Zeroes of Two Worlds

Chapter 13

The twin moons lit the night sky with their sublime luminescence, and the land was quiet. But for the guards of their lord's castle, they didn't have the luxury to enjoy the night for they have to keep their vigilance. Word has reached their lord about a cunning thief that had been infiltrating the homes of nobles to steal their jewels and other treasures.

This obviously made their lord nervous and made some preparations. The guards were allocated for night patrols, and worked on fortifying the magical defenses of his keep to prevent a break in. The guards are nervous as well since they've heard that the thief is a mage, making their task much harder. At least their arms and armor could provide some level of protection against magic, so that helped ease some worries.

The guards continued with their patrols in and around the castle through the night. The rest of the castle prepared to sleep for the night. All hoped for another peaceful night.

A figure in black cloak silently flew across the air and softly landed on a roof. The figure's hooded head swiveled as he examined the castle layout and the guard's movements. With a plan in mind, he jumped across the gaps between roofs with the help of his magic mask his presence. He also move past the paths as he jumped over the heads of the guards, oblivious to his presence.

He soon reached one of the unmanned roofs of the keep, and softly landed on it. No openings or passages could be seen which explained the lack of guards. But most of all, no one could see him so he began his work.

He knelt down and his hand glowed bright as he examined the spell matrices that protected the keep. Satisfied with what he found, he stood up as he held out orange crystal in one hand and a wand in the other. He chanted softly under his breath and the crystal in his hand began to glow..

A bright circle appeared on the stone and quickly grew in size beneath his feet until it is large enough for a group of people to stand on. The circle shimmered brightly until it overcame the spell matrix that protected the stones, and the stones started crumbling into dust.

His feet began to sink into the newly formed sand beneath him, but he wasn't worried and allowed the sands to carry him into the room below. He softly dropped into the room below and quickly checked the room he's in.

Once he saw that he is in the clear, he quickly began to work and pocketed the crystal under his cloak. He reached for the nearest wooden chest and unlocked it with a spell. He knelt down and flipped the cover open, revealing the gold and gems inside it.

The break-in won't be discovered until the next morning when the lord found that his treasury is emptied of its most valued contents along with a pile of sand. But what really angered the lord is the message left behind on the wall.

We are grateful for your kind contribution to our cause.

All of your valuable treasures are now in our safe hands.

- Fouquet the Crumbling Sands

"Ha!"

Someone bellowed and accompanied by the sound of wood cracking. This is then followed by another bellow and strike. The final strike bit into the timber and held onto the blade.

Jaune pulled out Derflinger from the large timber stand, and left fairly deep cut on it. This is not unexpected but he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed with the result. He should have been able to cut deeper into it with his aura-infused sword. But at least he was making some progress with enhancing his weapon.

He took a deep breath and exhaled, relieving some stress in his body and calming his thoughts. He resumed his stance and held Derflinger, shimmering with his aura, before he started hacking at the tough timber. He adjusted his aura to increase the sharpness every time he paused after a few swings to try improving its effectiveness. At least his aura prevented Derflinger from being damaged every time he struck the timber, though Derf insisted that it is strong enough to cut through stones on with itself.

He had been training for days now since they bought Derflinger, and he had improved with his aura alot under the ancient sword's guidance. He could also feel his body responding better to the physical exercises around the campus grounds. He didn't become stronger but he wasn't getting tired easily unlike before.

He finished a few sets before he stopped to rest and to check his progress. The timber stand is covered in gashes of varying depths and parts of it had splintered or broken off. It had suffered quite the abuse but it is still standing. It is definitely more than what he used to get when practicing his sword on a tree back home.

Home.

He wondered about how things are back home. It had been over a week now, nearly two, since he found himself in this world. And he had left his home for weeks then when he got summoned by Louise. Have they noticed that his disappearance?

"You alright there, partner?" Jaune was drawn out from his thoughts when Derflinger spoke up. "What's on your mind? You've been spacing out."

"Just wondering how things are going home. I hope they're doing alright. It's been nearly two months since I've left home to prove myself." Jaune answered as he looked up into the sky.

