Chapter 4 – Necromancer?

Claire and Sieg rose quite late after a tiresome night. Siegfried was more tired than anybody else, as he had had to put up with his master's temper tantrums. Said master even drove him out of their room on his nightclothes, which irked him to no end.

The two went down as soon as they were ready and they ran into Scarron and the girls having breakfast. They wanted to go right away so as not to waste time, but the weird creature did not let them go without the most important meal of the day.

"Please, my dear Claire, stay a little longer. Everybody here loved you so much." The owner of the house begged them in order to persuade the redhead to stay along with the girl.

"We cannot delay anymore. We have a mission, but we appreciate the hospitality." Claire actually wanted to make a dash after remembering how those men from last night had ogled her. The familiar shared her sentiments, though; he was less than pleased with the hugging he was receiving from the weirdo.

"It's a pity, isn't it girls?" Scarron chimed.

"Yes ma'am!" All of them replied without hesitation.

"Can't you stay another night?" The weird man insisted.

"We have to leave soon." Sieg's reply was short but firm.

"Fine… I can't do anything if you really want to go." The man reluctantly agreed. "But take this with you." The waitresses, or rather, Scarron's fairies placed some money and food packages in front of them. "This is your pay for last night's good job. We wish this couple the best of luck!" The fairies and the owner said goodbye to their guests, who were already assembled in front of the inn.

"We are not a couple!" Claire objected.

"Not yet, anyway! Take care!" Scarron blew them a flying kiss which made Sieg shudder.

Sieg had already put the mare to a gentle walk. The girl was quite miffed about what the man had said, but could do nothing but become redder than the hair swaying in front of her… If they were married, they'd have a manor, children, and they'd… they'd do… Claire's face became even hotter, while the redhead she was clinging to simply laughed as though he was reading her mind.

"What are you laughing about?"

"I just thought it was a good idea we get married like your father and mother," Sieg responded with his usual perverted expression. "That way I'll see your panties and breasts every day."

The redhead barely finished speaking and was kicked off the mare, which continued walking, almost leaving Sieg behind, who was now begging for forgiveness to get up the steed again.

"Please Claire, let me mount Alexia. This spear is heavy!"

"It was you who wanted to bring that thing!" The girl replied.

"Well, did you want me to leave a cursed spear in the hands of that lunatic?" Sieg trembled, wondering what sort of madness could have ensued.

"Apologize like a gentleman, and maybe I'll listen."

"Geh, fine…" Sieg sighed and knelt. "Miss Claire Hiraga de La Vallière, as your humble servant, I apologize for my unfortunate comment, and I vow not to repeat such rudeness to you, milady, again."

"That's better. I want you to act like this from now on." Claire smiled victoriously. "You can mount Alexia and take the reins; I want to arrive in Germania as quickly as possible."

"Hear that, Alexia? She wants to get there as quickly as possible." Sieg smiled maliciously after recovering the reins and made the mare run into full speed.

Claire screamed as she tried to hit her familiar, which only made Sieg accelerate the horse. They passed the bridge leading to the Germanian roads like lightning.

After recovering from shock, Claire began to admire the scenery as they passed through the roads. There were women taking care of the harvest, men chopping wood, and children playing. They were everyday scenes filled with joy, and Claire couldn't help but smile longingly. She reminisced the early days of her childhood, when she had played with aunt Cattleya and her animal friends, while ignoring her aunt Eleonore's constant nagging.

Sieg decided to slow down to allow his mistress to view more of their beautiful surroundings, and when he decided that the pink badger was sufficiently calm, he decided to ask a question that had been gnawing at him for quite a while now.

"Claire, what was in your mind when you used that spell of ice against the golem?"

"You mean the shield?" Claire wondered for a moment. "I dunno, I just saw that spear coming at us and though I could try something."

