A/N: Okay, now let's get back on track. Time for some time-skip in this chap. Weird thing is, my e-mail went bananas again, I didn't get alerted on two stories I got the Story Alert on when they did update.
The same evening at dinner, everyone were trying out that moussaka that Aristodemus had promised them back at the museum. Satsuki had somehow managed to get the recipe, along with some ideas on her nikuman stuffings. Only God knows her secrets of persuasion. I for one swear, it must be her calm posture all the time.
"Guess you were right back there..." Rakan said to Precia as he had tried some moussaka. "Golems don't eat... Hey, am I still able to...?"
"Get any?" Precia asked, sitting next to the golem. "Afraid not. We had to discard those so that you could continue to live on." Rakan made a headdesk on the table in depression. "Shame. I'm sure you would have been something."
"Precia-san... You probably shouldn't say such things when you're in your fifties." Aris said, halting his own slow eating.
"That coming from someone who probably spent the last two thousand courting ladies and pretty girls from the countryside." Precia countered.
"Hey. It's called being a gentleman. What's wrong with that?"
Leaving the elders alone for now, everyone was having a ball. Chatting up about everything, the girls were discussing about what style they would use individually, or what affinity they would get from their training that would start once they got back home. Fate could be very brutal from what Negi had told them, but at least he would keep you alive.
"Come now," Chizuru told the twins to eat properly the vegetables that came with the moussaka. "If you don't eat properly, you won't be as beautiful as the rest of us." She sang in a happy tone.
Hearing that, a certain blonde little girl halted her taking off some veggies from her plate, blushing when a certain young magi noted her actions. Alicia promptly started eating her veggies again. Negi didn't say anything, mainly due to that he felt being watched by others. Even if she was younger than him, some of the girls spilled out killing auras at the cute girl. I swear, I really need to talk to them about this. Negi thought to himself, as he unintentionally cleaned her cheek. Alicia was a very quiet girl at the moment, but that took her by great surprise.
"Um... thank you." Was what she said, quietly so that only he could hear it.
Dammit! Not what I expected. Negi thought to himself. Unfortunately, his thoughts were being picked up by someone else there.
"Well, you certainly have a special charm about yourself, Negi-kun." Fate's voice was heard inside his head, as the construct was sitting by the window having himself a good cup of coffee. "No wonder everyone in your class volunteered for this obstacle. We might as well have them go dancing on a pole to see how far they go for you."
"Fate, you really shouldn't say such things about my students." Negi responded back to the white haired magi. "Isn't their friendship and affection to me the same as your girls' loyalty to you?"
"I suppose you're right there. But I for one could never pick them up so fast as you."
"Why are we having this conversation to begin with?"
"Got bored, I suppose."
"That, and I do think that Alicia-san is cute." Negi thought loudly, and Fate nodded to him before returning to his coffee.
Theo was thinking to herself about what she would do when she got back home. Her father, the Emperor would be furious with this. And apparently, seeing the head of this island being not happy, might be a very good idea on what Papa might be when she comes home. Maybe I should stay here in Arcadia until the papers arrive.
The two new guys there were sitting together, talking about some of their own exploits to the girls that did listen, Kazumi and Chizuru being among them. Being a monster hunter, Vito did have some funny encounters with monsters, some ending up with him being in a real sticky situation afterward, literally. Andreas on the other hand was a traveling merchant, so he had seen a lot of odd stuff himself. He did mention one occasion when he accidentally spoofed some kind of pheromone on himself, and ended being chased by all the girls in the town he was staying in at the time. Oh, how the girls laughed at that.
Rachel, now Rachel, she was drinking alcohol again. But this time, the little pervert had some self control over herself, and kept herself to mild stuff so that she wouldn't grope anyone in the process of the small feast, again. She was still sober after three bottles of... whatever it was that they drank in the Magic World. "I tell you, girls," She told Haruna and Misa, some of those with slightly more perverted things in mind. "It's not really the size that counts. It's how one uses it."
"So are you sure that it's how you use it, and not the size that counts?" Haruna asked the little girl.
"Of course. Master has gone that way too. Way long before me."
"Has he?"
"Oh, yes. And to this day, he would go for using daggers over a staff." Rachel noted on their discussion about a good weapon to begin with. Admit it, you were thinking something else, weren't you?
Hakase was squealing over a spare hand for a golem she had gotten from the lab. Now she could make something really good, based on that technology. Everybody was busy eating.
"Hey, Negi." Asuna called to her nephew. "I think we need to talk in private." She gestured for him to come out on the balcony. Once they were out there, she turned to him. "I guess we got a much bigger perspective of things now, don't you think?"
