The Author is in the process of changing workplace, so there might be some delay in publishing in the mean time, but hopefully not more than a week at a time.

Arc 5: Blessing from the Bottom of the Lake

Chapter 15: The Cursed Family

"Hey, do you know, about the war."

"Of course I do; no one in this country wouldn't! An unseen creature appeared and wiped out Albion's entire fleet, saving Tristain from the crisis; like the stuff of legend."

"Yes, that's something everyone knows. I'm not talking about that. I mean the rumor about the cause of the war."

"The Crown Prince Wales of Albion escaped to Tristain, was it?"

"That's not the only thing. They said a noble from Tristain helped him escape and brought him here. And it wasn't just any noble, but one from La Vallière!"

"One of the top five families? Why would someone from such a distinguished family do something so stupid?"

"That's the thing. It's just a rumor, but if we're talking about rumors, and we're talking about La Vallière, there is one more coming to mind, isn't it?"

"What is it?"

"That the La Vallière household was 'cursed by a devil'."

"Oh, that. They haven't been talking about that much the past two years, but any time in the past decade everyone would hear about it one way or another. Supposedly, they were a distinguished household with close ties to the royal family, but were met with misfortunes one after another, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"I know that much but...what were those misfortunes exactly?"

"The women of La Vallière; they were talked about all over Tristain, both by nobles and commoners, that the eldest daughter was inhumanly cruel, so much so that her fiancé called off the engagement."

"Huh, isn't that exaggerating? Calling off an engagement is big, but not that rare."

"That's not the only thing! The youngest daughter can't use magic at all! Not even a little! Even though both parents are skilled mages. That has never happened in the entire history of Halkeginia! And then the middle daughter, she had the worst of them, ...*whisper*"

"Haah!? That...Then, that she hadn't come outside for the past few years was because..."

"That's right! Even the duchess herself was *whisper*..."

"Oo...! How dreadful...!"

"These are all rumors. If we ignore them, La Vallière is an influential noble household, trusted by the royal family, regarded highly by the society. But...if those rumors are true..."

"The seemingly senseless decision this time would also has some truth in it. Hmm~ Just the fact that there are people speaking about them in that way is damaging enough to their honor; if they were also a cause of the recent war... But those are just gossips, aren't they. Devils are things of myth. They were never proven to exist."

"That's true. If they do, the whole La Vallière family would have hunted them down and mount their heads on their walls by the fireplace by now!"

"So the thing about the 'devil's curse' is just their attempt to direct the blame to mythical beings?"

"Could be, could be not. Rumors have ways to spring up on their own, with how imaginative people's mind can get. Of course, it's entirely possible such a big family would have a few skeletons in their closet..."

"Either way, the La Vallières must be in quite a tight spot now. And just when people are starting to forget about those rumors, too."

{...}

Siesta: "Ah, Luka-san."

"Hm? Oh, Siesta."

Siesta is at the bottom of the stairs I has just walked up from.

Siesta: "Luka-san, you're going to clean Ms. Vallière's room, aren't you? Do you want me to help?"

"It's okay, I'm used to it. You already have a lot more work than I do."

Siesta: "You really are diligent. I mean, you were involved in such a big battle, but when you got back you have to do chores for Ms. Vallière like usual without rest..."

"It's not that bad. I was already used to doing housework before I got here. This is normal for people in this country, and I have no problem with it, so there's no reason to change it."

Technically, I am on Louise's house's payroll, since I use the school's facilities, which are paid by her family's money. That sounds reasonable enough to me, but Siesta's smile is dry.

Siesta: "I see. Ms. Vallière is her usual self..."

"Eh, hm, I guess you could say that..." Not counting the few times she looked very deep in thought about something, and wouldn't tell me what it was about, that is.

I don't think it had anything to do with her hating monsters. Well, she hadn't said anything about that either...Haa...

"Louise is as usual, yeah...But others are being pretty normal over this too, aren't they, like nothing happened. I thought they would be more freaked out..." Their country was almost conquered, after all.

Siesta: "That is...probably because wars happen often. A large one like this time is the first time since I was born, but small ones happen almost every year."

"So it's that common..."

Now that I think about it, there have been some bickering back home as well. Humans and monsters, monsters and monsters, humans and humans, though none of them ever escalated enough to be called a war.

But what happened here wasn't just a 'bickering'. They clearly intended to conquer this country. Good thing we managed to drive them back.

There it is, Louise's room. I didn't realize we've been talking that long. I didn't think Siesta would follow me up here either.

"Then I'll go clean Louise's room."

Siesta: "You really don't want me to help? Please don't be a stranger."

"Yeah, the room is small; I'll finish it in no time. You have a lot to do already."

Siesta: "If you say so...I actually want to repay Luka-san in some way, but the only thing I can do is housework..."

"Repay? What about?"

Siesta: "For saving my village, and my family."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome, but there's no need to repay me. I did it because I wanted to. And you helped me a lot during my first days here already, so we're just even."

Siesta: "No, not at all! I didn't really do much! Rather, Luka-san, it was always you that…"

"...Siesta?"

Siesta: "...Luka-san. Can I ask you about the...bird you were riding that day."

"Oh, her name is Nerian. She's actually a harpy. Well, what do you want to know?"

Siesta: "Well...You told me it hatched from the egg in the ruin near my village...Is that really true."

"Yes. At least, I'm pretty sure it is. The egg was initially buried among the ruin, but got dug up by one of the soldier's magic."

Siesta: "I see... So, the ruin is related to the...harpy?"

"Well, I didn't really have time to check, but I don't think I would know even if I did. I don't know a thing about archeology."

Siesta: "I see...And it sees you as its parents because you're the first person it saw."

"Pretty much."

