Zeroes of Two Worlds
Chapter 15
"It has been a while, Louise." Princess Henrietta warmly greeted her old friend.
"Princess..." Louise uttered softly in response as she looked up to her.
Jaune watched the interaction between the two girls from his more comfortable kneeling position compared to Louise's prostration. Their short interaction confirmed his suspicion that they must have been close.
Henrietta looked at both him and Louise. She knelt before Louise, much to his summoner's surprise, and offered her hands to her. "Please stand. Both of you don't have to kneel for my sake."
Jaune replied with a brief nod while Louise looked hesitant. She reluctantly accepted the princess' hands, and Jaune stood up after her. The princess then surprised Louise when she hugged her in a tight embrace.
"Oh, Louise Francoise. My old friend. I missed you." Henrietta happily greeted Louise.
"P-princess..." Louise is stunned by the princess' words but she couldn't deny that she had missed her as well. But she reluctantly rejected the princess and carefully broke off from the embrace. "Princess, I'm not worthy for such kind words."
"Please, Louise. You don't have to be so formal with me. We're friends, are we not?" The princess asked back.
"Your Highness..."
"Anyways, would you like to introduce me to your paramour?" Henrietta innocently inquired.
"B-b-bwah!" Louise stammered as her face flushed red. "Y-you got it all wrong! He's not my paramour! He's my familiar."
The princess tilted her head a little, confused about what she had heard, and turned to Jaune. "That's peculiar. I've never heard of a human or other sapient beings becoming familiars."
"It's true. He's the one that appeared when I performed the Summoning."
"It's true, your highness." Jaune spoke up. "I was in a forest back in my homeland for field training when I was caught in a portal of sorts. After that, I found myself in this academy before Miss Valliere."
"I see." Henrietta nodded slowly. "You must be Sir Jaune that I've heard about. The prowess that you have displayed during your duel with the son of General Gramont had reached the palace. A few nobles were intrigued that a highborn scion was defeated by a mere swordsman."
"Eh-hehe..." Jaune awkwardly uttered as he didn't expect that his duel with Guiche had reached that far. At best, he imagined that it would at least be limited to the Gramonts, Montmorencys and Vallieres. "I'm no Sir, your highness. I'm just a huntsman."
"You don't have to be formal with me. A friend of Louise is a friend of mine." Henrietta said with a smile.
Jaune returned the smile. "Thank you, princess."
He packed up and removed his things off the table, and then pulled the chairs for the two girls to sit on. Once they're seated, he stood from across the table and asked.
"Do you two want anything to drink or eat? I can go grab some from the kitchen for you two."
Louise was about to answer but Henrietta stopped her by gesturing at her to stop.
"I'm only here for a short time. You don't have to leave on our behalf." She then gestured to an empty chair and said. "Why don't you join us? I would love to talk with you both."
"Ok." Jaune replied awkwardly and got himself seated.
"I'm so happy to finally meet again, Louise. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment." Henrietta started as she looked at Louise. "It's been lonely back in the palace since you left."
"I'm happy that you still remember me after all these years." Louise replied.
"How can I ever forget the only friend I've ever made?"
"Princess..."
"So how did you two meet?" Jaune asked them, curious about their shared history.
"I was the princess' playmate when we were young. My parents used to take me with them every time they visited the royal palace." Louise answered for the princess, who nodded in agreement.
"I enjoyed all the time we spent together playing and exploring the in and around the palace." Henrietta added. "Do you remember when we were little children, we used to chase after butterflies and got all muddy?" She asked Louise.
Louise's face brightened a bit as she remembered those old happy memories of her childhood.
"Y-Yes. And Sir La Porte the chamberlain told us off for getting our clothes so dirty." She shyly answered.
"Yes!" That's right Louise!" Henrietta looked very happy about it. "We were also arguing over those puffy cream cakes, and ended up having a real scuffle." She then sighed. "Whenever we fought, it was always I who lost. You would grab my hair, and I'd just start crying."
"Not at all. The princess achieved victory on at least one occasion." Louise told her.
