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The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage
Chapter 7: More than Magic
...
"Thank you for your time" Louis says as they exit the headmaster's office. He closes the double doors softly, his eyes turned down and his brow furrowed, deep in thought.
The conversation after he revealed Sachiko's real birthplace didn't advance much after that. Sachiko explained what she already told Louis, and asked them if there was a way they could help in searching for a way to her world. They gave her mixed answers. Mr. Colbert showed enthusiasm, telling her that he would start investigating immediately, but Old Osmond wasn't that optimist.
"A world different from ours… that's something completely unheard of."
"I've already heard someone saying something like that."
"Is there proof?"
"Why would I be lying?"
"Mm…" Old Osmond reclined on the couch, his fingers pensively brushing his beard. "From my end, I think that if no one has ever heard of a different world, then even if you investigate, I doubt you'll find anything to help you go back."
"You mean trying is useless?" Sachiko had asked, her eyes glazing over, but Old Osmond quickly shook his head.
"I'm not saying that. Although it's true your search will likely end in a dead end, there's no reason for you not to try. Nothing is written in stone. If you came to this world, there might be a way to go back" his eyes shifted towards Louis, who unconsciously straightened under his stare; "the answer might lay with Mr. Vallière. After all, he's the one who summoned you, no?"
"Um…" Sachiko looked at him, before returning her eyes to her feet.
"But even if you stay here, you shouldn't worry too much. You will get used to life as time goes by. Maybe you can even find a husband by then."
"That's not what I'm worried about…"
Sachiko was silent and sullen after the conversation, barely listening when they began talking about the void, explaining why her being Gandálfr was so important. Most of what they said were known, expected things, but they needed to fill Sachiko in with the details, so Louis hopes she at least managed to listen to what they were saying. He looks at her. Her eyes are downcast, her expression unreadable except for the slight frown between her brows.
He clears his throat to get her attention. "So… how are you now?"
She blinks, her mouth opening slightly as if she's surprised he's even asking. She looks at him for a long second that makes him fidget nervously. Her eyes are not accusing, but they certainly feel so.
"Fine, I think… shouldn't you ask that to yourself first?"
"Huh? Why?" now he's the one surprised. She shrugs.
"This has more to do with you, no? What with the void being a legendary power and all…"
He sees where she's coming from. And while it's true it's something he has to think deeply about, he was asking more about what she feels now that she, more or less, knows the reason she's here. Although even he can't quite grasp it yet. The void is, after all, a lost power. Many believe it to be a mere legend, only scholars and theologians from Romalia still claiming it really existed. He's not entirely convinced himself. Old Osmond and Mr. Colbert are very well-known scholars, so there's no reason to believe they would claim something like this without truly believing it to be possible.
And yet, a part of him strongly denies the possibility. After all, as much as it pains him to admit, he's Louis the Zero. Never once has he'd been able to cast a spell, every single one of them turning into an explosion. He can do simple things, like lock and unlock doors and turn on and off the lights, but anything more complicated, like levitation, is a lost cause. Sometimes he wonders the reason for this. His parents are really powerful mages, his two sisters are very adept in magic too. And then there's him, useless, incapable Louis.
He knows what people at court think of him, he knows many high nobles wonder as to why his father keeps bothering with him instead of simply disowning him. He could do that. Nobody would condemn him for that. After all, without magic Louis is only a noble in name, just barely above a commoner, if not less. But his father doesn't do that, nor does his mother. They might be strict, but they always tell him how important it is to stand for himself and not show weakness to those who jeer at him. Even when it's hopeless, they still have faith in him, and that weights on him more than if they simply gave up once and for all.
So the question arises. Does he possess the void? No. It's the only answer his mind can come up with. Someone like him can't have the void. There is no proof, no indication in his past he can cling to and say it all makes sense now. Nothing except for explosion after explosion…
And Sachiko. Summoning her is the only magical thing he has been able to successfully achieve in his life. But why a human? Why Sachiko?
"Louis" her voice interrupts his thoughts. He looks at her and she jumps for some reason; "I mean, master" he hasn't even notice she has called him by his name, and why is she looking at him as if he's going to murder her in cold blood? Late he realizes he's scowling, and that must look intimidating to her. He quickly eases his expression.
"I'm fine" he lies, because his head is in turmoil, but he doesn't feel like telling her that. "We should go back to my room. Soon it's going to be dinner time and I want to change."
