And with this, this story is now rated M.
Chapter 9: Potion Love
For three days the town held a festival for the death of Chelenne. Word spread fast on the night that he died and the next day the townspeople set up an entire festival like they had plan for it. Vendors and bartenders had special sales and brought out their best quality supplies that they wouldn't have usually have with Chelenne around. Louise locked herself in the room until a carriage came from the palace to pick us up.
"Congratulations on a successful mission," Henrietta said as we entered the inner sanction throne room.
"Successful?!" Louise shouted, "Shu killed another noble! How is that successful?!"
"Please Louise let me explain," Henrietta said trying to calm Louise, "There are many nobles who think that they can get away with anything that they do to the common people just like their predecessors. But the matter of the fact is that soon the common people will rise up against the nobility and royalty that we'll only be small in number."
"But how?" Louise asked, "We're mages, there is no way that peasants can just beat us with swords when we have magic."
"You've seen Shu used that rocket launcher against the golem before." Henrietta said referring to the time Shu used the Staff of Destruction, "That technology is far superior then what we have with the muskets. And my talk with Shu a few days before told me that weapons can go even farther. The commoners will soon achieve this feat and destroy the mages that have oppressed them."
"Then we just have to show those peasants who is in charge!" Louise suggested.
"That will just make them act quicker," Shu told Louise, "Think about where the food that you eat comes from and who made it. Farmers and the markets can easily refuse to give any nobles food but that would lead to their death. But then nobility would not get any food anymore because they killed the farmers and the marketers. Then there are the cooks, they can poison the food they cook for nobles and the nobles would still eat it because they think that commoners would never have the drive to do it."
"Then we'll just make our own food!" Louise shouted trying to find any foothold.
"Do you even know how to farm or cook?" Shu inquired. At this Louise hung her head in defeat.
The doors then open to reveal Agnes with bloody clothes. "Your Majesty, mission complete. All of simple minded nobles that have been dealt with accordingly."
Shu gave Henrietta a questionable look and Louise was once again shocked. "Shu because of the death of both Mott and Chelenne, word has spread far that I've been ordering the death of nobles who done some underhanded deals. Agnes and the musketeers been observing nobles a couple days before I sent you two on your mission."
"So once Chelenne's death reached their ears, the nobles would panic and rush to hide whatever they could. But in that rush they would make a mistake and catch the musketeers' attention." Shu wrapped up what Henrietta was getting at.
"And once they got our attention, we would investigate and arrest them." Agnes finished up, "Most of them are now in the dungeons and some of the ones that fought back are now dead." Agnes then stood at attention, "Also Your Majesty, Matilda is not in her cell. We believe that she had an accomplice and has escaped."
"Very well then," Henrietta said standing up, "Proceed to do the mock investigation that we have planned." Agnes then left the room. "Now then, Shu as promised here are the papers that will give you access to the vault." Henrietta then gave Shu another piece of rolled up paper.
"Thank you princess," Shu said bowing to her.
"You may leave now and Louise, please try to understand what I'm trying to do and enjoy the break."
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Shu and Louise arrived back at the academy only to find out most of the students have already left for the break and that Tabitha was just about to leave.
"Hey Tabitha," Louise greeted, "Are you going home for the break?"
Tabitha just nodded and then pointed at Shu. "Kriche," was all she said.
"She wants to talk to me?" Shu translated. Tabitha nodded her head before getting into her carriage and left the academy.
"What does that woman want now?" Louise said angrily stomping off to find the woman in question.
They found her at one of the tables outside with Guiche trying to win back Montmorency at another table.
"Hello my darling," Kriche called out to Shu, "Come have a seat and have a drink with me." On the table was a tray with two filled teacups, a full teapot, and a plate of assorted snacks.
"Sorry Kriche," Shu apologized, "There is something I need to talk with Osmond and Colbert."
"Well I for one need a drink," Louise said as she drank all of the tea in the cup farthest away from Kriche.
Then the most strangest thing happened. Louise hugged Kriche!
"I love you Kriche!" Louise shouted, "Why do our families have to hate each other?" She then started rubbing her chest against Kriche's. "I know that my chest is much more smaller than yours, but I hope that I can make you feel happy."
Kriche was trying to pry Louise away from her. "What is wrong with you!" she shouted, "I didn't think the relaxation potion would work like this! Hey Montmorency, what is the meaning of this!"
The girl in question reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial, her eyes became wide when she looked at it. "I may have accidentally switched the love potion I made and the relaxation potion." Montmorency said sheepishly.