...Hearing Siesta calls Nerian 'it' constantly really bugs me. Unlike Louise, she's usually gentle and polite. The fact that even Siesta of all people calls Nerian like an animal means that general public sees monsters that way too. I know that in my head already, but to see it firsthand is...upsetting.

Nerian.

I passed out while fighting Wardes. When I woke up, the war was over, with Tristain's victory. The most surprising was that Albion's fleet got obliterated by mysterious light, without anyone dying.

That mysterious light was Louise's spell, that Prince Wales talked about, I'm sure, but Louise refused to tell me anything about it.

And...it's kind of awkward to talk to Louise now, after the argument we had about Nerian.

Anyway, the problem with the fighting was solved, but I got a new one on my plate: what to do with Nerian. Prince helped me explained to the princess and other nobles that she helped take down Albion's dragon knights, and she was seen doing just that too, so it checked out.

But even so, a garuda girl is an unknown to them, and the princess said before we came back to school that the higher ups will still have to discuss what to do with her. Nerian is allowed to be with me for now thanks to Prince Wales's persuasion, and she has been living in the wood near the school the past week. But, depending on the decision by the nobles of this country, that might change...

Nerian is still injured from Wardes's spell. She just hatched so maybe she was still a bit weak when she got hit. It was really bad of me to push her; but I really couldn't think of other options at the time.

If we have to run from this country, what would we do...

Siesta: "Luka-san?"

"Huh? Ah, sorry. I was thinking about Nerian...What did you say?"

Siesta: "Oh, I didn't really say anything, I was just thinking you looked worried."

"Yeah...I'm worried about Nerian... Siesta, you look like you're worrying about something too."

Siesta: "Oh! I let it show on my face, didn't I... I'm just...worried about you, Luka-san. You have been involved in so much dangers. The mission with Ms. La Vallière, then you were gone with her for a whole week, then it was the war right after. Now, there's this strange bird too..."

Now that she says it, the past month had been really hectic, hadn't it? It had been a long time since I was thrown into desperate situations one right after another.

"Well, you don't have to worry about Nerian, at least. She's good girl and wouldn't hurt anyone. I told you I know one like her back home, didn't I?"

Siesta: "You did, but...I'm sorry for doubting you, but it sounded so unbelievable, so..."

"I understand. I thought my home isn't so different from here, but lately I've been thinking that maybe these 'simple differences' are bigger and more complex than I first thought."

Just by not knowing monsters, the cultures here are different in the subtlest ways I couldn't have imagined until I see the proof of them.

"Hm, if—when I found a way home I could take you to see how it is like."

Siesta: "Your...home?"

"Yeah. If you see how well we—ah, humans and monsters get along, you'd know we can trust her."

Siesta: "Luka-san's...home..."

"...Are you afraid?" Siesta seems to be really mulling it over.

Siesta: "Eh? Oh! No! Not at all! Why would I be afraid of Luka-san's family!"

"...Huh? My family?" Did Siesta piece together that my family are monsters too? If so then she's really smart.

Siesta: "I will go! I will definitely go! Then, uh, I will, introduce myself to your family..."

"Ah, okay, that's great...?" Why is Siesta twisting her body? And what was she mumbling at the end?

"Ah, look at the time. I have to start cleaning soon. See you later, Siesta."

Siesta: "Oh, right, see you later."

Siesta bows once, then goes on her way.

Back home it just wasn't possible to stop some people from bowing to me like that, considering what and who I was involved with. Now that I've come to a place none of that matters, I don't want people here to be so cordial with me. But Siesta is a maid, she could just be doing that out of habit.

I guess I'll just let her do as she pleases; it's not like we'd stop being friend just because of that.

Well, enough about that, I need to clean Louise's room. This peace is hard-earned; to enjoy it I need to maintain my normal life too.

...

Normal, huh.

Am I still 'normal', though?

That sudden weakness from calling upon angel power, just what was it? It's too risky to test it now; I could end up worse than just passing out if it fails, or someone could spot me if it succeeds.

Maybe I should try to find out what exactly happened first. It seemed to have something to do with the rune letters on the back of my left hand, but I couldn't just go up to Louise and ask why the rune was blocking my angelic power.

Louise was very certain about familiar rune's effects, that they are only supposed to, to varying degrees, make the familiar more subservient to the master (Louise: "Which, looking at how you act, obviously isn't working"), and sometimes heighten intelligence (Louise: "Which, looking at how you think, obviously isn't working either."), and nothing else.

The angel power is a part of me, even if it is one that should be sealed away. As long as I still don't know what's going on, I don't feel like I can fully enjoy the peace this country has won.

{...}

'That stupid Luka, where has he gone off to? The class is about to start; he should be back already. If he is off flirting with that maid again I will...!'

...is probably what I would be thinking, if I am not so preoccupied with another troubling thought.

The war is over. I am back at the school, sitting at the same seat in the same classroom again. But my head is still filled with what happened back there: the light that ended the war.

Explosion: one of the Founder's spell. I cast it, and completely obliterated Albion's air fleet.

Though it should've been ridiculous to even imagine, I can do nothing but believe it now: I am a Void user.

Void: the power of Founder. Who would have thought that humiliating second name would come true in such an ironic, twisted form.

...I don't even know how I feel about this. Happy, yes; I've finally proven to myself I am capable of casting magic. But that happiness is paled in comparison to the plethora of worries that come with it.

Even Princess—well, she is now the Queen—said as much the other day.

Henrietta: "Louise Françoise, I heard about what happened from Lord Wales. Thank you truly for saving this country."

"That was an exaggeration, Your Highness. I did it without even knowing what would happen. It was...just a chance occurrence."

Henrietta: "But that chance occurrence had saved this country. Your heroism would normally grant you a piece of land and a title of at least a Baroness as rewards...But your power needs to be kept a secret. I am truly sorry."

