Storyteller Of Zero

by Kremant

For the Isekai lovers who love seeing someone else being summoned than the other guy! Louise will perform the ritual to summon her Familiar. Only this time, the one she will summon will be someone who will cause quite the shock and surprise all around him. And the only thing he brings along... Is a Tome? Just what kind of stories are about to be unleashed upon Halkeginia?

12. SOZ-Episode 11-A Storyteller's Morality

The night's veil is apparent in the sky.

But not in Halkeginia.

As the scene moves downward, it reveals the place to be dark city with tall buildings and skyscrapers, and far at the distance floating high in the air a massive, white/silver fortress, with what appears to be a gigantic, heart-shaped moon behind it at the sky above.

The city itself appears man-made, but no obvious signs of life is seen around, as if abandoned.

Not to mention that even the little lighting it provides its different areas with is not exactly efficient, almost as if the city, or something in it absorbs most of it, making it appear constantly and eerily dark.

Louise eventually reaches a more spacious area in the said city, walking in the middle and stopping there as she looks around, her expression serious and determined.

She then looks up at the tall skyscraper in front of her, before closing the eyes as she focuses her thoughts, and feels the place around her.

And then, after a few seconds, a music begins playing in the area.

[The said music being Rage Awakened from Kingdom Hearts 2, specifically]

While standing like that, multiple pitch-black forms appear to be moving with haste straight for her, with her opening her filled-with-determination eyes, and the very last moment being launched high into the air in a powerful burst of bright wind as she spins around herself, the force of the wind knocking back and away whatever was coming for her as a result, before the creatures are revealed to be humanoid, shadowy creatures with round, yellowish, glowing eyes and long, crooked antennas which fall behind them, with faint, blue veins slightly obvious around their somewhat muscular physique. [Neoshadows from Kingdom Hearts Series]

While up there, levitating in the air, she notices suddenly being surrounded by more pitch-black creatures, which are larger, with spherical bodies that are streaked with dark blue, with also glowing, yellowish eyes, a big, jagged and toothy mouth, and three thick, black-blue tentacles with frayed, pink tips sprouting out of their bodies, as several of them are already close and about to bite her down, only for her to block them by quickly creating a shiny protective force field around her, with the said force then breaking violently outward, destroying the ones closer to her and pushing the rest back, which reveals their numbers to be great enough to cover the sky as they slowly keep on flying toward her. [Darkballs from the same series like the above]

Seeing them coming as they surround her, her determination doesn't falter for even a second as she moves both hands in front of her, and points with her index fingers at the creatures, just before immediately after beginning to shoot them with thin, purple beams of energy, piercing and shredding in quick succession their numbers all around, making them unable to approach till a certain point despite swarming from all sides unceasingly.

As she keeps on shooting, a feeling warns her as she barely avoids a big ball of fire coming from below by moving sideward, and while turning around to look at the area down, as the flying creatures are currently retreating in the background, see sees the place filled with a great deal of all manner of such creatures, some resembling medium-sized cannons, others relatively small mages in purple and pinkish robes with magic staffs, and flying, strangely-shaped bronze helmets with two black spikes mounted at each of their sides which they aim at her, and a spiky, silver ring spinning about below them, with them all carrying on them the emblem of a black heart-shape with red lining around it and an X on its middle. [Cannon Gun, Wizard, and Surveillance Robot Heartless from the same series like the above]

Louise flies downward closer, but still keeping an appropriate distance above them, and at that moment every single one of them prepares to launch their attack, as staffs, spikes, and cannons light up, ready to do as much.

She narrows her eyes, and then raises a fist up to the sky, before the creatures shoot at her in an asynchronous manner, lightning strikes, fire balls, and laser beams, that instead of hitting her end up stopping in place at a short distance around the girl, gathering more and more as the attack continues.

Seeing how she has received enough, she brings the other hand diagonally to the side, the arm covering the view of the mouth as a result, and then opens widely the hand she raised from before, shooting back everything she was holding in place together back at them, before unleashing through quick slashing movements with her palms around wide and powerful transparent slashes of energy, blasting and tearing appart all incoming attacks, along with every single one of the creatures in mere seconds into nothingness.

Louise slowly levitates down and lands with her feet upon the pavement after clearing the area of their presence, but as soon notices more coming from a road to the side, this time ones looking like medium-sized knights with sword in one hand, and long spikes for feet, while some others look like literal demons, tall, muscular, with pitch-black skin, small bat-like wings at the back, and another more feathery set of light-gold color at the side of the forearms, long purple tipped horns which outline a curled heart, a heart-shaped hole in their torso, a long, thin tail with its tip being a blund blade, and a big, scalloped sword in one hand. [Armored Knight, and Invisible Heartless from the same series like the above]

As she turns to face them while raising a hand next to her head as it begins emitting intense electricity, preparing one more powerful spell, with more of those pitch-black skinny creatures with the long and crooked antennas making their appearance through the pavement from the surroundings, the creatures step aside, making space for another, much bigger figure, which walks past them, standing as tall as a small or medium-sized building, pitch-black in skin, muscular, and with bat-like wings like the demon-looking ones, tentacles for hair on the haid that cover everything on the face but its round, bright, yellowish eyes, and much larger heart-shaped hole that reaches from stomach and abdomen till barely above the croch area. [Darkside from the same series like the above, I know you got it from the last few times, but need to play it safe with details and all]

Her determination still does not waver even at the face of this greater opposition.

But it is not simply determination in Louise's eyes that is showing. No.

Slight signs of an upsetting feeling can be seen through them, for it is part of what leads her to face those heartless creatures of the dark.

The torturous frustration that was the last day.

As she brings forth her hand to smite the ones before her, the scene immediately cuts to her being seen inside the TV in her room, where Aristidis, Kirche, Charlotte and Siesta are watching the pink-haired Noble's fight, with the three former lying upon the bed while the latter is seated onto a chair next to them, and all eating popcorn from small boxes they hold in their hands while doing so, with the maid Cinderella seen standing next to her fellow maid.

The redhead sweat drops. "She is really going all out there."

"After what she went through the last day, are you surprised?" The pitch-black Storyteller asks with a raised eyebrow, before looking at the TV again, his expression happy. "Frankly, I expected her mood to be way worse. Glad to see that not being the case. It will help her get over it faster."

"You know best, darling." Kirche says while hugging lovingly his arm, as she places the popcorn box down in front of her, but then seems curious as she looks at her pink-haired friend fighting in the TV. "Say, isn't it too much of a burden for her to throw powerful spells around like that? You did say that-"

"True, but apparently having her do so inside the Tome halves the cost, making it the perfect training ground for her to test her capabilities, let her get creative, allow her to understand her magic, and use it to build her very own unique way of fighting by herself." He interrupts while explaining, and then his face shows disbelief as he looks at his Tome below the TV. "I still can't believe how I didn't think of doing this sooner. I even had a theory in my mind about it from before I come in this world and all."

Siesta sweat drops while smiling at him in a somewhat comforting manner. "M-Maybe you just had too many things to think about lately. Busy and thoughtful people like you can't always have their mind in one place, can you?"

"Probably." Aristidis says while thinking about it with a hand to his chin.

Charlotte turns to him. "The numbers?"

He turns to her. "Like the cost, the magic capacity I earn is also half while she uses the book's spells within. Not quite ideal in comparison to outside, but since she can cast more powerful ones and far more times, the experience she is getting out of this makes it tremendously worth it." Says satisfied the last parts.

After saying that, the Storyteller goes closer to the TV by placing his elbow at the end of the bed as he holds with the hands his chin and cheeks while moving his legs behind him erratically, his popcorn box nowhere to be found and most likely vanished, watching closely the still fighting Louise at screen with both pride and adoration. "Look at her. Vanquishing her foes with them pretty much unable to cause her any trouble at all. I remember when she first beaten that Taurus Demon with relative difficulty. She is truly growing into quite the legend that cute girl of mine."

The three girls are happy for both Louise being praised, and Aristidis's general happiness.

At the same time can't help but feel a little jealous with the current attention she receives from him, but still smile for them because they care that much.

