"Are you sure that is all you'll need?" Georgius asked as he and Louise made their way out to the Academy stables. The last two days had passed fairly quickly, with only their sporadic and clandestine meetings with the Musketeer captain to make them any different. Mostly they had discussed simple details of how they were supposed to behave, who they would be talking to when they reached their destination, and how they would ensure the Staff's delivery into the Royal Vaults. For now, all that was left was to join the Royal Envoy before they left. Of course, as the lot had come in on horses, that meant that they needed one of their own as well. Such as it was, even though both would be riding on the same animal, they were packing fairly light. Each carried their own small sack of clothes on their backs, but the soldier also had a large sack he carried by his side.

"Of course it is, stop fussing." Louise replied. "I have made trips to the capital before, so I know how much I need, and I can get things laundered when I get there. Normally I would be taking more, but for a mission such as this, I shall suffer for the sake of mobility." She spared a glance over at the sack that Georgius carried. "By the way, what are you taking? I wasn't aware you had any possessions other than your armor or sword."

Georgius hefted the bag at his side. "Well, I let it slip to Siesta that I was going on a small trip today, and she insisted on making me something to eat before I left. Though I think she vastly overestimated how much I can eat in one sitting." Judging by the weight of the thing, both he and his master would eat well tonight, and probably have some left over for tomorrow. "As for the rest, I borrowed some clothes from the serving staff here." He replied. It had been a little awkward the first night he had gotten here since he had no change of clothes, but after the incident with Fouquet they had been grateful enough to lend him a few pieces of more casual wear as a form of thanks. "I may wear this armor of mine quite a bit, but I do have to take it off at some point."

Louise paused for a moment before a blush crossed her face and she looked off to the side, a hint of embarrassment crossing her features. "Yes, well… perhaps while we are in the city I can see to it that you are more properly outfitted. You may be a familiar, but it won't do you have you borrowing commoner clothing."

The soldier gave a small hum at this. It seems my master is becoming more aware that she has responsibility in regards to those in her charge, Georgius thought to himself. It was a good sign all things considered, as from what little he had learned of her family told him that they ruled over a sizable portion of the nation. In all likelihood Louise would be in a position of leadership as she became older, and it was good for her learn the burden of being the one in charge, even if it only started with her making sure to provide her familiar which basic amenities. "Thank you." He said regardless.

"Yeah, just make sure that's all you get him." A voice spoke up from Georgius's side. The man looked down to see Derflinger rattling around in his sheath. "We don't need you buying partner here any other weapons and confusing him over which one to use. I'm the only one he needs!"

Louise's eyebrow twitched. "And I need to not hear the ranting of a delusional talking sword!"

"Hey! I take off-mph! Mrmrp mrrph!" The sword began to say before he was cut off by the soldier ramming the hilt back down. It was probably too early for the two to be speaking after the last… incident. Derflinger claiming that he personally knew the messiah figure of Louise's religion did not do well for the girl's mental wellbeing. It became especially bad when the sword began going into detail of the man's… less divine aspects, the fact that he was somewhat of a lecher first among them. There was much screaming that followed this, and by the time Louise had calmed down she had decided both that the blade was simply senile and to not believe a word it said. Georgius supposed he couldn't blame her; he imagined that he would do much the same thing if someone had told him such tales of Christ.

A frown crossed his face as his mind drifted to the subject religion. When he had first arrived he had made a mental note to investigate 'Founderism' as it was called, but that goal had drifted to the side of the road ever since the attack on the Academy. All he knew so far is that there was a vastly powerful mage named Brimir who created the civilization that dwelled in this land, and he had claimed to do so under the will of God. Well, that and this particular society venerated magic and those who wielded it above all else. That alone was enough for Georgius to disapprove, but his situation was one he had not experienced before: He did not know how to approach the problem.

True he had acted as a missionary in his travels and it would bring him pleasure to do so again in these lands, but he was the only person who even knew of Christianity in this world. He had not his scriptures to guide him, or anything that would let others know that he spoke the truth (he imagined that the Apostle Thomas would have some things to say about that). In addition, he was unsure what to do with the existing Church. Should he try to convince its members that some of its edicts were wrong? Or should he instead decry it completely and not involve them at all? And all of this was to say nothing of his obligations to Louise.

