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"Saito" -Talking
'Louise' -Thinking/ Human-Human Telepathy
"Explosion!" -Spell
:Master: -Master/Familiar Telepathy
Chapter 27: Siesta's Gift: The Dragon of Tarbes
Several Days Later
Stuart Family Crypt, Beneath the Royal Castle
The funeral of Prince Wales Tudor of Albion was a quiet, solemn affair. Most of the Loyalist Albionian Fleet had arrived over the preceding few days, and many of the officers had been adamant about having a chance to pay their last respects to their Prince, something that Princess Henrietta had granted them.
Admiral Edward Pellew, a Viscount of Albion, had led the Loyalist Albionian Navy Officer's Corps as they escorted their Prince's body on its last journey between the Tristainia Cathedral and the Royal Catacombs, where Prince Wales would be interred with the Stuart Royals until Albion could be reclaimed and his remains safely transported back and laid to rest among his ancestors without risking them being disturbed.
Louise had remained loyally and steadfastly by Prince Henrietta's side, who had already grieved well beyond tears by that point. The taller girl grasped her childhood friend's hand like it was a lifeline whenever she could, and the pinkette bore the pain from her desperate grasp without so much as a flinch or gasp of pain.
Saito, for his part, remained quiet from his place behind the two young woman, watching vigilantly as the ten high-ranking Albionian officers acting as pall-bearers, all of whom had been hand-selected by Admiral Pellew for their loyalty to the Crown, gently lowered the coffin into the stone sarcophagus that would contain Prince Wales for the moment. He had utilized all of his knowledge and experience, as well as Emereldas' advice, in order to carve spell formations into both coffin and sarcophagus in order to achieve all the desired effects.
The most important was that, once the sarcophagus' lid was closed, only Princess Henrietta's willing touch could unlock it; otherwise one may as well try to push a mountain. Additionally there were two temporal formations placed on the coffin itself; one wound time back on the body to the point a couple of minutes after Prince Wales had passed away, while the other froze his corpse at that point in time, both of which had taken effect once the lid of the coffin was secured.
He'd also ensured that the sarcophagus itself was the next best thing to invulnerable, at least when it came to the power-based spellcasting style that Halkaginians seemed to use. Most forms of physical and magical attacks would simply bounce off the thing like a musket ball off modern armour plating. Emereldas had been the one to place that one at Saito's request, the demon's raw power far exceeding his own at this point and thus a better choice for such a power-focused formula.
As the lid of the sarcophagus was lowered into place, a blue flash of light made the onmyōji nod in satisfaction. Everything seemed to have activated perfectly.
'Now there's Albion itself to deal with.' Saito thought grimly. As Louise's Familiar, he would be accompanying her into the meetings that were being held at the castle later in the day, discussing what was to be done against the newly-declared 'Holy Republic of Albion', led by the 'Holy Emperor' Oliver Cromwell, which was a rather asinine name in his opinion.
Republics were led by presidents, not emperors.
Then again, Saito doubted that the concept of a non-hereditary ruler would have ever entered the minds of the nobility of this world. Saito honestly had no issues with hereditary rulers, in fact he personally preferred them to the overblown popularity contests democratic elections could turn into. It didn't hurt that all Onmyōji were raised to be loyal to the Japanese Emperor, as the Imperial Family were the traditional rulers of the mages, rather than the Cabinet and Prime Minister.
Just like with the concept of Nobility itself, a hereditary ruler, someone raised to lead and rule, could be a truly great thing, as long as rules, procedures and safeguards were in place to prevent the incompetent, cruel, and simply stupid from inheriting such power.
For every Henrietta, there was a Mott the Elder and Mott the Younger.
'I hope Kaede is OK. I haven't heard from her in a week.' the onmyōji frowned slightly as he followed his Master/Apprentice back up to the main part of the castle. 'She was looking angry when talking about her father too...I really hope she hasn't done something rash…'
Same Time
Training Field, Onidōrō Village
"OOF!" Kurotama grunted as he landed on his ass. Shaking his head, he gulped as he spotted the reason for his impromptu airtime. Urajirosatoukaede, his precious and beloved daughter, was glaring at him full-force, while off to the side, Byakuren, his dear wife, looked on unemotionally as her daughter beat the stuffing out of her father.
"Chichi-ue, this has gone on for long enough!" Kaede growled. She wielded a katana in either hand, her White Oni heritage granting her ambidexterity so long as she had a weapon gripped in both her hands. "You will free my Aruji from the requirement that you enforced on our contract!"
"I will not." Kurotama growled, hopping back to his feet and brandishing the tetsubō he favoured. "You are too young to leave home permanently. You do not even have your adult name yet!"
The Ginki scowled at that. Oni society was similar to feudal Japanese society in that everyone was given an initial name to last them through their childhood, only gaining their proper adult names once they came of age. As of yet, Kaede was only 246, four years off the age of an Oni's advent of adulthood. Granted, 250 was only the general age, with many becoming adults either a couple years earlier or later based on their own maturation.
"My Aruji almost DIED because of the rule you laid down, chichi-ue!" Kaede snarled out angrily. "He is in a land locked in the same era as the Sengoku Jidai! Each day there holds the risk of battle, danger, and death without me there to protect him! You know what happens to Familiars who do nothing as their masters are killed!"
"Guh…!" Kurotama honestly hadn't considered that aspect. The contracts utilized by the Onmyōji to form their bonds with their Familiars were very strict when it came to Familiars who refused to protect their masters from a clear and present danger. If the master died as a result a lack of action on the part of a Familiar, or from the Familiar not being there at all, then the clauses would inflict several severe and painful penalties on the Familiar, Even worse, the magic would mark them as a pact-breaker, a punishment even worse for some Familiars than the penalties themselves.
