The False Summoner

Chapter 12: Bathing Beauty (2)
Translator: Pan Junqian
Proofread by Peter Gong

December 24 of the year of 323 is a special day for Rowen because it is his sixteenth birthday.

Similarly, Caroline’s birthday also falls on this day, and today, the Tiger Family will formally hold a coming-of-age ceremony for Caroline.

According to the Imperial Law, men officially come of age at eighteen while ladies at sixteen. The coming-of-age ceremony is not necessary, but for some large families, they will usually hold the ceremony for their children.

When a man becomes 18 years old, he will be officially granted title and lands from the Empire, while the fact that a lady becomes 16 years old is telling people that she is now an adult and could be able to plan to get married. Anyone who has interest in her can propose a marriage at this time.

Caroline’s ceremony is a big deal in the Mayor Town. In the early morning, the town has become very hustling and bustling. The weather has been very good these days, the snow has completely melted, and the temperature has risen a lot, almost giving people a feeling of early spring.

There are groups of people at the door of the Tiger Family and several splendid carriages are parked there. Guests who come afar and from cities nearby like the Yadi City have all arrived before noon.

Though the ceremony will not be formally held until evening, everyone knows that the guests here are not only to participate in the ceremony. It is said that Caroline will choose her future husband from the unmarried men who come here for her. Besides, a careful observer can find that there are many young men among the people present at the ceremony.

“Cousin, you really have to go?” asks Nina next to Rowen as he walks out of the Wolf Manor in the late afternoon.

“Nina, I told you I can go there alone, why do you have to come with me?” Rowen glances at the blonde beauty helplessly.

“No way, I fear that many people there will bully you!” Nina puffs out her chest, “I’m here to protect you.”

“Nina, actually I can protect Rowen on my own!” Carl feels excited, “You see, I’ve learned the Wind Blade!”

Regardless of whether Rowen and Nina are interested in watching him or not, Carl utters the spell quickly, and then a wind blade appears, flying toward the wooden door and hitting against the door. Only a deep sound is heard, and the wind blade leaves a mark on the door.

“How about that? Isn’t it powerful?” Carl looks a little smug.

In fact, Carl, who only became a level-1 enchanter last night, has just been able to cast the lowest level spell of the Wind affinity, so it isn’t powerful enough to shock them.

Rowen doesn’t want to frustrate Carl, so he nods, “Not bad.”

While Nina wants him to lose face, she curls her mouth and says, “Well, your wind blade is nothing but a tickle, it doesn’t work at all.”

“Is that bad? If my blade is used to cut one’s throat, it will definitely kill him!” Says Carl who is not convinced.

“Come on, it’s good enough if you can cut other people’s clothes!” Caroline hums, “Do you think they will have their throat cut willingly? If it’s that easy, why do you have to be an enchanter? Just go and cut someone’s throat with a knife!”

“Then you wait until I send out dozens of wind blades from all sides at once and see who can escape from them.” But Carl doesn’t care about Nina, he is still full of confidence.

“I will see if you can release so many wind blades at once.” Nina gives Carl a blank look, “Anyway, I will protect Rowen from now on, and you’d better protect yourself!”

“Nina, I can protect myself.” Says Rowen unbearably. Nina is the eldest among the three people, but she often pretends that she is the eldest and says to Rowen that she will protect him. Is she kidding? Even if she is the most powerful one with best talent, Rowen doesn’t want her protection. A man from the famous Wolf Family will need a lady’s protection, he can’t afford to lose his face.

“But they have more people and you will be at a disadvantage if you go there alone.” Says Nina.

“I’m going there for the coming-of-age ceremony, not to fight.” Rowen has to remind her.

“Humph! The Tiger Family doesn’t invite you to the ceremony out of kindness, we have to be ready for a fight!” Nina hums, waving her little fist, and it seems that she is eager to try.

Rowen wonders whether Nina really wants to protect him or to look for someone to fight with. He knows, however, that all that she has inherited from her mother is her beauty, not her gentleness.

But Rowen knows that Nina will not give up halfway since she has decided to follow him, so he has no choice but to take her to Caroline’s ceremony.

A few minutes later, the three arrive at the place where the Tiger Family live.

