Chapter 2 - I Hate Chess, Golems and the Military
A week had passed after the Summoning Ceremony. The last class for the day had gone to a close, and Claire was still trying to shake away the daze that came with absorbing so much information. Oddly enough, she hadn't seen the treasonous dog of hers that went by the name of Sieg the whole day. For some reason it found leaving her in the morning without consent to be appropriate! Stupid dog. He knew all too well that he had yet to recover from the wounds that Krieger's ogre had given him, and yet he was already prancing around as though nothing had happened.
Claire felt some anger bubble in her chest, but it soon turned into concern. What if more grievous harm came to her familiar? Would he be able to protect himself? As she walked, her brows knotted in worry, her attention was drawn towards a conversation which she noticed was about her familiar.
"The redheaded commoner was really strong, wasn't he? Cassandra said she was going to steal him…"
Eyes widening, she quickly ran for it, hoping she wasn't too late in keeping her all too perverted familiar from falling for the blonde's womanly wiles. She checked the gardens: nothing. She checked the hallways: nothing. As her mind puzzled where her familiar could possibly be, she realized that he might have been hungry, and decided to check the dining room. Running down the stairs as fast as she could muster, even jumping down the last two steps, she almost sighed in relief when he saw her familiar eating… until she saw who was giving him what to eat.
"Hankth!" He realized he was speaking with his mouth full, and swallowed to try again. "Thanks! Claire only gives me stale bread to eat."
"Are you serious? But bread does not nearly provide the proper nutrition for a growing man like you!" In an exaggerated incredulous pose, the one who spoke was none other than the stupid princess of Germania, the blonde Cassandra. "You know, I thought it was interesting how you were strong enough to fight off that lava ogre… It was so hot how you almost tore it to pieces."
"Oh, that? That was nothing! The ogre that will defeat Siegfried Zweihander has yet to be born!" He pumped his chest in pride as he started to chomp on another Cassandra-cookie, making Claire grit her teeth in annoyance. The nerve of him! He abandons his master, then goes outside to brag to others like this… And to Cassandra, of all people!
Speaking of whom, the dark-skinned beauty had opened up a button on her shirt, exposing even more of her inhuman cleavage. "My, oh my. You seem so hungry. Maybe you'd be more satisfied after having… me?"
That was the last straw.
"That's enough!" Claire disrupted the scene and held Sieg by the ear, pulling him off the table.
"B-but I'm not done with the cookies!" And her familiar had a face thick enough to complain! It was so very clear that he was flirting. Why does he react like he's not at fault?
"Here, you can eat it you!" The blonde passed the paper bag filled with warm cookies to the familiar, who accepted them with a nod. Of course, this showing only served to piss off the pink haired girl even more.
Along the way, Claire forcefully extracted the packet of cookies from her familiar's hand and dropped it in a bin, which annoyed Sieg quite a bit. The girl entered a horse stable, dragging her now uncooperative familiar along. Finding a horse with a decent mane, Claire tried to pull at its reins with all her might, urging it to follow her outside, but the proud being would not budge. After one strong but futile tug, she lost her grip and fell flat on her butt on a pile of straw, quite tired. In hindsight, though, she thought it was obvious. How could she, a barely-five-foot tall girl expect to prevail in a power struggle against an animal of6'5"? No, this wasn't the time to let her height complex dissuade her! She pushed herself up, but as soon as she was preparing for another round, her familiar spoke up.
"Pull all you want, but she won't follow you. "Sieg stood up and wiped away the grime from the back of his pants.
"She?" Claire was surprised by the way her familiar addressed the being. "It's just a horse!"
"She's a girl, you stubborn badger. Here, I'll do it."
Sieg filled a hand with some hay and offered it to the mare, which gladly ate what was being offered. He petted it around the head and neck, patting and stroking it to accustom the horse to his feel, and when he led the being out of the stable, it complied without hesitation. The animal shot Claire a look that said "and that's how it's done", which made her think about which punishment would be appropriate for a familiar out-showing its master.
