It was nightfall by the time that Louise and her familiar left the infirmary and made it back to her room. The young girl was not particularly pleased with the information she had learned from the man. Magic is not required learning he says, like it's nothing more important that learning to ride a horse! She thought incredulously to herself. Considering how all consuming her desire was to learn magic, the idea that it might not have any importance was inconceivable to her. And he knows nothing of Brimir?! What kind of hopeless, backwards society does he come from?

All that left her with was a disgraced noble who couldn't use any magic. That was hardly better than a commoner! Granted, he was a soldier, so that implied some level of competence and skill. Louise shuddered to think what she would do if she had summoned some useless oaf who just stumbled through life hoping to get lucky. But still, she had hoped that she would summon something impressive enough that she could use to declare herself a mage, something so grand that no one would dare call her the Zero ever again.

And all she got was a reason for them not to kick her out of the Academy.

She barely paid Georgius any mind has he followed her into the room, muttering under her breath as she did so. Considering the hour, she decided to just go to bed now and deal with all this nonsense tomorrow. Her familiar simply stood off to the side saying nothing as she striped down to change into her night cloths, though he did give a small start of surprise before turning around. The whole time Louise was very acutely and uncomfortably aware of his presence. Normally she should have no problems ignoring other people (after years of insults she had it down to an art), but he had presence which just seemed to fill the room. This is absurd. He is my familiar, she thought to herself.That means he's more like a dog. And not a man in his late 20's who happens to be a common soldier, which are notoriously known for being the crudest and most lewd human beings around and happens to be standing a few feet away from me right now-

"Stop it!" Louise shouted, trying to stop her own thoughts.

"Is everything alright? I'm afraid that it will take me some time to learn the language of this land." Georgius said in his own language, still not turning to face her.

"You! Stop, uh well... Stop doing that!" She shouted at him, now having a target for her ire. Clearly it was his fault for making her uncomfortable in the first place! Unfortunately, she couldn't quite pin down just what he was doing that was the problem. He was just standing there.

"Stop doing what?" It seemed he didn't know either.

"Just- just turn around." Louise said hopelessly. She needed to take charge of the situation somehow, and she had finished changing into her nightwear in any case. As the man turn she tossed the clothes she had been wearing previously at him which he caught with some surprise. "Familiar, I expect you to have those washed by tomorrow morning, understand?"

Her familiar looked at the clothes curiously before looking back at his master. "I am confused. I thought that there were servants in this place to take care of such things for the students. Is that not case?"

Louise felt mild annoyance at her familiar taking back to her as she replied "Yes, but I might as well get some use out of you. Normally a familiar is supposed to collect reagents for its master, and its master is supposed to be able to perceive through its senses. However, I don't see you being much help with the former, and I've already tried the later and it doesn't work for whatever reason. So for the time being you're going to be my personal servant until it can figure out a better use for you."

Georgius blinked at this before giving what seemed to be a small chuckle of amusement. "I see. Fair enough I suppose. After I have finished, where am I to retire for the night?"

Louise wordless pointed at a pile of hay that was stacked near her bed. Georgius looked at it in confusion before a look of understanding crossed his face. "Ah, of course, you were expecting to summon some kind of animal. I was told by your professor that human summons are unheard of, though I do wonder what you would have done if you had summoned one of the larger creatures." He shook his head. "In any case, I suppose that I could try to find a spot amid the servant quarters, or perhaps a cot could be brought up if you insist on my proximity."

"No, this is fine." Louise said dismissively. "Now off with you."

To her increasing annoyance, her familiar did not move, instead once again looking at her in confusion. "Do servants in this land only sleep on hay? Because if so-"

"You are not a servant!" Louise snapped at him. "I'm mean, I will be using you as one, but as my familiar you do not deserve any better treatment than the others that were summoned. Just think of yourself like a dog."

The confusion disappeared on his face and it instead settled on a small frown. "While I suppose I understand your logic, I'm afraid that I do not agree with it. I am still human, and treating me as less than that-"

"Don't speak back to me familiar!" The young woman shouted at him. "I am your master and you will obey me!"

