Zero's Dog
Chapter #7
Kotaro awoke to find himself in Louise's bed. The amber-colored light cast on the wall through the window suggested dusk. From where he lay Kotaro saw that Colbert and Osmond were holding a hushed conversation by the opposite wall. Louise was also talking with the princess at the table. The hanyo rotated to put his feet on the floor and drew back the covers.
"Ah! Where are my clothes!" he shouted in surprise upon finding his body bare except for his emerald green boxers.
"He's awake!" the headmaster declared as all heads turned to face Kotaro. "You caused quite a stir at the evaluation ceremony. You've also been unconscious for three days."
"Three days?"
"No it's only been half of a day," Osmond replied jokingly. "As for your clothes, we removed them to see if you suffered any other injuries that needed healing. They're next to the bed."
"I don't need healing magic, I thought I said this earlier," Kotaro grumbled as he hastily donned his pants and shirt.
"That's right," Colbert spoke up, "That's one of the reasons we're here. There's a lot we don't know about you and we were hoping you would explain some things."
"Sure, but let me say there might be things I'll avoid saying please don't push the subject if that happens. Also I want to know what happened after I passed out."
"Well your sword explained the 'condition' you left Fouquet in."
"Fouquet?" Kotaro questioned.
"'Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt'," Osmond elaborated, "She's the thief you caught today. The note she left in the vault fit Fouquet's modus operandi and was even signed 'Fouquet.' Here, read," he said handing a slip of parchment to Kotaro.
"Is this supposed to be the note?" Kotaro asked tilting the small page several different ways, "I can't read it. The translating spell for speech doesn't seem to affect writing."
"It says 'I now have your Staff of Destruction – Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt'."
"That's bold," Kotaro stated.
"Quite," Osmond agreed, "As were your methods against her. As I was saying, your sword explained the 'condition' you left Fouquet in. When the crowd found out, there was almost a riot as almost half the students rushed toward you. The boys who rushed at you probably wanted to learn your ability. Half the girls seemed to want to claim you and the other half seemed to be chasing their boyfriends. We barely got you out of there intact, let alone decent. Although I'm curious too as to how you managed to strip intact panties from a standing woman."
"Osmond, should you really be asking that in front of the princess?" Colbert warned.
"I can't really explain how I did it," Kotaro admitted, "I was kind of reacting instinctively, and I needed a shadow clone to even have that opening when her attention was split. The Thousand Blades could probably explain it better, seeing as he could do it to four girls within the blink of an eye, without distractions."
"'The Thousand Blades' is a man?" Colbert asked, "You said that title just before you passed out."
"Yeah he's a man, but that is in the loosest possible interpretation of the word. He's the rank of power I want to reach someday."
"What do you mean?" Henrietta spoke up.
"I mean I want to be as strong as him one day. There's a reason Jack Rakan of Ala Rubra, 'The Crimson Wing', is known as The Thousand Blades, The Man Who Cannot Die, and The Immortal Fool."
"Aren't you already strong? You were in a completely one-sided duel with a square-class mage today," Colbert said cautiously. "You even used the term 'squishier than bread dough' which I assume isn't a compliment."
"Yeah, it's not nice," Kotaro admitted, "The 'squishy' comes from 'Squishy Wizard' which refers to mages who can vary in magical power but are helpless as a newborn if their magic is removed from them such as in a physical fight. Also, even though I am strong, my power level is NOWHERE near his. I can think of no better person to bear the title 'One-Man Army'."
"You mean even your transformation is weak compared to him?" Osmond asked.
"Your transformation!" Colbert nearly shouted, "That's right tell us about the abilities you demonstrated. But first tell us about what you are, please."
"You must mean the ears and tail," Kotaro stated more than asked, "Well, I'm what my homeland calls a hanyo. 'Half-breed' would be one way of putting it, as would 'hybrid'. One of my parents was human and the other a youkai, a kind of spirit, which in my case was an Inugami, a kind of dog spirit. My lineage grants me advantages from both sides like my transformations, which enhance my body, regenerative abilities, powerful instincts, and control over lesser dog spirits which come from the youkai side," he summoned a shadow puppy in the middle of the room, "and from the human side, a more human-shaped body and a tempering of both instinct and aggression with greater intellect."