"You remembered! I'm still fond of the Siege of Amiens."
"Was that when we were fighting over a dress in the princess' bedroom?"
"Yes, in the middle of our Make-Believe Royal Court. We ended up fighting over who would play princess. It was a blow to your abdomen, Louise Francoise, that successfully decided our bout."
"Oof." Jaune quietly uttered. The princess reminded him of his older sisters who enjoyed playing rough. It also revealed to him that the princess may look like a lady, she is definitely a tomboy. She would definitely fit in with Helena and Selena, though he may have to keep her away from Prim.
"I fainted in the presence of the Princess." Louise shyly reasoned but she smiled despite it.
"Ah, I'm getting nostalgic that I'm tearing up." Henrietta remarked. She took out a handkerchief and daintily padded them over her tears. "I will never forget the times we shared together."
"So... What happened? From the looks of it, you two were getting along quite well. But it seemed that you haven't seen each other for a long time." Jaune inquired.
"Things... Got complicated once we got our wands to start training our magic. You could guess what happen from there." Louise told him.
"Ah." He nodded, understanding what she meant. "That must have been hard for you two."
"It is. My magic wasn't getting any better and I didn't want to cause trouble for the princess by being associated with me." Louise stated.
"Please don't yourself over your situation, Louise. Know that it wouldn't trouble me if we were to resume our friendship, but I understand your reason." Henrietta stated melancholically.
"Was the Council giving you trouble because of Louise?" Jaune inquired.
"The Council?" The princess looked confused, and shook her head. "Not quite. Mother and the Cardinal weren't really concerned about me being friends with Louise. The Vallieres are close allies of the Royal Family, so it isn't an issue."
"Ah sorry... I meant the... Royal Court.. right?" Jaune was unsure since it could be named differently, but the princess nodded. "Yeah, were the Royal Court causing you issues?"
"It is." The princess confirmed while she kept her eyes on him. "Members of the Court tried to use it to drive a wedge between our two families and weaken the Vallieres. Things have calmed down since then but it hasn't stopped greedy aristocrats from trying to get into my good graces."
Jaune grimaced a little at the princess' statement. But he sympathized with her, being forced to be separated your only friend because of politics. Not much different from Louise's experience, except for not being able to properly use magic.
"I'm sorry for asking."
Princess Henrietta shook her head and replied. "Don't be. But it's best not to dwell on it." Both Jaune and Louise nodded in agreement. "What about you, good sir? Can you tell me about yourself?"
"As I've said. I'm a huntsman.. Well hunstman aspirant since I'm still training to become one, or I was until I was summoned into Tristain." He told her.
"Does being a huntsman involved being able to fight a highborn even if one is still a student?" Henrietta inquired.
"Not exactly... Huntsmen are seen as protectors back in my homeland and are primarily sent to fight monsters that plagued our lands since our people existed. But they are also sent to fight bandits and marauders who attacked towns which would then be beset by monsters. You either fight or die." He explained to the princess, who looked disturbed.
"Your lands sounds like a nightmare to live in." Henrietta remarked.
You have no idea. Jaune wanted to say, but he could Louise mouthing No at him. She likely knew how I was going to answer. So he decided to be more tact with his response.
"It is. But we survived, and that's all that matters."
"And you were training to be one? Before you were summoned, I mean."
Jaune nodded. "Yes I was. But being Louise's protector isn't much different from what I was going to be." He then added. "Just limited in scope."
"I see. Then you have my support in your endeavors to protect dear Louise." Henrietta smiled at him.
"I'll try not to disappoint, princess."
Colbert carefully observed the readings on the dials and displays arrayed before him, carefully taking notes. He also made some finely tuned adjustments on the machine through various knobs, levers and switches. He listened to the whirring of the rune gears, the humming of the ether tubes, and the buzzing of lacrima filled the entirety of the room, and was satisfied with the results.
Many would have been annoyed and uncomfortable in their environment, but not him. He enjoyed the symphony of the machines around him, whose assemblies he personally took part in. He is always fascinated with machines as much as he loved teaching. These machines had shown him how all the elements can be used for the benefit of everyone, even Fire that is only known for destruction.