"Do you miss them?"

"I do." Jaune nodded. "I left home to prove to them that I have what it takes to be a huntsman, but I never intended to cut ties with them." He told Derflinger as he longed to call them despite knowing that he can't do so anymore. "Especially not like... This." He gestured to his surroundings. "I hope they're doing ok."

"I'm sure they'll be fine, kid. If they're like you, then they'll be strong and will live on. I suggest you do the same." Derflinger said to console his user.

Jaune sighed again but nodded anyway, seeing that Derf is right. His worries won't be able to do anything to resolve his situation, and that it would be better to spend his time on other things.

He stepped away from the timber a few paces back before he settled on a stance with his feet spread apart, his right foot slightly forward, and held Derflinger by the hilt with two hands. He concentrated his aura into the blade and slowly pushed against it, creating a sort of pressure from within.

He looked towards the thick timber that will serve as his target and took a deep breath before exhaling. He slowly raised his sword, crackling with his aura, as he took another deep breath.

"Ha!" He bellowed as he swiftly swung down the swords towards the his target. The blade flashed and fired off an arc of concentrated aura that flew across the gap.

The stand splintered to pieces as it was thrown back by the impact as his aura struck. Jaune turned his face away and shielded himself with his arm, despite knowing that he still have more than enough aura to protect him. He then examined the aftermath to check how he had done.

There's alot of big pieces still left of what was once the timber stand, along with splinters of wood. They were thrown back a few paces from where the stand once stood. It was fairly strong but all in all, he still failed.

"Damn it. I thought I got it." Jaune muttered to himself as irritably scratched the back of his head. It looked like that his aura slash is still not concentrated enough to be sharp in order to cut.

"You should be proud, kid. You got this far in just a few days." Derflinger remarked positively. "No one would expect a swordsman to blast them with aura."

"I guess so." Jaune simply replied with a shrug. He could see what Derf is saying since no one would expect him to shoot his version of spells against them. But the current form of this technique is still limiting since he needed to charge it, leaving him vulnerable during that time.

He began cleaning up the place as he picked up pieces of wood and placed them into a wheelbarrow. He wiped the sweat off his brow once he chucked in the last piece, and then heard the bell ringing from the main tower which meant that it's break time.

He grabbed a plain clay pitcher on the small table beside the wheelbarrow and poured water, kept cool by the pitcher, into a glass before he drank from it. He then used the cool water to wet his hair and wash his face before he grabbed a clean tower to wipe himself dry.

Once he's done, he brought the wheelbarrow to one of the storage sheds and dropped the broken pieces there before leaving the wheelbarrow by the tool shed. He returned his training ground and found someone waiting for him.

"Hello, miss. Where you looking for someone?" Jaune asked the girl.

She is petite like Louise but a little taller than his summoner. She had long hair arranged into large spiraling curls, with a ribbon tied around the back of her hair, and soft blue eyes. She also carried a small basket in her hands, with the top covered in white cloth. She turned to his direction and looked at him with an appreciative smile.

"Yes, I was looking for someone named Jaune here." She said to him.

Jaune paused for a bit, thinking why someone else would be looking for him. She is clearly a student based on her uniform, and he's definitely not someone he knew since he only knew four students by name. With caution, he introduced himself and see what would come out with it.

"That would be me. Have we met before?"

"No, we didn't." She shook her head. "But I've watched your duel with Lord Guiche. You were quite amazing in that fight, and even defeated the mage with your mere fists." She said praisingly.

"Y-yeah... But I didn't think I did well in that duel." He replied embarrassingly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Nonsense. You did well. More so than most students here." She gently dismissed his denial. "You fought like a brave warrior with a cause worthy of a knight. You should be proud of that." She complimented him.

"Thanks." He simply replied, unsure what else to say. "So may I know your name?"

"My name's Montmorency." The girl answered with smile and a small bow of her head.

"Nice to meet you, Montmorency." Jaune smiled back.

Louise had just exited the main tower after a visit to the library to return some books and pick up new treatises for her personal research. She was about to check up on Jaune when she saw something unexpected.