"What were your parents like? At least which parent was what?" Henrietta asked softly.
"Couldn't tell ya'," Kotaro told the princess, and the evil look from Louise made him want to finish, "I don't know myself, I never knew them. I've made my peace about being abandoned long ago."
"Abandoned?"
"Yeah, abandoned. In my homeland, there's a distinct line that separates the 'mundane-s' from the 'fantastic-s'. Most 'mundane-s' are ignorant of magic because of the laws that govern magic users and 'fantastic-s' are beings that are inherently magical. Human mages would fall into the 'mundane-s' category. Since I was born a hybrid of both mundane and fantastic, I was shunned by both sides. Too beastly to be accepted by most humans and not 'pure' enough for the dog tribes. My first real memory is of me, in a slum, beating up a kid twice my size, to steal his food and not starve."
"That's awful," the princess cried, her eyes getting teary. Other reactions were not as extreme, Louise wore a mild expression of guilt as she averted her eyes, Colbert's eyes cast sympathy born of understanding, and Osmond appeared unmoved.
"Hey, I don't need pity. I've long since made peace over my parental abandonment. It's not like I've never belonged to a group that I could call 'family'."
"Well then," Henrietta expressed between sniffles, "Please tell us about your family."
"The only 'family' I've ever been in was Ala Alba, 'The White Wing', created and led by Negi Springfield five years ago, when we were both ten years old. To be more general, I consider him and all 30 girls who were in his class back then to be family. Negi and I had first met a few months earlier as enemies and he managed to impress me during our fight. A month after that we met as allies against a demon from his past. After that we realized our shared trait: the drive to get stronger. Mine drive is to gain strength for its own sake. His was to live up to the expectations of others and protect his students. He succeeded in living up to his father's legacy, now I'm playing 'catch-up'."
"To think," Colbert put forth, "you're this strong even before you became—"
Osmond nudged the professor, shook his head slightly, and gazed at the princess.
"Let me guess," Kotaro sighed, "you think I've inherited the title and/or legacy of some warrior of legend, which is knowledge you'd rather the military not discover."
The two men gaped at the deduction. "How did you guess?" Osmond asked.
"When people try to conceal something from someone else, they usually look at the person they're hiding it from," Kotaro answered smugly. "And I also have secrets with similar traits."
Colbert lifted the box containing the Staff of Destruction and placed it on the bed. As he opened it, revealing the long, metallic cylinder, he addressed the hanyo, "You recognized this earlier. In fact you went berserk over it. Why?"
"Sorry," Kotaro said sheepishly, "I thought that there was some portal or gateport to my homeland nearby that I was unaware of and that my ignorance was being held over my head. But because the original bearer died 40 years ago and a similar event of a random person appearing hasn't happened since, I'm assuming that idea was wrong. Guess I'll have to find another way home."
"It's never something easy like 'go to the nearest city' or 'exit portal half-mile due-north from arrival point'," Kotaro thought bitterly, "It's always 'traverse the entire world, gather your companions and defeat the evil conspiracy that haunts this realm'."
"Where are you from, young man?" the ancient headmaster queried as he gazed intently at the familiar.
Kotaro sighed. How would he describe his home without needing to talk all night? Louise was easy enough to deal with because if she opposed his reasoning, he dropped the subject. This Colbert on the other hand seemed enthralled by the idea of new knowledge so instead of putting himself at odds with a new idea he'd pick at the subject until he could glean every iota of information known to Kotaro.
"My homeland is very far away, further than what any dragon can fly or any ship could sail."
"What's it like?" Colbert blurted, apparently struggling to control his quest for knowledge.
"Explaining Mundus Ventus isn't something I have the patience for right now. Why is it you think I'm legendary?"
"Well actually we're not sure," Osmond spoke, "We need you to handle the Staff of Destruction before we can confirm it."
