Author's Notes:

Hello everyone! I just want to point out that I think something strange is happening with ff notifications. I don't receive them when I'm supposed to, so it's a little irritating. Anyway, enjoy chapter 14!

Chapter 14: The Trist-Gallian War Begins

Saito, Shion, and Alex remained in their camp in the woods for a few days. Every few hours, Saito would help heal Alex, accelerating his recovery time. Shion had begun to spend an increasing amount of time with Alex, much to his own pleasure.

One day, as Alex slept, Saito took the opportunity to have a conversation with Shion.

"Hey, I need to ask you something." He said as she was cleaning her hair.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Where are you from? You look just like a Japanese person, but your features are strange." He said, bluntly.

She paused for several seconds. "I don't remember where I'm from. I only remember waking up in a village. Everyone hated me for some reason, so they cast me away." She said after several moments.

Saito felt bad for her. "So…you don't even know who your parents are? Or if you have siblings?"

She shook her head. "I don't even know how old I am. It doesn't matter now though, I feel happy now that I have you and Alex." She said, smiling at him.

He smiled back at her, but still felt pain in his heart.

"One more question." He said. "Your sword, how did you get it? It's almost exactly the same as mine. But I got mine in my world."

She looked at her sword and his. They were the same, save for the different jewels in their hilts. "I don't know." She said. "The villagers gave it to me when I was exiled, saying it was cursed."

Saito nodded. "Thanks for answering my questions." He said as he sat down next to her. "So…you and Alex huh? Who would've thought. You guys seem like polar opposites."

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's so energetic and playful. He acts like a little kid, but you're much more mature." He said, looking up into the sky.

"I suppose." She said, going back to washing her hair. "Aren't you and you opposites from your…uhhh."

"Louise isn't necessarily opposite from me, but she's certainly different." Saito said. "Still, I can't wait to get to the point that we used to be at. I was going to propose to her, but I was somehow sent back to my world."

"You have to invite Alex and I to your wedding when the time comes." Shion said, smiling.

"I could say the same to you." Saito said, making her blush.

"We're not there yet! But…maybe some day." She said as she looked downwards, blushing.

"Some day, huh? That's reassuring!" Said Alex, who had snuck behind them. The shock from hearing his voice made Shion fall into the creek she was washing her hair in.

"I was kidding!" She said in self defense.

Alex helped her out of the creek.

"What are you doing walking around anyway?" She asked him.

He lifted her into the air, spinning her around. "I've never felt better! I've got a really ugly scar now though." He said, laughing.

He set her down and gave her a kiss for several seconds. He then turned his attention to Saito.

"Thank you, Saito. I would have died without you." He said, bowing. Saito didn't like being treated with that amount of respect.

"It was nothing, really." He said, laughing nervously.

Alex stood back up. "How did you learn how to heal though? I know you're a special kind of familiar, but to my knowledge, I thought Gandalfr was only meant to guard his void mage, not heal."

Saito was quiet for a few seconds, and then began to take off his shirt, revealing his left arm. "These runes appeared when I became Louise's familiar for the second time. I don't know the exact details, but they're apparently unique to me. If I feed magic into them, they allow me to do certain things. So far, I only know how to heal."

Alex looked confused. "Wait, since when could you use magic other than that in the Gandalfr rune? Did you go to a school to learn how to use it."

Saito thought of how Gandalfr had unlocked Saito's reserves of magic. He decided that it was probably best not to mention it.

"I don't know how I learned to use it. I never attended a magic school. It just sort of happened a few days ago." He said, doing his best to sound genuine.

Alex stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds, then went back to his child-like nature. "Okay then!" He said. He lifted Shion onto his shoulders and started to run around their camp with her. Saito smiled and watched them play for a few minutes.

After a little while, they both came to him, looking serious.

"Saito," Shion began, "We need to complete the mission."

Saito, who was laying down on a patch of grass, nodded. "Yes. Soon enough, he'll make his move and destroy parts of Halkegina."

"How could he destroy entire cities though?" Alex asked.

Saito pulled a red orb from under his clothes. "This is a firestone. We have a weapon like it in my world. It's so deadly that all of the nations of my world agreed to make it illegal to use in war. This is similar, but slightly weaker. As a void mage, Joseph possesses the ability to detonate it. I suspect his plans were compromised by Sheffield's death."

They looked at the firestone closely. They could hardly believe that it was capable of such vast levels of destruction.

"We should get going then." Alex said.

The other two nodded and began to prepare. They destroyed their camp, making sure to make sure no one could know they were there.

"How do we find Joseph?" Shion asked as they ran through the forest towards Joseph's palace.

"Leave it to me." Saito said. He stopped running for a moment and closed his left eye. After a few seconds, he opened it, revealing it's bright orange glow. The Royal Palace was at least 10 kilometers away, but Saito could easily see the glowing orbs that represented living people. There was no large presence in the palace, but there was on flying through the air several dozens of kilometers away. It was surrounded by several smaller orbs, all grouped together in the air.