She saw that Jaune is having a piquenique with another girl. This wouldn't be alarming to her if it weren't for the fact that she recognized those blonde curls anywhere. And it seemed that Jaune didn't recognized her since he's having what looked like a pleasant talk with her.

She must have been staring for a while since she didn't noticed someone was beside her. So she gasped and jumped in surprise when someone spoke and patted her on the shoulder.

'You alright there, Louise? You've been staring at them for a while now." Kirche asked as she looked at Louise with a curious expression.

"Don't surprise me like that!" She hissed irritably.

"Come on now, don't be like that. I was merely concerned." Kirche calmly replied. She then looked back at the pair and said. "I must say, I wasn't expecting Montmorency approaching the little prince like that."

"I'm more worried about her motives for approaching Jaune." Louise remarked suspiciously, trying to think what her classmate is planning with her familiar.

"Don't tell me you're getting jealous." Kirche teased her with a small smirk on her face, and Louise immediately turned on her as she retorted.

"I'm not being jealous." She quickly dismissed. She then huffed and said. "I'm just worried for Jaune and what plans she have for him."

"He'll be fine. He's a natural fighter, he can handle himself." Kirche said dismissively, trusting in Jaune's skills to protect himself.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Louise replied back as she recalled reckless Jaune can be when making decisions or trying to prove himself. "I better get there and save my familiar before he makes a fool of himself."

"And tell her that we still have classes. See you there." Kirche reminded her before leaving.

Louise grunted but didn't reply as she watched Jaune continued talking with Montmorency, observing their interactions while thinking about the scion's possible motives.

"These cherry tarts are delicious, Montmorency. Thanks for sharing this with me." Jaune complimented her before taking another bite of the pastry he is holding.

"I'm happy to hear that. I baked these myself." Montmorency happily replied as she took a bite from her own tart.

"So what kind of a mage are you? If you don't mind me asking." Jaune asked to start a conversation.

"I'm a water mage, just like the rest of my family." She answered.

"Good to hear. So what exactly does a water mage do? I'm only aware of fire magic but that's pretty much self explanatory." Jaune inquired, curious about what she would say.

The blonde girl smiled and stated. "Water magic is mostly used for controlling the flow of water or even collecting them from the air. It can even be used to clear out snow during heavy winter. But the most useful aspect of water magic is in healing the body and the land." She the added. "I specialize in healing and medicine."

"Ah! So like the healer in the in infirmary?" He remarked, and she nodded. "Cool. That kind of magic would be have been useful back home."

Montmorency looked confused about that and asked. "Don't you have magic back in your lands?"

"We do. Sort of." Jaune said abashedly. "We don't really control what kind of magic we would have, and it's more random." He then had a thought as he tried to remember something. Vaguely. "I think there's one family who are born with the same magic. But they're the exception rather than the norm."

"I see... That's a strange and chaotic." She remarked lamely.

He shrugged it off and replied. "It is what it is. Though you're more right about it being chaotic. It's a hard place to live in unless you live in the cities."

"Are you referring about the creatures that you said during your duel with Lord Guiche?" She noted to him, recalling his proclamation. "I think you called them the Grimes?"

"Grimm." He corrected. "They're beasts that roamed the lands between our borders, and had been a threat since the beginning. But they're not the only threat as there's also bandits and warbands. Like I said. It's a hard place."

"Is that why you were skilled with swordplay?"

"Partly. My family were warriors for most of our history, so we all received a level of training to at least defend ourselves." He told her.

"You must have trained diligently to be able to best Lord Guiche then." Montmorency remarked supportively, recalling how well he fought despite being overwhelmed.

"I did. I trained myself as best to my abilities." He nodded but omitted the fact that he trained mostly on his own with the exception of his grandfather. But he is also way behind his sisters who were trained by his father, are still huntresses-in-training to attend hunting schools. Helena and Selena would be juniors in Beacon Academy in the upcoming school year. "But I still have a long way to go so I'll need to keep training and be a better protector for Louise."

"I see. That's good to hear." She sighed as melancholy took over. "I wish someone would be loyal to me as you are to her."