"Please do not be. I did not do it for rewards. I simply wished to be of use to Princess and the motherland."

Henrietta: "I know, and that is exactly why it pains my heart that a noble as loyal as you has to hide her accomplishment. But I fear that such tremendous power will make you a target, especially as you are an adolescent girl without a partner. The greedy nobles will without a doubt try to acquire your power for themselves."

"Your reasons are sound, Princess. I am also troubled as to what I should do with this power."

Henrietta: "I believe it is best that you keep this a secret between you, me, Lord Wales, and a selected few of trustworthy vassals. Even your father, Duke de La Vallière, has no knowledge of it yet. Louise Françoise, you should forget about this and live your life normally. That will be best for everyone, including yourself. You do understand that, right?"

"...Yes, Your Highness."

Princess might be right. Such immense power causes me worry simply by having it. I had wanted to be able to use magic, but only so I could be a respectable noble like Father and Mother, not to possess such a terrifying power.

But aside from this power, I have nothing. If I do as Princess commanded: forget about it and go back to the same life I had, it would also mean going back to being Louise the Zero again. The shame of the household, the failure of society, my goals would never be reached.

I don't want that. I can't stand living like that: a worthless life. That is more terrifying than Albion's fleet, more terrifying than the villains that would try to use me and my power for their own gains.

And more than anything...If I have this power, what I have been secretly thinking that I can never do it, might actually be possible... As long as that comes true, no matter how dangerous this power is, I will use it.

...If only that is the only worry I have. I just have to have another one on my plate, aren't I. And the cause of it is off to who knows where, while I sit here, worrying about my chaotic life. Infuriating.

Speak of a devil, or rather, a keeper of one, here he comes.

Luka: "Sorry, I'm late."

"At least you know. What have you been doing?"

Luka: "Ah." He flinched. Suspicious. "I was just talking with Siesta."

My right eye twitches on its own.

"You flinched when you said it. Why was that?"

Luka: "Well, I thought...you would be angry."

"Then why did it?"

Luka: "Well...I don't know why you would be angry, and people usually answer when talked to; that's basic manners."

"And making your master wait doesn't show a lack of responsibility as a familiar?"

Luka: "I apologised, didn't I."

"Hmph, you shouldn't have done it in the first place then."

Luka: "That's too self-centered."

I am racking myself with worry, yet he still can't see it; fine, I don't have to rely on him for this. Legendary magic from Founder? Big deal, I can manage it myself. The disloyal, ungrateful dog can wags its tails at the maid or the damned bird, I don't care.

Just don't come crying to me later if you don't like my decision.

Chevreuse: "Students, please go back to your seat."

{...}

Louise is angry again. What did I do this time? This girl is so hard to please.

But her expression: she is angry, yes, but she seems to be deep in thought about something as well; something very important probably, considering how long she has been thinking.

...Is it about monsters? Why is she so hostile to monsters anyway; aren't they supposed to be thought of as myth? Doesn't that mean she never had any interaction with one, let alone anything that would drive her to hold a grudge against them?

Chevreuse: "Ms. Vallière, are you listening?"

Louise: "Y—Yes, I am."

Chevreuse: "Then what were we talking about?"

Louise: "W—Well..."

The ever diligent Louise was distracted during class; it must be really serious. I want to tell her the answer, but the teacher is watching.

The teacher watches as Louise shifts awkwardly, then clears her throat.

Chevreuse: "Ahem, since you have not been listening, I would like you to participate in an experiment. Ms. Vallière, please come to the front."

Protests fly from the students as expected.

Student (F) A: "Mrs., don't, please!"

Student (M) A: "It's going to turn out like last time!"

Student (M) B: "Louise the Zero! Don't even think about it!"

Louise stands up, and walks down to the teacher determinedly.

Chevreuse: "Ms. Vallière, we are learning about Maintain spell. I have cast Maintain on this chunk of ore. Please try using Alchemy to convert it to other matters."

Student (M) C: "That's the same as last time!"

Student (M) D: "The result's gonna be the same too! Everyone take cover!"

Geez, these people don't care about Louise's feeling at all, do they. If they're going to hide, they could just done it silently like I did. It's not like they have to compete for a spot under the table or anything.

I can't see what happens clearly from this far, but Louise is taking a long time to do it.

Louise: "Ir Aesc Del"

That's Louise's voice. Okay, close my ears.

...Nothing. No sound. Not even a little vibration.

Student (M) A: "Huh? It didn't explode?"

Student (F) B: "What happened?"

Student (F) A: "Don't tell me Louise actually succeeded?!"

Others in the classroom starts getting out of their hiding place and gathers at the front. Louise and the teacher is still in the same place, clothes not torn or covered in ash. The chunk of ore in question is still sitting on the desk, looking no different.

Chevreuse: "Ahem." The teacher's voice trembles a little. She must've been pretty nervous about how it would turn out.

Chevreuse: "This is Maintain spell. It protect matters from changes, by internal and external force, whether from decay, impact, and, as everyone have seen, it also protects matters from being converted into other matters, like explosive materials. As long as the force of the influence is less than the the power of the Maintain placed on it..."

The teacher continues her lectures among the amazed students. Was that really so incredible? I don't really get it.

But Louise doesn't seem to be listening either. She just looks at her wand and the chunk of ore. She looks even deeper in thought than earlier, and more worried.

[...]

[...][...]

"Hey, you're doing okay, right, Nerian."

Nerian: "*kweh!*"

She looks healthy enough. The forest near the school is bountiful; even someone as big as Nerian can live there just fine.

From what Louise told me, there are no dragons or other big creatures that would be dangerous to her, so I can relax while she is here. Still, coming to meet her once every few days is necessary, so she wouldn't feel neglected. The plain between the school and the forest is a good place to meet; if I have to walk all the way to the forest it would've taken too long.