A thought then comes to Kirche's mind as she puts a finger to her chin while looking upward. "Still, I find it hard to believe that such an esteemed and dashing figure like Wardes ended up being a traitor."

She then notices how Aristidis looks at her with half a narrow eye, and recoils with both hands raised and an awkward smile, thinking that he feels betrayed because of her earlier comment. "R-Respectfully I mean, of course! After all you are far above everyone's level in both greatness and beauty."

He raises his head with much of pride. "Straight up."

The redhead laughs awkwardly while Aristidis looks back at the screen.

"Speaking about him though-" Siesta begins as she appears curious about something herself, drawing attention on her, while looking at the Storyteller. "-do you think he was able to go wherever in the end? He must have been at an awful state after that fall down the cliff."

Aristidis looks up as he thinks about it. "Well..."

The scene meanwhile cuts in a different place, where Wardes suddenly wakes up with a startled yelp, and with a quick movement raises the upper-half of his body into a sitting position, revealing him to be, while gasping from the shock of it, on a bed with his uniform but his pants missing, along with bandages on his shoulder and different places around his body, where the injuries supposedly are, before grunting out of pain as he puts an arm around the belly area. "Where-"

"You're at Albion's capital, sir Wardes." A voice next to him says, and when he looks he sees a maid with his uniform properly folded upon her hands. "You were brought here upon order from our respectful leader after a patrol found you unconscious in the middle of a dirtroad close to a city nearby."

She moves close and places carefully the folded uniform next to him at the bed. "The wounds you suffered are many but not serious. Although it's better to not make hasty moves till the instructed potion does its work."

As Wardes stays as he is, another question comes to the mind. "What of my Griffin?"

The maid somewhat lowers her head, feeling bad for what she is to tell. "I'm afraid that your Griffin didn't make it, sir Wardes. The poor thing was already dead by the time they found you fallen next to it. They said it bled out from the wounds inflicted by the two large hook-like spears that were stuck behind it. It must have been like this for hours."

The Reconquista Noble lowers his head, both sad and frustrated with his Familiar's death.

He finds his composure quickly, as he thinks there is no time for grief.

The Griffin did its deed like any trusted mount till the very end.

But he needs to focus, for there are more important matters that needs his presence, and a cause to offer his full help to.

Moving on a few minutes later, Wardes is seen with his uniform normally on him as he makes his way through a corridor, and eventually opening reaching a double-door which opens for him by two guards stationed there.

When inside, he sees sitting upon the throne the leader of the reconquista, Oliver Cromwell.

"Ah, Wardes, I have been expecting you." The blond leader tells him with a pleased smile and hands extended to the side. "Thanks to your efforts, not only we were able to secure the letter of princess Henrietta of Tristain, allowing us to prevent her bothersome alliance with Germania, but also kill the last obstacle to our complete reign over Albion, prince and last of the Tudor family, Wales. You even survived what I can understand was a deadly encounter for the last one. A splendid work indeed."

Wardes smiles with pride. "Of course. I wouldn't just let someone like that Storyteller being and his savage pets to stop me that easily. Unfortunately, the descendant of the void could not be claimed for our cause in the end."

"Unfortunate indeed." Cromwell says as he sticks the fingers of both his hands together while leaning forward enough for his face to be right in front of them, covering his mouth as a result, and appearing to be thinking seriously about something. "Wales's body was cremated."

The Reconquista Noble utters both surprised with what he just heard.

The blond leader continues. "One of the men I had stationed at a nearby hill to watch from afar, witnessed as he was taken to a funeral pyre at the edge of a cliff, which apparently appeared there out of thin air, not far from the chapel. As you can understand, that makes our other plan impossible to even start. And taking into consideration the void descendant's increased power, along with the absurd magic her Familiar possesses, despite most of it being sealed like you said so yourself, I believe our best option for now is to stay as we are with just Albion, while thinking of a way to safely expand our territory without provoking them any further. Just imagining the damage they can cause to us... I will have a talk with Sheffield about-"

"There is no real need for us to be held back like that." The gray-haired man interrupts him, causing the leader to lower his hands confused, before showing a cunning smile on his face. "I have thought of a plan that I believe will ensure he will be of no consequence to Reconquista in the future."

Cromwell utters curiously interested with it for a moment, but then remembers something as he straightens himself normally upon the throne again. "Before you speak of it, what of that Matilda woman? You two were sent together, and unlike you, she is yet to make her appearance."

Wardes thinks about it while remembering what was the last task he gave her. "Well..."

The scene in the meantime cuts back to Louise's room, where Aristidis is now seen seated normally upon the bed as he looks at the girls, right before he shrugs. "Absolutely no idea."

The three girls, Charlotte, Kirche and Siesta, appear rather surprised with his answer.

He continues. "My Tome Searching Teams still know not of her location within. And thinking about the number of the stories they will have to go through, it can even take months till she is found. I seriously worry for her, knowing what most of the Tome's content is like and all." Says at the end with concern and a sweat drop to the head.

The pitch-black Storyteller then puts both hands over his head while feeling bad as comical tears show up in his eyes. "All that because of an incredibly clumsy moment of the time. I just wanted to show her I am not as bad as she considers me, make her part of the harem, and enjoy life together with us all from then on."

Siesta moves quickly behind him with a sweat drop and an awkward smile on her face as she proceeds to massage his shoulders with her hands in an attempt to calm him down. "D-Don't worry, Aristidis, dear, I'm sure she is just fine. Who knows? Maybe she ended up in a place filled with, let's say... Sweet, delicious candy or something."

He calms down a bit and thinks about it while placing a hand to his chin, with a specific place coming to his mind. "Not the worst place she can end up to, but still not the most ideal to be in. That baroness can drive a normal person like her eventually mad with her wacky behavior alone, let me tell you. Not mentioning an all-sugar diet can only get you that far." Says the last parts while looking back at the black-haired maid, with all the three girls looking at one another really confused about the baroness bit.

Aristidis's head then straightens up in reaction to a feeling, and points with a finger at the Tome in the shelve below the TV, with everyone looking there as well, causing it to move out of it as it opens while being placed upon the floor, with Louise that moment magically walking off its pages in a walking-upstairs way, and using a pink towel to wipe some of the sweat on her face.

After having finished with what she was doing, she exclaims with satisfaction, and from the relaxing relief of her intensive training being over with. "That was definitely far more than I could imagine myself able to handle. You were not kidding when saying back then that I can face an actual army on my own." Says the last part while looking at him with awe.

The Storyteller raises his legs and spins his entire body at the same time while he pushes himself off the bed as he gracefully straightens himself up with a joyous expression to the floor in front of her. "Told you as much, didn't I? Well, more specifically when I have more of my magic back so you can safely use the amount needed for such feat, but you understand the idea." Says at the end with a shrug.

As she takes the small book off one of her skirt's pockets with a hand to look at it for a moment, she can't help but feel overexcited with the very thought she is now such a powerful Noble.

And she has not even learned half of her book yet. Imagine that!

Aristidis that moment leans forward as he puts a hand below her chin, catching her attention, and he while lifting it enough for their eyes to meet, shows her a seductive expression. "Now, what would you say to telling the others leave us on our own for a few moments, and help you... Enjoy those said moments properly?"

Louise blushes heavily as she understands the implication behind his words, and takes a quick step back, resulting in being unhanded, while lifting her hands and book in front of her defensively with an awkward smile. "L-Look, Aristidis, I l-love you, b-but I think it's a bit too early for s-such stuff and-"

"How humorous." The mouthless Storyteller interrupts her as he shows a mischievous face while folding his arms and pointing with a thumb at the girls behind him at the bed. "From the very morning, you were literally asking Siesta, Kirche, and Charlotte for advice SPECIFICALLY on how to do that kind of stuff."

"Eeh?!" The pink-haired girl exclaims from utter surprise as she gets even more red than before from embarrassment.

"Acting weird moments after you wake up, doesn't help you with me not proceeding to use my guards and Tome Personnel in general to spy on you and learn without you noticing." He simply explains.

"Th-Th-Th-That's cheating!" She yells upset at him while blushing.