"Hm..." Jaune raised an eyebrow since he was not expecting to hear that. "Problem with someone?"

"You could say that?" She replied a little evasively, which Jaune took notice.

"I'm sorry for prying." He quickly apologized.

Montmorency wave a hand at him and said. "Don't apologize. It's nothing." Jaune didn't believe her but he allowed the topic to be dropped since she seemed uncomfortable with it. She then stood up as she grabbed her basket. "I have to go. I still have classes to attend to. Thank you for allowing me to spent time with you."

"No problem." Jaune replied with a smile. "Go ahead. Don't want you to be late for class." He said to her. Montmorency smiled back and made a small bow to him before she leaving the courtyard.

Jaune at the remaining tarts on the paper wrap and picked another one, not wanting to waste it. He took a bite and savored the sweetness. He's still unsure what her motives are but she didn't seem to have ill-intent towards him. He then noticed Louise making her way towards him, so he stood up to greet her.

"Oh hi, Louise. Don't you have classes to attend to?"

"I still have time, I just came from the library to pick up some new books." She told him, and Jaune did saw some books she is holding in her arm. "So I see that you were spending time with Montmorency."

"Yeah, she came over and she wanted to share some pastries with me. I didn't see any problem with it so I accepted." He told her. "Would that be a problem?" He asked.

"It isn't much of a problem." She simply said before asking. "Are those cherry tarts?"

"Yeah. She baked them herself."

"Did she tell you where she got those cherries?"

Jaune looked confused at the question before answering. "She didn't tell me. But I assume she got it from the store or from the kitchens." He gestured towards the main tower.

Louise sighed and pinched her nose a little. "Jaune..." That didn't sound good. "Montmorency only gets her cherries from her family estate where it is grown. Add the fact that she baked you that particular cherry tart and ate with you really means something personal."

"She did say seem troubled by something..." Jaune noted, recalling that bout of melancholy he got from her.

"I'm not surprised." Louise huffed in response. "Do you when was the last time she baked that cherry tart?" Jaune shook his head. "The last time she made these tarts is when she dated her fiance last year, and she haven't made one since then."

That halted every thought Jaune was having in his mind as the shock hit him, leaving him flabbergasted. The feeling of dread also started creeping in as his eyes widened at the implications. But there's one thing that he needed to confirm and voiced out his concern.

"Who is... Her fiance?"

"Guiche."

"Oh..." Jaune stared at her in shock. He looked down on the half-eaten tart and then back at her. He picked up an uneaten tart and offered it to her. "Want one?"

Louise sighed heavily, feeling the headache of the gossip that she would likely have to deal with. She have no doubt that this was intentional on Montmorency's part, but she couldn't think of why she chose her familiar out of everyone in the academy.

Besides, it's a waste to throw such food away, her parents would dispprove such thoughts, and it's the first opportunity for her to taste one of Montmorency's baking. So she accepted the offered tart and took a bite, even if only to help her familiar finish it.

After having lunch with the staff, Jaune helped the staff with the washing of the dishes and pots that came after lunch time. He handled with the rinsing and drying, and it helped that the kitchen has running water which made the task easier. He kept rinsing until he filled up a rack with plates along with spoons, forks and other utensils. He then carried it over to another counter with a metal hood attached by a movable hinge.

He placed the rank over one of the empty slates as another staff placed his rack over the last empty slates. He lowered the hood down to the surface of the counter, and pushed down a small lever beneath the counter. A hiss can be heard from within and the hood started to feel warm as hot air started circulating inside.

It still fascinated Jaune watching these appliances that littered the academy especially he became more aware of them after his visit to the capital. Things that Jaune had merely attributed to simple enchantments but turns out to be this world's equivalent to electronics in terms of functionality

He didn't know how they functioned or how they are powered exactly. Well he knew about the ether crystals but he hasn't seen one since they're locked inside these appliances, and they didn't need to be taken out since they're connected to the academy's lacrima that provided the power through a spell matrix.

He returned to helping with the clean up and the task is soon finished as he filled the last rack and placed it onto the dish dryer before closing the hood down.

"Phew. That's the last one."