Well, that's good and all, but it's still just an excuse. Garuda girls can fend for themselves the moment they hatched, not really needing care or attention so much that they can't be apart from their parents for a week or two. It's me who want to see her.

In this strange world full of things I don't know, Nerian is the only familiar sight, connecting me to the home faraway. When I'm with Nerian, the images of Alice and other monsters in my mind seem clearer than when I'm alone.

"I have to go back, no matter what."

Stroking Nerian's feathers while saying that makes the goal more real.

Nerian: "*kwee*"

She looks no different from a little bird when she rubs her cheeks against my hand like this.

"Why are they so afraid of someone this cute."

The picture is still clear in my mind. The first time Nerian went to find me at the schoolyard, there was a lot of terror and panic. The teachers ordered me to chase her away, some was even going to attack Nerian with magic, if the principal hadn't stopped them. One of the teacher called Nerian a foul beast. Just thinking about it makes me mad. But I agree with the principal that I shouldn't let Nerian into the school.

"Just because you aren't someone's familiar doesn't mean you'll hurt people, right."

Nerian: "*kweh!*"

Nerian shifts from my hands to my neck, then goes lower.

"Ah, you can't do that."

Don't reject her too harshly; just hold her head and push back lightly.

Nerian looks disappointed.

"Even if you make that face, it's still a no."

Nerian: "*kwee...*"

That voice is seriously heart-wrenching.

"Hold on for now. Once we're back home you can...uh, I will ask Tamamo for you."

Nerian: "*kweh!*"

Very clever.

Among monster, there are species that are closer to animals than people; the main point of difference being that they can't speak nor understand our language, and usually their instincts are much stronger than the 'intelligent' monsters.

But garuda girls, though they can only make bird-like sounds, can understand speech just fine. Even their cries, if listened to closely enough, can usually be interpreted like spoken words. Tamamo said that, once grew up, their intelligence will be no difference from succubi or kitsunes. They are not dangerous beasts that can't be reasoned with. They aren't even aggressive in the first place. Since she was hatched, Nerian has never even made a threatening gesture to anyone. The people at the school got scared on their own.

"Haa...The problems between humans and monsters are everywhere, aren't they."

Even this far out, where Ilias's teaching didn't reach, humans and monsters just can't get along.

I'm not giving up on Nerian; no way. But sometimes, it's just so exhausting...

{...}

That stupid Luka ran off the moment the class was over.

Just because I decided not to rely on him about Void doesn't mean I allowed him to run around the place. A familiar that doesn't stay by its master is no different from a stray animal.

"Just where had he gone off too? I swear, once I found him, he's so gonna get it!"

Oh, hey, that's the maid. I don't really want to speak to her, but there aren't many people in the school I can ask about Luka. Can't be helped.

"Hey."

Siesta: "M—Ms. Vallière, how can I help you..."

"Have you seen Luka?"

Siesta: "Mister Luka? I saw him going outside the academy earlier."

"I see. You can go back to your job."

Siesta: "Yes..."

If he went outside, he probably went to see that bird. Now I loathe to go find him even more; but I can't just let this go. Just how many times has it been already that he ditched his master to go see that thing. I will have to give him a stern talking-to today.

That freakishly huge bird is so easily seen even from the academy gate, even though it must be almost a league away. That guy is really dedicated in seeing the bird, isn't he.

Just why do I have to walk this far just to...

There he is. He's lying on the grass; how carefree.

Is he sleeping? With that thing up in his face? He has no awareness of danger at all; that thing's claw can tear his heart out easily. No sane man would be so trusting to such an abomination.

...Should I approach them like this? Would it even be safe? That devil may be obedient to Luka for now, but the same can't be said for me.

...Well, if that thing attacks me, that would just give me an excuse to erase it off the face of the earth. I should prepare Explosion beforehand...

...If I can still use it, that is.

The lesson with Ms. Chevreuse, I have a feeling it wasn't because of the Maintain spell that the rock didn't explode. It's more that my spell just failed: out of power, maybe. Though it's been a whole week since then. I've never heard of a mage taking so long to recover their mental power.

...Maybe I would never be able to cast a spell like that ever again. Maybe, I wouldn't even be able to cause a simple explosion again. Then I would really be no different from a commoner.

...Would Luka care? He probably doesn't understand how our society works too well, but he would at least know that I am sad about it.

Would he care? Does he have too many things to worry about already? Where am I amongst his priorities?

What if he doesn't care?

...Well, I wouldn't...care whether he does or not...

...I should stop thinking about all of this. This is...going nowhere.

Anyway, I'm going to drag Luka back now; I don't care if that bird miss him.

What is that thing even doing anyway, putting its imitation of a human head on his belly? Is it sniffing him? That would be typical of a...

...

...

...

...

"*gasp!*"

I forgot to breathe.

No. It can't be. I must be seeing it wrong.

That's absurd.

Preposterous!

Impossible!

Insanity!

"Haa...! Haa...! Urk—!"

No no no no no no no! NO!

"Urp—Ooorrgh! Blargh!~~"

It hurts...! It burns...! My throat. My head. Everything!

This is...excruciating...!

"Haa!...Haa!...*gasp!*"

It is...It is real..

They...They're...

I can't...I can't...stay here...!

I have to...!

[...]

[...][...]

"Uu! Blargh! Oorgh!~~"

It's still coming out. My throat hurts so much. There's blood mixed in.

"...A...Haa...Aaa..."

...How did I get back to my room? I can faintly recall trekking back through the plain and trudging upstairs, but nothing else.

But I was lucky I didn't throw up on the stairs, or I wouldn't dare show my face in the classroom again.

But at this point I already don't want to show my face anywhere anymore.