Georgius shook his head to clear his thoughts. He simply didn't know enough to act correctly as of yet. Perhaps when he was in the capital again he would learn more of the Church and gain a better understanding of how he should proceed. For the time being, he brought his attention back to the present just as he and Louise entered the stables, and he found Captain Agnès waiting for them. "Good, you're here. The rest of the envoy is ready to go and waiting by the main gate."

"Not that I mind, but should we even bother taking horses?" Louise asked, glancing at cloudy mare that she favored. "The caravan won't be going terribly fast, and I am sure that the Staff will be more secure if we were riding on the cart with it."

The captain shook her head. "This mission is meant to be a secret and that goes double for your involvement. We can't let it look like you're guarding something specific, so we need to reinforce the idea that you're just along for the company. As well, horses will help you get around faster is something does happen." She glanced over at Georgius. "You do know how to ride a horse don't you?" She asked, clearly not sure if he had been just an infantryman during his military service.

The man replied with a small smile and said "Actually, I am a knight."

However, Agnès just raised an eyebrow at this. "Very impressive, but you know that doesn't guarantee that you actually know how to ride a horse, right?"

The soldier had to pause for a moment to try to understand the question. He failed. "I… what? How can you say that? Riding a horse is the core of being a knight. The name derives from it!"

The other woman simply looked at him with an ached eyebrow. "Ah. You really are that old fashioned, aren't you? Anyway, I'll just take that as a yes." She gestured, and a still confused Georgius shook his head and began saddling the brown stallion. Agnès began to walk further down into the stables before she turned to look back at the pair. "Oh, and remember that we need to act like we never had this conversion." She said before she disappeared around a corner.

Georgius frowned after her for a moment before he turned to his master. "Why would she think that knights and horses are unrelated?"

"I'm not sure what it's like where you come from, but in Halkeginia knights usually ride something more impressive than a mere horse." Louise said as she held her hand up to count her fingers. "Dragons, griffins, manicores, things like that. The only knights I know of that ride horses with any kind of regularity are the Musketeers, and they are very much in the minority."

Georgius blinked at this. "This land is very strange…" he muttered to himself before he went back to tending to his steed.

A short while later the two were walking to the main gate, Georgius and Louise leading their horses by the reins. Before they reached it however, they stumbled on another pair that happened to cross their path.

"So you're saying that he comes from a society where magic is not used by the ruling class?" Miss Longueville asked, her brow slightly furrowed as she walked.

"So he says," Professor Colbert replied with a nod. "I have not had the chance to speak with him on the matter much, but I have my own theories as to-" the man cut himself off as he noticed the other two. "Oh, hello Sir Georgius! We were just speaking of you. I hope you don't mind, but Miss Longueville expressed curiosity in your origins. Now that you're here though, I am sure you can give a better explanation yourself."

Before Georgius could respond to this, the secretary spoke up. "Ah, that won't be necessary." She said, sounding slightly nervous. "I am sure that the good familiar is a very busy man. However, if you really want to be rid of my company so soon…"

"No, of course not! I didn't mean that at all!" The professor said frantically. "I simply meant, uh, that if you wanted a more direct and accurate source-"

She cut him off with a sigh, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Relax, Jean. I was merely making fun. You really do need to get out of the library more often." She glanced back at Georgius, and her eyes narrowed slightly at the horses behind him. "So, are you going somewhere?"

"Yes." He said with a nod. "You were correct in your assumption that that I have matters to attend to at the moment. My master wishes to visit the capital, so we are heading out with the Royal Envoy."

The woman's body became still at this, and her eyes widened slightly. "Y-you are?" she asked. "Are you going to be travelling with them all the way to the capital, perchance?"

"Yes, it is a most convenient arrangement." Louise said, and she looked at Longueville curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, no reason." She said with a wave of her hand, though the motion had a stiffness to it. She turned to the professor before saying "Ah, drat, I just remembered something I forgot to do. We'll talk again later." And without another word she turned and left the group.