Aristidis appears a bit amused as he continues. "To think you would want that so early, was quite the surprise to me. In any case, that advice searching didn't quite go like you wanted. Siesta was getting too easily lost in her fantasy upon attempting to think of our moments, resulting in not focusing on actually talking about it. Kirche was being too lewd for you to want to hear anything she was saying. And Charlotte was talking with such detail, that ended up making you run away while blushing like a living tomato upon realizing she is actually even more perverted than the previous one."

After saying that, the blue-haired girl was blushing softly while looking down awkwardly, with the redhead placing the arms around her with a somewhat amused smile, as the black-haired maid was laughing awkwardly with a sweat drop.

And as for Louise, she had no idea what to say at this point from the embarrassment she was feeling at being found out like that.

He steps in front of her, once more drawing her now startled attention, and crouches enough for his head to be at the same height level like hers, his expression seductive. "Why so embarrassed? You know me. You know there is no need to be afraid of me rejecting or misjudging your feelings and wants. But if you are still feeling a bit too awkward about this, I can take for you the lead."

"I-I..." She trails off as she tries to think of an excuse, while at the moment he moves his face a bit closer to hers.

"Now wait just a moment, darling." Kirche stops him as she walks behind of the pink-haired girl, and with a smile puts her arms around her while pulling her into her embrace, much to the confusion of the two. "You can't just get straight to the point like that with Louise here. She is tired, she is sweaty, and frankly, she could use a nice and relaxing bath with some company from us girls to talk about a few things before everything else. You understand."

"Eh?" Louise utters somewhat troubled, while in the meantime, Siesta and Charlotte get off the bed and grab her by the arms, as together with the redhead push/pull her, without her resisting, toward the door.

"Let us prepare her properly for you, and we will call you once ready." The black-haired maid tells him with a smile.

The pitch-black Storyteller straightens himself up as the Tome levitates to his hand, and turns to them with his arms placed behind the back, while in the meantime the maid Cinderella walk toward the window behind him and opens it. "Very well, I can respect that. I will be behind of the main building to check out a few things till you are finished. Ciao!"

The very moment he says the last one, he leaps and flips backward out of the window, as the orange-haired maid simply stands to the side as he does so, and falls down from the tower.

The rest of the girls pause for a moment after witnessing his random act, but decide to shrug it off and focus at what they were doing, with Kirche unhanding her as the rest pull her by the arms to open the door.

"W-Wait a moment, I never agreed to this!" Louise yells in protest as she now resists being moved.

Kirche turns to her with folded arms after opening the door, her expression slightly mischievous. "Oh, so you wanna say you asked the three of us for that specific kind of advice out of plain curiosity?"

She is about to say something to that, but stops herself as soon as she realizes that if she says yes it's like admitting she is just a pervert.

Not that they would believe her anyway.

The redhead relaxes her face and decides to continue. "Louise, sweetie, this is meant to happen sooner or later. Why delay it at this point?"

The pink-haired girl stays as she is for a moment, and then lowers her head a bit while looking to the side awkwardly and blushing about, not wanting to admit she is right or the fact there is no point in denying it, with the three smiling somewhat amused at her reaction, before walking out of the room together.

Some time passes as the scene moves outside of the academy's main building, while also showing just outside of the Spa Zone by a table Korg the Kronan and Rev Runner watching over the pink cute ball that is Kirby along with Jerry the brown mouse as they eat together, and then moving right behind and a bit further of the said building where Aristidis stands there, checking something on his open Tome, before closing it. "Alright, I have finally put together a schedule in my mind on how to spend the day with the girls later, increased the guards around the academy by an appropriate amount, checked the area for people who might be watching me right now, which is zero, found out about the fact Motmonrency knows about the secret mission Guiche went to because of Rev deciding to tell her since I never told him not to, and that apparently while we were away they had a chat at a table along with Korg and Cinderella about the many frustrations her boyfriend is causing her with his antics, which is not really that important to label as such, a~nd let us see how TF2 Red Spy is doing so far." Says the last bit while placing two fingers at the side of his head, and after having whispered to himself all that, ready to have a very obvious telepathic talk.

His expression turns pleased upon reaching him. {(Hello, Spy, my good friend, the Storyteller is speaking to you. Just making an early check- Any update worth mentioning?)}

The pitch-black Storyteller just stands there as he is nods his head at times while hearing the details. {(Alive, I see... Hmhm-hmhm... Secretary Sheffield you say? Can you describe her or- oh you look at her right now! Great timing, let me see her.)}

He sees through the eyes of his spy, and witnesses the woman in question talking with Cromwell.

Her skin is pale-white, has black, long hair that reaches below the waist, has a single black spike like paint or tattoo adjusted right below each eye, and wears a uniform that shows much of her big bosom from above, along with her navel, with both covered by a near-transparent, soft-violet fabric.

"Ho-ho! That is an interesting looking secretary. Far too interesting by appearance to be simply that." Aristidis says as he shows both interest, and possible acknowledgement of her being more than she shows to be.

"A little racist of you, don't you think?" Kremant tells him as he suddenly pops out from behind him with a grin, and his hands behind the back, making the Storyteller's eyes widen from surprise.

The mouthless Storyteller takes a quick step forward while turning to face him with a hand tightly grasping the chest, out of supposed shock. "Ah, my pitch-black heart!"

The black cloaked man folds his arms. "We both know you didn't get that scared, you joker of an actor. And speaking about act, well done at your little show yesterday, my boy, well done indeed." Says seemingly pleased at the end as he claps his hands while nodding about.

Aristidis straightens himself normally and raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking- is that a friend of yours?" Ends up saying a bit surprised as he notices another person with black-cloaked next to Kremant, who also has a white mask covering the face, with said mask having three black lines representing his eyes and mouth, along with a pair of white gloves on his hands.

The white masked one lifts a greeting hand. "Hey there! Name's Derflinger, or Derf for short, the greatest sword to ever exist!"

After saying that with much of pride, while the pitch-black Storyteller just looks at him, and while also the mask appears to be rather expressive, he points with a thumb a bit annoyed at the black-cloaked man next to him, who is grinning about. "At least I was till that cheeky guy decided to pop out of nowhere and eat me on the spot."

"A talking sword, you don't see that very oft- wait, you ate him he says?" The mouthless Storyteller begins interested, but stops while turning surprised with wide open eyes at his mentor as soon as he properly realizes the last fact.

Kremant shrugs. "It was either that, or let him keep on rusting inside that barrel for another six thousand years or so more, and wherever he was gonna be moved to during those."

Aristidis turns then interested, with a hand on his chin, to Derf. "Over six thousand years old, eh?"

"As you hear, tall and mouthless guy." The white-masked man tells while pointing and winking at him. "Created back then by the very first Gandalfr of this world, and meant to be wielded by the ones next in line to receive that honor."

He then moves fast right in front of him, his expression now frustrated, and with Aristidis leaning a bit back in response confused. "And then it was decided for you to be summoned here instead of the one meant to actually appear, like that Kremant guy explained to me, resulting in me becoming obsolete, and forgotten, due to your already overpowered arsenal!"

"Wow, being genuinely important and then losing everything because of one's appearance unintentionally breaking the usual circle needed for you to prove yourself like you were supposed to. An awful fate indeed." The pitch-black Storyteller tells while actually feeling a bit bad for the ex-sword, as white-masked man moves back to give him some space again, and then thinks about something as he looks upward with a hand upon his chin. "Also that answers my curious question about what Familiar Louise would get if not for me."

Derf then lifts both his hands up to the air a bit more happy now. "On the plus side, I can actually move on my own in whatever way I want. Watch!"

As soon as he said that, he proceeds to roll in different ways, jump and pretty much move about away in the background like an acrobat, as the other two watch him while the Storyteller moves next to the black-cloaked one.

After watching the white-masked man enough, Aristidis turns his attention to Kremant. "Not going to ask about your decision to eat him, I have already formed a very likely theory about it and all, but how come and he is with you, in a new body that was obviously made by you no less?"