He gave thanks to the Founder for being born during this wondrous time. With resources at his disposal, he dedicated his time to research in order to advance these inventions to their fullest. His personal laboratory is testament to his dedication despite its cluttered interior.
"That's strange."
He finished jotting down notes on the records and secured the logbook in its designated locker. He turned away from the consoles and headed towards what can be considered as the heart of the academy.
Standing at the center of the room, the Lacrima Brazier glowed and pulsed with etheric energy and he could feel the energy reverberating throughout the room. The great device is composed of two components which allowed the systemto function.
First, the etheric blazer at the bottom where cordite is fed to be turned into ether that is then funneled up. It had a cylindrical shape made of thick silvery iron that is framed with brass with runes engraved on the surface. Five smaller cylinders flanked the blazer that served as a buffer for cordite being fed into the system.
Lastly, there's the prismatic catalyzer that converted the ether into elemental essences that can then be distributed and used. It is composed of a large crystal sphere, made of lacrima, situated above the funnel and encased in web-like cage made of alternating pieces of gold and platinum with pieces of crystals embedded into the metal.
The elemental essences are shot out as a single iridescent beam of light towards a collector on the ceiling, lighting up the room. The energy is then distributed throughout the academy through a network of nodes.
It remained a mesmerizing sight to behold for him and he always enjoyed visiting the Brazier chamber despite his long tenure in the academy. He performed an occular inspection with the help of his magic to find any defects on the brazier. While the wards were capable of preventing any damage on the equipment, they're still dealing with large amounts of energy. Better to be proactive and that proper measures were followed.
As he was performing his task, he heard the door being unlocked and someone entering the room. He turned to look towards the door, and is delighted to see the headmaster's secretary entering the room. "Good evening, Miss Longueville. What brings you here at this time?"
"Good evening, sir. I have the tablets that you've needed for replacement." Longueville responded, tugging at the case she was carrying.
"Ah, so you're the one they've sent to deliver them."
"I offered since I was going here anyway to collect the logbook." Longueville smiled at him. "Is there a problem with the brazier?"
He shook his head. "I don't believe so. But I found some anomalous readings earlier, and I'm just doing an inspection to see if there's any defects. I was still doing my inspection when you came in."
"I understand. Do you want to me to install the tablets while you continue with your inspection?" She offered.
Colbert nodded in agreement. "I'll open the panel for you."
The professor headed to one of the panels for the main ordinator that controlled and regulated the Brazier system, and took out a key from his robe. It is a special key that is specifically enchanted with an arcane mark to only work for a specific lock. He slotted the key in and twisted it. A small crystal above the keyhole blinked blue and a clicking sound can be heard.
"Here you go, Miss Longueville. Do you have the touchstone?" Colbert asked as he opened the panel for her.
"Of course." She nodded respectfully to him, pulling out a small circular piece of stone with symbols engraved on it.
"Do you need any help?" Colbert offered but she declined.
"I can handle this, Mister Colbert. Besides, you still have inspections to do regarding the anomalous readings right?" She replied with a smile.
"O-of course. You're right." Colbert felt a little dejected about that, but didn't let it affect him. He observed her for a few moments as she flipped down a small frame and placed the case on it before opening it.
In it, there were metallic tablets with runes and patterns engraved on it, and pieces of crystals implanted along the pattern. They're used input instructions into the ordinator and assist with its operation. They are also used as the machine's remembrancer which can provide a more comprehensive record of the operation. This is why they required to be regularly swapped out with a refurbished tablet, and the old one stored in the archives for a time.
He left her to her task, starting to pull out tablets from the console, while he resumed his inspections. He is still confused about the anomalous reading he noticed while checking the display. It wasn't really dangerous to the system and were within the capability for the system to handle. But it was something that didn't have apparent causes within the system.
He wanted to make sure that he didn't miss any issues since he's intimately aware of how these thnigs can go awry with machines. Considering the happenings in his lab, he had every right to be cautious.
