Yugioh Card Summoner CH.345 SC: Cailie

CH.345 SC: Cailie

[Cailie POV]

“Cailie, you are up next.” My manager told .

“... alright.” I wasn’t that excited to sing, but even if I wasn’t, I’d still sing with all of my heart. I know a lot of people had co to hear sing, and I wasn’t going to let them down just because singing wasn’t my favorite thing.

Today, I was going to sing two songs. One was sothing I was taught for my first singing test, and I liked it enough where I didn’t mind singing it on the stage. The other was sothing I wrote mostly myself after I saw Brian in the audience of my performance.

… Well, I didn’t really see him. I just thought I did. Because when I asked my manager to bring him over to my room, I was told that no human had sat in that section of the audience. I even asked Ula about it later when she contacted , and she told that Brian had not been in the city, so it couldn’t possibly be him.

But still, concert after concert, I kept seeing him in the audience. Every ti, I asked my manager if he had actually been there, but every ti, I was told no. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to quit singing. But I also wanted Brian to hear sing before I quit. So I did what I thought might bring Brian here. I wrote a song about us. About how we t. It was sothing I didn’t want to sing in front of anyone else, but when my manager heard the song, she said I just had to sing it, so it beca the second song I sang at the concerts.

And it was liked. Too much. I had known this even before I ever agreed to beco a singer, but the more emotion I put into my voice, the more my voice affects others. It was a curse and a blessing that I was left with.

I suppose I should tell you how that curse ca to be on . It all started that one day, when my sister had finally had enough of .

“I’m sending you to the hallow prison as a punishnt.” My sister said.

“B-B-But why? Wh-wh-what did I do?” I was just barely able to stamr out.

The hallow prison was a place where only the worst of the worst would be sent. There, you’d have to suffer all alone, until you manage to earn your freedom. That is what I knew of it at the ti.

“Exactly. You haven’t done a thing. All of the jobs given to you. Undone. Soone else will always have to do them for you. You. Are. USELESS!” My sister said. “So I’m sending you to the hallow prison. I hope it will turn you into soone that can actually do sothing, instead of just hiding away.”

“B-b-but… what if I .. die?”

“Then that will simply prove that you are useless.” My sister said. Her voice was colder than anything I’ve ever heard, and I think I finally realized just how fed up with she really was.

“I-I-I … what about father? Did he..?”

“He gave the permission to do this. I even conversed with the Great Prabhu Jala, and he agreed that perhaps this will be a good learning experience for you.”

“T-t-the Great Jala?” Even the Great Dragon that guards us agrees that I’m useless. I … maybe I should just …

“Do Not shorten his na.” My sister said. “You do not deserve to.”

“I-I a-a-apologize.”

“Do you have anything more to say?” My sister asked.

“...” I didn’t respond, just weakly shook my head. If both father and the Great Dragon agree that I deserve this, then I do. So the least I can do is not argue about it any more.

After a ritualistic banishnt, I found myself in the hallow prison. It was nothing but a small cave, with a small pedestal at the center of it. In short, a dungeon. I’ve been to a dungeon once before, as we had a dungeon back at ho. It was located under the island of the Great Dragon, and us r-folk often entered it so we could get tributes to the Great Dragon from there.

But I only went into it once. When my mother transferred the position of the Dungeon Master from herself to my sister, making my sister the leader of our clan. I still rember how scared I was. All of those monsters. I just wanted to run and hide, but we kept pushing on.

The core of that dungeon was a lot larger than the one at the hallow prison. It was large enough where you would need both hands to carry it, but the one at the prison would easily fit into one hand.

At the prison, I had a lot of ti to think. … but I still didn’t know what to do. I quickly realized how I could get out. I’d swim out to the lake, catch fish and bring them to the core. Once I get enough, I will be set free.

But I also needed to eat, so I needed enough fish for both my food, and to feed my return. And catching fish isn’t as easy as it sounds. They are so fast, and I only had a long dagger as a weapon. I wasn’t even given a trident or a harpoon. It would be difficult to get that much fish fast. But this was my punishnt, so I was going to do that.

… I wish that optimism would have kept up. Or maybe it was good that it didn’t.

