The air shimmered softly above the grassy plains of Exiastgardsun. Birds chirped lazily in the distance, and a warm breeze rustled the leaves of the ever-growing mana tree. The children had scattered into the surrounding forest, each engaged in their own version of adventure or chaos. Some were climbing trees, others were perfecting their weapon techniques, and somewhere, Kyle was almost definitely planning something explosive.
At the center of the glade, Lucretia stood alone. Her silver hair caught the sunlight, glowing faintly like threads of starlight. Her eyes, golden and steady, gazed at the empty air before her. No staff. No spellbook. Only thought.
Her eyes gleamed with quiet curiosity, not just about the spell Lucretia was casting, but how. There were no chants, no drawn diagrams, no calculation delays. It was raw willpower sculpting magic into form. 'She's rewriting the fundamentals,' Yuuna thought, frantically scribbling. 'Is this high-tier instinctual casting? Or something beyond?' Her mind raced with equations, mana flow theories, and speculative diagrams for rituals that didn't need rituals at all.
Lucretia raised a hand.
A circle of glowing glyphs spiraled into being beneath her feet, forming layers of ancient symbols and geometric light. It rotated, slow and solemn. Above her, a second magic circle formed in the sky. No incantation. No theatrics. The magic responded to her will as naturally as breath.
Lucretia tilted her head curiously, tapping her cheek with a single finger. "Huh... I wonder what happens if I try summoning something besides fruit for once. Maybe... people? No, that sounds dramatic. Beings? Races? Hmm... Let's find out."
She squinted up at the magic circle like a child examining a mysterious recipe. "Okay, magic, surprise me, but not too surprising. No giant frogs. And definitely no reverse-aged time goats."
She clapped her hands once. "Let's try a tasteful summoning." The glow intensified.
In a flash of brilliance, the air cracked with light. With a rumble like a distant avalanche, the first figures emerged.
From one arc of the circle stepped four pairs of dwarves. Sturdy, broad-shouldered, with eyes that gleamed like mountain gems. Each carried tools and wore the scent of stone. They bowed.
"Where the earth rises, we shall build," said one dwarf, his beard braided with silver rings. "Thank you, High Elf."
Lucretia straightened her posture and lifted her chin, adopting what she imagined was an appropriately regal bearing. It was the kind of stance she'd seen in ancient elven murals, dignified, serene, mysterious. She even managed a slow, practiced blink. Then, with her most graceful smile, she declared, "Seek the ground that sings of stone and strength. Let it be your cradle and your forge."
They departed with purpose, marching toward distant hills.
Next came the dragons. Four pairs, each wreathed in a different elemental aura, flames, frost, lightning, and wind. They towered over the field, wings folding like silk banners. Though their eyes were ancient, they bowed as well.
Lucretia's eyes widened as the dragons emerged, each one radiating raw elemental majesty. Internally, she was squealing like a child opening an ultra-rare drop. 'I drew a jackpot. No, a mythic-tier banner EX limited-time jackpot!'
One of the flame dragons snorted a gentle plume into the air like a sparkler, and she had to suppress the urge to fan herself with a leaf. 'They're majestic, terrifying, and gorgeous. And they're mine. Okay, okay, not mine, but I summoned them! That counts, right?'
She gave the dragons a respectful nod, channeling every ounce of composure she could muster.
"Fly freely," she said with a flourish. "Claim the skies and let your legacy begin."
With thunderous flaps, they soared into the horizon, seeking peaks and caverns to call home.
"Oooh, shiny," Lucretia whispered, shielding her eyes. "Okay, dragons might be a little much for day one."
Behind the tree, Yuuna's breath hitched. This was the first time she had ever seen a real dragon, real, as in living, breathing, majestic elemental colossi. Her usual calm cracked as awe flickered across her usually unreadable face. The flames swirling around one dragon's body pulsed with ancient rhythm; another trailed frost so cold the grass beneath it shimmered with ice. Her pen trembled mid-scribble.
'Actual, functional draconic anatomy... wing tension... element-based scale refractors?' Her brain buzzed. 'They're biologically efficient and mythologically beautiful.'