"In kendo, the spirit of the swordsman is very important when attacking or defending." The redhead took his eyes off the road to look directly at Claire. "My Sensei said that if the spirit of the swordsman is strong and determined, the attack will be perfect and the defense will be indestructible, but if the spirit is weak and confused, losing is almost certain. I think magic follows the same pattern."

"I don't get it…"

"Don't be mad, but I thought that because you're usually insecure, doubting your own potential, so you couldn't complete very complex spells. But that day against the golem, you realized that if you didn't act soon we would both die, and trusting your own ability, you managed to stop Fouquet's attack."

"I understand…" Claire looked at her wand. "So the secret is to have confidence in myself?"

"Not exactly… Hmm, how should I explain this?" Sieg sighed.

"Just tell me! I'm not stupid, you know? "Claire felt offended.

"You'd have to clear your mind, concentrating only on the magic you want to use." The familiar said straightforwardly. "You're obviously talented, Claire. Not anybody would be able to make an ice shield as strong as yours."

"Well, if you say so, then I'll believe it. And as your mistress, I find it proper to praise you too." Claire said in a snobbish tone. "You fought wonderfully, as usual, so you will receive a new mattress."

"I fought wonderfully?" Contrary to his conceited tone, Sieg was blushing for the first time after becoming Claire's familiar. "That was nothing; my Sensei could have done it with one hand and his eyes closed! He once fought fifty armed men with only a wooden sword on each hand, and he didn't even sweat!" The redhead puffed out his chest while talking about his mentor with pride.

"He must have been a great man, and an excellent swordsman at that."

"He was the best, and for me there will never be a person to rival him."

"What's his name?" Claire was curious. "You always call him Sensei, never by his name."

"Sorry. It's a habit." Sieg laughed lightly. "His name was Miyamoto Musashi."

"What?" Claire yelled. "Musashi? You said Musashi, right? The same swordsman who never lost a duel? My dad said he was one of the most famous warriors from his world!"

"I guess it's possible." Sieg was surprised by his master's surprise. He didn't think his Sensei would cause such uproar, despite being so skilled. He did like to keep a low profile, after all.

"Unbelievable…" Claire was really excited, though that wore off after a short while. "Tell me Sieg, what's Germania like?"

"It's a very big country, so I cannot tell you what's up with the whole land because the state varies from region to region. Well, if you want, I can tell you about the place where I was from."

"Go ahead. I want to know."

"Let's see… I'm from this obscure village called Herzen Schwertes. It's in the mountains, protected by mist, so it's really hard to find from the outside. It's really cold there if you're not used to it, but it's also really peaceful. Houses there are built with what the surroundings had to offer. The humans and the animals lived in harmony, respecting each other's space. It was said that many years ago, a group of warriors got lost in Halkeginia by chance, and since they couldn't return home, they founded a village isolated from the rest of the world so they could keep their traditions. That's why they named it Herzen Schwertes, or Heart of the Sword."

"That's an interesting place. It must be beautiful." Claire was amazed at the mental image she'd created. If the village Sieg had described was even close to half of what she'd imagined, it would be utopia in Halkeginia. "Well, are there mages there?"

"None. There are artisans, musicians, dancers, painters, and other sorts of odd jobs, but swordsmen are held in high regard." Sieg was filled with pride. After all, he was a swordsman.

"So you're like a nobleman in your village? I never knew that Germania had a hierarchy of commoners…"

"It doesn't have one. Germania's political system is equal to that of the other countries. Our village is independent from Germania, though. They had once tried to forge an alliance through force, but our swordsmen drove them out, and the King was forced to sign a non-aggression pact."

"Now I'm even more curious about this place. Commoners wielding swords were able to defeat mages? It's rather hard to believe, but since it's you telling the story, it doesn't sound too impossible…"

OoOoO

Sieg continued to ride for the next few hours, all the while telling her mistress about his home village. The girl became increasingly curious, as this was her first time outside of Tristain, and visiting a place that even her parents had not ventured sounded exciting.

