Grand Sorceress Louise

Chapter 1: Putting on the Robe and Wizard Hat, Preferably the Yellow Robe.

"I liked the days when the explosion of failed magic was all we worried about. Now we have to worry about the random shouts of insanity, magical bombs, and well… her successes." – Tristain Academy Staff

Yesterday took a turn for the worst. When the dark clouds started to spread and coat the Academy, everyone could practically feel the doom coating the area. Well everyone except a couple of individuals, one of which was Headmaster Osmond. That geezer was so old, that he's seen at least two doomsday scenarios. Hell, he probably almost caused one. The other individual is surprisingly the timid looking maid, Siesta.

Siesta was humming to herself as she continued cleaning Miss. Vallière room… for the sixth time. Yesterday was pretty hectic, many of the student nobles rushing in after that thunderstorm. Really, it was such a nice day and there wasn't any indication that it was going to storm. Maybe there was a magic spell demonstration? In any case, there shouldn't be any reason why they should leave the main hall in such a mess. Really, it took her nearly an hour to clean floor.

Giving a good eyeball at the desk she finished cleaning, she nodded to a job well done. The desk was sparkling clean, the only real problem was that the desk had no finish and was made of some pretty dark wood. Yet it was still sparkling… There's a real problem with that. In any case, Siesta moved on to the next task on her list, folding the new set of clothes for Miss. Vallière again. Those clothes were attracting an awful lot of dust.

This seems like a waste of time to any other observer, but really the Head Maid had been ordered to provide a servant to tend to Louise by the headmaster. It so happened that the maid with the qualifications to tend to a scion of the Vallière family was Siesta. Actually, qualifications to the Head Maid for this job are the person she most likely wanted to sacrifice and the most threatening to job security. Well the second qualification pretty much links to the first.

Siesta's resumè was pretty damn impressive. She started working as a maid at the age of fifteen, which was pretty young normally they'd be twenty when they started. She didn't work for Lord Mott, just another noble in Tristrain. The reason why was that Lord Mott kind of gave an impression that he was one of those weird that would dress stark naked with only a trench coat and flash random females. Yeah, bad news. Wouldn't look good on the resumè.

She had been changing contracts to higher nobles as they came and saw her good work. Her skills as a maid started to become legendary. No other maid had such high level cleaning, cooking, and overall professional preparation for everything. The grand hall that usually took a four or five servants in a couple hours, took Siesta the same amount of time to clean by herself. She even got the ceiling, that's freaking dedication. Before her name could be fully known to the nobles, Headmaster Osmond plucked Siesta away from another noble. Not for her skills, rather for her looks. Pity, none of the nobles really bothered to ask for her name. It was beneath their station to do so. At least the pay grade is higher.

"Grandfather would be proud of me," Siesta murmured to herself as she inspected the room for the seventh time. Hearing some groaning and mutterings, "Ah, Mistress is about to wake."

As if struck by lightning, Louise instantly got up and yelled "What do you mean brain damage!"

"Nobles are strange," Siesta quietly said. Yeah, they wield magic and are scary, but that wasn't going to stop her from thinking that. Grandfather always said that the life of a combat maid is fraught with peril. He hadn't exactly said Maid, he meant it more for Butlers. Besides, Grandfather was proud of her for continuing his legacy.

"Mhmm" Louise was just starting to wake up from yesterday's ordeal.

*User consciousness detecting. Connection established. First time user?*

"Uh… my head." She felt someone decided to play drums on her head.

*Interpretating the answer as 'Yes.' Would you like the tutorial?*

"Tutorial… why? Who's saying that? Why are you so loud?" Louise groaned out was toss her pillow over her head to drown out the noise.

*Interpretating answer as 'No'. Skipping tutorial. The time is eight o'clock am*

*Ding*

*You got Mail!*

"Mail?"

*Opening… From Administer*

*If you're able to hear this, that's good. It means you aren't a vegetable with brain damage and…*

"What do you mean brain damage!"

*You'll freak out… haha I knew that was going to happen. No seriously, you don't have brain damage, however; I sort of lost… your previous knowledge of magic*

"WHAT!"

*Don't worry, I installed a new easy to use trial version of another system. Just consult the Serphioth System for details. Well, toodles!"

"Details," The girl gritted out. Louise was shaking in anger about the loss of her old magic. Nothing can be better than what the founder taught… Right?

