Zeroes of Two Worlds

Chapter 16

There was a great anticipation amongst the Second Years, all were eagerly waiting for the announcement to be made. The students from other years were not exempt from the anticipation while they waited for the announcement to be made. Some even wagered with one another as to who will win in the Exhibition.

Up on the stage, the herald is also joined by the princess, along with her two guards, and the headmaster to meet this year's winner. The herald unfurled the scroll and announced the name of the wiiner.

"Now, I would like to announce this year's grand prize winner." The herald started as he read the names written on the scroll. "In the name of the Founder and her August Majesty, the winner of this year's Familiar Exhibition is...!"

"Louise Francoise La Blanc de La Valliere! And her familiar, Jaune of Arc!"

That caught the students by surprise due to Louise's reputation, and there was alot of murmuring.

"Huh... What do you know? Louise won." Kirche remarked as she watched the pair going towards the stage. She then heard someone wailing beside her.

"Nooo... Why didn't Verdandi and I won?" Guiche lamented as he gripped the sides of his head. "I even made sure to glamorize our presence on stage!"

Kirche ignored his ramblings and focused on her friend, Tabitha.

"What do you think, Tabitha? Are you alright with Louise and Jaune winning over you and Sylphid?" She asked her, but she only received a shrug and continued reading.

Kirche dropped the matter, seeing that Tabitha didn't really feel concerned. She did feel a little miffed that she and Flame didn't win the Familiar Exhibition. But she would admit that Jaune's performance came as a surprise and she didn't expect that he could conjure blue flames.

Did that mean Jaune has an affinity to fire? She doubted it since the blue flame didn't feel like any flame she had encountered. The others didn't seem to know the difference, even her other classmates with an affinity to flame. It felt peculiar to her and she couldn't really put her finger on it.

This she found intriguing.

She would have to investigate the mystery of Arc further at a later time, at least until after the Familiar Exhibition. Those who had been keeping secrets and she had every intention to find out what those are.

This is the first Familiar Exhibition that she attended and it was wonderful. She got to see new and interesting creatures that were summoned as familiars of her peers. She enjoyed watching the pageantry with the students performing with their familiars on stage.

Each one did their own dances and tricks. She found many of them endearing to behold, a few were peculiar to behold, and some truly caught her eye.

She would be the first to admit that she felt excitement when she saw her friend coming up to the stage with Sir Jaune. Louise looked confident, if a little nervous, when she stepped onto the stage while Sir Jaune looked resplendent with the polished white armor plates over his outfit.

No one really knew what to expect from the pair, Louise's reputation non-withstanding, and her familiar was unknown to most. All she heard from the whispers about Sir Jaune are his proficiency with the sword and his ability to exude some kind of light. At least no effects could be discerned until their performance on stage.

The sword dance started fairly simple before Sir Jaune started using strange light that was whispered used them like a flame. A blue flame that looked mesmerizing and it enhanced his sword dance which change in form and rhythm. This coincided with the song that Louise played with her violin.

She couldn't discern what song it was, and not something she had heard before in her time. She would have to ask Louise about it later.

The academy instructors and the priest joined her in the royal pavilion to discuss who would be the winners of the Familiar Exhibition, and who would receive the grand prize from among them. There was some pointed questions about Louise's familiar from the priest, but the good headmaster was able to sate his curiosity.

The decision took longer than normal and the discussion continued over meal during recess. Two candidates for the grand prize were considered since both were impressive with their respective talents. They soon reached an accord and confirmed their decision on the scroll, written and signed.

Now, Louise Francoise and Sir Jaune kneeled on one knee before her as she placed the coronet upon the head of her childhood friend. This was received with applause from the audience who were watching the proceedings.

"Congratulations, Louise Francoise. You deserve this." Henrietta said to them as she motioned for them to stand.

"It is an honor, princess." Louise happily replied as soon as she stood up. She glanced at her familiar before turning back to her. "But it wouldn't have been possible without Jaune's assistance."

"That is true. But don't disregard your own contribution, dear Louise. Your friend's performance couldn't have worked without your own talent." Henrietta told her with a gentle smile on her face. "The music you played earlier was wonderful." She commended.

"Thank you for your kind words, Princess Henrietta." Louise replied gratefully.

Henrietta turned to Sir Jaune and said. "You have shown great talent, Sir Jaune. Your display with the blade of steel and flame of lapis was quite the spectacle to behold."