Kotaro reached out his hand, "It's not called Staff of Destruction, it's a M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon. Whoa how did I do that?" he asked as he drew his hand back. The runes on his hand had shone brilliantly with light as the hanyo touched the weapon. "I was just going to say 'rocket launcher'."
"You are indeed a Gandalfr," Osmond told Kotaro, "I couldn't believe it at first but now there's proof. Gandalfr was a familiar granted instant mastery over any weapon and charged with defense. Legend claims that a lone Gandalfr could match an army 1000 strong."
"So, yeah," Kotaro admitted, "I suppose that's a 'new toy' the military would love to break. Nothin' like that in my world, not even Kanka or Magia Erebea."
"What're those?" Colbert's fervor again gained momentum.
"Kanka is the art of combining inner energy, Ki, with the vitality of the world, Mana. The process is difficult because pure peace of mind is needed to use it. Focus must be split perfectly between the world and the self. Watch closely as I'll only do this once," Kotaro declared, forming the stance, "The world in my left hand, myself in my right hand. Combine." The silver aura surrounded his body for a moment before he released it. "That was Kanka," he told the room, "It increases the user's natural abilities tenfold and grants resistance from certain conditions like cold. Very few can master it though and that's with years of training."
"And what's Magia Erebea?"
"Magia Erebea is Kanka's opposite. Instead of relinquishing your emotions you embrace them. Learning it only takes a week and using different types of magic gives different effects when used with Magia Erebea."
"Sounds impressive," Colbert said, leaning forward with eyes full of expectation.
"Teach me Magia Erebea," Louise demanded.
"No," Kotaro declared with finality.
"Why not?"
"For several reasons actually," Kotaro said calmly, "Magia Erebea is classified as 'dark magic'. In order to be compatible, the person must have darkness at the very core of their soul. Things like anger, denial, fear, and the like but that doesn't make the person or the magic evil. Second, a certain Phantasmagoria scroll is needed, the scroll in which the creator of Magia Erebea recorded the knowledge, which I don't have. Third, the learning curve is steep: Learn it or die trying."
Henrietta and Colbert gasped in unison but Kotaro continued.
"Then not all of your worries go away if you survive. If you do manage to learn it you, Louise, would have about two months of time to use it, three months maximum."
"What would happen?" Louise's eyes where no longer full of determination but wide with fear.
"The encroachment of Magia Erebea on your body, mind, and soul would kill you. Humans don't have any affinity to 'the all-encompassing darkness'. A descendent of the Ostian royal family is the only kind of human who can avoid that fate and even then the results aren't pleasant."
"What happens?"
"One of two things, actually. One: Magia Erebea kills them, and then revives them while fusing permanently to their soul. They lose their humanity and they become a life form akin to a demon or a High Daylight Walker, with a form of ageless immortality."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Louise commented.
"Then you really feel fine that, saying you were the perfect human wielder of Magia Erebea, you would continue to exist, eternally youthful as all of your friends and loved ones age and are lost to the flow of time? Always the mourner, never the mourned. How about also being unable to beget offspring? The lonely path of darkness carries a steep price. "
Louise ducked her head, ashamed that she could ever desire such a thing. Henrietta reached over to comfort her friend.
"Or. . ." Kotaro started. Louise perked her head up hopefully. "Two: the encroachment doesn't kill the user but changes them into a being as far removed from humans as dragons are from geckos. Their mind doesn't survive the change though, and they become little more than a dangerous beast."
"You speak as if from experience with Magia Erebea, Kotaro," Osmond observed, "Are you a wielder of this 'dark magic'?"
"You're pretty quick," Kotaro told the headmaster, "but no I don't wield it. My past may have darkness, but I firmly walk the path of light. I have personally known two wielders however, one was the creator and the other was my best friend."
"He's dead?" Henrietta shrieked.
"No Negi is still alive, but he's not been truly human for five years. His physical body and mind are unchanged and he's never stopped being the nicest guy anyone could ever know," Kotaro told her, his eyes shifted down, "but he's still going to outlive me and the rest of Ala Alba, except for Eva."