After a few moments of silence, Claire remembered what her familiar had said the previous night. Only he could touch her. The girl blushed as she remembered those words, and blushed even further when she remembered her familiar's serious expression. As they stopped near a lake to allow Alexia some time to quench her thirst and have her fill of grass, Claire used the opportunity to interrogate her familiar.

"Sieg, were you serious when you said that only you could touch me?"

The swordsman, who was drinking water from the freshwater lake, spat out what he was currently drinking. "What?"

"Did you say that just to intimidate the bandits, or were you completely serious?" Claire, looking down, wondered why her heart was thumping so fast.

"Of course it was true! You think I'll let someone hit my mistress?" Sieg said looking to the side while scratching his cheek.

"So that's what you meant…" Claire sighed. "I guess I misunderstood."

"Alexia!" Sieg scolded the mare, who just head-butted him after noticing that he had made the pink-haired girl deflate.

"Why'd you name her that, anyway?" Claire asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Alexia means protector, and she'll help me protect only you." Sieg said, not realizing that what he'd said made the girl's heart start to beat alarmingly fast.

"W-Well this is y-your j-job as the f-familiar!"

"You look very cute when you start stuttering"

"Y-Y-You…" Claire spiraled out of control. "Stupid dog!" The girl screamed as she beat the familiar mercilessly.

"Calm down! Calm down, Claire! It was a compliment!" Sieg complained as he ran around the lake, trying to escape his master's meaningless anger.

Claire calmed down shortly afterwards. Her desperation to get out of that situation was such that the only way out she saw was to pretend to be angry.

Calm down Claire, that's just the familiar's loyalty, and you're just glad that you have a familiar that's loyal and strong, the girl said to herself inside her mind. But why does my heart beat so fast when he looks at me like that? Aunt Cattleya said that it was because of this and that… The thought was so sudden that Claire just screamed. "What is happening to me?"

"What the heck was that, Claire? You even spooked Alexia! Are you hurt or something?"

"Ah, n-no, it's nothing!" Claire tried to look for something to talk about, anything to change the topic. Her eyes caught sight of a small village, and she hastily pointed at it. "Look, there's a village!"

"I'm not sensing any movement from it, though…" Sieg said, slowing Alexia to a relaxed walk. "Claire, stay cautious. I have a bad feeling about this, and so does Alexia." True to Sieg's word, the mare's ears were laid back, a clear sign of agitation.

"Ah, now that you mention it…" The pink haired girl whispered, taking hold of her wand and paying attention to the ambiance. None of the houses seemed occupied. "It's as though some kind of devastation had befallen this village."

A dreadful silence descended upon the three.

"This can't be good, can it?" Sieg asked to nobody in particular as he imagined what kind of tragedy could have occurred. He looked around, and saw the local graveyard which was in shambles. "No way… Claire, look at those graves. They've all been dug up, and there doesn't seem to be any corpses…"

"Wh-wh-what are you t-t-talking about, S-sieg? You m-mean they've come b-b-back to l-life? Don't be s-silly. Necromancy is f-forbidden." Claire tried to appear relaxed. It wasn't very effective. Sieg got off the mare, and helped his mistress get down.

"Alexander Magnum is an expert in Forbidden Magic, remember? What, you already forgot about the Berserker he put inside me?" The familiar took up the spear as he heard one of the doors creaking open. To his surprise, the one opening was a child, who seemed to be shaking badly and was showing signs of recent underfeeding. The kid flinched back when he saw the spear being pointed at him, and Sieg pulled back. Seeming to swallow back his fear, and realizing that the redheaded man wasn't hostile, he asked.

"Is the Necromancer still there?"

To this, Claire's eyes widened, and the redhead simply looked down, his suspicions confirmed. "I'm not sure yet, so stay inside until I confirm it." Sieg then turned around after hearing the door closing, and headed towards the graveyard, the petite mage and the horse slowly following him.