"Oh! Well, I'll see you later then!" Professor Colbert called after her awkwardly. Georgius's gaze followed for her as well, a small frown on his face. Before he could think on the woman's behavior though, Colbert spoke to him and his master. "Yes, well, if you truly are going on a trip, then I am glad I caught you. There is a request I would like to ask of you before you depart. I have been meaning to ask it of you for the past several days, but… things have been trying to say the least."

Louise arched an eyebrow at this, unsure of how to handle a teacher requesting something of a student in such a manner. "Very well… what do you want?"

"I wish for you to cast your translation spell on myself." The girl blinked in surprise and Colbert continued. "Though we haven't spoken of it since I first learned of it, I am still very interested in the spell's potential. Though I would prefer to study it in depth, I understand that you have your own duties as well as your own studies that will be starting again soon. However, if you could cast the spell on me now I can at least make some observations on my own."

"Uh…" Louise said, her posture suddenly drooping and her demeanor becoming timid. "I am not certain that is wise. I've only done it once, and there might be… side effects."

Such as being in the center of a small concussive blast, Georgius thought to himself, but Colbert was undeterred. "I understand the spell is in its infancy, but I am still willing to be subjected to it."

However, Louise was not convinced, and she stood up straighter. "Perhaps another time. I would like to be sure I got it right before I made the attempt." She said, more forcefully than might have been necessary.

Georgius looked at his master curiously. "Surely you could spare a few moments to try. It might not succeed, but-"

"No." Louise said sharply, and her voice took on a small edge. "I said I shall do so later."

"Why-"

Louise spun on him, anger in her eyes. "This matter is closed, familiar! We need to be leaving and you're holding us up over something pointless! Now come along!" she all but shouted before she walked to the gate, leading her own horse with a sharp pull.

Georgius looked after her confused for a moment before his face settled into a frown. He glanced at the professor and gave him a gesture before he hurried after the pink haired girl. He didn't have to go far as the horse was resisting being pulled so forcefully. "Louise, is there something wrong?" He asked.

"Everything's fine." She snapped. "I just don't feel like casting a spell that will probably blow up anyway."

"Even so, that does not mean that you should not try." He replied. "Practice is important after, and the man is willing, so even if it does explode-"

"I don't want it to explode!" She shouted as she whirled on him. "I don't want it to be like every other spell I've ever cast! I want it to actually work the way it's supposed to!"

Georgius leaned back from her outburst, and remained silent for a moment as the pieces started to connect in his head. "Louise…" he said slowly. "I think it is time that you told me just what you meant when you said that you wanted me to be your 'first actual success'."

Louise glared at him from a few moments before she gave an angry sigh, and her tone took on a hint of bitterness. "It means what it sounds like," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and she looked off to the side. "I can't cast spells. Not real spells, anyway. Anytime I try it just explodes instead."

"So the term Zero is derogatory…" that man said half to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly. He would have to see if he could do something about that in the future.

Louise's hands tightened into fists. "Yes. Louise the Zero, because she can cast Zero spells."

"That isn't true though." He pointed out. "You summoned myself, and successfully managed to cast your translation spell on me… even if it didn't go how you intended. Which is to say nothing of the golem."

"The golem was just a convenient application for my normal failure." She said dismissively. "And the other two were just flukes."

"Is that all I am to you? A fluke?" Georgius said with mock hurt.

Louise rolled her eyes at this, but she still said "You're a much better familiar than I thought you were at first, I'll give you that. But even as competent as you are, you're still just a human. And I was trying to make you shut up with that spell, not fail so hard I wrapped all the way around to success!" She threw up her hands in exasperation. "It's better than nothing I guess, but…"

"But what? I still don't see why it is you do not want to try again right now. If you do the same thing as last time I'm sure you'll get the same result."

The girl looked up at him with an expression of frustration. "But I don't want the same result! I don't care if it would work out in the end, it's still just fluke I've tricked into being something useful. This translation magic is the one thing I have that proves I can use real magic and it still came from an accident." She sighed and looked at the ground. "You can't understand. You're not a mage. I just… I want this one thing to be RIGHT."

