Chapter 173 —Intermission— Dark Spirit, Umbra? (II)
"( I have been fused to this artificial soul for a few months now. My current master is truly a marvel. It's quite amusing how I, once a formidable being, have now found myself in the esteemed position of personal butler to a pale twink. However, any doubts I may have had about his worthiness of my servitude were immediately dispelled when I discovered the true nature of my master. I shall keep this revelation to myself for now, until the perfect moment arises for its unveiling. By remaining steadfastly loyal to him, I'm assured of attaining a level of power that surpasses anything I've ever experienced. In the end... my pride could certainly benefit from a little humbling. )" (Umbra)
The dark spirit knotted his bow tie.
After adjusting his white gloves, he radiated an elegant smile.
"It'll be a good day indeed."
...
For summoners, there existed something known as the Summoning Delivery Subsystem (SDS). This served as the gateway through which summoners could call forth their loyal and mystical summons, creatures from realms beyond mortal comprehensions who had pledged their services to their chosen summoner. Each summoner held within their grasp an SDS, a personalized realm where their summons resided until the time of their summoning.
Within the SDS, a remarkable feature existed, allowing for not only physical summoning but also establishing a telepathic link between summoner and summon. Through this connection, information, instructions, and even shared understanding could be exchanged between these two parties during their interactions.
On this particular day, within the confines of the SDS, Umbra prepared himself for his summoning. Dressed impeccably in a black butler suit, he adjusted his attire with precision, knowing that appearances were essential when it came to impressing his master.
Of course, Lumiere didn't care about that, but Umbra habitually overdid himself.
"It's not fair, Umbra! Why are you always the one summoned by our master?" Sylph whined.
Umbra turned to the pouting Sylph, a small smile on his lips.
"It's simply because I'm our master's favorite," he responded, a touch of pride evident in his voice as he lovingly placed a hand over his heart.
Meanwhile, Ignis, the fire spirit with a blazing red mane and crimson gaze, let out a weary sigh upon hearing Sylph's complaint.
He glanced at Umbra.
"You know, Umbra, if I were to have the opportunity to impress our master, I could be so much more impressive than you," he declared.
Umbra chuckled slightly, his rich laughter filling the air within the SDS.
"Oh Ignis, we may never know the answer to that question. Our master is either too powerful to require our summonings, or perhaps he prefers to summon the strongest of us all – me," he replied, a touch of playful arrogance coloring his words.
Aquarius, the ethereal water spirit, was sulking in one corner.
Curiosity piqued, Fulgur, the spirited lightning entity, approached her with a crackle of energy.
"What seems to be the matter, Aquarius?" he inquired, concern etched upon his face.
Aquarius sighed, her azure eyes shimmering with desolation.
"It's just that our master has never once summoned me," she confessed.
Fulgur, his spiky yellow hair standing on end, attempted to console his fellow spirit.
"Don't despair, Aquarius. Our master's summoning preferences doesn't indicate a lack of appreciation for your presence."
With a tinge of bitterness, Aquarius retorted, "You can say that because our master summons you almost as frequently as Umbra."
She cast a resentful glance towards the enigmatic dark spirit, who gazed back, his expression slightly puzzled.
Scratching the back of his head, Fulgur scratched the back of his head, searching for a comforting response.
"True, but he mostly calls upon me for messages or the delivery of a scant few items," he explained.
Aquarius, however, continued to wallow in her melancholy, her precious water droplets shimmering with wistful longing.
Observing the scene unfold, Flora, the serene plant spirit, nestled in her lush vines.
"Well, you see, our master summons me quite occasionally for advice on improving plants or when a healing touch is required," she chimed in.
Sylph fluttered leisurely around Flora, her voice dancing with whimsy.
"You're so lucky, Flora!" she exclaimed, her enchanting laughter echoing through the SDS.
Flora's lips curved into a gentle smile.
"I do enjoy being in our master's presence. He has such an endearing charm."
"I know right?! I love resting on his laps."
"I'd love to do that as well." Flora giggled.
Sylph then joined her to giggle.
Gaia, the muscular earth spirit, scratched his head in confusion as his fellow spirits discussed being summoned.
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wait, you guys are getting summoned?"
The place fell into a stunned silence, followed by uproarious laughter.
Gaia's face reddened, and he stumbled backward, collapsing onto the ground in embarrassment.
"Well, that sucks," he muttered under his breath.
Umbra cleared his throat, commanding everyone's attention.
"Fellow spirits, let us not forget that our master values each of us in his own way," he proclaimed. "I may be his most summoned spirit, but that does not diminish the importance of each and every one of you. We all serve a purpose in his summoning endeavors."
"( As Zephyra, I had unparalleled pride and as such, I suffered a humiliating humbling by the Great Spirit King, but hopefully that'll never happen again... in order to progress as a powerful being, I must be able to accommodate everyone I call my companion. In other words, I should strive to be more like my master. Even with all his power, he still maintains humility. I strive to attain that level of modesty... )" (Umbra)
Aquarius' slender fingers brushed lightly against her breasts.
She gazed into the distance.
She sighed, "Perhaps my body can catch our master's attention. The allure of my body may bewitch him."
The room fell silent once again, all eyes focused on the water spirit.
Fulgur scratched his head, a bemused expression on his face.
"I'm not sure that would do the trick, Aquarius," he replied. "Our master is surrounded by so many women, both spiritual and physical, that one more seductive presence might not make much of a difference."
Aquarius let out a sigh of resignation, her shoulders slightly slumping.
"You're right, Fulgur," she admitted, a tinge of disappointment in her voice. "Our master's world is filled with so many women fawning over him. It seems I have little chance of catching his eye with just my body."
Ignis chimed in.
"Well, Umbra, if you truly are our master's favorite, perhaps you should suggest that he takes us on a little visit to the Spirits' Domain. It might do wonders for our morale and strengthen our bond with him."
"An intriguing idea, Ignis," he replied. "I shall consider it and present it to him."
"I'd really like to go there!" Sylph shouted.
Flora patted her head gently, "I agree, we'd meet a lot of spirits like us."
"That idea doesn't sound too bad." Gaia flexed one of his biceps.
Aquarius raised her clenched fist. "This'll be my chance to seduce our master!"
"Eh?" said Fulgur.
Ignis rubbed his chin, "Then again, we're not really like other spirits, are we?"
"We're artificially made, so technically we are and aren't." (Flora)
Sylph yawned. "Does that really matter? As long as our master loves us, I don't care if we're artificial..."
"That's good, Sylph." Flora patted her head.
In a warm manner, Sylph embraced the pat.
"Well then, I'll talk to Master Lumiere about this," Umbra smiled.
All the spirits nodded.
"( This is my life now. Living as a pseudo-spirit alongside these fellows. I don't need to rush to regain the power I lost... all I simply have to do is follow him... to follow my master and in turn, I will exceed the level I craved for so many years. )" (Umbra)
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