As they neared the graveyard, Sieg felt a sudden tug on the hem of his shirt, and he turned his head to see that Claire had stopped, and was pointing at one tomb in particular. "Sieg, there's something behind that headstone…"

Approaching with more caution this time, Sieg went as close as he could without being detected. Upon closer observation, the 'something' turned out to be something that resembled a man, but was emitting strange sounds as he devoured what seemed to be a crow. As soon as it finished its meal, it turned around, and upon seeing the two humans and one horse, it grinned visibly, showing its sharp and crooked teeth.

Sieg threw the spear without hesitation, and the weapon cruised through the air between them in an instant, piercing the monster's chest. Claire's face was twisted in horror as she looked at the creature, who was struggling on the ground as it began to vanish, leaving blood and rotten flesh. The familiar picked up the spear and saw some more of the hungry creatures approach.

"These are dead people brought back to life through dark magic: Ghouls!" With some anger at the situation, he answered the question he knew his mistress was thinking.

"Unforgivable… This is unforgivable!" Claire readied her wand with shaking hands, though Sieg was left to wonder whether the shaking was caused by anger or fear. "Using their dead relatives to attack people is just unforgivable!"

"I know, but the only thing we can do right now is to give them the proper rest that they deserve." Sieg assumed a combat stance as he held the spear with steady hands.

"Sieg, stand down." Claire ordered, and Sieg could only look at her incredulously for giving an irrational order.

"I refuse. It is my role as a familiar to fight by your side."

"And it is my role as a noble to protect these defenseless people!" The girl shot back.

"I still refuse. I'm not letting you face a horde of Ghouls alone. Cover me!" The redhead said, charging at the hungry creatures.

Sieg prepared to throw the cursed spear, but as he was about to pierce the opponent, an earthen stake rose from the ground and barbecued the Ghoul before he could fix his aim. Not long after that, he noticed that most of the creatures had been defeated by stakes, and he couldn't help but look at his master in awe.

Claire's wand was raised, her breathing ragged. She just used a Square class spell in front of him! While that achievement warranted praise in and of itself, celebrating could wait for later, Sieg reflected, as he noticed a survivor charge at Claire from behind, who was completely defenseless. Sieg pushed his legs to the limit and ran, and was able to push the girl away in the nick of time, notwithstanding the injury he attained from doing so. The ghoul was able to take a bite out of his shoulder before Sieg pierced it with the sword.

Claire could only look on with shock, as she was too tired to do anything else. However, she had no time to be tired, as more Ghouls started approaching slowly, limping, whimpering, crying and screaming. Claire's spell had formed a rather narrow 'corridor' through which the Ghouls approached them in a steady queue.

"Maybe they're still a bit civilized…" Sieg sighed, and then sheathed the sword he had just unsheathed and took hold of the spear again.

"Are you crazy?" Claire interfered. "You don't seriously think you can beat them all with an injured shoulder, do you?"

"I could run away and leave you for dead too, but I promised to protect you, and I fulfill my promises. And more than that, I'm not this type of man!" The familiar replied without looking away from the steady stream of opponents, readying himself to throw the spear with all the strength he could muster.

"I can't let you do that!" Claire stood in front of the redhead, pointing her want at the Ghouls, who were closing in. "You always get hurt trying to protect me! I can't stand it! Against Krieger… Against Fouquet… Even against the Berserker! You always get hurt because of me!" The girl had started to get teary-eyed.

"Claire…"

"You always get hurt because you're Worthless Claire's familiar… You'd be much better off being with the likes of Cassandra…" Claire breathed deeply and continued. "I promised that I wouldn't let you get hurt, but look at you now! And it's still my fault! Even when I try to help, I only keep causing you trouble!"

"I'm not the familiar of Worthless Claire." Sieg put his hand on the girl's shoulder; she seemed close to sobbing. "I am the familiar of Claire Hiraga de La Vallière, whom I owe my life to, so I don't care if I get hurt, what's important is that you're okay."