Compared with the sun-down Wolf Manor, the mansion of the Tiger Family is a little luxurious. The splendid carriage at the door and the guests coming in and out of the mansion occasionally all invisibly imply that the Tiger Family is out of ordinary.

Rowen is courteously ushered into the dinner hall by the manservant. The hall is already full of well-dressed gentlemen and ladies, some small groups of people talking in low voice and the laughter of girls are heard from time to time.

“So many people!” Nina whispers.

“Yes, so many beautiful ladies!” Carl quickly echoes back.

“Carl, you are such a big wolf! You just know to watch those beauties, and I’m also a beauty, why don’t you watch me!” Nina grumbles.

“Nina, I know you are beautiful, but you like Rowen and you don’t like me.” Carl whispers.

“Carl, stopping talking nonsense again, otherwise I’ll beat you up!” Nina’s face turns red and shakes her fist.

Rowen takes a casual look around the hall as though he hasn’t heard the conversation. As Carl says, there are quite a lot of beautiful ladies, but he doesn’t know them at all. Neither Caroline, the star of the ceremony tonight, nor Karen is seen here.

“Hey, isn’t that Rowen of the Wolf Family?” A slightly surprised voice sounds in a sudden, but the voice is too loud that it draws many people’s attention. Rowen feels that hundreds of eyes staring at him almost in an instant.

All the guests at present are mostly acquainted with the Tiger Family and they are also more or less familiar with the name of Rowen. What’s more, some guest from the Mayor town know clearly about what’s between Rowen and Caroline. So the appearance of Rowen on this special day reminds them of many things.

“Are you Rowen?” An obtrusive voice is heard, and then the crowd naturally move aside to allow the young man to walk toward Rowen.

The young man is not so strong, but he is very handsome with a female look and a feminine air about him.

Rowen doesn’t recognize this young man, but he is alerted by the clothes the man is wearing. That dark black robe looks like the clothes that Rowen is wearing, but the difference is that there is a family logo of a flying eagle on his bosom, besides, a beastlike symbol with two unobtrusive stars on its top also appear on his bosom. That means he is a leve-2 summoner certified by the Summoner Union.

That family logo of a flying eagle belongs to the Hawker Family, a time-honored family in the Empire with a history of hundreds of years.

“I’m Rowen, and who are you?” Asks Rowen indifferently. He has always been polite to strangers, but after the attack at the Thunder Valley, he will not be quite so nice to a stranger who is clearly hostile to him.

“Morency·Hawker.” Says the young man coldly, “Are you said to be a summoner?”

“Hey, what does it matter whether Rowen is a summoner or not?” Before Rowen could answer, Nina is shouting in disgust, “We don’t know you, and you are so impolite to run here and ask me question.”

“Do your poor family have the right to deserve my politeness?” Morency says contemptuously.

“What the hell did you say?” Nina is furious. “Believe it or not, I whip you Hell?”

“Just you?” Morency becomes more contemptuous, “Don’t you think I will spare you just because you are pretty? To kill you is just a piece of cake.”

“You!” Nina pulls out her sword behind her, and in a rage, she is ready to use it to kill.

“Nina!” Rowen yells, “Stop!”

“Rowen, I……” Nina looks at Rowen aggrievedly. Apparently, she is reluctant to stop.

“You are no match for him.” Says Rowen faintly. He knows very well that a level-1 summoner is not so easy for a level-1 warrior to fight with since a summoner is relatively weak in the early stages while a summoner is stronger.

“You are somewhat wise to know yourself.” Morency looks at Rowen and says in a mocking tone. “I just don’t understand how dare a useless summoner like you come here?”

“A mad dog like you can be here, so of course I can.” Rowen looks at Morency coldly and doesn’t lose his advantage in his words.

“What did you say?” Morency becomes furious immediately.

“Only mad dogs will bite people for no reason.” Says Rowen indifferently, “If you are not a biting dog, that means you have to be ordered to bite me. Then I will admit that you’re not a mad dog, you’re a pet dog.”

“Rowen, good shot! Mad dog or pet dog, it’s a dog anyway!” Says Nina clapping her hands. Seeing Rowen help her out, she turns happy instead of being angry.

“Rowen, you’re asking for death!” Morency’s face turns deathly pale, “I have to fight with you!”