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?

15. SOZ-Episode 14-A Storyteller's Dance-Off

[Reminder: Each chapter can take two to three months to complete. Four if certain situations occur.]

[Also know that all of your questions in reviews and personal messaging, with exception the abhorrently offending ones, are always answered despite not being apparent in the review page. Do not expect spoilers, though.]

During the morning into the royal palace of Tristania, the pitch-black Storyteller Aristidis, the pink-haired girl Louise, the blue-haired girl Charlotte, and the redhead Kirche are present in the throne room before the purple-haired Queen Henrietta, who is seated upon the throne, and the blond Agnes who stands right next to her.

The former were called here for a reason, and one can wonder what the said reason can be.

Our group bows respectfully in front of the Queen, with Aristidis being the one to speak first, his expression kind. "It is always a pleasure to stand before your regal presence, your Majesty, no matter the time of day."

Louise looks at her childhood friend a bit concerned. "We have come as fast as the limousine could allow us. Is the matter of importance a concerning one? To call for Aristidis specifically must be a very serious one."

The Captain of the Musketeers at the moment sweat drops upon remembering the long, metal carriage she entered along with them while escorting them back at the academy not long ago, and still can't believe the great speed it move with. The small group of Μusketeers she came with, and which she was forced in a sense to leave behind, must not even be halfway from reaching the palace yet!

"Nothing like that, Louise, I assure you." Henrietta tells her with a smile, and then turns to Aristidis. "But it is indeed so important, that I couldn't just ignore."

That gets his immediate interest and curiosity.

The Queen looks at Agnes. "Bring it here."

"Yes!" Agnes responds with a quick salute, before walking to the side where a table is present, grabs something small from it with one hand, and then goes back to the Queen to respectfully hand it to her.

As she does so, the group sees with wide open eyes of surprise the object being a small model resembling the anti-aircraft/tank artillery gun Flak 88 from World War 2, reminding them of the time they went to that Hangar through the mountain close to Tarbes, and what they have found in it.

This too has to be one of the Storyteller's fragments of power.

Henrietta lifts it with a hand upward enough to make it appropriately apparent. "What you see in my hand is a cannon which comes by the name Great Spear. It was given to us last night by the representative that was sent from Romalia, an ally kingdom and important protectors of Brimir's Faith. They said that it used to be much bigger, but no long ago a light that was noticed through their treasure vault they were keeping it suddenly occurred, only to witness upon entering in the cannon's place being this smaller version. They immediately understood from rumors and information they have heard that it was a fragment of the Storyteller's magic. YOUR magic, Aristidis."

She then gets up, and walks up to him, before offering with both hands the small artillery gun. "They wanted you to receive it as a way for them to express their goodwill toward you, and they hope in return to have nothing but your utmost respect for better relations."

"Well now, isn't that nice of them, every-" The mouthless Storyteller begins Pleased as he looks to the rest, but is interrupted by a bright light that is suddenly being emitted by the the object, startling mostly Henrietta and Agnes since it's their first time witnessing what is happening and all, before it turns into a ball of light, and flies with great speed straight at the Storyteller's Tome in his hand, entering within, with the Tome itself soon after blinking once with the same type of light.

He remains silent there for a moment while looking at it, and then shows to the rest his pleased expression once more. "Isn't that nice of them, everyone?"

"Ah, so that is how you it works once you have it back." The smiling Queen says while clasping both her hands together out of understanding.

"And quite the power too this one." Aristidis admits, but then thinks about it again and measures it better. "Well, not as much as the Zero aircraft, but still fairly close."

Louise turns a bit confused to her childhood friend. "Excuse my rudeness, your Highness, but why the Romalia's representative was not here to offer the fragment along with the wishes of their kingdom's goodwill themselves?"

"He wanted as much, but pressing matters from Romalia could not allow him to do that, so he apologizes for not being here himself." Henrietta explains.

"I see." The Storyteller says with understanding, as the rest wonder what the Romalia's pressing matter might be, and then raises his head proudly upward. "What an unlucky guy, coming all this way only to not get to meet my exemplar self as I give my thank you to his country for their much appreciated generosity."

Kirche turns to him with a big smile while clasping both her hands together to the side in a highly loving manner. "You could not be more right, our glorious and great love Aristidis!"

Everyone else sweat drops at the two, for the known arrogance of the former, and the obsessiveness of the latter.

Aristidis's expression becomes kind as he turns to the Queen. "I must thank you as well, your Majesty, for taking the responsibility to give me back this important part of my power. For this I will give you the magical recipe for the ice-cream, so you can get to enjoy it whenever you like." Says as he pulls with both hands from behind him a pen and a clipboard as he proceeds to write upon it.

The Queen smiles awkwardly while moving her hands in front of her in a dismissive manner. "Th-There is really no need for-"

"Then at least try one, and later you can tell me whether you want the recipe or not." The pitch-black Storyteller interrupts while off screen, and as the maid Cinderella comes from the side, and out of nowhere when no one was looking, with two bowls in her hands, that have three ice-cream balls of different flavors and a spoon each, she hands the first one in the hands of the surprised Henrietta, before handing the second at Agnes's ones, with the Captain of the Musketeer realizing the fact a bit too late as troubled attempts to call her back to take it, not wanting to appear like a bad example for eating in the middle of her duty, but gives up upon seeing how the maid moves fast soon after behind the group, and now the blond just stands there, looking at it concerned.

Louise, Charlotte and Kirche smile awkwardly with his excessive want to always satisfy.

"Anything else you might want from us while we are here, your Majesty?" He then asks while putting the pen and clipboard behind him again.

Henrietta looks at him with a sweat drop, still somewhat overwhelmed by the suddenness of his magic. "W-Well, nothing else to be honest. Your magical fragment was the only reason that I called you here."

"In this case we thank you again, bid your esteemed self farewell, and look forward for when we will be called upon once more." Aristidis tells her gratefully with a polite bow, before turning around with a graceful flip of his pitch-black, luxurious, twinkling cape as he walks toward the exit, with his three girls looking at him for a second before doing the same.

"Your Highness." The redhead utters in a respectful manner to the Queen before she along with the blue-haired girl go after him.

"Tell to Romalia that we appreciate highly what they did for us." The pink-haired Noble says grateful, and then lifts her head to look at her with a kind smile. "Till the next time we are needed before you, your Highness."

After telling her the last part, Louise goes quickly after the other three, as a mention from Aristidis is heard at the distance about continuing their marathon to which the girls immediately reply positively about, with the door behind her being closed by unknown means, leaving Henrietta and Agnes alone within.

A few seconds after of just staring at the door, the Queen leans back a bit more on her throne, and sighs slightly frustrated as she puts her elbow upon the throne's arm while her jaw is placed onto the hand supported by it, drawing that way the Musketeer Captain's attention.

"I know this is unbecoming of me as Queen to say, but..." Henrietta trails off for a moment, before continuing. "I really envy Aristidis. He has powerful magic, is literally the ruler of everything and everyone within that Tome of his, is free spirited and happy all the time, not to mention having people like Louise, which can interact with at a more personal level."

She then places the bowl of ice-cream on her covered-by-the-dress thighs, and moves herself to the side enough to place both arms above the other on the throne's arm while resting her head on top of them, her expression now sad. "It makes me want to wish I could be as much as he is. Without any everyday worries or the excessive manners of the royal status to wear me down."

"Your Majesty..." Agnes trails off, feeling a bit bad for the burden she is carrying for the kingdom, but at the same time wanting to remind her of her duties she has to and everyone in it.

The Queen straightens herself normally upon her royal seat while turning to her slightly more composed. "I know, I know, I should be more grateful with everything I already have, and not be selfish. At least I can be a bit more at ease thanks to him lightening a big part of the burden for us with the miraculous help he has given us."

The Captain of the Musketeers feels thankful for her understanding, even though she still doesn't quite like the fact of how they all ended up depended on him and his magic.

Henrietta looks upward to the ceiling while thinking for a moment. "I feel a bit bad for not telling him the full truth about Romalia's representative."

"I understand, your Majesty, but he was clear about the terms he is to meet him under." Agnes reminds her.

"You are right, Agnes, it's just that..." The Queen trails off while turning to her, concern obvious in her face, and then turns her attention at the door. "Let us just hope he will not insult Aristidis by accident."

The Captain of the Musketeers sweat drops. "Considering the odd character that Storyteller person can be, no actual offence, just stating the obvious fact here, what could the representative possibly do to even achieve that?"

Henrietta stays as she is for a moment, just before she takes a bite from the bowl of ice-cream using the spoon, and uttering out of delight due to the surprisingly pleasant to her taste, with Agnes following her example almost as soon which causes her to have a similar reaction to it.

