Zeroes of Two Worlds

Chapter 2

"In the name of the Great Five Pentagon Power.

My servant that existed in this vast universe.

My divine, beautiful, wise and powerful servant.

Heed my call, and come forth"

Those words echoed in Jaune's mind as he stared up towards the impossibility displayed in the heavens. It is as if the Two Brothers are looking down on him, judging him.

He never imagined that he would find himself in another world just like those comics and shows he used to enjoy in is free time. He should have felt elated, excited for the adventure of a lifetime.

But all he could feel is terror as he realized that he is far away from home. Further than he planned to be.

Another day has passed but there is still work that needs to be done.

These are the words that ran in Siesta's thoughts while walking across the fields and enjoying the soothing air of the night. Her workload had risen earlier this day in preparation for the Springtime Summoning earlier this morning.

She couldn't wait to return to their quarters so she could just relax on bed and unwind. She is excited to get back to her novella and continue where she left off.

As she enjoyed her relaxing night walk, she suddenly heard the faint sound of someone crying out in the quiet night. She followed the sound and quickly saw a boy sitting on the ground by the wall. He had his head hidden as he hugged his legs close to his body.

Concerned, she quietly made her way towards him as she examined him for any signs of harm. While it is rare for the students to direct abuse or harm against the commoner staff, it is not unheard of. Thankfully she haven't experienced such things but she feared that this might be the case.

As she got closer, she could see some of the boy's clothes and they seemed to be well-made. There is also a discarded basket of a girl's school uniform, much to her confusion.

She quietly approached him, leaning down and gently called out to him. "Are you alright?"

The long messy blond hair moved back and a pair of blue sapphire eyes looked up to her, dulled by the visible tears still dripping of his eyes. He looked up to her with surprise and looked away before wiping off his tears.

"Do you need any help?" She asked him again. "Are... Are you hurt?" She hesitantly added.

The boy shook his head, wiping the last of his tears, before he looked back up to her and said. "No... No I'm not hurt." His voice trembled. "I don't think anyone else can help me. I'm lost... So lost."

Siesta blinked at his answer, unsure what he meant. She is about to ask him more when she heard something growling. The boy looked embarrassed about that and hugged his belly, but didn't say anything. She merely gave him a small smile, and moved to pick up the clothes and basket.

"You looked like you had a long day. Come, and let's get something for you to eat." She said to him.

"Y-yeah..." The boy sighed heavily before slowly standing up, his head just coming up to her nose. "It's been a long day..."

"Can you tell me your name? My name is Siesta."

"It's Jaune... Jaune Arc."

"Here you go, boy. Fresh off the pot." A chef announced with a rough jovial voice as he placed a bowl of stew and a loaf of bread on the table before the blond boy. "Eat it up while it's warm. It's not one of those fancy meals of nobles, but they're hearty and fill you up."

"Thank you for the meal. Sorry for being a bother." The boy replied with a grateful nod.

The chef waved a hand and said. "It's no bother. It's from the stock that we've prepared for ourselves and the rest of the working staff. Enjoy your meal while I go talk with Siesta."

The boy nodded and began digging into his food as the chef left him and walked towards Siesta, who is waiting by a wall away from the table. The chef approached him and began talking to her in a hushed voice.

"You sure you didn't see anything that would suggest that he had been harmed?"

Siesta shook her head. "No, and he didn't seem to be limping or holding on to his body. He just looked... distracted to say the least. Do you think he's involved in the summoning ceremony earlier?"

She referred to the rumor about a swordsman being summoned by one of the Second Years earlier in the day, and also how the swordsman screamed in pain while undergoing the contract ritual. There were some rumors about how the student marking the swordsman with an enchanted branding iron, but those were dismissed as baseless since none of the nurses said anything about burn marks.

"He's the only new face we've seen today, and he ain't one of our new recruits." The chef responded as he thought back on all the members of the staff he knew about. He looked back at the blond boy, and his demeanor didn't seem to match that of a swordsman. "He doesn't look like a fighter... Maybe a guard."

"I'l go ask him."

"You do that. I'll get back to the kitchen and get the rest of the meals ready." The chef answered with a nod. He then left the room, leaving Siesta with the young swordsman.

