Chương 29: “What the Pug?! (2)”

! (2)" Celestia brisk-walked across campus with a fat piece of loaf in her arms. She cut through the afternoon foot traffic like always, but the quality of the students' and staffs' attention had changed. Normally, the stares that followed Celestia Von Reingarde were side-glances filled with wariness and the careful avoidance of eye contact that came with her reputation. People looked at her with fear and respect born entirely from the understanding that getting too close was inadvisable.

Today, however, curiosity had replaced caution. Eyes drifted downward from her face to the creature nestled in her arms, the squat, wrinkled, fawn-colored thing with bulging eyes and a curled tail, sitting on her arm with the regal disinterest of a lord being carried in a palanquin. A few students slowed their pace just to get a better look. One girl actually stopped walking entirely, her mouth forming a small 'o' of bewilderment. Celestia couldn't blame them. She, too, was still processing.

Sir Ozymandias the First—self-proclaimed Seeker of Bacon, Stripper of Chicken, the Moonhowler of the Seven Suns, and the Everlasting Eldritch Sorrows—had, against all reason, successfully bonded with her. The contract tattoo had appeared on the back of her hand the moment the light faded: a small, spiraling mark she assumed was the pug's tail confirmed the bond was genuine. The problem was that Sir Ozymandias had adamantly refused to enter it.

When Professor Fae had explained again that bonded elementals could dematerialize into the tattoo for convenient storage and summoning, the pug had reared back on his haunches with an expression of theatrical offense. Awoo-woooo-woooaoo. (Thou suggestest I confine mine sovereign form within a brand upon thy flesh? Only those common-neckwood spirits of lesser breeding wouldst deign to reside in such a thing. I am no hound to be kenneled!) Professor Fae had heard only the howling, of course.

She had tilted her head, scribbled something in her notebook, and murmured, "Fascinating. The spirit appears to be resisting the common format of residence. I've never seen this behavior before." Celestia had forced a smile, picked up the pug, and left. And so, here she was. Carrying an elemental spirit across campus like a loaf of bread. She reached her dormitory building, climbed the stairs without slowing, and arrived at her room. The door swung open, and she stepped inside. Slam.

The pug was deposited onto the bed with a plop. He bounced once on the mattress, his short legs splaying outward before he righted himself with what could only be described as wounded dignity on his face. Celestia stood before him, arms crossed. She took a breath.

"Why," she began, "did you, a pug, come out of my elemental egg?" A pause.

"And how can I understand what you're saying?" Sir Ozymandias blinked his enormous eyes once, slowly, as though the question was beneath him but he would entertain it as a courtesy.

"Didst thou not seek the most noblest creature?" he replied, his deep voice carrying the absolute conviction of someone who had never once considered the possibility that they were wrong.

"The egg doth call forth a spirit befitting the summoner's worth. That it produced me is proof enough of thy fortune." Celestia stared at him.

"..." She wanted to argue. She wanted to point out that in no classification system, magical or otherwise, did a creature with a face like a crushed dinner roll qualify as "the most noblest." But the pug's unwavering self-assurance was so complete that she found herself momentarily unable to form a rebuttal. Sure, in her previous life, pugs had a historical pedigree. They were companions to Chinese emperors, favored pets of European aristocracy, and had sat on the laps of kings and queens throughout the centuries.

But calling them a noble creature in the context of elemental summoning, where dragons and wolves and phoenixes were the standards of power, stretched the definition so far it snapped. Celestia exhaled through her nose. A long, slow sigh of someone who had accepted that today was not going to improve.

"What can you do?" she asked. Sir Ozymandias tilted his head.

"What dost thou mean?"

"As per the lesson earlier, elemental bonds provide a distinct effect that aids in combat," Celestia said.

"What do you offer?" The pug puffed out his barrel chest.

"Preposterous!" he declared, his bulging eyes widening further, a feat Celestia had not believed anatomically possible.

"Thou expectest I, a being of station far above thine own, perform services for thee? As though I were some manner of servant? Some common beast of burden?" He snorted wetly.

"The audacity. The sheer, unbridled gall." Celestia stared at him.

"..." For the first time since arriving in this world, she was utterly dumbfounded. This pug sitting on her bed, speaking in 1800s English, was now refusing to do the one thing elemental spirits were supposed to do, had rendered her genuinely speechless. For a fleeting moment, she considered the window. It was right there. She could pick him up, walk three steps to the left, and simply... let go. He could fend for himself in the woods. He had survived as an egg; surely he could survive as a pug.