He sees when she rolls her eyes just when he's turning around. In any other occasion he would have reprimanded her, but now he isn't in the mood. They are reaching the staircase when she talks again.
"Is it alright if I stay a little more in the courtyard? I want to keep practicing" she points at Derflinger, strapped at her back. Louis stops, looking at her with a frown.
"How would you do that? You don't even know how to hold it correctly."
"Now I do, you taught me."
"It's not enough. You need a teacher" he crosses his arms and purses his lips in thought. Even though she is Gandálfr, she needs someone to teach her how to wield a sword. It's a little ironic, because as far as the legends go, Gandálfr shouldn't need to be teach something like that. Maybe she isn't Gandálfr. Then what about the runes? And the duel with Guiche? There are many things that don't match up here. He needs time to think about everything, but now he doesn't feel in the right state of mind to do so. Regardless, he cannot let her stay like this. "If you wait, I can start teaching you tomorrow, for now though, we should rest."
He turns around and begins to descend the stairs, but it's not long before he realizes Sachiko is not following him. He looks up and sees her on top of the staircase. She hasn't moved a bit.
"Sachiko?"
"Why?" she asks at the same time as him. He frowns, goes to take a step back up.
"Why what?"
"Why now? Why are you going to teach me now, when just an hour ago you said you couldn't?"
"Excuse me?" he decides to stay still, looking at her without understanding. Sachiko shakes her head.
"You said you don't have the time to teach me how to read or wield a sword, but now, suddenly, you can. Why? Why now, that they've told you I'm a legendary familiar?"
He understands immediately. He quickly shakes his head. "No, it's not like that, just…"
"Just what?" her voice is getting louder. She's frowning, and after another second of silence finally approaches him. "When it's just plain Sachiko you couldn't care less, but then when it's Gandálfr you're all willing to give up some of your precious time to teach me?" her tone is accusatory.
Louis doesn't know what to say. He didn't mean for his words to have that meaning. He wasn't really thinking when he offered. "No… it's not that, I just think that if you want to learn how to use a sword, then someone must…"
"But you didn't think that before" she interrupts, stopping one step above him; "before Osmond's secretary came for us, you were saying you didn't have time, so excuse me if I misunderstood, but how do you want me to think anything else when, after our conversation, you change your mind and decide you can teach me after all?"
"It has nothing to do with Gandálfr! We don't even know if it's true or not!"
"Don't try to change subjects!" Sachiko practically shouts. Her fists are balled at her sides and she's trembling. It looks as if she's about to cry; "I don't need you to start treating me with deference only because now I'm the cool familiar you wanted! Don't forget you promised to investigate for a way back to my world! Have you investigated at all this week?"
"T-That doesn't have to do with anything…" he looks away, his face flushing; "Cool familiar or not, I was anyway going to…"
"You didn't answer" she says before he can avoid the question. Louis closes his mouth in a tight line.
"I didn't have time. This week has been…"
"You couldn't even do that" Sachiko's voice does no longer sound angry, just tired. She sighs. "I don't want you to teach me how to use a sword, and I don't want to learn how to read from you."
"Sachiko" his voice has gotten lower. He doesn't like the way she's starting to talk to him.
Sachiko snorts. "Don't look angry! You know everything I said is true!"
"How do you want me not to be angry when you're saying a lie like this?"
"But it's true!"
"No, it's not! You can't say I'm treating you with deference now just because it turns out you could be Gandálfr! Not when I've been doing so much more for you!" Sachiko's eyes widen in disbelief.
"Like what?!"
"I let you eat with the servants and I got you a mattress!"
"Only because I asked!"
"And I bought you clothes and the stupid useless sword you wanted! I even let you keep the panties!"
"You didn't do that for me! You did that because you're a neat freak who couldn't stand seeing me wearing the same clothes every day!"
"Isn't it the same?!"
"Ugh!" she's about to pull at her hair. She quickly starts to leave, wanting to get some distance from him. "Whatever, if you don't want to understand, that's your problem! I'll leave you alone now!"
"Hey! We're not finished!" he follows her with heavy steps. Sachiko hastens her pace.
"Don't follow me!"
"Then don't run away!"
"You and I have nothing to talk about!"
"You're acting like a child! Come back here so we can solve this like adults!"
"If you want to solve things, then apologize!" she turns around and confronts him with a stern expression, but because of her sudden halt Louis doesn't have the time to slow down and collides against her. He quickly holds Sachiko before she can fall down the stairs.
