The monster was a wolf.
Not a Dire Wolf. Not a Shadowfang Alpha. Just… a wolf. Bigger than normal, sure, but still recognizably "early-game threat."
Kazuto gripped his iron sword.
"It's growling," he said.
Excellent observation, I replied. That is what wolves do when they intend violence.
Lira stepped forward slightly. "Remember. Don't swing wildly. Let it commit first."
Kazuto nodded. He immediately swung wildly.
The wolf dodged.
Predictable, I said.
The wolf lunged. Kazuto yelped, stumbled backward, and barely blocked with his sword. Metal rang. His arms vibrated painfully.
"Okay," he panted. "Okay. This is harder than the slime."
Everything is harder than the slime, I said. That's why it exists.
Lira moved to flank—
—and a sudden flash of light exploded between them and the wolf.
"—BY THE SEVENTY-TWO SYLLABLES OF ARCANE STRUCTURE—"
A girl's voice echoed dramatically through the clearing.
Everyone froze.
The wolf froze.
Kazuto blinked. "…Is someone casting?"
Oh no, I said quietly. It's one of these.
A young woman stood atop a rock, staff raised high. Robes. Long hair. Coke bottle glasses so thick that her eyes were barely visible. Very serious expression. She was glowing faintly.
"—I INVOKE THE FIRST CIRCLE OF FLAME—"
The wolf looked at Kazuto.
Kazuto looked at the wolf.
"…How long does this take?" he whispered.
Lira squinted. "Depends on the mage."
"—LET MANA FLOW UNINTERRUPTED—"
Ah, I said. Verbal component dependency. Full incantation. No shortcuts.
The wolf growled, clearly unsure whether to attack or be polite.
Kazuto lowered his sword slightly. "Should we… wait?"
Lira hesitated. "It would be rude not to."
The mage continued.
"—AND BY THE CONTRACT OF ELEMENTAL PERMISSION—"
Kazuto glanced at the wolf again. "…Do you think it's rude to interrupt her?"
The wolf tilted its head.
This is the most civilized fight we've had so far, I noted.
Finally—
"—FIREBOLT!"
A small fireball shot forward and hit the wolf square in the side.
The wolf yelped, singed but very much alive.
"…That's it?" Kazuto asked.
The mage gasped, immediately slumping. "Hah… hah… I need… a moment…"
Of course you do, I said.
The wolf took advantage of the moment and charged.
Kazuto panicked, stepped forward, and swung.
This time, the sword connected.
The wolf fell.
Silence followed.
The mage stared.
"You… finished it," she said faintly.
"Yes," Kazuto said. "While you were… invoking."
She looked genuinely distressed. "But I hadn't reached the descriptive metaphor section yet."
Lira approached her carefully. "You take a long time to cast."
The girl puffed her cheeks. "It's required! If I skip steps, the spell fizzles. Or explodes. Or turns into soup."
"…Soup," Kazuto repeated.
"Once," she admitted.
Her flaw is terminal, I said. I like her already.
She straightened. "I'm Selene. Mage. Scholar of formalized spellcasting. Please don't interrupt my chants."
Kazuto raised a hand. "No one interrupted you."
"…You killed my target."
"Yes."
"…Rudely."
Lira coughed. "You could shorten your incantations."
Selene recoiled. "That's reckless."
So is dying, I pointed out.
She looked around. "Well. Since you saw my spell, tradition dictates I travel with you until narrative justification expires."
Kazuto sighed. "Of course it does."
They walked back toward the village together.
"So," Kazuto said carefully, "how long does a stronger spell take?"
Selene brightened. "Oh! My strongest takes about three minutes."
Kazuto stopped walking.
"…Three minutes?"
"Yes! It's very detailed."
You will never get those three minutes, I said.
Lira smiled faintly. "We'll just protect you while you cast."
Selene nodded seriously. "That's how it's supposed to work."
Kazuto looked at the iron sword in his hand.
Then at the girl who required a full recital before contributing.
"…Narrator?"
Yes.
"Am I allowed to exploit this?"
Oh absolutely, I said. That's what companions are for.
Selene sneezed.
"…Why did the air feel approving just now?"