"Still, you were the first to fight for me; I do not want to see you get hurt…" Claire noticed something that made her afraid. "The Ghouls are very close."

"If this is how you feel, let's fight together from now on. After all, my mistress is the best for me." Sieg said while smiling. "This spear will always pierce the hearts of my enemies. No matter how many they are, if they are in line, everyone will be hit, understand?"

"All of them? Really?"

"But a Ghoul's flesh is reinforced by magic, so I won't be able to pierce them alone, despite the spear's amazing piercing power. That's why I need you to fortify the spearhead with lightning so we can finish them all at once." Sieg drew the spear back, preparing for a throw.

"Yes, we'll do everything together from now on… On your signal, Sieg!" With renewed confidence, Claire pointed her wand, this time at her familiar's spear.

"Pierce my enemies…" Sieg's runes began to glow, and the wound on his shoulder almost instantly healed, leaving no trace of ever being there except for a ripped shirt. He then recited the name of the cursed weapon, one that will bend even the rules of cause and effect to pierce the enemy's heart and kill instantly. "Gae Bolg!"

The horse behind them whinnied in fear as the spear seemed to come alive as an overwhelming aura covered the village, and the spearhead seemed to scream as it craved for flesh. Without a word, Claire enchanted the weapon with lightning, making it glow an intense blue.

With the sheer speed of Gae Bolg, the Ghouls didn't have enough time to realize that they were knocking at death's door, and all of them disappeared in a flash, as both Claire's magic and the weapon's power caused them to disintegrate completely, leaving not even a stain of blood anywhere. All of them had been completely blown away, and Sieg was struck speechless. His mistress seemed to impress him even more as time goes by. Casting such powerful wordless magic was just short of impossible, but his master had done it. Claire was also quite surprised, but her surprise was quickly turned into joy as she noticed that there were no more Ghouls in sight.

"You did a great job making mincemeat out of my servants." Seemingly out of nowhere, a voice spoke, and the pair quickly turned their heads to find a man with dark hair and beard standing atop one of the houses. "My ghouls were never destroyed so fast. Now I know why Alexander was so interested in you."

"Why don't you get down from there and have a taste of the same attack, necromancer?" Sieg provoked.

"You answered your own question! I am a necromancer, and as such, I do not fight in the front lines!"

"You're just a coward who hinds behind Forbidden Magic!" Claire angrily shot back. "Using their loved ones to attack the villagers is an extreme act of cowardice!"

"As if I cared about your opinion…" The man yawned. "Well, Alexander's calling for me, so I'd better get going soon." After saying this, he grabbed the foot of a giant eagle which suddenly swooped down like the one which rescued Fouquet.

"Guys! The Ghouls and the Necromancer are gone!" Someone who was apparently watching the events unfold announced, and soon the people started flooding the streets joyfully. Several children hugged the pair in a show of affection, and an old man, who turned out to be the village elder, personally picked up the cursed spear Gae Bolg and returned it to Sieg.

The old man was teary-eyed as he spoke. "A week ago, the dead started to rise and started attacking, and luckily, all of us were able to lock ourselves up in our own homes before anyone got hurt. If you arrived any later, many of us would probably succumb to death from hunger. In behalf of this village, I give you my sincere thanks. If there is anything we could do to assist you in any way, please don't think twice about saying so, as we will do what we can to oblige."

Sieg seemed to be having a hard time keeping the kids away from Alexia, and as Claire wasn't one to waste opportunities, she tried to ask. "Actually, we're headed for Germania, and it would be a great help if we could get there faster. Do you know of some other route we can use to get there in less time?"

"Of course! This village is known for its markets, so we have several alternate routes to travel as quickly as possible!" The old man said, smiling with a hint of pride.

"It would be a great help to us both if you could show us one." Sieg said having successfully rescued Alexia from her 'attackers.'