"Thanks again for helping us out, Jaune." One of the washers said to him in appreciation.

"No problem. It's the least I could do to help out." He replied.

"I'll handle this once it's done. You can go ahead."

Jaune nodded and left the washing room as he entered the serving area that doubled as the staff dining room. He is then greeted by Siesta who was cleaning one of the tables.

"Oh you're done already?"

"I am." He nodded.

"Come. Why don't you take a seat and rest for a while?" She gestured to the empty seat by the table beside the wall. "You must be tired."

"Thanks." He gladly took a seat and rested his back on the wall. He wasn't feeling tired, one of the benefits of aura, but it felt good rest his legs for a bit.

"How was your training earlier?" Siesta asked as she took a seat across the table.

"It's still a work in progress but it's going great. Got to shoot my aura further and hit my target harder. Though I'm still unable to get it to slice rather than shatter it." He told her.

Siesta looked happy about that as she smiled at him. "That's great. You must be talented to progress that far in just a few days."

"Hehe... Thanks..." He shyly replied back. "But I'm not really that good. Not yet anyway."

"Shouldn't you be practicing then instead of helping out here?" Siesta looked concerned as she thought that his generosity hampering with his training. She didn't want him to be left behind because of them.

Jaune shook his head and said. "It's not a big deal. I need more things to do anyway instead of just training, especially since Louise have classes anyway. So I might as well help out around here.".

"I understand." She replied. "But still... There are far more powerful mages here and abroad, not to mention the monsters that are still lurking around. You have to hone your skils more if you are to be a huntsman and especially as Miss Valliere's protector." She gently cautioned him.

"I know. I know..." Jaune said repeatedly with a soft sigh. "I just need time to think and distract myself before training again. I'm trying to think of ways on how to improve my aura control. And I can't read any of the books here, so I can't really use them as sources of inspiration."

"Take your time. I know you'll get it." She said to him encounragingly as she patted him on the arm. "Do you and Miss Valliere have plans for the upcoming Exhibition?"

"The Exhibition?" He turned his head to her, looking confused as he didn't know anything about that.

"The Familiar Exhibition. It's a small festival that all second years have to participate for them to showcase their familiars to the entire school. Sometimes that includes families of the students who came to visit and enjoy the festiviies." Siesta told him as she explained more about it and what else to expect.

"Huh... Louise never told me about that." He remarked as he tried remember if Louise said anything about it but none came up. "So it's like a talent show?"

"A talent show?"

"It's a similar thing like the Exhibition but for people instead. It's for singing, dancing and other activities that they have talent for." He explained to her.

"That sounds lovely. I think we have a similar thing to that but that's more for theater audtions." She replied. "So... Are you able to think what you could be doing for the Exhibition?"

"Uhhhhh... Hmmm..." Jaune tried to think about what he could do but he couldn't think of a talent that he could use to perform. He couldn't really sing that well, despite what his family said. He could dance well, but he don't know if that would work. He then shook his head and said. "I couldn't think of what I could do for the Exhibition."

"You're a talented young man. I'm sure you'll find something to do."

"I'll try not to disappoint." Much.

They heard a loud voice before someone entered the room. They looked towards the door and saw Louise hastily looking around. She looked like she had been running around the campus with how haggard she looked.

"There you are! I've been lookin around for you!" She cried out as she saw him and briskly walked towards their table.

"Is something wrong, Louise? Don't you still have classes to attend to?" He questioned her and is concerned by how she's acting.

"We've been dismissed early today and the following days would be the same." She told him before answering. "And yes. There's something wrong and we need to rectify it."

"Is this about the upcoming Exhibition?" He inquired.

She looked at him with surprise and asked. "How did you know about that?"

"Siesta told me." He gestured to his friend across the table. Siesta looked back at Louise with a curt nod when she looked at her. "She explained to me the basics of what it is and what to do for it."

"Good." Louise quickly said in relief but still sounding haggard. "That means I don't have to spend time explaining it to you." She then grabbed his wrist and started pulling him towards the door. "Come on. We need to get back to my room and make plans for the exhibition."