At first, I caught my fish myself. By hand. I needed around one per day for my own food, and I caught anywhere from 2 to 5 more each day to feed to the core. But if I did it this slowly, it would take forever. I needed at least a thousand fish to go back ho, so even if I caught five fish each day, it would still take too long to get ho. I would go crazy being alone for that long.

So I did what I thought was the best. I began attacking the land-folk fisherman. They always had these big nets full of fish, so if I made a small nick into one, I could get a lot of fish at the sa ti. It accelerated the number of fish I get, and I was getting ten tis the fish I was when I was doing it myself.

But the land-folk didn’t seem to like what I was doing. They ca in with guards the next ti, and those guards would jump into the water as soon as I tried to cut the nets. I did manage to cut the nets, but I couldn’t move the fish from them into my own pouch, so it was worthless. At least they couldn’t get to in the dirty waters.

I was afraid I’d have to go back to hunting myself, but I didn’t give up. Day after day, I attempted to cut their nets and get as many fish as I could from them, and while my speed did reduce a bit, I was still better doing this than when I was hunting by myself.

Until that fateful day.

I still rember those tal monsters. They followed to my cave, to the hallow prison. I really thought I was going to die. That was until I saw two land-folk exit the tal monsters.

“No. Don’t Co! You’ll be trapped as well!” I yelled at them. This is a prison, they shouldn’t co here. But it doesn’t seem like they understood , so I kept yelling “Leave!” and “Away!” at them. Until one of them split into two. The water spirit that had blessed him had separated from the man. I had never seen it happen before, but I’ve heard stories. During the history of our clan, a few of us have been blessed by water spirits. This land-folk was just like they had been. Soone with a water spirit’s blessing. Feeling that I had no other choice, I spoke to him.

When he showed his Founder’s Terminal, I rember being terrified. I thought he was a prisoner like I was. But he wasn’t. He was a Founder, like great Aminah had been. And then, without asking for anything in return, the man gave a huge pile of monster corpses. I absorbed all of them into the core, and just like that, I was able to return ho.

It could have been the happy ending, but it wasn’t.

After I got back ho, my sister congratulated . She was so amazed that I got back ho that quickly, and was ready to throw a celebration for . … only until she heard how I got out. When she heard I was helped by land-folk and got out without suffering my proper punishnt, she got extrely angry. The angriest I’ve ever seen her. She used a whip made with Water Magic to beat , despite begging for rcy, and in the end, she sent right back to the hallow prison, saying that if I cheated my way out again, she would end .

I was right back where I started before the human. Actually, I was even worse as the progress I made before his arrival had been lost and I was injured from the whipping. I was really at rock bottom.

I didn’t know what to do. If I was like this, I would never be able to catch all the fish I need to return. I knew there was only one way out. I needed that person’s help again. The human blessed by the water spirit. So I swam around the lake, close to the shore, trying to spot him. And perhaps because I was lucky or maybe it was fate, I found him and got help. He and his companions helped out of the water and healed . It felt so nice. He ca with back to the hallow prison, and sohow he was able to free , without sending back ho.

The two days I spent with him were so amazing. I never knew how nice land-folk could be. Back at ho, it was just us the Nixie clan, as well as a small clan of lizard-folk that lived on the island. I’d never seen a human, nor their town. They really had a lot of things we just didn’t have.

But it was also painful being with Brian. Because he didn’t live in the water, I was struggling a bit. Thankfully Brian, Alice and Lucia could all use water magic, so they helped stay moist.

Then ca the day I separated from Brian. I knew he couldn’t keep taking care of forever, and I was ready to move on. I think I had finally realized what my sister was trying to teach . And Brian was going to take sowhere where I could show what I had learned.

We used so sort of an airship. I had heard about them from the Great Dragon, but I’d never seen one. It was really amazing. And it moved even faster than the Great Dragon. … thought maybe the Great Dragon didn’t move at maximum speed when he gave us a flight on our fifteenth birthday.

Brian took to a strange place in the middle of a huge forest. It had a few treants around, so I was a bit scared, but Brian showed that they were under his control so I got out of the airship, carried in his arms. Brian explained to that this place was his dungeon and he could control the monsters in his dungeon, that is how he controlled the treants. I never saw my sister or mother control the monsters inside the dungeon close to our ho.