"Yes, though I did say that was contingent on what you ordered me to do, and I consider it immoral to-"

"Shut up!" The mage shouted. She had had enough if this dog's insolence! She snatched her wand off the desk and pointed it at him, chanting the words for the Silence spell,

Naturally, it exploded.

Louise coughed and waved her hand to clear the smoke around her. Well, it wasn't exactly a success, but at least that will shut him up, she thought. However, much to her surprise she found Georgius to still be standing when the smoke cleared, albeit with some scuff marks on his face and his hair somewhat comically mused. Granted, it wasn't one of her larger blasts, but that still should have knocked him down.

Her familiar gave a small cough while bringing his hands up to fix his hair. "I apologize for your displeasure, but I am afraid that I must stand my ground on this issue."

Louise growled. "Well then, it seems you will have to be disciplined for your insubordination." She turned from him and rooted around in her draws for a moment before pulling out a riding crop. She had it for when she went out riding, but it would certainly suffice for the moment. She gave the implement an experimental crack for intimidation.

Again, he did not move, instead continuing to look at her as he said "If you must."

Louise's anger grew at his apparent unconcern. She did not even bother to wait to tell him to strip off his clothes. She simply strode forward and struck him across the face with the crop. He did not flinch, and merely continued to look at her. And so she struck him again, again, and again.

Louise didn't know how long she kept it up. Certainly long enough for her arm to become tired. She was frustrated at how little it seemed to affect her insolent dog of a familiar. All he had to show for it was a few light red marks across his face. That wasn't the worst part though; the whole time he would not stop looking at her. It was not a look of pain or anger. It was not even a look of contempt or mocking which she was used to.

It almost looked like he was concerned for her.

With a scream of frustration, threw her crop on the ground at his feet and stormed back to her bed. "Fine! Just go!" She yelled. "You can sleep in the hall tonight!" She fell onto the mattress fuming to herself.

"Louise..."

"I said get out!" She screamed before burying her face in a pillow. There was a moment of silence before she heard the sound of the door opening and closing. She felt tears building in the corners of her eyes, but she angrily clamped them shut. Stupid, stupid familiar! She thought to herself. He's no better than an insolent dog! He deserved every lash I gave him!

But if that was the case... why did she feel so ashamed?

Georgius paused in the hallway to look back at the door, considering whether or not he should go back in. After a moment, he sighed and continued to walk down the hallway, his arms laden with his master's clothes. He knew that his master was much more upset than she was trying to let on, but he still did not know why that was the case. He wanted to help her, but without knowing what exactly the problem was, he was bound to be more harm than good. It was clear that she did not find him very impressive compared to some of the other familiars summoned, and it seemed that she was taking this frustration out on him as a response. In particular, her pride seemed to be injured by it.

However, regardless of her reasons for it, he could not allow her to demean himself (or anyone else) in such a manner. Of course, that did not mean that he found all she told him to do offensive. While some of the other Tribunes he had known in life may have found servant work to be beneath them, Georgius found the chance for a quieter life than his previous one to be a novel opportunity. Besides, a little humility was good for the soul. As well, he didn't think sleeping on hay was necessarily beneath him either (he had suffered through far worse on his travels.)

No, the problem stemmed from the fact that there was no reason for him to do so. He was quite certain that there would be no problems with finding himself some quarters or a cot. That meant the only purpose sleeping on that hay would serve would be to establish himself as less than human in his master's eyes, and that is something he could not allow. To treat any as a lesser being than what the were was not only an insult to the person, but was an insult to their Creator as well. Georgius hoped that he would be able to show Louise as much in the future.

Since he had no idea where to go, Georgius wandered somewhat aimlessly. He had developed a good sense of direction after all his travels, so he was able to keep a decent mental map of where he was within the tower. Still, all he had seen so far was private rooms along with some common areas, and all of the writing he had seen thus far was incomprehensible to him. Fortunately, just about the moment he was beginning to think that he would have to ask for help, he rounded a corner and almost knocked over another person. Backing up, he was surprised to see that it was the same servant which he had encountered in the infirmary and had given his crucifix to. "Ah, excuse me." He said automatically, not thinking of how neither of them could understand the other.

"My Lord!" The woman said in surprise before a small blush crossed her face. "I sorry, I should have watched where I was going."