"No, no, you shouldn't put yourself in more danger. The path on foot is rather treacherous, and impossible to cross with on a horse. Don't worry, I will notify a friend of mine who owns a flying boat. I'm sure he'll be glad to take the both of you to Germania. You'd have to spend the night here, though, but don't worry about lodging fees. It's on the house."

"Many thanks for your help and hospitality, Elder." She bowed. "Say your thanks too, Siegfried!" Claire grabbed her familiar's head and forced him to a bow.

"Ah, yes… thanks." The familiar said awkwardly.

"No, no, no! It is I who should be thanking you!" The nice old man hugged Claire and Sieg, to their surprise. "Tonight, we shall fest in honor of your heroism!" The village elder shouted, and the villagers responded with the same fervor in approval.

OoOoO

After an hour or two, which the villagers used to rejoice and assess damages, the streets were bustling with people moving to and fro, in preparation for a feast, true to the Elder's words. With Alexia safely tied down and enjoying hay in a stable, Claire and Sieg tried to help, but every time they were declined by a villager, saying that the celebration was for them, and instead they should use the time to rest. Not a while later, the smell of meat roasting and exotic spices filled the air, and music which was barely audible earlier was now playing at loud but comfortable volumes. Tables were arranged, food was set, and people danced, sang and ate the moments away. Everything was bright and tidy. Peace had come, and it warranted some merrymaking.

Children invited the pink haired girl to dance with them, and Claire agreed without a second thought. As she moved along with the music, she didn't seem like a noble; she was something more, Sieg reflected as sat with a tree against his back while watching the joyful scene unfold. He couldn't explain it, but Claire was… glowing, as though a weight she'd been bearing had come off, even if it's just for the moment. He felt at tug on his hands, and he had to abandon his silent deliberation as children began to crowd around him, inviting him to dance with them.

"But I don't know how to dance…" The redhead complained.

"Just come have fun with us! You won't enjoy yourself if you just sit there, mister!" A smiling little girl said, and the redhead yielded. If there was anything he respected about kids, it was that arguing with them was futile. He was a bit clumsy, though that was mostly because of his shyness. Somehow, he and Claire ended up in the middle of all the dancing, merrily dancing with the villagers, completely captured by the festive mood. The two decided to stop at the end of one song, and went to get a drink while they catch their breath.

"They're pretty excited, huh?" Claire said.

"Yeah, though you can say the same about yourself." Sieg took at jab at Claire.

"Of course I did. Wasn't this party for us? It's just right that we enjoy it!" Claire blushed.

"You're cute when you blush like that."

"Shut up and eat!"

The dinner was excellent. Everything that was served upon the long rows of tables was nothing short of mouth-watering, and Sieg realized that the feast was like a post-famine celebration for the villagers, after being made to starve while locked up in their own homes for a week. However, that didn't stop him from wolfing down the delicious food plate by plate by plate.

Live music, happy people, Claire and Sieg completely relished those that night. At one point, Claire had caught Sieg making passes at some big-breasted girls, and burst in jealous rage. Those who saw the scene made fun of the pair, with some saying that their story was eventually going to lead to marriage, while others commented about them being a cute couple, making Claire and even Sieg flush in embarrassment. The party went on until sometime past midnight, and everybody was exhausted from partying into the night. The village Elder had invited them to his home, where they slept. The villagers returned to their respective beds looking worse for the wear, but all smiles, while some of those who were too drunk to go home were asleep on the streets.

OoOoO

After getting some shut-eye, Claire woke up to the sound of light impacts from afar, while Sieg was already awake, sitting on the other bed in the twin bedroom they had been lent for use.

"You know, that kid outside has been at it for a while now." Claire said as she looked out the window on her bedside, leaning against the window frame and hugging her knees.

"Yeah, looks like he's training." Sieg said, pointing to the scarecrow being pummeled by a boy holding a wooden sword.

"Training? He looks more like he's playing knight or something." The girl let her head fall on the pillow again, stretching her legs and closing her eyes to get some more sleep.