"But isn't immortality something to strive for?" Osmond asked.
"There is nothing wrong with extending your life. The problem is only when physical immortality is reached. Our mortality is what drives us to advance into the future. Our legacy is what we leave behind to be remembered by," his eyes started to tear up. He pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a small Ki beam. As he inhaled, he walked over by the window and opened it.
"What's that," Louise asked.
"Tobacco."
"You really shouldn't smoke," Colbert told the boy.
"Yeah, I know but this kind of talk about legacy reminds me of the one who taught me Kanka, and I need a way to cope. He smoked too," Kotaro replied, facing out the window as he exhaled.
"He's important to you? The way you speak of him, that man is dead," the princess asked.
"Yeah, Takamichi T. Takahata of Ala Rubra is dead. He was my most reliable father figure for four years before last year," Kotaro admitted.
Henrietta cast her eyes downward. "How did he die?"
"He spent years training me to fight better and how to use Kanka, but only after begging him for weeks, through the use of a magical bottle that equated one hour outside to a full day inside. He was already physically in his early-forties despite being only thirty three years old from his extended use of the resort to master Kanka himself, but he still helped me. By the time I reached a reasonable mastery of Kanka, his body was nearly fifty. And when he was in Mundus Magicus an old enemy from Kosmo Entelecheia escaped imprisonment and got the drop on Takahata. The best healing magic couldn't do any more than delay his death. When we of Ala Alba were able to reach him, it was only to catch his final moments."
"I'm sorry," the princess told the hanyo, "I know what it's like to lose a father."
"I didn't lose him, he was taken from me, from us," Kotaro said, his voice was gaining an edge to it, "and when Ala Alba found Dynamis, well, let's say I left him in many pieces," he said, smirking as he turned back to face the room. Louise and Henrietta were horrified. Osmond looked empathetic if mildly disappointed. Colbert looked sorrowful.
"How did the rest of this 'Ala Alba' handle your brutality?" the bald professor asked.
"I sent the more sensitive girls out of the room so they wouldn't have to see it but let some of the more hardened members stay if they wanted. My only regret was not having that murderer healed so I could tear him apart all over again."
" I may have been the most violent about it but I wasn't hit the hardest by Takamichi's death. Every member had had him as a school teacher and later as a mentor from last generation. Asuna learned from him before me and had known him for over thirteen years, and had a thing for him the entire time, though he never did return those feelings. She didn't speak for a month after he died. Nor did she show up at the funeral, which I can accept. The service took place in Ostia with millions coming to honor the hero. My final gift to him before the tomb was sealed was Dynamis' mask."
"Why did you give him an item of his murderer?" Louise seemed genuinely confused.
"I was . . . less deserving of that trophy. It was my final respect to the man, proof that Dynamis would never threaten Mundus Magicus again."
"You make it sound like this Dynamis some evil monster that the world was better off without instead of . . ."
"He WAS an evil monster! He tried to erase all life on Mundus Magicus, not once but THREE times over a span of twenty years. That bastard was beyond all hope for any redemption, not that he ever tried to redeem himself."
"And you feel no guilt?"
"Not enough to lose sleep over. I'll violently defend anyone who I recognize as a member of my pack/family. If I couldn't protect them, I WILL avenge their death within the month. NO EXCEPTIONS!" Kotaro declared, snuffing the glowing filter out against the stone window frame.
"You really are like a loyal dog," Louise commented.
"I said it before and I'll say it again," Kotaro told Louise, "I don't like to be referred to as a dog. It reminds me of my days as a 'helper-for-hire'."
"A 'helper-for-hire'?"
"A mercenary."
Colbert lowered his head at the mention of 'mercenary'. "What kind of assignments did you take as a mercenary?"
"'Assignments'? You sure know your merc lingo. Were you a mercenary, too?"
"It's not something I'm proud of," Colbert admitted, "and I'd do anything to wash the blood from my hands but I know that will never happen." The teacher looked up at the hanyo, and his eyes were pools of guilt and sorrow.
"You've killed?" Louise shouted.