Siesta approached the table and watched Jaune heartily ate his meal with a gusto, in comparison to his earlier posture. She smiled at that and took a seat across the table from Jaune. He looked up to her and gave her a small smile.

"Oh Siesta. Thanks for bringing me here. This stew is amazing."

"You're welcome, Jaune. It's good to see that you've recovered some of your spirit. Chef Marteau would be happy to hear your praise." Siesta replied back, happy with the progress.

Chef Marteau's cooking had that effect with everyone amongst the staff despite being simple meals when compared to the ones served to the nobles. It was heartening to see that his cooking still retained their magic.

"So what are you doing here in the academy, Jaune? You don't seem to be a new student, and we aren't expecting any newcomers for the school staff." She carefully posed the question to him.

Jaune swallowed and cleared his throat before answering. "I wasn't really expecting to here in the first place. I was brought here through a portal used in a summoning ritual."

That surprised Siesta since she only thought that Jaune is merely brought in for the ceremony but she didn't expect he is actually summoned to be a familiar. Having a human as a familiar is unheard of, let alone being summoned as one.

"That's... I didn't know that a human could become a familiar." She said to him, sounding a little shocked.

"I didn't know that I could even be summoned in the first place." Jaune shrugged at her. He then sighed and looked down on his stew with sadness in his eyes. "I don't even know if I could even get back home even if I wanted to."

Siesta felt sympathy for him especially now that Jaune was brought to this academy from what seemed to be faraway lands. She reached out to him and gently touched his hands.

"It's going to be alright. Maybe you could ask some of the professors to help you get back home." She told him reassuringly.

"I already did. I think it was... Colbert... Professor Colbert who told me that the summoning cannot be reversed."

"Maybe you just need a map to find your way back to your homeland." She tried again, offering an alternative.

Jaune merely sighed in response. "I don't think any maps would help me. Unless this place has a spaceship or something?"

Siesta leaned her head to the side in confusion.

"What's a... Spey Ship?" She tried saying the unfamiliar term.

Jaune shook his head at her. "Never mind. It's nothing." Siesta knew it was not nothing but she let it slide as Jaune slumped forward, leaning into the table. "There's no one here that could really help me get home. I'm stuck here for the rest of my life."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I could of more help to you." She sighed herself, sad at not being able to help him further.

"You've been a great help, miss. Don't beat yourself over something that no one else could even help me with." Jaune said to her reassuringly. "Besides, you already helped me get out of my funk and got me hot food from the good chef."

"You're welcome." Siesta smiled at the small praise he had given to her. "So who is the one that summoned you as their familiar?"

"That would be Miss Louise... I can't remember the other parts of her long name." Siesta giggled at that, knowing what he meant. Many nobles tended to have very long names that shows their lineage. "Miss Louise Valliere is the one who summoned me to be her familiar."

That was certainly a surprise. The Valliere girl was well known for not being able to cast any spells, which had led to her ostracized by her classmates and even upper class students. This led to her infamous temper against her classmates, but she never brought her anger upon the staff and remained respectful.

To think that Miss Valliere not only made a successful summoning, but a human who hailed from a faraway land. Things would certainly interesting in the academy from now on.

"I know of her. She is quiet well known in this academy especially with her infamous temper."

"I certainly learned that. She had been quite insistent about her demands in regards to my services as her familiar." Jaune said, sounding irritated about it. "The way she explained what a familiar is sounded more like a servant than what an animal could do."

"I guess she's only explaining what she would be expecting from you since she didn't expect to summon a human as a familiar."

"I guess so." He nodded, accepting her explanation. "Thanks for taking care of her uniform for me. Are you sure I couldn't help out with the laundry?"

"There's no need, it's part of our job anyway as caretakers in the academy." She waved him off. "Besides, you need more time to relax and pick yourself back together." Siesta told him with a small smile.

Jaune thought about it, but nodded. He stood up and picked up his bowl, and Seista quickly spoke up as she raised a hand to him. "You can leave your bowl. I'll handle it."

He gave her a small smile and shook his head. "My mother always taught me to clean up after myself, and I don't plan to break that habit. Besides, you've helped get some food and handled the laundry for me. The least I could do is wash my own bowl and spoon."