Brian then magically made a bunch of things appear and gave them all to . It included a bracelet that would keep my body moist when I wasn’t in water, but I also got clothes and a wheelchair. Though Brian said he would take the wheelchair back after I no longer needed it.

With all of that gotten, we again entered the airship.

The next ti we stopped, we were above a huge city. It was so large I didn’t know how you wouldn’t get lost in there all the ti. I then thought I got us into trouble, because a group of bird-folk ca to our airship, but Brian reassured that it was his fault. But with the help of the bird-folk, we were able to get to the city.

I almost wish I never entered that city, as that is where I had to say goodbye to Brian. And that led to my days of living in the Hero’s country.

My first days were full of excitent and many new things. With so help from Miss Ula, I was asked to try out many jobs to figure out what was suitable for . Because I lacked any good skills, my job would have to be sothing simple. I knew I had one skill that could help , but I refused to use it because I didn’t deserve to have it.

Charming Voice. It was a skill I obtained when I returned ho from the hallow prison. I don’t know why I got it, and I actually thought I couldn’t even use it, because it didn’t work on Brian or his companions. But in the city, it worked. If I wanted, I could sweet-talk my way out of trouble using that skill. But it felt wrong, so I never used it.

Until I found a job I liked. It was working as a herb dealers' assistant. And she taught that the herbs grow better if you speak to them, hum to them or sing to them. So I began using my skill to hopefully make the herbs grow well.

But because of that, soone heard my singing and I was drafted to join a talent agency. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it, but then I thought about Brian. I wanted Brian to be proud of what I had done in this city, so I began to sing in front of people. At first I was extrely nervous, but because of my Charming Voice, no one would focus on my mistakes, so I cald down. But using that skill was also a mistake, as those that heard my song would want to hear more. The agency called an overnight star. But I knew the truth. Like in the hallow prison, I had cheated. If my sister was here, she would beat up.

But I also couldn’t stop. Not until Brian ca and heard my song. That was what I decided, even if I would have to cheat.

It wasn’t always fun, but I had the determination to go through with it. Until the visions began.

I hated the visions more than anything else. I know what I saw, but what I saw was just my imagination. My wishes, my hopes. It wasn’t real.

Until that one day. After my second song, as I was showing my gratitude again, I saw him again. Brian. He was sitting in the audience with Miss Ula. It wasn’t the first ti I’d seen an illusion of Brian next to Ula, who had actually been in the audience. But just like the tis before, I knew that Brian wasn’t real, so I quickly dove into the water so I could escape my own hallucination.

Only for Brian to really appear in my dressing room just a bit later.

It felt amazing seeing him again. No. Feeling him again. I saw him plenty in my dreams, but I could never touch him, feel him, sll him. Having his arms carry . It felt amazing. I’d missed it, without even knowing I’d missed it. I don’t even rember a lot of what happened that evening, as I was on cloud nine. But I do rember asking sothing from Brian. I asked if I could go with him. Go on adventures with him. And he said yes. He allowed to co back. I had done my punishnt and I was no longer useless.

From now on, I will never be useless again.

The next day, I left the city. Being held in Brian’s arms, we teleported out of there. I didn’t know Brian could use teleportation magic, but it was Brian, so it wasn’t that strange.

After the teleportation, for just a second, I saw a strange room. It was like it was made of tal, and I think it had a dungeon pedestal in the center. The core on it looked very large, and it shone in a rainbow of colors. But just as I was trying to figure out where we were, we must have teleported again, as a new place ca to my vision.

It looked like an office. It, like the last room, had a dungeon pedestal with a large core on it. But this one didn’t shine that rainbow light. The room also had a few desks, and one person. He was quite scary-looking, as he was tall and dressed in a black cloak.

Spoiler

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The room Brian gave was a much nicer version of the room the talent agency had given . It had floors slightly covered in water for easy movent and a deep pool. It also had an attached bathroom where I had a separated bathtub. I don’t really know why Brian would give a bathtub, as washing my skin can be dangerous, as it will clean away the protective layer I have on my skin. But Brian explained that he had special soap for that wouldn’t wash it off, so because of that, I had a bathtub. I didn’t even know soap like that existed. No one in the Hero’s country told about such a thing. The only part of us that we, r-folk, would clean is our hair. And even that was rare, so having my own bathtub and special soap felt strange.