She didn't realize she'd stepped forward slightly, almost forgetting her hiding spot. Yuuna stared, eyes wide, like a scholar watching a legend step out of a dusty page.
And then she whispered to herself, with uncharacteristic awe, "I need a bigger notebook."
Then came goblins, smaller, sharper-eyed, and already chattering among themselves. Mischievous grins, mismatched armor, and wild laughter marked them. Lucretia narrowed her eyes, not in anger, but caution.
Lucretia let out a very un-divine groan and pressed a hand to her face. "What in all the stars... Is this my punishment for overusing random summon? Did I just roll a cursed banner?" she muttered to herself, peeking through her fingers at the rowdy goblins.
Still, she straightened her back with exaggerated grace, smoothing down her tunic and lifting her chin with faux nobility. Dignity, after all, was about commitment. Then, in a clear, composed voice, she declared, "This land is not yours to dominate," she warned, her golden eyes narrowing with theatrical poise.
One goblin, bold and scruffy, bowed low. "We build. We hunt. We live."
Lucretia nodded. "Then find a shadowed forest. Live well, but play fair."
The goblins scampered off, cackling.
Then, thunder of hooves. Centaurs galloped into the clearing, four noble pairs. Half-human, half-horse, with strong torsos and swift legs. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight.
Lucretia blinked rapidly. Her inner thoughts raced: 'Oh no. They're majestic. They're symmetrical. They're galloping in perfect formation. This is a fashion parade of horsepower and abs.'
One of them tossed their hair dramatically mid-canter.
'Was that a shampoo commercial? Do they train for dramatic entrances?'
She cleared her throat, doing her best to suppress the urge to throw sparkles. 'Focus, Lucretia. They're proud warriors. You are a responsible summoner. Do not compliment their gleam. Do not ask for mane-care tips.'
Finally, she spoke with practiced reverence. "You are guardians of the open space. Roam the wide fields and teach others to run wild and free."
The centaurs bowed as warriors and disappeared into galloping trails.
Last came the beastfolk. Dozens of forms appeared: feline twins, a bear-like lumberjack, fox-masked dancers, and canine scouts. Each beastfolk bore an animal trait, ears, tails, fur, or claws, but their eyes glimmered with unity.
Lucretia's mind spun into overdrive the moment she laid eyes on them.
'Okay, okay... bunny ears. That's... devastating. Fluffy. Absolutely fluffocalypse-tier. And that hop? Someone get me a camera.'
Then her gaze shifted. 'Bull horns. Muscles. Wow. That one could lift a tree with one hand and make it look like performance art.'
'Oh, no. Horse ears again? Don't panic, Lucretia. You survived the centaurs. These ones are probably less shampoo-commercial dramatic. Probably.'
And then,
'A lion?! There's a lion one?! Is it legal to look that noble and fuzzy at the same time?! This is some kind of charisma ambush!'
She almost clapped. Almost. Instead, she inhaled deeply, mustered her most serene expression, and internally screamed, 'Keep it together! Do not adopt them all. DO. NOT. ADOPT.'
Lucretia's gaze fell on the cat-eared twins, and her composure nearly disintegrated on the spot.
'Okay, no. This is unfair. That level of adorable should be regulated. This isn't just cute, it's interdimensional weaponized cuteness. Their ears twitch in stereo!'
Her hands twitched. 'I could just... scoop one up. For research. Maybe a cuddle. No, bad Lucretia. You are a dignified entity of creation, not a fluffnapping gremlin.'
She coughed gently and folded her hands in front of her with strained elegance. 'Maintain poise. Don't squeal. Do not let them see your internal meltdown.'
Lucretia greeted them warmly. "Find the greenest wood and call it yours. Let your songs echo from the bamboo and the breeze."
They howled, purred, barked, and cheered. The glade grew momentarily wild.
Yuuna scribbled notes furiously. "So many racial archetypes summoned in one afternoon. Lucretia is casually rewriting demographic distribution."
As the final echoes of summoning faded, Lucretia lowered her hand. Sweat shimmered on her brow, but her smile remained. Behind her, the mana tree swayed. Its leaves shimmered golden, and a single flower bloomed high on its crown.
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