He soon finished with his inspections and then re-checked the readings again in order to be sure. He made his way to the doorway and saw Miss Longueville also finished with her task as she closed the panel which locked itself with a clang.
"Oh. You're finished with your inspection already?" Longueville said as soon as she saw him.
Colbert nodded. "I am."
"Did you find any defects that could be causing the anomaly?" She asked as she unlocked the locker and retrieved the logbook and replaced it with a new one.
"No. I didn't. Nothing looked out of place and none of the parts showed any defects." He answered before sighing. "Maybe it's nothing since they're still within the normal parameters of the system."
"Possibly." She uttered back. "But at least it won't be a problem during the princess' stay in the academy. We can request the headmaster for a more thorough inspection afterwards." She told him.
"That's reasonable." He replied as he opened the door for her. He followed after her and closed the door behind him, which automatically engaged the locking mechanism and wards. They then left the area as they walked along the hallway.
"Miss Longueville, do you have any plans for the Ball of Frigg that is going to be held on the day of Yule?" He asked.
"No, I haven't. What's the Ball about?"
"Ah... I guess you won't know about it because you've only been in Tristain for two months." He replied, sounding a little awkward and embarrassed. "Well, it's nothing spectacular. It's just a party of sorts. It is said that a couple who dances at this ball will be destined to be together or something to that end." He explained to her. "O-of course, It's just a petty legend." He hastily added.
"So?" She pressed him to continue, smiling at him as she did so.
"So... Would it be alright it... I was wondering if you would dance with me for the Ball, if that's alright with you?"
"Hmmm..." Miss Longueville thought about it for a moment before she answered. "I would love to, it sounded like a fabulous party." This made his heart throb with elation before he heard her next words. "But I can't really answer that tonight."
"Oh."
"But I'll give you my answer at a later date." She assured him as she patted him on his right arm. "The princess' presence has increased my workload so I'm busy with other things. And I'm sure you do as well."
"I understand." Colbert smiled, feeling hopeful for another chance to invite her again.
Henrietta and Louise talked for some time while Jaune listened to their conversation, content with letting them spend the time together. He prepared his outfit and other things for the Exhibition tomorrow, answering questions directed at him from time to time.
Now, Louise and the princesss finished their chat, and the princess was about to leave to return to her own quarters.
"It's good to see you once again, Louise. I truly enjoyed being able to talk with you after all this time." Henrietta happily said as she gingerly held Louise's hands in hers.
"It's also good to finally see you again, princess." Louise replied back smilingly.
Henrietta let go of her hands and turned to Jaune before saying.
"It gladdens me to know that she has someone like you beside her. For that, I thank you." She bowed her head to him, which Jaune returned.
"There's nothing to be thankful, princess. We had a rough start, but I do see Louise as a good friend." Jaune said in response. "She summoned me to be her protector, and I'll do me best to be her shield."
Henrietta gave him a grateful smile. "I'll hold you on to that." She then looked at the both of them and said. "Good luck to you both on the Exhibition tomorrow. I expect great things you two."
"We'll endeavor to reach your expectations, princess." Louise replied with a curtsy as she bowed her head. Following her lead, Jaune placed a hand over his heart and bowed to the princess.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy what we have planned, princess. That I can promise." Jaune added.
"I'll hold you on to that, young huntsman."
The princess wore back her cloak and hid head under the hood, and Jaune opened the door for her. The princess on left the premises and made her way down the staircase.
"You didn't tell me that you were friends with the princess." Jaune remarked as soon as he closed the door.
"It wasn't really something anyone else should know about." Louise replied as she sat on her bed. "Besides, it's been years since we've last seen each other. I would have that she forgetten about me."
"Yeah... It must be good to have a friend like her." Jaune uttered, wondering about the few friends he made before attending combat school. His mind then wandered to his own family, if they're still looking for him or had given up.
He wouldn't be surprised about the latter since Remnant is full of dangers besides the Grimm and bandits. It was well known that people died every day especially for people who lived outside the walls and out in the wilderness. They would have likely given up the search by now since he missed the window to send back messages to his family.