Georgius was about to tell her that the fault was his own, when both of them straightened in surprise. They had understood each other! "You speak Latin? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Latin? I don't know what you mean." She replied. "Besides, you're speaking Tristainian now!"

Georgius frowned at this. He was certainly used to picking up new languages quickly, but not in a matter of hours, and he wouldn't start using it unconsciously. "Hmm, I suspect that the magic that brought me here might have something to do with this, though why it took so long to take effect eludes me." Many of the intricacies of magic were opaque to him, something his adoptive 'mother' would have been displeased about. "Well, in any case, now I can properly introduce myself. I am Tr- Georgius de Lydda." he said, catching himself before he could use his title.

"I am Siesta de Tarbes, my Lord." the woman said with a smile and a curtsy. She then gave him a small frown. "I'm sorry, but is that your personal or family name?"

"Personal." He replied. "Lydda is sufficiently small that that the use of family names is not common. Georgius is my only name. I'll admit that it is a far cry from Rome, where the people there have as many 5 names! Sometimes imagine that addressing each other takes up most of the conversation."

"Do you mean Romalia?" Siesta asked. "I've never heard of such a thing before."

He opened his mouth to respond before he paused and sighed. "No, I am quite certain I do not mean that. My native land is very far from here."

She seemed curious, but did not press it any further, instead looking at the clothes he held. "Ah! Do you need those cleaned? I'll take them from you."

"No, that's alright. My master asked me to clean them, so I should be the one to do so. However, I would appreciate it if you could show me to where the wash bins are."

Siesta gave him a confused look, but began leading him down the hallway. "What do you mean 'your master'? Do you mean that you serve another noble?"

"Yes, I was summoned by Louise Françoise this afternoon, and I have sworn myself to her service."

The woman gave a gasp. "You're the person that was summoned by during the Springtime Ritual?!" she asked incredulously. "I had thought that the other servants were exaggerating! Why would you submit yourself to another noble? Particularly Miss Françoise."

Georgius frowned at her comment about his master, but put it aside for later inquiry and instead responded "I have my personal reasons, and as it stands I am no longer part of the nobility of my homeland, so I have no allegiances to them."

"Oh!" Siesta said in surprise, not sure how to take this information. "What happened?"

Georgius was getting uncomfortable having to mislead people on this subject, but if Louise's reaction was any indication, it would not be received well. For the moment, he simply said "I refused to renounce my God, and I opposed the edicts of the Emperor that punished those that worshiped Him."

"You mean that God was not worshiped in your homeland?" She asked, now even more interested in what he was saying. She then blinked as if she had thought of something. "Oh! Before I forget!" She then stepped in front of him and gave a deep bow. "Thank you for returning my pendant."

This brought Georgius up short. "What?" he said in surprise.

"Yes, that pendant was mine. It was a gift from my grandfather just before he passed. I had though I had lost it, but I had accidentally left it in with Miss Françoise clothes."

The man paused a moment before saying "Do you know where your grandfather obtained this… pendant?"

Siesta frowned in concentration as she searched her memory. "I believe he said that it had been in the family for generations. A long time ago in his homeland, there were a great number of missionaries that had come to spread the word of God, though they were not always nice people. He said that one of his ancestors was probably cheated out of a large amount of money for it, told it was some kind of artifact. Still, it was keep with his family throughout years as a sort of lesson in humility. Besides, he said that it still worked fine as a symbol of his faith." She tilted her head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that is a crucifix. It is the symbol of my faith."

"Really?" She responded, clearly excited by this information. "I've never met anyone else who believed what my grandfather did! You must tell me, are you from his homeland? Or do you know where it is?"

Georgius was about to explain how far he had traveled in his own missionary work before he noticed that the two of them had stepped outside. He had become so focused on her that he had not even noticed when his surroundings had become darker. The sky was clear, so he took the opportunity to look up and search for constellations. Though traveling by stars was more of a sailor's purview, he still knew enough from his studies that he thought that it should give him at least a rough idea of where he was. He craned his neck up-

-and froze. His eyes widened and he felt his mouth open in shock. The stars were alien to him, but that was not the source of his concern, as if that was all, then it would simply mean that he was farther afield than he had ever been before. No, what had made a chill run down his spine was that in the sky next to the moon, there was a second red sphere hanging next to it.