"It seems that I'm not the only one with an unknown past," Kotaro noted.
"Yes, though I deeply regret it. The only thing I can thank my mercenary days for is my exceptional control of fire magic."
"You were the one who blinded me with blue fire and tried to halt my movement with more fire around my hands," Kotaro declared emphatically.
"Yes, are you upset?"
"No, that was the first descent spell cast at me since I got here. Overloading the target's eyes and removing their hands from the battle. Tactics of an expert are something I respect."
"You're not going to challenge me, are you?"
"No, skilled as you may be, I'd expect a duel between us right now to be disappointing. That supposedly 'fatal' Lightning Cloud spell was such a let-down with how weak it was. I was expecting more power from what this place calls a high level spell."
"Is magic from your homeland that much more powerful?" Colbert asked, once again taking notes.
"By my homeland's scale, Lightning Cloud would be 'mid-tier' or lower, definitely a potential kill against those who are unprepared but I'm strong enough to weather 'upper-tier' spells, if I really tried, with minor injuries. Then there's the 'High Ancients' tier. . ." Kotaro trailed off.
"Really powerful?"
"The gap between 'High Ancient' spells and 'upper-tier' spells is probably like the gap between pentagram spells and dot spells."
"There are no pentagram-class spells. Pentagram class only exists in legends," Colbert explained. Then he realized the fullness of the comparison. "Oh, I see."
"Well I don't," Louise sneered, "Give a description."
"Fine," Kotaro responded, "Let's use the 'Χιλιαπλή Άστραπή' (Killipl Astrape), the 'Thousand Lightning Bolts.' It's a spell preferred by Negi Springfield and his father the Thousand Master, incanted in ancient Greek. Basically it can render the statement 'huge mountain' to 'what mountain?' or 'molten pile of slag'. And before you ask, no I haven't been directly on the receiving end of a high ancient spell. The closest was with an eternal petrification spell that turned half my body to stone."
"Do you know any 'High Ancient' spells, Kotaro?" the princess asked.
"'Know of,' yes. 'Know how to cast,' no. I'm still a novice with spellcasting. I prefer using Ki. Ki is the body's physical energy, as opposed to Mana which is mental energy and is drawn from the world. Ki also rarely needs a chant to use. I use it to harden my body and increase the effectiveness of my strikes. Had I used more Ki today, Wardes' spell wouldn't have even made a scratch on my body or cause me to flinch much less lose consciousness briefly. I was merely testing his strength and though I admit he is decently strong with magic, his inability to go from magic to close quarter combat is a glaring weakness," Kotaro told them, his mouth moving faster than his mind, "If he had a Ministra to protect him while he cast spells that would be different."
"What's a Ministra?" Colbert asked like a giddy child.
"Great, now even I'm getting lose lips," Kotaro thought as he gazed around the room, "Wait maybe I can turn this in my favor. I'm already considered a 'one-man-army' as Gandalfr, if pactios are discovered it's not like my status as Gandalfr would remain secret. Maybe I can get Henrietta to keep this a secret. Osmond and Colbert are already capable of keeping secrets so I might as well tell them." After finishing his internal debate, he looked back at the room.
"What I'm about to tell you I tell you in confidence that you'll keep it secret." Kotaro sighed and, without waiting for an answer, continued. "A Ministra, or Ministra Magi to use the full title, is a female contracted to a magus, sort of like a familiar. The 'master' of the contract is either a Magister Magi, male, or Magistra Magi, female. The male version of a Ministra Magi is a Minister Magi. It is their job is usually to be the front guard while the master casts spells from the rear. Unlike your familiar ritual, though, there isn't a summoning ritual and there are different levels in the pactio system." As he spoke, the hanyo set a doppelganger about drawing a circle on the floor. "Louise, show them your card. I know you took it back while I was unconscious."
Louise looked nervously at Kotaro, then at their guests before displaying the card of her contract.
"Fascinating. What exactly is it?" Colbert put forth.
"That," Kotaro declared, "is a pactio card. It's proof of Louise's contract with me as my one of my Ministra."