(This is excellent! Maybe I should ask him in the end for that recipe. Oh! I can do it over the phone once I have free time! That object of communication is so much more convenient in the end than I thought!) The Queen tells in her thoughts excited with the very idea, looking forward to it.

~The Next Day~At The Academy Of Magic~

The scene shows for a quick moment in Louise's room upon the bed the pink cute ball that is Kirby, and Jerry the brown mouse sleeping soundly there together, with no one else around, before the scene moves to the main plot outside.

Early in the morning it was, and just outside of the main building quite the commotion as well, as the female, Noble students were proceeding to hug and pretty much say farewell to their friends and boyfriends, due to all the boys having to go take part in the war against Reconquista, for different reasons each.

Not far from there, Aristidis, Louise, Siesta, in her maid outfit, Charlotte and Kirche were sitting at a table, except the third who simply stands next to the former two, where they were watching at the said scene, with the known cups of tea in front of them.

"Truly awful when war forces people, young/teenagers in this case no less, to leave back their loved ones." Aristidis says, feeling mildly sorry for them all.

Louise, and the rest, share that feeling with him. "Even with the extra guards and soldiers you provided her Majesty with, it seems that it was still not enough for her to not resort to this."

"Well, if it was simply for defense, they would not be needed, but Tristain military decided the best course of action is to go on the offensive, and march into Albion to finish this war as soon as humanly possible, so waiting for proper recruitment is apparently not that much of an option to them, which it should be by my highly important opinion." He adds with a bit of disappointment at the said military's poor choice.

Siesta turns to Aristidis with both hands together and raised in front of her, and with pleading eyes. "Dear, can't you offer more soldiers so they will not have to go in the army themselves?"

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at her. "Doing so will risk in the Reconquista targeting the academy, where we stay most of the time, who will attempt to neutralize me the moment it is known I am still helping Tristain despite what I once said, so they can have even the slightest advantage against them, which is not ideal for the peace and quiet we have here. I mean, there is still the possibility they will do so anyway, but it is better to be sure with such things. In any case, Tristain and Queen Henrietta must make their own choices in this, and not rely entirely on me for, well, everything. No need to worry though, the boys are more likely to be in the army as extra support or simply last resort at best. They are much safer than the actual soldiers."

"It has to be this way." Charlotte simply tells Siesta.

"O-Ok, I see now, you're most definitely right." The black-haired maid responds a bit awkwardly while smiling, relieved that the students are not in any great danger.

"As always." He says with a proudly raised head, before taking a sip from his tea.

They then all notice in the student group how the blonde girl Montmorency appears all sad and concerned for Guiche, due to him having to leave again for the war, but more seriously this time and not for just one battle.

Which causes some surprise to Aristidis. "Those two are still together I see. Oddly forgiving that Montmorency girl is, all things considered."

The pink-haired girl sweat drops. "You must be too hopeless to go for a guy who used to betray you on a daily basis."

"Not even I would be that hopeless about such a guy." The redhead adds.

"Says the one who used to be like him." The blue-haired girl simply reminds her.

Kirche turns to her close friend with a mischievous smile. "Yeah but see, the difference between him and I, is that I actually got to have some action with my admirers while at it."

"Some?" The mouthless Storyteller questions while raising an eyebrow.

The redhead sweat drops as she turns to him, and then laughs awkwardly while placing a hand behind her head. "Alright, alright, you caught me, it was definitely more than just some. Please don't get upset, love." Says the last part meekly, afraid that he will take offence to her feeling proud of the shameless difference between her and Guiche.

Before anything more can be said, most people notice something up to the sky at the far distance, which draws the curious attention of the rest soon after.

That something moves at a great speed down, making now apparent that it is a white, wind dragon with his rider, before the said dragon lowers speed to make a proper yet still quick landing upon the grassy ground in front of the student group, the close appearance surprising them even more.

Then off the wind dragon jumps and lands with his feet at the grassy ground next to it a charming-looking young man, a head and slightly more taller than Louise, with blond, downwardly spiky hair, heteromorphic eyes that make his right soft blue and his left soft red, wears a blue cloak over his white uniform that has a badge as button depicting a white dragon, with the uniform itself being also trimmed with the color of gold/yellow and possessing similarly colored buttons at the torso area, a thick, black belt around his waist with a sword sheathed to the side, black pants, white gloves covering his hands, and richly decorated shoes with spurs at their heels.

With a smile he brushes the front of his hair to the side, most likely as a way to appear more proper and fabulous, and that causes most if not all of the girls, who were sad and wishing a safe return to their boyfriends just a moment ago, to exclaim and blush from the guy's beauty, falling in love with him instantly, which includes Montmorency, with Guiche attempting to charm her back to him, only to be met by her annoyance, much to his disheartened defeat.

Our known group in the meantime was quite surprised, except Charlotte who was rolling her eyes at the scene, with Aristidis a bit amused. "Wow, talk about an absurd change of interest. Those girls must have quite the prince-on-the-white-horse desire to gather around him like moths on a lamp."

Kirche lifts her tea cup while keeping her head slightly upward in an arrogant manner, and chuckles. "How ridiculously plain and old-fashioned can some girls be. Why have the prince charming, when you can have the pitch-black careness and love of the divine I dare say existence that is you, like we have?" Says before taking a sip, with the other three girls sweat dropping with how much Aristidis's ego is gonna be fed by that very comment.

The pitch-black Storyteller points his finger at her with much of prideful delight. "Exactly as you say, my redhead thickness."

Upon hearing that, her eyes widen from surprise before letting the cup on the table, and begins with both hands checking her body around. "Wha- Did I gain weight you say?"

"No, I meant it like-" He attempts to explain while amused, but stops as he notices the blond man that landed not long ago approaching their table, which also draws the girls' attention.

He stops and looks at them, but mostly at Aristidis and Louise, as the rest of the students watch curiously.

"My name is Julio Chesare. I'm a transfer student from Romalia. Pleased to meet you." The young man says while bowing, before showing his charming grin.

As he straightens himself up normally, his eyes then widen a bit, and appears somewhat surprised upon noticing something while looking at them again.

"Pleased to meet you, you speak to Aristidis, Louise, Siesta, Tabitha, and Kirche, but I am sure you must already know as much given our most illustrious renown." The mouthless Storyteller tells him, right before the scene shows him and his girls wearing odd hats all of a sudden, with him wearing a blue cowboy hat, Louise a coonskin cap, Siesta a tutti frutti hat obviously filled with many different fruits, Charlotte a blue hat with a hand-sanitizer bottle placed through it at the top, and Kirche a red fur, afro-looking hat with two curved horns extending backward from the top.

As the pink-haired girl realizes the hat on her head while picking it with a hand off her to look at confused, with the other three noticing the ones on their own heads soon after too, Aristidis continues. "We were about to judge who has the craziest-looking hat as we drink tea. My point goes to that guy over there by the way." Says the last part while pointing gleefully at someone across the table.

That someone is a plain-looking guy, with brown hair that reach till his shoulders, and wears a hat made out of spoons. [Spencer Shay from iCarly, here to be included for the occasion.]

The spoon-hat man looks at him a bit confused. "Crazy in a good way. Right?"

"Obviously, friend." The Storyteller reassures him, and then turns back to the blond dragon rider. "You may join us if you want. There is a little time before classes begin."

When saying that, an Oblivion Guard walks from off-screen close to the table, and pulls back a chair which may or may have not appeared there as extra when no one was looking.

Julio simply smiles again. "As interesting as that appears, I will have to politely decline. The Headmaster Osmond is awaiting for my official to be appearance, and it's best not to let him wait. Maybe at another time, sir. Ladies." Says the last parts while bowing respectfully to them, and then turns to head for main building, with many of his new fan-girls following after him in hopes to know him better.

After leaving, Louise turns to the Storyteller, while also pointing with a finger at the racoon-designed hat she holds. "What was that about with the hats?"

Aristidis's expression turns mildly amused. "Just testing the new arrival. Seriously though, I want your opinions as to which is crazier-looking indeed."

The girls just look at him confused for a moment, but then simply decide to go with it.

It was decided for the spoon-hat to be the overall, crazy winner, which Spencer took much of pleasure from.

Not long after, the Noble boys were already on their way to join the army, while the rest went to their classes as needed.

As for Aristidis, he and Siesta were sitting on two beach lounge chairs stuck next to each other, and right outside the main building's closed gate, with the former reading from his open Tome, while the latter was hugging his arm in a cuddly manner.