Sieg gently attached a saddle on the steed and sat on it, then pulled Claire by the hand and onto his a kick, the horse began to gallop at high speeds, and the pair rode like the wind. Sieg occasionally asked his mistress for directions, which he followed faithfully, skillfully directing the horse towards their destination like he was born with the ability to do so. Claire always had some trouble with horses that weren't her father's, so the experience was a fresh one. The boy's red hair flew backwards as they weaved through the wind, and the girl could not help but think that it looked really beautiful. She brutally squashed those thoughts as soon as she noticed them. Her familiar's line of thought wasn't much different, though, and as soon as he perceived her mistress's incandescent blush, he decided to worsen it.
"I haven't had the opportunity to say it, but I think you're really pretty, Claire." He said this with a dashing smile that would have sent any adolescent maiden up to cloud nine.
"O-Of course! I 'm your mistress, and it is natural for the familiar to find the master charming. However, I'm prohibiting you from saying such things to other women!"
"Even Cassandra?"
"Especially Cassandra! Actually, scratch that previous command. You can give compliments to any other girl buther!"
As the city came into view, Sieg slowed their approach to avoid any unfortunate mishaps, and continued to ride slowly into the capital's streets. Claire seemed to be looking for something, judging by the way she scanned the vicinity, as she directed him towards increasingly narrow streets. An odd left turn later and Claire finally told him to stop, and they found themselves in an alley, in front of a weapons shop. They disembarked, and Sieg tied the mare to a pole next to the store before entering. Inside, they were attended to by a mustachioed beaver-like man.
"Good day, sir. My father, Saito Chevalier de Hiraga, specifically recommended this shop, so I promptly decided to give it a visit." Claire declared her father's name with a hint of pride, and the store attendants seemed to straighten after hearing the duke's name. "If you may be so kind as to show us your latest selection of swords which would best equip my familiar, then I would find it extremely helpful."
"You know, Claire, my sword still has a lot of fight in it. You don't need to splurge gold for a new one." Sieg thought it was best to speak up before her master decided to invest on something not worth her money. However, Claire had a look on her which told Sieg that whatever he would say to argue with her would be refuted.
"Don't lie to me! Anybody can see the cracks on your blade. If you think I'm wrong, then show it to him." Seeing that his master was quite serious about this, he decided to relent, passing the sword to the attendant before she decided to give him another beating.
"Hmm… Let's see here…" the vendor took the sword from the familiar and withdrew it from the sheath. "Ah, as the lady has said, there appears to be some damage on the blade, and the tip seems to be hanging on just barely, but I doubt it would be able to stand another impact. Though, in the first place, swords like these weren't made to withstand pressure, but I see the hallmarks of a master craftsman, which would explain why this sword even lasted this long. Ah, that's enough of my ramblings. Long swords are quite rare, but I think we have just what you need. Can you wait for a moment?" He sheathed the sword and returned it to its owner before leaving to look for the promised replacement in the back room.
Sieg looked rather stunned for a while, having just received a reminder of how his Sensei taught him to properly handle his sword, before regaining his senses. Deciding he'd look bad, not to mention ungrateful, if he didn't say anything, he squeezed out a subdued "thanks Claire."
Claire on the other hand, who was unused to such treatment, looked away, flustered. "D-don't get used to it, familiar. I'll only give you what is necessary."
Much to Claire's relief, the vendor decided to return at that moment, depriving Sieg of his chance to fluster the poor maiden even further. "Here it is!" The attendant placed a sword on the table, and she noticed that it was almost of the same shape as her familiar's sword, notwithstanding her apathy towards swords, nurtured by growing up knowing a talking one. "I found this beauty in the Elven Desert three years ago, give or take a few months, and there never came a swordsman who could use it properly. Maybe this is a fated meeting?"
"Hurry up and see if you like it!" Claire nudged her familiar, who seemed to be trying his best to look nonplussed… and failing.
