Wakamo – Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Let’s Summon a Familiar

TL: Carter
TLC: Fairy
Editor: Timmu

“You know what, do you have some time after this? Let me show you around the company.”

Yeah it would be a bit of a challenge finding the place not knowing anything about it.

“Then, please show me the way.”

Cerner and I left the cafe. On the way out Cercer casually paid for my drink.

On the way there we passed through the Royal Capital’s business district. Cercer is cute so she attracted the gazes of men as she passed by. I wonder if they think we’re on a date. They couldn’t possibly think that this girl is the president of a company and I’m a new grad she’s recruiting.

At the edge of the business district, there were signs for a couple of white magic companies. I’m sure some of my classmates and friends from my dorm probably work around here.

“Ah, so the building is around here huh. There’s a ton of magic companies around here.”

“That’s not quite right… Property prices around here are stupidly expensive. We still have a bit of walking to do. Ah, don’t worry it’s just a little further.” 

After that, we walked for half an hour.

The Royal Capital is a walled city. Strictly speaking, the city does extend beyond the wall, but it takes an hour and a half to walk to the other side.

.

“Isn’t this a bit far…”

“It makes for good exercise, doesn’t it? That and it’s convenient for our work in the swamps and the areas surrounding the city.”

Indeed, right around the point where you start seeing the fields that supply the city resident’s vegetables, Cercer says “This is our company.”

“Necrogrant Black Magic Company”, read the sign hanging on the fortified stone fortress.

Perched upon a small hill, it looks like it’d take about five minutes to climb the slope to the entrance. 

“Is this a company or a fort…?”

This isn’t something on the scale of 10 employees. At the very least this place is big enough for 200 people to hole up in.

“It seems somewhere around a thousand years ago, back when this country was still made up of several different states, this fort was constructed to defend the city. The Necrogrant Black Magic Company bought it from them. Anyways, if a black magic witch hunt ever came up we’d have to fight.”

That’s quite the dangerous proposition…

Well, I guess with black magic’s bad image it can’t be helped.

Inside the fortress it felt like a run of the mill magic company, just with literally no one there.

“It’s pretty quiet here”

“There isn’t much in-house work to do, most people work remotely. When you have fieldwork you don’t have to come into the office.”
I see. This feels like neither a desk job nor a black magic one.

We passed through to the reception office. President Cercer (I’m already an employee, so I have to call her that) said she had to get something and left me there for a bit.

Beast skins hung on the walls of the reception office, it’s pretty creepy.  It definitely has a black magic feel to it.

Lined up on the bookshelf in the corner of the room were books titled “Black Magic Isn’t Scary” “Safe Black Magic for Kids.”

Really trying hard to improve their image there…

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

President Cercer entered the room holding a long staff. Looking closely, you can see there are bat heads carved into it. It’s pretty elaborate.

“Right, since you made it all the way out here, I have something I want you to try Franz. Summoning a familiar.”

“Familiar!?”

That’s not a word you hear in white magic.

“That’s right. With black magic, there’s all kinds of simple work that you can have your familiar do for you. You call a lower ranked demon from the underworld and make a contract with them. In the business, black magicians who don’t have a familiar aren’t trusted, so let’s start with summoning a familiar.”

There’s implicit rules in any business.

Like I’ve heard businesses on islands require boating licenses, it’s something along that line of thinking. 

“If you summon a good one, you can use it to help you around while you’re still finishing school. It’s not a bad proposition.”

I get it, so familiars exist to serve their masters.

“By the way my familiar is–”

Out of Cercer’s hand came something I at first thought was smoke, but out of it grew the wings of a hairy dog. 

A dog eared girl having a dog for a familiar seems a bit strange…

“Hel-roof I’ll do my best today arf”

The dog familiar spoke.

//TN: The familiar made a pun on Konichiwa, saying konichiwan, wan being the generic Japanese dog sound.

“I think you’re going to get someone like this guy. By the way, he can also make tea and copy books. Was there anything else in particular you could do Gelgel?”

“Three years ago, winner kingdom chess championship arf”

“He can do a lot!”

“We counted the prize money as profit for the company”

Does that really belong to the company…

“Well, him being good at chess is a bit out of the ordinary, if you happen to summon a familiar like this please make a contract with it.”

“If that does happen, won’t it take my soul…?”

That’s my biggest worry at the moment. 

A contract, I was expecting that word to eventually come up since we are dealing with black magic.

“It’s okay. Our company pays the familiar a wage.”

“You can pay them instead!?”

“40 silver a month arf”

“Even though he’s only prez’s familiar, he gets that much!”

By the way, if you find a job as a magic school graduate here in the royal capital, the typical starting wage is only around 20 silver a month. 

However, the value of just graduating from magic school is pretty good. Someone who doesn’t have that accreditation and wants to work in a magic related job, say, someone whose parent was a wizard and taught them magic, has a pointlessly hard time finding a job, and if they do find one it’s only about 13 silver a month.

“Well, for a new person like Franz, if you get a familiar it’s wage would probably be 10 silver a month. The specific amount is negotiated with the familiar.”

Saying that Cercer opened the book to a page and set it on the table.

A black magic incantation. It’s written in a special language. We only learned a little bit in class, but if it’s just this I can read it.

“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…”

“Wow! You sure know your stuff! You understood how to pronounce the incantation right away, you must be in the top 10% of students!”

“My grades weren’t half bad”

TLC note: The literal translation is Enri Panra Hirundirke Gigu Ranfa

To be frank if it’s just my grades, I would be well above average but not the best.

My teachers also thought it strange that I was having such a hard time finding work.

However, when looking for a job, there is a big emphasis on communication skills… 

I have the ability to diligently study for whatever’s on a test, but I am inept at saying something that will impress during an interview.

I want to say it has nothing to do with being a wizard.  I mean does having good communication skills mean you can use magic?! If communication is so important to finding a job, why don’t they make more classes about it! Shoot, I’m getting a little too heated here…

“It looks like you can read it, so you’ll probably get how to do this. Please stand above the magic formation while holding the staff and recite the incantation.”

“Since I’m not really used to drawing magic formations, won’t this be a bit hard?”

“If that’s the case we can do a short cut. The carpet in this room becomes a magic formation.”

Indeed taking another look, in the middle of a circle strange patterns had appeared that made the floor look like it has eyes.

“Okay, then, I present to you this staff”

The bat staff was passed over to me.

“It’ll probably take you a month to summon a familiar, but please try it in your free time too. Even if you still haven’t summoned one by the time we hire you, please don’t worry, you’re still a proper employee. New employee training is an essential part of this company.”

“Can I give it a try now?”

“Please, have at it.”

Well, might as well give it a practice run, if something weird were to happen, it’s best that prez’ is right here to teach me.

I held the staff while moving over the magic formation and chanted.

“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…”

TLC note: The literal translation is Enri Panra Hirundirke Gigu Ranfa

There upon — the magic formation began emitting light all of a sudden.

“It… it can’t be, it worked right away!?”

Prez’ spat out.

Not knowing what is happening, I cover my eyes with the hand not holding the staff but can’t block it all.

Then, out of the fading light–

Floated a demon maiden wearing clothes that emphasize her breasts to a terrifyingly high degree.