One who broke the sacred pact of Master and Familiar could not be trusted, for who could know where their loyalty truly lay.
"And this is the first time in the last week that you two have actually talked instead of simply attacking each other." Byakuren shook her head with a sigh. She was well aware that her fellow Oni were incredibly stubborn and intractable by nature, and that her husband and daughter were very much susceptible to this trait, but she hadn't expected their fight to stretch across an entire week uninterrupted!
Her husband was most definitely in the wrong here, she knew. Kurotama's actions as an overprotective father had almost resulted in the death of the boy she was fairly certain her precious little girl had fallen for. This had likely terrified Kaede, so she was being extra forceful as a result. Her fierce little flower was not a child used to being scared, after all.
"Anata, Kaede's in the right here." Byakuren said after a moment. "You had absolutely no business in forcing Kaede and her master to add that time limitation to their contract; not only is it a foolish constraint to add to the Prime Superior Demon of an Onmyōji, it is also considered extremely rude to interfere in the contract of another, even if they are your child. I allowed it to pass because I too was a bit concerned about our daughter forming a contract before she even had her adult name, and because Saito-kun was only a Junior Adept and would thus be safe working within the Ministry for at least a few years until he reached Senior Adept. But the circumstances have changed, and I was wrong to not step in sooner."
"Byakuren!" Kurotama looked hurt by his wife's words.
"Haha-ue…!" Kaede looked overjoyed, by contrast. She knew very well that once her mother put her foot down, her father would crumble like a soggy sugar cube.
"Dear, are you trying to drive our daughter away from us? Because that is precisely what your actions are going to accomplish if you remain obdurate for very much longer." the former White Oni Clan Princess stated, staring at her husband with narrowed eyes. "Since the moment she signed the contract with Saito-kun, her first and only priority has been the safety and well-being of her master. And she cannot do that properly if she is forced to return to Onidōrō every twelve hours. There have already been whispers in the village about how Kaede isn't doing her duty properly by spending most of her days here."
"I am sorry for dishonouring you, Haha-ue." the Ginki looked down in shame. She loved her parents so much that the thought of being a cause to sully their names revolted her.
"It isn't your fault in the least, my silver star." Byakuren walked over and patted her daughter's head, right behind her horn. "You father is simply unwilling to let you spread your wings yet, even although he knows that the time has come."
"Grrr...I don't want a human onmyōji for a son-in-law!" Kurotama growled.
"The master who I swore myself to...shall be the father of my children." Kaede declared firmly. "Even as hanyō, they shall be your grandchildren. Will you reject them still?"
"Geh…!" the former heir of the Black Oni Clan grunted in almost physical pain. Kurotama was over a thousand years old and had many issues with humans due to his direct descent from the Great Oni Shuten-dōji. He had almost been sealed away by an Onmyōji in his youth due to that fact. The various incidents had left him slightly mistrustful of regular humans, and greatly mistrustful of any human practitioner of the Onmyō arts. It was this mistrust that had made him panic and lay down the law in regard to how long his beloved daughter had to spend around her 'master' at any one time.
'To think the curse of the Oni tribes has affected her already…' he thought sourly.
By their very nature, all Oni sought out strength, whether that be the strength of arm or of magic. That was true when it came to finding their partners as well, they sought strong mates to ensure their children would have a greater chance of growing stronger. In the case of the young Onmyōji Saito, it was not his current strength that had caught Kaede's attention but rather his future potential. He was one of the scant handful of Onmyōji since the Void magic had been lost who had been born with the potential to master all offensive elemental aspects of the Wu Xing and Godai, save for the Void. To a female Oni, such incredible future potential in their master was an irresistible lure. Add in Saito's personality, attitude and morals and there had been little to no chances of Kaede not being utterly entranced by the boy as soon as she made the contract.
Because of this desire for strength, an Oni usually submitted utterly to their Master should they deem them worthy. The main reasons that Kaede hadn't done so before now was both out of respect for her father's wishes, and because she was still not an adult, thus literally unable to bear any children.
Most Oni didn't mind the submission to one who was stronger than themselves, but as they grew older some Oni developed a distaste for it, labelling it a curse on their race. Kurotama was one of these.
Looking at her stubborn agate eyes, Kurotama remembered holding her in his arms as a baby, teaching her basic magic and other such father-daughter bonding moments. He had loved her from the moment that he had rescued Byakuren from the birthing Chamber of the White Oni Clan, and he had sworn to protect her from all who might harm her.
'But it looks as if I am the one doing more harm than good at the moment.' he thought sadly.
Abruptly, he tossed away his tetsubō and started walking away, shoulders slumped and head drooping.
"Chichi-ue?" Kaede asked, taken aback by her father's actions. Acting so quiet and sullen was most unlike him.
"Leave him be, Kaede." Byakuren smiled sadly at her husband's departing form. "Your father has merely realized that he has to stand aside and allow you to stand on your own two feet, at long last. Let him mourn for his lost status as your protector in peace."
"Hai…" the Ginki nodded slowly, before flinching. "Ah...aahhh…! My...my horn!"
Looking down sharply, Byakuren's eyes widened as the small silver horn on the crown of her daughter's head withdrew into her skull. Then, seconds later, another horn, longer, thinner and a brighter shade of silver, emerged from the middle of Kaede's fringe. It was a good seven inches long and seemed to glow with its own inner light.
"K-Kaede...you…" the Shiroki said in shock.