"Thank you, princess." Jaune bowed his head. "And it's not really a flame... per say." He added. "But I-"

She raised a hand, interrupting Jaune who then gave her an embarrassed smile, and said. "We will speak more about it later, Sir Jaune. But for now.. Share the honor today with Louise and-"

There was a reverberating thud in the air which had gone unnoticed to most of the people around her. Except for Sir Jaune who furrowed his eyebrows and started turning his head around. Louise then noticed their behavior and looked at them strangely.

"Louise, stay with the princess." Jaune urgently told Louise.

"What ar-" Louise didn't get to reply as Jaune suddenly ran and jumped off the stage. The other students looked at him with confusion as he rushed around them. "W-wait for me!" She shouted before she rushed after him. The coronet fell of her head as she did so.

One of her guards approached and said. "Princess, we must get you to safety."

"Of course."

Henrietta turned the headmaster and asked him to send some of his guards after the Louise and her familiar. The headmaster heeded her words and quickly sent a command to one of the nearby guards.

Jaune didn't know what to expect but he knew there was trouble when he heard that strange thud. There was nothing in the academy that could create such a sound. Well aside from a few things he could think of but none make sense. Something big must have caused it, and that meant trouble.

It is why he rushed off the stage and left Louise behind with the princess. He reached the Vestri courtyard after clearing the main courtyard. He found no one there, so he opted to continue his run across the Vestri.

"Jaune! Wait for me!" He heard Louise calling out to him.

He paused in his step and turned around to see Louise running after him. She quickly reached him, looking a little exhausted from her sudden sprint.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay with the princess?"

"Not until you tell me what's got into you." Louise pressed him as tried catching her breath. "Why did you suddenly run off?"

"Trouble." He quickly replied. "I heard some thud. It must have come fro-"

The ground suddenly trembled beneath their feet and a loud boom reverberated in the air. They both stumbled from the shaking but they kept their balance. It sounded like it came from the back of the central tower.

"Frak!" He drew Derflinger out and turned to Louise. "Get back to the princess. You'll be safe there!" He urged her before leaving her behind again.

"Come back here, familiar!" Louise shouted before rushing after him. "You're not supposed to leave me behind!"

Jaune quickly crossed the Vestri and soon entered the southerm courtyard, ready to deal with the problem at hand. But what he found stopped him in his track as he saw massive limb of earth and rock. He followed the limb up to where it is connected to as he looked up and up, seeing a massive bulbous golem.

"Whoa! Is that a colossus!?" He exclaimed in surrpise. The golem reminded him of a video game back home, which didn't fill him with encouragement. He dearly hoped it isn't a Grimm he read about before, one that is said to be able to possess things like trees and and rocks.

Louise soon joined him and is flabbergasted by the golem's presence. He couldn't blame her as how did that thing even managed to get pass the guards undetected.

The golem turned to face them and Jaune readied himself to react. He also noticed a hooded person standing on top of the golem's head, looking down upon him and Louise.

"You're out of luck, huntsman!" A female voice proclaimed loudly from atop. The golem then started to reached down towards them with one of its hand. A quick observation revealed to Jaune that it's reaching for Louise.

"Louise! Move!" He shouted as he shoved her aside. She cried out in protest but ignored it as he focused on the golem. He charged Derflinger with his aura as the earthen hand came upon him. He jumped to the side, dodging the hand, and quickly turned around before he swung at its wrist.

The aura-infused blade cut deeply into the earthen limb and he stopped halfway through. Acting fast and not wanting to be disarmed, he shot out the aura within the blade with Derflinger's help. The wrist is then shattered with a flash of his aura which severed it from the rest of the golem's arm. The golem stumbled back while the rogue mage seemed surprised by it. But this didn't last long as pieces of earth flew towards the stump as it started forming a new hand.

"Damn it!" Jaune grunted as he charged Derflinger up with his aura. He turned to check on Louise She looked a disgruntled from being shoved, but otherwise fine. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Louise replied irritably as she dusted off some dirt on her skirt. "You didn't have to push me." She complained to him.

"You were too slow." He replied back as he looked back at the golem and the rogue. "If I didn't get you out of the way, you would have been taken hostage." He told her, shocking her. "In a fight, you have to act fast or someone's gonna die." He added.