"And this is how the unpleasant days of awaiting for my girls to have a small break from their classes to spend some proper time with me begin once more." Aristidis says disappointed, before sighing dramatically with the back of his hand over the forehead.

Siesta sweat drops with a smile while attempting by rubbing his arm affectionately to help him alleviate his obviously overdramatic pain. "Come on now, sweetheart, you know it's just for a little while. And don't forget that I'm still here for you for everything you might need."

He brings his face closer to hers, and looks seductively at her. "I have an idea for after they go to the next class later, if you know what I mean. And I will ask you to keep the maid uniform on, this time."

"O-Oh my, Aristidis, you're so..." The black-haired maid trails off a bit awkwardly after slapping with a hand his shoulder, faking to be offended by the request.

The pitch-black Storyteller chuckles and winks at her. "Don't say you don't love the idea. I know you well enough now."

After that, he goes back to reading from his Tome, with Siesta taking a peek of her own.

She then notices something ahead which causes her slight concern, just before multiple shadow cover them.

"Friends, whoever you are, I will kindly ask for you to cease blocking on the sun as I read here." Aristidis tells them without taking his eyes off the Tome, a bit annoyed with not getting his appropriate light.

"How about YOU stop blocking the entrance instead?" Agnes sarcastically asks as the scene reveals her and many of her Musketeers, her words now gaining his seemingly surprised attention.

"Aah, if it isn't the beautiful emeralds that is Agnes." The pitch-black Storyteller tells her with a happy expression, with the sudden compliment catching Agnes and her Musketeers completely off guard. "Your appearance is as always a reassuring and precious sight to behold."

The woman and Musketeer with the short, blue hair standing next to her Captain steps forward and points a finger at him, disliking his current show of character, and causing concern to Siesta. "Mind your manners, you... you..." She ends up trailing off due to being unsure as to how to name exactly the mouthless humanoid before her.

"Storytelling greatness." He proudly suggests as his whole being sparkles for a moment.

"Like I will call you that." She responds with a sweat drop, before bringing back her serious face. "Whatever, watch your inexistent tongue! Just because you assisted Tristain in the way you did, doesn't give you the right to say whatever that comes to your mind. We expect naught but respect."

Aristidis just looks at her for a moment, and then snaps his head upward to the side in an arrogant and slightly annoyed manner. "Hmph! You are just jealous for not being special enough to get a compliment."

"What did you say?!" The Vice-Captain yells, greatly offended by the comment.

"Vice-Captain!" Agnes yells at her with a commanding voice, which prompts the blue-haired woman to turn to her startled.

The Vice-Captain soon after realizes herself and salutes her somewhat troubled. "I'm sorry, Captain! It won't happen again."

The Captain of the Musketeers turns to Aristidis, as the Vice-Captain moves back in line with the rest. "In any case, please refrain from talking to me in such a manner, Noble Storyteller. I never allowed you that kind of intimacy."

"No promises are made." He responds with a playful wink, much to the woman's irritation, before taking a better look at her fairly big group. "A lot of you I see here, and cannot help but feel concerned about her Majesty's safety. A Queen needs as much protection as possible, after all."

Agnes finds her composure back and prepares to explain. "With the increase in guards and soldiers you have provided, her Majesty feels safe enough to deploy this number. Especially after seeing Iroh and his son in... Action." Says the last part as a quick flashback shows bits of Iroh and his son in action during what appears to be a training drill, where they show their Firebending abilities, with Agnes and the rest being shocked with both the power and ease of what they see as fire magic, with the former having a face filled with seemingly mild aversion toward what she was witnessing for some reason.

"Something wrong?" The mouthless Storyteller asks with a curious tilt of his head."

"No." She immediately answers with focused seriousness while snapping out of the memory, wanting to show there is indeed nothing wrong. "We have lost enough time as it is, I will ask you again to step aside. We have been given important orders by her Majesty."

He raises an eyebrow. "Which are...?"

The scene then cuts inside the classroom as Professor Jean Colbert explains from behind his desk a specific subject to his students, with most of them being more focused on the charming to then Julio.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opens dynamically, drawing everyone's attention, right before two Oblivion Guards enter to step on opposite sides of the entrance as Aristidis and Siesta enters along with the Musketeers.

"Aristidis?" Louise questions confused from her seat up there at seeing him barging in like that, but then realizes the Queen's Musketeers. "Wait, why are her Highness's-"

"Everyone, looks like you will be doing special lessons outside from here on!" The pitch-black Storyteller tells them with much of enthusiasm and a hand up to the air.

Everyone chatters among themselves very confused with what he means by that.

Especially Colbert. "What are you talking- Aristidis, who are those people?"

Agnes turns to him. "Her Majesty's Musketeer Force."

"Or HMMF for short." Aristidis adds while popping between them with a raised finger, and then begins wagging it sidewardly in a negative manner as he turns to the students. "And no, I don't mean the type used for Hondas."

Everyone now just looks at him for a long moment, having no clue of the randomness he just voiced.

The Captain of the Musketeers decides to continue normally her explanation about their reason for being here. "We have been stationed at this school in order to provide military drills."

The Vice-Captain steps forward while looking at the still seated students. "Class is canceled! Assemble out at the field."

At that, all the students begin getting up, and about to walk down to do as they were told.

"Everyone, please take your seats." The Professor suddenly tells them, drawing attention to him as they stop where they are, and looking quite serious. "We are continuing the class."

Agnes turns to the Professor, as Aristidis raises a curious eyebrow at him. "Teacher, we are in the midst of war. It is not a time to be holding classes."

"It is because we are in war that we must learn how foolish it is." Colbert says as he looks at her, before for a moment looks down at his desk frustrated. "All the boys have already been taken to join the military, but I would like you to not bring war onto this campus!"

"Silence!" The Captain of the Musketeers demands while quickly unsheathing and aiming the tip of her sword close to his neck, causing him to freeze alarmed where he is out of shock, fearing for his life.

As the students mostly watch concerned, the fierce woman keeps on remaining as she is, looking at him, her eyes filled with aversion. "I hate mages... Especially the ones who use fire."

That comment of hers makes the Storyteller realize now what that reaction of hers from earlier was, and with a hand to his chin shows how much it piques his great and gleeful curiosity even more than before.

Seeing how Colbert is not protesting more, Agnes smiles pleased with making her point, before sheathing her sword, with him falling down onto the floor with his backside, gasping from the shock he went through as he grasps his chest. "Do not interfere with our duties."

The Vice-Captain focuses on the students again. "Out to the field!"

With that, the female students along with Julio, who smiles in a way that indicates he probably knew about all this or something, begin walking outside of the classroom with the Musketeers as their escorts.

Meanwhile while still in the room, Louise, Charlotte and Kirche walk up to the Storyteller and Siesta, obviously wanting answers, only for him to stop and sign them with a hand that he will explain the situation on the way out, before turning to head for the door.

"Why...?" The Professor's weak question stops the pitch-black Storyteller as he and his girls turn to him.

With a bit more of his composure back, but still not quite over the previous shock, Colbert continues. "Why are you allowing them to do this? I thought you as a person of peace. You showed already as much the days before. So why?" He asks, while Aristidis moves close and crouches in front him as he puts a hand on his shoulder with a kind expression.

Aristidis looks at him for a moment longer, and then his face turns neutral. "I believe you are overreacting a bit too much, and can't think past your own hatred."

After saying that, he walks outside with a fabulous flip of his cape along with the girls, leaving behind an extremely confused Colbert.

Not long later, outside at the academy's courtyard and its well-kept grass, the female students, with Louise, Charlotte and Kirche as exceptions for some reason, are place in multiple lines while each holding in one hand a training staff, obviously intented for melee purposes, with the Agnes, the Vice-Captain and some of the Musketeers standing in front of them responsible for the training, while the rest act as extra guard around the academy for safety reasons.

The Captain of the Musketeers looks at the students. "To attention! We will now begin the training."

"Hold on." Montmorency interrupts with a raised hand, getting attention to her, and steps forward. "We are Noble mages. We don't need this kind of stuff." Says as she drops the staff to the side, not wanting anything to do with what she believes primitive and beneath her, before pulling out her wand. "Let's practice practical magic, whether offensive or defensive."

"YOINK!" Aristidis exclaims gleefully while snatching the wand off her hand, appearing behind her at an unknown time, with her realizing it a second after.

"H-Hey!" The blonde girl yells as she turns to grab the wand, only for him to raise it up to the air, forcing her to begin on jumping while trying to get it back, unsuccessfully because of how tall he is, much to her frustration, with everyone being surprised due to not expecting that sudden move of his. "Give it back, what's the big idea?!"