Georgius was silent for a long moment before he said "Ah, I see." It wasn't about the result. More than anything else, Louise wanted to be noble, and in this land that meant being a proper mage. To her, the ability to weave magic to her will is what gave a person their nobility. Even though Georgius knew that it wasn't true, she believed it with all of her heart, and to reach a result by using improper magecraft was the equivalent to being a brute in fine clothing. What she really wanted was one real spell. "Very well. Then cast the spell normally."

She looked up at him confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Cast the translation spell intentionally. Don't try to replicate what you did with me and instead make the spell do what you actually will it to do."

"W-what?!" Louise said in shock. "I-I can't just make up a new spell on the spot! Developing new spells is a process that can take weeks or even months! My elder sister does it for a living and even she couldn't come up anything so fast! I don't even know where to start as far as the chant is concerned!"

"In my experience, while the words to a spell are important, they are only so to the one doing the casting." Georgius replied. "Different people can use different words to achieve the same results. The important thing is that you believe in what you are doing. Conviction and belief are the most important things to working your will upon the World."

Louise narrowed her eyes a bit at him. "You said you weren't a mage."

He looked off to the side. "Yes, well… let's just say that I was exposed to magic a great deal at a young age."

The girl gave him an almost suspicious look and she opened her mouth as if to ask something. However, a moment later she thought better of it and shook her head. "I don't know…" she said uncertainly. "I've barely managed anything magical my whole life. Even if I've had a little success lately, why would I now…" she trailed off.

Georgius let out a small sigh and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the contact, and when she looked up at him she saw that he was giving her one of his warm smiles. "I believe in you. Even though you don't know it yet, I can tell you that summoning me was no little success. You are a very special girl Louise, and even if you may stumble and fall today, someday I am sure the world will know just how special you are too."

Louise's face turned bright red at this and she sputtered, turning around so that the man couldn't see her face. She spent a few moments taking deep breaths to calm herself down before she said "W-well… when you put it like that, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to try."

"Glad to hear it." Georgius said, and the two of them made their way back over to the professor, who was waiting patiently where they had left him. "It would seem that my master has changed her mind."

"Excellent!" Colbert said with a smile. "I am ready whenever you are." Though he kept his tone cheerful, Georgius didn't fail to notice the man's body tense up as if he was expecting an attack.

Louise raised her wand and pointed at the professor, though she paused to take a last look back at Georgius uncertainly. He gave her the most encouraging smile he could and she turned back forward, letting out a breath. Then, she began to chant.

It was a strange thing for Georgius to listen to. She spoke it softly and he couldn't make out the words, and yet he could still feel the meaning behind them, the intent to bring understanding. His left hand tingled as she spoke, and he brief wondered if other familiars felt something similar when their masters cast spells.

After many seconds of chanting, Louise pointed her wand at the professor and finished her incantation. "Translate."

Several motes of light rippled upward from the ground around Colbert and twirled about him. The man closed his eyes on reflex, expecting the worse. However, in an instant the motes disappeared and all was still. The man cracked open an eye after a second and peered around. After finding himself not being hurled through the air, he finally allowed himself to relax and he let out the breath he was holding.

However, tension still filled Louise's body. "Did it work?" She asked, still cautious about getting her hopes up.

"I am… not sure." The professor said with a frown. "There was a moment of lightheadedness, but I feel nothing now. I suppose I will have to find someone who speaks a language I do not understand."

Georgius took the initiative, and spoke in the native language of Gaul. "Can you understand what I am saying?"

"Of course I can. Why wouldn't I?" The man replied in confusion, but after a few seconds he blinked and his eyes went wide. Geogius gave him a smile and nodded, and the professor said "I-I didn't even notice that you had switched languages! Amazing! The interpretation is so advanced it becomes seemly identical to the recipient's native tongue! It took a conscious effort on my part to remember the actual words being used! I have to experiment with this!" The man abruptly turned and started to jog away from them, but he didn't get very far before he gave a start and hurried back to the other two and bowed. "Thank you so much, Miss Françoise!" he said before he hurried of again.

The two watched him walk away and Georgius gave his master a sidelong glance. She had a stunned look on her face, like she couldn't believe what had just happened. "So," he said. "Did you think it came out 'Right'?"