But if Brian wants to wash myself, I will do just that.

That evening, I exited my room in a new wheelchair Brian had made for . It was strange that he called it a wheelchair, even though it had no wheels. It worked with magic, and would levitate above the ground. It was also large enough where my tail comfortably fit on it, and wasn’t dangling like it was with the previous wheelchair. I wonder how Brian could make sothing like this that fast? Or had he made this beforehand? And if he had, why would he?

Using the floating wheelchair, I headed for Brian’s room. There was sothing I wanted to ask him before I went to sleep. I knew the way there, as Brian had shown it to when he was giving the tour, and he even said I could co and bother him if anything was wrong.

So I did just that. After knocking on the door of Brian’s room, the door opened by itself and Brian invited in.

His room was… it was sothing else. It was a massive room with an equally massive bed. But I suppose soone owning a place like this should have a bed that size.

Brian himself was dressed in so sort of pajamas, so he was probably about to go to bed.

“Cailie, did you need sothing?” Brian asked.

“... yes. I wanted to ask sothing.” I told him.

“Alright, ask away.”

“... did you take here because of my voice?”

“... no? Why would I?”

“... so you don’t know about my Charming Voice?”

“Oh, so you do have sothing like that. Is it an extra skill, or unique?” Brian asked.

“... what?”

“I did realize you had a voice based skill during your concert.” Brian said. “I just wasn’t sure what skill it exactly was. So is it an extra skill or a unique skill?”

“... extra.” I answered. “But… aren’t you mad? I … I used that skill on you. And made you bring here.”

“Well, not really. I’m almost unaffected by that skill actually.” Brian told .

“... how?”

“Level difference, most likely. It does make your voice sound a bit more beautiful and you voice carries a bit of mana when you use it, so I can tell when you are using it, but I can tell you that it doesn’t really affect any more than that.”

“... are you angry?”

“No. I’m not. Cailie. You have done well, and I’m not angry. I’m happy that you finally have so determination. You know what you want, and you aren’t afraid to go for it. And I want you to keep living that way, okay?”

“... alright, I will. … can I start right now?” Cailie asked.

“Yes. Go for it.”

“B-B-Brian! I love you! Would you also love !?” I blurted out.

…

…

…

Brian took a while to respond, so I got a bit scared. He was rejecting without words, wasn’t he? Just as I was about to turn and float away, he spoke to .

“It isn’t so simple, Cailie.” He said. “... co here.” As he said that, my wheelchair began to move even though I wasn’t moving it. I ended up right next to Brian, who had sat down on a chair.

“If it was the old , I’d have refused you.” Brian said. “But ever since Lua and Laura opened up, I’ve been … well, more open to the entire harem idea. So I don’t want to reject you. I think you are lovely and I wouldn’t mind having you as my girlfriend and maybe even my wife. But it isn’t just about anymore.” Brian told , before he spoke up. “Lua, you can co in now.” He called towards a side door that I thought led to a bathroom or maybe a walk-in closet.

From it, in walked soone I hadn’t seen all day, even with Brian showing around, but I did know her. She was the water magician that traveled with Brian, Miss Lucia, or Lua.

“Cailie. I’m already in a relationship with Lua. And not just her. Also with Alice.” Brian said. “And while I don’t mind you joining in, it isn’t just about . It is about them as well. The two of them have dealt with their differences and have agreed to share . So if you can convince the two of them that you can work with them, I will accept you with open arms. … but if not, then I hope you can find soone else to love you. Is this fine?”

“I … I … I’ll do my best. Thank you, Brian. You as well, Lua.”

“Good. Now I think it is about ti we go to sleep. I’ll take you back to your room.” Brian told .

He took a hold of my floating wheelchair and teleported us back to my room. He then lifted onto my bed, before putting the wheelchair into its dedicated spot.

“Good night, Cailie.” Brian said.

“Good night.” I responded, and then Brian disappeared from my room, probably teleporting back to his room.

I … I may have overco my feeling of uselessness, but now I have a new bigger challenge ahead of . Alice and Lua will be formidable opponents, but I know I can overco them and earn my spot by Brian’s side.