"I suppose you're right." Negi responded and looked out over Ithaca. "I'd never expected to have someone like Aristodemus-san watch over us this whole time."
"True. But can we really trust him?" Asuna inquired. "You heard him yourself. He's killed members of our family. Even if he's a good guy, how do we know that he won't go and kill us as well?"
"And risk ending the royal family?" Negi retorted. "He doesn't seem to be that kind of guy. He probably did what he had to do back then."
"I don't know." Asuna said eventually. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Having been possessed by the Life Maker seems to have made me a bit ballistic about a few things."
"Sounds awful, I take it." Negi tried to get a smile from her.
"Don't." Asuna ordered him. "But honestly, what are we going to do about it?" Asuna said, looking upwards to see Mars' two moons. "It's not just the old geezer. I'm also talking about that Fashtar fellow." That name cut a chill into Negi. "He kidnapped Honya-chan, fought Fate, and poisoned you. And yet, we don't even know his real goal with us. I mean, what kind of student of... whatever it was, leaves a magic sword and figurines that summon dragons in the hands of people he barely knows and leaves it at that? He's up to something."
"I suppose you're right. And I do hope that Nodoka-san is alright, too." Negi said, turning to the sky as well.
"Hey, she's fine. I got Fashtar to look after her unless he wants his spine crushed. And from what we know, an arch-mage is looking after her now. She's gonna be fine, and waiting for us when we get to... wherever she is right now."
"Yeah, you're right, I suppose." Negi responded filled with hope, before getting a smell from inside. "Is that cinnamon I smell?"
Asuna took a few sniffs as well. "I smell apple... They got Apple and Cinnamon pie in there. Let's get some before it runs out!" Both royalties ran inside to save some pie for themselves.
Back to Ostia
"Well, that was quite the experience." Setsuna said, laying on a couch with a sleeping Konoka on her lap. The Hanyou was resetting her hair, redyeing it with black but only on the tip of her hair, giving her a new look about herself.
"Yes, we certainly didn't expect getting married on arrival." Madoka said sarcastically, wearing a new pair of bracers that the Spartan had given her. Everyone in class had been given a special item which would boost their own abilities, or grant them some new ones. The cheerleader's bracers were handmade out of bronze, each with the body of a snake put into it, with topazes replacing their eyes.
"Well, we shouldn't let it affect how we view each other." Asuna said, before remembering that her own wife was there, going for Negi once she finished saying that. "And Negi wasn't free to begin with, Ayaka!"
"But you can't just render him out of the game, Asuna-san." Ayaka retorted, hugging Negi, much to Makie's own dismay. "I don't care if he's married now, he'll always be our Negi-sensei."
"So share him with us then!" Yuuna shouted, fly tackling the class representative along with Haruna. "You can't keep him to yourself all the time!"
"No fair! All of you have been a bit lovey-dove with sensei the last time you were here, I demand to have some time caught up with you!" Ayaka shouted back at them whilst Negi was being whisked away to safety
Didn't she listen to the whole story when I introduced myself to the rest of the class? Fate thought to himself watching the whole escapade from afar. Or is she just highly obsessed about Negi-kun for something?
"Guys!" Setsuna hissed at them. "You're gonna wake Konoka up."
"Oh, sorry." The others said, with a sorry smile on their faces, but cat-grins behind the mask since it seemed like a private love moment between Setsuna and her charge.
"Huh?" Akira noticed Kazumi seeing absent minded for once. "Asakura-san, is something wrong?" The swimmer asked the paparazzi.
"Huh?" Kazumi jumped at Akira's question. "No, there's nothing wrong. I'm fine." She responded back.
"Asakura-san is thinking about that Monster Hunter we met back there." Sayo tattled on her best friend.
"Traitor." Kazumi scolded the little doll. "Sigh, fine, I'm thinking about Vito-san."
"That idiot we met when we faced Aris-san?" Akira had to make sure on that one. "You're thinking about him?"
"Well, he's kinda nice and good-minded." Kazumi retorted at her. "Day before we left Arcadia, I heard he got transferred to somewhere cold. I do wonder why."
"Well, he's not exactly in the boy scouts, Asakura-san. I hear those SH are some of the toughest groups to be in."
"Still..." Kazumi said, before holding out a Xiphos. "He gave me this after I got my neat chamo-cloak from Aristodemus-san."
"Did you see what Chizuru-san got from his friend, Andreas-san?" Asuna said, overhearing the conversation. "She got a CD with some European band. Was it Alby... or Abo? Or..."