Before her eyes, her daughter's skin changed colour as well, from a dull grey to a shining silver. Byakuren had never seen an adult Silver Oni in her thousand years of life; there were less than fifty of them alive right now, or so her investigations had told her. Urajirosatoukaede had been the only one born in the last two-and a half centuries, and now she had undergone her transformation into an adult.
"Congratulations, my beautiful daughter...you are now a fully-fledged adult Oni." Byakuren said as the glow faded, but didn't vanish. "I have had your adult name ready for the last fifty years. Would you like me to bestow it upon you?"
"Please." the word came out in a choked voice, her daughter so caught up in a riptide of emotions that she could barely speak.
"You are no longer the girl known as Urajirosatoukaede...you are a woman, ready to uproot yourself and spread your wings." the proud mother said softly as she cupped her daughter's face tenderly. "You are Gin'yoku now, the silver wings ready to fly to wheresoever you wish."
The newly-christened Gin'yoku smiled in delight at her new name and hugged her mother tightly.
"Watch your horn, dear." Byakuren chided her as the sharp tip nearly stabbed her in the shoulder. "It's in a different place than it has been up until now. You know what this means?"
"Retraining from the ground up?" the newly renamed Oni guessed resignedly.
"Indeed. Don't worry though...you are my daughter after all, so a couple of days while focusing on one weapon will be enough for the moment, and you can always return to practice learn from me whenever your master is in a reasonably safe area." the older woman assured her daughter. "For starters...I think a sabre."
"Why that weapon?" Gin'yoku asked suspiciously. Most Oni started with the traditional weapon of the Oni, the tetsubō, or at least a katana.
"I recall you saying that Saito-kun's Master is learning how to wield a weapon that is very similar to a sabre." Byakuren stated. "I have decided that as you are now an adult, you must put away childish things such as jealousy. And don't deny you are jealous; it is as obvious as the sun to me. You are going to learn to be a master at the sabre, and you will teach this Louise girl how to fight using one. A bond between teacher and pupil will force you to abandon any antagonism for her that you might have. Now that's enough heavy talk for one night; I have to make sekihan for dinner, to celebrate my beautiful daughter's awakening to her womanhood."
"Haha-ue!" Gin'yoku wailed in embarrassment. "I'm not bleeding yet!"
"A matter of time my girl, a mere matter of time…" the elegant White Oni giggled as she headed back to their house followed by a blushing Gin'yoku.
The Next Day
Saito and Louise's Suite, Tristain Academy of Magic
"Urgh, I truly hate meetings." Saito groaned. He way laying back on his bed, with Emereldas cuddling into his side. For a five century-old lust demon, she was currently reminding a rather jealous Louise more of a particularly affectionate cat. Ever since she had become an Avanta, the succubus hadn't left Saito's side for any longer than was strictly necessary, such as taking Kaede back to Onidōrō, or to visit her home in Pandemonium to fetch some scrolls Onmyō healing spells and reinforcement inscriptions for Saito.
"I agree." the pinkette offered offhandedly, studiously ignoring Emereldas. She was currently examining a small black book that Princess Henrietta had given her the day before...the Founder's Prayer Book.
It was plain black, and had a clasp to keep it closed when not being read. All of its pages were blank, however. Louise had been puzzling over it since she'd gotten it and hadn't made much headway.
The two had just finished with the War Council a few hours ago, the meeting having lasted throughout the evening yesterday and continued on into the morning and early afternoon of today. Considering that both the Mage and the Onmyōji had both been heavily involved in the affairs that led to this point, both had been acquired to attend and answer questions through the majority of it. It was only an hour ago that they'd been released, Henrietta, her advisors, and the leaders of the Loyalist Albion Forces remaining to further work on their strategy for the now-imminent war with the Reconquista.
"Admiral Pellew was quite...intense...wasn't he?" the Onmyōji asked rhetorically. The highest-ranking member of the Loyalist Albionian Navy was a man of average height, with plain black hair and an average build. However, he easily made up for his lack of physical intimidation with the sheer intensity of his grey-eyed gaze and manner, giving off the type of presence that spoke of a seasoned and passionate military leader.
He was also a scrupulously fair man, placing none of the blame for Prince Wales' death on either Louise or Saito's head. No, that particular honour was entirely on the heads of Cromwell and Wardes for the sheer amount of dishonourable conduct both men had perpetrated in their attempts to claim victory, particularly after he'd received a full debriefing on what had occurred from Saito, Louise, and Rupert.
The man had instead been particularly courteous in recognizing their efforts and attempts to aid their Prince and Kingdom.
"Professor Saito, Lady Vallière, you both have my sincere thanks and compliments in both persuading His Highness to flee and all you did in aiding in his escape." the Admiral had said, offering both a courtly bow at the end of their debriefing. "Had His Highness fallen with Buckingham Castle, then I'm afraid our forces would have been lost to despair and unable to fall back to Tristain. Now that news of Cromwell's depravities have begun to circulate, every officer, soldier and sailor under our command is practically chomping at the bit to have a chance at these dishonourable blackguards. With the information you two have provided, I suspect the eventual invasion and liberation of Albion will go a great deal more smoothly. On behalf of the Loyalist Albionian Army and Navy, you both have our sincere thanks."
"From what Lord Rupert has mentioned, he's a very intense man." Louise said nonchalantly. One of her eyes was twitching as she pretended not to notice the hussy cuddling into her Familiar.
"Oi, Emereldas." Saito looked down at the blissful face of his Prime Protective Demon. "Since when have you been a cuddle bunny?"
"Eh, it isn't like we've been able to spend any real time together since we made a contract, so it's fine isn't it?" the relaxing succubus said with a small pout. "Every time I've been with you since you were summoned to this world, it's been work-related, or you've been hurt."
