Tsukaima no Chrono
Chapter 5: But I wasn't running away!
Groaning, a very young looking boy slowly opens his eyes trying to recall what happened. Ah that's right I was trying to get myself kicked out of the room so I could gather my thoughts.
Getting up and walking towards the 4 post bed inside the bedroom from the pile of hay he was lying on, he looks down upon the pink haired young woman that sent him to sleep. Back at Mid-childa people would never use their magic so recklessly! Seriously, I've heard of girls beating perverts up and all that, but blasting them? Then again, I've just recently encountered someone who makes friends the same way…
The girl in bed, Louise then starts to mutter in her sleep. "I can't believe I summoned… innocent looking young boy… so perverted at his age."
What's she talking about, I'm fourteen and it's my right and duty to act perverted. Chrono still has not realised that he looks to be a ten year old child to most humanoids in the many universes that exist, in fact he's about a head shorter than Louise even.
Taking in the view outside the room's single window he notices that it's dark outside. Wonder how long I've been sleeping, it was still early morning from what I could tell when I last woke up. Well since my so called Master is asleep, I'll take this chance to explore. With that thought he walks out of the room, closing the door behind him silently as the skills he learnt for spying was put to use.
Walking along the corridor that was lined with many doors similar to the one that led to Louise's room, Chrono takes notice of the faint lighting from what seemed to be live fire torches interspersed along the walls. Moving closer to one of them, one of his suspicions was confirmed. There truly would be no need for electricity in this world, or many sources of energy either. The ambient magical energy is more than enough to power these magical flames for eternity. With no use for electronics and silicon, the parts that I need to repair my devices so that I may once again use them will need to be generated by the devices themselves.
Reaching the end of the hallway, he enters a spiral stairwell and heads down. As he approaches the bottom, he hears two voices, one male, one female. Pressing his back towards the wall, he moves towards the exit of the stairwell and peeks out as not to give himself away. Matching the voices to a blond haired guy that we've seen before talking with a brunette girl, he eavesdrops on the conversation.
"I'm really good at making soufflé." The girl begins.
"I will love to try that out." The guy replies.
"Really?" The girl exclaims.
"Of course Katie, I cannot tell you lies…" The guy responds with false sincerity.
The girl responds, saying the guys name adoringly. "Guiché!"
Watching this Chrono shakes his head in disbelief. How embarrassing, this is like one of those dramas that mother watches so often. These two are no threat to me, nor do I need to watch this to its conclusion.
Deciding this, he moves on towards the next stairwell on the other end of the current hallway. It seems that this building has many levels. Probably that spire that I saw when I was falling, wonder how high up I actually am.
As Chrono passes by the talking couple he hears more romantic nonsense being spouted by the guy that in his mind he has labelled a playboy. "There cannot be any deceit in my feelings towards you…"
I think I'm going to be sick, how can a guy spout out such a disgusting line with a straight face. Chrono blanched along with this thought.
It is at this point that the guy, now identified as Guiché notices Chrono.
"It's the commoner that Louise summoned." Guiché states.
In Chrono's mind he thinks. Commoner? How rude… He must be one of those rich kids that don't know how to be diplomatic when he speaks.
The girl, Katie then replies. "Oh, the one from today's ceremony. It's big news even amongst the first years."
Taking in this information Chrono realises. This must be a school then, there shouldn't be reference to grades otherwise.
"He suddenly fell unconscious and was unable to move so it was a big pain to us." Guiché explains.
Continuing to walk as if ignoring what is being said, Chrono silently rages. Pain! I'll show you pain! I'm only letting you go on account of the Prime Directive.
Looking sympathetically at Chrono's diminutive figure, Katie is overwhelmed by her motherly instincts. "Guiché, you shouldn't be so hard on him, look at how young he is, so cute!"
Beckoning towards Chrono she then asks. "Are you lost young one? Why aren't you with your master?"
Guiché then interrupts in a flippant way, possibly out of jealousy. "Hmmph! Knowing Louise the Zero, she probably kidnapped this poor kid because a fully grown commoner would've been too hard."
Turning around Chrono directs his gratitude towards Katie. "Thanks, but I'm not lost, I've been sent on an… errand… by my master."
Finding himself ignored Guiché taunts. "Won't you show gratitude towards a Noble that has troubled himself for you?"
Noble? The ferret changeling is more noble than you are. Out loud Chrono sarcastically says. "Is that so, well thank you."
Waving his hand in a farewell gesture, Chrono bows and says. "Well then, I'll be leaving."
Under his breath he mumbles "What an irritating moron." as he turns around and walks away.
"That lack of etiquette, shows the difference between commoners and nobles." Guiché then tells Katie.
Back in Louise's room, during the conversation between Chrono and the couple, Louise begins to stir.
"Toilet…" she mumbles sleepily, rubbing her eyes adorably and sluggishly getting out of bed, she swings her legs over the side of it touching on the hay that lay scattered across the floor.