Siesta gave him a soft chuckle and shook her head, amused by his childish answer. But it showed that he has good manners and grew up from a good family. She gestured him to a sink and said. "Don't let me stop you then."

Jaune gazed upon the hills and forest from atop the main wall that surrounded the academy. He sat between the crenelations and felt relaxed from the cool breeze that is sweeping across the field.

It is a good scenery to watch and one where he didn't have to worry about the Grimm stalking the woods. He looked up to the night sky and gazed at the blue and red moons, thinking about his situation.

So many things had happened since he found himself in this strange place, and he was asleep half that time. Hopefully things would be better tomorrow, and he could learn more about this place. Since this will be going to be his new home.

Home.

He took out his scroll and activated it, its glass screen lighting up. He pointed it towards the twin moons and took a picture of it. He amusingly thought that this could be the first picture taken in this world, and the first picture anyone from Remnant had taken in another world.

He turned around and took a picture of the academy's main tower and the surrounding buildings. He then switch the camera option to video and started recording.

He recorded the main tower before panning it towards the twin moon. He then pointed the camera towards the hills and forest around the academy to capture the scenery. Finally, he touched a button on the screen and began to record himself.

He took a deep breath before he haggardly release them. He composed himself, despite tearing up again, before he began to speak into the recording.

"Hi mom... Hi dad... If you ever get this message, I would like to say... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running away from home..."

Dawn broke and the night slowly turned to day as the sun rose from below the horizon. The slumbering land started to stir and the people of the land awakened to greet a new day.

In the middle of a vast open field of hills and plains, the six towers of the Tristain Academy of Magic stood proud and majestic under the morning light of the rising sun. Its staff are already hard at work to prepare for the day and set up the place for students.

Jaune stood by the side of the only bed in this room as he looked down at the sleeping doll that is his summoner. That's still a strange thing for him that he couldn't get over despite. He tacked that to the list of things that he found strange about this school.

He leaned down, patted her on the shoulder, and called out to her in a clear voice. "Wake up, Miss Valliere. It's dawn."

That did the trick as Louise started to stir from her sleep, making soft sounds as she did so. She opened her eyes, blinking at the sunlight that enters the room through the window, and slowly sat up. She yawned, which he did found cute, before rubbing her eyes. She then looked towards him and regarded him with confusion.

"Huh? Who are you?" She asked, her voice still weary from sleep.

"Eh? You don't remember me? You're the one who summoned me here." He reminded her, not understanding how she could forget about him.

"Huh? Oh." She snapped out of her drowsiness. "You're the familiar that I summoned." She sounded a little disappointed as she said that.

"Yes. The maids already brought you a towel and washing bowl for you to use." He ignored it and urged her to get ready. "You need to get up now or you'll be late for school." He cheekily added.

Louise stare at him with confusion, not truly understanding what that quip meant. She had an inkling that it is some kind of a joke but she couldn't fathom how. She sighed and got off to bed to wash herself.

Jaune silently watched her wash herself while he contemplated of how he would be going with his day. He supposed he could ask around and explore the academy, and learn more about the kingdom. He wondered if he could sit in class to see how they're going to teach magic... which is still a strange concept to get around and how different it is from semblances.

He suddenly saw Louise lifting off her sleeping gown, which showed her slender legs and petite body. He could also see that she wore some kind of see-through short dress underneath that sleeping gown.

He looked away in respect for her privacy even as he felt the heat on his face. He's used to it anyway when he'd seen his sisters walking around in less clothes than Louise.

"What are you waiting for, familiar? Help me get dressed already." She called out to him.

"Shouldn't you be doing that yourself? I'm a boy, and you're a girl. It's not proper for a boy to dressing you." Jaune argued but didn't looked her way.

Louise is irritated at his refusal and turned around to glare at him. She could see that he is looking away which only irritated her more. "And you're my familiar, so will you just get started to dressing me already."

Jaune grumbled but nonetheless approached Louise who then removed her see-through dress and let if dropped to her feet, leaving her in the nude. He kept his eyes away from her body and asked. "Where's your uniform anyway?"

"In the closet, second shelf." She pointed at the large cabinet beside the vanity. "Also get my underwear from the bottom drawer."