With a nod, Sieg took the sword upon trembling hands. One hand involuntarily moved across the smooth glossy black sheath, without any sign of deformity. By its texture, he could tell it was made of prime cherry wood. Its handle was just as black, with a cotton band reinforced grip and a metallic butt which he reckoned would hurt as much as any hilt of a heavier sword would. Unsheathing it, he closely examined the blade. Around two and a half feet long, quarter a hand wide, and half a centimeter thin. It was much sharper than his own, shorter, and somewhat more curved. The metal was of such great quality and maintenance that Sieg could see his eyes reflected clear as a mirror. There was no doubt in his mind that he was holding a katana, used by the same samurais that his master had told him tall tales of. It was such a beauty, too! He would have been drooling if he wasn't in public, he admitted to himself mentally with a hint of shame, and mustered some self-control to talk her master out of buying it, despite wanting it so bad.
"Claire…"
"Save it." The girl did not fail to notice the sparkle the familiar was trying to hide from his eyes. "How much will this sword cost?"
"Well, because nobody could use it, nobody would buy it. I already forgot the price. Hmm… But if you throw in that old sword, I could give it to you for maybe five hundred gold."
She took a sidelong glance at Sieg, who might have some lingering sentiments for his old sword, but seeing as he seemed pretty willing, if not eager to relinquish it, she sealed the deal. "All right. Put it in a box, and consider it sold."
Claire paid the vendor in full after Sieg enthusiastically handed him his old sword. They left the store, Sieg all smiles, and rode the mare together, retracing their steps.
Claire felt at peace as she saw her familiar visibly brighten. While it may be true that he was her familiar, he was still the first person to risk himself for her sake, as not even her parents have done that when her grandparents faced her, but the redhead got himself beaten up by a noble's ogre lava… for her.
Sieg was setting a comfortable pace with the mare, as he had something to get out of his chest, and it's not really smart to talk while riding a steed that's galloping at a breakneck speed.
"Thanks for the gift, mistress," he said with his usual dashing smile.
"There's no need for that. It's natural for a master to attend to their familiar's needs. Just… stop paying attention to Cassandra, okay?"
"Hm? A rival?"
"I sometimes get the feeling that she exists to bother me about my grades and my… figure. You see, I can only use basic spells. And as to my figure, well, you've seen it… perverted dog…"
Sieg ignored the last comment, instead focusing on the magic part. "If you want, I can help you. I'm sure that with some hard work, you'll get much better. That's how it was with me."
"Humph. Who gave you the right to speak like an experienced magician? Magic is not as easy as it looks!"
"Hey! Kendo isn't easy, either! If you think you just swing a sword to and fro, then you're badly mistaken."
"I know all too well about swords. I'm even friends with one." She said the second sentence with a hint of irony. But before her familiar could react, she continued. "So what kind of magic is this Kendo of which you speak?"
At that, Sieg gave a light but hearty laugh. "It's a style of sword fighting that my master taught me. I think it came from the same place as your father."
"Really? Then your master and my father must come from the same place!"
"Probably…" the boy smiled sadly, staring far away at something unseen.
"He must be proud to have a student like you." Claire tried to remove her familiar's sad smile with a gentle hug. "You know, I'm only doing this because you might not fight for me properly if you're sad."
"Ah, this makes me much happier…" Trusting the steed not to knock them off the saddle, he slowly returned the hug. Then, the perverted side of him was stupid enough to urge him to touch his master's breasts. "Ah, so happy…"
"What in- where do you think you're touching, familiar?" Claire growled, and then proceeded to punch Sieg, knocking him off the horse and into a mud puddle. Sieg rose soon after, a black eye covering his face. After shaking off the mud, because Claire didn't want to soil herself when they ride again together, Sieg reassumed his seat behind a rather put-off mistress and took off.
With nothing left unsaid, they were soon cruising in full speed, a pace that ensured their return to the Magic Academy before the afternoon tea. Claire smiled at this, and Sieg couldn't help but feel wary. Was it the tea? No, Claire didn't really like tea too much. Unable to take the suspense, he decided to just ask.
"So, uh, Claire, may I ask why you're smiling like that?"
"Because you're going to play chess," the pink-haired girl said simply, which confused the familiar even further. Chess? What does that have to do with anything? And more importantly…
"Chess? You mean that crappy board game with the King, the Queen, and those other pieces? But I don't know how to play it!" Sieg complained.
"Don't worry, it's not like that." Claire's smile evolved into an evil grin! "You'll understand when we get there."