In response, she looked at him and gave him a grin that outshined the sun.

Longueville walked calmly through the gardens of the Vestai court, letting absolute nothing perturb her serenity till she reached her destination. Not the fact that, against all odds, that impossible familiar just happened to be going along with the caravan she needed to rob. Not the fact that if she failed again it could mean terrible things for those back home. And certainly not the fact that some gardeners were yelling at her because she was literally walking through the gardens. She didn't stop until she reached that small shed she had used back when she tried to steal the Staff the first time.

She entered it and closed the door behind her. She took a quick moment to look around and make sure that there was no one in there with her. She then took a deep breath.

"FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-!"

Guiche turned his head to the side. "Did you hear some sort of noise that sounded like combination of rage and despair?"

"No, but you know what else I'm not hearing?" Montmorency said with a twitch of her eyebrows. "You begging for forgiveness for cheating on me, like you should be doing at this very moment."

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"So… what are they doing now?" Kirche asked Tabatha for what must have been the 5th time.

"Riding." The girl replied plainly after giving her friend a flat look.

"Well, how am I supposed to know? It's hard to see from up here." The red head said with pout, leaning back as much as she dared on Sylphid's back. The woman had once again bothered Tabitha for the use of her dragon to spy on the man of her affection, and now the two of them were high in the air over the Tristain country side.

Normally the blue haired girl wouldn't have minded much, but she didn't want her friend getting in the habit of using her as a chauffeur for romantic excursions. "Wait till he gets back?" she suggested.

"Of course not!" Kirche said with a huff. "Try as I might I have not been able to get the man alone. You would think that with classes out I would have plenty of time to corner him or lure him into my room, but he has thus far proven infuriatingly elusive. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he was avoiding me… There must be a reason for it."

"Not interested?"

Kirche rolled her eyes. "I meant a reason that's actually believable." she replied, the idea that a man would not be interested in her completely unthinkable at her age. "In any case, I am tired of waiting! If I cannot bring him to me, that I shall simply go to him!"

Tabitha shook her head and turned back to her target, looking at him through the lens of distorted air she had created with her magic. She still thought that this was a little excessive, but if she had been forced to admit it, she was still curious about the situation she was viewing. Georgius and Louise had apparently joined the Royal Envoy once they had left the gate and now the group was traveling together. Louise's ties to the princess of Tristain were not terribly well known, but a person like Tabitha was always in a position to know more than most. It could have been just as simple that her classmate was traveling to see the Princess, and thus traveling with the Royal Envoy was sensible course of action. Still, some part in the back of Tabitha's mind nagged at her to be sure.

Just because Tabitha spent most of her time with her head in a book didn't mean that she didn't observe. Quite the contrary, she was very good at observing her surroundings. She had training from a very young age to let her pick up details while going unnoticed, and part of that training was telling her that something else was at work. Her own natural intelligence drove her to make sense of everything she saw, to connect all the threads into the big picture. And right now she felt that she was missing a thread, and it scratched at the back of her mind.

Her gaze through the lens unconsciously shifted, looking at the man Louise had summoned. He was altogether a different problem. He was a thread out of place. Try as she might, Tabitha couldn't find the correct context to fit him in to her worldview, not his behavior or his origins. He was new… outside… different. A man like him could easily disrupt the balance of things if they find themselves in just the right place or time. Give him a cause and there was no telling what would happen. So, Tabitha was more than willing to put up with Kirche being herself if it meant she could also keep an eye on her little 'outside context' problem.

Tabitha blinked as something new came in view. "Caravan." She said.

"Really?" Kirche said before she leaned towards the air lens to have a look for herself (this of course ended up with her looming over Tabitha with her chest resting on the smaller girl's head, but Tabitha suffered it like any friend would). "Hmm... I think I remember now. There was supposed to be a convoy from traveling from Germania's Western Provence to Tristania, making a circuit through this area soon. My mother mentioned it in passing in her last letter due to some dealings she had with them."