"What are you doing?!"
She pushes him away from her, and this time is Louis who falls, luckily on one of the steps instead of down the stairs. He glares at her from his sitting position, but falters when he realizes she's crying. "Sachiko…"
"I don't care about you or your power or that I'm some stupid legendary familiar!" she yells before he even knows what's happening; "I just want to go home! I don't want to be your servant anymore! And I want you to stop treating me like I'm insignificant just because I'm not what you wanted!" and with that she runs away, her hands on her face covering her tears.
A few minutes later, Louis is still trying to decipher what exactly happened.
"You have a gift for drama" Derflinger comments. Sachiko sniffs loudly.
"It's easy for you to say, you've only been here a few hours."
"But that was some discussion you two had there. Is it always like this?"
"No, we don't usually talk to each other…"
"Why were you angry again?"
"Because he's acting like a hypocrite!" she yells; her anger resurfacing. "If he doesn't have time to teach me how to read, it's fine, I get it, but I won't let myself get fooled when all of a sudden he decides he wants to teach me how to use a sword, right after they told him I'm Gandálfr or whatever is it called!"
"You said it right, it's Gandálfr, and maybe you're being a little too sensitive?"
"Whose side are you in?" she asks snappishly.
"I'll always be on partner's side, but leaving that aside, isn't it obvious he would want to train you now that he knows you're Gandálfr? I mean, before that, what reason did he have to teach you?"
"I asked him."
"And? It's not like you knowing how to wield a sword could be useful for him, or reading if we go by that logic. As his familiar there are a number of things you are expected to do, and if he thinks using a sword and reading are not what he needs from you, then he won't teach you how to do neither."
"So, after knowing I am Gandálfr, he decided that me using a sword is important and thus he wants to teach me now."
"Exactly."
"That's stupid, and I thought you were on my side."
"I am, but it doesn't hurt looking at things from both sides, no?"
"Mm…" Sachiko ponders Derflinger's words. From that point of view, it makes sense, but just because it makes sense it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. She doesn't like that her life is being conditioned by Louis' needs. She is a familiar, but she's still a person, and Louis denying her the right to read or use a sword unless he deems it necessary is also denying her condition as a human being. And she doesn't like that.
I wish they didn't tell us anything. Because now she's even more afraid Louis is not going to investigate and she'd been condemned to spend the rest of her life in this world as his familiar.
"By the way partner, where are we going?" Derflinger's voice cuts off her thoughts. She blinks.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been walking in circles for the last ten minutes."
She looks around. She's in a place she doesn't recognize. A low curse escapes her lips. She'd been so angry she didn't notice where her feet were taking her.
"Alright, don't despair. Look at your surroundings. Stone walls, tapestries, not a window. Am I still in the tower? I don't remember descending any more stairs. Ugh…" she continues walking, expecting to find another flight of stairs. She doubts she's on ground level, but it's difficult to say so when there's not even a stupid window so she can see it herself. After five minutes and passing the same tapestry with the image of a lion roaring, she's starting to become anxious.
And then she finds a window. "Oh, thank goodness! Now I…!"
"Miss Familiar?" an unfamiliar voice says. She freezes before turning around slowly. Behind her, Osmond's secretary is looking at her with wide eyes. She's in front of a large double door made of iron. The doors are shut with an enormous padlock. "What are you doing here?"
"Um, I got loss…" she approaches her shyly, still looking at the big door with awe. "It's so big…"
The secretary, Miss Longueville is her name, Sachiko remembers, looks at the door and then back at her. She gives her a teasing smile. "Are you impressed?"
"Is there something important here?" she asks, eyeing the padlock. She extends a hand to touch it, but as expected, she cannot reach it. Miss Longueville nods.
"This is the treasury of the academy. You said you were lost…"
"Treasury?" Sachiko dismisses the woman's last sentence, her eyes shining at this new piece of information. "I didn't know the academy had a treasury. What kind of treasures are inside?"
"Magical treasures" Miss Longueville turns to look at the door as well, hands behind her back. "I actually wanted to catalog the contents of the treasury, but I realized I can't enter without the key."
"Who has the key?"
"Old Osmond, but I didn't want to interrupt his meeting with Mr. Vallière."
"The meeting is over; you can ask him for the key now."