Deciding that asking was counterintuitive, as he was now even more worried than before, he shut his trap. Though he tried to subtly slow down or change course to delay the inevitable, his mistress quickly notices, and she simply gives him a punch and a command to drive properly, which he obeyed with a groan every time. In record time, the pair had returned. As he landed, Sieg started getting butterflies in his stomach… Claire, on the other hand, was grinning grimly.
"Ah, I thought you ran away, Worthless Claire." Cassandra regarded the two as she leaned against a garden tree. She had apparently been waiting for them.
"Why should I flee from your weak little pieces when my familiar could defeat a lava ogre?"
"Whoa, wait a sec! What do those have to do with each other?" Sieg grew even more suspicious by the second. Were chess pieces … monsters in these parts?
"My poor, little Siegfried, what an irresponsible master you have. She didn't even tell you that you will be having a duel with my beloved chess pieces?"
"Wait just a minute. I need to mentally prepare myself for this. Claire, they're not normal pieces, are they?" Sieg, still quite shaken after having a vision about board games played with lava ogres, asked.
"Nope. They are, actually. She just enchants them."
"Yes, my pieces grow and animate themselves to act as real soldiers in battle." Cassandra said with a smug look.
"Oh. That's fine then- no wait, that's just as bad! So this is why you bought me a new sword… I really hate you right now, Claire. You know that?"
"I'll buy you a new mattress if you win," the pink-haired girl made a lifetime deal.
The familiar blinked. He blinked again. Then he grinned and threw the box aside, towards Claire's general direction, and held the new sword at the ready.
"Send as many as you want, Cassandra! I'll slice them all to pieces!"
"Well, if you say so." Complete with the rich girl laugh, she said this with the portentousness one would expect from a stereotypical noble. She moved back a few yards before throwing around fifteen wooden chess pieces which sparkled and grew, eventually becoming humanlike, and poised to strike. "Ready, Siegfried?" The seductive undertone was gone, and in its place was a challenging tone.
The redhead simply drew his sword in response. "Man, I hate chess."
The first pawn advanced, and he beheaded it with relative ease. After that, though, every one of the pieces began to move. Sieg ended up getting dazed by the sheer amount of movement, which Cassandra exploited with her Queen, hitting Sieg on the head and leaving him lying on the ground for a few seconds before he stood back up. The Towers gave way for the Knights, and by a stroke of luck, Sieg managed to split one of the pieces in half, though that didn't keep the other one from striking him in the back.
Several students who had noticed the commotion began to gather around to watch the "match" of chess.
The duel continued. After some time, there was still no significant change to the state of their battle. Cassandra's pieces attacked Sieg mercilessly, though so far he's only managed to defeat two pawns and a knight.
"They follow the rules of chess, Sieg! Anticipate their moves!" Claire shouted at her familiar.
"But I don't know any of the rules of chess!" The redhead was frustrated at how his rear was being handed to him.
"Just slash the King!"
"Which one's the King?"
"The bearded old man!"
Sieg's rune glowed a little bit brighter as he beheaded the second Knight and weaved through the Pawns. A Bishop launched a fireball at the familiar, which he sidestepped, making it hit the other bishop in a fortunate coincidence. Cassandra saw the redhead approaching her King, and quickly ordered her Queen to defend the crucial piece.
"For the mattress! Nothing shall stop me!" Sieg chanted as he split the Queen's body in half.
The redhead downed a Tower that was on the way, and used the wreckage as a springboard to reach the King. As he landed, as deep cut emerged from the king, and as its top half fell to the ground, so did all the other pieces'. So that's why the Claire told him to target the King, he realized.
Claire grinned with an air of superiority. "Checkmate, Cassandra. Let's see you humiliate me now!"
"Sweet! New mattress! That old thing was killing my back." Sieg almost jumped for joy.
"Why are you so happy? Your familiar beat me, not you!" Cassandra was quite annoyed by how the other girl was suddenly acting all superior.
"Well, actually, if Claire hadn't told me to kill the King, I'd still be getting my ass handed to me right there." Sieg sheathed his sword. "Besides, what gives me strength to fight is her desire to win. I'm just a weapon; Claire is the warrior here!"