Jaune grunted with a shake of his head as he opened the closet. He grabbed the set of uniform off the shelf and then hesitantly took one of her underwear from her drawer. He brought placed the underwear on her uniform before presenting them to her with outstretched hands.

"Here's your clothes. Now please get dressed. This whole thing is embarrassing for me." He said while looking to the side, away from Louise.

"Hmph! You're so useless that you won't even help me get dressed." Louise remarked disapprovingly. "What kind of familiar are you?"

"I'm a familiar who is trying to be respectful especially to someone who is naked." Jaune quipped back. "Will you please put on your underwear? This is too much for me."

Louise sighed in annoyance and picked up her underwear before putting it on. "You're a useless familiar, you know that right."

"I heard you the first time. Sheesh. You're as pushy as one of my sisters."

"Your sisters?" Louise that caught her attention as she began putting on her blouse.

"What? You're surprised that I have a family back home?" He looked at her, having felt safe now that she has a top, and raised an eyebrow.

"No... It's not something that came to mind." She replied as she finished buttoning up her blouse. "Put on my skirt."

"Fine." Jaune grumbled but did it anyway. He helped put on her skirt, at least feeling more safe now that she's more clothed.

"My cape." She prompted.

"Where would that be?" He asked.

"At the coat stand by the door."

He looked towards the door and quickly saw it. He headed there and picked up the large piece of cloth off the hook. He turned around to see Louise already behind him. He then draped the cape over her shoulders as he moved around her before fastening it.

"At least you were quick with this." Louise commented as she pulled her hair out of her cape.

Jaune just grunted and helped Louise out with her hair, and made sure to be gentle with it. He then opened the door for her, letting her go through first before leaving as well, and closed the door behind him.

Jaune will admit that he is quite impressed upon entering the massive hall through the equally massive door. The ceiling must have been about three stories high at least. There are three long rows of wooden table, filled with students already taking their seats. There are also rows of stone statues placed along wall on each side of the massive room.

As he and Louise walked along an aisle, he could here the other students talking and pointing at them.

"Oh there here."

"The rumored tortured swordsman and his master."

"I'm surprised that he haven't ran away."

"Leave it to Zero to summon a commoner."

"I wonder how much Louise paid him."

Jaune took the comments in stride, having already recognized bullying when he see one, and he could see that Louise keeping a stoic face. She must have been used to these comments against her. He supposed that could explain why she's a quite pushy.

He followed her down the aisle and soon Louise stopped behind a chair. Taking que, Jaune pulled back the chair for her and Louise took her seat with grace.

He looked at the table and saw a delicious display of foods that are placed before each student. A warm bread, a soup and pancake that is covered with gleaming syrup and topped with some kind of leaf. There is also a piece of cake and a tall skinny class of some sort of drink that he couldn't identify.

He looked around for where he could seat but found both seats beside Louise are already occupied. He gently tapped her shoulder and leaned down as Louise glanced at him.

"Ummm... Miss Valliere. Where would I be eating?" He whispered to her, making sure no one else heard. Louise pointed down to the floor, and Jaune looked down to see where she pointing at.

Really?!

There is a an empty plate. And it's on the floor. This got on his nerves and there's only so much that he could take.

"Why is it on the floor, and why is it empty?" He asked her in hushed and strained tone.

"Only nobles could sit in this hall during meals. You, a commoner, can sit down there. A server will bring your food before breakfast starts. So stop making a scene and sit down." Louise said to him, frowning at him.

He merely frowned back but didn't comment. He sat down on the floor and crossed his arms as he waited.

A few more students arrived with brisked steps, and his food is finally brought by a maid. The food consisted of a bread, a small bowl of soup and a cup of water. A far cry from the meals served to Louise and the other students, but it's food. He gave a thankful nod to the maid, who gave him a small smile in turn, before leaving him alone with the rest of the students.

After a short time of waiting, breakfast officially started. But before they ate their meal, the students clasped their hands in prayer and began praying.

"Oh Brimir, our Great Founder, and her Royal Highness, we are once again grateful for this humble meal that you have brought us this morning."

Jaune remained silent as he listened to the others continue praying. Feeling a little left out, he held his hands together over his lap and silently performed his own prayer that he learned from home.