Louise clearly didn't appreciate what he did but she understood his intention. She took out her wand and prepared herself. "Cover me while I try to cast a spell at her."

"Got it. I'll distract her for as long as I can." Jaune nodded. "Ready, Derf?" He inquired the sentient sword.

"I'm more than ready, partner. Just bring on the juice." Derflinger remarked.

"You may have caught me by surprise. But your blade is still no match for my magic." The rogue mage said as the severed stump has reformed. The golem then reared its reformed arm back and brought it down towards him.

Jaune sprinted and dodged away from the giant hand as it slammed into the ground, leaving a massive imprint. He attacked the hand while it's still on the ground, and cut off portions of it. A shadow then loomed over him. He glanced back to see the other hand coming down on him.

He turned around and swung his sword at it before he detonated his aura. A flash of aura cracked and shattered the hand once again as he sliced across its palm. He jumped away as the golem pulled back and charged Derflinger with his aura.

The rogue mage scoffed in annoyance as she didn't expect this kind of resistance from him. The hands started reforming once again as the rogue mage glared down at him.

"You're skills precede you, huntsman. But I won't let you interfere with my plans any further." The rogue mage declared with irritation in her tone. She chanted a short spell and spikes formed out of the golems body before they are shot towards him.

Jaune sprinted out of the way as he pushed more of his aura over himself, bolstering its protective barrier. He parried and cut some of the spikes that got too close but he couldn't avoid every single one. He grunted when he took glancing hits before one knocked him down. He gasped when he dropped to the ground.

Derflinger's guidance paid off it seems since his aura protected him and prevent alot of the pain, except for the numb sensation of the force that still got through.

A shadow loomed over him once again. He turned rolled off his back and saw the golem raising its foot, intending to crush him like a bug.

"Fireball!"

Something bright struck the golem by its shoulder near its head before it bounced off, causing it to stumble back. The rogue mage cursed loudly before she was interrupted by an explosion on the main tower along with a flash of light and the sound of cracking glass.

Jaune didn't waste his time and rolled away before he got off the ground using his existing momentum. He then looked up to see what happened.

There was a crack on the wall where the spell must have struck after it bounced off. The damaged wall seemed to flicker like a broken screen, and there were some bright spots around the cracked portion.

He looked around for Louise and quickly found her standing. She panted heavily like she had just ran a marathon while she held her wand with both hands. The wand looked a little singed but otherwise fine.

"Did you do that?" He asked her.

"I did." Louise exhaled and nodded. "But I didn't know why I missed." She irately remarked.

From what he could see, her spell likely glanced off instead of being bounced off like what he thought earlier. So he agreed that she likely missed her target. But he blamed it on her lack of experience and training with wand casting due to her magical problem. Not to mention, whatever she had casted is clearly not a fireball. It was also very different to any of the elements he had seen so far.

"Can you do it again?" He inquired. "I don't think I can do much at this stage."

"I can."

The golem moved around and turned its attention back to the tower before it reared one arm and slammed its fist into the damaged wall. The tower shook and the wall cracked even further but no breach happened yet.

"That's not going to hold much longer." Jaune remarked needlessly. He turned to Louise and asked. "Can you cast another one? Just use your regular explosions this time."

Louise didn't look pleased with his suggestion, and he guessed that it has to do with her personal experiences with her spells. She still saw her explosions as failures on her part since she still couldn't perform any elemental spells. Though she could manage some very basic spells, minor ones at that, but none of those would be useful in their situation.

They suddenly heard gunshots being fired and shots struck the golem's face, hitting near and around the rogue mage. They looked up to see the academy guards rushing into positions along the wall as they fired with their rifles with a loud popping and puffing sound. No muzzle flashes could be seen each time the guards fired their rifles, but there are puffs of white gas instead.

This confused Jaune a little as they didn't seem like any of the guns back home, as they lack the bright flashes of dust ignitions. Each rifle has a hose that is connnected to a small pack on the back of each guard. He couldn't guess they are but he could ask about them after this fiasco.

An earth barricade rose up from the golem's head that the mage used to hide behind. The bullets chipped off small pieces of the barricade, and they could hear the mage cursing loudly. Spikes then emerged from the barricade and from around the golem's body.

"Jaune! Run!" Derflinger cried out.

Jaune didn't have to be told twice as he grabbed and hoisted her over his shoulder. Louise was indignant and cried out in protest but he ignored her. He pumped aura into his legs and rushed towards the archways as fast as he can.