...That's me in the mirror. Disheveled hair. Reddened face smeared with tears, saliva, and liquid substance previously in my stomach. What was left of the lunch stains my shirt's collar. My hands on the edge of the wooden bowl shake uncontrollably.

"Ha...Pathe—Uuuhrrgh! Aughh!~~"

It's still trying to come out, even though there's nothing left.

"Agh...Aa..."

My insides ache. My head throbs. But even through the mind-numbing pain, this...horrible, terrifying feeling still trumps everything else.

Void? Successor to Founder's power? ...Laughable.

Sixteen years without magic. My house and myself mocked by the entire country. The familiar I finally succeeded in summoning is a boy from absurd land who does sickening things with a half-bird abomination. And I, myself, am throwing up in the basin used to wash my face every morning.

...I don't even have the strength to cry or laugh at my pathetic life. It all seems so meaningless...

"Haa...Haa..."

...

...What do I do with this basin. Where do I throw this out. Who do I ask.

Right, I'll ask the maid. If she laughs at my state, I'll tell her what I saw, down to every details; we'll see if she won't be flushing her stomach like I did.

*kachak*

The sound of the door that I hear everyday is now piercing to my ears.

I can't stop my legs from shaking. I need to put my hands on the walls just to walk. If I fall down the stairs on top of all that, wouldn't it be perfect.

...I don't even care anymore...

Guiche: "Oh, isn't that Louise?"

...That's Guiche at the corner of my eyes. Probably coming to see Montmorency. Not my business.

Guiche: "Huh, you look haggard. What's the matter?"

Don't mind him. I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone.

*kachak*

Guiche: "Oh, Montmorency! You finally opened the door to your heart for me!"

Montmorency: "Not you. Where's Louise?"

That's Montmorency's voice. It's getting crowded. I should go before things get more annoying.

Montmorency: "Hey, stop right there. Let me see you face."

My arm is pulled. I don't have the strength, physical or mental, to resist.

I'm not meeting her eyes, but I know Montmorency is looking at me from head to toes.

Montmorency: "...Come to my room. Then tell me what happened."

"Not your business..."

Montmorency: "You should look at yourself before you say that; only the blind wouldn't take notice of you. Not to mention if anyone sees you in this state, especially that Germanian girl, the image of Tristanian nobles, which includes me, will be tarnished. Be more aware of your status; you are a daughter of one of the most distinguished households of Tristain—probably within the top five."

"The one whose scandal was talked about all over the country, you mean..."

Montmorency: "Then you shouldn't add more fuel to the fire. Anyway, just follow me!"

I'm being pulled into Montmorency's room. ...Whatever. I don't really care.

{...}

Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière, the youngest daughter of one of the great families of Tristain.

Hotheaded, foul-mouthed, haughty, stubborn, pint-sized-but-loud; one could say the person is exactly what her magic is: a bomb.

At the same time, no matter how much she was belittled by others, she never yielded, never bowed to anyone; she got in a few fights with me because of that personality of hers. It is also one of the things that drove people away, until she has no friends; unless the Zerbst girl she keeps getting harassed by counts.

All in all, Louise is a genuine Tristanian noble. That pride of hers is, without a doubt, befitting the country that is said to have the most prideful nobles in Halkeginia.

"...Drink the tea. It will warm your body."

The tears-stained eyes look at the cup of tea. Face paled, shoulders sacked, head bowed, hair disheveled, and, though it is now replaced with a spare of mine, the uniform was smeared with the unspeakable.

It's almost unbelievable that the girl in front of me is that same Louise. Even Guiche whose head is usually filled with air is sending me a glance that says he's having similar thought.

Finally, Louise sips the tea, and places it back down. She might have done that to warm herself, or as courtesy, I don't know, but now we can finally begin our talk.

"Now, tell me what happened. Why are you, a daughter of such a distinguished household, is walking around in that state?"

Silent. Not meeting my eyes. Well, it's not surprising; she's that stubborn.

Haa...Why do I have to do this. It's not my business at all.

But, it just doesn't leave my mind.

Recently, there have been a lot of strange things going on around Louise. There are rumours, but no confirmation. The people who probably know the truth are keeping their mouth shut. The most loose-lipped one is the guy next to me, who I don't want to speak a word to.

Probably, something has happened again. And she passed by my room, so of course I would call her. Even if it's troublesome, she's still a fellow Tristanian noble.

"Let me guess, it has something to do with that familiar of yours, doesn't it?"

Louise flinches a little, which means I'm right.

"Haa...Thought so. Ever since you summoned that familiar, your life has been nothing short of chaotic."

Louise: "...You don't even know anything."

"I don't. I don't, and I don't want to. But my eyes are telling me how worn-out you look right now. This is the first time I see a mage became like this because of her own familiar."

Louise: "...Whatever. I'm just Louise the Zero."

...This is serious. Louise has never derided herself like that.

Hm...Maybe I should try being a bit gentler.

"Hey, Louise, can you tell me what happened? Seeing you like this is scaring me."

Guiche: "That's right. If that familiar did something untoward to you, tell me. I will educate him that noble ladies are off-limits to commoners!"

"You sure talk big for someone who lost in a duel. And I told you to be quiet if you don't want to be kicked out of my room!"

Guiche withers. Good.

Louise is still looking at the cup in silence. I guess I'll wait for now.

...

...I finished my cup long ago. The tea in Louise's has definitely gone cold, but she's still quiet.

Louise: "...T..."

—! She's saying something?

Louise: "...The familiar...Urp...!"

*gasp!?*

"Don't you dare! If you're going to do that, do it outside! Or on Guiche!"

Guiche: "My dear Montmorency, what do you mean—!?"

Ahhh~! Louise is leaning forward! I have to get back!

...Nothing came out. My room is still safe. Thank God!

Louise: "T...That familiar...and...that bird..."

Louise spoke. But it's nonsense.

"Bird? What bird?"