"Well, you could say it felt wrong to just let him go to waste, so I'm keeping him as my watching buddy for now." The black-cloaked man simply answers. "We will watch your life together, and make comments while doing so. The least he deserves after what I did to him."

"Ok, ok, I see." The pitch-black Storyteller responds with a few nods of understanding, and then folds his arms. "Anyway, back on topic. What were you talking about? What act?"

"Why even play dumb with me?" Kremant questions with a roll of his eyes, and then looks at him with a cunning expression. "Even without using my mind-reading ability, it was obvious that you let Wales die on purpose back there."

Aristidis somewhat narrows his eyes at that, seemingly confused.

The black-cloaked man turns fully to him, while Derf walks back to them. "We both know how you are. You might have a few rare moments of forgetfulness, but when it comes to life-or-death situations, your mind is completely there on how to solve one as such in the best way possible. You're more than well-prepared to face anything, and always." Says the last part while leaning forward for his gleeful face to be right in front of his.

The mouthless Storyteller takes a step back as his expression turns neutral. "Normally I wouldn't throw even the slightest bit of mud upon my own good name, but how can you be sure I was not being blinded by my unyielding desire to simply see a specific face punched hard by the Hulk, causing me to forget partially about the safety of others? I mean, I did make a comment about the prince receiving a blow he did not expect by the one I utterly revealed as the traitor and all."

"Oh please, we both know something like Hulk can be quite the distraction to behold." Kremant replies with a roll of his eyes, before proceeding to walk slowly around him with his hands behind the back. "Which is why you chose to do it like that. You could summon anyone to take care of this, both by disallowing Wardes to make any move at all, and let him get punched in the face anyway for you to receive the satisfaction. You wanted Wales to die, didn't you? Aristidis? And the letter being taken? You also wanted that to happen."

While at the close start of that last dialog, the scene was showing Siesta just exiting the main building, and running fast around it with enthusiasm, in order to inform Aristidis of something very-well known. "Ar-"

Before completing that sentence, and while just halfway of reaching the other side to even take a look at the Storyteller, she bumps herself onto an Oblivion Guard, who grabs her by the side of her arms with his hands at the moment she did so, much to her startled confusion, only for him to turn her around and begin moving her toward where she came from.

"Apologies, but right now the Storyteller will be preoccupied for the next ten minutes or so with something important, so he asks to not be distracted till then." He explains. "He will meet you and the rest upstairs once he is done."

"O-Ok..." The black-haired maid trails off with a sweat drop, understanding but still feeling a bit shaken by the surprising out-of-nowhere guard's previous appearance.

While the guard leads her away, from the side of the building can then be seen Kremant's head, which is turned sideward, as he watches the whole thing, before moving quickly back, with the scene revealing that his neck during that time was actually extended to not move himself from the place, as it now returns back to normal, and with a cunning expression faces Aristidis. "See? It's obvious she would hear that bit of conversation if you didn't summon that guard the last moment to stop her from learning the, most likely shocking to her, truth. You obviously have knowledge of your surroundings, along with great control wherever you are, and always have a plan ready, even when at your possible worst. You wanted all that to happen, and the reason is crystal clear. And it's called: Henrietta." Says at the end with a gleeful narrowing of his red eyes, which also glow for a slight moment there.

The pitch-black Storyteller just keeps on looking at him with a somewhat serious face, and nothing more, while Derf was uttering quietly as he looks at the former upon understanding the plot better now.

The black-cloaked man turns around and takes a step away with his hands behind the back, before deciding to continue. "Your whole thinking was that if Wales gets out of the picture, along with the letter being used by the offenders to cause the cancelation of her marriage to one of the many Germania's randos, you will have your eventual chance at making her yours. You also took into consideration how that offering full-of-respect funeral toward her lost love, will result in further increasing the possibilities to get her, which you would do anyway, but thinking it as a way to benefit from, speaks much louder."

He turns to Aristidis again, his face heavily gleeful now. "Not to mention the fact you knew how that entire mission would affect Louise if it goes as it did, so you had one more reason to do it, exploiting that way her feelings, and be rewarded afterward from the very guilt she now has for herself. You didn't really need to be this extreme as to earn her trust, but you did so anyway to ensure she will trust YOU first and foremost from then on, and anyone else last. Even if that meant letting her get hurt as a result. Because getting her unquestionable trust and love, was more important to you than anything else."

Derf points with a finger at the Storyteller closely and aggressively, making him slightly troubled to move his head back to not be poked. "You're horrible! A true piece of sh*t!"

After the white-masked man moves his own hand back, Aristidis shows a serious expression while looking at his mentor, while also a bit upset. "Can you blame me? I cared for that girl from the very moment I appeared in this world. Making her life nothing but exceptional. The misery she used to face, practically nonexistent. I gave everything to her. Interesting everyday stuff of different realities, good friends, magic and knowledge beyond her very imagination, and my love. And yet she chose that old piece of manure, because she was feeling indebted to him for the little emotional support he offered to her once upon a time, when just a mere child."

He folds his arms while turning his back on the two. "She was supposed to understand after my completely logical explanation about the reason he was the wrong choice to make, and see ME as the undeniably right one. And as for Henrietta, you know how she and Wales were related. If I gave them the chance to be together, the baby out of that union would bring along a high risk of many different problems for it AND them. The psychological injuries alone after seeing- Inbreeding is just not fun, I did them both a favor and you know it."

Aristidis stays as he is for a moment longer, and then sighs while looking downward, making obvious he actually feels bad. "But I know what I did was more than morally- Am I in trouble for that?" Asks at the end while turning his head toward Kremant, as the Storyteller sweat drops out of seemingly slight concern of what he expects as an incoming disapproval against his actions.

The black-cloaked man chuckles amused for a moment. "Nah, don't worry, we are just chatting about it. But, if I had to judge your said actions for the last day, I'd say they are questionable at best." Says at the end there while moving his hand from side to side in a so-so way.

"Questionable? More like evil!" Derf adds in the same aggressive manner like before, and obviously disapproving of the whole thing.

"If he enjoyed the pain he caused to the two, then I would agree with you on that." Kremant tells his victim/buddy, and then gleefully turns to the Storyteller again. "Still, for one who has everything and has no problem in giving, your motives are pretty damn selfish."

Aristidis at that looks down to the side somewhat shamefully, knowing very well and disliking that part of his.

Then a thought that confuses him comes to mind as he turns his attention back to him. "Wait, how come and you didn't mention anything about the ring? Are you not going to question me about it? Or why I didn't have Spy kill the Reconquista leader the dozen times he had the chance to at all?"

"No more time for chit-chat, got work of my own to do." The black-cloaked man tells him before taking with a hand from behind him a black fedora-hat to place upon his own head, and then begins walking away. "We'll simply watch everything unfold before us when the appropriate time comes for content's sake. Afraid not, I keep on being proud of you, continue in the way you believe as appropriate."

The white-masked man slaps the Storyteller on the shoulder, with him raising an eyebrow in response, as he too walks to where Kremant is heading, while waving his raised hand at him happily. "Looking forward to see you and your own in action, mouthless teller of stories. No true hard feelings from me- Bye~!"

After all that, the two vanish instantly from sight, leaving Aristidis by himself as he just stand there and looking at where they once were.

And then perks up, before raising a waving hand himself for them. "Visit me again soo~n!"

As he lowers his hands, the pitch-black Storyteller shows to be happy with the fact he is not viewed by his mentor in a bad way after what he did.

Not that he should repeat in the future what he did yesterday just because there is no punishment for it.

No, he is better than that, and he has already done enough... When it comes to manipulating the feelings of the ones he likes/loves that is.

There is always a need for some manipulation, after all. Especially when dealing with a world of medieval level.

In the meantime, the scene cuts to one of the many hallways of the academy, where Louise is seen being accompanied by Siesta, Charlotte and Kirche on the way to her room.

And yes, she is still rather tense about, as the rest pretty much push her lightly forward with a hand on her back each as they move along. "I-I'm not so sure about this. I-I don't feel ready, m-maybe we should-"

"Nonsense, Louise, you're more than ready for this." The redhead interrupts while smiling, not going to just let her give up at this point.

