Zach wanted to make the most of his break from the Academy and all things stressful, so he had set aside a couple of things, including dealing with Alzara's addition to the team. He had accepted her and introduced her. Then, he had kind of just let her be and get used to the whole thing while he played around.
But now that he was on his way to the Academy, it was time to start being proactive again.
So, while Nora and Yanael sat on the outside of the carriage, steering the horses, Zach and Alzara sat inside, facing each other. Zach was a little apologetic toward her since she had to slouch to avoid bopping her head against the carriage ceiling.
The family probably had bigger carriages. But that would need at least another two horses to feed and control. It would also be a carriage that wasn't used often since the Duke and Leonidas, the ones tall enough to necessitate such a carriage usually rode their horses directly if running wouldn't do.
"Alzara."
"Yes, Master?"
"If I were to ask you questions about, let's say, summoning in general and how that works, how would you respond?" Zach skipped the small talk and went straight for the important talks.
"I can't tell you." Alzara held up a finger in front of her lips and winked teasingly like she was safekeeping a secret.
"I understand. As you might have noticed, Yanael is a little hostile toward you, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. It's cute."
"Right? I mean, she's also a very dedicated swordsman." Zach looked Alzara up and down. "I can tell you're a maid, but I guess you can also fight? Since we will be working together, I'm interested in what you do."
Alzara leaned forward and smiled.
"Haven't you checked that little interesting thing since you summoned me?"
Zach tilted his head slightly in confusion before he realized what she meant and his eyes widened.
"Ah. I forgot that for a moment."
Alzara just continued smiling patiently as she waited for Zach to check his summoning interface.
[Zacharia Evandiel]
[Level 12 Summoner]
[Innate Skill: Divine Luck]
[Contract Skills: Blessed Defense | Material Extraction]
[Contracts: Yanael | Alzara roi Kalam]
[Yanael – S-Rank Angel *Battle Maid Variant]
[Alzara roi Kalam – SS-Rank Desert Witch *Battle Maid Variant]
Zach's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the interface. The variant part didn't surprise him. Alzara's clothes had already revealed that part. He already knew her name, and he didn't know what a desert witch was.
He knew it was technically possible since he had summoned an S-rank as his first familiar, but it was more likely that he would summon an S-rank as his second still.
An SS-rank familiar. It was the rank above S-rank that he hadn't even heard of before.
It was amazing.
"What do you think?" Alzara's eyes were almost closed as she asked.
Zach looked up. "You know what it says?"
"Of course, I do. It's information about me." Alzara nodded.
"It's amazing!" Zach spoke his honest thoughts.
For seemingly the first time since she was summoned, Alzara wasn't raising her lips in a smile.
"Really?" She looked at Zach, baffled.
"Yup. It's my first time even hearing of an SS-rank familiar." Zach gave a thumbs up and flashed a grin.
Alzara's expression stiffened for a moment before her head slumped and she rested her forehead against her palm.
"...I had a feeling that was the case, but you have no idea, huh?"
"About what…?" Zach could tell he had missed something.
"What does it say after my rank?"
"Desert witch?"
"Yeah. You haven't heard of us?"
"I can't say I have." Zach slowly shook his head, confused.
"Huh. That's…" Alzara didn't know what to say.
"...Aren't desert witches, and forgive me for being presumptuous, witches who live in the desert?" Zach hesitantly asked.
Alzara gave Zach a blank stare.
"You're not wrong. But there's more to it, and our reputation precedes us. Usually."
"What? Are desert witches monsters who kidnap and eat children, torment villages, desecrate the dead and the living, and make a mockery of any who come to bring justice or something?"
"..." Alzara was silent.
"Alzara?" Zach prodded her, a bad feeling in his chest.
"..." She remained silent.
"...Alzara?" Zach feared the worst and Alzara's silence only confirmed his fears.
"...Without giving you the answer to your first question, I'll just say that the rumors aren't completely unfounded."
"My first question—Ah." Information about desert witches, and the desert witches Alzara knew, such as the things she knew desert witches were responsible for, was related to her past. He had already tried it with Yanael, but questions about the past were a no-go.
If Zach had to guess, Alzara could tell him objective information about desert witches, like their general appearances or the fact that they mostly lived in deserts. But details unrelated to the race as a whole would be difficult.
Zach was silent for a bit before looking at Alzara.
"...Don't eat children, and if you're going to burn down any villages, please clear it with me first."
Alzara stared blankly at Zach, once again baffled. That was not what she had expected, to be honest.
"I guess that's why you're my Master, Master." Alzara smiled. Someone who would shun her for being a desert witch wouldn't have summoned her.
Without warning, she reached out and grabbed Zach. Zach didn't resist as she placed him in her lap and hugged him.
"And don't worry, I never found the taste of children worth the trouble." She whispered in his ear with a playful tone.
Zach couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
A shiver ran down his spine.
He was curious about how powerful she was and what she could do, but he was also worried that maybe a higher rank meant more freedom and independence of thought. He didn't think Alzara would do anything to him, at least not anything directly harmful.
But he couldn't be sure what she would do to others.
'...As long as she doesn't touch my loved ones, I guess.'