"Love potions are illegal!" Kriche shouted while holding back Louise who is now trying to kiss her, "How long is it until this wears off?!"
"About six months," the ringlet answered with her head down, "Give or take a couple weeks."
"You were going to give me that?" Guiche questioned clearly in shock.
"You can't keep your eyes on me!" Montmorency yelled at Guiche, "Whenever another walks by, you stare at them! I couldn't take it anymore!"
"Guiche," Shu spoke up, "You still haven't learn from what happened last time?"
"I just can't help it," Guiche started crying, "I know that I should be a better person, but I've just done it for so long."
"If you're finished straightening out your relationship, hurry up and make an antidote!" Kriche yelled out now keeping Louise at bay from ripping off her clothes.
"I can't!" Montmorency shouted, "The last ingredient I need is extremely rare and hard to get."
"But you do know where and how to get one right?" Shu inquired.
"Yes, but it just not that easy," Montmorency said.
"You should fix problems that you have created," Shu told Montmorency, "Love potions are illegal right? Then why don't you fix this problem before you get caught."
"Fine," Montmorency muttered, "But all of you lot are going with me to Ragdorian Lake."
"Can you first do something about Louise!?" Kriche was now in her lingerie and running away from Louise who was stripping.
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The group hired a carriage to take them to Ragdorian Lake. But beforehand, Montmorency created a sleeping potion for Louise to consume much to Kriche's relief.
"We're going to have to stop here," the carriage driver said, "The ground is getting muddier from this point from the lake flooding."
"Why would a lake be flooding?" Shu asked as the group got out, "I didn't see any signs of heavy rainfall on the way here."
"It must be the spirit of the lake," Montmorency said, "This is going to make our task harder if she is mad enough to flood the lake."
"It's not just the lake that has flooded," the driver added in, "This flood had already taken a few villages around the area underwater."
"We're can still get there by nightfall," Montmorency said, "Spirits are more calmer during the nighttime anyways."
"How long the sleeping potion is suppose to last again," Kriche asked carrying a sleeping Louise on her back.
"Till the middle of the night, but we should be able to acquire the Spirit Tear before she wakes up." Montmorency answered as she walked towards the direction of the lake.
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"No way," Montmorency said wide eyed when the group reached the lake by nightfall, "We should have reached the lake side in a couple more hours."
"But we are at the lake aren't we?" Shu asked.
"Robin," Montmorency called out. Her frog familiar jumped out of her pocket and on to her hand. The ringlet then took a knife and cut her finger. Some drops of blood fell on Robin. "Can you call the water spirt for me please? The spirt will recognize my blood." Robin then jumped into the lake. "Now we just wait."
Moments later Robin jumped out and the water started to bubble and taking form as it rose into the air. A figure made of water that looked like the ringlet appeared. "Who is the one who has called for me?" the figure asked in an imposing voice that vibrated throughout the air.
"I Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency," the ringlet answered, "Surely you have not forgotten the blood of the family that has a contract with you."
"I have not forgotten the contract with the Montmorency's and I do sense the blood that flows through you. I do not however recognize you." the water spirit declared, "What is it that you have to call on me?"
"I ask for a simple favor of you. I would like a small piece of your body." Montmorency said stating what the group came for.
The water spirit smiled. Everyone but Shu thought that the water spirit was going to give them the Spirit Tear. "No," was what the water spirit answered.
"Okay then, sorry to have bothered you," Montmorency bowed and started walking away.
Shu however stepped forward. "What do we need to do for you to recognize us?" Shu asked the water spirit. Shu knew that just having a name and reputation would not convince someone with the resources one needed. He had experienced that when Gai try to deal with the Kuhouin Group.
"Ah Gandalfr, how nice it is to see you again," the water spirit greeted, "And I see that you have Derf with you."
"Sorry if my memory is a bit foggy," Derf said coming out of his sheath, "But as you can see, Shu here is not the Gandalfr that you probably remember."
"Yes I know Derf," the water spirit replied. Then it talked to Shu "Now Shu, how is it that you know that you must gain my favor?"
"You have something we need. Why should you simply give it to us with nothing in return?"
"Very well, it seems that I can trust you with this task Shu. There is a mage that has been attacking me and halting my search. Stop this mage and I will give you part of my body." With that the water spirit returned to the lake.
"How did you do that?" Montmorency said shocked once again for the manyth time that day. "Trying to deal with spirits is completely reckless!"