"You really think a kid would still be playing at this time, alone? Or continue despite having blisters on his hands?"

"I don't know. What will you do about it?"

"Help him train." Sieg walked towards the door and opened it, but waited for confirmation before leaving.

"Suit yourself." And with that, he closed the door behind him and headed for the scarecrow and the boy.

Outside, the boy continued to strike the Scarecrow with all his might, but without much success. He ignored the numbing pain in his hands and continues to attack.

"How can I face the Ghouls with this crappy sword?" The boy said in frustration before again striking the sturdy construct. "No matter how I hit, I can't even undo the seams!"

"You're holding it wrong." Sieg appeared behind the boy. "You're holding it too tight. That's a sword, not a mace."

"Siegfried!" The boy exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't grip it too roughly; just firm enough that you can keep it in your hands, like the reins of a horse. Also, don't forget to move your wrist, and not just your arm, as that will increase the speed of the swing." The redhead showed the boy the proper hand movements.

"Okay, I'll try!" The boy reassumed a sloppy stance which Sieg was sure the boy had just imitated from some passing swordsman. To the boy's credit, though, he almost got it right, except he wasn't applying enough strength on his legs, and his feet were spaced too wide for someone his size.

"Aim at the ribs or the side of the head, and you'll knock it down with one strike."

The boy obeyed his instructions by the letter, and as Sieg had expected, much to the boy's elation, the scarecrow's head cleanly fell off. The boy looked down at his wooden weapon with amazement.

"Keep practicing every day, and you'll be able to defeat any Ghoul that comes near this village." Sieg smiled at the kid, who beamed a toothy grin back at him while scratching the back of his head, and the redhead immediately noticed the bags forming under the boy's eyes. Also, he belatedly realized, this was the same boy who was hiding behind the door when they arrived at the village. "Now get some sleep, kid. You won't have energy to fight Ghouls if you're drowsy."

"Yes! Thanks, Siegfried!" The child dashed away while waving his arms goodbye, the pure smile on his face showing no sign of vanishing any time soon.

"So, will you get some more sleep now?" He heard the front door open, and standing there in robes was his master, an impatient frown on her face.

"You want me to sleep with you again?" Sieg provoked as soon as he entered the house.

"You will sleep on a pile of straw!" Claire, now wide awake, scolded her familiar in full 'badger mode,' as Sieg had called it. "Seriously, I've never seen such a cheeky familiar like you!"

"Relax, I was joking!" Sieg waved his arms in front of him in an alarmed manner, as they were already climbing the stairs back up to their assigned room.

"I don't care! If you don't learn to respect me, then you can forget about your new mattress!" Claire marched into the bedroom, the familiar following behind her.

"What about those things you said about me getting hurt because of you?" Sieg countered. "Couldn't you let me sleep here as an apology?"

"I don't know why I said those things!" Claire blushed. "And if you keep insisting on this subject, then I'll fry you like I did with the Ghouls!"

"Well, if you don't know why you said that, then why are you blushing?" The redhead replied. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to, but at least let me sleep here!"

"If you make any suspicious movements, I'll throw you out the window." Claire, now perched atop her bed, threatened while pointing her wand at her familiar's head.

"What suspicious movements? If I didn't make any 'suspicious movements' on all those busty peasant women who were all over me last night, then what makes you think I'd go for a cross between a badger and a board like you?" The familiar ran his mouth, unwittingly causing his own doom. For Claire, that was the last straw.

"Busty peasant women… right?" Claire slowly drawled in a tone that made Sieg's heart stop. "Well, if you like them so much then do what you want! Levitation!" The girl raised the familiar and threw him out the window.

Sieg flew for a few feet, screaming "Aaaaah" all the while, before landing on the ground outside in an upside down heap. Some person who was sleeping outside woke up, gave him a pat on the shoulder, talked gibberish and went back to sleep. Claire laid herself back on her bed to go back to sleep as well, but soon, worry began to take her over.