Cassandra smiled, despite having been defeated just a while ago. "My, I wish I had a familiar as loyal as you." She sighed as she looked at her beloved pieces in pieces. Well, no changing the past now. "Say, want to change your mistress? I'm sure I can treat you better than she does."
"Nah, I'm good. She summoned me, so I'm stuck with her. And anyways, you already have that big blue thing, right?"
"It's a dragon, Sieg. And you can stop trying to steal Sieg from me, Cassandra." Claire said right before the bell rang.
OoOoO
Far from the Magic Academy, Saito and Louise stared at one of their lands. This one, a vineyard, was filled with the best grapes in Tristain, used to brew only the best wine. The pair had personally helped in planting and watering them. Unlike other nobles, the two liked to lend their fair share of sweat in taking care of their lands, finding it an effective pastime when they weren't slaying dragons or appeasing lake goddesses. They were currently enjoying the fruits of their hard work, in the form of a bottle of wine from their very own brewery.
"You know, it's been a week since Claire summoned Siegfried. How are they right now, I wonder?" Louise said after taking a sip from her wineglass.
"I bet they're the same way as we were after a week together." Saito said with a slight laugh.
"Heh. Facing Fouquet's golem too? I doubt it." Louise countered.
OoOoO
The teachers gathered behind the Academy walls, surrounding an olive haired woman. She held a rectangular box, those which were used to hold swords, and though she was surrounded by several triangle class mages, she did not seem agitated. She didn't even show signs of being bothered by it.
Faster than they'd anticipated, the woman chanted something that their ears could not follow, and the earth shook, from which a Golem emerged. The teachers tried to destroy, disable, or even slow down the golem, but to no avail. It was as if they were flies facing an elephant.
Claire and Siegfried soon caught up to the commotion. Just their luck, they had managed to catch the Golem's attention, and it threw a blow at them, prompting Sieg to take his mistress into his arms and evade, jumping up the creatures arm and running up the limb. As the Golem's hand seemed to have been stuck to the ground, they thankfully weren't flung away as Sieg thought they would be. Fouquet lobbed stones at them, but Sieg countered and dodged each strike with ease.
"An old woman can't hit me!" Sieg tried to provoke the mage, and it seemed to work.
"Old? I'll show you old! Earth Spear!" True to its name, the spell she had used created a large spear made of earth.
Sieg realized a bit too late that he wouldn't be able to avoid or counter this attack, but as he resorted to just letting her hit a non-vital part of his body, he heard Claire muttering words he didn't understand, and some kind of barrier made of ice stopped the pointed block of rock on its tracks.
"You can make shields?" Sieg was perplexed. "You told me you only knew the basics!"
"It's the first time I've pulled it off!" Claire replied a bit too happily, considering their predicament.
He slightly cringed at the thought that his body was saved by dumb luck, but he had no time for that as he saw another pointy stick of rock coming at them. He haphazardly threw Claire off the Golem, hoping against hope that she knows how to land correctly, before rolling back to avoid the attack. From the edge of his vision, he saw that Cassandra had her familiar pick up Claire in the air, and she had returned to the ground safely.
"I don't know what you stole, and frankly, I don't care, but return it anyway." Sieg said with a serious voice that told who heard it that he was, well, serious.
"What if I refuse? And I will, by the way, because this is very important to my master." Fouquet countered.
The redhead sighed. "Then I guess I'll have to use brute force. Don't blame me after I screw up your pretty face."
Sieg immediately charged, his rune glowing brightly on his shoulder. The wizards below gave the golem a run for its money, which gave him time to focus on the mage who was frantically using her magical knowledge to knock the familiar away and failing.
Several spikes of ice struck the golem in the face, which made the creature divert its attention towards the caster. Sieg noticed that the spell came from where Cassandra and Claire were currently flying with the Ice Dragon. Fouquet was also distracted by the attack, which gave him an opening to retrieve the item, whatever it was.
He took two long strides, and then struck the thief's hand with his sword, making her drop the box. Fouquet jumped back to avoid the follow-up strike that would have sliced her head cleanly off her shoulders.