"Take cover!" One of the guards shouted, and echoed by the others

The guards on top of the walls had the same idea as they ducked behind whatever cover they can find. And they got to cover just in time when the spikes shot out and struck everything around the golem.

Jaune ran as fast as he could push his legs while he could hear the spikes impacting the ground behind him. Louise's cries also helped.

"Go left!" She shouted in alarm.

Jaune quickly complied and jumped to the left. A spike flew past where he had just been, frightening him greatly. He was thankful that Louise's warning. He soon reached the archways and dove behind one of the pillars. Spikes then implaled into the stone pathway through the open pathways around them.

"That was close." Jaune gasped.

Louise rolled off his back and shuffled behind the pillar to take cover. Jaune moved to join her before he sat beside her. There were some shots being before it was silenced as a new wave of spikes flew out.

"What are we gonna do?" Louise asked, eyes wide in panic. "Why is she attacking the academy?"

"Just keep to cover." He quipped haggardly, his heart pounding from the rush and shock. That was too close for him. Too close. "Wait it out until its clear."

The ground trembled once again and something big crashed as they heard stones crumbling and dropping to the ground. They looked at each other and Jaune nodded before he leaned his head out. Louise did the same to check what happened.

They could see that the golem's fist had broken through the towers wall, and created a breach. They also caught a glimpse of the mage's cloak entering the tower, using the golem's arm as a bridge.

"Finally! I got through!" The thief thought upon jumping off the golem's hand and entering the Vault before looking around.

The enclosed room is large with a singular vaulted ceiling with a large crystal lamp hanging down from the it. A veritable treasure trove filled the room consisting of magical trinkets, artifacts, and weapons - both mundane and strange - that are placed on shelves, stands and tables. There are also a collection of books and scrolls alongside the items stored in this room.

There's also small staircases that lead to the upper mezzanine where the main doorway is located. More shelves and tables could be seen along the wall, filled with texts, trinkets and other artifacts.

"I don't have much time. Now where is it?"

The thief looked around the vault, perusing through the collection while passing by. There are plenty trinkets would fetch quite a high price in the smuggler's market but the thief ignored them all.

An unassuming wooden case caught the thief's eye placed and moved closer to examine it. There's an inscription on top of the box, so the thief leaned closer to read it.

Work of Master Haskel of Miana

Care of Apprentice Giacomo

The thief didn't recognize the name of the master inscribed but Giacomo is a familiar name. From what the thief could remember, Giacomo was the name Master Zeke's apprentice who later became renowned as the Inventor of Miana back in Romalia.

The thief surmised that Haskel is merely an alternate name used to obscure its true origin. And none of the other artifacts in the room matched the description of what the thief is looking for.

Besides, the case looked just about the size and there were only a few cases like it around the vault. So the thief risked it and grabbed the case. A message is left for the academy to find before hurrying back towards the breach.

The thief jumped onto the golem's waiting hand, and ducked as the hand closed up around its rogue mage. Bullets began striking against the golem's fingers as the guards tried to shoot at the mage. The golem started to turn away from tower as it ignored the gunfire peppering it in futility.

It began to make its way towards the walls, each step causing the ground to tremble beneath its feet. It is then struck by spell on the spell which then exploded on impact, breaking off pieces of its rocky torso. In response, it started to shed some pieces of itself to the ground which then exploded as it neared the ground.

Jaune rushed out the protection of the archways with Louise so they could get a closer shot. He would play defense for Louise and intercept any of those spikes away. If need be, he would take the brunt with his aura protected body.

He hoped that it doesn't come to that. That would suck. Hard.

He saw the thief jumped into the golem's waiting hand and then grasped. The guards quickly fired at the mage, but the golem's closed hand created a protective shell around. All their shots merely chipped off pieces of earth from its hands but none broke through.

He stopped at a distance from the golem. "This should be good." He turned to his summoner and said. "Take the shot." He then added. "Just focus on creating an explosion."

Louise nodded and raised her wand towards the golem. She carefully aimed her wand, composed herself with a deep breath, before she started chanting.

Tir. Ent. Uruz.

Bright violet light started gathering at the tip of her wand. It quickly grew to about the size of a golfball as Louise reached the end of her chant.

Dagaz. Ex. Hagal.

"Explosion."