Despite being in another world, he still hoped that he can find a way to get back to Remnant. He just needed to keep an eye for clues, and had to keep hoping. He would take the chance once he saw one, even just to send them a message to tell them that he's alright.
"You alright, Jaune?" Louise voice jolted him out of his thoughts. She was looking at him with concern. "You were just staring blankly for a while there. Is everything alright?"
"How long have I been out?" He thought, a little confused. He shook his head and said. "It's nothing. Just... thinking."
Louise scrutinized him for a few moments, unsure about what he said, before she ultimately let it go. It was getting late anyway and they needed rest for tomorrow.
"If you say so. Good night, Jaune."
"Sweet dreams, Louise."
The festivities was in full swing by the time the students finished their breakfast in the Great Hall. Cheers and excitement filled the academy as the students went about their day while they waited for the Exhibition to start.
The Second Years felt differently with some feeling nervous especially for those going to be called out first, while others felt eager to present their work.
"The gift from the palace is all mine!" Kirche proudly declared with a haughty laughter. She is supported by her familiar to breathed flame into the air.
Unfortunately this flame flew near Guiche who cried out in fright and shock. He dodged his head out of the way, not wanting to be burned, and quickly backed away. His familiar is no better as the giant mole trembled at how close the flame was to them.
"Could you cut that out? Your familiar almost set my face on fire." Guiche scolded his ardent classmate.
The others merely looked on after retreating at a safer distance, and chatted with their circle of friends. This left a few others like Jaune and Louise standing around on their lonesome, waiting for the event to start.
"Nervous, Louise?" Jaune asked when he noticed her standing restlessly.
"I am." She nodded, not denying it. "I'm just worried of how things would go with the others. Especially with my reputation of being a Zero." She admitted.
"I don't we don't have to worry much about that, Louise. Besides, your classmates and other students had seen me in action. At the very least, we won't be a laughed at by anyone." He assured her.
"Why aren't you nervous?"
"I am..." He corrected. "It's my first time to perform in front of an audience. So I'm getting a little stage fright." He admitted to her. He could feel his own heart racing at the prospect of facing such a large audience. "But compared to... threats back home, I have learned to at least control my feelings until things are done afterwards."
Louise nodded, understanding what he meant. But it did made her feel at ease to know that Jaune is feeling the same.
They watched the other Second Years milling about and fussing over their familiars. They are then approached by Siesta who then smiled at Jaune.
"Hello, Jaune." Siesta cheerfully greeted as soon as she got close.
"Oh! Hi, Siesta. What brought you here?"
"I just came by to say Good Luck for Exhibition. We'll be cheering you on from the side." Siesta said to him. "I know you can win this."
"Hehe... We'll see..." Jaune said awkwardly but smiled back nonetheless. "We have stiff competition to face especially with Tabitha and her familiar." He told her, reminding them of the petite mage's dragon.
He had seen the blue dragon, Sylphid, multitple times when he was training and helping out in the academy. With what little he knew about dragons, mainly from Riders of Vrak, he could see it doing some aerial maneuvers. He had heard about Tristain's own dragon riders but he couldn't really make comparison to the show without seeing them in action.
At the very least, he could edge over Flame for Louise, if his performance couldn't be up to par with Sylphid.
Siesta shook her head in response, and responded.
"That maybe, but you're a skilled swordsman and you have your own powers. I'm sure you can win the Exhibition." She encouraged him.
"I'll do my best."
The Familiar Exhibition started off with a blessing ceremony that was led by a priest along with some acolytes, sent from the Archbishop of Tristania. It started with a prayer of annointing, followed by a light washing with blessed water that glowed with pearly light, and finalized by the actual annointing of each student and their familiar with sacred oil.
The students had the oil annointed on their forehead. Same is done with the familiars whenever possible. The priest looked at the peculiar pair, Jaune and Louise, with confusion and regarded them with a questioning look. He lightly shook his head, dismissing his curiousity, and annointed both of them on the forehead before moving on to the next student.