But she couldn't dare do such a thing. When she looked at his face, that pushed-in, wrinkled, absurdly ugly face, something in her chest softened against her will. He was so ugly that the ugliness had horseshoed all the way back around into being undeniably, aggressively cute. The bulging eyes. The flopped ears. The way his curled tail twitched when he was being insufferable. And there were a few more factors she had to take into account; she had called this creature into existence.

Whatever he was, whatever he refused to do, she had ultimately summoned him. At the bare minimum, she owed him food and shelter. She was about to speak when a sound blared into her mind. [Story Relevance: 28] [Milestone Reached! Milestone Reached!] Celestia's eyes widened a fraction.

'Word must have spread.' It made sense. A first-year student summoning an entirely unknown species of elemental spirit, something not recorded in any book, one that had left even Professor Fae, a renowned spirit mage, stunned, would be the kind of news that traveled fast. By now, half the academy had probably heard some version of the story, likely embellished beyond recognition. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Her Story Relevance had risen accordingly.

She looked at her System Window. * Name: Celestia Von Reingarde Race: Human Elemental Attribute: ክዐ፪ጎረጎፕሃ Synchronization: 12% Story Relevance: 28/100 Stats: Strength: H (71/100) Dexterity: H+ (93/100) Speed: H (98/100) Wisdom: F- (27/100) Aura: H- (6/100) Special Stats: Nobility: S+ (101/100) Skills: Noblesse Oblitère (S-Rank) Cooldown: 3 Days Description: Strike infused with Nobility so overwhelming that lesser beings crumble on contact. Damage scales with rank difference. Plebeians may detonate.

Effect: Instantly inflicts massive physical and spiritual damage weighted by hierarchical superiority. Targets may experience fear, humiliation, or sudden existential crisis. Knighthood (S-Rank) Slot Limit: 1 Effect Cooldown: 1 Year Description: A princess bestows the peerage of knighthood as the highest honor. Once sworn, the bond can be invoked as a royal decree made manifest. Effect: For a brief period, your anointed knight returns to the peak of their prowess; body and spirit restored to their finest state.

When the grace ends, the borrowed perfection is reclaimed, leaving the knight heavily spent. *'Knighthood?' That was new. Celestia's mind immediately began turning over the implications. This was genuinely useful. If she could bestow knighthood on someone trustworthy, it would function as a lifeline. The potential applications were enormous despite the extremely long cooldown.

'I need to be careful about who I use this on. Someone loyal and capable. Someone who I can—' [Elemental Spirit detected. Automatically issuing Knighthood.] Celestia froze.

"..."

"..."

"..." What just happened? Was her lifeline just taken by the pug…? By this small, useless, and prideful pug who refused to enter a tattoo, refused to assist in combat, and was extremely rude? Celestia stood in silence for a very long time. Sir Ozymandias yawned, circled twice on the bed, and laid down. Seconds later, he started snoring. *"I'll have thy neck for this treachery! Thou craven, dishonorable wretch, thou darest trap a sovereign in this wretched cage?!"

Sir Ozymandias's muffled howls rattled the small covered carrier as Celestia walked out of the pet shop, the newly purchased cage swinging lightly from her hand. The shopkeeper had given her a strange look when she'd brought in a creature he'd never seen before.

"Thou art a heathen! A devil in maiden's cloth! Satan's own incarnate given form and golden hair!" Celestia climbed into the waiting carriage and set the carrier on the seat across from her. It shook violently as the pug threw himself against the walls.

"Unhand me, I say! When mine wrath doth descend upon thee, thou shalt weep rivers most bitter!" The carriage began to move as Celestia gazed out the window.

"Thou art the foulest summoner to ever draw breath! A plague upon thy house! A pox upon thy lineage unto the seventh generation!" She watched the streets of Summit roll by. The late-afternoon light was pleasant.

"Dost thou hear me, woman?! I am speaking!" By the time they arrived at her main office in Summit, the pug had exhausted most of his repertoire and had moved on to repeating earlier insults with minor variations. Celestia stepped out of the carriage with the carrier in hand.