The two watched in silence as the Envoy reached the sizable chain in wagons and what the pair could only assume were the leaders of the respective groups met each other and conversed. Tabitha would have liked to hear that conversation, and normally she could have using more air magic, but doing so among the fast winds created by riding a dragon were tricky at best. In any case, it only lasted for a few moments before the Envoy leader looked back and waved his hand and the rest group pulled up alongside the caravan. A few moments later the merged procession was underway, slowly making their way to the capital.

"How odd." Kirche said. "I don't suppose-" The girl cut herself off when the image refocused on Georgius to find him looking straight in their direction, a small frown on his face. "Oh my. Do you think he can see us?"

"Possible." Tabitha admitted. They were a ways away, but it was a fairly clear day and Sylphid was much larger than any bird that might have been in the sky.

"Well, I supposed that settles it then. We're just going to have to go down there and see what the fuss is about!" Kirche said with a nod, though her self-satisfied expression wavered a bit when Sylphid lurched slightly. "Hey! Why can't you keep still?"

Tabitha frowned and tried to pat the dragon reassuring on the neck. Sylphid was still nervous around the soldier for reasons she had yet to fathom, and did not like the idea of getting closer to him. "Risky. Don't know what's going on."

"Oh don't make it sound so ominous." Kirche scoffed. "It's probably nothing important. Beside, I'm sure once the caravan leader knows what family I'm from he'll let us come along for the ride. Now, let descend so that love may follow its due course!"

Tabitha sighed, but she started trying to coax her dragon down the ground all the same. Something about the situation didn't sit right with her, and she wouldn't find out more from up here. She just hoped that she wasn't getting involved in something more dangerous than she thought.

Reynard's men were bored. This did not bode well for the leader of a band of brigands. Boredom lead to dissatisfaction, which lead to the men thinking that things might be better if they were in charge of the group, and several steps later Reynard was hanging another man by his entrails to remind everyone why that line of thought was a bad idea. Sure it would cure the boredom for a while, but it also reduced the workforce, and that was just bad for efficiency.

The man let out a sigh as he leaned back against the wall, watching his men mull about in the tavern basement that they called home at the moment. He was more than willing to give them some action, but there was nothing good to be had around these parts anymore. They already picked clean the small village they were holed up in, and any of the other local towns were too big from them to hit. Sure, they made do with the occasional highway robbery, but those had been getting far and few in between these days. Damn it. Maybe I should have just let my parents marry me to that horse face girl, Reynard thought to himself. But no… I had to say 'to hell with that' and try my luck in the world. I could really use some of that luck right now…

"Hey boss!" Reynard looked over to see Galad, his second, walking over to him. "Thought you might wanna know, that little doohickey of yours is blinking."

The gang leader blinked before getting out of his chair and walking to his makeshift 'office'. On his desk just like Galad said, the windstone embedded in the copper and silver amulet was slowly glowing bright then dimming. The device was a very clever piece of artifice, if Reynard did say so himself. The amulet had a corresponding twin, and when a small amount of wind magic was channeled into it, the other would glow no matter how far away it was. It was only able to blink, but he imagined that if circumstances were different he could have gotten into a magic research academy with it. However, there was still cause for celebration, as the person he had given the other amulet to was a very prominent member of their profession, and he would only be contacting them for one thing.

Reynard grinned and turned back to the main room. "Pack up boys! We've got a job!"

A/N: I… am not terribly satisfied with this chapter. It has some moments, but to me it was mostly a chapter to set up where everyone would be and why they were there. It serves its purpose, but I wish I could have gotten on with things a bit faster.

On a side note, just to remind people, the translation spell that George is under is cause speople to hear the word 'knight' when he is actually saying 'eques', as from the 'ordo equestor'. Basically, if you had a horse and were in the military in his days, you were knight.

One last thing which I feel the need to gripe about. I was looking on the Familiar of Zero wikia to do some research and I found something in Agnès's profile which pissed me off. Do you know what the first line of the personality section, and subsequently the third line of the whole article is?

"According to Siesta, it is rumored that she is lesbian."

Really? Are you seriously telling me that this is the first bit of information I need to know about this character before everything else? The fact that her home town was burned down or what her relationships with the other characters were aren't as important as the fact that she might be a lesbian? Whoever wrote that needs his goddamn priorities set straight, the misogynistic prick.

Till next time.