"But she's still a rookie with magic. Shouldn't it be you who protects her instead of the other way around?" Colbert shot at Kotaro.
"I said 'usually' and I don't need a front guard. I entered the pactio with her as a means to improve her skills. If the Magister is powerful enough the Ministra gets a magical artifact from the pactio that is a reflection of their power, personality, interests, or skills. The pactio with Louise is a probationary one, a contract that can be severed at any time and is easier to perform than a full contract. Princess, if you would, please step into the circle," Kotaro asked. "This plan may just work but I'll still make that ermine pay for pressuring pactios in the first place."
As the confused Henrietta stepped forward Louise started to yell. "What do you thi . . ." but was cut off as another of Kotaro's doppelgangers covered Louise's mouth. The pinkette struggled, but found herself restrained by multiple doppelgangers.
The intricate circle exploded with light when Henrietta entered the circle. Kotaro entered adjacent to the princess. "Pardon me, pack" the hanyo requested softly before leaning forward and placing his lips upon the confused princess'. The doppelganger that had drawn the circle declared "Pactio," and a bright flash blinded the observers. After the flash the circle dimmed, and the two were holding cards. "Welcome to the pack, Princess," Kotaro said aloud.
Louise managed to wrench herself free from her restrainers and ran over to her familiar. As she reached him she struck the boy as hard as she could, hurting her own hand. Then she took the card he held and began to look at it angrily but was quickly surprised and slightly confused. The card didn't depict the princess, like Louise expected, but Kotaro.
The depiction of Kotaro on the pactio card was different than Louise was on her card. Instead of the haughty, proud stance of Louise's card, Kotaro was depicted as if in preparation of a battle on his card. The depiction had Kotaro facing diagonally (toward his right, or the card's left edge), hunched slightly forward as he stepped with his left leg. His right hand was grasping the sheathed Derflinger's hilt behind his shoulder. His left arm hung down by his side, slightly bent at the elbow, and he held a second sword, a simple rapier. The eyes of the depiction of her familiar shown with boundless determination.
Kotaro took advantage of her speechlessness by snatching the card of his contract back and gazed at it. The Tonus was Nigror; the Virtus, Audacia; the Astralitus, Sirius; the Directio, Oriens; and the title was Mile Pertinax, The Ambitious Warrior. Kotaro smirked at his alignment with the dog star, Sirius. The smug grin was the only expression not confusion or shock in the room.
Henrietta was the first to speak, "What just happened?" she asked her eyes never leaving the card she held.
"I entered a pactio with you, princess," the hanyo replied happily, "I am now a Minister Magi of you."
"You stole the Princess' lips, DOG!" Louise struck the familiar again.
"Well, I could've used the blood-oath method, but I don't think anyone present would have liked the idea of cutting myself and the princess to exchange blood," Kotaro said sarcastically. "Besides, I saw it as striking down three enemies with one punch . . err . . kiss."
"How about you share your thoughts with the class then?" Louise was still fuming.
"Okay, since you're all involved," Kotaro shrugged, "the first reason was because I was curious about what kind of artifact I'd get, apparently it's a sword. Second, I figured that the princess would be more willing to keep pactios secret if she was in one. And third, the princess probably holds a high amount of weight both politically and socially. If I became the Magister instead of the Minister, the populace would be up in arms if it was ever discovered that the princess was technically a familiar of some 'low-born whelp,' not to mention the military after me for pactio knowledge. But since I'm her minister and therefore her familiar, if it was ever found out I'm expecting her rank will afford me protection."
Without another word he turned back to his card. "Let's see what artifact I got. Adeat!" The card glowed radiantly but nothing else happened. "Abeat!" The glowing ceased. He furrowed his brow and saw the rapier his likeness on the card held. "Might as well try it," he thought as he attempted to summon his artifact again, imagining the sword in his hand. The card radiated light once more but I receded on its own, leaving the faintly glowing rapier in Kotaro's hand. Immediately his runes started to glow and Kotaro felt an unknown energy course through him. "This power is amazing but one dinky little sword isn't enough," and he unconsciously imagined a second, larger, sword in his right hand. He gasped as the imagined blade appeared in his grip. "Is this what I think it is?" Kotaro asked himself with a growing smile, while dismissing the artifact again. Imagining his intended weapon display, the boy invoked his artifact again, reaching his arms out. In one hand appeared an ordinary blade. The other hand held a weapon that appeared to be two swords joined at the hilt. Circling the boy in a counter-clockwise fashion were half a dozen different bladed weapons. The smile brightened even further on the hanyo's face.