"It's ABBA, Asuna. One of the best in the whole Old World." Akira said. "I've heard some of their stuff. It's incredible really."
"Is it?" Asuna sounded surprised. "Then I expect that she'll be playing that CD when we get back to training..."
"I don't mind, really." Fate said, surprising all three of them. "They say music is good when you're exercising, anyway."
"Would you please stop doing that?" Asuna demanded of him.
"If you're referring to be there at the perfect time to make a comment, or scaring you by being actually there, I will do that." The white haired magi responded. "But it's going take a while."
"Have I ever told you that I hate you?"
"No, but I got the message a few times through your actions." That ended the conversation between those two.
After having been free from the class representative's grip, Negi sat on the railing on the outside of the ship, next to the ship's hidden minigun. He was tinkering with the bracer that he had been given. So far, he hadn't been able to activate it, but he wasn't really wanting for that at the moment. And here I go again. Next time I'm coming here, I'm likely to find my godfather as well. If I got one that's still alive... Looking out over the horizon, seeing a small village in the distance, his mind went back to Nodoka again. She's okay out there. I know her, one of the most courageous people I know. She's gonna be fine. And it's likely she'll make friends there too. The young magi was right about that without even knowing it. But once she gets back... or when I get to her if I have to, what should I say to her? What would she say to me? Oh, listen to myself here, I sound like a love-crazed boy. Wait, I didn't really mean that.
"You sure about that?" A certain telepath inquired of the magic prince.
"Shut up, you!"
In the Spartan Palace...
It's been nearly a week since Negi and his minor army has left the Magic World by now. Things had gotten quiet since the girls had left. It was back to the dull life of paperwork and long hours of being bored. Cheese slice snaps could only last for so long. Rachel was drinking heavy alcohol again, trying to get her mind off things, Precia had gone back to the lab to study the same way they had brought back Alicia in, the latter was playing rapid Othello with Andreas, who wasn't going anywhere at the moment. Aris in person, was dangling a 10 pound heavy Xiphos on his index finger. He seemed bored about something, and troubled too.
"Hey, old man." Rakan walked up to the elder, calling him old since he knew his real age now. "Mind filling some gaps for me, at least?"
"Your point?" Aris asked absent minded.
"Don't be like that. You may have kept some stuff hidden from Negi, but I at least can stay resistant to your tone. A very good one, I admit, but it doesn't work on everyone."
"I fail to see where you're going with this." Aris retorted at him in the same tone.
"You were Arika's partner for ten years and you never told any of us in the Crimson Wing?" Rakan told the Spartan, getting a little impatient. "You also stayed quiet in the case when Negi and his gang first arrived here, helping only on the sidelines. Negi might be satisfied right now, but I for one demand answers, since I'm stuck here until all those damn tests led by Precia are done!"
The Spartan sighed, knowing that Rakan wouldn't relent until he knew the whole story. "Fine, but I want you to do something in return." He said, thrusting the Xiphos into the window railing so that only the hilt could be seen. Rakan nodded at him for him to start. "I told you the truth that Arika came to me regarding the Pactio. She was planning the coup 'etat and told me the whole story. That her father was... a puppet of Cosmo Entelecheia. I was set as the escape plan in case things went wrong. I was also set as her bodyguard if it came to a fight between her and the king."
"So that's the reason why you were her partner, at least." Rakan said, whilst Rachel stopped drinking and started listening in. "But what was it you were able to do? What was the artifact that you had?"
"My artifact..." Aristodemus continued whilst closing his eyes. "was not a weapon, support item, or anything like that. It was a power, a unique power."
"A unique power?"
"Let me put it this way: You recall the date I said in the movie, right?"
"Yeah, 30th of June, 1908." Rakan said. "Why?"
"Back then on that date, there was a massive explosion in mid-air in the region of Tunguska, Siberia, causing night to turn to day for a couple of days and night. You could read the newspaper as in broad daylight whilst the clock said midnight in Europe." Aris explained to the golem. "Back then, the natives that lived in Tunguska, believed that an ancient fire god rumored to be in that same area, was furious with that they had abandoned his ways and sought revenge."
Rakan started to laugh. "Yeah, so they thought that... it was... a... now wait a minute. You were the real cause back then in those days?"
"No, I was never there at the time." Aris answered. "But it gives you an idea about my artifact with Arika."
"Wait..." Rakan said, turning sour, and Rachel really got on to this. "You're telling me that you could that same power as that explosion?" Aris raised an eyebrow to indicate that there was more to it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... It's not just the Tunguska event that you could do. It was-"
"What we think of as gods, are actually mix pots of powerful magi and warriors that forever struck into our minds, giving us a picture that they were invincible. Essentially, all those figures formed into one entity in our heads over time: Deities. My artifact allowed me to harness those powers and use them myself." Aristodemus finished for Rakan.
