Summoner's Last Moments

Today, second episode

Where, did I go wrong?

Or is this the result because nothing was wrong at all?

I do not know.

I do not know, but I am dying.

"This is cause and effect..."

Looking back, the goblin named Razlaz was different from the start.

Goblins are known for nothing but battle—combat addicts.

Yet Razlaz had eyes that held deep intelligence.

Following instinct, I performed a鉴定, and saw the skill.

n% I = W

It was the same skill found on that spider creature known as a nightmare.

The same skill as that aberration beyond normal limits.

A sense of danger arose.

At the same time, I saw opportunity.

If I could tame this goblin, it would bring benefit to me later.

It would not reach the level of that nightmare abomination, but it would be stronger than an ordinary goblin.

The skill of weapon forging—something never seen before—was equally alluring.

With this ability, I could escape the dire situation of scarce weapon supplies in the frontier regions.

I understood why goblins had expanded their range of movement.

I succeeded in subduing Razlaz through skill alone.

Yet this was merely the starting point.

To truly command a monster, loyalty must be earned.

Loyalty is a special status applied only to subdued monsters, peaking at 100.

A monster with 100 loyalty will obey any command from its master.

Conversely, low loyalty means the monster may ignore orders entirely—sometimes even betraying its master without warning.

Raising loyalty is simple.

First, break the mind.

Completely.

The master cannot be defeated. Cannot be resisted.

That must be the conviction instilled.

I made Lazlaz kill the goblin beside him—and make him eat it.

This should have granted a title. Forcing intimacy through the violent act of making one’s closest companion a victim should have broken the mind.

That was the plan.

Lazlaz’s mind did not break.

On the contrary, rage preserved his self.

While Razalaza, at the same time, had broken easily under the weight of guilt for failing to protect the village.

I continued attempting to break Lazlaz’s will. All failed.

I changed tactics. Treated him gently. Still, loyalty remained at zero.

A bad feeling settled in.

The skill “Rage” increased daily. He had even acquired skills like “Curse.”

Other skills rose steadily. It was clear Lazlaz was watching, waiting for my weakness.

Yet I had reason to hold onto Lazlaz.

I had reason to achieve swift renown and return to the Empire.

Lazlaz’s ability held sufficient allure to enable that.

The power to generate high-performance weapons from nothing.

If I proclaimed that ability to the Empire’s upper echelons—something never before seen or heard—perhaps my exile might be lifted.

That was the faint hope I harbored.

This was the result of indulging that desire.

“Disgraceful.”

The beginning was, once again, the nightmare eradication mission.

At that time, if I had been able, I would not have gone on the mission.

At this age, my wife was with child.

The expected birth date coincided precisely with the mission’s duration.

I could not witness my child’s birth in person.

It was poorly timed.

And that was when I encountered that nightmare.

Only I and Lord Ronant survived.

Moreover, according to subsequent reports, the nightmare had fled beyond the labyrinth’s outer walls, chasing after the guide who had escaped mid-journey.

Failure of mission. Loss of unit. Release of a dangerous entity into the world.

I was held accountable for these offenses. I was exiled to this cursed mountain range.

I was fortunate not to have my head severed. But I never saw my family again.

I heard the girl was born safely. Yet I never saw her face.

And only recently, a letter arrived from my wife—my daughter had been abducted.

I wished to return to the empire immediately. But if I returned now, I would be treated as a deserter. This time, my head would surely be severed.

To return openly, I had no choice but to earn a notable feat.

The perpetrator remains unknown.

However, it was not a solo act. The crime was orchestrated—multiple individuals involved, organized.

A high-ranking mage was among the perpetrators, according to evidence of wind magic use.

A military contact is conducting the search, but no leads have surfaced.

I do not know what I could accomplish upon my return, but remaining idle in a distant land, unable to act, was unbearable.

"Am I hated by you?"

I ask, suddenly curious.

I realize immediately it was a foolish question.

It is impossible not to hate.

The one who caused my family’s death with my own hands.

Such a thing cannot be forgiven.

Ah.

That is right.

Even monsters possess familial bonds.

The first to be devoured by Razlaz was likely a younger sibling.

Lazaraza was the elder brother.

What did he think, seeing his brother transformed—controlled by my skill—into something monstrous?

The catalyst for this devastation was likely the realization—somehow—that we had just eradicated another goblin village.

How he escaped my skill remains unknown. Perhaps his rage surpassed the skill’s power.

Contemplating such matters now serves no purpose.

Razlaz raised his sword high, as if declaring this the answer, then brought it down.

Given all I have done to Razlaz, this outcome was inevitable.

Yet I had one thing left undone.

"Unfinished..."

I wished—just once—before dying—to see my child’s face.