"Oh, Hell yes," Kotaro proclaimed, "Something I can work with. Though, I never thought I'd get Ho Heros Meta Chilion Prosopon." His proclamation was greeted by blank stares. "The Warrior with a Thousand Faces," Kotaro explained, "It can manifest any type of melee weapon; any shape, any size, based on the user's Ki. It's the reason Jack Rakan is known as 'The Thousand Blades'," Kotaro shot out enthusiastically, dismissing the blades.
Louise and Henrietta remained speechless, gazing between the pactio card and the blades Kotaro had summoned. Colbert was likewise surprised but recovered more quickly, "Amazing, I can see now why you'd want this secret, Kotaro. If knowledge that every soldier could be a walking, 'Endless Armory' reached the wrong ears. . ." Colbert trailed off.
"Not exactly everybody, Mr. Colbert," the hanyo corrected the teacher, "The pactio only gives the artifact most suited for the Minister or Ministra. For example, you wouldn't give a girl a sword if she is better at gathering information. You'd give her an artifact that reflects that quality, like spying equipment." He pulled out Natsumi's card again. "Or like with this girl, an actress who never stood out, her artifact let her be ignored by all, rendering her completely undetectable. The artifact one receives is a reflection of the person's unique abilities and mindset. You could say the artifact reflects their soul."
"Other than the artifact, a pactio allows for telepathy within ten miles, summoning the minister from within that same distance and transfer of mana or Ki to the minister, which can be used for spellcraft or even simple physical augmentation. For example," he said, then started to chant, "Sis Mea Pars, Per Decem Secundas! Ministra Kotaro, Louise Francious!"
As Kotaro finished the incantation, Louise began to emit a glowing aura. All eyes fixed on her, oblivious to the rest of the world. When Louise looked back at Kotaro from her glowing hands, she found her vision blocked by the airborne arm Kotaro had ripped from one of Guiche's golems. "Think fast!" her familiars voice chimed through the room. Moving faster than she thought she was capable of, Louise ducked the fast-moving projectile and watched it smash against the wall.
"What was that for?" Louise shrieked back at the hanyo, her aura fading.
"A simple demonstration," Kotaro answered, "While augmented, you reacted two times faster than you normally could have."
"You could've warned her," Henrietta chirped, angrily.
"Warning her beforehand would have completely defeated the purpose of using a 'surprise attack'," Kotaro told the princess.
"But what if she'd been hurt?" Colbert spoke up, his expressions caught between fascination and glee for this 'new' magic, and anger that one of his students was nearly harmed in an intentional manner.
"With as much Ki as I was sending to her through the contract she would've only flinched, maybe knocked back a few steps, had that hit her in the face," Kotaro answered seriously.
"Amazing, you must tell us more," Colbert said, reacting to the knowledge with the jubilation of a child promised a large bag of candy.
"Maybe another time," Kotaro replied nervously, noticing that Louise was developing another aura about her. The new aura wasn't visible like the aura she manifested from the pactio, but was more a slight distortion of the air around her. "It's getting late and I think that Louise is about to blow up at me. You and Osmond should probably leave. But can I hold on to the Staff of Destruction for now? At least till it's no longer useful as a weapon?"
Colbert seemed to have noticed the growing aura of malice as well. "Okay then Kotaro, I can wait. You've already given a lot of information that I can review. As for the Staff of Destruction, ask Osmond." With that the bald professor grabbed his pile of notes and exited the room at just under a sprint.