The injured hand was bleeding quite profusely, a hallmark of how deep the cut actually was. She was now effectively disabled as a mage, as she could not hold her wand properly, and her golem was deteriorating from the continuous storm of spells it was receiving. Fouquet sighed with regret.
"And I thought it would be an easy robbery. I never thought you'd be here, Bandit Knight."
"I'll ignore that comment for now. Don't push your luck." He held his blade inches from the woman's neck, and she couldn't help but feel the tingles that came with the threat of being eviscerated. "I'm rather curious, though. What's in that box?"
"I was not informed. My master simply told me to retrieve it." Fouquet saw a shadow approaching from her peripheral vision. "I will certainly face a punishment, but it's better than being arrested!"
Out of nowhere, a large eagle flew over the golem, and Fouquet grabbed one of its legs to escape. Sieg tried to give chase, but realized it was stupid since he couldn't fly and would just fall off the golem. Cassandra and Claire, on the other hand, had the means to give chase, in the form of an Ice Dragon, so he left it to them.
"Use me." Sieg suddenly heard. He looked around for a source, until he realized the voice had come from his own mind. "I lay at rest within this punnet thou possesses. Use me, and eradicate this abomination of sand and gravel."
Deciding it was worth a shot, he opened the box that was just lying around after it was dropped, and held the medieval sword it held inside gingerly. Its hilt was covered in black leather, with engravings of a language that was probably dead to this world in its blade. A very ornate sword, but he couldn't see what else was special about it.
"Use me. Thou hast obtained my consent." The familiar heard the odd voice once again. "Use me, lest this stronghold thou dost dub 'Academy of Magic' be reduced to dust."
Okay, it was telepathic. What else? Telepathy wasn't going to bring down the golem. Oh well. What's he going to lose from trying? Sieg reversed his grip on the sword, jumped, and impaled the sword into the golem's head. Sieg was surprised. The creature began to crumble into pieces. That wasn't what surprised him, though. It was because the seemingly old sword had just pierced through dense rock like a hot knife through butter.
He was forced to conclude that it was no normal sword. A normal blade wouldn't have a facility like that, and it was absurd to think that a normal sword could kill a Golem in one blow. A magical construct wouldn't fall that easily, even with its head pierced.
Sieg returned the sword to its place before anybody found out that he used it. He jumped off the golem just as the beast fell apart completely. Luckily, Colbert saw him before he became a splat on the ground, and used a levitation spell to keep him from impacting. He then gently placed Sieg on the floor, along with the package.
"Thank goodness! It would be bad if Fouquet had stolen it! "Sieg handed over the box to the teacher, which he accepted with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Siegfried!"
But before the redhead could scratch the back of his head and say 'it was nothing, Professor' with a coy laugh, Cassandra and Claire touched down with the dragon, and immediately reported. "Professor, I regret to inform you that we were unable to catch Fouquet." Cassandra said with a bow, and it was clear that she actually was regretful for letting the culprit get away.
"It's fine. Just your ensured safety is enough." Colbert tried to appease the pair with a gentle guidance-counsellor-worthy smile.
"Well, it seems you've managed to retrieve the sword." Osmond sighed in relief. It was at times like these when his age really comes to show. "Maybe it was too much to contact the palace for help."
"It certainly was…" Colbert couldn't help but anticipate complications. "Anyway, it was through the efforts of Miss de La Vallière and Miss Steinberg and their familiars that the treasure stays safe."
Sieg was slightly offended. "Hey! I was the one who took that thing back from the crazy witch and crushed the golem! These two were just flying back and forth!"
"You'd be dead if I didn't use that ice shield, stupid dog!" Claire punched her familiar in the face. "Not to mention you just threw me off the golem after that, you lousy, ungrateful familiar!" She then kicked him in the nuts, which sent the boy to his knees.
Ignoring the one-sided squabble, Osmond spoke. "I shall contact the queen and inform her that everything has been resolved." He walked away.
OoOoO
The teachers and students, along with their familiars, cleaned up the mess left by the thief and her golem, and Claire forced Sieg to help with tasks that involved bearing a large amount of weight. It took a bit more than an hour to finish everything. As they were adding in the finishing touches, Sieg wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath.