Once the ceremony is finished, the herald announced the beginning for the Exhibitions and started calling forth one student at a time. The students were called up seemingly at random but there's probably a procedure being followed that Jaune wasn't aware about. The Exhibition basically became a kind of talent show in Jaune's eyes with students having their familiar's perform, or performing one with them. The audience watched each of them with varying responses.
Small cheers and polite applauses were made for each performance that were viewed as mundane or mediocre for their expectations. A few were better received with larger cheers and louder applauses, either due to having exotic pets, or showing greater talent.
Montmorency showed her musical talent with a violin while her frog famliar danced on marble pedestal. Another student performed tricks with his owl familiar using a lineyard with triangular flags of different colors attached along its length.
Or both, in some cases like with Kirche and Flame. The fire salamander displayed fine control over its flame breath by creating patterns and shapes. Kirche sublty guided her familiar with mere gestures. It earned her great applause from everyone in the audience, including from those from the palace.
Guiche performed... Just as Jaune had expected... He just did some modelling on stage like he was in a photoshoot, only missing a photographer or two, while showering themselves with rose petals and glittery dust. This earned him a polite applause and not much else.
A few other students were called up before the herald finally called up Louise up to the stage. Louise looked stiff as she tried to control her the butterflies in her stomach. But an assuring pat and some words from Jaune helped calm her, and she gave him a thankful nod.
Louise picked up own violin and climbed up the stage alongside Jaune who donned his entire armor, clean and polished for the occasion. They could hear the murmurs coming from the audience as they took to the stage. Some were about Louise's nickname and reputation, which was expected, and some about his own which were mixed.
There were comments about him being a foreign knight, a few about him being a commoner, and there's few about his strange powers.
"Well... Here goes." He nodded to Louise, showing that he's ready to start.
"What do you think Louise planned to do with Jaune on stage?" Kirche wondered.
Tabitha merely shrugged in response as she turned over a page of her book, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.
"I think there's something about a swordplay of her familiar." Montmorency suggested. "I did saw him a few times practicing with his sword by the southern courtyard." She informed her.
"Hmmph... He's probably just going to swing his sword as a show of strength but nothing else." Guiche scoffed at the idea of doing such simple act being anything close to impressive. "It's not unexpected that a barbaric hunter would lack acumen in the arts."
The other students didn't desire to comment about his own performance on stage, and they've decided that it's not worth reminding him. They soon watched Louise and her familiar step onto the stage and waited for what they have planned. Many were not expecting much from Zero, but a few were curious about the armored foreigner.
A short introduction was made before Louise left to stand a little to the side and back, leaving Jaune front and center. Louise readied her violin and Jaune slowly drew out a two-handed backsword.
Louise started off with a normal rhythm which Jaune matched with his body movements and sword swings. It was not a song that they were familiar with but it was nice to listen to. Interestingly, Jaune also seem to add to Louise's symphony with his footsteps and by tapping his sword on either the floor or on his armor, the armor flashing with light as he did so.
Louise's music started increased its pace and Jaune's sword dance matched it with flourishes, twirls and swirls. It was starting to feel mundane despite the captivating play of the violin. Then there was a sudden shift of tone when Louise struck a particularly high note which Jaune mirrored with stomp of his feet and striking the flat of his sword on his vambrace. A bright flash and Jaune quickly followed it up by scraping his sword over the armor, creating bright sparks as it did so. As he did so, his sword burst into bluish blaze as though it was on fire.
This caught everyone by surprise, even those who had watched the duel, but the one's most astonished by it was the princess who perked up. She wasn't expecting Louise's familiar to be some kind of a mage as well. She would have to ask them about it after the Exhibition, for now she watched more closely.
WIth this aura-infused blade, Jaune started creating cyclical patterns with his swings along with sending arcs of blue blaze as he danced to Louise's rhythm. The audience were mesmerized by the dance of the blazing blades.
Louise soon reached the crescendo and ended with a climatictic finish which Jaune matched with a spin and a wide slash, launched a large arc of blaze that flew over the audience.