As she attempts one more jump, the Storyteller spins two times around himself extremely fast while crouching with his hands extended outward to opposite sides each, resulting in one of his hands hitting the back of her knees, tripping her while still on air, before on the second spin catches her with the same arm around her back as he holds her by the shoulder and looking at her mischievously straight in the eyes, while she then tries hard to understand how she even ended up in this position as she looks left and right, feeling both troubled and confused.

While holding her as he does, he taps her on the nose once with the tip of the wand he holds on his other hand. "Think about it carefully for a moment now, my good, careless girl. Will a foe give it back if you ask them nicely during a battle that will determine whether you live or not?"

Her eyes widen as she understands what he is trying to tell her.

In the meantime at the background, the scene shows for a moment Professor Colbert barely exiting the main building as he watches what takes place.

Aristidis straightens Montmorency with her feet upon the ground as he unhands her while handing her wand back, before taking a few steps away. "And after all, who said that being a Noble means you are supposed to use only a single, specific type of way to defend yourself?"

He turns his head to the side with a backward tilt to look at the female students. "Not even I am that arrogant as to follow such a shamelessly lazy example."

Everyone watches and listens curiously, as the Storyteller soon after backflips high into the air, while taking with one hand from behind him through his luxurious cape a sword, before landing with one foot at the top of a wooden pole, which most likely appeared there when no one was looking, as his other foot is placed upon the side of the lower part of his supporting leg, while at the same time raising his sword up to the sky, looking upward as he keeps his balance expertly there, earning already much of everyone's amazement. "The world allowed for all to craft and wield a variety of weapons, along with hands to use."

He then rolls down across the pole at great speed, and just at the moment he is about to touch the ground spins around it once as he pulls it off it with his free hand off it while simply stepping down, while at the same time using the momentum to make the long, wooden pole spin upon the tip of his finger like a helicopter's blades, and appearing rather arrogantly casual about it, surprising all around him with how expertly he performed all that, and scaring the ones closer due to the said long pole passing just above their heads as he spins it around.

"Wielding only one method of offense and defense can get you that far." Aristidis explains, and then strikes with the sword the pole, causing them both to vanish into a bright and sparkling spectacle, receiving the astonished utterings of most by that way. "So, what is more appropriate, than using everything you can in order to defend yourself against any and all that try to harm you?"

Agnes folds her arms while watching, actually getting interested with the speech he is giving.

The mouthless Storyteller points dramatically his finger at the female students. "No one asked you to join the war. But do not forget that war can just as easily come to you."

That causes the students' concern, with the Professor's eyes opening wide in response to what he said.

Aristidis continues as he lowers his arm. "And that is the reason of the training the Musketeers want to teach you today. So you will be ready when the time comes where you need to fight, to protect yourselves and everything you hold dear. Even if that means being forced to take a life while doing so."

The female students look back and forth at one another, not really liking the sound of that.

The Storyteller faces the ground with closed eyes for a few seconds, before looking at them again with a somewhat more serious face. "As bad as that may sound to you, your possible, future opponent is more likely to not lose the opportunity to harm you beyond repair. So always remember, in life and death situations, it is either you, or them. And your well-being is far more important than theirs, who have already made their mind already to take yours away. You cannot sit idle when it comes to that, no matter how awful the very thought is in your mind."

He then turns his head to the side, looking at something not obvious on the scene yet. "Isn't that right, some of the most well-known weapon masters of your art?"

When he asked that, the scene shows four very distinct people.

The first one is a fair-skinned, serious-looking woman with long, scarlet hair, brown eyes, with slender, voluptuous figure, and wearing a custom-made armor, a blue skirt, and black boots, with her holding with both hands a longsword upside-down, the tip upon the ground. [Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail]

The second is an also fair-skinned, young woman with waist-length dark brown tied in a high ponytail with a red hair-tie, and brown eyes that are adorned with magenta eye shadow, and wearing a black, skin-tight jump suit with red outlines and a kanji symbol written on the left shoulder, with the outfit further consisting of pink armor plates, pairs of arm guards, shin guards, boots, and a red sash wrapped around the waist which carries a medium-length sword within a burgundy sheath. [Sango from Inuyasha]

The third is a fair-skinned man of slim build, with an androgynous face that has a cross-shaped sword scar on his left cheek, mid-back length red hair tied into a thick ponytail, deep-violet eyes, and is wearing a kimono of soft red-like burgundy at the upper half, and white coloration at the lower, a pair of wooden zori, japanese sandal-type footwear, with his trusty sakabatō sword within a dark-crimson sheath placed to his side through his obi. [Himura Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin]

And finally the fourth is a soft-yellowish-skinned man, tall and lean with a fit build, with long jet black hair that he keeps tied to a topknot, and is wearing a white and gray Gi in the style of a Kimono, a white obi around his waist, and a pair of wooden Geta, like the one's above but in a sense different, and his famous, special katana sheathed by his side. [Jack, pretty much, from Samurai Jack]

"Without question." The scarlet-haired woman responds with absolute seriousness.

"Hmhm." The dark-brown-haired girl utters with a nod.

The man with the red hair folds his arms, and doesn't appear too fond of what the Storyteller said. "As much as I hate the idea itself, if you are given no other choice, it is the only option remaining."

"I will agree with my respected fellow on that." The black-haired man with the topknot simply responds.

That is when the Colbert understood, as everyone else look at the unique to them quartet with interest.

It is not for war's sake all of this. But for the young ones to know how to deal with the danger it brings.

He still dislikes the very thought of them being taught seeing taking a life as appropriate depending on the circumstances, but he understands it.

He just hopes that none of his students will ever have to resort to that option in the future.

As for Agnes, she nods once while smiling, and thinking of how she never expected to feel such respect for the Storyteller like that this day.

He is indeed more than just a typical Noble in the end, just like Queen Henrietta has showed her in the past to be.

Aristidis at the moment eyes the students before him, and then shows a pleased face. "Alright, since we have established the understanding of the whole case, Erza you may go stand guard outside of the academy's gate for now, and the rest may help with the girls' training according to your experience, and if the Musketeers allow you as much."

Without disagreement, they respectfully bow/nod in response, and Erza walks away to perform assigned duty as the other three turn to the students and the Musketeers.

In the meantime, the Storyteller satisfied moves toward the side of the main building while taking out with a hand from behind him through his cape the Tome, as the scene shows sitting next to the said building at a table there, and expecting him, Louise, with Kirby around her arms, Charlotte, Kirche, Siesta, who is standing like the other time close to them like a proper maid with Jerry Mouse upon her shoulder, and a tall and slim, with uniform/skin of black, azure, and white colorations, seemingly wears a sleeveless black top with an azure masonic collar that has slightly spiked shoulders and a large white medici-styled collar, white pants, black high-heeled calf-length boots, azure gloves, a beauty spot at the right of her eyes, azure lipstick, and an azure cap with black marks on each side that sweeps significantly behind her head, her eyes are a dark screen with a heart-like shape with eyelashes. [Serial Number: Q5U4EX7YY2E9N, or more commonly known as Queen, from Deltarune, here for the company and tea, only in her case being a glass of glowing green, pure battery acid she holds in her hand.]

The black-haired maid pulls the empty seat for him, and he nods politely at her as he sits down to join the group, which one can only wonder how exactly they were allowed freedom from the Musketeers' training, placing the Tome next to his cup of tea while doing so.

The queen from Deltarune takes a sip from her glass, and then extends halfway both hands forward out of enthusiasm. "So, kids, there I am, first step in my grand plan for world domination!"

Before she can continue, the blue-haired Vice-Captain approaches with one wooden sword in each of her hands Aristidis, which draws attention on her.

When she stops behind him, as he turns on his chair to look at her, with a serious expression places strongly one of the wooden swords upon the table between him and his team cup, almost making the said cup fall in the process. "You. Stand up and fight me."

The mouthless Storyteller looks at her, down at it, and then back at her, as the girls appear rather confused with the Musketeer's demand.

"Yeah... I don't need any training since I am as you have most likely heard already exceptionality personified, so I will politely ask you to not interfere with what I do, like I am not with what YOU do. Glad we have made that clear." He tells her cockily at the end as he turns normally back to the rest again, and specifically at the queen from Deltarune. "So, friend, before you continue, how is the search going in your world for Fouq-"

That very moment, Aristidis is interrupted by a direct strike at the top of his head from behind with the wooden sword the Vice-Captain wields, who did not quite appreciate his comment from before, resulting in his head being pushed a bit down from the hit.