The black-haired girl nods in agreement. "That's right, that's right. Just remember everything we've talked about, and you will be fine."

The pink-haired girl is still not reassured. "B-But still-"

"Move, coward." The blue-haired girl interrupts before beginning now on her own to push her forward harder, and past the other two.

"O-Ok, ok, I'm moving, don't push so much!" Louise yells troubled with her friend's sudden aggressiveness, and proceeds to walk normally by herself, but still quite shyly, as they follow her, with the other two laughing amused yet quietly at the previous exchange as they catch up with them.

After less than a minute, they reach the outside of her room, with the Playing Card Soldiers moving themselves aside to allow entry upon noticing them, but as the pink-haired girl is about to open the door, she hesitates and pulls her hand back, showing she is still too nervous for this.

"Come o~n." Kirche begins with a roll of her eyes as she moves past her to grab the handle. "Don't be a baby. Seriously, he is not even inside yet, being busy with whatever occurred according to Siesta and-"

As she opens the door for her while saying that, she stops herself as they all witness much to their surprise the pitch-black Storyteller lying on the bed without his luxurious cape, and looking at them with a seemingly serious expression, with the room being a bit darker than usual due to the curtains covering the window, and with different candles around to give it a more romantic atmosphere.

"A lot of nerve you have, letting me wait for so long till you come." He tells them, but then his face softens. "But it is alright, because you simply wanted things to be perfect, which is something I appreciate almost as much I appreciate you."

Aristidis moves himself a bit to his side and takes a seductive pose with his cheek upon his hand, which is supported by the supported-by-the-mattress arm, and a leg on top of his other. "You have avoided me for quite some time from day one, my dear Louise, but now that you have accepted my feelings, it is your turn to officially show me yours, by coming here, and showing me what you've got. You dare?" Says the last part as his seductive eyes glow a pink light, making it rather eerie due to the combination it has with the dim-lit room.

"I don't!" Louise yells out of panic upon seeing that look in his eyes, and overall presentation, and immediately after attempts to flee, only to be stopped by her friends as she was turning around.

"Don't even think about leaving like this, Louise." Kirche tells her seriously while turning her around again, with help from the other two. "Now get in there, and have fun you two."

While in the middle of telling her the last part, they push her inside, and as she turns to face them highly troubled, the door closes at the same time, with the sound of the lock then being heard, indicating it has been locked.

As the pink-haired girl looks for a bit more at the locked door, she is suddenly lifted off the floor by an invisible force, much to her startled surprise, before being turned around while moving straight to Aristidis's arms, with him looking at her seductively yet slightly amused.

"Now, now, being scared of me is illogical after saying that you love me, don't you think?" He tells her, and then pushes her back a bit as he holds her by the shoulders with a seemingly serious expression. "And don't dare say even as a joke that it is because I am ugly, cause we both know I am fabulous in every way imaginable." Says at the end proudly with a hand to his chest.

Louise sweat drops at his unceasing arrogance for a moment, and then lowers her head with an awkward blush on her face. "I-It's just that I don't feel ready."

"You want to leave it for another time?" The pitch-black Storyteller asks her, drawing her attention, his face neutral. "I will not just push you into this if you don't want to yet, you know."

The pink-haired girl just looks at him for a moment, but then her expression turns annoyed, with her soon after slapping his hands off her and to the side using her own, before pushing him from the torso fully down upon the bed, actually surprising him, and holding him there. "No! I was not subjected to all that pressure, just to give up halfway. We ARE d-doing this." Tries to say the last part seriously, but ends up stuttering with a blushing face anyway.

Aristidis's expression turns seductive like before. "Then show how you proceed."

Upon hearing that, Louise freezes for a moment, and then looks from side to side troubled as she tries to remember everything she learned from her friends.

Eventually she stops and looks at him.

And as her eyes somewhat tremble from emotion, she slowly moves her face closer to his, and kisses him softly upon the mouthless area, before moving her arms around his back, embracing him for the duration.

A few seconds pass till she removes her lips from him, and as she keeps her eyes at him, she brings a hand up to her lips to touch them with a finger curiously, as if trying to understand something.

Then it comes to her. "It really DOES feel weird kissing, with you lacking a mouth and all."

Aristidis puts a hand upon her cheek as he looks at her lovingly. "Louise?"

"Y-Yes?" She questions a bit awkwardly.

His expression then turns cheeky. "Stop talking."

After saying that, she is pulled off-screen by him, with her yelping from surprise, before soon after her clothes are shown being thrown here and there one by one across the room, with moans beginning on sounding.

The scene moves right outside of the room that moment, showing the girls, even all of the Playing Card Soldiers, close to the door eavesdropping at the situation inside with great interest.

Kirche then utters strongly with both excitement and some jealousy while smiling. "I'm happy for her and all, but I would like SO much to be there with them, and take part in all of that."

Charlotte looks at her. "Don't be greedy."

"I know, I know, let the girl have her very first and special moment like she deserves, no need to tell me twice." The redhead says with understanding while a bit frustrated.

While they keep on listening, Siesta removes herself from the door and begins walking away with a happy smile. "Well, I suppose it's time for me to go prepare."

The two turn to her that moment, with Kirche being especially confused. "Eh? What do you mean prepare? Where are you going, Siesta?"

The black-haired maid turns to them. "I'm taking some days off to visit my parents at my home village, Tarbes. It was planned for some time now."

"Ah right, we did talk about it before." The redhead remembers while in mild surprise. "That's today?"

"Hmhm." She utters with a nod to show that to be the case.

"Well, not that we don't understand, but don't you want to stay and hear with us the entire special/juicy moment inside?" Kirche asks her in a casual manner. "I'm sure there will be no harm in leaving it for later."

Siesta sweat drops while smiling. "Normally I wouldn't lose the chance to do as much, but I have a long time to see my family, and letting them wait for longer than they expect me is not-"

"YOU CAN HAVE TWO OF THOSE?!" Louise's loud voice through the door interrupts the conversation, indicating to be in shock with something very specific.

At that, the now blushing black-haired maid immediately sticks herself and her ear upon the door with much of interest written all over her face. "On second thought, they will not mind if I'm a little late."

The redhead chuckles a bit with amusement for a moment at the way her maid friend changed mind, and then astonished enough turns to Charlotte. "So, it's pretty much obvious what Louise was referring to, but did you know he could do that too?"

"Everything expected from him. Overall, not surprised." The blue-haired girl tells her, her expression like most of the times stoic.

Kirche turns her attention and ear back at the door like the rest. "I suppose you're not wrong on that."

Their time was spent on that for the next hour.

~One Said Hour Later~

The scene shows from close up a smiling Louise outside of the academy, who at the moment is hugging affectionately Aristidis from the side of his waist, with her head placed upon the side of his chest, before the said scene zooms out enough to show the two along with Charlotte and Kirche in front of the wide-open gate as they face Siesta who is carrying a big suitcase, and who is wearing mainly-brown everyday clothing in place of her usual maid uniform, with Jerry Mouse upon her shoulder.

"Look, Siesta, I know you are to visit your family as agreed, but are you sure you don't want to stay for a tiny bit more?" The pitch-black Storyteller asks her, and then turns his head toward the gate. "We are to witness soon a fight between Hulk and Asterius."

At the moment, the scene cuts in a part of the courtyard within the academy, where the green bulk of muscles that is Hulk from Marvel, along with the big, jet-black minotaur from Danmachi, are doing some warmup exercises across one another as they prepare for their big rumble, before the scene cuts back to the main cast outside.

Aristidis turns back to Siesta. "Spoiler alert: the former will hold back his strength enough to make it as even as possible, but it will still be quite the memorable sight."

The black-haired girl sweat drops and smiles. "As much as I would love to watch it along with you, I should really start to get going. The family can understand one or even two hours of me being late, but after that they will actually start worrying and... You know."

"Understandable." The pitch-black Storyteller says while shrugging his shoulders, and then pulls from below off-screen a clipboard and a pen, as he appears ready to write on it. "Now tell me, how many family members of yours stay in Tarbes exactly? Didn't truly talk about it before, shame on me, so I hope you don't mind satisfying my sudden curiosity."