"Your promotion to 9th Circle and ascendency to Avanta played just as much a part in that as my current circumstances." the Japanese boy pointed out dryly. "Kindly don't make me sound like someone who only works his familiars and doesn't treat them kindly. We've simply been the victims of circumstance since I was summoned here."
"I know, Master, I know." Emereldas cooed happily as he patted her head. Although she was a seducer par excellence, she also liked cuddling with her master. She had seen human lovers doing it all the time both before and after sex over her long life, and she'd felt a desire to know what it was like. Now she knew that it felt wonderful, and she'd very much be doing this with her master a lot more.
The twitching on Louise's eyebrow was becoming positively thunderous.
At that moment, Siesta came bustling in with the clean laundry. She had gotten paid extra for her service with Princess Henrietta and even received a special letter of thanks for her excellent work in such a trying period. The amount of Écu she had been paid for her work was, for a poor maid from a distant rural village, a considerable sum, so she was in a very chipper mood when she returned to their service.
"Good day Master Saito, Mistress Louise, Miss Emereldas!" the black-haired maid said cheerfully.
"Ah, afternoon Siesta." Saito replied with a smile as Emereldas lazily waved to her. "You're looking energetic this morning."
"It's what I am, Master." Siesta said proudly, thrusting her chest out and making her breasts jiggle slightly, which made Saito quietly gulp.
:Master, if you wanted, you could have her in your bed as easy as clicking your fingers.: Emereldas offered telepathically, a wry grin on her lips. :She would certainly obey any order you gave her, sexual or otherwise.:
:I'm trying to leave this world, Emereldas.: Saito sent back quickly. :If I got her pregnant or something, do you honestly believe that I'm the type that could walk away from that? I think not.:
:I am well versed in anti-pregnancy spells, master.: the succubus reminded him as Siesta bustled around, putting laundry away. :If that's your worry, fear not, as I would aid you in this. After everything you have done for this country, bedding a pretty maid is the least reward that you are due.:
:I do not want to be like that old fart who tried to force her into being his bed maid.: Saito stated firmly, and then had the chance to break off as Siesta asked something.
"Umm...this may be problematic for me to ask, but...is it true Tristain is going to go to war with the Reconquista?" she asked, worriedly.
Louise looked at her for a moment before closing the Prayer Book and placing it on the table. "Yes, it is." the pinkette offered with a sigh. "They murdered the Crown Prince of Albion, stole the country from the rightful rulers, and their intent to conquer the rest of Halkaginia is obvious to all and sundry. Tristain, as Albion's oldest and strongest ally, along with officially being the 'weakest' kingdom, is likely to be their next target. As such we are preparing to take the initiative from them and be ready when they come."
"I...also heard that the alliance and marriage with Germania has been called off…?" Siesta said hesitantly.
This made Louise glower furiously at the wall. "That is also true. Albrecht the Third said, and I quote, 'I have no need of another man's sloppy seconds in my bed' in a letter to Princess Henrietta. The nerve of the man…!"
"Wha...wha...how dare he speak of Her Highness like that?!" the maid exclaimed in sheer outrage on behalf of her ruler.
"I know, right?! The Princess never did more than hold hands with Prince Wales!" the pinkette snapped in a fury. "That fat bastard king! Grrr…! If I meet him soon, I'll give him a piece of my mind!"
'Note to self: insulting Henrietta REALLY sets Louise off. Best be ready to run damage control if someone does that while I'm around. Well, that or be ready to help hide the body.' the Onmyōji thought wryly. If that fat king suddenly appeared in front of Louise right about now, he'd get blown up without consideration for his crown.
"Thankfully, with the addition of the Loyalist Albionian Fleet and Army, Tristainia is in a better position than they would otherwise be in." Saito offered aloud, trying to ease the maid's worries. "Plus, the diamond from my battle with the Jewel Sorcerer is selling well. High-ranked Nobles from Gallia, Germania and even Clergy from Romania have been buying it at quite exorbitant prices; I think that the low funds situation in the Royal Treasury won't be an issue for much longer."
"Not to mention the sale of the confiscated lands from Wardes." Louise added, grinning with an almost feral satisfaction. The Princess had managed to sell Wardes' land to a particularly greedy Count for a third more than they were worth. Coincidentally, that Count was an ally of Mott the Elder's, and he had spent most of his family fortune, so a potential irritation had been drastically weakened for the foreseeable future.
"That...that is a relief." Siesta said hesitantly. "Will it be enough to repulse the Reconquista?"
"That's why the Princess is closeted with the generals and admirals right now." Louise admitted. "Although the Albionian Army is small, it is well trained, well equipped and well led. Moreover, less than one percent of the officers and enlisted men turned their coats. Despite that, the feudal levies of the traitor nobles managed to overwhelm them through sheer weight of numbers. About half of the army survived the evacuation from Albion, and they are almost three-quarters as large as the Royal Tristainian Army."
She neglected to mention that one-quarter of the remaining Loyalist Army had held back and were conducting guerilla attacks on the rear lines of the enemy to buy time for Tristain to shore up its defences.
"Bluntly put, we'll be outnumbered on the ground, and unfortunately Cromwell seems to have focused on the Navy when he was recruiting turncoats, since almost half of the Albionian Navy has joined the Reconquista." Louise continued. "The Tristainian Air Fleet is barely worth mentioning compared to the Albion Fleet, so even if we add it together with the remains of the Loyalist Albionian Fleet that managed to escape, we'll barely have equal numbers, and the traitors have the advantage in Dragon Flights."
