Tristain Academy of Magic, 1232 hours
It had been two days since the attempted theft of the Staff of Destruction, otherwise known to the British as the M72. The Tristanians were surprised at how quickly and effortlessly the Lancastrians and the Hussars have managed to neutralize Fouquet and her golem, and the fallen noble has been transferred to the Tristanian authorities in exchange for the second LAW that was kept within the palace. Henrietta had ordered a background check on Fouquet, with no conclusive evidence in sight. Security had been strengthened around the royal palace; the 3rd (Gramont) and 17th (Grandpre) Infantry Regiments of the Tristanian Army and the 1st (Clermont-Tonnerre) and 4th (Mortemart) Life Battalions of the Musketeer Knights had been bolstered by the 2nd (Vallière) and 5th (Châteauroux) Life Guards of the Manticore Knights and the 6th (Chateau-Thierry) Life Guards of the Griffin Knights.
The Lancastrians and the Hussars, in exchange for keeping the academy safe, had requested a constant stream of supplies in the form of foodstuffs, which had been agreed upon. The British troops did not need to worry about ammunition and fuel, as some of the mages had performed a replenishing spell on their weapons and vehicles, although Julius still reminded his men to be conservative in using their equipment.
Julius sighed as he, Lionel, Daniel, and Capt. Christian Green of Chindit Company, 2nd Battalion revamped their patrol schedule and areas with their platoon commanders in the wake of the attack on the academy. Tonight was when Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha would be recognized by the academy for their part in stopping Fouquet after several months at large. The ceremony would be held within the academy's ballroom on the third floor, so all areas near the ballroom were to be guarded by two platoons from Arnhem Company, with the rest of said company and the entirety of Blenheim Company on high alert if the situation gets ugly.
Once the meeting was over, the four officers made small talk.
"So, Capt. Graham, how has Siesta been doing?" Christian asked, his Glaswegian accent evident.
Daniel just shrugged. "Eh, she's still shaken, but she's recovering. I mean, being forced to work someplace against your will and witnessing our capabilities after we rescued her from that hellhole of a manor will do that to anyone. Well, anyone that's from around these parts."
The two other captains grunted in assent; whether one is from Earth of Halkeginia, some things never changed. "What about the others? The students and the staff, how are they?" Julius asked his subordinates.
"They're handling it pretty well, surprisingly," Lionel answered. "Shaken up like Siesta, but they managed to brush it off after a few hours, although I must say that they've been curious, the lot of them."
The major took out his cigarette pack and was about to light a cigarette when a new voice joined in.
"I gotta say, partner, that was quite the spectacle you and your men made when you dealt with Fouquet."
The four officers turned around, searching for the voice, but no one was within sight.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you. I'm strapped to your back," the voice said again, causing Julius to nearly drop his lighter and cigarette. He quickly stowed both items and unsheathed the longsword strapped on his back.
The four officers were astonished to find a talking sword, of all things. They could only gape at the spectacle before them until Daniel broke the silence.
"I'm not drunk enough for this bullshit," he muttered. "A talking, living sword? Major, are we sure we didn't eat any mushrooms this morning?"
The sword clanked a few times before speaking. "Do you fellows have any idea how awful it was to be stuck in that armory for two months? I had to put up with the owner's nonsense for that long, and let me tell you, it was not fun," the sword huffed in annoyance.
Julius blinked a few times before he found his voice. "Now I've seen everything," he said. "Dragons, magic, an alternate world, and a talking sword." He shook his head in disbelief.
"Not just a talking sword, partner. I am the legendary Derflinger, forged by the first Gandálfr in Halkeginian history," the sword laughed. "Hopefully we'll be able to work together, umm… you have a rank, right?"
Julius just sighed in resignation. "Yes, the rank is major, although given the fact that we're not in our world anymore I doubt that it still matters," he said as he sheathed the sword and lit his cigarette, taking a drag to calm his nerves. He then turned to his three captains and dismissed them.
The three company commanders mulled over the recent turn of events as they walked back to grab something to eat at Alvis Hall. Needless to say, the whole thing made them awkward.
"Well… that happened," Christian quipped, scratching his head as the trio entered the dining hall, turning several heads in the process. "I need something strong to deal with this."
"What Green said," Lionel muttered as they found an empty area next to Louise, who had just started her meal.
The mage looked up to see the three officers sit down around her in various states of confusion and disbelief, with Christian's appearance piquing her curiosity.
"Sir Lionel, sir Daniel, good afternoon," she greeted them, frowning when they absently returned her greeting. "Is something the matter?"
Lionel shrugged and glanced outside. "No, we were just discussing the security arrangements for tonight," he replied, as a waiter placed down platters of food before the men. "We can't have another infiltration occur in this place."
"Especially not on this day, when that particular infiltrator might have contacts all around the place. We can't be too careful wherever we are," Christian added between bites of his stew. "I believe we haven't been introduced to each other. Capt. Christian Green, Chindit Company, 2nd Battalion. A pleasure, Ms. Vallière."
Louise returned the greeting. "Likewise, sir Christian. Will you be attending the ball tonight?"
Christian took a sip of his wine. "I'm afraid that I can't be present, Ms. Vallière, as I have been instructed by Maj. Sickles to keep an eye out for any trouble that may arise, although from what I've gathered, the major himself will be there."