Guiche: "Probably the giant bird with woman-like body instead of a head that came into the school last week?"

"Oh, you mean that. I heard about it but didn't see with my eyes. You sure remember things well, unusually so."

Guiche: "I just recalled, that familiar once spoke about 'devils': strange beasts with bodies that look like women. If it's true that might be one of them."

"The devils of myths...And you were hopelessly taken in by the devil's temptation, I see."

Guich holds up his rose and pose... Ah, that was a mistake. I shouldn't have said that...

Guiche: "Montmorency, please. I have tastes. No matter how beautifully it might have imitated a woman, I would never lower myself to associate with such low-bred creatures."

And now I have to listen that guy's bragging...

"What about your mole..."

Guiche: "Verdandi isn't like that! What I have for Verdandi is a pure affection from a master to a familiar...!"

Louise: "...If you're going to talk by yourselves then I'll excuse myself." Louise places her hands on the table, ready to push herself up.

"Don't be so hasty. Guiche, if you let out a sound I will really kick you out of my room. Then you can forget about making up."

Guiche sits straight, tightly pushing his lips together. This guy exaggerates everything.

Louise was almost back to her usual self when she sounded annoyed just now, but she's back to being depressed again.

"I will listen. Tell me again."

Louise: "...The familiar and that bird..."

"Hm." I'll nod to help this along.

Louise: "The familiar and...that bird..." Louise looks down at the tea cup, her expression a mix of disgust and nausea.

"Your familiar and that giant bird..." I didn't know when I started clenching my fist in anticipation.

Louise: "...did..."

"Did...!"

"..."

Louise: "..."

"Why the silence!? You can't leave me hanging after building up so much!"

And the idiot Guiche is waving his hands and making faces. I told him to be quiet but he still found a way be annoying. What is he gesturing at? What is it about Louise's face?

Louise just looks a bit red. She's not angry or anything, more like embarrassed.

But she looks disgusted and nauseated. How do those and embarrassment even go together?

...Wait.

'Familiar and the giant bird.', then nausea and embarrassment at the same time.

...

...!

...!?

"D—Don't tell me... L—Louise, y—your familiar and the b—bird thing..."

Face down. Cheeks reddened. Still looking nauseated.

It's not embarrassment I'm seeing. It's shame.

That means...

"D—Did...s—something u—unspeakable..."

My imagination is so terrifying. Louise, please tell me I'm overthinking!

Louise looks up...

And nods.

"Ha..."

...

"*gasp!*"

...!

"Vulgar! Filthy! Disgusting! A—Abhorrent!"

No, nononono! Human and non-human doing something like that...No, that's, preposterous! Impossible!

But, looking at Louis...If it's not true Louise wouldn't be like this...!

"L—Louise! Your familiar! Hurry up and get it out of the school right now! *gasp!* D—Don't tell me it did something you!? A—And threatened you not to tell anyone!? L—Louise...Louise was...!"

Louise: "No! I was not!"

No. No. She wasn't...Thank God. Thank Founder...!

"T—Then we have to do something before it's too late! Tell the teacher! We should notify the school to do something about it! Now!" *smack!*

I just hit a table; not very lady-like of me, but that doesn't matter right now!

Louise: "Y...Yeah..."

"...What's with that lacklustre reply?! This is very serious! Something like that happening in the school for nobles; what would happen if other nations know of this?! Tristain will become a joke amongst all other nations for years! Aa~ If the princess meets with royalties from other countries and this is brought up...I don't even want to think!~"

Louise: "P...Princess...!"

"We can't sit around being idle! We have to do something now! Where is that familiar?! We have to tell the teachers to bring it—!"

—! Guiche, you idiot! Don't just thrust out your arm in front of me without warning!

"What the heck are you doing!?" What if it hits my face!

Guiche turns to me and...

"Why are you shaking your face? What does that mean?"

Guiche holds up two hands parallel to the ground and waves up and down...I don't get it.

"What are you doing? Speak! How would I know if you don't say it in words?!"

Louise: "...You told him yourself not to say a thing." Louise says it like she couldn't care less.

Guiche nods profusely.

"Haa... Look, use your head! I only forbade you from saying because you kept derailing the conversation! If you have something important to say then say it!" Seriously, this guy!

Guiche clears his throat.

Guiche: "Montmorency, please calm down."

"I am calm. Even if I didn't intend to, I am now." This guy's ridiculousness almost made me forget what I was talking about.

"And? Matter of life-and-death for the school? What are we going to do if not telling the teachers?"

Now he's posing with his rose. Does he even know the concept of 'time and place'?

Guiche: "It is as Montmorency says; if this is known to the public, the name of our school and nobles of Tristain will be dragged through mud. Even just an unconfirmed rumour can be disastrous. And so we should keep it amongst as few people as possible. Notifying the school for official arrest has a very high risk of it getting out."

...This guy's right. I completely forgot about that.

"...By the way, you're being cleverer than usual. Have you been taking strange potions? I'm getting scared..."

Guiche: "Montmorency, your words hurt me so much. For you, my brain always work to its best capacity."

"Yeah, yeah, I believe you, lover boy."

Speaking of potions, I have the love potion I just tried my hands on brewing in my skirt pocket. But it's not the time to care about Guiche. Well, once things calm down a bit, I and this lover boy are so going to settle things.

"And what do we do, leaving things as they are?"

Guiche: "Instead of notifying the school, we should notify only the teacher we know would agree with us. What do you think?"

"Who is it?"

Guiche: "Uh...The principal? No one should be able to force the principal's mouth. His magic should be top notch too. More importantly, this is about the school's credibility; he won't let it go."

Louise: "...That won't work. The principal likes that guy..."

"Louise? Who do you mean by that? Your familiar?"

Louise nods. I and Guiche widen our eyes at the same time.