Miss Longueville shakes her head. "I'll do it later. It's almost dinner time, and this is something I should do when I have plenty of time. There are a lot of items inside, so it'll probably take me a day or more to go through each one."
"That sounds like tough work" Sachiko looks at the door again. She touches it. "It feels so sturdy, it must be impossible to enter without the key."
"The door is reinforced with magic, so yes, it would take an extraordinarily powerful mage to break through. On the other hand, with so many mages here any person who wants to break in would have a difficult time from the beginning."
"So nobody would even try" Miss Longueville smiles and nods.
"Changing subjects, didn't you say you were lost?"
"Ah, that's right! I was descending the staircase but then I got caught in some thoughts and before I knew it I didn't know where I was standing anymore."
"We're directly below the headmaster's office. If you want I can show you the way out."
"I would be really thankful!" Sachiko smiles and happily follows Miss Longueville. The staircase is just around a corner, and she feels a little dumb she hasn't seen it before. "So… you're Old Osmond's secretary?" she asks as they walk, just to make conversation. The woman smiles.
"Yes, I am."
"What kind of work do you do?"
"Nothing really exciting, just write and read letters and reports, run errands, deliver messages, but I also take care of Old Osmond and his health."
"How long have you been working for him?"
"I just started this new term, so I'm new here just like you" Sachiko gives a small laugh, shaking her head.
"We are quite different. You are a secretary and a noble, while I'm a familiar and a commoner, so our work must differ a lot" not mentioning she's here on her own will, unlike her.
Miss Longueville laughs as well. "Oh, I may be a mage, but I'm not a noble, so we might have more in common than you think."
"You're not a noble?" Sachiko's eyes open wide. She remembers what Louis told her this morning. 'All nobles are mages, but not all mages are nobles'. She wants to know why she isn't a noble, and if she ever was, what happened for her to stop being one, but she knows better than to simply ask a person she had just met something so personal, so she smiles and says; "you're right, we might."
"And talking about things in common" she stops and looks at her. There's a cunning glint in her eyes Sachiko doesn't know how to interpret; "between us, what did Old Osmond want to discuss with Mr. Vallière?"
"Eh?"
"Oh, I'm just curious, you don't need to make that expression. You see, Old Osmond usually doesn't call students to his office, less asks that their familiar accompanies them, so I was just wondering if it's something important, that's all."
"Important… I don't know what could be considered important…" and she really doesn't. True, they might have discussed about the void and Gandálfr, but even after all the explanations they gave her, she still can't really understand much about it. Besides, it's not something she should talk about with anybody. That at least was very explicit during the conversation.
Miss Longueville sighs, turning around again, but she doesn't advance. "Well, I imagined that, but I'll tell you a little secret: the other day, I heard Osmond and Mr. Colbert talking about a legendary familiar…" Sachiko stiffens. She doesn't move or say anything, waiting. "And then he calls you and Mr. Vallière to his office. I don't know you, but doesn't that look suspicious to you?"
"No. No it doesn't" she's quick to shake her head and deny it. Miss Longueville chuckles.
"Why do you have a sword?" the change of topic disconcerts Sachiko for a second.
"My master bought it for me."
"Why?"
"Because I asked him."
"Do you know how to use it?"
"A little…" she doesn't like where the conversation is going. Miss Longueville leans towards her, a mischievous expression adorning her face.
"Enough to defeat a mage on a duel?" Sachiko swallows, but she nods again. "It's cute how much you're trying to deny it when we both know exactly what I'm implying."
"D-Don't tell anybody" she finally succumbs and pleads. The woman tilts her head to the side, feigning confusion.
"Tell what?"
"You know what" she puffs her cheeks. Miss Longueville laughs.
"Without a confirmation there's not much I can tell, or is it, Miss Gandálfr?" Sachiko chokes with her own saliva. She coughs as Miss Longueville laughs. "Oh, so I was right after all. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me" she winks.
"Louis' secret…"
"Not to offend you, but I doubt that boy holds any power" her tone changes to one of boredom. For some reason Sachiko feels irritated. "But just you see I plan to keep my promise and don't tell anybody, I'll tell you a secret of my own" this sparks Sachiko's curiosity. Miss Longueville leans closer and so does Sachiko, so she can whisper in her ear; "I won't be working in the academy for much longer."
"No?" she shakes her head.
"Let's just say, I was offered a better deal, but there's still one thing I have to do before leaving this place, and I plan to do it no matter the cost" her face gets serious. "And you can help me with that."
