a kind and generous soul. Of course, he will respond to your wish!" Matty chimed in.

  "Yay!" the fans cheered wildly and caused the other students to stare at the commotion.

  Male students saw the beautiful girls surround Luka, and they became jealous.

  Slam! "Knock it off! You're ruining our appetites!" someone shouted.

  The girls glared at the offensive party. Etla said, "If you don't like it, you can leave the cafeteria. This place is for the students to socialize as well as to partake in meals," she pointed out.

  The male student stared harshly at Luka and stormed out of the building.

  "Please sit down. We'll bring your food right away!" a fan club member promised.

  Luka released his pets from storage, and the two animals sat at the table. "Can you bring extra portions of meat for them?" he asked politely.

  "Gladly, my prince!" the girl squealed in delight. She took a few companions to join the food line and buy additional portions for Luka and his pets.

  "Please save me a spot at the table," Matty requested with a big grin.

  "Sure!" Etla agreed. She knew that he was Luka's bodyguard. The club president sat directly across from Luka while the other representatives took other spots on the benches.

  Matty joined the food line because he worried that the girls would pick the food Luka didn't like to eat. Luka and Matty had similar tastes; thus, it was relatively easy for Matty to select based on Luka's preference. While waiting, the escort began to share his advice to the girls, who listened attentively.

  When the group returned to the table and presented Luka's meal, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Etla and the other fan club members departed to get their meals and switched places with Matty's group. The girls introduced themselves as Johanna Wilder (Class G), Emely Hahn (Class H), Bukla Mishaxhi (Class I), Verusha Vata (Class J), Boza Uvarov (Class K), and Franka Bartos (Class L). Emely pointed out the girls waiting at the food line as Selma Bergius (Class A), Sonay (Class C), Pernilla Larsson (Class D), Eloise Gerty (Class E), and Hollie Dorgan (Class F).

  Luka counted twelve girls in all, including Etla, and each represented a different freshman class. Although he wasn't thrilled with the idea of having a fan club in his honor, Luka believed that the students should have the freedom of choice in their extracurricular activities. Thus, Luka declined to make them disband.

  Additionally, the girls idolized Luka, and his connections with the individual classes may prove invaluable in the future. Hence, Luka decided to spend his lunchtime with these girls in the mess hall since Luka usually ate there anyway.

  His vassals, all male students, saw their usual seats at Luka's table taken over by the girls. But the boys smiled instead of feeling resentment. They hoped that one of the groupies would catch Luka's fancy because the vassals knew that their lord still didn't have a fiancée.

  When Luka finished his meal, Sonay spoke up. "Prince Luka, would it be okay to ask you to help us train? Many students did poorly in the field trip and are in danger of dropping out of school at the end of this academic semester," she explained. "They are mostly commoners and lower nobles with little access to tutors and trainers. In particular, Class J self-destructed on the very first level of the dungeon. They relied on a handful of members to reach the second floor."

  "What about the teachers? Aren't they supposed to train Class J students?" Matty asked. He was a part of Class D, which performed reasonably well in the field trip.

  Verusha shook her head. "I'm in Class J, and I was one of the survivors
of the first-floor massacre. The problem is that many classmates lack fighting experience and kept getting in each other's way during the school trip. Also, the physical trainer, Mallow, doesn't know how to teach properly."

  "We students have potential, or else we wouldn't pass the entrance examination. I watched some of your Elite Class's practices, and I saw you instructing your classmates. If you can help my class learn how to fight with sword and magic, you will gain dozens of loyal followers from Class J. Please help us, Prince Luka!" She pleaded and bowed her head low.

  Luka quickly agreed because of noblesse oblige. "I'll spend a week on training Class J and providing suggestions to improve. Please gather your classmates at the training ground after school."

  When Luka returned to his classroom, Terrwyn approached his desk. "Luka, I heard that you agreed to help train Class J afterschool," she said aloud for the students to hear.