The pink-haired mage thought this over for a moment as she ate her meal before a new voice joined in, which dampened the atmosphere around them.
"Louise, I didn't expect you to be the sort of person who chases after boys as well," Kirche remarked, causing Louise to scowl and turn her head towards the Germanian redhead. Not surprisingly, Tabitha was with her, her head buried in a book.
Before she could answer, Daniel spoke up in an eerily calm voice. "Ms. Zerbst, I'm sure you'd want to choose your next words carefully. It would be regrettable if another noble meets the same fate that Mott did." This caused Kirche to pause in her attempt to rile up her rival as the three company commanders stared at her in annoyance while drawing the attention of a few nobles.
The redhead mage chuckled nervously. "I was just surprised that an archrival of mine is as interested in the same thing as I am, not that – "
"That'll be enough of that, Kirche. I'm sure that you heard what Lt. Knight said a few a nights ago. Do I have to remind you of that?" Christian snarled.
"Don't think that I would forget your attempt to disrupt my patrol when that damned lizard of yours dragged me into your room," another voice cut in.
The three captains, as well as the mages, turned to see Michael and his section striding towards them. They saluted their captains, who responded in kind before Daniel turned his attention to the corporal.
"Am I hearing it right? She disrupted your patrol?" Daniel asked.
Michael nodded. "I was conducting my patrol on the third floor of one of the towers when at around 2000 hours, her lizard dragged me into her room. I rejected her advances before resuming my patrol."
By this time, the three company commanders had gone from annoyed to furious. "Ms. Zerbst, the major would not be pleased to hear of this. I suggest that you start acting like the noble you claim to be, or there will be consequences," Lionel glared at the redhead.
"Y-yes, sir," Kirche gulped nervously. Beside her, Tabitha merely glanced at her companion before elbowing her.
"Apologize," she said in her usual monotone voice.
All of the nobles in the dining hall now had their attention on the scene before them, being witnesses to a rare sight: Kirche receiving a harsh rebuke.
"I-I-I-I'm sorry, sirs, Louise," Kirche stammered. The Lancastrians glared at her for a moment, giving her a once-over. Needless to say, they were not impressed by what they saw.
"Get out of our sight," Lionel hissed, and immediately Kirche skittered out, with Tabitha close behind.
The other nobles quickly got the hint and went back to their meals.
"So, what brings you here, corporal?" Daniel asked.
Michael merely shrugged. "Another supply run, sir, platoon's running low."
"Sir, are you sure it's not because you want to see Siesta?" Thomas snickered.
The corporal just gave Thomas a flat stare. "Thank you for volunteering yourself and the rest of the section for a beasting session once we get back, lance corporal," he deadpanned.
The entire section tensed up in dread. "Oh, bollocks," Thomas groaned.
Academy Ballroom, 1915 hours
The 1st and 2nd Platoons of Arnhem Company glanced around them as they socialized with the students, who had worn their best clothes for the night. The more curious nobles asked the Lancastrians about their unit, which the British obliged. Off to the buffet section, Tabitha busied herself with filling her platter while Kirche sat at their table, enjoying the attention of a few male nobles.
Julius stood at the balcony, his rifle loaded but with the safety on, conversing with Lionel and Travis as the units assigned to guard the ballroom updated him on the situation every fifteen minutes. The lieutenant, for his part, was just as shocked to discover that the sword he had picked up from the armory in the capital was sentient.
"Why the seriousness, boys? This is a night for merrymaking, are you sure you don't want to join them?" Derflinger asked the three officers.
Julius shook his head. "We can't, after what happened two days ago. Besides, we had this planned since morning."
"Major, as much as I hate to admit it, the sword has a point," Travis said. "You go and loosen up, sir, we'll take over on this one."
Julius hummed in thought before he relented and handed the longsword to Lionel. "Alright, but only for thirty minutes. Bristol, take charge for the meantime."
Lionel nodded, and Julius walked back inside to observe the room. It was spacious and brightly lit, with the tables situated by the walls, leaving room in the center for the students to dance.
A trumpet blared out a fanfare before a herald announced Louise's arrival. She wore a bright pink gown, and had her hair tied in a ponytail. Some of the male students nervously asked her to be their dance partners, only to be ignored by the pink-haired mage as she made her way towards Julius. The major adjusted the sling of his rifle so that it was hanging across his back.
He bowed and held out his hand to Louise. "Ms. Vallière, may I have this dance?" he asked. Nodding in approval, she took his hand, and he led her to the dance floor, where other students were gathered as waltz music began to play.
"The Staff of Destruction… it really is from your world, isn't it?" Louise said as they were halfway through the song.
Julius nodded. "The M72 is a weapon designed to take out tanks, the steel carriages that came with us when we were summoned. As powerful as it is, more advanced weapons can do the job more effectively, and at longer ranges. As a result, newer ways of protecting our tanks are being researched, and the cycle continues," he explained.
"I see," Louise mulled over the major's words. "You want to return to your world, don't you?"
"Well, if we had a choice, we could. We still have a duty to serve our nation," Julius replied. At this, the mage's face fell.
"Until then, however," he continued, "we're establishing the academy as our forward operating base. If that's what it takes for us to get back home, then so be it."
Louise looked up in puzzlement. She could not comprehend the major's words. "But why?" she asked.
Julius paused for a moment before he answered. "We're partners, Louise. Until we manage to find a way to get back home, we'll be your partners."