Louise, Siesta, Charlotte, Kirche, and the Deltarune queen gasp from shock, with the latter's visor-screen showing circled two red a in place of eyes, which are known as at, with the female students that witnessed the scene at the very moment it happened also gasping for the same reason, while Agnes's eyes stay wide open from the said shock at the unexpected action of her Vice-Captain.

As the two remain in the same position, the wooden sword eventually begins on slowly sinking down along with the skin itself at that part while the sound of a balloon losing it's air sounds from his head, startling the woman into pulling her hand back while letting the said sword go, and with the said weapon stopping at the forehead level.

The Storyteller's expression at that moment appears to be neutral, before closing his eyes and inhaling seemingly out of disappointment.

After that, the space in his head between the wooden sword forms sharp teeth, which proceed to break and eat with a omnomnom sound the entire thing, and the head getting back to normal as soon, Aristidis gets up, puts his Tome behind him, fixes with both hands his pitch-black, luxurious, twinkling cape a bit at the top around his neck for a second, and then quickly with a hand grabs the Vice-Captain by the collar of her uniform, before instantly launching up to the air along with her in the blink of an eye, with reactions of further shock forming from everyone a moment later after they realize their disappearance.

The scene then cuts up to the sky where they both reach it in but an instant, stopping and floating in place there.

As she keeps on being held by Aristidis, while the woman begins on struggling and trying with her hands to force herself free from his surprisingly to her strong grasp, the blue-haired woman looks around for a moment, just now realizing the place not looking familiar, and as she stops to take a careful look down, much to her incredible, gasping shock sees below her hanging feet the moving, small clouds, and the landscape below in which she can barely make-out the academy of magic, fully understanding now that they are at one of the highest points of the sky.

The pitch-black Storyteller keeps his neutral face on. "Not quite sure what led you to believe that move of yours as a good idea, but it is obvious someone did not teach you proper manners in the past. Would you like some help with that?"

She turns her head to him, greatly scared of the height but still trying to appear strong. "P-Put me down this instance!"

His expression turns to that of mild amusement. "An unoriginal, yet amusingly poor choice of words."

Before she can react to that, she is immediately pulled straight down along with Aristidis, as he is flying at speed of extreme levels, causing her to scream out of horror at both the speed she feels in her entire body and seeing the ground getting closer and closer below, and upon reaching the academy's courtyard, he changes trajectory immediately as he continues flying now forward, and while avoiding narrowly each of the students and Musketeers that were on the way expertly and without issue, with them seeing the two as a very fast, unrecognized to them blur.

As they keep on going, without slowing down even a bit, the part of the wall surrounding the academy is about to be reached, the Vice-Captain's screaming getting only louder upon seeing it, just before the last moment changes trajectory again, only now he is running sideward upon the said wall with the very same speed, while now holding the woman by the leg, and swinging her from side to side, up and down in such a way so her face can be THAT close to touching the wall each time as they make the round of the entire thing multiple times.

After a few more rounds, the Storyteller pushes himself off the wall, and the moment he touches the grassy ground with his free hand, he immediately throws her with a powerful turn of his body up to the sky, with the story-watchers surely now wondering how she still has power in her lungs to scream about as she does, only for him to appear right at the point of the sky she is going to, before grabbing her to change her trajectory to the side, then again doing the same to force her downward, just so he can repeat each throwing step in an upside-down triangle kind of way again and again, keeping her speed the same as always.

While the Vice-Captain is traveling upward one last time by herself, the speed of the throw slowly decreases, and when she looks to the side, still wide eyed from the experience so far, she sees him levitating with folded arms just two meters away from the point she comes to a stop, with him then bringing a hand halfway up to move his fingers in a goodbye manner, while looking rather gleeful about it, which makes her immediately understand much to her far greater shock his intention as she slowly begins to fall, before starting to scream again while looking at the ground far below getting closer and closer like before, only this time the said fall, in the middle of the crowd specifically, seems inevitable.

But at the moment the Vice-Captain is about to hit the ground with her feet, and closing her eyes shut while at it, instead of the imminent pain, she feels something having stopped her fall at the right time, and when she opens her eyes, she sees much to her surprise Aristidis holding her in his arms, in a princess-carry kind of way, looking at her with a neutral expression, as everyone else watch with surprise, before setting her down on her feet, but with her legs trembling uncontrollably, their support about to abandon her.

And just for the record, all of that happened in the span of TWENTY seconds. After the beginning of the very first fall, that is.

The pitch-black Storyteller begins walking away with a pompously raised head. "That may be a lesson for you, my imbecilic friend. Never touch me unless you have my consent. Or you know, if I am in the mood." Says the last part after stopping for a moment to look at her, which makes most people feel a bit uncomfortable at how it sounded, only for him to begin on walking again toward his table.

In the meantime Agnes approaches quickly her Vice-Captain as the latter's legs eventually give up and lets herself fall on her knees and hands while still not over the shock while her whole body now trembles, with the former crouching next to her.

"Wha- Seriously, what were you even trying to achieve by doing that, Michelle?" The Musketeer Captain asks her really confused.

"I just wanted to test his skill in a normal swordfight, I never expected him to-" Michelle begins very fast, but stops as a feeling in her throat forces her to stop while covering her mouth, before she begins running away and close to a nearby bucket, where she ends up vomiting with her head in, making the ones watching feel bad for her.

Agnes sweat drops, in disbelief of how foolishly her Vice-Captain acted.

Picking a fight with someone who has proven to be far above your usual Noble is never a good idea, after all. Even SHE understands that.

The scene moves to the main group's table as Aristidis reaches and puts a hand on his chair, with them sweat dropping at him, with the Deltarune queen as exception who simply out of entertainment claps her hands regally.

"Was all that really necessary?" Louise asks him.

He looks and points at her. "She is lucky I was not feeling malicious about it like with Wardes."

"I-I see." She responds with an even bigger sweat drop, not liking to imagine what can happen to a person who will actually upset him.

As the Storyteller is about to sit, he stops upon noticing Julio walking past him with two training staffs, and stopping next to the pink-haired Noble, drawing attention on him, which includes that of most of the female students too.

"Miss Louise?" The blond guy begins with his notable, charming smile, making her blink curiously for a second there. "I'm sure you are more than capable with your magic, but I believe it will still be better for you to learn how to properly defend yourself for the case magic is not an option. It would be a shame if anything happened to a beautiful lady such as you."

The sudden compliment makes Louise utter with surprise as she blushes somewhat flattered, with the rest of the girls looking back and forth at each other out of the same surprise, as obvious concern begins to form in their faces as to what their love's response will be in this case, with the Deltarune queen as exception who just watches out of great interest.

He continues. "It will be my pleasure and honor to offer you my assistance in teaching you-"

"Your concern is understood, but unnecessary." The Storyteller interrupts unconcerned, drawing attention on him, as he takes his seat while taking a hold and bringing his tea-cup close to his mouthless area. "If you have any knowledge about how our shared magic works, then you should know how hard it is to just deplete it at this point for anyone to even come close to be a danger. Not mentioning its exceptionality in the future." Says at the end with pride, before taking a sip.

Julio turns to him, his charming smile unceasing. "Still, being sure in case somehow that happens won't hurt her."

Aristidis puts the free hand on his chin, seemingly considering the idea, and nods once as he points a finger at him. "You, my friend, are correct on this one. And for that reason I will have dearest Louise and the rest, that includes you too Siesta, take private, self-defense lessons from my Tome weapon-masters later."

"Of course you would use Tome here too." The pink-haired girls says with a sweat drop and a bored expression, expecting as much from him.

Kirche leans forward with enthusiasm and a raised hand while seated, pushing the tea-cup with her breast almost off-balance when doing so. "I accept without question to be taught! Especially from that respectfully beautiful man with the red ponytail." Says the last part while looking at Kenshin Himura, who is currently busy explaining something to a few female students and Musketeers, and giggling for a bit there.

The group just looks at her for a moment in silence.

"You are lucky you are endearing." The pitch-black Storyteller tells her seriously, and then points and wags his finger up and down. "But remember, no funny business unless it is with me."

"Of course, my one and only love, I would never dare do as much with anybody else but you!" She responds with extreme affection as she gets up to turns to him while shaking her backside from side to side happily.

He leans back on his seat satisfied with her words, and more than a little proud.

The blond guy seemingly still doesn't appear to be convinced with his idea of letting another teach the pink-haired girl, and is about to speak his mind about it. "Still-"

"OH, so you are saying now that any of my exceptional Tome weapon-masters and teachers wouldn't be a far better choice." Aristidis interrupts while turning to him, and showing to be rather offended by the implication. "Someone sounds rather confident for a Priest of all people, I've heard about it from your fangirls just so you know. Not even one with light and healing magic to appear as a magical paladin like in many of my stories at the very least no less."

