I Only Summon Amazon Giantesses

Mark smiled sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his head. Tasha’s eyes narrowed sharply as she rose to her feet. Precious remained resting quietly in the corner of the apartment, ready for any sudden emergency, just as before.

”Where have you even been, Mister? You broke your promise and left your sister here all alone. You didn’t even bother checking in about mom.”

Mark understood the reason behind her frustration, though there was little he could do to soften it now. He had left with a clear purpose in mind, hoping to find some real solution to their mother’s condition. Unfortunately, he had come back with nothing to show for it.

”Sorry, I got a little carried away when I stopped by the entertainment center. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone somewhere like that.”

Tasha’s gaze remained fixed on him, arms folding tightly across her chest. ”Your pupils are shrinking. That usually means you’re not telling the truth.”

Mark raised two packaged shopping bags filled with items he had bought, the smile never once leaving his face. ”Would you mind grabbing a refreshment with me instead?”

To be fair, he hadn’t technically lied about visiting the entertainment center, only that it had happened well after clearing the dungeon raid that had taken up most of his night. So, in his own mind at least, his words still counted as true.

Tasha raised an eyebrow. ”Is this supposed to be some kind of joke to you? It’s still early morning.”

”Beat me to it, then,” Mark said, tossing the shopping bag toward her before settling down onto a nearby seat. ”I already said I was sorry. I’ll take over the shift here from now.”

Tasha lingered for a moment, glancing down at the bag she had just caught. It felt reasonably heavy in her hands, and curiosity quickly got the better of her. She hadn’t eaten dinner yet anyway, so it seemed worth checking out.

”Hey, Tasha. There’s something I want to ask you.” Mark turned toward her as she paused, already halfway to leaving. ”Someday soon, I’d really like you to step away from that job with the department. I can’t stand watching you get treated like some puppet under their control. They even forced you into an oath binding your summon to them, practically trapping you both.”

”And starting now, I’m taking over the role of the man of this family. Trust me, I can handle it,” Mark finished firmly.

Tasha studied him quietly for a long moment. ”Just be careful you don’t get carried away simply because you landed a special summon. I made that same mistake once. You’ll learn soon enough.”

”You’re still a student yourself, and yet here you are talking like this. You really need to slow down. Mom’s medical bill is still deep in debt, even accounting for what I bring in from my job. She’s basically hospital property at this point.”

Mark let out a heavy sigh, turning his attention back toward the transparent pod holding their mother. ”As much as I want her bills fully paid off, I don’t want you ending up used the same way dad was. They take advantage of people like you for their own benefit, and on top of that, they barely even pay you fairly for it.”

For a brief moment, Tasha’s expression cracked, tired stress bleeding through despite her best efforts to hide it. Her head dropped slightly. Mark already knew the truth, and deep down, so did she, that she was being used by the authorities like little more than property, simply because of her support class summon. Still, she endured it, knowing it was one of the few ways to help keep their mother alive, teetering as she constantly was on the edge of death.

After a long stretch of silence, Tasha finally lifted her head again. Something deep and complicated stirred behind her eyes. Something close to genuine emotion.

”Just go read your books, Mister,” Tasha said dismissively, turning and walking out of the apartment. Mark let out another tired sigh, watching her figure disappear down the hallway.

Sometimes, a particular scenario crept into his mind uninvited, playing out like some recurring nightmare. The moment, however unlikely, that their mother might actually pass away, leaving the two of them behind as orphans in the world.

***

Three days later, Mark made his way toward the school gate, dressed once again in the standard school jacket, a bag slung casually over his right shoulder. He had chosen not to rush things, deciding instead to stay a few extra days at the hospital with his mother, wanting to properly show her just how much he cared.

He didn’t particularly worry about whatever punishment might follow as a result of that decision. He had already experienced the worst the school could throw at him, a stint in its detention cell, and nothing left seemed capable of topping that.

The moment he reached the entrance, a sleek, red vehicle adorned with two small flags mounted on its hood pulled up smoothly and came to a soft, screeching stop nearby. Its windows were tinted dark enough that he couldn’t make out anyone inside.

He raised his eyebrows as the driver, dressed in a matching red suit, stepped out and opened the rear door, revealing Hermione as she emerged, glowing with her usual radiant presence. Her lustrous hair caught and reflected the soft morning sunlight, her ruby red eyes gleaming beneath it. Mark’s heart gave a sudden, involuntary lurch the moment he recognized her, freezing him mid step, eyes wide.

She had mentioned before that she lived in an apartment just outside the school compound, a privilege tied directly to her family’s status. Still, given the school’s usual policies regarding student responsibility, that particular arrangement might only prove temporary, depending largely on her ongoing behavior and activities.

A few passersby glanced curiously toward the luxurious car and the striking girl who had just stepped out of it, several unable to resist a lingering second look. It wasn’t as though attractive people were rare around campus, but something about the air surrounding her felt distinctly different, effortlessly drawing attention wherever she went.

Hermione’s face lit up the moment she spotted him too. She turned briefly to wave off her driver, who offered a respectful salute before pulling away, then made her way over toward Mark. Given how nobody Mark genuinely considered close friends, having her nearby left him feeling quietly, deeply appreciative.

As she closed the distance between them, he caught the faint, sweet trace of floral perfume drifting from her. Was the scent actually that strong, or was he simply breathing her in a little too eagerly out of sheer nervousness?

A small smile tugged at his lips as they began walking together toward the school’s main entrance, only for a sharp elbow to jab suddenly into his side, drawing a surprised yelp from him. He turned to find her wearing an exaggerated pout.

”You didn’t even bother calling me while you were away, even after I gave you my number. That’s pretty rude, you know.”

Mark blinked several times, the memory suddenly resurfacing. Before requesting his leave from school, he had mentioned the trip to her, and in response, she had offered to exchange contact information so they could stay in touch. Somehow, in the chaos of everything happening at the hospital, that had completely slipped his mind.

He had simply been too consumed with taking care of things for his family to think about much else. It was entirely possible he had even misplaced the paper with her number somewhere, buried among his bags while constantly rummaging for clothes and other supplies.

Mark scratched the back of his head, letting out a nervous, embarrassed chuckle. ”Oh, damn it, I’m really sorry. I was just so caught up dealing with family stuff that it completely slipped my mind.”

”Hmm, fair enough, I suppose. But you can make it up to me by joining my morning jog sometime. I come out to the school compound pretty early most mornings to exercise. It’s actually a lot of fun.” Hermione puffed her cheeks slightly, eyes averted, though it only made Mark chuckle softly in response.

”Sure, no problem. Whenever you want, I’m in.” He smiled as they continued walking side by side along a neatly paved sidewalk, trimmed hedges lining the path through the school compound.

Hermione tightened her grip on the straps of her bag, a warm smile spreading further across her face at his easy response as she drifted a little closer while they walked. Their elbows brushed lightly against one another with each passing step.

Unnoticed by either of them, the same technician from before, now dressed as a gardener, a red cap pulled over his brunette hair, paused mid trim, giant shears still in hand, watching the pair for a long moment before quietly returning to his work.

Glancing down at a small, high tech gauging device resting in his palm, its screen glowing faintly, his eyes narrowed slightly at whatever new reading had just appeared.

”Still a 12.5 Monarch Tier summoner, huh. Well then, have a great day.”

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the Chapter well. I encourage y’all to support the book by gifting golden tickets and special gifts. They are fruitful motivations!