The audience were stunned for a moment before giving a round of applause for the spectacle, most especially from the princess who was all smiles. Jaune is joined by Louise, both smiling and happy with the results, and did a curtsy together before leaving the stage.
"I believe we can definitely say that was a success." Jaune was happy with how the dance had been received.
He had expected that the first part won't really be something that would appeal, and that's why he planned to use his aura to create effects. Derflinger helped alot to create the affects with his aura, which the audience enjoyed. Too bad he couldn't find a way to get Dust or something equivalent to it in this world. He could have done better.
Louise was happily humming beside him and very hopeful. She was very happy with how things had gone for the Exhibition. For the first time since she attended the academy, she was applauded instead of being ridiculed. Even better, the princess clearly enjoyed the sword dance which filled her heart with joy.
"It is." She nodded with a grin. "We definitely have a chance to win this Exhibition, all thanks to you." She commended him.
"Thank you." Jaune replied. "Good work on the violin as well. I'm surprised you adapted the song that quickly in such a short time." He complimented back to her.
He was glad to have shared that song to Louise from his scroll for her to practice. Louise quickly caught the rhythm of the song in a short time. It drained much of his battery pack but Jaune believed that it was worth it.
"Come on! Let's get back to our seats. I don't want to miss looking at Zerbst's face once I'm declared the victor." Louise hurriedly urged him as she briskly headed towards the seating for the Second Years.
"Hey! Wait up!" Jaune called out as he hurried after her.
Away from the festivities in the northern courtyard, the southern courtyard is quite and devoid of human presence. All of the academy's guards were stationed in and around the Northré courtyard, where the Exhibition is held, and within the tower. While the much of the militia guards were sent on patrols around the area outside the academy walls to make sure there's no one lingering nearby. The few militiamen that were stationed in the Suthré courtyard to stand watch and prevent any infiltrators.
What they didn't expect was that the infiltrator is already inside the walls. And they paid for it when a cloaked figure came at from one behind and incapacitated most of them with a sleeping gas before knocking out the rest.
"That was close." Fouquet thought as the last guard that almost escaped is knocked down. "I don't have much time. I have to get this right. My usual methods won't work but I learned there is one way to overcome the wards."
Fouquet jumped down from the wall, using a levitation spell to slow down the descent, and hurried to the side of the tower. With one hand on the ground and an Ord in the other, a full chant is uttered and the ground beneath started to rumble. Soon, the thief is safely lifted off the ground as a massive earth golem rose from the ground.
It stood at thirty mails tall and composed entirely of rock and hardened earth. It had a bulbous body with two large eye-like features near the top, thick arms and hands with spikes around the wrist, and shorter limbs for legs.
The thief stood from atop its head, took out a pocket watch, and waited until the minute hand landed at a specific point on the clockface. Trusting the plan, Fouquet commanded the golem to attack a specific point on the tower.
The golem reared its right arm and smashed its earthen first with a massive force. It didn't quite do the job as it was thwarted by a warding field that still remained to protect the tower. Undeterred, Fouquet changed tactics and casted his signature alchemical spell to weaken the wall while using the Ord to further empower the spell. He then commanded the golem to strike it once again, and it did so. This time the thief noticed the weakening of the wards yet the tower remained unyielding, but this won't lastand he knew it.
"Whoa! Is that a colossus?!" Fouquet heard someone shouted.
The thief looked down towards the ground and saw the familiar yellow-blond foreigner with its sword out and ready for a fight. Coming up behnid him, he also saw the strawberry-blond scion of the Valliere running after him.
He smirked as an idea came to mind. He commanded his earth golem to grab the Valliere.
"You're out of luck, huntsman!"
A/N: Fouquet has struck and the academy's defenses don't seem to be working as it should. Jaune is about to have his first real fight after the duel with Guiche.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please share your thoughts in the reviews. What do you all think about the tech existing within the academy showcased in this chapter?
Stay tuned for the next chapter - the Crumbling Sands and the Huntsman Aspirant