  Luka's brows arched in surprise because the class rep wasn't nearby during the lunch period. Thus, he didn't expect her to learn this news so soon. Nonetheless, Luka admitted it openly. "Yes, I did. A representative from the class asked for my help. As the leading scorer within the freshmen grade, I felt a responsibility to help my fellow students in need," he explained.

  Terrwyn frowned. "You do realize that you are helping our competitors, right?" she asked.

  Luka shook his head. "Class J isn't our rival. Their collective score is 7,000 points. Many class members may drop out of school if their evaluations don't improve by the end of this semester."

  "I thought it would be a shame if that happens, so I agreed to help partly for this reason. Also, I'm only helping to train Class J for a week. I have other things to do, and I can't afford a bigger commitment to them or anyone else for that matter."

  "Hey, class rep! Let Luka do what he wants!" Wickkuil appeared and slapped Luka's back. Hard. "If I had a pretty girl begging on my hands and knees, I would agree to whatever she wants," he said with a laugh.

  Other beastmen in the class joined him in supporting the cause.

  "I admit that I'm wrong about you, Luka. I didn't think you had any interest in girls. You changed everyone's mind today. If you need extra instructors, you can count on us!" Wickkuil said with a big grin.

  "Me, too!" "Me, too!" Other beastmen volunteered to help.

  "You damn traitors!" Terrwyn huffed. "Since you guys are so energetic, our Elite Class will also hold a training session after school. We can't rely on Luka and his big head for the next field trip. Also, many of us are in danger of being demoted. If you care about remaining in the Elite Class, you better show up at the training grounds!" she declared. The class representative stomped to her seat without checking their reaction.

  The students had different feelings about the extra training session because some were safe in keeping their seats. Others were excited to grab the lifeline Terrwyn threw out to avoid a humiliating demotion.

  After the last class (kingdom law) finished, the group left their classroom and hurried over to the training grounds. However, the older students already took over the space to conduct their practices. Thus, the Elite Class felt unhappy, and they were unwilling to leave.

  A burly looking student who was topless ambled over. He flexed his biceps to show off and said, "The girls could stay and watch. But the boys can fuck off!"

  Kayne sneered at him. "Nobody wants to watch you, stupid oaf!"

  "Ou, I like feisty girls because they squeal the loudest in bed," he grinned.

  Kayne pretended to be frightened. She pressed her chest against Luka's arm. "Luka, he's threatening me!"

  The spurred student glowered and turned his attention to Luka. The examiner saw a weak-looking child. "Kid, do yourself a favor and buzz off. Our practice is private, and you cannot watch."

  Terrwyn stepped in front of Luka. "This place isn't yours. Even though you're using the yard for training, you have no right to prevent students from observing in the stands," she retorted.

  "You cheeky little bitch!" The bully raised his hand to slap her face!

  The class rep stood still and dared him to hit her. However, someone intervened and grabbed his wrist! Terrwyn saw a large hand covered in brown fur and quickly realized her savior -- Wickkuil!

  The beastman exerted pressure and squeezed the bully's right wrist, causing the victim to feel a sharp pain.

  "Argh! Let go of me, you damn bear!" He threw a punch at Wickkuil's face!

  Wickkuil stoically accepted the hit and barely reacted. "You call that a punch?" he grinned and showed his sharp teeth. The beastman grabbed the attacker's collar and bodyslammed him! BAM!

  The bully's teammates immediately mobbed Wickkuil and tightened their grips on their practice weapons.

  "STOP!" The gym teacher appeared and shoved the students back. "You kids have a lot of nerve to fight in my domain." Hansie looked at the participants' faces and said, "You're from Class 1X, and they're from 3D. I'm banning both classes from the training grounds for a week. Aside from your regular gym classes, I don't want to see your ugly faces here."

  The students were shocked when they heard this announcement because they didn't expect the innocent members from each class to share in the punishment. Some opened their mouths to protest, but the gym teacher rudely cut them off. "Why are you kids still here? Should I extend your ban to two weeks?" Hansie threatened.

  Students from the Elite Freshman Class and Senior Class D quickly vacated the schoolyard.

  Verusha had gathered her classmates from Class J, and they observed the altercation from a distance. She followed Luka out and asked, "What are you going to do now?"