"It worked didn't it." Shu simply said. He then combined Acquaintances Sight and Hacker's Interface together to create surveillance drones and a view screen.
"What are those?" Guiche asked, "They don't look like golems."
"We can't cover the entirety of the lake ourselves. These will be our eyes elsewhere around the lake while we cover the main road." The drones then scattered and Shu walked into the trees that surrounded the main road.
Unfortunately during their wait Louise woke up and started harassing Kriche again. "Hey Kriche I'm sooo hot." Louise said leaning closer to Kriche, "Let's take a dip in the lake together."
"But Louise we don't have any swimming wear." Kriche tried to reason.
"Don't worry about it, we can just go in nude." Louise said taking off her cloak.
"I can't take this anymore!" Kriche yelled. She then ran out of the tree line and bumped into a small figure.
Shu then walked out, "Are you the one attacking the lake?" he asked the figure.
"Orders," was all the figure said in a monotone voice.
"Wait," Kriche said when she got up, "Tabitha is that you?"
The figure removed their hood to reveal the ice blue hair mage. "Had you consider to negotiate with the water spirit?" Shu asked Tabitha.
"Orders," Tabitha said again taking out a rolled up piece of parchment from her cloak.
Kriche took the paper and read it. "Tabitha," Kriche said when she was done reading, "I want to hear the whole story later. Even if you are a Chevalier there is no reason for you to do this alone much less this mission at all."
"Estate near here," Tabitha said.
"We'll go there later," Shu said, "But Tabitha can you stop attacking the water spirit if we are able to negotiate with it?"
Tabitha nodded her head and started walking towards Kriche. But got knocked out of the way by a sprinting Louise. "Stay away from Kriche she's mines!" Louise shouted, "Besides I have a smaller chest than you." To prove her point, Louise opened up her shirt and stuck out her chest with pride.
"Congratulations," Tabitha said to Kriche.
"Lets hurry up and get that Spirit Tear!" Kriche started dashing towards the lake side with Louise in tow.
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"Well come back Shu," the water spirit said when Shu stepped up to the lake side, "Have you stopped my attacker?"
"She has agreed to stop attacking you," Shu stated.
"That is good enough, now as promise a piece of my body." A drop of water fell from the water spirit and floated towards the group. Montmorency took out a vial and captured the Tear in it.
"I have a question to ask you," Shu said when Montmorency secured the vial, "You said before that you were searching for something. Is that the reason why you started flooding the lake?"
"Yes, a precious item of mines has been taken from me. With it one can do great evil with it."
"If you promise to recede the lake level, then I will find your item." Shu said dealing with the water spirit again.
"You have completed my previous request, so I suppose I will trust you again." A piece of the water spirit floated in the air to form a ring. "It is called the Ring of Andvari, with it one can raise the dead. All that I know is that it was taken for a person named Cromwell."
"Another question, you called me Gandalfr. Who is that?"
"Gandalfr was a heart that resided inside of Sasha, one of the familiars of Brimir. But that is what interesting about you. You don't carry just your own heart or Gandalfr's but many others."
"You must be talking about the voids," Shu then took out Singer's Sword, "They are the manifestation of a person's heart in a form of a tool."
"Yes they are small but I can still sense them. But I also sense one heart full of love and malice that has a presence in you that is just as strong as yours or Gandalfr's." The water once again flowed from the water spirit's body but it was much more than what Montmorency had in her vial. The liquid then flowed into Shu's mouth. "That should calm the malice heart down. I'm counting on you to retrieve my ring, even if it takes you till the day you die." The water spirit receded back into the lake.
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The group is now on its way to the estate that Tabitha had mention. Riding on a carriage that Tabitha came to the lake in. Thankfully it was big enough to accommodate for all of them. Louise was trapped inside a black orb produced by Pessimist's Torch, another one of Shu's voids he had.
"Couldn't you have done that sooner?" Kriche asked.
"It has to be stationary and she already took that sleeping potion for the way here."
They reached the estate moments later. Passing through a gate with a blue shield with two brown staffs crossing in front of it. But there was a crack going across it.
"What," Kriche shouted, "That's the royal seal of Gallia, but that's means that we're in Gallia now! Tabitha are you Gallian royalty?" At this all the other nobles in the carriage was shocked, but Tabitha stayed quiet and kept reading a book that she had brought with her. But only Kriche and Shu noticed that Tabitha had not turned a single page ever since she opened the book.
