The pillow was soft, the bed was comfortable, the blanket was warm and there were billions of porcupines rolling around his head.

At least that's what Saito was feeling now. He cringed and opened his eyes to see lacy curtains draped over a wooden frame, blocking out the bright sunlight that would have shone into his eyes. It was probably late afternoon, and here he was again on Louise's bed, his entire body bandaged and sore.

There was no one else in the room. No human, that is.

"Rise and shine, laddy!" A bright voice echoed around the room. Saito was so surprised that he pulled the blankets with him as he jumped and shrieked like a piglet.

"Did I surprise you? Ah well, I haven't even properly introduced myself anyway. Mmhmm." Saito looked around for the source of the voice, only to remember the events yesterdays and have another porcupine assault in his head. He grabbed his scalp and tried to massage the pain away.

Yesterday, his tonfa spoke and gave his some kind of assistance is defeating a huge golem. I guess it couldn't get any weird… Saito stopped that train of thought. That was what people would say before something even weirder happened. Anyway, the tonfa ignored him.

"My name is…um…give me a minute, what was it again? Derf-something? Derfinger? Derflinger! That's the one!"

"You don't even know your name! What are you anyway?" Saito bent over to the side table where the tonfa was and placed it on his lap. When the tonfa spoke, it would rattle.

"Hey, you can't blame an old guy for forgetting his name after so many years since I last used it. Anyway! I am Derflinger, a magical item and I … have no idea why I am here."

Saito felt like strangling Derflinger if it had a neck. He said nothing and continued to massage his head.

"Come on, show some interest in me, laddy! I'm a relic from the past, you know! Wait, that sounds like a bad thing."

Saito ignored what it said. "Why did you keep silent over all these times? There were plenty of times when you could have introduced yourself without shocking me half to death."

"Well, I was sleeping and you guys woke me up with all that noise." Derflinger said matter-of-factly.

"I guess I really have to have you thrown into the fire after all."

"Wait! Wait, I can offer some of my knowledge to you! The white runes!" That got Saito's attention.

"What about it." Saito crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"A month ago, I felt a seal break in my body. That seal happens to hold some of the power that have been transferred to you. Or more accurately, has been reclaimed by you. "

"Reclaimed?"

"I don't remember all the details, but that power would be the ability to absorb magic and then release it, all at the cost of some magic."

"But I have no magic, or at least that's what Louise says."

"Well, she is right, but you seem to have the ability to turn your life force, in particular your emotions into magic. You have no way of using it like the mages though, since you don't have any affinity for elemental magic."

Saito went silent after hearing that. Changing his own life force to magic? Did that mean that he was actually shortening his life with each use of the special power? How much life force did he have left? What happens if his life force ends? All of this sound so surreal, like something out of a light novel or something. His forehead went wet with cold sweat.

"Don't worry about it. You get to replenish it with the magic you've absorbed anyway. There's a set amount you've to use to kick-start the power though."

"You make it seem like I can control it on my own."

"Hmm, young lad, you should be able to, but you still can't. I have no idea why it is so, though, maybe once I remember…"

Saito sighed. Well, at least he knew from past experience that the power would activate when he needed to protect Louise.

"Anyway, last question before I go to sleep. This headache is killing me. Is there a limit to what I can absorb?"

"Of course! The amount you can absorb now is so small that you got very lucky with that golem. It was too slow and unwieldy to deliver large amounts of magical energy to you at one time. As what I would like to say to young people, practice makes perfect! Maybe you would get to increase that amount once you're more familiar with it."

"You talk a lot for an old guy, you know?"

"Hey, I finally get to talk after several thousand years, you know? I'm so excited that I could talk the night off…Hey, are you still listening to me, laddy? Laddy?"

The more he knew, the more he don't. So, Saito placed the tonfas underneath the bed before lying down, processing what Derflinger had told him just now, as his eyelids slowly, but surely got heavy.

There was a huge shining chandelier above the Great Ball Room of Brimir. Fire seemed to burn inside the glass crystals, giving off an iridescent colour as the light was refracted. The ceilings was lighted with warm orange-yellow torches that produced a refined atmosphere.

There were long rectangular tables lined with delicious bite-sized food and delicate glasses filled with exquisite wine. People wearing formal gowns and suits were scattered around the floor, chatting happily amongst themselves.

However, Saito was standing on the balcony outside the ball room, a glass of wine in his hand. He looked at the moon. He wondered what the ancient Chinese proverb that he have heard before was, something about the people he misses looking at the same moon as he was. He decided not to correct himself about this being another world and all, so his family and friends won't actually look at the same moon, but he digressed.

He had no idea where Louise went. She never returned to the room and he only knew of this ball after Siesta told him about it. Every noble was invited with their familiar. However, Louise was nowhere to be found.

Saito sighed. The sight of the ball room once again reminded him of his status of an outsider. He did not belong here. He was wearing a black parka and sport shoes, while the gentlemen inside was wearing leather shoes, a bow tie and a suit.

He swirled the wine in his glass and sipped from it, his face reddening from his second glass of wine.