Two moons? He thought in awe. That... how is that possible? No amount of time could cause a second moon to appear in the sky!

"My Lord?" Siesta questioned, concern creeping into her tone. "What's wrong? Can you not tell me where your homeland is?"

"No..." he said numbly. "I don't believe I can..."

Jean rubbed his eyes wearily before setting his gaze back on the old book. Ever since his meeting with Louise's familiar, he had been scouring through the school library for clues of his origin and that the thing that had been scratching at the back of his mind the more he thought about human summons. Needless to say, he had spent most of it pouring over the history of Romalia, trying to find any record of a schism in the distant past that might have possibly lead to the creation of Georgius's nation.

Unfortunately, he had found no such thing. Either his assumption was off, or there had been no record of such an event, though the later was possible given that the Romalian government would want to suppress any knowledge that dissention may have occurred in their nation so soon after declaring themselves the center of Founderism. The soldier's question about religion also reinforced this idea, making him think that there had been some disagreement between sects.

Jean shook his head and closed the book. In any case, he would have to wait till the next time he saw the man to ask him. Hopefully Georgius would have settled in a bit more by then. In the mean time, he still wanted to look into human familiars. He could have sworn he had heard of them before somewhere, but he just couldn't remember. He took the book under his arm and walked up to the bookshelf he had gotten it from before casting a simple levitation spell on himself to reach the height where he had found it. Though he was a fire mage, all nobles could cast the lowest level of spells of any element, if not very efficiently. He rose on the cushion of air to the top shelf and put back the book in his hands before taking another one dealing with early history.

As he floated back down the ground, he noticed something at the edge of his perception. Years of hardened reflexes told him that there was a person hiding behind the shelves behind him.

Jean had to suppress his instinct to launch a preemptive strike. He was in a school, so the odds that whoever it was a threat was minimal, which said nothing of the fact that he abhorred the idea of using fire in a library. Instead, he merely said without turning around "If you are looking for a particular book, then perhaps I could point you in the right direction. I'm afraid the librarian has retired for the evening."

There was a small start of surprise behind the shelf before a female voice spoke up. "Oh! I'm sorry if I surprised you Professor Colbert. I've actually been meaning to talk to you."

Jean felt a smile cross his face, and he turned to see the Secretary Longueville rounding the aisle to approach him. She had been hired somewhat recently by Old Osmund to be his personal secretary, mostly for her surprisingly impressive clerical skills. And partially because she was rather attractive, if Jean had to admit. The Headmaster was not always the most...professional, to say the least.

Nevertheless, the professor had a hard time disagreeing. Her intellect combined with her long green hair and spectacles indeed made her a rather attractive woman to Jean. "Of course, my dear." he said, and he gestured to the table. "Sit. So what is it?"

The woman sat down at table and he took a seat across from him as sat as well. "Well, I've been somewhat... concerned over the events of today. I have heard rumors among the staff that magical items have been failing all over the Academy. Some say that even the walls themselves have weakened!" She looked off to the side with a worried expression. "Is the Academy vulnerable?"

Ah, of course. Jean had been too busy with everything today to properly deal with the staff. It was natural that there would be some concern with all the strange things that had happened today. "Don't worry, I assure you that it is not the case. Yes, while it is true that there was some kind of... event which has disrupted magical items across the academy, we are in no danger. The teachers are competent enough to repel any threat that may come." He glance down at the book he had taken and found that it was an historical account of the life of Brimir rather than the one he intended to get. Ah well, he thought before flipping it open. He wasn't going to pay much attention to it anyway with Miss Longueville in front of him.

"But we could be such a tempting target if anyone found out!" she insisted. "What of the vault in the central tower Professor Colbert? Is it vulnerable as well?"

"Firstly, please call me Jean." he said with a smile before it faded and he shifted a little uncomfortably. "And, well, yes it technically is. But even in its current state, it is still protected by powerful and ancient magics." he said quickly, flipping another page. "The locks on the vault are some of the most intricate in all of Halkeginia, and it would take a truly tremendous amount of force if anyone thought of simply smashing their way though."

Longueville tilted her head curiously at this. "Why would someone do that?"