Guiche: "The principal is fond of a commoner? What kind of trickery did he use...?" Guiche mumbles, probably vindictive that someone he hate is getting attention.

Guiche: "Then what about Mr. Giteau? He seems to hate that bird. I heard he requested the school to get rid of it many times, or the permission to do it himself, but the principal wouldn't allow it since the royal family specifically asked the school to not do anything to it for now. He must not be too happy with the familiar that brought it here."

"Mr. Giteau..."

To be honest, I don't want to owe anything to a man like that. What kind of person could be so arrogant that even fellow Tristanian nobles shake their heads. But it might be a good thing in this case. Someone like that would jump at the opportunity to do something in line with their belief, without caring about the reasons too much.

"...All right. Let's try speaking to Mr. Giteau first."

Guiche: "Though I don't know where he is after school. We might need to spend some time searching."

Louise: "Stop right there. What are you trying to do...? That's my familiar."

Louise...?

"...Now that I think about it, we can only summon one familiar at a time. If you don't have a familiar, you can't continue in this school..."

Wait...Does that mean I have to spend two more years where a degenerate like that walks around freely...?

Guiche: "...If we get rid of it and call a new one...?"

"Ha...!? Do you know what you just say?!"

Guiche: "I—It was just a passing thought. I wasn't serious about it. I just wanted to say that we have that option too."

"Even if it's familiar, it's still a human! I don't want to be a murderer...!"

Louise: "If you dare lay a hand on my familiar, it won't end pretty for either of you."

Louise...?

"Louise...? What do you mean by that?"

Louise: "...I mean exactly what I say."

"But it's because of that familiar you're in this sorry state?"

Louise turns away, and doesn't say anything.

D—Don't tell me she...

"L—Louise, it's not true, right? T—That's a commoner...!"

Louise: "I—I don't know what you're talking about..."

Louise avoids meeting my eyes; her cheeks red.

It can't be...It can't be anything else.

"I—I...I...will go out for some air..."

Before I lose even the strength to stand up.

"I will be back soon..."

The air in the room is too heavy. I need to get out.

*kachak* *thud*

Haa...

"Aahh~! This sucks! Why is this happening to me~!"

Just this morning I woke up, washed my face, curled my hair, changed into uniform, and went to class in peace like every day. Now it's all headache. If I knew it would be like this I wouldn't have stopped Louise!

And Louise too, she just had to have a weird idea of fancying a commoner, and still doesn't open her eyes even after THAT.

That familiar of hers too, what was it thinking?! There was a rumour for a time that he talked some nonsense about living with devils before coming here. But could it actually had some truth to it? If not devils then maybe he did live somewhere with a lot more contact with demi-humans than normal communities do. That would explain his twisted sense of moral, or lack thereof.

Could he actually be open to reasons? He's still human, and hasn't rebelled despite how selfish Louise usually is, so maybe he's more obedient than I think—

—! That purple hair coming up the stairs...!

*kachak* *thud*

Guiche: "Oh, you're done getting air, Montmorency?"

"Y—Yeah. Let's continue."

Louise is still sitting at her place.

Still, seeing the cause of it all just now helped me decide.

"Louise, I think you should cut loose the familiar as soon as possible."

Louise still doesn't look up, doesn't answer, as expected.

"Haa... Well, if we think about Louise's future in this school, we can't chase the familiar out anyway. That leaves us with the other cause."

Guiche: "The other cause? You mean the giant bird?"

"That's right. In the first place, Louise got like this because she saw the familiar and...kuh...that! If we can't get rid of the familiar, we should deal with the bird instead. That's okay with you Louise?"

Louise hesitates. Even when she nods, she's still clearly unsure.

"This is not the time to procrastinate. We have to do something before this happens again. And it's not like we have to kill it."

Louise: "...Then what are you going to do?"

"What are we going to do...Yes...What are we going to do?"

Guiche: "Eh? Are you asking me?"

"Who else is here?"

Guiche: "Uh...We can't exactly harm it because of the royal order, so maybe take it somewhere faraway...No, that won't work; it'd just fly back...Then, what about putting it in a cage somewhere?"

"And where is that somewhere?"

Guiche: "I don't know. Uh, there should be a place for keeping strange beasts like that, isn't there?"

"The Academy: royal research institute. Whether they want such a weird beast or not is another matter entirely though."

Guiche: "Still, we should try it. A teacher like Mr. Giteau could try to persuade other teachers that it would be better for Academy to be the one to keep the bird, instead of the school."

"You're right. Actually, there are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't keep a creature of unknown origin near a school full of noble kids. I'm confused why the royal family even thought to keep it here in the first place; it couldn't be just because of the familiar's wish. Well, you heard that Louise. Tomorrow Guiche will try to ask Mr. Giteau about this."

Louise: "...Hm..."

She's still hesitating.

"Hey, what are you so unsure about?"

Louise: "I'm not unsure about anything..."

"You are. You are at this exact moment. I don't get it at all. The bad name House of Vallière got was said to be caused by a devil, wasn't it? Shouldn't you be more eager about this?"

Louise: "..."

"...Haa. I really don't get it. Whatever. Now that we agreed on what to do...we can move on to the next matter."

I cross my arm for effect, and sit down across from Louise. Louise isn't looking depressed or lively in particular, just stares ahead blankly, her unspeakably stained uniform still crumpled on the floor.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight?"

Louise and Guiche seem to understand what I want to convey.

Guiche: "Can't she just sleep here?" The idiot Guiche raises his brows like it's so simple.

"No way. I need my privacy. Louise, you should sleep in an empty room somewhere. Tell the school you don't feel safe with your familiar. The teachers should understand."

Louise is silent again. She sure takes a long time to decide something today.

Louise: "...I'm going now." She stands up.

"That's good..." ...Wait. "And where are you going?"