"Me?"
"Yes. When I catalog the items in the treasury, I want you to help me. Can you do that?"
"Is that the thing you want to do no matter what?" Sachiko asks, confused. It might be fun seeing the treasures the academy holds, but cataloguing each and every single one of them, when she said it would take her a day or more, doesn't sound like something really worth staying for.
Miss Longueville nods, still serious. "Will you?"
Sachiko thinks for a second. Well, it doesn't sound like something very difficult, and she's curious to see what's on the other side of that enormous door. She finally nods. Miss Longueville beams.
"Perfect! Then, we should get going. Dinner is about to start" Sachiko gasps.
"Really?!"
"Yes, how much time do you think you've been wandering around here? Come on, we can eat together."
"I usually eat with the servants."
"Do you think I can join you?"
"Um, well…" she isn't a noble, so it might not be a problem, and if she introduces her to Marteau as an acquaintance then… "Why do you want to eat with me?"
Miss Longueville shrugs, looking at the front. From there, Sachiko can't see her smirking as she says; "no reason, I just want to know more about you. We're friends no?"
"Friends…" everybody seems to want to be friends with her these days. Sachiko sighs, before letting out a small laugh. "Sure, why not."
"I was hoping you would say that."
Sachiko doesn't appear at dinner. Louis stabs the steak in his plate mercilessly, because he has to take out his anger on something and none of his classmates are acceptable targets. No one talks to him during meals, but he can feel a few eyes on him, and their whispers don't go unheard either. Let them talk, they always talk about you anyway.
"I think the steak had enough Louis" a condescending voice says from his right. He doesn't raise his eyes from the steak, attacking it over and over, now with more force.
"Why are you talking to me, Zerbst?" the redhead beauty shrugs, though he doesn't see it as he's still completely concentrated in his assassination task. Rolling her eyes, Kirche does something reckless and grabs the wrist of the hand that's holding the knife, while with the other she takes it away from him. "Hey! Give it back!"
"So you can keep murdering the poor steak?" Louis huffs and crosses his arms. Kirche raises an eyebrow. "What's happening to you? I mean, you're always in an awful mood but tonight you look horribly worse than usual."
"Go back to your seat and leave me alone."
"I've already finished my meal, and if you look around, you'll realize almost everyone is done too" reluctantly, Louis does so. He's surprised to see she's right. "Finish already so the servants can clear the table."
"I don't have to do what you tell me" regardless, he grabs a fork and starts eating, not needing the knife as the meat is already cut to pieces after his frenzy. Kirche sighs.
"Where is Sachiko? She's usually behind you at meals, but today she wasn't here."
"No, really? If you didn't tell me I would have never noticed!" Kirche bonks him on the head. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
"You don't make fun of a woman, and I was asking a simple question."
"I don't know where she is, and honestly I don't care!" he takes another piece of meat to his mouth. He doesn't notice that he's pouting, but Kirche does, and it makes her raise an eyebrow in bewilderment.
"What did you do to her?"
"Get lost."
"Guiche was also wondering, but he was too scared of you to ask."
"Serves him right" he swallows; "and why do you want to know? Why Guiche wants to know?"
"I don't know about him, but Sachiko is my friend, and it worries me that she's not here."
"Your friend?" he snorts; "yeah right."
"It's the truth, you can ask her" she says with a frown. Louis shrugs, showing her he doesn't care whether it's true or not, and this time she's the one pouting. "Tomorrow is the Ball of Frigg" she says in a small voice, almost as if she doesn't want him to hear. Louis looks away, foreseeing the reason she brought this up.
"Is that so? I almost forgot" he comments casually.
"Do you have a partner?"
"No, I won't go" he says, wanting to cut off the conversation before it gets too uncomfortable. Kirche huffs.
"Do you have to be so antisocial? It's just a ball, it won't kill you to go."
Louis smiles, knowing this is her attempt at dismissing his negative. "But balls are boring and nothing interesting ever happens. Well…" he puts down his fork and taps his lips with a finger; "the welcoming ball for new students last year was certainly unforgivable, wasn't it?"
Kirche's face becomes bright red, the reaction he was expecting from her. Her eyes narrows and she does her best to dismiss his words. "How would you know? Your stupid admirers covered your eyes the entire time."