"He's flying away from the city." Saito said. "He has several soldiers with him in 4 ships. He's headed northwest."

He turned off his eye and looked at Shion and Alex, who were wondering how Saito knew all of that.

"I don't have time to explain right now. I don't know much about the geography of Halkeginia. What country is northwest of Gallia?" He said quickly.

"It's Tristain. Why?" Shion said.

"Shit!" Saito said to himself. He pulled Derf out of his scabbard. "Derf, can you teleport us onto that ship?!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't partner. I can't be that precise from so far away. If I teleport you into the air, you might fall to your death." He replied.

"Then take us to Tristain! The academy! Take us to the Academy!" He said, his voice filled with urgency.

"Alright! Everyone grab on!" Derf said. Shion and Alex held onto Saito. They closed their eyes as the strange feeling of teleportation came over them. When the feeling stopped, they opened their eyes. Saito immediately recognized where he was. They were in the Vestri Court of the academy.

"Good! Let's go!" He said to Shion and Alex. From here, he knew his way to their next destination, Henrietta's Palace. They ran as quickly as possible. As they ran out of the gates to the school, they passed by Guiche and Malicorne. Saito paid no attention to them. Just as quickly as they saw him, he and his two companion disappeared over the horizon.

"Umm…" Began Malicorne.

"Not our problem Malicorne. Just ignore it." Guiche said, as he and Malicorne walked into the school.

In Henrietta's Palace

Henrietta sat in her bedroom, knitting a hat. She had been extremely worried about the success of Saito's mission, and knitting appeared to be the only way that she could suppress her feelings of dread.

As she was knitting, she heard a commotion in the palace. Agnes, who was guarding her in her room, was about to open the door. Just as she did, Saito, Shion, and Alex burst through the door. They were panting heavily.

"Henrietta!" Saito yelled, panting. Some guards came from elsewhere in the palace and tried to restrain him.

"Let him go!" Ages ordered.

"But ma'am..!" One of the guards began.

"No buts! Leave them be!" She asserted.

The guards sheepishly left Saito and his friends alone. When they finally left, they turned towards Henrietta and bowed.

"Your Majesty," Saito began, "we have failed in the mission you assigned to us. Joseph is alive and he is headed this way with a small army."

Henrietta looked worried. "I see. And what of his familiar?"

"I killed her." Saito replied.

Henrietta smiled at him. "You have done your job well, Chevalier de Hiraga." She looked at Shion and Alex, who were kneeling towards her and looking at the ground. "You two have done equally well. You are forever welcome in Tristain for your services."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." They both said.

"Unfortunately, it seems that I still require your assistance. What do you three suggest we do about this impending attack?" She said.

They all stood up and looked at each other. After a few moments discussing what they could do, Saito presented Henrietta with their decision.

"We think it's best to gather Tristain's armed forces. However, we should wait to be attacked. That way, the public will not be angry with us for going to war." He said.

"I see." Henrietta said after several minutes of pondering. "How far away is the enemy?"

"Approximately 500 kilometers away from the city closest to the Gallian border." Shion said. "It will be approximately one day before he reaches said city."

Henrietta thought for a few moments. "That's not enough time to gather our armies. They've been stationed near the Germanian border for the past few weeks."

Saito looked at her with surprise. "Why the Germanian border?" He asked.

"Albrecht has requested joint training programs between Germania's armies and ours." She responded.

"I see." Saito said. He had completely forgotten that he would have to confront Albrecht as well after this was all over.

"I will assemble what soldiers I can. Gather skilled students from the Academy to fight as well, as long as they are not first years. I place you in command of whoever you gather to fight with you." Henrietta said. She pulled a paper from her nightstand and signed it. She handed it to Saito, who examined it closely. It was a royal doctrine declaring him an official general of the military, giving him the authority to recruit people as soldiers if needed.

"Congratulations, General." She said, teasing him. "Agnes will assist you. Now, be on your way."

Saito bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Shion and Alex bowed as they left the palace. They were given a carriage to take to the Academy. As they rode inside, Alex and Shion inspected the document that Saito was given.

"General, huh? You're really moving up in the world." Alex said, laughing at Saito.

Shion looked very serious. "How are a bunch of students supposed to help us fight an army? They're not like us. The only ones in that entire school who could possibly help are your void mage and the professors."

Saito thought about this for a few moments. "You're right, but any firepower we can get is useful. After all, we can't just go in by ourselves this time."

Shion sighed and laid her head on Alex's shoulder, choosing to sleep until they arrived at the Academy. When they finally arrived, night had fallen. Students still wandered around the school. Saito and his friends immediately went to Osmond's quarters.

They knocked on the door and heard a quiet "Come in!" Inside, Osmond was writing a paper on his desk.

"Ah, Saito! Long time no see! How are you?" He said once he looked up and saw Saito.

"I'm doing fine, Osmond. These are my friends, Shion and Alexandre." He said, introducing his companions. Alex bowed and Shion removed her mask, slightly nodding her head. Osmond became red when he saw her.