"So Claire, is it true that the queen will come visit tonight at the prom?"
"Of course. She probably wants to thank us for recovering that sword in the box from earlier. So behave yourself!"
However, Sieg seemed apprehensive about something, and ignored his mistress. "Claire, say I weren't human, would you still want me as your familiar? If I were to be, like, a wild animal…"
Claire looked away from her familiar before giving an answer. "That's a stupid question. I refuse to answer."
This response just made Sieg angry, though. "My blood is different from yours, and I'm not talking about titles or nobility." He sighed, and tried to hide his feelings. "Forget it. You'd better run off and prepare. The prom will begin in a few hours, and I don't want my mistress to be late. Oh, and don't forget about my mattress."
"I'm not sure I understand, but if you say so. I'll go dress up in my room."
Soon, the night fell, and Tristain's Academy of Magic's faculty and students were gathered in the event hall. Claire had yet to come, and her familiar was rather tense for some reason. Sieg didn't bother changing into formal attire, simply wearing his black clothes, his long hair tied, and to the chagrin of those near him, he had brought his sword. Louise and Saito were also present, which was becoming somewhat a trademark for the pair, considering how fast they had gotten to the academy after being informed of their daughter's achievement, and about the impromptu congratulatory event the queen had set up that they wouldn't miss for the world. Their claim to "Tristain's fastest nobles" wasn't half-baked at all. The two were subject to several comments and whispers, and all of them were praise.
"You're pretty tense. Why's that?" The princess of Germania approached the redhead.
He didn't even spare a glance towards the girl as he replied. "You're imagining things. Where's Claire?"
"My, you really are loyal." The blonde sighed. "The princess of Germania, one of the most desired girls in this world at your feet, and you talk about Claire." It wasn't a question.
"Claire got me out of a sticky situation when she summoned me." The redhead yawned. "In a way, I owe her my life."
"I wonder what kind of sticky situation Siegfried the Black hawk got into. It was a big one, wasn't it?"
Sieg stiffened. "So you know me?"
Cassandra simply laughed. "How could I, Princess of Germania, not know the scourge of my country? You're working the royal guard hard, Siegfried."
Sieg couldn't help but feel perplexed. "Then why do-"
"I cannot lead myself to believe that what you do is unjust." Cassandra cut him off with a smile. "You steal from nobles what they steal from commoners, and you return it to them. They find me troublesome because I think like that, though."
Just as Sieg was about to reply, Claire chose that moment to interject.
"I told you to stay away from my familiar, Cassandra." She snapped.
"All right, Miss Worth-less-than-me," the blonde shot back before walking away, which made Claire seethe in anger. Oh ho, she just had to know how this new insult came to be. Well, At least she wasn't Miss Worthless anymore.
After deciding that she's gritted her teeth enough, she stomped towards a nearby chair and sat on it hard enough to make a strong impacting sound. His eye twitched. That had to hurt. Of course, her pride wouldn't let her show it. Still…
"A lot of girls seem to want to dance with you. Choose whoever you want and go have some fun. Well, whoever but Cassandra."
She crossed her legs elegantly below her white dress. With her hair tied up like that, Sieg's personal opinion was that Claire looked more like a princess than the real one. Oddly enough, only when her mistress had mentioned it did he start noticing the furtive glances some girls were giving her, while some boys gave her master some looks which annoyed him. The redhead turned to his mistress and held her hand gently.
"May I have the honor of this dance, Miss Claire Hiraga de La Vallière?" The familiar bowed slightly, fondly remembering how his Sensei had taught him the small things like this as well. "And I ask this not as your familiar, but as an admirer."
"O-okay." The girl was red all over, but noble pride kept her from gushing rainbows and stuff. "Just for today, I will accept your offer as a man, not as a familiar."
They stood, enjoined by the open ballroom position, and did the one-two step, ignoring the envious looks some boys and girls alike sent towards them.
"Thank you." Sieg said after dancing for a while. "I never said anything, but when you summoned me, I was surrounded by armed guards, so basically, you saved my life."