"There is a dragon in my village." the maid offered hesitantly. "According to family legend, anyway."
"A dragon? In your village?" the pinkette blinked in surprise.
"I've never seen it, but supposedly, it's been there for over fifty years." Siesta confessed. "Father calls it the 'Dragon's Raiment' or something similar."
"Raiment? As in regalia?" Saito asked curiously. "An odd name for a dragon. Do Halkaginian dragons even live for fifty years?"
"Not the lesser ones used as part of the air cavalry." Louise shook her head. "Mid-level, High-level and Greater Dragons can live well beyond that, but the Fire and Wind Dragons we use as mounts are too feeble to fly by the time they reach forty, and are dead by the time they're forty-six. Are you sure it isn't dead, Siesta?"
"My father checks on it every year." Siesta shook her head. "He says it's...something to do with my great-grandfather. Apparently, he came here on the Raiment, somehow…"
"OK, I'm officially intrigued." Saito confessed, glancing at Louise. "Don't you think this warrants investigating?"
"Well...it IS still the holidays, technically speaking…" the pinkette offered reluctantly, clearly trying to hide her own interest. "And Siesta is taking quite the large amount of Écu home with her soon as I recall...so we should at least escort her home in case of bandits or wild animal attacks. While we're there, I suppose investigating this Dragon Raiment wouldn't be out of the question. Just because it's there, mind."
'Tsundere, thy name is Louise.' Saito did his best to keep from snickering at his rather stubborn Student/Master.
"OK then." he said aloud. "Louise, you inform Old Osmond that we're escorting our lovely maid back home tomorrow. Siesta, pack mine and Louise's things, enough for a three day stay, not including the journey. Emereldas, go and tell Kaede that we'll be heading out soon, so I'll summon her tomorrow afternoon, or thereabouts…"
"Haaa...OK, I'll do it."
"As you wish, Master Saito."
"Yes, my Master."
Saito blinked, remembering something. "Oh, I forgot to ask...what's the name of your village again, Siesta?"
"Tarbes, master Saito." the maid replied with a smile. "The quiet village of Tarbes."
Next Day
Resting Place, Roads to Tarbes
"K-Kaede...is...is that you?" Saito stammered as he beheld his Prime Superior Demon for the first time in a while. She looked radiant, her skin shining pure silver, and with a completely different horn in a completely different place. Even Louise and Siesta were agape had how beautiful the Oni girl had become.
"In a manner of speaking, Aruji." his Ginki said proudly. "I have advanced to adulthood, and have thus been granted the adult name Gin'yoku by Haha-ue. I still await her granting me a surname, but I am pleased with my new name. Does it please you, my Aruji?"
Saito drew the newly named Gin'yoku into a hug, making her squeak in surprise and blush a deep silver at his actions. "I am very happy for you, Gin'yoku. I can't believe you made it to adulthood so soon! Not only that, your horn...you're an Oni Princess now!"
"Wait, what?" Louise exclaimed.
Separating from his Ginki, Saito explained, "An Oni's horn tends to be a natural indicator of their 'power rank,' with its size, shape, location and length all indicating certain factors about the Oni in question. Lesser Oni, such as Onimodoki, have no horns at all. Greater Oni are divided into the seven distinct ranks: Oni Soldier, Oni Warrior, Oni Warrior Chief, Oni Noble, Oni Lord, Oni Royalty and Oni King. Previously, as an adolescent, Kaede was restricted to the rank of Oni Soldier, as all child and adolescent Oni are. After attaining adulthood, an Oni goes through a metamorphosis based on their strength, talent and bloodline and 'promotes' at least one rank as a result, with the changes to their horn serving as the most indicative part of their status. Generally speaking, most Oni can then only 'promote' themselves up to three more times through training, age, and experience. As Gin'yoku, she is ranked as an Oni Lord...or Princess, as is the case for female Oni. This means she has the potential to advance to being an Oni Queen."
"But...Master Saito, you called her a Princess…?" Siesta asked in confusion.
Saito blinked. "Ah, I think we might be having an issue with the translation spell again." the Onmyōji replied blandly. "The word I used was 'Hime', which generally translates to 'Princess' in most foreign tongues, but it doesn't always refer to young women belonging to a royal family; any young lady of an old and established noble family is referred to as a 'Hime' in my country. Louise, for example, would likely be addressed by the same title were she born in Japan. And the reason why Gin'yoku is an Oni Lord rather than an Oni Noble is because of the specifics of her horn; it's in the exact centre of her fringe-line, it's at least seven inches long, and it has an inner glow. Oni Nobles never have a horn longer than five inches and lack the glow of power on it."
"Huh…" Louise found the whole idea of a power structure that was physically a part of a race to be somewhat odd, but it certainly wasn't unheard of; several subspecies of dragons had tells, such as the length and number of their horns, to determine how old and powerful they were. Others had scale patterns for much the same purpose.
"I have decided to take 'Kaede' as my private name, Aruji." Gin'yoku interjected. "It would please me if you could continue to address me as that when we are not in a combat situation.
"Private name?" Siesta blinked.
"The Oni take a lot of societal cues from human culture in what my people refer to as the Feudal Era, though they do tend to have their own twists to them." Saito explained with a smile at Kaede. "One of those is the number of names they can possess. As a child or adolescent, they have only one, given to them by their parents. As an adult they leave that behind and are granted a new common name by their parents, which is Gin'yoku in this case, followed by a personal or private name, only used by those the Oni is close to, Kaede in this case. There is also the possibility of one or more nicknames or titles, something which has to do with their skills in battle. Kaede's parents are known as Mugen no Heiki Byakuren (Byakuren of the Infinite Arsenal) and Mugen no Jumon Kurotama (Kurotama of the Endless Spells), for example."