"Oh, well, if the vault has any real weakness, I would say that it might have problems dealing with raw, brute force." He replied without thinking before waving his hands in front of him. "Not that anyone knows that! So no one would certainly try it!"

The secretary looked unconvinced, giving that man a shy look. "I don't know... Pro- Jean, if someone did come meaning us harm, you would protect me, wouldn't you?"

Jean drew himself up in his chair. "Madam, you can count on me. Even in the unlikely event that some scoundrel appears, I shall not let a thing happen to you. Besides, the devices and walls that still have enchantments on them are recovering as we speak. It will be no more than a few days before everything is back to normal."

She paused for a moment before giving him a warm smile. "Thank you, Jean. I really needed to hear that." She got up from the table. "Perhaps we could talk again later."

"I would enjoy that." Jean said, ignoring the slight fluttering in his stomach. It had been a very long time since he had spoken with a woman like this.

With that she turned away, Jean's gaze drifting slightly farther downward than what would generally be considered appropriate. He shook his head and turned his gaze back to the book in front of him, wondering if he should just call it a night. However, as his eyes idly glance over the random page he flipped to, a certain passage caught his eye.

Brimir's Familiars

As the Founder is known for his creation of the Familiar Summoning Ritual (among many other feats), the subject of his own Familiars is much less well known. There were two notable things that put Birmir apart in this regard. The first was that he had four familiars. The second was that rather than being a mighty magical beast or some common animal, these familiars were human. While one might question the worth of having a human as such, the Familiar Runes inscribed on their persons granted them great power and abilities beyond that of normal men.

Jean blinked dumbly at the words in front of him before giving a laugh at his luck. Yes! Now I remember! Brimir's familiars were human! That mean's Georgius isn't the first human summon. The professor read further to get more details and found drawings of the runes of each familiar the Founder had. Jean thought for a moment before mentally cursing himself for not looking for the runes on Georgius's person (to be fair, he had many distractions at the time). Still he had seen the glow coming from beneath the soldier's left gauntlet before Louise fell into his arms. If he had them, they were probably there.

And if that was the case, that would make him the Gandalfr, the Shield and Left Hand of God. A guardian meant to protect their summoner, and whose might and skill was said to be able to defeat armies. Jean felt his excitement rise at this prospect. He would have to check to be sure, but if it was true that meant a great opportunity for study. They first human summoned in 6000 years! That made Louise the only person aside from Brimir who could-

The last piece fell into place in Jean's head, and his excitement turned into shock. There were a number of things which had made the Founder the mythic figure that he was: he brought together the scattered tribes of humanity to start civilization, he created the Familiar Summoning Ritual, he even created the system of magic that allowed mages to cast beyond the most basic level of spells. But the main reason he was so revered (and feared) was that he wielded the holy Void element. Different from the standard four of fire, earth, water, and wind, the power of the Void was a magnitude greater than anything they had achieved even after 6000 years of study. So, if a familiar was supposed to represent your elemental alignment, and the last person who had a human familiar was the Founder, then that meant Louise…

Jean slammed the book shut, grabbing it and bolting out of the library back towards Old Osmund's office.

Siesta looked over at Georgius with some concern as the two of them washed clothes in the washing bins. The man had said little to nothing ever since they had gone outside and he looked up at the sky. He instead seemed to be deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he absentmindedly scrubbed clothes against a washboard. She didn't know what was wrong, but she did know that she wanted to help. He had been nothing be nice to her ever since she met him earlier that day, something she would have never expected from a Lord. Well, ex-Lord if what he said was true, but still, even those cast out of the nobility were hardly better in temperament than those who were still in power. Georgius was so unlike them that he was almost like a character from a piece of fiction. Her mind started drawing comparison between him and Captain Roberval, the main character of the novel she was reading, The Corsair and the Unbridled Tempest. Both were such dashing and honorable figures, and it wasn't hard to imagine Georgius swinging down on a rope from his airship, taking Siesta up in his arms, then taking her back to his cabin to-

The maid's face began to blush violently as she completed that train of thought. Siesta's preferred choice of reading material did not exactly spare any details when it came the things that happened behind closed doors (and though she would never admit it to anyone, it was the primary reason she bought them).