He grabbed Saito and whispered into his ear. "How do you think Louise will react to…this?"

"She's Alex's girlfriend, Osmond. No worries." He whispered back.

"Of course, of course!" Osmond said. He cleared his throat. "So, how may I help you? I know you wouldn't come by to see an old man such as myself without a reason."

Saito pulled out the royal document that Henrietta had given him. "I need you to assemble all students in the Academy who aren't first years. Joseph of Gallia is coming to Tristain with a small army, but Tristain's main military force is performing training exercise at the Germanian border. The students at this academy are sufficiently powerful to deal with Joseph's normal soldiers. You and the other professors are powerful enough to deal with his mages. Shion, Alexandre, and I are strong enough to deal with Joseph himself."

Osmond nodded. "I'd ask more questions, but it seems that it's pointless now. I'll have the students assemble in front of the Academy's gate."

Saito nodded and left the room with Shion and Alex. They went outside and stood at the gate of the Academy. Students started gathering there within a few minutes, wondering why they had to get up at night.

At the back of the crowd, Saito spotted Louise. Seeing her again brought a smile to his face. After a few minutes, Osmond came to talk to them.

"Okay, everyone is here. You can tell them." He said.

Saito nodded. He cleared his throat and began his speech. "My name is Hiraga Saito. By order of Queen Henrietta, I am to recruit all of you into Tristain's military. Joseph de Gallia will attack the city of Liège with a small army in approximately 1 day. I will be your General for the duration of this war."

The students murmured for several seconds before hearing his voice again. "You are dismissed! Please prepare carefully. We will leave for Liège in 5 hours."

The students ran back to their respective rooms. Some started to cry, while others were excited. Saito walked through the courtyard. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, he just wanted to find a way to calm his nerves. As he walked he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Louise running straight at him.

She hugged him tightly, making him fall to the ground.

"It's nice to see you too…" Saito said, slightly being choked by her hug.

"What happened while you were gone?" She asked, when she finally pulled away from him.

"A lot happened, I suppose." Saito said, thoughtfully. "First and foremost, I can use a little magic now."

"What? How?" Louise asked, not understanding how this was possible. She was under the belief that only aristocrats and magical creatures could use magic. Not so-called plebeians like Saito

"I'll explain that later. I also made some new friends. And…we killed Joseph's familiar." He said the last part with a very sad look on his face. Louise couldn't quite understand why he would feel sorry about that, but she assumed something had happened that made Saito feel sympathetic.

"So, Joseph is the only threat now, right?" She asked, hopefully.

Saito nodded. "For now, yes. After that, I can focus entirely on you." He gave her a kiss, which she happily returned. They remained locked together for several seconds until they were interrupted.

"So this is the lucky lady huh?!"

It was Alex. He and Shion had come to find Saito.

"Hey, young lady! Your boyfriend saved my life! Why don't you give him a little treat later." Alex said, winking. Louise blushed and hid her face in her hands. Shion hit Alex's head.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive him. He is quite dense at times." She said to Louise. "My name is Shion. Pleased to meet you."

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. It's a pleasure to meet you." Louise said as she bowed.

"Vallière?" Shion said as she looked at Louise. "So you're from that family. The privileged life must be so nice." She said, laughing.

Louise and Shion engaged in conversation, leaving Saito and Alex to talk among themselves.

"Looks like they like each other." Alex said, smiling.

"Yeah. It's like they already knew each other." Saito replied.

"Hey, Saito. What do you say after this is all over, we go on a vacation? Just the four of us. We can go some place nice to relax." Alex said, being uncharacteristically serious.

Saito was surprised. "That sounds great." He said, smiling at Alex.

They hugged each other. Although neither one said it, both knew that they could die in the next 48 hours, and each had someone important to them that they could lose. They had never felt closer before. They spent the next several hours discussing where they should go for their planned vacation. They eventually decided that it would be best to go to a beach somewhere, although they would figure out the details later.

They made their way to the gate of the school. Louise and Shion were already there. Students had begun to gather, some looking confident while others looked terrified. Osmond arrived with the other professors, followed by Tabitha, Montmorency, Guiche, Kirche, and Malicorne.

"He's so manly now isn't he?" Kirche said to Tabitha, who was reading a book.

"He is a male who grows with time, so yes." Tabitha replied, seeing everything from a scientific standpoint. Although, secretly, she agreed with Kirche.

"Everyone is here. We're ready." Osmond told Saito.

Saito looked at Louise, Shion, and Alexandre.

"Ready?" He asked.

They all nodded.

Saito looked at the crowd of hundreds of students. "Let's go!" He yelled.

They marched into the night toward the city of Liège, ready for the battle that waited for them.

Author's notes:

First of all, thank you guys soooo much for over 500 visits and over 2000 views. It was only a few days ago when we had half as many views and visits as we have now! Thank you so much! I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 14! Leave a review if you did! As always, have a great day!