Julio doesn't seem fazed by that, as he puts the free hand upon his sword's handle a bit proud. "Ah, so you have heard. Normally you would be right to assume as much, but even if I don't possess magic, I can assure you that I am more than I show to be."

The pitch-black Storyteller puts both his hands upon the table as he somewhat gets up, and gives him an full-of-interest yet memeable look. "You don't say?"

"It's the truth." The blond guy responds simply with his charming smile still on, and then lifts a finger. "In fact, how about a demonstration? You and I will have a little duel. And to make it more interesting, what would you say if the winner gets a kiss from miss Valliere as reward along with the right of teaching her self-defense."

"Wha- Excuse me?!" The blushing Louise yells, in great disbelief of what she just heard, with the girls too hardly believing the very audacity, with the Deltarune queen smiling as red red text forms on her visor that writes LOL for the moment.

Aristidis folds his arms as he sits down normally again with a serious expression. "Talk about bold. Disrespectful too. You are supposed to ask the lady first if she wants to partake in such bet or not."

He then turns his head to her, his face now neutral. "Well, Louise?"

"O-Of course not, why are you even asking?!" The pink-haired girl yells at him, incredulous at the fact he even bothered to do as much knowing their very-well-known bond.

The Storyteller turns back to him. "She said no to the bet, so her decision will be respected."

After saying that, he gets up in front of him, towering him with his noticeable height, the difference approximately thirty centimeters. "I will not say no to your little request, though. Might as well see just how proficient you are with that long sword of yours, pretty boy." Says oddly seductive the last part mostly.

No one was sure whether he was trying to be weird, smart, or both with that sentence, with the blond guy somewhat sweat dropping at that but keeping his smile on, if only a bit awkwardly, with the Deltarune queen having the word Bro? written in red now in her visor.

Julio finds his full composure back, and appears determined with his following response. "Well-"

But just before he speaks it, he is immediately surrounded by seven or ten girls that grab and pull him back a few steps, much to his mild-looking surprise, while yelling negatively with much concern at him.

"No, don't, Julio!" One of them says.

"He will treat you like he did that one time with Guiche!" Montmorency tells him.

"Or worse!" Another one says.

Then the next one points at the Storyteller. "Didn't you hear the way he said that last one? He will definitely touch you inappropriately at the first chance he gets if you face him!"

"I wouldn't!" Aristidis tells them while appearing to be offended, but after a small moment of silence, he shrugs with a more relaxed face as he looks upward to the side. "Ok, maybe a little. You know, for the lols and all." Says with a small chuckle at the end.

They don't really know what the lols are, main cast excepted, but it is enough to reinforce the girl's point enough to worry the fangirls even more.

"Ladies, ladies." The blond guy begins calmly while softly pushing them off him as he walks once more in front of Aristidis, much to their constant concern. "There is really no reason for so much concern. It will simply be a friendly swordfight between us, without any ill intentions from the two."

"I would not be so sure about that." The mouthless Storyteller tells him somewhat gleefull, causing to the blond guy some confusion, before untying his cape with a hand to hand properly onto Siesta's hands, who bows respectfully in response, and then begins walking to the side away from the table, with the troubled Louise attempting to stop him, only to give up halfway with a sigh due to knowing him far too well to bother, going for a more open space. "You will be the only to use a sword in this duel."

Julio follows his example and walks to where he goes to stand across him at an appropriate distance. "And you?"

As they both reach the spot, Aristidis chuckles a bit amused while putting a hand onto one side of his hips. "Oh, don't you worry about me. Just make sure to follow a simple, singular rule of mine."

After saying that, he makes a quick spin around himself, and strikes an elegant pose with the back of one hand over the forehead and the other upon his side. "Strike me once with your sword, and you will be dubbed winner."

The blond man just looks at him for a moment. "So, you will just try to dodge every single one of my strikes."

"More like: do so." The Storyteller answers cockily and very sure of himself as he breaks the pose, before pointing a finger at him. "If you don't feel confident about this, you can always keep your sword inside its sheath."

Julio keeps on looking at him for a few more seconds, and then smiles confidently as he brings a hand to grab the hilt of his sword.

"Oh, oh!" The Deltarune queen enthusiastically interrupts them from the table after getting up with a hand raised, drawing attention at her, and then brings out from below with a hand what appears to be a music disc that writes with black letters upon its surface My Special Mix. "Use my mixtape while you boys are at it!"

Aristidis points a finger at her. "An actually appropriate recommendation. Put it in."

After telling her that, she bring with her other hand from below again this time a blue and white, very advanced-looking CD-Player, and then places the disc inside, presses a button, and the music of the duel begins. [The music is the Attack Of The Killer Queen from Deltarune, of course]

The Storyteller gets a feel of the music as he moves his head from side to side, while the blond guy unsheathes his sword, and then the former starts tap-dancing with both hands placed on his hips and looking as confident as the latter, as everyone else watches with mixed feelings at the two about to fight, along with those who stop the training to watch, with Agnes herself actually having a little interest too at the whole thing that is beginning, with the former stopping soon after in a pose with both arms extended diagonally at opposite sides and moving his hands in place in a jazz-hands type of way, as if telling he got moves to show.

Julio rushes at Aristidis and begins a flurry of quick slashes and stabs against him nonstop for a few seconds, but he avoids and dodges every single one with elegant, dancing movements without issue, before the former leaps back as he now watches the latter tap-dancing like before but with both hands close to the sides of his head, and frankly, even he is impressed with the way his opponent so skillfully and with such ease avoided his strikes, with some of the watchers just as impressed.

The blond man decides to lift the sword up and to the opposite side of his own head, before rushing against the Storyteller once more, preparing to attack with more focused and careful strikes, which results to the latter dodging the first, horizontal one by leaping over the former's shoulder while rolling on the air and landing behind him, with the former then attempting a similar strike as he turns around, only for the latter to do the same by leaping over the latter's head with a spin of the body this time and landing much closer behind him this time, but as the former moves from side to side to gain sight of him, the latter either moves along with his head movement by spinning like a ballerina from one side, or back-spinning from the other, keeping himself appropriately off-sight right behind him as a result, and as the former turns quickly around with a slice of the sword, the latter was already phasing through the ground he once stood, vanishing on the spot, right before jumping off the ground with both hands happily up to the air and at an adequate distance from the former, and at the same time butterflies of multiple colorations burst through the ground from both sides next to the latter in two separate lines upward while three black, rectangle platforms come from beneath for him to step down from each, stunning the audience with the overall beauty and magnificence of it, with the Deltarune queen specifically clapping her hands with enthusiasm and having written on her visor in red Nice.

Julio snaps out of the excitement he was overwhelmed by for a moment there, and once more rushes against Aristidis, obvious in the former's determined and a bit more serious face now that he truly wants to make a difference with his next strikes, but the latter avoids the first two easily as he steps after the second one behind him, and playfully twisting with a finger part of the former's blond hair, which surprises him for a moment, right before the former attempts another strike as he turns which is avoided immediately as the latter elegantly moves backward and away from him, while the former follows quickly after him as he uses another flurry of slashes and stabs with his sword, only for the former to once more dodge every single one, and at the last dodge grab with a hand the former's shoulder, much to his startled surprise, and then pulls and pushes him forward with enough force to make him fall on all four upon the grassy ground, with him attempting to get up only to be stopped quickly by the latter who sat sidewardly upon his back, before caressing with both hands in a single, sensual movement the former's hair, neck, shoulder and back, which causes him to get goosebumps as he feels understandably uncomfortable, while many of the girls are jealous at him for touching their charming priest so freely like that, with the former then focusing and with a quick movement reverse-gripping the sword before trying to strike behind him with a stab, just for the latter to leap away as the former gets his chance to get back up to rush after him.

The blond guy tries his best to strike the Storyteller, but like before, awfully unsuccessful as the latter keeps on dancing elegantly off the way of the blade, with everyone in great disbelief at how he is able to achieve such feat so far, and without magic at all!

As Julio keeps on going with his continuous attacks, Aristidis suddenly opens his arms wide to the side which causes an invisible force to push the former back at a medium distance, forcing him to bring an arm in front of him while keeping his balance till the end, and when he looks at him again, the latter is enveloped by smoke, before it dissipates to show much to everyone's surprise that he has vanished from sight.

The blond guy looks all around him alarmed, having not expected his opponent to use magic, but still smiles seemingly unbothered. "A bit unfair using magic against someone who can't, is it not?"

