Chapter 2- Summoning failure?

"As soon as the magic circle is constructed and checked, you may begin your summoning. Please begin ────."

As the summoning process was about to begin, my classmates began to build the magic circle.

They formed the magic letters and numbers as if they were weaving them together with the threads of magic power from their fingertips.

Even though they knew the success rate was low, they couldn't give up hope and they threw themselves into practice with uncanny vigor.

I turned my palms upward, admiring the energy of the people.......

Since there was no need to show off my abilities anymore due to the gym festival, I leisurely started building.

Thinking of the magic circle I had already memorized, I proceeded to draw it smoothly with multiple threads.

As I completed the magic circle, I could hear a few voices around me in the midsummer heat.

When I looked up, I saw some of my classmates slumped down in the dark.

It seems that the summoning technique failed. Well, the summoning technique depends on the luck of the day and the mood of the summoned, so I guess it can't be helped. I think you have to try again and again without giving up.

“Huh. ...... It won't work the first time, will it?”

"Let's try it again. We have plenty of time.”

"Yes. It only takes a true genius to get it right the first time.”

“We'll just have to stick with it until we succeed.”

Encouraging each other, they began to build the magic circle once again.

I'd like to have friends like that too, I thought enviously as I looked down at my hand.

I carefully checked the completed magic circle for any flaws and slowly poured magic power into it.

I have more confidence in my magical skills and knowledge than anyone else, but there are many unknowns in the art of summoning. To be honest, I have very little confidence in my ability to succeed.

The people around me were glued to the magic circle as it gradually took on a glow.

Having mastered even the art of prayer, do I also have talent as a summoner? they wondered.

The magic circle, having reached the prescribed amount of magic power, emitted a pale light and activated the summoning technique. Someone gulped nervously.

I'm not certain what the fate will be──── whether a demon will come out or a snake will come out.... or whether nothing will come out.

"──── What? Huh.....! Wait.....! What’s this ......?”

I couldn't believe my eyes when I was confronted with this situation and I couldn't help but shout that in my natural tone of voice.

As my eyes widened, one of my classmates let out a small scream.

The reason for this is because there are several human and animal hands crawling out of the magic circle for summoning......

In the face of what can only be considered a horror scene, many students expressed confusion and fear.

What ......? Why the hands! I'm not sure what to say. It means that the summoning technique was successful. ......! But I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a creature with only hands in any illustrated book. ......! Not to mention spirits and even holy beasts......! I don't think it's a demon that's rarely summoned...? No, even if it is, it's too crazy!

A large number of hands crawled up to my elbows, and I lowered my eyebrows, What should I do?

When I wandered my eyes as if to ask for help in the noisy classroom ────my eyes suddenly met with Bianca-sensei who was sitting on the ground.

“Oh, I've never seen anything like that before. ...... What the hell is that? I mean! Charlotte-san, you need to undo the summoning right now! You will be deported if you don’t!”

"Yes......!"

I nodded at Bianca-sensei's voice as she came to me and hurriedly released the summon.

Once the magic circle for summoning was erased, the large number of hands disappeared like a flash of light.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the horrific scene, which was much more frightening than the ghost stories I'd heard around here, subsided.

A few students fell down dazedly, as if relieved by the loss of tension.

What the hell was that...? A new kind of monster made of many hands or.....? No, there seemed to be a wide variety of hands for that.....

Thinking back to the horrible scene I had just witnessed, I shuddered.

Perhaps it was because I was so chilled that I forgot all about the heat of mid-summer. In a way, this might be the best way to cool off. ......

"...... Charlotte-san, I'm sorry to bother you, but the magic circle was not flawed, was it?"

Bianca-sensei slowly stood up as she asked this question with a tone of voice that exuded confidence.

She dusts off her clothes and turns her orange eyes toward me.

Her expression was stiff, as if she was still upset, but she hadn't lost her cool.

“Yes, I did check before it went off, so I don't think there were any flaws. In fact, it worked fine without any outbursts....."

There are two types of failures to activate magic, not just sorcery: outbursts or no reaction at all. Occasionally, a misspelling or miscalculation will coincide with another magic circle and it will trigger it, but ...... that is extremely rare.

I can't say that my memory is absolutely correct, but there was no flaw in the magic circle. I poured the magic power slowly so that it wouldn't fail and I don't think there was any problem activating it. At the very least, I followed the instructions in the textbook. So why did It go wrong....?

While eyes were focused on me as I pondered in agony, one of my classmates quickly raised her hand.

"Excuse me, may I have a word?"

That said, it was Emilia-sama, the class president, who stood up from her seat.

Her expression tightened as she shook her smooth, swell-less ponytail.

In a classroom engulfed in a whirlpool of confusion, she was the only one with a resolute attitude looking ahead.

“It's fine. Is there something wrong?"

Bianca-sensei asked in a cheerful voice, as if to change the atmosphere of the place.

After receiving permission to speak safely, Emilia suddenly turned her attention to me

"Regarding Charlotte-san's summoning magic, is it possible that ──── multiple summons responded to the call and appeared, resulting in the exit being jammed?"

I opened my eyes wide at the hypothesis that she had come up with after throwing away all preconceptions.

The idea of thinking of that large number of hands not as a single organism, but as multiple organisms, was truly eye-opening.

As the classroom fell silent, Bianca-sensei, standing on the podium, put her hand on her chin and pondered.

"Indeed, it is theoretically possible to call multiple summons.... In fact, there are several summoners who have called multiple spirits and holy beasts ......But even that was limited to the three entities. If Emilia-san's hypothesis is correct, then Charlotte-san has summoned more than a dozen summons..... This is a situation that has never been heard of.

Bianca-sensei, who is talking to herself, shakes her head as if to say "impossible", and holds down her forehead.

But she never completely denied it, because she couldn't find any other viable theory.

It is true now that I think back, there were hands that looked like unicorn paws and red wings that looked like phoenixes ....... I was so upset at the time that I didn't notice them. ......

“I don't know what to say, Charlotte-san is just too amazing......”

“Sometimes I wonder if we're really the same age.”

“It would be more fitting if she said she was actually a witch who lived for a thousand years.”

"I can see that."

My classmates who agreed with the boys opinion had indescribable expressions on their faces.

They have a somewhat distant look in their eyes, and for some reason I'm convinced that they’re thinking “well, it's Charlotte-san”.

I couldn't help but feel that I had been identified as a dangerous person, but I was afraid to confirm the truth, so I didn't pursue the matter.

Sometimes, it's better not to know. So I didn't ask any questions.

As I turned away to escape reality, Bianca-sensei clapped her hands as if she was trying to settle the situation.

“For now, you can all continue with your summoning techniques. Charlotte-san......"

As she cut her words there, Bianca-sensei looked somewhat apologetic.

"Please standby by and refrain from using summoning techniques. If that hand is more than one summon, I won't be able to handle it by myself if something happens.”

“It's out of my hands," she confessed, and lowered her eyebrows.

She shrugged her shoulders, apologizing for being a disappointing teacher and I shook my head full-fledged.

“I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to experience the art of summoning, but I have no objection. It's true that if multiple summons were to go on a rampage all at once, it would be a big problem.”

Not being that concerned about summoning techniques, I readily accept Bianca-sensei's offer.

I smiled at her to wipe away the teacher's guilt, and she patted her chest in relief.

Now I can take a break during class with impunity! It's all good!

But Bianca-sensei thanked me for understanding.

──── Thus, I was officially banned from using summoning techniques.

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