Louise's soft voice echoed in the air as she uttered the last incantion, and her spell shot out at like a bullet. It struck golem at the side of its torso like a cannonball, and blasted off large pieces off its body. The golem stumbled in its step from the force of impact and its sudden loss of balance.

"Alright! You got it, Louise!" Jaune cheered, and Louise looked ecstatic. But their cheers were cut short when the golem was able to balance itself with single step which shook the ground. They then saw more pieces dropping out of the golem's body, and they thought it's merely the golem losing cohesion.

And then they exploded.

Acting quickly, Jaune tackled Louise to the ground and poured as much of his aura around himself. He shielded as much of Louise's body as he can with his own. His aura protected him from the storm as the shards rained on and around him.

The entire courtyard is showered with stone shards impacting the earth and kicking up grass and dirt into the air. He could feel his aura draining fast even with the aura armor technique that Derflinger had taught him.

The deadly shower soon abated, and the ground trembled once again as the golem resumed in its course.

Jaune groaned from the soreness that ailed his body while his aura flickered alarmingly. He tried to push himself off but his vision began to blur.

"Ugh.."

He collapsed and his body slumped over Louise, trapping her beneath him.

"J-Jaune." Louise said, sounding worried, and shocked by what happened. "Jaune!" She shouted as she tried to push him off.

After a few attempts, she managed to roll him off her to the side. Jaune groaned groggily again as he was laid on his back. His vision soon returned just in time to see the golem's last leg stepping over the wall. He watched it disappear beyond the wall, and left the academy entirely.

Up on the walls, the guards continued to fire upon the golem as it headed towards the nearby forest. They soon ceased firing and more guards moved to secure other sections of the walls.

"Are you alright? Were you hurt?" Louise asked with trembling voice, sounding very worried for him. She then looked him over for injuries.

"I'm... I'm alright. I guess." Jaune replied groggily, dealing with a headache. "Just winded." He stated while he laid on the ground, resting his sore body. "Don't worry. My aura didn't broke so I'll be fine."

"You, idiot!" She weakly hit him with her fist on his chest. But she instead struck the lingering effects of his overcharged aura armor. His aura dimly pulsed around her first, and dissipated the force.

"Told you." Jaune dumbly grinned at her.

Louise scowled at him rather cutely, and scoffed. "You're stil an idiot." Her scowl fell and looked at him with worry in her eyes. "You nearly got yourself killed."

"You didn't have to worry about me." Jaune sighed and shook his head. "I can handle it. I have aura and you don't. It's the only way I could protect you." He reassured her.

"I know that." Louise snapped irately at him. She then mellowed out and looked at him with worry. "I just... I was scared."

"I know, Louise. I know." He gently patted her on her knee. He looked towards the wall where the golem had escaped over. "So what now?" He asked.

"I don't know." Louise shrugged as she looked towards the hole on the side of the main tower. "We'll have to wait what the headmaster would do about this." She remarked.

The headmaster stared at the damages with eyes wide open with shock as he looked around the vault. He rushed to the Vault as soon as he was informed that the Vault was breached. A myriad of artifacts and heirlooms were stored for safety within the Vault, not to mention some powerful artifacts were kept here as well.

This should not have happened, not with all the matrices and wards they've placed onto the Vault. He would have to wait for reports from Colbert and his team about the situation in the Hearth. The brazier should have been able to bolster the wards and prevent any kind of breach.

He climbed down to the Vault's main level to assess the damages, and to take inventory of what were stolen. He quickly noticed a messages inscribed onto part of the wall, and read it.

We graciously accept this boon that you have given us.

We will endeavor to place special care for this great gift.

Fouquet - The Crumbling Sands

Well, that answered that question.

He had heard of the infamous' earth mage and his reputation of stealing from some of the most secured vaults and stores across the kingdom. To think Fouquet would strike the academy, and during the Princess' visit as well.

But that still begged the question how he got pass their security and how he managed to breach the academy's defenses. At least the door to the Vault had done its job. It's the only reason he could think of as to why Fouquet had taken a rather drastic action to use a golem and directly attacked the tower itself.

He sighed in disappointment when he saw scattered weapons and other trinkets from under the rubble from the breach. He hoped that they could still be salvaged or repaired.