"What's this hay doing in my bedroom? Ah, I remember, I summoned a perverted little boy by the name of Chrono as my familiar." Getting angry at the memory she shouts. "Why is a commoner my familiar? Why not a dragon or griffon? I wanted something cooler!"
Now wide awake, she lays her eyes on the unoccupied hay stack.
"Chrono Harlown?" Louise enquires in disbelief.
Looking around her bedroom and seeing no trace of her familiar, she extrapolates. "He ran away? My familiar? You're kidding right?"
Wetting herself as panic sets in while previous urges were forgotten; she quickly changes her clothes and runs out to seek help in searching for her wayward familiar.
By the time Louise had started changing her clothes, Chrono had made it down to the ground floor of the building. Hmm, 2 stairwells, so my master's room is on the third floor. Now that I think of it, I haven't learned her name yet.
Walking out into the main foyer, he encounters yet another lovey dovey scene.
Don't students in this school have anything better to do at night than to flirt? Chrono thinks in irritation, ignoring the fact that in a world without electricity, there are no televisions or computers to distract the youth like in more advanced societies.
"It's a dream being able to sit here alone with you, Kirche the Ardent." A young man with brown hair and long sideburns states.
Leaning into the young man, the buxom, fiery redhead Kirche seductively replies. "Well, tonight, the fervour will not end here."
Sensing that this was becoming something he really didn't want to witness, Chrono quickens his pace towards the main door leading to the outside.
The couple, noticing the figure heading outside in haste causes the young man with Kirche to ask. "Isn't that Louise the Zero's…"
Before he completes the question, Kirche answers with a dumbfounded look in the direction of the retreating Chrono. "Yes, it's the commoner familiar. Wonder where it's going, it seems to be in such a rush…"
As Chrono exits the building, Louise has finally ran down to the level below the one her room is located on, noticing Guiché, Louise hisses. "Catch it for me! It ran away, my familiar!"
Responding in a surprised tone Guiché says. "The familiar you're contracted with? It said it was on an errand for you."
Taking a 'I'm holier than thou' pose, Guiché says to Louise in a condescending tone. "Amazing! Being your familiar, Louise the Zero, I guess it isn't surprising it'll defy common sense…"
Taking offence, Louise shouts at Guiché while ignoring Katie who was standing next to him. "Stop being in awe and help me catch it!"
Louise then drags Guiché away to the dismay of Katie.
Looking at Katie while he was carried off, Guiché shrugs his shoulders and says. "I guess it can't be helped…"
During Guiché and Louise's conversation, Chrono had already made a lap of the perimeter wall surrounding the spire he came out of. Seems like there's no other signs of civilization in sight, wonder why this place is so isolated. Only one gate and one straight road leading in and out of this place that I could find. I can't sense anyone else out here, should I take a risk and fly to scout further? I have no currency that can be used here most likely so food and shelter will be a problem if I don't manage to get back, at least I know here I have a master with a compulsion to take care of me so I don't think I'll starve. Besides if I'm noticed by whatever authorities that exist, I don't know if they have identification papers or the sort, I might end up having to fight or be arrested. I better get back to my master's room before she wakes up then…
With this thought he begins to walk back towards the building housing Louise's bedroom intending to go to sleep to be rested for the day tomorrow. He wasn't expecting to be suddenly flying horizontally upwards facing towards the two moons that orbit the planet. Eh, so this planet has two moons, by how large they look and how close they are together, this must be the cause of the high amounts of ambient magic. Mid-childa is well known for how the auras of its two moons cause a higher amount of magic to be circulated in its system, but even they aren't as close to the planet as these two are. The ley lines formed by their overlap must be humungous.
Chrono then finds himself being swung side to side, interrupting his thoughts though the sensation was only mildly annoying as he was used to flying under his own power.
"I would like it if you gave in already! This is the second time I've had to levitate you today!" A voice he recognises as that belonging to the irritating moron from before states, following which he was magically swung side to side more violently.
"A familiar that ran away from its master? That's hilarious!" The person he had identified earlier as Kirche exclaims as she tries to suppress her laughter and failing much to the annoyance of Louise who is standing beside her.
As Guiché levitates Chrono to within touching distance of Louise, she grabs Chrono, bending him over her knee as a mother would to do to a naughty child and angrily shouts at him, emphasizing each word with a smack to his rear end. "Chrono Harlown! My name is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. I'm your master and you're my familiar! Remember that! You will not run away!"
Chrono with tears in his eyes due to the pain and humiliation thinks. But, I wasn't running away!
-Author's Notes-
That was chapter 5 of TnC and the end of episode one in the original timeline, hoped you enjoyed it. I am planning to release this roughly one chapter a week until I complete this and I am still looking for a beta reader.
Thanks for reading and see you next chapter.