"W-wait! What's the hurry? We can just back to the dorms." He called out to her as she kept pulling him, forcing him to follow after her lest he tripped.

"We have little time to waste. We need to get started as soon as possible." She replied back harshly.

"At least let me get my things first."

Jaune and Louise are now back in her dorm room after a hasty exit from the kitchens, and Jaune watched Louise paced around the room with worry on her face.

"What to do... What to do..." She uttered repeatedly with growing panic in her voice.

"What's the problem, Louise? Are you worried about your parents visiting for the Exhibition?" He asked. He's unsure what he could do if ever met her parents, and it would feel awkward considering he's a foreigner and Louise's familiar.

"No. It's not that." She shook her head rapidly, almost giving herself dizziness. "That's a small mercy for now." She muttered.

"So what's the problem? If it's about what I could do for the exhibition. Well..." He trailed out as he thought about what he could do as his performance. "I could dance for you?" He offered.

"No! That won't be good enough." Louise cried out in frustration as she tried thinking of what her familiar could perform. She glanced at him and then at his sword... Well swords by his bed and had an epiphany. "Of course! You're good at swordplay right?"

"I'm... proficient." He slowly answered, unsure what exactly she's expecting from him. "At least in a fight, I am." He hastily added.

"And you said that you could dance?" She asked him again.

"I am." He simply nodded back at her. "Do you want me to do some kind of sword dance?" He asked.

"That's brilliant!" She shouted elatedly as her eyes brightened. "With your aura, you can dazzle the crowd as well while showing your skills. Ohhh... This is going to be great." She remarked excitedly.

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction and decided to question her about it. "What's really going on, Louise? Normally you aren't this... panicky and then excited."

"She's coming!" She cried out which only confused him even more.

"Who's coming exactly?"

"The Princess. The Crown Princess would be coming to the academy for the Exhibition, and she'll be presiding over who will win this year's exhibition." She answered.

"Oh..." He dumbly uttered. "Ohhhhhhh..."

This Exhibition suddenly became more than just a talent show. It became a freaking royal procession of all things. What was he supposed to do before royalty?! Actual royalty!

Jaune now understood what Louise was feeling as he could feel the dread and panic growing in him.

"Has Headmaster Osmond been informed of the changes for this year's Exhibition?" A girl asked as she looked at the bright and bustling city in the distance from the balcony.

"He had been notified just an hour ago via scryer, my lady. They should be starting preparations for the visitation this coming weekend." An old voice answered.

"That's good." The girl nodded as she continued staring out towards the city. "It would be refreshing to get away from all the politics from the court, and maybe meet the next generation of nobles."

"That we could agree."

The girl sighed as she stared at the city with a longing look on her face.

"I'll be taking my leave, your grace. May the Founder bless you this night." The old man said.

The girl slowly nodded without looking back, and the old man left the room before closing the door behind him. She sighed again and her shoulders sagged in relief as though a great weight was lifted off her.

She looked out towards the general direction of the academy which she could barely see from her position. It stood out amongst the flat plains and small hills like a stone needle amongst the green.

Oh how she dreamed of attending the academy and be amongst the students there. Having people that she could trust and call them as her friends. But her circumstances prevented her from joining them and is confined in these stone walls for much of her life.

She hoped that haven't been forgotten by only one she trusted the most. And maybe, even just for a short while, she could find some joy and happiness that she could cherish.

A/N: Weren't expecting that from Montmorency did you? You can guess what her motives could be, and it won't be the last of it. A certain someone won't be taking it well, but this will likely kick him in the curb and start getting his act together.

Fouquet has made an appearance and it seems that he has some new toys for his trade of thievery. Jaune improving his aura control and abilities which will be useful in the next chapter.

I also hoped you liked the little expositions with Jaune learning more about the world he's in. Things may not seem to be as they are at first glance. They'll be playing a bigger part soon especially with Fouquet once he made his move.

I'm sure many of you can guess who made a short appearance in the last section.

The Princess and the Squire, mayhaps.

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. I'll try to publish the next chapter before Christmas, and hopefully leave you all something enjoyable to read during the holiday. See you next time.