"I didn't need to look while it happened, just the end result was enough" he tells her and gives her a cocky grin. She blushes even more if that's possible, and Louis can't help a feeling of superiority knowing the only reason she's embarrassed is because he is bringing it up. Anyone else she would ignore or cast a spell on, but only he could say something like this and not only get away with it, but also make her react like that, something he's sure none of the guys she usually hangs out with is able to.
She huffs and stands up. It seems she decided to leave with her head up while she still has the chance. "Whatever, better if you don't go, you'll only ruin the ball with your broodiness like you do everything else."
"If that's what you want to think…" she lifts her chin and walks off. She reunites with Tabitha at the door. She comments something to the blue-haired girl, who looks at him for a second before nodding and following Kirche. Girls are strange creatures. He knows Kirche is not the norm for most girls, as he's used to hanging out with females more than he is with males, but there's a difference between being with a girl who thinks nothing of you and one who is clearly still in love with you no matter how much she tries to deny it. He does appreciate her, even if he can't stand her most of the time, but he just wishes she would get over him already.
He shakes his head, not wanting to think about his relationship with Kirche, complicated as it is, though it's certainly not the most complicated he has. He tends to get in very difficult situations with girls, and not all romantic. His sister Eleonore is an example, and then Henrietta, although he still has doubts what exactly they were. Montmorency is another thing entirely, and Sachiko…
He thrusts the fork into a piece of meat, the anger that was forgotten while he talked with Kirche appearing again. He doesn't get it. He doesn't get her. What is it that she wants from him? Where did he fail to make her feel like he wronged her so? He gives her far more than what any other familiar gets, he cares for her and still she has the nerve to tell him he doesn't.
How is he supposed to treat her? He thought he was being a good master overall, buying her clothes, letting her eat with the servants, humoring her when she wanted that stupid rusty sword. He has not raise a hand to her a single time since that day before she got on a duel with Guiche. He asks practically nothing from her, and then she gets angry for no reason.
What if I want to teach you because you're Gandálfr? He never denied her the right to read or write, or even how to use a sword, but he has priorities, and she should understand that. Although she is right about me not investigating… But it's not because he doesn't want to. He just doesn't know where to start. Honestly, even after he told the headmaster and Mr. Colbert that she is not from this world, he can't help but doubt, but at the same time, he doesn't see a reason for her to lie, and he has seen with his own eyes that she truly doesn't know anything of this world.
He sighs, finishing with his meal and standing up. He should go find her and talk to her. He looks around, realizing he is the last one in the dining hall apart from the servants. In the distance he sees a familiar figure and approaches him.
"Excuse me" the black-haired servant looks up. Louis always sees him with Sachiko, but he doesn't know his name. "Have you seen my familiar, by chance?"
"Miss Sachiko?" he nods. "She ate with us around an hour ago, but since she left I haven't seen her again."
He frowns, his fists tightening at his sides. So she ate without telling him first. Is she that angry? "I see, thank you, and sorry for disturbing you."
"No problem, I am sorry I couldn't help you" Louis shakes his head, dismissing him, and turns around, decided to find her so he can have a few words with her. He goes to his room first, but as expected, she's not there. He wonders where in the academy she could be, and thinks of going to Kirche's room to make sure she is not there, but after thinking a little, decides he'll try there last and looks for her in the courtyards first. It isn't long until he finds her, practicing by her own in Vestri Court. He's happy he didn't go to Kirche's room first.
"You and I need to talk" Sachiko lowers Derflinger. If she's surprised that he's here, she doesn't show it.
"We do need to talk, don't we?" Louis raises his eyebrows. He's surprised she's agreeing with him, but quickly shakes that thought away.
"Before dinner, I sent a letter to the palace" he starts. Sachiko looks at him.
"Oh…" she bites her lips; "what for?"
"To ask for an audience, so I can ask permission to search in the royal archive. They have the biggest library in the country, full of historical books and accounts. Maybe there's a clue in there about your world."
Sachiko's eyes widen. Unconsciously, she steps closer. "Really, you mean it?"
"Yes, of course."
She suddenly looks much happier than before, her body vibrating with energy. But then she frowns, calming down and looking at the ground. "But, why the royal archive? You couldn't find anything in the academy's library?"
"Oh, I'm sure I could, but you see" he clears his throat, feeling a little embarrassed at admitting this; "I didn't even begin an investigation yet, mostly because I didn't know where to start, but after this afternoon, I think I know where I should head to."