A butler greeted them when they have reached the doors of the main building. "Miss Charlotte, welcome back from your mission. Who are these people that you have brought with you?"
"Friends," Tabitha said as she walked towards the door. At this the butler went wide eye for a moment then open the doors for the group.
The inside was in tatters. There were cracks going across the walls and vines growing in between them. Tapestries on the wall has long lost their color. And there were many rooms that have been unused for so long that a thick layer of dust covered everything. The butler led them to a large room with a few couches and a large table in the middle. The room was in a better state than the rest of the mansion but still had cracked walls and some shattered windows.
"What is with this mansion? It is in a horrendous state." Guiche said.
"Excuse me, but do you have a room to create potions?" Montmorency asked the butler.
"Of course Miss, follow me." The butler then walked out with the ringlet in tow.
Tabitha pulled on the sleeves of both Shu and Kriche. "Follow" was all Tabitha said. She led them to the deepest room and knocked. There was no answer but Tabitha went in anyways. There was a large bed in the room and in it was a woman with the same hair color as Tabitha but looked extremely frail.
"I've return mother." Tabitha said in a sad voice.
"Go away!" Tabitha's mother yelled, "You are not taking my daughter away from me! We had enough of life in the court! Leave us alone in peace!" The woman then took a glass of water from the night stand and threw it at Tabitha. The girl however made no attempt to avoid it and it struck her head. The mad woman's attention went to the doll that she had in her hands.
The butler entered the room hearing the commotion. "Miss Charlotte are you alright?" his voice was clear with worry.
"Rest." Tabitha left the room with a sad expression on her face.
The butler then turned to Kriche and Shu. "My name is Percerin, butler of the d'Orleans family. I suppose that you want some answers to the scene that happened in front of you."
The three went back to the large room to find it empty of life. "Don't worry about the young lord," Percerin said, "The young lady took him for assistance."
"Now what is the deal with Tabitha?" Kriche asked not beating around the bush.
"Is that what she calls herself? If she brought you to see her mother then it should be no problem to tell you both the story. This place is in fact a prison."
Percerin told them how Tabitha was a victim of a succession fight for the throne of Gallia. How her father was murdered for being the one qualified to take the throne by the people despite being the second son. Then the attempted poisoning of Tabitha during a banquet only for the mind breaking potion to be consume by her mother at the last moment. And how Tabitha locked away all of her emotions when she received an order for a mission that she was not have supposed to survive from.
"The Madame stayed here in the same condition that you saw her in." Percerin said finishing the tale.
"But that means the Tabitha is just slave to the people who killed her father!" Kriche said outraged, "If I see any of them, I'm going to turn them into ashes!"
"Miss Charlotte called herself Tabitha is that correct?" Percerin asked.
"Yeah that's right." Shu answered while Kriche kept shouting curses.
"That was the name of the doll that the Madam currently has. The Madam bought that doll for Miss Charlotte when the young miss was lonely. She was the one that named the doll Tabitha. Now the Madam thinks the doll is Charlotte."
Kriche calmed herself at this. "Tabitha views herself as that doll?"
"I know that I've heard the story but I can't be there for Tabitha," Shu said, "Kriche, you're the one that has to be there for her."
The door opened and Tabitha walked in the room along with Guiche and Montmorency. "Time to go."
Kriche ran up to Tabitha and embrace her. "Don't try to do everything by yourself anymore, I'm here for you. The 'Ardent' will melt the ice around your heart Charlotte."
Shu then walked up to both of them. "I won't always be there, but you can count on me." Shu then patted Tabitha on the head.
CHARLOTTE D'ORLEANS
VOID: REVEALING SNOWSTORM
SHAPE: SNOW GUN (A/N: just imagine a potato gun with a larger tube size and a fan inside)
ABILITY: CREATES A MINI SNOWSTORM ENCASING IT'S VICTIM IN ICE REVEALING THEIR TRUE INTENTIONS IN THE FORM OF IMAGES ON THE SURFACE OF THE ICE.
Tabitha allowed herself to shed a single tear.
A/N: Now this just had a lot of potions in it. Love, relaxation, antidotes, Apocalypse Virus treatment, and a mind break potion. This chapter is just full of potions that no one loves! Giving the FOZ characters voids will have a part to play later. And yes I'm following the anime not the novel just because I have not read it yet, but I am now. Anyone wants to guess what the third heart the water spirit sensed belongs to? Also I'm on break so expect another upload soon. I really want to get to the battle of Tarbes. If anyone wondered what happened to Louise, they left her in the carriage.