Siesta is a bit surprised with the out of nowhere question, but snaps out of it fast to answer his question. "Oh, well, other than my father and mother, there are also my seven younger siblings-"

"Se...!" Kirche interrupts while greatly surprise at what she just heard.

Louise that snaps out of her lovey-dovey state, before looking surprised at the black-haired girl for the same reason as well. "Seven siblings?!"

"Woo~, quite busy your parents have been, have they not?" Aristidis with a cheeky wink of the eye rhetorically asks Siesta, with her laughing awkwardly in response, before he begins writing something on his clipboard. "Anyway, no need to tell me more, I already have in mind the appropriate donation."

As the girls wonder about what he is talking about, he picks the Tome from below his arm, opens it, places fast both the pen and the clipboard within it, before pulling out at the same time a big, filled sack which he hands into her hands. "Here is a sack full of golden coins for your family, along with my regards."

The black-haired girl looks at it with some shock, and then at him somewhat troubled. "Is-Isn't this a bit-"

"Also a good friend of mine to escort you to your destination safely." The mouthless Storyteller interrupts her casually while closing and pointing his Tome at someone apparently behind her.

When she turns, she sees a tall, slim, black-haired and dashing man, dressed in blue jeans, yellow shirt, black vest, a red handkerchief on his neck, a white cowboy hat upon his head, with long streak of hair escapes from the front of the said hat, boots, a belt with a pistol sheathed to its side, and a wheatstalk in his mouth, who is also seen atop a white horse that has yellow tail and mane. [Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper from the series of the same name as the former, here to do his duty.]

The cowboy turns his head to her, and while holding the front of the hat with his fingers, he politely nods to greet her. "Miss Siesta."

"O- N-Nice to meet you." Siesta awkwardly greets him while turning toward him to bow in the same polite manner, while Kirche is currently trying hard to not commend the man's dashing nature as to not provoke her lover's possible ire.

"Lucky Luke, ladies." Aristidis tells them pleased as he indicates the man with a hand. "And if you ask how good he is with just a simple gun as means of defense, know that he is faster than his own shadow."

The girls exclaim from surprise at the sound of that, with Charlotte as exception who is just surprised.

"Faster than- How is that even possibl- How can you even do that?!" Louise eventually asks while turning to Luke himself for the answer.

The cowboy begins. "Well-"

"LET'S..." The Storyteller interrupts as he brings attention upon himself, and then with a kind expression approaches Siesta. "Leave this for another time. Wouldn't like to slow Siesta down more now, would we?"

The black-haired heartwarmingly smiles at him. "I will miss your company while away."

When saying that, she immediately hugs him, with him doing so at the same time happily, with a squeaky noise being emitted by him as soon, making her open her eyes wide a bit startled and confused.

She pulls herself back and looks actually amused at him upon understanding it was on purpose. "Why the squeaky sound?"

"Felt appropriate." He simply tells her, before his expression turns kind again. "Have an enjoyable and safe trip, and may we see you back to us soon with a smile."

Siesta smiles happily a bit more for him. "I will."

After that, the scene shows not too long later Aristidis and the rest of the girls waving their raised hands at Siesta as she leaves, while seated upon the horse right behind of Lucky Luke, with her stuff properly tied to the sides, as they ride on the way to Tarbes while waving their hands back at them as well, Jerry too, sending wishes of farewell.

While watching them go, the pitch-black Storyteller suddenly claps his hands once, drawing the girl's attention.

"So..." He trails off as he looks back and forth at them. "Ready to see some real wrestling action live over a glass of Amita Motion juice?"

The girls respond positively and with much of interest.

Moments later, the scene cuts in the middle of the courtyard within the academy, just before Hulk and Asterius crash into each other, with both attempting to wrestle the other into submission, as Aristidis, Louise, Charlotte and Kirche are seen seated together by a table nearby while watching the show of strength before them that has been going on for some time now, and enjoying their juice while doing so.

Not long after, the black minotaur pulls an arm back, and quickly punches the green giant of a man hard to the face, making him flinch for a moment, but without the hold being broken, as now Hulk looks at him even more angry than before, just before his hold upon Asterius other arm tightens, grabs quickly with the free hand the bull of a man by the neck, with him now struggling to free himself from the suddenly impossible to break hold, and then lifts him off the ground and over him upside down, and pulling him down toward the other side, forcing him hard upon the ground with the back, hurting him as the pain is obvious through his bull-like face, before immediately after lets the arm, only to swing him and throw him with incredible power straight into the sky above with one hand, resulting in Asterius being heard roaring for a split-second just before he is silenced by the distance he gained by the throw, ending up becoming a dot in the sky, with the said spot then being replaced by a twinkle, Team Rocket reference style.

Everyone watching but Aristidis were caught completely off guard by the display of power they just witnessed as they keep their eyes up to where the minotaur went, with Hulk keeping his attention up to the sky as well.

"Looks like he couldn't hold his strength back any longer." The pitch-black Storyteller says, and then turns to the girls. "Still a great fight, though."

"Seriously this is so surreal..." Louise trails off while still looking up, unable to comprehend the strength that green ogre-like man has, with the other two thinking the same way.

"Storyteller Aristidis!" A somewhat distant voice catches everyone's attention toward the side, with Hulk as exception who doesn't stop looking up to the sky, and see Professor Colbert approaching fast, his expression a bit hopeful for some reason.

Aristidis turns to him along with the chair, as the man comes to a stop before him. "Someone sounds to be in quite the semi-mannerful mood to address me like that. What is it that I can help you with, my good man?"

"W-Well..." The bald Professor trails off as he tries to think of the right words to begin what he is to say. "I know this might sound rather selfish of me-"

"I will judge." The mouthless Storyteller interrupts, before drinking from his glass of juice.

Colbert stammers a bit troubled for a second. "S-See, in my spare time I try to discover different relics of the older times. And recently I have acquired a lead on what I believe should be the location of the Legendary Dragon." Says the last part with some excitement.

"Legendary Dragon?" Louise repeats the curious words.

The Professor begins his explanation about it. "In the past, two dragons never to be seen before made their appearance in the skies, their roar as unique as they were, they say. One of them vanished through unknown means in the sky, and the other one fell or landed at an unknown location, both never to be seen till this very day. I even happened to come across blood said to have been shed at that time, which I'm in the process of replicating."

"Replicate blood?" Aristidis whispers to himself while narrowing his eyes as he looks to the side for a moment, both confused and more than curious about the subject now.

"So, would it be too much of me to ask you help me in some way with reassuring whether it is there or not?" The Professor asks him while his hope for the Storyteller agreeing with the request is somewhat obvious in his face.

The pitch-black Storyteller thinks about it it for a moment longer, and then gets up as great interest fills his face. "Sounds like an interesting situation to get myself involved with. You may count on my help in this freely, Professor Jean Colbert."

Colbert smiles greatly at being able to earn the Storyteller's support in this, hardly containing the enthusiasm he feels, with the girls chattering among themselves with interest about being involved in the whole Legendary Dragon discovery.

"But before that..." Aristidis trails off as he gains mostly Colbert's confused attention. "Would you mind to show me that blood you are referring to first?"

The Professor once more smiles, always happy seeing someone interested in his work. "Oh, certain-"

Before he completes that sentence, Asterius the minotaur finally comes crashing from the sky down upon the ground in front of an unbothered Hulk, the said ground shaking for a moment at the incredible impact as grass and pieces of dirt are launched all around, and greatly startling/stagger everyone for a moment, but mostly the professor, and not at all Aristidis.

Colbert utterly confused looks at the dizzy, star-seeing black minotaur, which's fall made a crater where he is currently lying. "Wh-What the-

"Don't pay attention to that, lead the way, please." Aristidis interrupts while putting a hand around the still confused bald man's shoulders as he leads him possibly to where they are supposed to go, with the girls following after them with a sweat drop at the side of their head due to how casual he was with the whole thing.

As they walk on their way, with Aristidis unhanding Colbert while walking now together normally, Kirche appears to be contemplating about something.