*User magic knowledge had changed to dimensional manipulation in order to directly conjure elements. Warning, while user's old magic system is being recovered, Sephiroth must maintain link in order to download hotfixes. Thus, Sephiroth will be in full observation mode instead of on demand access. In full observation mode, Sephiroth will query results unless user is focuses on a particular topic whereas the connection to server can be cut off unless user needs a query. Note there is a side effect to full observation mode.*

It can't be worse than losing all her magical knowledge. It's like kicking her when she was on the ground. It was what got her through most of the academy without getting kicked out. Maybe she lost her mind and is hearing voices…. Still, doesn't change the fact that she failed the summoning. "What is this magic?"

*Accessing… *

*Professor Vlad's School of Magickal Excellence 101*

*Chapter 1: I can pull a bunny out of my hat and so can you!*

*Zeroth Law of Magickal Dynamics: Professor Vlad is NOT a Vampire…*

Siesta was watching silently to Louise's exchange with herself. Grandfather used to act like this shortly before passing away. Better tend to the mistress before she gets her wand. "Mistress…"

"Huh…" snapping Louise out of her studying of magic. To Siesta, it was more like staring at a wall like she did have brain damage. "Who are you?"

*Accessing… Maid: A female servant…. Querying references to high nobility… "Your enemies and followers will be in awe when even your servants can defeat them"… See Article: Ninja Maid.*

Ignoring the maid, Louise queried the reference to Ninja Maid. The more and more she listened to her pocket database, the more the blood drained from her face. This maid can't be a ninja maid. Wait, why is the room so clean? Great Founder! This is supernatural cleaning that ninja maids have and she's young, like seventeen or something.

*Evidence to ninja maid 2-0*

"Ah, Mistress? Would you like me to dress you?"

"Gah!" Louise scrambled back as far as she could on her bed. It's like she moved ridiculously fast and was next to her. Evidence… 3-0. "W-W-What?"

"I said, would you like me to dress you?" Siesta said while using her fake smile. Inwardly, she was starting to get worried. It wouldn't do to get a bad rating from a noble. All nobles expected for a servant to dress them properly. Besides, the faster she can dress this noble and get dismissed, the less likely she'll reach for her wand. There was also all that laundry to clean.

"Oh…" Sliding out of her bed, Louise first noticed that her attire from yesterday is still smoky from the explosion. After she gets her change of clothes, the she needed to learn more about the magic she acquired. The ninja maid issue can wait. "I'm ready to be dressed, servant. You may leave afterwards."

*First Law of Conjuration: An element conjured stays conjured until another element is conjured that is equal and opposite or is released….*

It was around noon time and the lecture on alchemy was about to begin. Surround by her lustful group of males, Kirche was conversing with her… slaves to lust. In the back of her mind, she had been thinking about Louise's behavior today. Earlier this day, she had tried to visit the stubborn and vain Vallière to gloat about having a familiar. It didn't turn out as planned, Louise only opened the door to her room, said "Oh, it's you. You may not make your time." Then promptly shut the door .

Over the course of the day, the red haired girl would see Louise walking around without a care in the world with a vacant look on her face. There was something odd about that. Every once in a while Louise would be muttering things to herself. Kirche actually got close enough to hear what she was muttering at one point. Even then it sounded like gibberish, Professor Vlad knows his stuff? The only Vlad that she knows is from a really old Germanian legend about a vampire. In any case, probably would be a bad idea to gloat if Vallière was like this. It's usually the quiet ones that snap and she's quiet now.

Louise was still in her own little world as she sat down. For the entire day, she was on autopilot. She was concentrating on the knowledge that was being read in her head. It was like reading a book, only in your mind. Now she really did feel like that Tabitha person. No matter, before she left her room, she had tested out one of the tutorial lessons in the book. It was a success, she can conjure elements. Thankfully, she remembered the First Law of Conjuration and canceled it. The things she can do now…

"Miss. Vallière!"

"Huh?" The girl was snapped out of here inner contemplation.

"Have you been paying any attention to this lecture?" Professor Chevreuse scolded. Louise definitely did not even listen at all. She was too busy plotting, in fact, so busy she didn't even catch the professor's name.

"Sorry professor…"

"Well, then pay attention closely. I will be demonstrating a –"

"Professor, before you begin… Where did you get that hat? And where can I get it?" The entire time, there had been an arrow pointing at the professors hat. It was even flashing the letters 'Wizard Hat'. Well, conjuration is a specialty of wizards and she can conjure now. So she better damn well get a wizard hat.

"Vallière! Thank you for the compliment." Obviously, everyone now thinks Louise sucking up to the teacher. "I got this cloak and hat in the capitol. Now let me demonstrate the usefulness of earth magic."