"In the name of the Brothers of Light and Dark. I thank you for this bounty that have you raised from the earth. May it bestow me strength to face this world. Oh Brothers, hear my prayer."

Breakfast ended without much fanfare with the exception of the chatter and gossips between the students as they ate. There were still a few remarks he heard about him and Louise, but they're usually speculations about who he is.

He still couldn't understand how to deal with Louise. Sure, she's pushy and she definitely acted like those rich snobs back in Vale. But he couldn't ignore that she seemed to be shunned by her classmates. It couldn't be her attitude since they all acted the same. Maybe it had to do something about her being called a Zero.

He knew that she is putting a strong face and ignored the remarks about her. But he could also see that she is hurting deep down. It was a situation that he could understand after what he experienced at combat school.

"You know, Miss Valliere. I could have just escorted you to your breakfast so that I didn't have to eat on the floor. I could ask for some food from the kitchen, and waited for you outside." Jaune said to her as they walked down the steps outside the tower. "I don't appreciate eating like I'm some homeless hobo."

"I'll keep that in mind. But I don't appreciate that tone you're using against me, familiar.." She rebuked. She turned around and pointed at him. "You're talking to a noble, you should address me properly."

He straightened his posture, hands clasped behind his back, and responded in a more professional voice that he learned from his grandfather. "I would like to remind the good lady that a commoner, or even a servant, being seen eating on the floor is considered improper and disrespectful since this is viewed as an abuse of one's station."

Louise softened her glare at him, having a more neutral look instead, as she thought about what he said. She wasn't expecting this kind of response from him, and he reminded her of how her father acted when speaking with his trusted guards. He was also not wrong now that she thought about it, not to mention it would make things easier for the both of them.

"At least you know your station." Louise remarked with a hint of approval. "Who taught you about proper decorum? You don't look like someone who have served under a lord."

"From my grandfather, Miss Valliere. His father once served under the King of Vale as a loyal soldier in the royal army." Jaune responded in the same tone.

"I see." Louise nodded approvingly, happy that at least her familiar already learned how to act proper. He seemed to have come from a family of soldiers, loyal to their king. She turned around and gestured for him to follow. "Come. My first class is about to start."

Jaune nodded dutifully and followed after her. They walked around the main tower, passing through the archways of the dividing wall structure, before they began heading towards one of the tower.

Louise suddenly stopped and Jaune staggered back in order to not bump into her. Jaune noticed that she is glaring at something, or rather someone. He looked towards the direction of the tower and saw pair of girls, one tall redhead and small petite blue-haired girl.

Louise, for her part, took a deep breath before releasing a heavy sigh. She really didn't want to deal with Kirche this early in the morning, but it seemed that the harlot planned to ruin the day for her. She steadied herself and resumed her steps, intending to ignore the her.

"Hiya, Louise." The redhead busty girl cheerfully greeted Louise. When Louise didn't replied and tried to walk past her, the redhead merely sidestepped and blocked her path. Louise glared up at her, which only made her smile even more. "What's the matter, Louise? It's improper to ignore someone greetings~"

"What do you want, Kirche? Can't you see that I'm trying to get to class." Louise angrily responded.

"I just wanted to meet you after yesterday's ordeal..." Kirche said to her. "I also wanted to see if your familiar is alright, especially after the torture that he had been put through. Isn't that right?" She slowly turned towards Jaune as she spoke.

Jaune merely cocked his head a little to the side as he examined her. She seemed to be a very outgoing girl, with her slightly loose blouse which showed her deep cleavage and her cheerful demeanor. She is also quite tall, a full head taller than him and Louise, which she is making full use of. But Louise didn't seem to appreciate her presence, and Kirche seemed to delight at that.

He would have to be careful with his words as not to escalate things. "There was a complication while I was being marked as a familiar, but it seemed to be more of an accident rather than something intentional."

"Of course there would be an accident. It's not unlike for Zero to make a mistake with her spells." Kirche said in sweet voice which seemed to bely her real intentions. "It is also not surprising that she would summon a human of all things. Nothing like majestic beasts like my own. Flame! Come here~!"

Something bumped against Jaune's leg and quickly slide his leg away as he saw a massive reddish-orange lizard heading for Kirche. It is a really large one for its body is as long as he is tall, and that doesn't even count the tail which is on fire.