"So basically, for the ten years that Arika was still alive, you were truthfully a god incarnate."
"Not the first time to be honest." Aris amused the golem. "Back when I was still young as an Immortal, the Spartans believed me to be an avatar of Ares, the Greek god of war. For a time I believed so too, but after Sparta's fall, I didn't stay as God of war any longer."
"And you don't miss being all that?"
"Drop that question right now, Jackie-chan." Aris addressed the golem by a pet name he made up once. "I never needed all that power. I was already powerful to begin with. That time at the Cerberus Canyon was the only time I ever used the artifact."
"And it turned out just as you had anticipated?" Rakan asked of the Spartan, whilst Alicia was celebrating her 15th victory of Othello over Andreas, who had won: Zero times. He was resting his head on the Othello board, some weird smoke coming up above his head. "But if Frollo did die back there, then the Senate wouldn't have been too happy about it."
"True, but at the same time, I sent out a message to them that, in the terms of today's youngsters, they wouldn't fuck with me. I'm not happy with them being in charge and they know it, so Negi-kun provides me with an opportunity to show them how things should be." Aris finished on that matter.
"Damn." Rakan suddenly had a lot of respect for the old man on a whole new level. "You actually know what to do. Okay, what do you want me to do in return?"
"Jack..." Aristodemus started, looking out the window. "I want you to open up a school."
Out of all the requests that had been assembled in his head, that one was the most unexpected. "What?"
"You heard. You should open a school. Getting old is not really a good thing."
"You want me to open a school?" Rakan asked of the Spartan. "Why on earth do you want me to do such a thing?"
"There are two reasons for my request, Jack." Aris started to explain. "First of all, you're getting old. That new body of yours was never designed to last forever. You'll age and eventually, your run-time will run out. And even if you are mentioned in the history books, you'll be forgotten, a name always stuck on a piece of paper. With a school, your name would always be remembered and everyone would know how you fought and gain a brand new view on how good you were."
"Right." Rakan could say after hearing all that. "What's the second reason?"
"That's why I'm so down. For the past week since Negi-kun left, I've been in contact with the World leaders regarding the Githyanki incident. Everything that I know has been told to the others, and we are in the middle of discussing it."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Come on, Jack. You know the full story as much as I do." The Spartan told the golem. "One of Negi-kun's own Ministrae was abducted by these aliens and they are aware of magic. And from what Averruncus told me earlier, these guys are planning to do a classic thing we expect from alien cultures. Invasion."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there." Rakan had to halt the old man's little speech at this. "Let me get this straight: Averruncus thinks that these guys will invade Earth? Even if that is true, how is that a big problem? Earth is capable of defending itself."
"True, but that's not all. The Githyanki are magic users as well. If they used magic to attack Earth, and IF they succeed, where do you think they'll turn next?"
The skin job on Rakan's new body was magnificently done, because the sword master went suddenly pale upon hearing that question. "They'll be able to reach us."
"Mundus Magicus." Aristodemus responded. "There's more to it. Even if Earth manages to fight back the Githyanki, we also forget the magi that live there. Been taught that magi exists to defend humanity, that will lead to another thing which isn't good for us."
Rachel dropped her bottles for once, and Alicia and Andreas had stopped their Othello game once they all thought of that. "Alicia-chan, could you cover your ears please?" Rachel asked the little girl who obeyed like the nice gentle girl she was. "GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!" She screamed loudly at the final scenario of what would happen. "We're gonna get discovered by the mundane people! They're gonna find out every goddamn thing about us!"
"Wait, is that for real?!" Andreas screamed over Rachel's exclamations.
"I'm afraid so." Aristodemus responded, with a stern grimace on his own face. "Every scenario I can think up on, it leads to the same damn thing: Magic will be discovered, whether as a small secret, or as a self explanatory existence. We win or lose, magi intervenes, magi does not intervene. It all leads to the same result regarding us."
"Did you mention this to them as well?" Rakan demanded to know. Now things were coming crashing down on them.
"I did. At first, they didn't pay heed, but once I said that every scenario leads to this, they started taking it seriously. There must have been some sort of conclusion by now."
"So that's why you want me to open a school." Rakan said, remembering his returned favor to do. "You want as many good fighters on our side, should things come to the worst."