"I have many, many years to go before I am worthy of such an honour." Kaede demurred. "My mother earned her name after fighting her way out of a battlefield infested by Bukiki (Weapon Demons), and my father earned his after single-handedly annihilated an army of a thousand Lesser Mizuchi led by a Greater Mizuchi."
"Bukiki are a subclass of Tsukumogami, supernatural creatures born from raw magic building up, either naturally or artificially, within an inanimate object, in this case weapons like swords, spears and the like. Each have their own name, but Bukiki is the overarching name for weapon Tsukumogami." the Onmyōji explained. "Byakuren not only fought her way out of a battlefield infested with thousands of Bukiki, but she returned a century later and tamed every single one of them, turning them into her servants. As for Mizuchi, the best translation I have for that would be 'Rain Dragon,' and the term can be very accurate description. They are powerful when near a water source; any Lesser Mizuchi would give a regular dragon a fight for their life if they caught them out at sea. A Greater Mizuchi is nothing short of a living natural disaster when roused to anger. Kurotama defeated a thousand Lesser Mizuchi and a Greater Mizuchi while they were in the sea."
'Sounds like the kind of people my mother would get along famously with!' Louise thought with a gulp.
Two Days Later
Outskirts of the Village of Tarbes
The Village of Tarbes was, as Siesta had said earlier, a quiet and rural one, consisting of little more than a cluster of houses with fields surrounding it from three sides and the outer edge of a forest creeping in on the fourth. The only other feature were a few farmhouses dotting the fields, with the occasional bark of a family pet preceding the animal running across the fields.
All-in-all, it looked just like a picturesque farming village from the medieval times.
"I have to say, your home is just as you described it, Siesta." Saito said as he dismounted from the carriage that they were using, before helping the girls down like a gentleman. "Picturesque and quiet."
The maid, dressed in ordinary travelling clothes as opposed to her normal uniform, was blushing at being helped off the carriage as if she were a noble lady of some kind. "Y-yes...it's always been like this. The local lord is just a Baronet, but he's a good man who takes care of those beneath him. They've always been a peaceful family, so we haven't really had any issues in several generations."
"Your lord's family must be a rare kind of noble family then." Louise commented with a flicker of respect. As her elder sister Éléonore proved, there almost always tended to be at least one member of any noble family that had some kind of issue with commoners or the lesser nobility. Éléonore's problem was also made worse by the fact she was born to the highest tier of nobility and thus had few to any peers.
"Yes, they are." Siesta smiled.
The welcome that Siesta got from her family was heart-warming to see. She was the oldest of eight children, and she also had quite the extended family, with at least three uncles and aunts on either side. Her mother had long brown hair down to her knees and there was quite a bit of similarity between the two women's...ahem, assets. It was clear that most of Siesta's beauty was inherited from her mother.
As for Siesta's father, he was a tall, muscular man with Siesta's black hair and a thin moustache. He had hugged his daughter fiercely when she had arrived and had eyed Louise and Saito suspiciously even as he had greeted them politely.
"The name's Dean of Tarbes." he bowed to Louise, the obvious noble. "I thank you for escorting my daughter home."
"Think nothing of it. We had business here anyway, so it was no trouble." Louise replied with a guarded expression, which Saito was privately terming her 'noble-dealing-with-an-unknown-commoner' expression.
"Business? Might I enquire what that may be?" Dean asked.
Saito stepped forward and smiled disarmingly. "Siesta has told us of a dragon that is rumoured to reside in this village. As you may have already heard, the threat of war with the Reconquista draws closer and the kingdom is gathering all of the military power it can gain to fight them off."
"So you want to see if the Dragon Raiment can be used?" the man smirked. "Sorry, but it hasn't flown in over fifty years, I can't see it being of much use to you. Siesta, you can show them where the Raiment rests tomorrow. Pay respects to your ancestor's grave next to it while you're there."
"Yes father." Siesta nodded obediently.
"Now, we haven't got anything fancy here, but Siesta and m' wife'll be happy to treat you to some home cooked food." the man said.
"We look forward to it." Louise replied. "Siesta's cooking has always been delicious, so I look forward to seeing how it tastes when she's working with her mother."
"Ha! She does take after her mother, doesn't my Siesta!" Dean guffawed, patting a blushing Siesta on the head, every inch a proud father.
"Father!" she complained. "Not in front of Master Saito and Mistress Louise!"
Saito had to hide a smile at Siesta acting so cute and bashful. He supposed that she was letting her guard down now that she was in her home town; at the Academy, she had to be on her best behaviour and act professionally. Seeing her pout at her laughing father made him smile fondly at her...before Louise started looking jealous.
As they chatted with one another while Siesta and her mother cooked up a storm, Saito thought about Louise's jealousy. It was, he had to admit, nice to find someone could get jealous over him, very flattering if he was being honest. Louise was very cute in his own opinion; she may lack the assets that her mother and sisters possessed, but apples rarely fell far from the tree, especially with the genetics that her female family members suggested she'd inherited. He honestly expected that she'd undergo a growth spurt sometime in the next couple of years and turn into a true vision.
A part of him wanted to be there to see it.
'And this is why I have to get back soon!' Saito thought tiredly as he shook those lackadaisical thoughts away. 'I'm becoming far too attached to this place and the people here as well. I swore an oath to serve Japan and the Ministry; I can't forsake that for a few immaterial attachments. One way or another, I WILL go home!'