"Meaning…"
"If I really have this… power" he's a little reluctant to call it void yet, not until there's solid proof at least; "then it means thanks to this power I summoned you from your world, and so, it has to be with this power that I'd send you back. The thing is, as wide and complete as the academy's library is, the real accounts detailing the void are located in the royal archive, where I want to start my investigation."
"So…" Sachiko plays with her fingers, now that she has sheathed Derflinger, and shyly looks at him from under her eyelashes; "this way you'll kill two birds with one shot?"
"Um, yes, you can look at it like that" he comments nervously. He doesn't want her to get offended again and say something like 'you're only investigating now because you want to know about the void!' so he quickly continues; "of course I'll still search in the academy's library, but if I can, I also want to look through the royal archive so as to have a better idea of what to do."
Sachiko analyzes his words for a few seconds. Finally, she nods; "sounds reasonable. And… how long until you get an audience?"
"A month, maybe more…" Sachiko groans.
"Seriously?"
"Well, what did you expect? That the court would attend me right away? They have other things to do, and my petition is a small thing when compared to the country's affairs."
"Alright, I got it."
They remain silent for a few seconds, a feeling of awkwardness surrounding them as they don't know what else to say. Sachiko clears her throat when she thinks she cannot stand it anymore.
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Louis is surprised; "why are you thanking me?"
"Well" she balances on her tiptoes, looking everywhere but at him; "for doing this for me."
"Don't be stupid, I said I would do it, didn't I? It's not something you should thank me for."
"Still, thank you" she bows in the typical Japanese way. Louis looks at her with confusion, not recognizing that type of bow. He shyly scratches his cheek.
"Well, yes, I'm your master and…" he blushes, though he doesn't know why; "and this will help me too, to know if I really have…"
He doesn't say anything else. He can feel Sachiko's eyes on him, and it's almost too much to bear. He opens his mouth to tell her he's going to bed, when she talks, preventing him from doing so. "Are you happy?"
"…what?"
"If you're happy" now she's blushing. She looks away; "happy to know you have a legendary power."
"Ah."
"Is it exciting? I mean, I know I'm supposed to be a legendary familiar, but I'm not from here and honestly, with everything that has happened to me starting with being summoned to a different world, I don't really feel much of anything, so I was wondering if for you… and considering you don't…"
Have magic. She doesn't need to say the words for them to hang in the air above them. Louis looks at her, even if she isn't, and takes a long moment to think of an answer. Finally, he simply sighs and shakes his head. "Whether I possess this power or not, it doesn't change anything. I'm still Louis the Zero, just… with a plus."
"Of course it changes things, I mean, if you…"
"If I have the void, it doesn't erase my past, all the things I lived and the moments of anguish I passed because I couldn't cast a spell. It doesn't erase my interactions with people or their words or treatment…" he looks up to the night sky, his eyes far away; "it can change things from here on, but the fact I'm nothing else but Louis the Zero will remain, because you can't just erase the past."
Sachiko doesn't say anything in response, and so he looks back to her. She has a deep frown, like she's thinking hard on something. Her eyes look up then, and she holds his stare. "Is it really that important that you can't do magic? So much you think nothing can change even with the void?"
For some reason her question stings his pride. He rears back, and like an injured animal snaps at her; "what do you know? You've never had the expectations people had of me, you don't know what is like to be in my shoes!"
"I concede that point" her voice remains calm, even if she leans back a little; "I don't know and I never will, but I can make myself an idea. You don't have to depend solely on magic. Void or not, magic or not, nothing of that should matter."
"That's easy for you to say."
"At least people had expectations of you" she says, her tone harder than before. She straightens her back, and her next words strike him like a ton of bricks; "but you know something? You don't realize it, but you are more than just your magic."
Another silence envelopes them, this time longer than the last. Louis doesn't say anything, simply looking at her with this expression that makes Sachiko feel like she said something really, really bad. Getting anxious, she opens her mouth again; "Lo-I mean, master, you don't…"
"Louis" he interrupts. She looks at him without understanding. To her surprise, he gives her a small smile, and it's the most sincere and heartbreaking gesture she has seen him make since meeting him. "Just call me Louis."
A/N: My first attempt at writing from Louis POV. Hope I didn't screw up that badly. Can anyone guess why Louis mentions Montmorency in his internal monologue about girls?
I imagine when Louis entered the academy he was really popular with the girls, and then the explosions came and everybody discovered his horrible personality and the admirers left one by one.