Louise: "Room." She reaches for the door.

"Yours?"

Louise: "Where else."

"But your familiar is there? The one that caused you to vomit?"

Guiche: "Huh, you're not using 'unspeakable' anymore?"

"Shut up!".

*kachak*

Louise is gone. In the end, we didn't reach any real conclusion at all.

"Aa~ Damn it."

I reflexively pinch the bridge of my nose; this is too stressful for me. I need more tea.

Guiche: "Montmorency."

"You're still here. What other business do you have?"

Guiche: "Now it's just two of us."

"...Ah."

{...}

I'm finally back at Louise's room. It wouldn't be such a challenge if I can actually put strength in my legs.

"That was too careless...I guess I haven't met a monster for too long..."

Nerian's need for food was probably stronger than how it would be normally, since she needs nutrients to recover from the injury; she only released me after having her fill. I wanted to scold her, but didn't have the strength to. Saying goodbye was all I could get out of my remaining energy.

It was so peaceful and relaxing staying with a familiar sight. I haven't had a nap that good since I came here. I didn't expect her to be able to unbuckle my belt without fingers...

"If Alice knows, she'd definitely lecture me for underestimating monsters again..."

*kachak*

The room is empty. This can't be the wrong room; my makeshift bed is over there.

I didn't see Louise at the terrace she usually sits for the afternoon tea either.

"Louise...Where did she go..."

There is a strange smell that wasn't here before. The source...is on the small table: the wooden basin Louise uses for washing her face. I put it away during lunch break, but now it has vomit in it.

"Is she sick?"

She didn't pass out somewhere, did she...

I'll go look for her in the infirmary first.

*kachak*

The door opens before I even touch it. It's...

"Louise! Here you are. Where have you been?"

Louise: "..."

She isn't saying anything. Her eyes look kinda dazed too.

"Louise? Are you sick? Do you want to lie down?"

Louise: "..."

"Ah...!"

Why did she suddenly push me?

"Uh, what's wrong? Why did you pu—Ah!"

Again? This time she keeps pushing me all the way without stopping, without saying anything.

Louise had never reacted like this when I made her angry. Something must be different this time; could she be really, really mad? If I resist her will this blow up into something big?

My legs hit the edge of the bed. There's no more space to retreat.

"Uh, Louise? —Wah!?"

My back hits the bed before I even realize what just happened.

Louise crawls up onto the bed after me; her legs straddle my hips, her hands pushing down on my chest.

I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

"Uh, Louise...? What are you doing...?"

Louise: "Were you happy?"

"Eh?"

Louise stares down at me angrily.

Louise: "Were you happy having your thing sucked by that bird?"

"...Eh...?"

...I must've heard that wrong.

Louise: "Ditching your master to go see that freakish bird, you've got some nerves."

Louise saw me earlier. I would've been more shocked, if not for what she just said. The shock from those words surpasses everything else.

Her angry face looks the same as usual; her tone are like always.

But in her eyes is something that wasn't there before; in her voice is something that isn't normal.

Louise: "A familiar that doesn't know who it belongs to needs to be educated. I will show you who is your master."

Louise leans forward, closer to my face, her brows scrunched together.

Her eyes look as if they're gleaming.

"What are you doing...?"

Her small hands pat across my chest stomach, then latch onto my belt.

My instinct both warns me and freezes my body at the same time. It knows where this is going.

Louise: "You won't be using this thing with other women ever again."

This feeling—the slightly numbing, slightly suffocating air—I've felt it too many times to count.

Louise: "As punishment, I will suck out everything you have."

Louise glares at me with her usual irritation, her eyes glowing slightly.

PBW: "Fuu, this chapter had me on edge."

Ilias: "..."

PBW: "What is it?"

Ilias: "...I am a little surprised. The words that I have wanted to hear from humans all these time, I never would have thought I would be able to hear it in this place..."

PBW: "You mean you want humans to say what Louise did at the end?"

Ilias: "Have you lost your mind. I mean the exchange before that."

PBW: "Oh, you mean that. Well, people are like that."

Ilias: "If the human in my world was also like that I would not have to put in so much effort. For me, it is this world that is deserving of the name Holy Land."

PBW: "Have fun with your dream world, but you probably know it won't come true in this one."

Ilias: "I do. Your brain that has been bewitched by monsters' temptation is not worth putting my expectation on. But I will at least wish for a mountain of those monsters' corpses as tall as possible."

PBW: "Of course you'd wish for that... By the way, aren't you going to say anything about Luka's fate at the end?"

Ilias: "Hm? Oh, that. What would you have me say. After the past two hundreds or so times, I am not sure what else is left for me to say."

PBW: "...Thank you for your hard work."

...

PBW: "By the way, in case anyone feels that Guiche is being too much of a douchebag for what he said: have you never had a passing thought about killing someone or something? Also, consider what kind of values and ideas that must've been instilled in Guiche, when his father and two older brothers were all in the army, and his Household put so much focus on military that their economy was in the red. The Author would imagine that he would have an easier time coming to the 'exterminating the threat' kind of thinking than most. Of course that does not dictate all of his character. The Author normally refrains from explaining/making excuses for how characters in his story act, believing that, like people one meets in real life, some will be very relatable, some will at least be understandable, while some will be totally alien. There's no need to understand all of them; one is free to make judgments, but those expectations will not necessarily come true. The Author had decided to make an exception this time, and state that, while The Author is very much biased and has likes and dislikes about all characters, The Author did not intend to depict Guiche as 'the bad' by any means. If anyone feels that this statement is blatantly untrue and that Guiche was clearly depicted as scum of the earth, The Author would point to the differences in value systems between The Author and them to be the cause. To The Author, Guiche's actions and words in this chapter were mildly disturbing at most; definitely not enough to paint him one way or another."