The professor tapped her wand at the pebbles on the desk. In a bright flash of light, the pebbles disappeared and in its place was a bunch of pieces of bronze. For a moment, the class was silent. Kirche was about to open her mouth and yell something, but someone beat her to it.

"How did you do that without a transmutations circle!" The instant the words left her mouth, she slapped her hand over it. She didn't mean to say that! She had to agree though, that almost looked like a violation of the laws of alchemy. Equivalent Exchange, pfft.

*Side Effect of the Sephiroth System Full Observation Mode: Random Outbursts and Mild Bursts of Insanity*

"Why that was just to transmute bronze. Transmutation circles aren't used unless for much harder elements like gold. Well, why don't you try it?" Vallière seemed like a good smart girl. The professor really wondered by this girl seemed to be feared by the staff. Well, she was going to help this girl succeed.

"Professor… I don't think that's a good idea." Kirche called out.

"Why now, don't ridicule your fellow classmates."

"I'm telling you, that's not a good idea." The class nodded in agreement. It was good sense, the mayhem create from the failed spells was disastrous. Thank god, no one has gotten hurt… too badly.

"I'll do it!" Everyone is trying to sabotage Louise. Well, they'll see what she can do. Oh they'll see…

"Well, then proceed." The class seemed to have second thoughts. In fact many of them are huddling in the back of the room, starting to build a barrier of desks.

"Hmm, alchemy is earth I think…" Louise started to think. From her connection, it was telling her that the trick to magic alchemy was manipulating earth. Well, she can get earth… It was in the Vlad's Periodic Table of Magic Elements. The basic runic word was 'D', but how much earth did she need. Meh, five earth should be enough. 'DDDDD' It is then.

The professor was a little bewildered when she was a small stone started hovering around Louise. Then another appeared and another appeared till there were five in total orbiting the girl. Finally, the stones stopped orbiting as Louise threw her wand forward. The stones collected at the tip of the wand and started to grow. A few seconds passed by, then just about the time for Louise to release the elements.

*… It is a well-known fact that alchemy does NOT go well with conjuration!*

Before Louise could stop, a giant boulder about the size of the current instructor launched from the wand. Seriously, that defies explanation. How does a mage that small not get any recoil? Thankfully, Louise wasn't even aiming and the boulder flew straight past the teacher and through the wall with a small yelp of surprise on the other side. After few moments, the professor fainted.

"I think I made a small mistake…" At this point, a person dropped from above the new window into the room. It was the maid on the other side of the wall that narrowly escaped death by magical rock. It was the same maid that attended Louise in the morning. How did she get to the ceiling so fast?

*Ninja Maid Evidence 4-0*

Well that was enough practical magic for one day. Time to try summoning after finding a robe, a yellow robe, because only yellow can command anything, not blue, and definitely not red.

After yesterday's ordeal, Colbert had been filing the reports for the familiars for each child yesterday. Filling out the papers, he finally reached the last in the pile. He kept it on his desk as he picked up the rest of the papers to get to the Headmaster. After all, perhaps the child could summon something next time.

As he approached the Old Osmond's Office, he saw Longueville exit out of it. From the looks of it, she was also a bit irritated by the old man's antics. The woman was rather pleasant to the eyes. "Ah, good day."

"Professor Colbert."

"I see that Old Osmond is up to his old antics again?"

"Well, it is rather irritating. I still haven't gotten that mouse."

"You are a rather attractive young lady. I'm surprised no one else has tried." At least now the Flame Snake is making his move. He wasn't going to let a chance like this pass by this time. It was time to man up. "How about dinner some time tomorrow?"

"Such a flatter? Is that what you say to all ladies?" The green haired women seem bemused. "Very well, tomorrow it is."

Colbert watched as his love interest walked away. His eyes drifting slightly downward as he watched for a few moments before entering the headmaster's office. In the spacious office, the headmaster seemed to be amused about something.

"Well, Professor. If you needed to make moves on a vixen like that. At least make sure you're alone and not in front of my office."

Oh, that's why he was amused. " Sorry sir."

"What can I do for you, Colbert?"

"Here are the documents of familiars summoned this year. Aside from the last summon attempt, it was an exceptional year. A dragon was summoned."

"Oh? We hadn't had a dragon be summoned in a couple years. " Osmond leafed through the documents. "Tabitha was it, very brilliant and capable mage."

"I have a question regarding Louise." Before he forgets, there was something he needed to know.

"Oh?"