"Agh! I already told him that I wanted him to look only at me! That idiot… I better go get him before he takes me literally and impregnates some merchant's daughter or something."

The noble La Vallière climbed out of bed and put on her robe again. Down the stairs to the living room, then out of the house, then turning toward the barn, she moved on pure instinct. Her guess was right. Sieg was there, leaning against Alexia, both almost falling asleep.

"Hey. Let's go to the bedroom!" Claire snapped, pulling the familiar out of his slumber. "We'll be in trouble if you manage to get one of those merchant daughters pregnant."

"Yes, my mistress!" Sieg quickly rose, ignoring the comment from the girl. "Good night, Alexia!" He turned and said before leaving the barn.

The two returned to the room, and Sieg tucked himself in on the second bed without complaint, avoiding screwing up again at all costs.

After a while, Claire was the first one to talk. "Sieg, those are spiders, right?" Claire wondered as she looked at the ceiling, and Sieg couldn't help but notice that she sounded a bit unnerved.

"Yes, but they're not poisonous." Sieg reassured the girl after taking a quick look at the arachnids.

"That's not the point! Move over!" Before Sieg could react, the girl had already left her bed and kicked him back, laying herself beside the boy.

"Are you really going to sleep here?"

"I won't be able to sleep with those things right above me." Claire replied, turning away and closing her eyes. Sieg decided to leave it at that, and went to sleep as well.

OoOoO

The sun soon began to rise, and Sieg was well rested and was ready to take on the world, as was his master. He stood outside the door while waiting for Claire, who was still changing clothes, while watching a huge flying ship land on the village square, where they had partied the night before. It looked very modern compared to the ones he'd seen before, and it should be faster too.

"I'm ready." Claire said as she emerged from the doorway, wearing a simple garb lent by the kind villagers. "What do you think of this plebeian dress?"

"It suits you. Come on, the ship is here." Sieg hurriedly indicated, not giving the pink haired girl time to notice the statement which could be misunderstood as an insult. The girl, however, seemed to have other problems.

"Wait a second… It can't be Oastland, can it?"

"I don't even know what an Oastland is! Come on; let's hurry before the captain decides to leave us behind!"

The two left the Elder's home and rode Alexia to the huge ship. As they drew closer, Claire's fears materialized; Colbert, the owner of Oastland, was waving at the two of them with a kindly smile.

"Dead… we're dead…" Claire murmured almost inaudibly, and Sieg didn't hear it.

"Hey, isn't that person your teacher?" Sieg asked as he pulled the horse to a stop, recognizing the man from the other day.

"Yes…" Claire affirmed with her face buried in her hands as the two of them disembarked from the steed.

"What's with that reaction? Isn't that a good thing?" The familiar was rather surprised by the girl's reaction.

"Because of that!" the pink haired girl said, pointing behind Colbert towards two people.

"That's… Saito-san and Louise-san?"

"Yes, Siegfried, it's us. We will accompany you to Gallia, and don't even try to object to our presence!" Louise said, having approached the two and pulled her daughter's ear, followed by Saito, who took the redhead's right hand on his own, and giving it a shake.

"I guess this means we'll be fighting side by side for a while, Siegfried. Let's work hard together."

"Don't be nice, Saito!" Louise pulled her husband's ear with her free hand. "They wanted to go to another country without us!"

"Eh? But we did the same thing when we were their age!" Saito defended, relinquishing himself from his wife's vice-like pincer grip.

"Shut up! Our reasons were different!" Louise released her daughter to pull on both of Saito's ears.

Sieg took Claire's hand and pulled her into the ship while Saito and Louise continued to… discuss… outside. They soon heard an explosion, and Saito's scream of anguish rang through the skies.

"Your sacrifice won't be in vain, Saito-san!" Sieg said as he watched Louise harshly kick Saito on the floor.