  Luka looked at the fifty kids from Class J and the nineteen from his Elite Class. If there were only a dozen or so, he could easily invite the practitioners back to his family estate and train there. But the place lacked sufficient room to support seventy people. Frankly, the answer was obvious -- his private shadow plane. But Luka wasn't comfortable disclosing its existence and his ownership of the place.

  However, when Luka looked at the J students, he noticed most of them were demihumans, especially demonkind. Luka felt a strong desire to help them because he wished to build better relations with the non-humans for the future. Thus, Luka finally decided to reveal his biggest secret.

  Chapter 70

  Private Training (Part 1)

  Luka responded to Verusha's question by taking out his Shadow Keystone. The relic emitted a dark aura as sunlight shone from the sky. "I have a place where we could all train, but I need you to swear to keep this a secret," he stated in a calm voice.

  Terrwyn stared at the mysterious stone shaped like a key. "Does your offer extend to us?" she asked. The members of the Elite Class nodded as they looked at Luka anxiously. They worried that Luka would favor outsiders over his classmates.

  "Yes, you may come along," Luka agreed for the sake of fairness. "If you decide to come, please raise your right hand and copy my words. 'I swear by the light of my soul not to reveal the place I will visit next. May Altima serve as my witness and subject me to eternal damnation if I break my oath.'"

  The students blanched when they heard the content of this oath. But they felt peer pressured into making it, or else the individuals would fall behind their classmates. Thus, everyone swore to this oath as Luka watched.

  "Good. Now please hold hands to form a human chain. I'm going to use my magic item to take everyone to another place," he said. The owner activated his keystone and brought the group of students to the shadow realm.

  When the visitors arrived, they were shocked to discover that they entered a different world! "Where are we?" someone asked.

  "We're inside the shadow realm," Luka answered. "I often come here to practice," he added.

  "This plane belongs to you?" Evanora asked incredulously. The mage never heard of anyone owning a private elemental plane, much less a student at the academy!

  "Yes," Luka confirmed. "During my apprenticeship under Alectos, the God of Magic, I visi
ted an ancient dungeon and somehow obtained the key to enter this place. But the relic is attuned to my soul and non-transferable," the owner explained.

  Wickkuil pointed at the castle. "Can we go inside and check it out?"

  Luka shook his head. "The previous owner practiced dark magic and laid many traps. He used sacrificial rituals to summon abyssal creatures, and they could enter and leave the castle through an undiscovered portal. Therefore, I avoided entering the castle, and I've never spent the night inside," he replied.

  "But you're a light mage, dude! How can you lose in a fight against a dark mage or creature?" Wickkuil exclaimed in disbelief.

  Luka smiled faintly at his classmate's surprising faith in Luka's magical power. "There are two issues. First, we are standing in the shadow plane. That means light magic takes much longer to cast, and it is less effective in this environment. Second, I haven't mastered light magic. Therefore, I may lose a magic duel against a high-level dark monster if it shows up inside the castle," he explained patiently.

  "But you're Altima's Godson!" Uhaen argued. "You can't lose!"

  Luka shook his head. "I'm only human; consequently, my powers are limited. If a demigod-level abyssal creature invades this realm, I won't be able to defeat it. I could try to summon Altima for assistance, but that may require sacrificing my life. I'm not anxious to follow my dad's footsteps just yet," he shrugged with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

  "I apologize for cutting in, but shouldn't we start practicing?" Verusha asked politely. As an outside observer, she felt the Elite Class members mistreated Luka and demanded too much from him. She decided to discuss this situation with the other representatives of the Luka Fan Club tomorrow and figure out ways to support their idol.

  "Yes, you are right. It's not fair to make the students in your Class J stand around idly. I'm sorry for being sidetracked." Luka bowed from the waist in their direction.

  The students felt discomfort because he was doing them a favor by bringing the entire class over to Luka's private practice space. "No, we should be apologizing for troubling you, Prince Luka!" someone replied hurriedly and bowed deeply. Other students joined in.