Osmond remained where he stood. "I suppose that I can trust you with the Staff of Destruction, Gandalfr. My only request is that you don't use it on students or in the city. Please return it as soon as you're done with it." Then the headmaster left too.
Henrietta did not move, or speak. She stood motionless, shifting her gaze between Louise and Kotaro, with a look of having something to say but being unable to bring herself to say it.
"Something on your mind, Princess?" Kotaro asked.
She hesitated for a moment, "Yes but I don't know how to put it gently."
"Then put it bluntly," Kotaro told her, "No need to be afraid of telling your best friend something important because you're afraid of offending her, unless it's something like stealing her lover, in which case you should keep it to yourself."
Henrietta blushed heavily, murmuring, "I would never." Moments later she worked up the courage and said, almost shouting, "I'm getting married."
Louise's growing malicious aura was snuffed like a candle. Looking back at the princess, she beamed, "That's wonderful. Who is he?"
"The Emperor of Germania," the princess answered solemnly, "I was . . ."
"That barbarian?" Louise shrieked, cutting her friend off, "Why?" Her eyes were starting to tear up.
"It's to solidify the alliance between Tristain and Germania," Henrietta said in a dead voice, "Tristain is a small country. We need the protection of another country to remain safe. I don't expect you to understand but I hope you do Louise Francious, this is for the people of Tristain."
"Safe from what, Princess?" Kotaro asked.
"Remember how I said that discontent was stirred in Albion by an invasion of Tristain Dragon Knights? That discontent has spiraled into a full rebellion that threatens to overthrow the royal family there. They speak of uniting all of Halkeginia under one banner to retake the holy land. After Albion is conquered, Tristain will likely become their next target," Henrietta explained. Turning back to Louise, she suddenly cried "I feel awful for asking this of you."
"Asking what, Princess?"
"There is a letter in the possession of Albion's prince, Wales that could destroy the alliance between Germania. Please find him and give him this which should explain everything." She drew out a small envelope with a wax seal. "He'll then give you the letter to bring back. But no one can know, you're the only one Louise Francious. Take this too," Henrietta pulled a ring set with an oval blue stone, off her finger. "Sell it if you need money. I'm a horrible friend for asking you to put your life on the line for one of my mistakes."
"But Princess," Louise gasped at her friend, "I'm unworthy of such a great responsibility." She lowered her head as far as she could.
"Accept them Louise," Kotaro stated sternly, "This request was hard enough for her to ask of you, don't turn it down because you're afraid. By coming to you with her problem, she's proven that she trusts you above all others. Denying her because you fear failing her is the same as failing her, both leave her with no one else to trust."
Louise reluctantly accepted the envelope and ring, the Water ruby, and placed them in her pocket. "Will anyone else be coming?"
"I had planned on sending Wardes with you two but that doesn't seem like a good idea anymore, so I'm afraid it's only you and your familiar." She looked to Kotaro, "I'm sorry, Mr. Familiar, but I don't know what to offer as a reward for helping me and protecting Louise Francious."
"Don't. You're a part of my new pack, now. Nothing is needed."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Another chapter done. A lot of exposition. I'm wondering how well I did. I hope you like the kind of past I gave Kotaro. We don't know exactly how he lived so I made up a past where I'd expect a warrior like Kotaro would come from, literally fighting for survival.
Please don't flame me for killing Takamichi T. Takahata or giving Kotaro smoking as a remembrance for the old warrior. I drew from what happened to Gateau, Takahata's master, assuming his death was what caused Takamichi to start smoking. I also figured that since Takamichi would be Kotaro's most consistent male role model, making him a father figure of sorts. The smoking isn't an addiction but about a once a month event for Kotaro.
Kotaro got another pactio. I know that I've not been creative with the artifacts, only giving confirmed magical items as artifacts like Code of the Lifemaker and Jack Rakan's artifact, but I already have another planned artifact that is purely made up. I'll let you guess who gets it but I'm not sure when they'll get it at the moment. I'm not sure what the pactio title will be but the I plan that the artifact will be called Fabulae Hero or Fabulae Vir Fortis. Thanks for reading and tell me what you think.