"Meet my familiar, Flame!" Kirche cheerfully introduced the creature, and Louise could only feel jealous at the sight of it. "He's one of the famed Fire Salamanders from the Great Fire Mountains between Gallia and Germania."

"It's... an interesting creature." Jaune commented as he examined the fire salamander before him.

"You haven't seen such majestic creatures, familiar?" Kirche inquired, having noticed how he is staring her familiar.

Jaune shook his head. "No, I haven't. At least the not the real thing and only existed in stories. It would be easier to deal with threats back home if we have creatures like these."

"M-hmmm... What's your name, familiar?" Kirche asked while studying him, and Jaune could feel he's being judged.

"Jaune Arc." He answered simply.

"Jaune Arc. A cute name for a cute boy like you." She remarked alluringly as she swaggered towards him. She lifted up his chin with one finger while wearing a seductive smile on her face. Jaune could only swallow at the sight, which only made Kirche to smile even more. "You should give me a visit tonight. I'll be sure to take good... care... of you." She emphasized each word as she moved her face closer.

Jaune pulled back, feeling a little uncomfortable. Not that he didn't enjoy the attention, but it just felt wrong to be doing this here. This surprised Kirche as she wasn't expecting such a young catch to resist her charm.

"I-I'll.. K-keep that in mind, Miss." He stammered back as he composed himself.

Louise could only watch in anger as Kirche is placing her claws on her own familiar, and her familiar didn't even try to resist. She was about to scold her familiar when he pulled away from Kirche. She'll have to postpone punishment but for now, she need to get her familiar away from the harlot.

"Come now, familiar. I still have classes to attend to." She called out to Jaune who quickly left Kirche behind to join her.

"Be sure to not make a mess in class again, Zero!" Kirche cheerfully taunted.

"Hmph!" Louise ignored the jab and climbed up the steps alongside Jaune before entering the building.

Kirche turned to her silent partner and asked. "What do you think of him, Tabitha? Isn't he just cute boy?"

The blue-haired girl, Tabitha, kept reading her book when Kirche asked her for comment. She gave her a miniscule grunt before turning around to enter the building. Kirche sighed at failing to get a reaction from her friend, but that's normal of their friendship. She did have an interest on the boy but mostly of curiosity. From what she heard, the Arc boy seemed to be a swordsman of sorts and his reaction to familiars and Flame seemed to indicate that he had faced something akin to it. The burning fire within her demanded that she should pursue him, and she would not falter.

Louise and Jaune walked deeper into the tower in silence, and Jaune wondered if Louise is angry at him. He didn't want to prod, which might provoke her, and simply allowed her to take the first step.

Louise must have felt safe enough to speak once they're far enough from the main door. "You sure enjoyed being played by Zerbst, didn't you?"

It wasn't a question but simply a statement of accusation that Jaune recognized. He wouldn't argue with her about that but he will have to say something to help diffuse things between them.

"She caught me off-guard, and it won't happen again, Miss Valliere."

Louise remained silent for a few moments before saying. "Be sure that it wouldn't."

"Did you two have a history that I should be aware about?" Jaune carefully posed the question.

"Only that our families that our families have been enemies for generations. You're unware of it so I will not punish you for that slight earlier by flirting with her." She sternly told him. "Be sure to not fraternize with the enemy again, familiar."

"Yes, Miss Valliere." Jaune bowed a little to her, which seemed to satisfy Louise's anger.

He internally sighed as he got caught in between a family feud, a feud that likely had lead to blood being spilled. But he also sensed that there is something more going on between Louise and Kirche other than family feud.

They soon reached a door which Jaune opened up for Louise to enter. They both entered a large classroom filled with students and other familiars, making the whole room more like a zoo rather than a lecture room.

First class is about to start.

A/N:

I hope you liked this new update. So yeah, Jaune ran away from home. And if you've noticed from the hints, he's much younger here since his shorter than Kirche and is only as tall as Louise. Even Siesta merely saw him as a boy. Growth spurt hasn't kicked in yet.

Next two chapters will be dealing with his familiar mark and the powers he is given. And the implications of it considering how much it can affect his semblance that hasn't awakened yet. It is also why Jaune's marking is much more painful than Saito had suffered.

See you next time.