"I know the girl is a studious child, even splendid in her academics in theory, but why are we waving her practical grades?"

"I see. Well, the Duke of Vallière had expressed concerns of his… failing daughter. He just wants to keep her here for a couple more years. He has been donating generously to the academy."

Why a couple of years? Colbert thought about this. There were a couple of reason why there would be a reason to keep his daughter here. A daughter with no capability in magic. Wait, usually they are disowned if the noble in question had no magic. Is he keeping Louise here to that she'll get credentials as a mage? No… something else is afoot. The Duke could easily use his influence to make others look away or allow her to marry into another family.

Osmond stood up and walked next to his window. "As it is, we would not deny the Duke his wishes… My word, is that Vallière down there?"

Colbert joined the man and looked down at the empty field where the summon was taking place yesterday. The field had been magically repaired but there was still that large patch of dirt where the summon circle was vaporized. He could make out a pink haired mage with a blue robe on. It appeared she drew some kind of summoning circle. Not a normal one mind you, but a summon circle ten feet in diameter, we some kind of yellow reagent in the center.

"Perhaps you should go stop her, Colbert. For our sakes as well as hers."

Back down on the ground level, Louise was adding the finishing touches to the summon circle. According to the book, summon was like cooking. Mind you, the small noble never cooked in her life. The instruction said to follow the directions exactly. Well, she was confident that the summons will work. It took some time to get robes, which the maid that found them couldn't find a yellow one. Blue was still pretty good as long as it wasn't red. As long as this shiny new manitcore wasn't red then everything will be fine. Louise supposed that she wouldn't be needing a yellow robe to display her superiority.

"Familiar reagent, check. Summoning circle, check. Summoning reagent, check. Blood…. Maid!" Louise yelled out. Not even a second passed by and Siesta appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, Miss Vallière?" When a master needs a something, the maid should be able to hear them and instantly respond. At least that what Siesta's grandpa always said and again those weren't really the exact words. He really meant a butler, but who's keeping track. Right now, Louise is her master by the head maid's orders.

"Gah, don't do that!" Louise breathed out as she held a hand at her chest and feeling her heart beat a bit faster. "Can you fetch me a knife?"

Siesta flicked her wrist out and small paring knife four inch paring knife appeared in from her sleeves. "Would this do?"

"Do you keep this on you everywhere?"

Siesta nodded as Louise took the knife from her. That was five votes for ninja maid and no votes to prove otherwise. Maybe when Louise gets her allowance later, she'll buy the contract this maid was under. With that maid, she'll be well respected and feared like that noble: Lelouch vi Britainnia.

"I know I'm not a noble, mistress, but is a lemon really a summoning agent?"

"Commoner! I know what I'm doing!" Louise yelled as she winced from the small cut on her finger. Siesta definitely had enough sense to back away as Louise started to chant. "Oh Mighty God, I beseech thee and offer thee this gift. Please, grant me a familiar!"

A mighty beam of light struck the center of the magic circle. Louise closed her eyes from the bright beam of light and when it finally died down. The reagents were missing and in its place was… Nothing. Absolutely nothing!

"What? I did everything right!"

*Incorrect, you had to follow the directions exactly. Manticore hair was not supposed to be added. Ritual was tainted. Advisement not to do this ritual again, you may have angered God. Additionally, Lemons do not qualify as forbidden fruit and thus not acceptable.*

"What!" Never mind the fact that the 'God' is blasphemous in the world that worships Brimir like a god, she lost her reagent for the summons. Now she won't get a cool manticore. Then the last statement dawned on her. "Did I just give God a lemon?"

Oh shit! Those guys aren't going to like that! Actually, I guess it is karma for all those 'lemons' he gave Louise.

Near the village where Siesta grew up in, a disorientated small imp got up. "This was NOT a part of my contract!" Looking up, it also noted it was raining goblins, yellow goblins. The asexual goblins that reproduce like bunnies. Strange things are afoot at Tarbes, dangerous strange things. This is probably God's way of saying fuck you world and your nasty lemon!

End Chapter 1

AN: Well there another chapter for this. This is way more enjoyable to write. Justification to changing Siesta's background…. There is none. We needed a ninja maid! Plus, I'll attribute it to the BSOD of the prologue. Key thing to note about the Sephiroth System, Louise can pretty much acquire information on the fly. Problem is, it's stuck on FOM. This means until it gets fixed, she going to have random bouts of insanity if she's not focused. There also another thing too… but I'll leave that out for now. Now the system of magic that had to get installed… Just remember it's just the Trial edition.