Even with Prince Wales' words from their last conversation in his mind, Saito was certain that remaining in Halkaginia wasn't the correct choice. A civilisation should advance and grow by its own merits, not by the manipulations of some foreign mages acting on their own interests.
Granted, leaving aside his own liking for Tristain and several of its residents, another reason why he was feeling reluctant to leave was because there were at least two other mages from Earth here acting on their own agendas; Johann von Leopold and the mysterious mage responsible for creating the rifled musket that had been used in the assassination attempt on Princess Henrietta. Neither mage's presence was something that Saito could allow to go unrestrained. Leopold was a monster, a selfish, self-entitled murderer who thought nothing of using his knowledge and power to claim whatever he desired, and considering the other mage had attempted to assassinate a just and kind monarch, Saito doubted they were cut from a different cloth. As an Onmyōji he had a duty to preserve the law and good name of Earth's native magic users, and he honestly felt that he had some form of responsibility to stop these criminals from his own world from wreaking havoc on this one
Realistically though, he knew there was very little that he could do. He'd barely managed to scrape a win against an already weakened Johann, and he had no clue about the capabilities of the other mage. He was only a Junior Adept, though his skill-level was close to a Senior Adept, no one could honestly expect him to willingly head into battle against the likes of the Thief of Legacies.
After the meal, Saito took a seat outside as Louise retired to the room that Siesta's family were loaning them. The journey had been tiring for her, more so than it had been for Saito or Siesta due to the fact that Kaede had started teaching her how to fight properly with her swordwand after he summoned her. The training had been hard and draining, if not particularly brutal, and her arms and legs were aching from the new and unfamiliar strain.
Night was falling, and Saito gazed up at the two moons rising into the twilight sky. He had to wonder how the second moon affected the tides on this planet. He knew for certain that his old Astronomy Professor would be fascinated by all of this. The different colours that each of the moons was so very different from the plain silvery-grey colour that the moon turned back home. A difference in their surface composition perhaps?
"Enjoying the night air?" a female voice asked, and Saito turned to see Siesta's mother, introduced as Alice, standing nearby.
"Yes, I usually have meetings and the like with the headmaster, or else my own research and duties, to attend to at this time." he replied. "It's been a while since I've been able to just stand still and take things in at my own pace."
"A professor at your age...it's quite impressive." Alice said as she walked over and stood in front of him. "This might sound sudden, Professor Saito, but could I ask what your intentions towards my daughter are?"
Had Saito been drinking something at that moment, he would have spat it out; as it was, the Onmyōji almost choked on his own spit at the blunt question offered by the brunette woman. Once he got himself under control, he spotted the somewhat amused expression that she wore.
"You did that on purpose." he accused without a shred of doubt.
"Guilty as charged." the older woman giggled. "But, in all seriousness, I can tell my little girl is quite taken with you. Yet, from what I have gathered, you haven't made a move on her whatsoever…?"
Her voice trailed off questioningly, and Saito took a moment to get his thoughts in order. He had expected Siesta's father to perhaps have a 'shovel' talk with him, but not to have her mother asking him why he wasn't getting busy with her daughter!
"How much has Siesta told you about me, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"Oh dear, just call me Alice, none of this 'ma'am' business." the woman absently flapped at hand at him in embarrassment. "And quite a bit. You're a fully-accredited magic user at such a young age, you're smart, kind and strong, not to mention protective of her. Oh, and you're apparently Miss Vallière's Familiar."
"That's...quite the flattering portrayal of me…" Saito blushed a bit, but quickly shook it off. "Ahem. Yes, well, it's the last part which is most important. I was summoned from another world entirely, Ma-...Alice. I have been searching for a way to return home ever since I was summoned here. And I would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not realize that Siesta is attracted to me, but that's a reason to not do anything with her; if we became involved, wouldn't it hurt her if I found a way back and left?"
"Would you?" Alice asked.
"I swore an oath to my country to serve and protect its people; I am duty bound to make the attempt if I find a possible way home." the mystic explained.
The woman scrutinized him closely for a moment. "I have met many mages in my years, and quite a few of them have been frivolous or irrelevant." she said quietly. "But you seem to be cut from an entirely different kind of cloth. Duty and honour, those are more than just words to you, aren't they?"
"They are." Saito replied seriously, frowning slightly. The lack of both in many of the nobles he'd met so far was one of the few things he'd come to dislike about this world.
"Is Siesta aware of this fact? That you wish to return home someday?" Alice clarified.
"I've said so several times in her presence, so I would assume so." the boy replied with a blink.
"In this case then, you're being a bit too serious and responsible." Alice said carefully. "My little girl chose you and wants you regardless of the fact you wish to go home someday. While not wanting to hurt her by being too close to her is fine, keeping hands off like you have been is hurting her confidence as a woman."
"Guh…!" Saito grunted at that. He hadn't thought of that.
"I would say that the mages in your world have a different attitude towards commoners than our do, is that correct?" the woman asked thoughtfully.
"Er...it's more that respecting women in general is an important aspect of society in my world." the Onmyōji corrected her. "In my world, bedding a maid is seen as taking advantage of her, using the master's privileges to make her obey you."
He decided to skip over the whole 'mages aren't nobles in my world' thing, as it likely would only muddy the waters further.
"Oh my. What an interesting difference." Alice nodded. "My advice, with Siesta at least, is to not think of it as taking advantage of her; rather, think of it as giving her a wonderful memory to remember you by. Besides, I think that it would be harder to leave a good woman like my girl behind once you get closer with her, even if you find a way home."
"That's another reason why I hesitate." Saito whispered to himself as Alice re-entered her house, leaving him to think on everything.