"Siesta? Are you alright?" Georgius asked her, choosing now of all times to start paying attention.

"I-It's nothing! I'm fine!" She insisted, trying very hard not to think about her favored genre of literature. "I'm just worried about you! You've been so quiet since we came outside."

The man gave a small sigh. "Ah, I am sorry. I've just had to think. Siesta, this may seem like a strange question, but have there always been two moons?"

"Eh?" She said, confused at the indeed strange question. "Of course. Why wouldn't there be?"

"Because where I come from, there is only one."

She perked up a little at that. "My grandfather used to say there was only one moon where he was from as well, though I don't see how that is even possible."

Georgius once again looked up at the sky with a frown. "I cannot be sure, but my best guess for the time being is that I have somehow been summoned to the far side of the Fey Lands."

"Fey Lands?"

"Fey. You know, fairies, sprites, elves-"

"Really?!" Siesta said once more in shock. Little was known of the Holy Land to the east where the Elves resided, and even less about the lands beyond that. Ever since the Elven race had declared hostilities against humanity and drove them out of Brimir's ancestral home, going there had become tantamount to suicide. "Do you think that my grandfather came here the same way you did?"

"Well, if he is from the same place I was, which I suspect is the case, then it is likely. It's possible that he had never said anything because he thought no one would believe him." The man replied, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he said this.

"Well, whatever the case, what can you tell me about his homeland?" Siesta asked with some excitement. "Grandfather never spoke of it much."

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to tell you unless you could give me the specific name of the country. The world is very large and though I am well-traveled I am afraid even then I do not know of every land in the world."

"Oh," She said in disappointment. "I'm afraid I don't know. I remember that he said some things about the trees, the people, how there were no nobles…" Siesta paused when a thought came to her. "Um, Mr. Georgius? I have to ask, can you use magic?" Her Grandfather had said that magic was incredibly rare back where he had come from, and while the maid generally used the word 'noble' as a synonym with the word 'mage', it was possible that Georgius did not have magic. In Germania, it was possible for a commoner with enough wealth to buy the title.

"You can just call me Georgius. And no, I cannot. Unlike this land, the nobility where I came from do not have to know magic to be considered as such."

Ah, maybe that's why he seemed so different from the nobles here, she thought to herself. Then again, he had said it himself that he wasn't even a noble any more. "So, if you aren't a noble, and you can't use magic, what does that make you?" she said out loud before wincing, cursing herself for asking such an uncouth question.

The man paused his washing to look at her before looking off to the side in thought. "A man of God." He eventually replied. His gaze fell on his armor, which he had taken off and put to the side before he had begun his work. "A soldier." After another moment's pause, he finished with "And a knight."

Siesta's heart fluttered a little at that. Of course the man before her was a knight. They were said to be the most honorable and upright men in all the world. Given how obvious it was that Georgius was a military man, she was surprised that she had not thought of it sooner. Still, even with this fact, given the recent revelations she had learned about him, he seemed more… relatable now. Without magic or titles, he was more like a commoner, like herself. "So, is that why you swore an oath of service to the Lady Françoise? And why you're willing to do her laundry?"

Georgius looked slightly confused at this before grabbing another piece of clothing and saying "Well, yes, but that's not the only reason. It is good for a man to do simple work every once and a while, to remind him of humility." He gave a smile. "Besides, laundry is something I actually know how to do. Considering how much time I spent on the road, I would have spent most of it smelling something foul if I never washed my own clothes."

Siesta was about to respond when she noticed the garment in Georgius's hand. "Um, I believe you need to wash that more gently."

The man blinked before holding up what were now his master's torn underthings. His face went red and he looked off to the side embarrassed. "…to be fair, I am used to dealing with fabric somewhat stronger than this."

The maid gave the man a smile and moved closer to show him how to handle the softer fabrics. The fact that this allowed her to get physically closer to the knight that had been to kind to her all day was completely coincidental.

A/N: This chapter feels a little… patchwork to me. I wish I could get it to flow a bit smoother, but there were some thing I wanted to get out of the way, and this was the best time for them to happen.

Also, fun fact to keep in mind: What Siesta and George consider a 'knight' to be are surprisingly different. As in, the difference between a 12th century European knight and a knight of the Roman Empire.