"Blood from a dragon considered legend..." The redhead trails off while in thought, and then turns to the girls next to her with a somewhat excited smile. "OH, do you think it's of a bright ruby color than the normal red?"

Charlotte shrugs her shoulders. "Could be black."

"Well, wouldn't really be surprised in either case." The mouthless Storyteller tells while looking at them as they walk. "There are a lot of creatures with blood of different-than-the-usual coloration, that I know of in my Tome. Multiple in certain beings as well. The unicorns from Gravity Falls as an example have rainbow colored blood."

Everyone just looks at him as they walk, both because of how crazy what he said sounds, but also because they understand it's undeniably a true fact despite that.

While looking at him, the Professor shows his excitement. "I really need you one of these days to tell me about the different marvels within your Tome."

"If there is time." Aristidis responds simply, having no issue with that, while also showing an expression of seemingly slight amusement as he imagines the bald Professor's shock and awe upon learning certain parts from some of the stories.

Eventually the scene shows a cottage by the academy's wall, before it moves inside to show the group within, and the Storyteller crouched before a table, looking with a raised eyebrow closely at a medium-sized triangle or pyramid-shaped vial upon it, which contains a transparent, soft-amber liquid in it. "This is that dragon's blood, you say."

"Yes it is." Colbert responds with a smile that betrays much of his proudness about it.

"Doesn't really look like blood to me." Kirche says sceptical with a slight tilt of her head.

"Too transparent." Charlotte says just as sceptical with a hand on her chin.

Louise folds her arms, her expression serious. "I will agree, this is definitely not blood."

The Professor turns to them offended yet slightly troubled. "O-Of course it is! I know my sources well!"

Aristidis picks the vial with a hand while straightening himself up. "Not that I don't trust you, but I hope you won't mind if I perform a little analysis of my own to identify it as such."

Colbert appears somewhat surprised for a moment, but understands. "O-Of course. You may freely."

As the Storyteller was for now simply checking at the vial for now with a hand on his chin in contemplation, the three girls move close to one another, chattering quietly among themselves while questioning/guessing how he will perform the said analysis.

"Think he will use something technological like in one of his stories?" The redhead Kirche questions.

"Maybe summon someone adept in chemistry to explain in details." The blue-haired Charlotte estimates.

"Or you know, simply use magic we don't know of, just to show off." The pink-haired Louise estimates herself as she sweat drops, believing he is not one to lose a chance to do so for pretty much any reason at all.

Aristidis stirs the content inside the vial with a circling move while holding it in one hand.

Then brings out from behind him and places before one of his eyes what appears to be a monocle with extra layers stuck above it, and sliding fast each of those layers one by one down and in front of the main one with a finger, seemingly adjusting it to have a more desired zoom-in. "Hm. Lack of expected organisms."

Not a moment later he moves the advanced monocle out of the way, and off screen, and immediately with great speed and skill lifts a glass which he fills as soon with some of the soft-amber liquid, and without spilling a single drop from it when doing so, before placing the vial back down upon the table.

He moves the glass below his nose to smell it. "Aroma that indicates flammability."

And after doing that... He casually drinks the entire content of the glass, surprising everyone in the room.

Especially Colbert who has more knowledge about it than the other three. "Th-That's-"

"Distilled oil." Aristidis interrupts as he removes the glass from from his mouthless area, before continuing uninterrupted. "Of the petroleum kind. Mixed with different additives..."

As the pitch-black Storyteller trails off while in thought, the girl and the Professor, mostly, are shocked with him actually figuring out the details of the content this fast, and in such an unexpected way no less.

Then immediately after, Aristidis's eyes open a bit wider upon finally realizing what this supposed Legendary Dragon's Blood truly is. "I will be darned. This is Gasoline."

"Gasoline?" Colbert questions the unknown to him word.

"It's the most common fuel for automobile machines that use petrol engines, which allows them movement upon activation." Louise answers as she draws everyone's attention on her, before looking back and forth at her two friends. "Doctor Robotnik taught us about it a few days ago, excluding certain details that I don't quite remember."

"Correct, Louise. That's my charming, knowledgeable girl for you." The pitch-black Storyteller says pleased as he points and winks at her, causing her to lower her head while blushing and laughing awkwardly in response, with Charlotte pouting a bit jealous for a moment, not only at the fact she knew about it as well and with more details, but also because she could be the one to receive her love's praise.

He then turns to the vial upon the table while placing his glass inside his Tome, before closing it, and then putting a hand on his chin to rub it, feeling rather interested as he looks at the gasoline. "Of course not exclusive to automobiles. And since it is supposedly from a flying dragon, we can understand that the said dragon is not really a dragon, but something that obviously got confused as one by the witnessing eyes below."

Aristidis then with enthusiasm lifts his hand up to the air, and with his index finger pointing upward. "And taking into consideration the fuel, and the info about its unknown landing location, that means it was most likely a fast aircraft!"

He crouches soon after in front of the vial again, looking at it carefully. "And an old model at that, judging by the gasoline's quality."

The Professor appears incredibly confused with what he said, with the girls being amazed by his logical conclusion as they chat among themselves. "Um, excuse me, aircraft?"

The Storyteller, while off screen, hands him a piece of paper with some pictures of different aircrafts, from before, and during World War 1 and 2. "Here are images of how they look."

Colbert looks at the images, and can't help but be fascinated. "Fascinating designs..."

As he keeps on looking at the aircrafts, something doesn't quite seem right to him as he raises an eyebrow. "But that's strange. None of them really look like, well, dragons."

Aristidis moves next to him as he looks at the aircraft pictures. "The bird-like design speaks for itself, doesn't it? But to be fair, no human can see that clearly far above their heads, and they most likely confused the loud noise the engine-at-work must have been making with a roar, and thinking of a dragon doing that noise was more plausible, according to the overall knowledge of things the present individuals of the time had, of course."

The Professor smiles as he understands. "Ah, I see it now. Makes sense indeed."

Louise walks in front of Aristidis. "Alright, all that understood, but question... Was it necessary to drink that?" Asks with a raised eyebrow, confused about why even drink something that is literally fuel for machines.

Not exactly something a person would want to drink.

The pitch-black Storyteller shrugs. "No, but I thought I will use a different mean this time to solve this little riddle in our way."

Everyone just looks at him befuddled, not only because he is apparently immune to something that is not safe for consumption, but that drinking it gave him the information needed, somehow.

"Still, how did you even find out by simply-" The pink-haired girl begins curious, but stops herself as she realizes something, and then her expression turns annoyed as she points her finger at him warningly. "No~, don't you dare-"

"Magic." Aristidis cheekily interrupts while now appearing to wear a black witch-hat on his head.

"Darn it!" She yells while somewhat stomping her foot upon the floor in frustration, hating how he used THAT again.

Always with the same excuse, without clear explanation!

Kirche and Charlotte move next to her, as she now pouts about, and put a comforting hand each upon her shoulders, with the former smiling at her while telling her "There, there".

The pitch-black Storyteller turns to the Professor, while removing the hat from his head and vanishing it off the screen, and shows to be quite impressed with him. "In any case, to think you would be able to replicate gasoline with so little to go by, is a rather impressive feat to be honest."

Colbert smiles proud at being recognized by someone who is known to be the most knowledgeable man to ever exist in their world.

Aristidis puts a hand upon the man's shoulder while looking at him with a kind expression for a few seconds, only for it to be replaced by a neutral face soon after. "I will need you to dispose of it, though."

The Professor stays paused for a moment there, his proud smile still there, till he realizes what the Storyteller said, and being rather confused about it. "Eh?"

The three girls were confused about it as well, especially Louise. "What? Why?"

The mouthless Storyteller picks up the vial of gasoline as he looks at it with seriousness. "This kind of fuel is hazardous to the environment. If more of it is made and used or misused by enough people around the world for their new need of transportation, and more, in a span of only a few years: the air will be polluted, causing possible health problems, along with damaging corps, plant-life in general, harm the wildlife, and even the whole underwater ecosystem. The usual weather events will increase in threat-level due to Climate Change, resulting in catastrophes at Ill-prepared locations. The world will experience Global Warming and Ozone Depletion, which means not only increases in temperature that can make not only your summers especially unbearable, but also the rays of the sun itself to hit with much more power than before, which can cause its fair share of problems to both skin and within your body. And do I even need to mention about the sea levels rising because of the ice-based environments melting, which will literally drown the beaches, islands, and everything of that height level? And those are the more serious problems I am naming, by the way." Says at the end while turning his head at the Professor.