The Next Day
Hidden Valley of the Dragon Raiment
"This is where the dragon stays?" Louise asked sceptically. She, Siesta and Saito were standing in front of a large, rectangular wooden building with a pair of massive doors on one of the long sides that took up most of the wall.
"It is, at least according to this map that Father gave me." Siesta waved the rolled-up length of parchment in one hand. "I've never been here myself, but father comes out here to pull the vines off of the building every now and again and to pay respects to his grandfather."
"This is exciting!" Professor Colbert declared. He had arrived in Tarbes earlier that day to investigate the rumours of the Dragon Raiment himself, so he was tagging along with them.
"What's with the big rock over there?" the pinkette wondered, looking at the right-hand side of the building.
"That's probably my great-grandfather's gravestone." Siesta said. "He carved it himself when he was younger and asked for it to be placed here, with several more carvings added to it by his deathbed instructions...that what my grandfather said, anyway."
The group moved over to the stone and Saito's jaw dropped in astonishment.
"Those...look like the kanji characters that Saito uses in his talismans…" Louise said with a blink. "I still can't read them though…"
"'Here lies Ensign Sasaki Takeo of the Imperial Japanese Navy, sleeping in unknown lands.'" Saito said in a tight voice, making everyone look at him with wide eyes. "'Born on the 15th of October in the 25th Year of the Taishō Era. Arrived in this world on the 13th of April in the 20th Year of the Shōwa Era. Died, the 23rd of August in the 44th Year of the Shōwa Era.'"
"Saito...does this mean…?" Louise whispered.
"Professor Colbert...can you open the door, please." Saito asked quietly. "I have...an idea as to what is in there now, but I need to see it for myself."
Silently nodding, Colbert approached the large lock on the door of the building and opened it in less than a minute. A part of Saito's mind, that wasn't reeling from the revelation from the stone outside, had to give the Professor credit for such a quick and efficient lockpicking spell.
As the doors rolled back at the brush of telekinesis spells from Louise and Colbert, Saito stood, almost paralysed by disbelief as one of the possibilities his mind had conjured up was revealed by the light of day for the first time in what had to have been well over thirty years.
"A Zero Fighter…!" he gasped.
Metal plates gleaming as if it had just been polished that day, the green paint of the fighter plane stood out in the sunlight coming from the door. The underside of the fighter was painted white, and on the wings and on the sides near the tail was the red sun symbol used by the IJN as their own symbol.
"How is it still intact and not rusting after all of these years…?" he asked in a daze as he approached it.
"By the looks of it, a stasis spell has been cast on it by a mage. A fairly powerful one at that." Colbert assessed the fighter. "Fascinating...it must have taken quite a length of time to cast a spell of stasis on something so large…"
Reaching out with his left hand, Saito touched the fighter's wing, making the runes on his hand glow with a blue-white light.
"It's still in perfect working order…" the Onmyōji said in disbelief. "Its weapons are still almost full of ammunition, and the oil's been affected by the stasis spell as well...hang on…"
Moving quickly, he clambered up and peeked into the cockpit. "As I thought, the fuel tank's empty."
"Professor Saito, can I ask exactly what this item is?" Colbert asked.
"This...this is a device that makes up my world's equivalent of your Dragon Rider wings." Saito laughed hollowly as he returned to the ground, an expression of shock still present. "A mechanical dragon, as the legend of this village states. Over fifty years outdated, but still, for three years straight, the Reisen, or Zero Fighter, was the uncontested king of the skies. My country produced well over ten-thousand of them. It was one of the most recognizable symbols of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Shōwa Era…"
"I never thought it really existed…" Siesta shook her head. "Takeo...that was my great-grandfather's name. To think he had a surname…"
"That makes you one-eighth Japanese, you know." Saito informed her. "The black hair and black eyes that you and your father share are inherited from the Japanese blood that Ensign Sasaki passed down. No wonder I felt a kind of...nostalgic and relaxing feeling around you...you reminded me a lot of how people look back home. That's because you're of Japanese descent!"
"Professor Saito...I believe that you may be able to return home with the help of the Dragon Raiment." Colbert said after a moment of pondering.
"What?!" Louise, Saito and Siesta yelped.
"The legend of the Dragon Raiment known to me is thus…" Colbert said with a cough. "Ahem. 'When the twin moons crossed over the sun, forming an eclipse, two dragons appeared. After flying around for a moment, one vanished back into the eclipse, leaving one behind.' At a guess, the eclipse creates a portal between your world and Halkaginia, but only for the minute or so that the eclipse lasts for. I suspect that Miss Siesta's great-grandfather's timing was off by a small amount, preventing him from returning with his companion."
"So if Professor Saito gets into the Raiment and flies towards an eclipse, he'll be able to return to his own world?" Siesta asked.
"Theoretically, yes." Colbert nodded. "Mind you, this is merely my own hypothesis on the matter, but the possibility exists."
"I...I can go home…?" Saito said emotionally. "I can finally...finally go home…!"
Louise remained silent, her thoughts in a whirl. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed. Clenching her hands together, she remembered what it had been like without Saito in her life...it had been awful. She had been looked down upon by everyone aside from her big sister Cattleya and Henrietta. Louise the Zero had been the laughingstock of the entire Academy.
Since Saito had become her Familiar, and she his Apprentice, everything had turned around dramatically. She was a trusted Crown Agent, her classes were improving, she had access to a whole new system of magic to counter her oppressively large Void Alignment and the inability to use the other four Elements of the Halkaginian magic System, and she had earned her mother's respect in a way that neither of her sisters ever had.
'I...I don't want...I don't want him to go…!' she thought.
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Next Chapter: Calm Before The Storm
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