He then feels a goosebumping sensation behind him as he flinches a bit backward because of it, as if a finger runs across his spine, and then the blond attempts to slice at the air there as he turns, without actually hitting anything.

"Please, we both know this game was unfair from the very beginning, magic or no magic, and you are smart enough to understand as much, dear July." The invisible Storyteller gleefully responds, his voice coming from everywhere, making his detection still an impossible feat.

Then in an instant, not far from Julio a big line of Aristidis's clones come out from below the ground around the former, alarming him as he assumes position while looking from side to side, while all of them happily perform simultaneously the Squat Dance, which is pretty much the fast, continuous kicking of the air with each foot while squatting down and with the arms folded, and soon after, he notices something above him, before seeing that it's the actual Aristidis doing the same dance right on top of his head, which causes quite the surprise how he doesn't even feel him doing all that up there.

The blond guy attempts to strike him with the sword while there, but the Storyteller simply jumps off the last moment and lands with a graceful spin in front of him, with the former doing a follow-up strike, only for it to be interrupted by the latter who grabs him by the wrist, stopping the hand holding the sword where it is, as the former shows a wide eyed expression at that, with the latter having a mischievous-looking face on while they look at each other for approximately three seconds, just before with much of power throws the former with a spin high into the air, resulting in him losing his sword in the process.

After Julio reaches the point of the sky where the power of the throw weakens completely, and it's quite high, he begins falling back down again, and while falling he reaches a point where he enters a wide circle which comprises of lines and lines of multiple clones of Aristidis, who are moving all around him like a living tornado as each line performs a different, hyperenthusiastic dance.

The whole things is so overwhelming in his eyes, that all he can do is watch actually shocked all around him, unable to even consider calling his wind dragon to aid him with stopping his fall.

Then, the blond guy looks down at his falling point, where the pitch-black Storyteller is seen waiting with open for him, and as the music finally reaches its final part, the latter the right moment grabs the former by the sides just below the arms as he proceeds to hold him above him while spinning in place slowly, the dancing clones continuing what they do around them, and upon reaching the eventual end of the music, the clones vanish instantly, with the latter at the same time finishing the spin by suddenly, quickly yet softly forcing the former onto his back upon the grassy ground, as the latter now stands right above him with his hands holding the former's arms down in place to keep him there as he looks him closely in the filled with surprise eyes.

Most of the female students were holding their hands over their mouths, mostly due to thinking their charming priest was a goner for a moment there, the Musketeers were shocked with the display of power he showed, with Agnes disliking how it looked like he was toying with the one obviously weaker than him, even if HE was technically at fault for attempting to mess with the wrong person despite the warnings, Louise, Charlotte and Siesta who were sweat dropping for different reason each, and Kirche with the Deltarune queen who were clapping their hands in applause due to liking the show greatly, again, for different reason each.

One thing was clear, though. Julio was beaten in this duel outright.

"So..." Aristidis begins as he affectionately brushes with a hand part of the blond guy's hair from one side, with him still not quite over the previous shock as he now gets unnerved by the former's not-so-straight mannerism, and then gives him a cheeky look. "Is the Pope interested in knowing about me, or is there another reason he sent you here?"

That catches Julio off guard. "You knew?"

The Storyteller moves his eyes upward to the side. "I mean, Romalia gifts me with part of my power, and then there is someone coming from the exact same place to be a transfer student here in the academy I stay all of a sudden. Plus, the expected naming convention was rather helpful too."

The blond guy stays as he is for a moment longer, and then smiles slightly amused. "Heh. Looks like my cover has been blown much faster than I could imagine. No wonder considering your reputation. But no, the reason for me to be here is to be a secret support to Tristain. The Pope understands the danger is not much thanks to your recent support to the kingdom, but he wants to be sure even by a bit, while also strengthening the bonds between the two kingdoms."

"I see, I see, an understandable move for any ruler to make." Aristidis says with an understanding nod, stays as he is for a moment longer, and then gets up while unhanding and allowing the blond his freedom. "Very well, you may stand now, Julio."

Julio in response gets up, as maid Cinderella approaches to give him back his fallen sword, which he takes with a polite nod of the head toward her, before turning back to Aristidis. "It is as the reports say. You truly are a terrifying opponent to face. Glad you are not a force of malevolence."

"Absolutely." The mouthless Storyteller admits gleefully, obviously liking the understandably obvious to him fact, with the orange-haired maid already on the way back where she came from.

His face becomes kind as he places a hand upon Julio's shoulder. "Know that I am very grateful to your pope for that gift of yours, much appreciated I mean it."

Aristidis that moment with a sudden movement brings his face close to the blond guy, startling him for a second as the former shows now a serious-looking expression. "But next time I see you attempting to seduce any of my girls, for real or not, I am sending your backside straight to Momoiro Island belonging in the story of One Piece."

The blond blinks a few times, a bit confused about his threat due to having no knowledge of the said island. "And what is that island exactly about?"

The Storyteller is about to give his simplified explanation, while Cinderella brings and ties the luxurious cape properly around his neck like normal. "Let's just say it is a place a very-well known, flirtatious man of the story refers to it specifically as hell. Make your assumptions from here on." Tells him before turning with a flip of the cape around to walk away along with his maid, while Julio immediately gets what that island is all about, at least to what he can understand, and a cold sweat runs across his forehead, making apparent that the very image is not something he would like to experience.

"Now if we are quite done with proving my grandeur to everyone, again, I will go back to my seat and enjoy the day with my highly important company, thank you very much." Aristidis mildly annoyed tells everyone somewhat loudly as he reaches the table and sits down at his chair, wanting to make sure no one will get any funny ideas of repeating the same scenario while he simply tries to have his relaxing moment with his girls, with the said girls sweat dropping with an awkward smile at his words.

As the conversations and Storytelling begin at the main cast's table, and Julio receives words of concern from some of his fangirls that surround him, which he reassures them of his well-being while showing his usual charming smile, the Musketeers and everyone else return back to their current duties normally like before, with Agnes looking at Aristidis for a moment longer before doing the same.

~Hours Later~Later In The Afternoon~

The sky was beginning to receive its soft-orange color, as the sun reaches its appropriate point upon it.

As the scene moves at the different parts of the courtyard, it only shows the Queen's Musketeers, academy guards and Oblivion Guards to patrol the place, while the female students were resting within their dorms inside the main building, having more than earned it after the physical training they all went through.

Upon one of the many parts of the stone-wall encircling the said academy, Agnes is seen patrolling by herself there, till she comes to a stop as she stays in position while watching the area far outside for any potential threats.

While at the calm horizon, she thinks of the overall day of training.

How those Noble brats could hardly handle one a few minutes of simple exercise without needing to catch their breath.

Would it hurt the academy to teach them some running exercises at the very least? It's as if they want them to be nothing more than sitting targets, waiting to be trampled over by whatever the enemy might decide to throw at them! It's simply THAT absurd!

Agnes sighs, and then her mind goes to the Storyteller's weapon-masters, as he called them.

Frankly, it was really surprising the experience and skills they have proven to possess. Far better than anyone she has ever seen.

At one point, Michelle, her Vice-Captain, wanted to test the skills of the one with the top knot named Jack, only to be outclassed by the swordman in the strange robes completely. That man could predict her movements with such ease, that made her look like as if it was the first time she held a sword. And higher positions are not given to just anyone. She is her Vice-Captain for a reason, after all.

Agnes could also tell by the skill difference, that even if it were her facing one of them instead, the outcome would not be any different.

On one hand, she likes the thought of people, who are not mages, showing such outstanding capabilities that could even challenge an adept mage. But at the same time, she really dislikes how hopelessly weak they prove to be in comparison to the people that Storyteller Noble has, showing once again how infuriatingly above all of them he is.

The Musketeers Captain strikes with the under part of her fist the wall's edge before her out of frustration, hating the obvious fact that no matter what they do, they will always be dependent on him and his magical Tome for everything.

"I don't care if he is a nice guy who wants to give us a helping hand, he is taking away the very meaning of trying from us!" She says to herself in a quiet but still dynamic manner. "What is the point of training or doing whatever with our lives, if he can just bring out stuff that can replace those and us just like that?"

"Now who said that I plan on replacing any of you?" A known voice next to her asks, drawing her startled attention as she backs a bit alarmed from the said voice, noticing Aristidis standing at least one meter next to her, leaning with his back and elbows resting upon the wall while looking at her.

Agnes was utterly confused as to how he approached her like that without her realizing his presence at all. "How did you-"

"Hello to you, responsible lady and rare beauty." He interrupts with a hand raised and happy yet slightly seductive face. "The patrol as calm as it can be, no?"