'I can use this,' Celestia noted. Whenever the pug's behavior became intolerable, which she believed would be frequent, she could use the cage as punishment. Waiting outside the office entrance were two familiar figures. Martha stood with her hands clasped at her waist, dressed in her usual maid's uniform, her posture as impeccable as always. Beside her was Paimon. Celestia noticed the changes immediately. The half-angel girl was no longer the gaunt, underfed lass she had been when Celestia first took her in.

Her body had filled out enough that her cheeks had lost their hollow look and her arms no longer resembled sticks. Martha had clearly been feeding her well.

'Good,' Celestia thought. Then, with a touch of pragmatism.

'I hope her training hasn't suffered because of it.' As she neared the door, both greeted her. Martha bowed with practiced grace.

"Welcome back, Lady Celestia." Paimon was a beat late in bowing, her body stiffening before dipping forward in a motion that was earnest but clumsy.

"W-Welcome back, L-Lady Celestia!" Celestia gave a small nod. Inexperience was not a crime. AWOOOWOAOWOAOWAOO!!! The carrier shook so violently it nearly leapt out of Celestia's grip. Sir Ozymandias, apparently reinvigorated by the presence of new ears to assault, had resumed his tirade at full volume. Martha's eyes dropped to the carrier.

"What is this…?" Celestia extended the cage toward her.

"He's what came out of the egg." Martha accepted it with both hands, holding it at arm's length as the thing inside continued to thrash and howl. They walked inside and made their way to Celestia's office. Once seated, Celestia leaned back in her chair and let out a breath.

"I intend to rest today," she said.

"I'll be entering the Tower tomorrow." Martha nodded.

"Understood, my lady. I'll ensure everything is prepared for your departure." AWOOAO-WOOOO-AWOOOO-WAOOO! The carrier, which Martha was carrying, was shaking again. The howling had taken on a new, accusatory pitch.

"Quiet down," Celestia said, her gaze dropping to the carrier. Her voice was firm.

"I'll have a room prepared for you. You'll stay there." The carrier went still. Martha blinked. The creature inside had gone silent instantly as if it had understood every word. How was that possible? She looked at Celestia with a question forming on her face, but Celestia's expression offered no explanation. A muffled sound came from the carrier.

"Awaoo-wooo-wooa-woao."

"Oh?" Celestia's eyebrow rose.

"You think you're in a position to make demands?"

"Awooowoowooaaaa!" The carrier rattled once for emphasis. Celestia regarded it for a moment, then reached for a pen and a sheet of paper.

"Fine. State your dietary needs."

"Awoowowoowo-wowowowoaowow-wooooowoaaaaaaaaaaaowowoo." The howl went on for an impressively long time. Celestia's pen moved across the paper. When the pug finally fell silent, she set the pen down, reviewed the sheet once, and then handed it to Martha. Martha looked down at the paper. > Sir Ozymandias - Dietary Requirements 15 pieces of bacon should be cut into strips no thinner than 4mm and no thicker than 6mm. Pan-seared at medium-high heat for exactly 3 minutes per side. Flipped precisely once.

Rested on a wire rack for no less than 90 seconds before serving. Must be sourced from the belly and never the loin. Loin bacon is "peasant fare" and will be refused. A chicken roasted whole at low heat for 2 hours, then seared at high heat for exactly 8 minutes to crisp the skin. The skin must be seasoned with salt, thyme, and a whisper of rosemary. All food must be served at body temperature and on a clean plate. Lastly, a small bowl of water with exactly six cubes of ice. Martha read the list.

Then she couldn't help but read it again. She looked at Celestia.

"My lady… how did you…?"

"Martha," Celestia interrupted calmly.

"Have a clean room prepared with a proper floor-bed for Sir Ozy and release him there. And pass those instructions to the kitchen staff. I need them followed to the letter." Martha opened her mouth, closed it, and bowed.

"As you wish, my lady." She noticed that the carrier had grown conspicuously silent, and turned toward the door. As she walked out, her eyes drifted once more to the paper in her hand, then to the cage. She was speechless at how her mistress had translated a series of howls into a detailed culinary manifesto. The door clicked shut behind her. Celestia turned to Paimon, who had been standing quietly at the side throughout the entire exchange, her wide eyes darting between the floor and Celestia.

"Paimon," Celestia said.

"I'll need to discuss something with you."! (2)"