There were peculiar combination weapons that are capable of mechanically shifting between forms that came with the more recent collections. They mostly took the form of a sword or polearm, both in some cases, but they also took the form of firearms as well. They used different types of cordite when they were brought to the academy for study, and some even used an entirely different cordite that had been sent to Oriz for study.

Similar weapons had been passed to the Royal College of Artificers for their own study, and maybe even be able to replicate the complex mechanisms within them. The last time he visited, the researchers were still scratching their heads and arguing with each other about them. Many stated that the designs were impractical for weapons, but it could be useful for platforms.

He looked around some more, seeing that nothing seems to be stolen, when suddenly froze. He rushed towards a cabinet that he had placed out of the way beside other more mundane collections in the Vault.

He stared at the empty space over it with great worry.

"Oh no."

"Hold still for me." The mage healer ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Jaune nodded as he sat on the side of the infirmary's bed. He soon felt something cool and soothing flowing over his bare back. There were light bruising on his back which he more than likely took from those rock bombs.

The mage healer already took care of his other injuries that she found after examining him with her wand. She had a nurse apply healing balm on his shoulder where he took a glancing hit from an earth spike.

Louise looked anxious as she watched him being treated. She probably felt responsible for what happened, him and the rogue mage at that.

He couldn't really blame her since even he failed in was to be his first boss fight. That fight with the golem was a mess, even with the help of the guards. Even fighting the Grimm wasn't this hard, and he doubted even an Alpha Ursa could take it out, even with a pack of Grimm.

The mage healer soon finished with her work and he felt the soothing sensation leaving his back. He was then given a vial of red potion for him to drink. She said that it was to help with his recovery.

He graciously took the vial before drinking it, and he nearly grimaced. But he managed to hold it in, and got the potion down.

It tasted strange. Very strange. He couldn't quite get what was in it based on the taste. He did taste some kind of berry in it, but the rest didn't seem quite right.

The healer merely nodded after he finished the vial before making her leave, leaving him alone with Louise. She headed to the other occupied beds at the other side of the room where the injured guards were admitted behind curtains.

Many guards were injured during the breach, and some injuries were severe to recquire direct tending from Lady Bernadotte. Thankfully no one died, which surprised Jaune considering how close he brushed with death during the fight.

"You alright, Louise?" He asked Louise, which brought her out of her stupor.

"Hmm?" She looked up to him, and waved him off. "I'm fine... Just worried."

"Worried about what?" Jaune inquired as he put on a shirt. His white doublet is left handing on the back of the chair, scuffed with dirt and other things, but it held together despite the abuse heaped on it.

"I'm just worried about the princess." Louise answered, which confused him.

"Why are you worried about the princess? She wasn't with us when we faced the golem from what I recall."

Louise shook her head. "It's not that. It's just that... I fear that the princess would be blamed for what happened today."

Jaune scrunched his eyebrows, even more confused by what she had said. "What do you mean by that?"

"I've been hearing rumors about the princess recently. I'm afraid that this incident could be used against her."

Now that's messed up. The princess being made to take the blame about something she didn't even have a hand on. Heck, no one even knew how the mage even got in without being detected.

Jaune would have thought that the being royalty can give her more leverage. The supporters of the Crown, and things like that. The princess' position must have been very weak that other nobles were already making moves against her.

He learned from the others that Princess Henrietta is the Crown Princess, which meant she is to inherit the throne. But she haven't been crowned yet, and the kingdom is currently ruled by a regency council. And there seemed to be no news about her coronation.

"That sounds bad." Jaune remarked.

"It is." Louise nodded. "There were also other rumors about the princess, and I hoped that those don't come to pass."

"Hmmmm... What kind of rumors?"

Louise waved him off. "It would be best if I don't speak about it. Lest they reached some ears."

"I understand." Jaune nodded. He reasoned that it must be very sensitive to be gossiped about. And it's about the princess, so it is likely that Louise just wanted to protect her best friend.

They heard the door to the infirmary opening up, and they could hear voices outside.

"I believe it would be best if you have someone to guard you while you're inside."

"I'll be fine, Sir Pierre." The voice of Princess Henrietta replied. "It's just a short visit. I won't be long." She reassured.

The door is fully opened as the princess allowed herself into the infirmary, and the door is closed behind her. Some healers approached to greet her, which she returned, and the princess gently asked them to return to their duties. The healers bowed to her before leaving the princess.

The princess glanced around and quickly saw them through the open curtain. She briskly headed to their ward and met up with them.