"Yatzee." The Spartan said, before the big doors to the room opened up to reveal those people in person that he had been talking to. The Consul of Megalomesembria, President Seras Victoria, the Pro-Consul and naturally the Emperor of Hellas. They didn't seem too happy about things that were proceeding. "Decided to pay a visit regarding this, my lords and lady?" Aristodemus said gently at them.
"Come on, guys, let's leave them for now and wait outside." Rachel asked Rakan, Andreas and Alicia. Once they were outside, the world leaders started talking.
"We don't like it, but we have decided that we're going to help the Old World in this endeavor." The Consul of Mesembria started. "We have already started deploying our forces for transfer."
"The Problem is though, we can't decide on someone to maintain control over all our troops." President Seras continued. "We can keep communications up between ourselves, but past grievances make it difficult for us to hold together."
"Is there a reason you came here when we could have discussed this over our screens instead?" Aris had to ask them.
"We came to a daring conclusion, but it's something you would have to agree on yourself, Strategou. If we offered you the position, would you accept it?" The Emperor asked the shorter man.
"You mean, being in charge of this military operation, your Majesty?" Aris asked surprised at them. "Normally, I would say no, but given that we are all in a tight spot which we can't get out of no matter what route we take, I would be mad not to accept."
"So, you'll do it then?"
"I have a few conditions for this: Put aside your differences, you'll follow my orders absolutely, and anyone who doesn't follow them is stripped of rank whatever it is."
"Then, we are pleased to appoint Strategou Aristodemus of Sparta as Commander-in-Chief for the Magic World." The Consul exclaimed. "What are your orders right now?"
"I want sub-commanders." Aristodemus started. "Get me a list of all the available generals and admirals you have, I want records of as many troops as we can spare for this. Once we get the clear from the Old World leaders, we can deploy our own troops in remote areas on Earth. I want volunteers for journeys to the Old World, they must be willing to work alongside the mundane people. Don't hesitate to draft in the best; We need every advantage we can get, whether it be radical or orthodox."
"Understood." The World leaders said and they turned around to walk out, save the Emperor. "There's one thing I want to make clear, Commander."
"Yes, your Majesty?"
"Young Master Springfield is going to be a very important piece in this. I entrust you to look after both him and my daughter. The two needs some time to get over their... accident as you would call it at this point." The Emperor pointed out.
"Yes. I would look after Negi-kun even if you didn't tell me. Because that's what Queen Arika would tell me to do, after all. Care to talk with him at some point?"
"Of course. I may even teach him a few things about politics." The Emperor did turn away now to leave the room. "And Commander, may the Gods watch over us. We need them more than ever."
Being left alone now, the Spartan opened up a comms channel to Precia in the lab. "Precia-san, how fast is our productions rate at full speed."
"About fifty items an hour."
"Get working immediately. We need weapons and gadgets, and fast. I'm going to organize a special team in Japan. Mind if I take Alicia with me?"
"I don't mind. She's your little girl too. And make sure Lochaber behaves as well. I don't want him go insulting people too much whilst my daughter is nearby."
"Understood. Thank you." Aris closed the channel. "Rachel! Get Princess Theodora and have her pack her bags. We're going to the Old World again. And get me a special squad from Ariadne too. I want the cadets they have there. Get me a good group."
"Yes sir." Rachel rushed off somewhere.
"Alicia, we're going to the Old World. We ought to get you all prepared. Can you survive without Mother for some time?" Aris asked the little girl, kneeling in front of her. She nodded and went to her new room that she had gotten once she was resurrected again. "And Andreas. I want you to relay messages to everybody in the Spartan Hounds. Here's the relay codes, get the messages to every section I have men stationed in. We're back in action on full time."
"Yes, sir." The merchant said and headed off somewhere.
"And somebody get Godel out of Jail! I need to talk to him!" I gotta go get my cars. The new Commander in chief thought as he began to plan a new training schedule. Now let's see. I need to talk to Karl, get an audience with Eishun, contact a few magic organizations, phew, this is a lot on my plate right now. Good thing I've spent all my time with military commanders in the past.
A/N: Now, that's the end of the Arcadia arc. FINALLY! Took longer than I expected. And by the time you're reading this, you probably are very interested in this story. It doesn't seem I'm very popular right now with my plotting. I'm sorry, but I'll be making it up now, I promise! It's gonna be really good stuff involving Nodoka! There'll be adventure, prophecies, fanservice (for real!) and someone bashing his head against a pillar! See you then!
- Haruna's ship really does have a minigun. I saw it on raw pages of the next chapter. That was awesome. My proof of that it has weapons, is chapter 219, when Haruna shows up and complains that she was just going to use the ship's hidden weapons after Negi had defeated those bounty hunters.