The Musketeer Captain sweat drops at both his bold compliments and his immediate attempt for casual talk.

The Storyteller removes himself from the wall as he turns with the arms folded to her. "Anyway, back to the previous silliness. if I wanted to replace your people and everything else with what I have, I could simply end all life upon and within your world, I know lots of people for that type of job, do as much as you thought of, and pretty much be done with it on the day I discovered the convenience of my A rune."

"That's... Oddly specific." She says out of concerned suspicion with a raised eyebrow.

"It is." He simply tells her, before turning to look at the view past the wall as he leans forward and places an arm upon it. "Lucky I am not evil or lazy, are you not?"

Agnes looks at him for a moment longer, till she to turn herself toward the horizon too while looking at him with half an eye seriously, deciding to ignore the fact that he actually thought about what he so bluntly explained to her. "So, what are you here for?"

"Well, my ladies are getting some proper training in hand-to-hand combat from the personal trainers I assigned them to, so I said to myself: Why don't you go say hi and spend some alone time with the most intriguing Musketeer you had the pleasure of knowing?" Aristidis explains while contemplating about it, and then turns his head to her with a happy expression. "So, here I am?"

She just keeps on looking at him like she does, before focusing back at the horizon. "I'm in the middle of patrol duty. I don't have time for your-"

"Oh, come now." He interrupts her with an amused roll of his eyes, drawing her attention back to him. "We both know there is more than enough manpower here for an adequate number of people to be able to spend their time freely like they want. At this point you simply do this patrol to not call yourself lazy." Says the last part while pointing his finger at her.

The Musketeer Captain narrows her eyes at him, disliking how unimportant he shows to considers her work here.

The Storyteller moves a bit closer to her, only a hand now down upon the wall as he faces her with a seductive expression. "I can set a proper, little table for the two of us up on the rooftop so we can watch the beautiful area around us together as we converse over a nice cup of coffee, and still say you do your job from a better position."

"... It was probably not obvious enough the first time, so I will repeat it." Agnes says after a small pause, before bringing her serious face close to his seductive one. "I am NOT, interested."

He moves himself back a bit as his expression turns kind. "Why you think I am asking you out in the first place? So you may see the man behind this exceptional exterior, and decide whether you still feel the same way or not by the end of it." Expresses the last part while showcasing his whole being proudly with both hands moving appropriately from top to bottom.

Despite that, not only she is not impressed by the pitch-black humanoid, despite the admittedly decent characteristics, but also really annoyed with his flirtatious insistence as she puts a fist for a moment upon her forehead. "Agh, you do realize I said not long ago about my hatred for mages, don't you?"

Aristidis moves suddenly right in front of her with arms open wide, startling and making her back a bit away, while showing to seemingly be very hurt by her previous words as he puts both hands now upon his chest. "Why would you hate me so, when no wrong to you I have done?"

His words surprise the Musketeer Captain, since she did not expect such reaction from him.

He continues, his face a bit more relaxed but still showing the sadness from before. "I am only asking for one date. One chance to make you understand that not everything is white and black. Despite my overall coloration, that is. If you know me enough, from all the times you have seen me, then you understand that I myself am not the type of Nobility you so despise. I simply want to get to know an important and truthfully beautiful character such as yourself better, before any appropriate decision is truly made. Is that really so much to ask for." Says the last part mostly with soft passion, and an apparent willingness for understanding as he extends an expecting hand in front of her.

Agnes in the meantime was at a loss for words.

For what he said actually touched her, with his full of honesty words and obvious consideration for one's feelings also making her feel kind of bad for her treatment against him.

Not to mention feel rather uncomfortable as she now avoids eye-contact, since she is not used to being flirted, like, at all.

"Look I'm... Flattered and all, but I... I..." The Musketeer Captain trails off while blushing softly and trying to find the right words, while he waits as he is patiently, but after a few seconds great frustration settles in as she groans, before facing him with a tensed expression. "I like other women, ok?!"

"Oh..." The mouthless Storyteller trails off with wide open eyes of surprise, not expecting to hear such a thing from her at all.

He then puts his hand upon his chin as he contemplates about. "I mean, you did look like one who could be as much but still..."

Agnes stays as she is with a cold sweat running across her forehead, waiting there seemingly, slightly nervous, and hoping.

The truth is that she lied about liking women that way. In all honesty, she is just not interested in romance or love-type of relationships. But if she told him the truth, it is more likely that he would not stop trying, knowing the number of girls he has so far, so it was her only option.

Aristidis sighs disappointed as he shrugs. "It cannot be helped in this case. If that is your preference, then I have to respect it."

That causes the Musketeer Captain to smile, relieved with her lie working to her favor in the end like she wanted.

Her smile then falters as her mouth opens wide from extreme surprise when seeing the Storyteller's chest growing into a pair of adequate-sized breasts, before he grabs them with both hands from below to move them slightly higher.

"I mean, I could form a proper chest to make myself appear more female-like, but other than it being beneath me, it is not quite the same, is it?" He rhetorically asks before turning his body back to normal as he lets go of his breasts while they shrink back in, with the woman keeping on looking at him with shock for what madness she has just witnessed coming from him again.

After that, he puts both hands together before him as he slightly bows to her. "In any case, I owe you an apology. I didn't know."

Agnes snaps out of her shock, and with an awkward smile lifts a hand in front of her in a placating manner. "I-It's ok, really."

Aristidis then with a kind face extends a hand toward her, earning her confusion. "Friends instead?"

She looks at it for a moment, before lifting a hand to shake his somewhat awkwardly. "Y-Yeah. I suppose."

"Good!" He responds pleased, but then lifts his free hand to point a finger at her while his expression turns serious. "Just don't let me catch you attempting any moves on my ladies, else you and I will not get along, and will have to give you exactly what you deserve for that betrayal of yours, is that understood, Agnes?"

"U-Understood." The Musketeer Captain answers a bit, and understandably, afraid, not wanting to accidentally end up on the bad side of not only an ally to her Majesty, but also one who can possibly end her with a literal thought if he wants to.

With that, the Storyteller's expression turns kind, and unhands her as he steps back after making his point. "Well, it should be about time for me to go back now. Wouldn't want to leave my ladies to wait for when I decide to make my greatly desired appearance." Says the last bit proudly with a hand to his chest.

He turns around, but keeps his head turned toward her. "And remember, Agnes. If you ever need any kind of help, I will alway be there to provide at any time. Simply ask."

Aristidis then turns his full attention forward as he begins to walk away, and lifts a hand. "Have a relaxing patrol, friend!"

The Musketeer Captain looks at him go for a moment longer, and once he is far enough, she turns toward the horizon outside of the academy like before, before letting out a sigh of relieve. "That was so stressful..."

After some time, she finds her composure, and appropriately focused walks away and toward the next spot to patrol/guard, while thinking of what he told her close to the end.

Agnes appreciates the offer, but a certain situation she is currently investigates, is HER duty to take care of, and hers alone.

~At An Unknown Location, Filled With Complete Blackness~

The scene shows the black cloaked, with the M-shaped hood, Kremant, and the similarly cloaked, with the expressive, white mask, Derflinger sitting upon their couch and watching together through their television the today's episode, the former lying upside-down with his supposed legs hugging the couch's back, while the latter sits normally with an elbow onto the couch's arm.

Derf nods a few times with interest. "Not quite what I was expecting, but still pretty good, pretty good. I'm surprised he didn't use one of his Tome-People to take care of both cases. You know, how he usually does with everything else." Says the last parts while a bit confused.

"Well, there was a need for the first to become an example for what he deemed as nonsensical disrespect, and the second really needed to be taught a lesson. A personal, proper one." Kremant answers simply.

He then shows his sharp teeth as he grins happily. "My boy keeps on showing just how special he is."

The white-masked man rolls his mask-eyes. "Like we didn't hear him boasting about it like a dozen times already. Seriously, his ego is so big, that all the arrogant Nobles existing in Halkeginia, including the elves, could be called humble in comparison."

Kremant laughs at that amused. "It's funny how true those words actually are."

Derf that moment leans forward as he looks at him with wide open mask-eyes of surprise. "Wait, really now? I was just kidding about it- My Sasha!" Says the very last part while turning to the TV.

"Get it? Cause she was his creator." The black-cloaked man says as he turns his head toward the forth-wall, supposedly saying that to the viewers.

{To Be Continued}

[My oh MY, we have finally reached 200, obvious, Followers! We keep it up like that, and this story might even become as popular as those with over 500 if not more! A writer can dream big.]