Everyone is shocked with the description of the catastrophical events that they've been told can happen if this gasoline fuel is mass-produced for everyone to use freely.

Aristidis lifts the vial before the Professor. "I can eventually introduce Halkeginia to better for the environment fuel-types for use. I know this is one of your life's work, even in a sense, I can't know, but if you truly believe in peace like you once said, then you will do the right thing, and make this go extinct."

"O-Of course, without question!" Colbert says after snapping out of his previous shock, and then takes the vial in his hands, looking at it for a moment with some guilt. "I didn't know I was recreating something so dangerous."

The pitch-black Storyteller shrugs. "Hey. You are not the first human to make mistakes because of his curiosity. How you think I know about all those issues? Anyway, give every piece of the gasoline at my Hazardous Waste Team outside, which I just summoned, and they will take care of it properly."

The Professor turns around to go get rid of the samples, while feeling rather crestfallen with all of this.

As he exits the building, Louise remembers something that moment which makes her feel concerned, and looks at Aristidis. "Wait, if it is as dangerous as you say, then why did you use that car to transport us that one time?"

He raises and moves a dismissive hand from side to side unconcerned. "Just one car does not unleash that much of the burned chemicals of the fuel into the atmosphere to cause any actual damage. We are talking about large enough amounts of it, and much more time to pass to witness harmful effects like the ones I named. And I am not one to just ruin the world like that, now am I? Not to mention that if I did that, Captain Planet, among other people, wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

"Captain who?" Kirche asks with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head, with the pink-haired girl relaxing relieved from the explanation.

The mouthless Storyteller turns to look down to the side as he puts both hands on his hips, his expression happy. "Oh boy, here I go teaching again."

~After A Detailed Explanation Later Outside~

"And that's who Captain Planet is." Aristidis says as he looks at his open Tome while being shown seated at a table along with Louise, Charlotte and Kirche right outside of the cottage Colbert uses for research purposes, and which they were in not long ago, after having explained to them while off screen about the subject.

Both the pink-haired girl and the redhead at the same time exclaim softly in admiration when finished.

And almost as soon, the blue-haired girl nods in response to learning about the person he told them about. "Respect."

The pitch-black Storyteller's expression turns kind, happy that they liked what they've heard.

Not long later, a sighing Colbert approaches the table, drawing their attention on him. "I got rid of the last pieces."

After saying that, they look to the background, where two people in yellow hazmat suits move two metal barrels filled with the fuel using two-wheeled hand trucks each, till eventually reach a large, plastic, transparent tent, where there short strange-looking beings are closed inside and seated at a small table with different trash all around them, with three drinking glasses as well.

The first one has red/violet colored skin, his eyes are yellow, his lips are lavender, and has two big rabbit-like ears.

The second looks like cane with white and black stripes, with red, puffy lips, and her eyes are soft-green with black slit shaped pupils.

And lastly the third one, who has already made an appearance before, has orange-tan colored skin, thick body and armpit hair, blue lips, a big nose, and two white eyes that are held by his upstretched hands. [Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm from AAAHH!!! REAL MONSTERS, here to enjoy.]

One of the two people, in the hazmat suits, opens the plastic tent using a zip in its middle, before both place the barrels right next to the short monsters, as the three were smiling as they were rubbing their hands together with enthusiasm, with Krumm having his eyes inside his open mouth for the duration, and once the suited-up men open with a crowbar the top of the filled with gasoline barrels, they exit the tent quickly and zip it close as soon.

After that, the three inside fill their glasses immediately straight from the top, their hands deep inside the fuel while doing so, and then cheer together as their little, hazardous party begins while drinking and eating from the trash upon their table, with the two humans outside simply standing there and simply watching.

The girls and the Professor can hardly believe the whole scene, with the girls feeling a bit disgusted by the display of weird beings eating literal trash like it's the best buffet they could get their hands on.

Aristidis turns to the four while pointing at the plastic tent. "I suggest you to not enter the tent."

"Like we would!" Louise snaps at him, in disbelief of how he could even think they will want to do something like that.

"Now, about the aircraft/supposed dragon-" The Storyteller begins as he looks at Colbert, who snaps out of the deep curiosity he currently had about the trash-eating monsters, before bringing from behind his back with a hand forth upon the table a map depicting the entirety of Halkeginia. "I will need you to show me where exactly the spot we are to search is, and then we can make the proper preparations to officially begin."

"Ah- Y-Yes, according to my source, it should be somewhere around here." The Professor tells them as he circles with a finger at an area close to a place named Tarbes.

Siesta's home village.

Aristidis, and the girls, remains paused as he looks at the map for a moment with eyes wide open, and then with an expression filled with great interest looks at them. "What a coincidence, thinking about what Siesta told us some time ago, right, girls?"

Louise, Charlotte and Kirche nod and agree in their amazement upon realizing how true that is.

Colbert on the other hand, was utterly lost. "Um- I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?"

The pitch-black Storyteller begins. "A day before our latest mission, while each of us were enjoying the most delightful chicken-soup ever to be made, straight from her hands by the way, and chatting about while at it, she recalled how her family long ago was telling her a story of how her great-grandfather flew from another world riding a dragon unable to properly describe, and it being her family's heirloom from then on, without having knowledge of the location herself, though. We didn't think much about it at first back then, due to it appearing like one of your typical yet unique fairytales parents can tell their children before bed, especially since you would expect the said children after growing up to actually be taught about the location of something so important-sounding. BUT, considering how close to her home village it is, bring along the similarities and more than likely connection between the two stories, and it is not hard to assume how likely it is for this information to be relevant in the end."

The Professor was gobsmacked at that piece of information he just listened to.

To think that all this time, the maid's family would have such a connection to the legen- aircraft, and that it is indeed from another world like he speculated too...

But, as much as he wants to satisfy his curiosity by asking more about it, he suppresses the feeling, wanting to ask Aristidis about something more important. "So, well, about the-"

"If you are afraid about what I might decide for the aircraft we are to help you find, worry not, despite it being a weapon of war, I will graciously allow you to keep it, or what remains of it, as a souvenir, museum piece, or whatever really, it's not like I expect you to use it inappropriately." The Storyteller tells him reassuringly as he rolls the map in his hands, and with a little cheeky shrug of his shoulders at the end.

Colbert smiles relieved at that, but then the smile leaves his face as another thought comes to his mind, appearing now concerned about a specific, known fact. "Speaking about war, I'm sure you understand how concerning the report you and the rest have given me and Old Osmond at his office the last day is, both about the prince Wales's death, and the Reconquista inevitably taking over the rest of Albion."

The girls' expressions turn serious upon hearing the known fact, with Aristidis being currently neutral about it.

"So I will need to ask you now that it has come to my mind." The Professor says and then turns his head at him. "Are you planning on doing anything about it? I mean, considering what occurred in your mission back then and all-"

"Unless anything changes, I will keep myself out of the business of both Tristain and the Reconquista's Albion." The pitch-black Storyteller interrupts him, his expression remaining unchanging, drawing everyone's attention, and then looks upward at the academy's main building along with the blue sky behind it. "But do not be mistaken. I will do what has to be done for any issue that is to eventually come. For I am the Storyteller. And I am not here just to tell people stories. I am here to make them experience them in the way each and every single one truly deserves. And I have oh-so many stories to tell still." Says the last part with a slightly gleeful, sinister air coming from him.

{To Be Continued}

[I know many expected the big first fight to happen in this episode, I wanted as much too, but I also understand how much patience it takes to read a gargantuan chapter, so I am cutting it in half as to make it more pleasant for each of you to read.]

[Hold your greatest enthusiasm for the next episode!]

[Or don't. It's your choice, really.]