Claire just furrowed her brows at this. "Why were you surrounded by guards?"
"Now, now. Let's not spoil the moment with such questions. "Sieg pulled Claire a little closer. "Just accept my thanks."
Sometime later, the music had come to a halt, and the old Osmond announced the Queen's arrival. Henrietta was as beautiful as ever, and was escorted by Alexander Magnum, captain of the Griffin Knights. Handsome and strong, with long blond tresses flowing behind him, the man was appointed captain a few years after the betrayal of Wardes. Alexander commanded respect and authority among the knights. For some reason, though, Sieg glared at him with unbridled hatred, something that Derflinger soon noticed and told Saito. The three responsible for retrieving the sword and defeating Fouquet knelt before the queen, with the redheaded one trying his best to suppress his anger.
"Claire Hiraga de La Vallière, Cassandra von Steinberg, the kingdom of Tristain is indebted to you." The queen regarded them with a nod each. "If there is anything I can do-"
"I have a question, my Queen," interrupted Sieg, which caused a small commotion amongst the guests.
"Siegfried, you idiot! Apologize this instant!" Claire whispered, but the angry undertone was clear. However, she was politely ignored by the familiar, which grated her nerves further. However, decorum told her that punishing her familiar then and there was extremely rude.
The queen, as polite as ever, didn't seem to abhor the familiar's manners, though, and even seemed amused by the turn of events. "Ah, I apologize. You must be Siegfried Zweihander, Miss Vallière's familiar, are you not? I have been informed that your swordsmanship is exceptional. What is it that you would like to inquire?"
"Thank you." Sieg couldn't bring himself to face the queen for some reason, and was staring at the ground as he squeezed the words out. "Seven years ago, ten orphaned children were taken from Germania for a military experiment." He clenched his fists, and it would not take an expert of observation to see that he was trembling. "These children's blood was infused with magic, and they become mad warriors with only the drive to kill. They would become stronger, faster, and tougher… in exchange for their sanity. Do you, by any chance, know of this?"
The queen, despite being raised to keep her composure, couldn't help but widen her eyes in realization. "Yes… that's the Berserker Project… But Captain Magnum was in charge, and he told me that it had failed… And it was a military secret… You… know? How?"
Sieg stood tottering and shaking, and it was plain to see that this wasn't her Sieg… at least, not in the same state of mind, Claire realized, and she could not help but edge away, with Cassandra following her lead. "I know it all too well. I'll never forget the face of that damned person who did those things to us… It failed? Hah, that's all he told you? He didn't tell you about how the little girls screamed in agony as they tried to sleep? He didn't tell you about the lunacy flooding the children's visions with hatred and pointless bloodlust? He… didn't tell how he slaughtered those children until he thought they were all dead?" Sieg began to weep, and a black aura enveloped his body.
"What is…? I don't…" The queen was only a bit short of shocked, and despite being an able mage, she could not help but move away from the sheer amount of killing intent in front of her.
"I am Siegfried Zweihander… sole survivor of the Berserker Project!" With those last words, all his sanity was thrown to the wind, making way for his anger and primal desires to destroy any and every life form nearby. The familiar cried out loud, enough to sway the chandeliers in the hall.
This was the mad warrior crated by forbidden magic: the Berserker, a wild beast with no other desire but to kill. The crazed familiar drew his sword and madly rushed towards the target of all his hatred, Captain Magnum. However, as he was about to slice him in half for the kill, his blade was stopped short of an inch, by Saito and Derflinger. Sieg jumped back, the ground where he landed cracking on impact.
"Siegfried, I know you're still in there somewhere! You can fight this!" Saito encouraged, hoping it doesn't fall on deaf ears, as he held his sword in front of him.
Sieg simply screamed, or rather roared in response, this time loud enough to shatter the windows. This roar was full of rage, full of the desire to kill. This roar sounded as though it came straight from the deepest corner of hell.
Captain Magnum and the teachers evacuated the students and the queen, trying to prevent a panic. Louise stood beside her husband, wand in hand, to assist him in the fight, while Claire laid unmoving on the floor with tears rolling down her cheeks. Another roar was heard, and the grating sound of clashing metal resumed.