Chapter 605: She Chooses Nyra

Hajin sat beside the garden pond and scattered toasted oats for the carp while Vella hovered at his shoulder.

Hajin tipped the last oats from his palm, leaving room on the bench as Vella came down beside him to watch the carp.

She watched the ripples spread across the water, then chose to tell him what she learned about Nyra in the workshop.

"She spent nearly two hours in the workshop yesterday," the spirit maiden remarked softly, her voice carrying a playful lilt.

"Sava said the girl tested several sounds before settling on something that felt right."

"A person ought to take their time when picking what they answer to," the young summoner replied with a calm smile.

A soft crunch of footsteps announced an arrival, and both of them looked up to see the young child walking toward the pond.

She held her folded practice scrap tightly against her wool coat, her posture straight and her chin held with quiet resolve.

"Master Hajin, can you listen to something before you open any system screens?" she requested, standing three paces away.

"No screens," the young lord promised immediately, setting his bag of oats upon the flat top of the boundary wall.

"I am listening with both ears, little one... tell me whatever is on your mind."

The child took a deep breath, unfolding the paper scrap with steady fingers before holding it out for him to inspect.

Upon the rough parchment, a charcoal sketch of a small songbird sat perched upon a willow branch beside four carefully lettered characters.

"Nyra," she said aloud, her voice ringing clear and steady through the quiet courtyard.

"I want my name to be Nyra!"

A warm, delighted smile spread across the summoner’s face as he looked down at the neatly drawn characters.

"Nyra," he repeated softly, letting the sound echo in the morning breeze with genuine appreciation.

"It sounds like fresh morning wind stirring across a peaceful valley... an extraordinary, beautiful name!"

"Where did the letters come from?" Vella asked gently, drifting closer to admire the bird sketch.

"I tried saying other words first," the girl explained, pointing to the margins where faint erased smudges remained.

"One sounded like broken twigs, and another sounded like soldiers shouting at an iron gate."

"When I spoke this one in the empty workshop, it felt like putting on a clean sweater that fit my shoulders."

Across the courtyard, Sava walked over from the archive corridor, carrying a fresh ink brush and an official province record.

"Sava, can you spell it back to me?" the young girl asked, turning toward the archivist with eager anticipation.

"N-Y-R-A," the archivist recited crisply, smiling as he knelt down beside the small girl.

"Four clean letters, perfectly balanced and completely free of cumbersome clutter."

"Look at the spacing," Nyra pointed out, tapping the charcoal letters with her index finger.

"I made the loop on the letter R slightly wider so the bird has room to perch above it!"

"That is excellent artistic balance," the archivist approved with a respectful nod.

"When we enter it into the permanent province rolls tomorrow, I will ensure the ink preserves that exact flourish."

Hajin leaned forward, resting his forearms against his knees so he remained at eye level with the young girl.

"Now that you have chosen your name, Nyra, we need to review the terms we discussed yesterday," he stated in a clear, steady voice.

"Permanent integration records you as bloodline kin of the Sixth Province and the sovereign household."

"It grants you the absolute protection of the Sanctuary, meaning nobody can ever seize you or drag you away."

"However, I want you to remember what I said before."

"Kinship does not make you a soldier, it does not give anyone authority to command you, and it never obliges you to fight."

"You will never stand on a battlefield, and you will never receive military orders from me or anyone else."

"Do you understand what those terms mean?"

Nyra nodded firmly, her bright gaze unwavering as she looked directly into the summoner’s eyes.

"I understand completely," she answered without hesitation, clutching her drawing securely against her chest.

"I want the protection, and I want to be part of this house."

"Can we do the official registration tomorrow morning... after breakfast?"

"Tomorrow morning it is," the young lord agreed warmly, extending his hand for a firm, respectful handshake.

"We shall gather the household as witnesses, and we will record your name in the permanent annals of the territory."

Nyra shook his hand with a proud, beaming grin, her eyes dancing with joyful relief.

"I am going to show Tessa my drawing!" she declared cheerfully, spinning around on her heels.

"She promised to bake honey rolls if I found a name that made me smile!"

The young girl sprinted toward the manor kitchen, her laughter trailing behind her like a cheerful morning song.

Hajin followed her toward the kitchen archway, arriving just in time to see Tessa kneeling on the flagstones.

The senior cook wiped flour from her hands onto her apron before wrapping both arms around the excited girl.

"Nyra!" the older woman beamed, inspecting the charcoal songbird with glistening eyes.

"What a magnificent, sweet name... you picked the finest sound in the entire kingdom, little one!"

Tessa opened the iron oven door with a padded cloth, retrieving a tray of golden, steaming honey rolls glazed with melted sugar.

"Here is the very first pastry, still bubbling from the hearth... baked specially for our newly named girl!"

Nyra took the honey roll, blowing softly on the sweet crust before taking a delighted bite that left sugar on her nose.

The stream filled with messages about Nyra’s choice, and Earth viewers sent credits earmarked for the household’s quiet ceremony.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "Nyra picked her own name, and Sava will get to write it down tomorrow. I am crying!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "Lord Hajin explaining the non-military terms again shows how deeply he respects her agency!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "Tessa baking honey rolls for Nyra is the wholesome content that heals my weary soul!" ]

Loccy bounded into the kitchen with Juna right behind her, both drawn by the irresistible scent of caramelized cinnamon and honey.

"Did she choose Nyra?" the rabbit maiden asked with wide, sparkling eyes, twitching her ears with excitement.

"She did," the summoner smiled, leaning against the doorframe while watching the girls swarm the pastry tray.

"And she chose it entirely on her own terms, without a single person pushing her."

"Then tomorrow we officially celebrate our newest little sister!" the wolf vanguard declared, offering a rare, gentle smile as she ruffled the girl’s curls.

Loccy immediately snatched two steaming pastries from the cooling rack, juggling them between her palms with frantic yelps of delight.

"Hot, hot, hot... delicious but so incredibly hot!" the rabbit maiden squealed, blowing on her fingers before shoving half a roll into her mouth.

"Nobody told you to grab them straight off the iron, you greedy rabbit!" the wolf girl scolded with an amused roll of her golden eyes.

Nyra broke her own roll in half, stepping over to the doorframe and holding out the sweet pastry toward the young summoner.

"Here, Master Hajin," she offered with a shy grin, "you listened to my letters, so you get half of my celebration treat!"

"I would be honored," he replied with a laugh, accepting the sweet pastry and taking a generous bite of the caramelized crust.

Sitting together around the busy kitchen, sharing fresh food and quiet laughter, the family felt closer and more unified than ever before.

The household spent the remainder of the sunny afternoon organizing the witnessing seals and preparing for tomorrow’s quiet ceremony.