"Depressed, laddy?"

"Oh shut it. Could you stop calling me laddy? It's getting on my nerves."

"Hmm. Shall I call you partner then? So, what's bothering you, partner?" Saito thought for a moment and decided that partner was a much better choice than laddy.

"You know, Derf, I'm not from this world. I come from a place called Japan, where we don't have medieval buildings like this, and definitely not magic." Saito gestured to the school yards before him before placing his chin on his arms, sulking. "Sigh. Why can't I just go back to my world, huh? Damn, I miss my mom's cooking so much. "

"Sounds tricky. I've never heard of Japan. " Derflinger stopped when there was a commotion in the ball room.

Out of his obsessive curiosity, Saito went in to see what had happened. The headmaster, Mr Osmond, was standing on the stage, along with all the teachers.

"Thank you, everyone, for gracing the Spring Ball with your presence. I hope you've enjoyed your evening with the food and drinks provided. Today, I would like to bring to special mention a particular person whose great deed allowed us to continue chatting around happily without worry."

The floor got noisy as everyone started to discuss the identity of the person. Saito cocked his eyebrows and was about to get another drink of wine when he saw her walk out from behind the stage.

There was no doubt that she was an angel.

She was wearing a light pink gown, complete with ornate pearls and fine laces. Her feet were covered with transparent glass shoes, and her hands were clad in white silky gloves. However, what really got Saito's attention was that her pink flowing hair was tied in a delicate ponytail, her hazel eyes bright as crystals and her cute child-like face was glowing with a radiant but small smile.

There was no one on the floor who could best Louise's beauty. At least that was what Saito felt.

"Shall I introduce to you, Louise de Orneilles, the young first year who reclaimed the artefact in a most blatant robbery of our treasury yesterday. She fought the legendary thief Fouquet on her own and succeeded. A standing ovation for her, please!"

On her own, huh? However, Louise was so beautiful that Saito ignored that immediately. Her head was slightly bowed and her hands were gripping each other nervously, but it was no question that she was proud of what she has done.

"Now then, shall we continue our ball? Music, please!" The orchestra continued to play a soothing piece of music as everyone walked down the stage.

As Louise walked into the crowd, she was immediately approached by the students, who began to ask her all sorts of questions.

Saito breathed deeply. Ah well, he could find her after the ball. It was not every day Louise got praised for what she has done and he thought that Louise should get every chance to savour the moment. The last thing she would want would be some dog getting in her way. He watched as some of the more daring guys began asking her for a dance.

Louise was his master, and he was her familiar. Nothing more, maybe something less.

Saito walked out to the balcony again, this time with a full glass of wine.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Saito jumped a little when he heard Louise's crystalline childish voice scolding him behind him.

"What? Aren't you having fun in there? Go on then. I mean, some of the guys were asking you for a dance, right? Don't tell me you can't dance?"

Saito turned to find Louise glaring at him. She had her arms on her waist. Louise pouted as her eyes squinted at him. Even so, she was still cute, thought Saito.

"I got scolded alone in the principal's office, you know, since some idiot was sleeping around comfortably on my bed, while I was standing on the cold hard floor."

"I was almost dead, you know, since…"

Saito wanted to rant a bit more but he got interrupted by Louise.

"Anyway, you'll also have to pay for everything I bought for you up till now!"

"And how do I do that, O Mighty Master." Saito was getting tired with putting up with Louise.

"However, I am a kind master and I do reward my pets for what they have done."

Did she just called me a pet? Ah well, I'm treated worse than a pet anyway, so I guess I got level-upped? Thought Saito.

Louise held her hand out. Saito frowned, not knowing what this meant.

"Just for this once, only once, you got it, y-you'll get to d-dance with me. I'll teach you if you don't know how to."

Saito stood, stunned. "Wha…Is this really okay?"

Louise lowered her head down. He noticed that her face just got a little redder. He looked at her hand, his mouth opening like a fish.

"Just take the hand and go with the flow, partner. Dammit, I thought young people were supposed to act on instinct these days." Derflinger complained.

He was acting on instinct. It's just that his brain has just overheated. Saito took Louise's hand awkwardly as he looked into the ballroom, where a few disappointed faces were seen.

Louise's hand was soft and small, compared to his large hand with coarse skin. He felt a tingle went down his arm as he held a woman's hand for the first time, excluding his family of course.

They began to dance in the balcony. Saito stepped on Louise's feet a few times at first. He was expecting Louise to scold him, but she stayed surprisingly calm and guided him to the beat. Saito decided to say something nice to her.

"You look beautiful tonight." Louise didn't respond for a while. Did he cross the line too far and got too familiar with her? Saito cursed himself for speaking his mind.

In the middle of Saito's self-ridicule, Louise replied, but her voice was too soft for him to hear anything.

"Pardon?"

"I said, th-thank you. For e-everything." Saito felt his face heat up. Their eyes met as Louise looked up. Her face was already as red as beetroot. The both of them looked away.

They continued to dance under soothing moonlight, oblivious of everyone else in the ball room.