"I am glad that both of you were safe." The princess greeted them with worry in her voice.

"Princess..." Louise was quick to get off her chair in order to greet the princess. Jaune got off the side of the bed to greet her as well beside Louise.

"I was worried when I heard that the two of you were taken to the infirmary, so I came as soon as I could." The princess told them as she examined the both of them, likely checking them for visible injuries.

"We appreciate for your concern, princess." Jaune responded with a smile. "I'm sure Louise is feeling the same."

Instead of replying, Louise suddenly dropped to one knee and bowed her head to the princess. "I'm sorry, princess. I failed to stop the thief from escaping with the treasure."

This caught both him and the princess by surprise, not expecting this from her.

She couldn't possibly be trying to take some of the blame about the incident. She did say that the princess is in a precarious position, and this could be her attempt to help.

The princess knelt down, took Louise's hands, and said to her. "It's not your responsibility, Louise Francoise. You can't be blamed for what happened."

"But -" Louise uttered before the princess interjected.

"You and Sir Jaune did the best you can despite facing such a powerful foe." The princess stood up and gently pulled Louise up from the floor. She then looked at the two of them and said. "You and your familiar, Sir Jaune, were brave for responding to danger even without know what you two would face."

"T-thank you for your kind words, princess." Louise stammered.

Princess Henrietta then turned to him and said. "It brings me joy to know that Louise Francoise has a young warrior such as you, Sir Jaune. Now I know that she is in capable hands, I have less worries in my heart."

Jaune smiled at her words. He placed fist over his heart and gave her a quick bow with his head.

"I serve to protect." He invoked an old family saying that he had heard many times since he was young. "I'll protect Louise with all my strength, even with my life. You have my word, princess."

Princess smiled back, likely appreciating his response. She then looked somber for a moment before turned back to having a gentle smiling face. "I don't have much time, so I have to leave soon. But know that this won't be the last time we will meet, Louise Francoise. Sir Jaune."

He and Louise bowed our heads to her, and the princess turned to take her leave. She then stopped and turned back to them, looking a little sheepish. "Oh. I almost forgot. I left a Signed Scroll for the grand prize with the good headmaster. You may collect it from him once you two made a decision."

"Oh. Thank you, princess." Jaune responded, and then a nagging question came to him. "If I may ask a question."

The princess looked at him curiously and asked. "What is it, Sir Jaune?"

"Who was the mage that attacked the Academy earlier?" Jaune inquired.

Henrietta nodded, and told them what she knew.

"That would a thief known as Fouquet. He's a powerful earth mage with a triangle classification. He had been known to infiltrating secure vaults and stealing all of its contents. No one knew what he truly does with his stolen treasures, and none of investigations about him revealed anything."

"I see... Thank you for the information, princess."

With that done, the princess took her leave and walked towards the door. An infirmary staff opeend the door for her before she exited the room.

Fouquet. So that's her name, though he wondered why the princess thought she's a he. Her voice was definitely that of a woman when she called out to them. Maybe there's some potions or spells involved, but he couldn't be sure.

He took note of it and kept it at the back of his mind. He could asked Siesta and others about it later. Hopefully they could shed more light about Fouquet, and what she's capable of.

A/N: And that's a wrap. I hoped you enjoyed the short golem fight, and how dangerous it is now due to some new things this Halkeginia has compared to canon. Fouquet has new tools to attack Jaune and Louise. But the two have their own tools at their disposal, Jaune's aura and Louise's explosions.

Louise is more amicable to Jaune's instructions compared to canon because Jaune isn't as idiotic as Saito in canon. First impressions helped and Louise seeing Jaune being able to use aura helped subtly change her interaction with him.

But the real change is that they're in a dangerous situation, and Jaune is more familiar with such situations. His misadventures that are hinted in flashbacks, and the small tactical mind he had shown in Season 1 as a 17 year old, which I showed earlier.

I also used names from the game - Rise of Legends - for some important figures in Halkeginia's alternate history. That and some things in that game that I took inspiration for Halkeginia's development.

For those confused about Fouquet's identity, it's intentional as not everyone had known or seen Fouquet differently. The authorities knew Fouquet as a man, while Jaune and Louise saw her as a woman. Both were working with different inforation, and will be dealt with in the next chapter.

Next chapter will be dealing with Fouquet and the revelation of the treasure taken from the academy's Vault.