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?

6. SOZ-Episode 5-A Storyteller's Approach

[There are two reasons you will notice slowdown in my story updating specifically: Outside work, and extra ideas deciding to pop out of nowhere. Just wanted to make it clear- Enjoy the biggest episode so far!]

It was morning in the famous academy of magic, and the Noble students have just now finished with the first hour of their class, as they are seen going about on their way to spend their free time before the start of the next one.

Louise in particular, who was running out of her own, as she smiles about while doing so. Her enthusiasm was at its highest peak, so how can she not? Today after all was the big day, that she will finally get to do for the first time in her life something she always dreamed of doing. Proper magic! And spells that no one has most likely ever seen before in Halkeginia at that! No way she will miss even a single chance being taught by Aristidis with that in mind.

She runs through the hallways, up to the stairs, till she reaches the door to her room, before she opens it fast. "Ari-"

Louise cuts herself off due to what she is witnessing.

What she sees is the pitch-black Storyteller holding in his hand some thick stick with a weird-looking ball at its top [Microphone Description], and beside him, and holding one such item in its hand as well, is a red bipedal creature of some kind that is almost half Aristidis's size in stature, with white blotches covering parts of its body and most of the right side of the face, the head is long and narrow, which extends into large, curved, black and white striped horns, has a heart-shaped skull symbol on the center of his forehead, the eyes are red with the sclera being yellow, a long tail with a triangular point at its end with a black spot on its tip, fairly broad forearms and hands, and wearing what looks like a tattered slate-gray collared coat with red buttons down the chest, black knee-high boots, and elbow length black, fingerless gloves, featuring large, rounded, yellow decorations on the upper side of them. [Blitzo from Helluva Boss, everyone!]

The scene before the pink-haired Noble, is the both of them making minimal dynamic-looking movements in place, as an intense music is sounding, and big words levitate in place just above the Tome, which are changing as they sing them together. [The song they sing about is Rock You Like A Hurricane by the rock band Scorpions.]

Louise blinks a few times at this, out of both confusion and surprise.

The whole thing between Aristidis and the horned being, who are both singing in perfect unison, continues for a minute or two more, till they finally reach the end of it, with the music abruptly stopping.

Then two more sets of floating words appear above the Tome, showing the names of the two, and a number right below those, with Aristidis having 100%, and the other one 99%, which catches the latter by surprise.

"For one point, are you kidding m- F*CK OFF!" The red one yells frustrated as he throws the microphone at the Tome, which results in it being absorbed magically within the pages. "I've been training all week for this!"

Louise is shocked by the vile language the creature used there.

"You stumbled a bit at the beginning there." The mouthless Storyteller tells him, before manifesting in his free hand the microphone that was thrown. "You have definitely improved to get this much. Quite impressive to be honest." He offers him the microphone. "How about some Sabaton next?"

The red one quickly grabs the microphone from his hand as he appears enthusiastically determined about. "You're f*cking on!"

"Umm..." The pink-haired Noble utters, which causes the two to turn around and notice her.

Aristidis was happy to see her. "Louise! You are done with class finally I see."

The horned one appears surprised for a moment as he looks back and forth at both, till he raises an eyebrow at the Storyteller. "Wait, are you telling me the one you're dating is a literal child?"

"Huh?!" Louise exclaims in both surprise at the dating fact, and from anger at being called a child out of nowhere.

The pitch-black Storyteller leans to the side to whisper in his ear. "We actually have only four years difference, and she is sixteen."

"Ohh, I see." The red one says in understanding, and then smiles mischievously at him as he nudges him playfully with an elbow to the sides. "That makes it fair game for you pretty much, doesn't it, you sick son of a-"

The pink-haired Noble decides to cut in, and being quite confused about. "What does that even-" She cuts herself off and turns to her Familiar as she dismisses her previous attempted question with a sigh. "Aristidis, who is this exactly?"

Aristidis brings a sideward palm in front of the horned one to indicate him. "This is Blitz, boss of I.M.P, horse enthusiast, and nowadays one of the best karaoke singers to exist." When saying mostly the last two ones, Blitzo puffs his chest out with pride at the facts as the Storyteller continues. "He is an imp demon of hell."

"I see- DEMON YOU SAID?!" Louise yells the last part in her great shock of the fact.

"Yes." The Storyteller simply answers, and then along with Blitzo raises an eyebrow, not quite understanding her problem. "Why?"

The pink-haired Noble looks at Aristidis as if he is crazy. "What do you mean why?!" She points at the imp demon. "IT'S. A. DEMON. There are stories that talk about how they try to trick humans and lead them into the wrong path, just to make them fall deep within the depths of their hellish landscape, so they can torture them for eternity! This one can't be an exception." She looks hatefully at the said demon. "Nothing but a manipulative, corruptive, shameless filthy creature that should have never been allowed to exist in the first place in the face of our world!"

"Well, f*ck you too, you racist b*tch." Blitzo tells her while narrowing his eyes and flipping her the bird [Middle finger, yes I know he has four fingers in each hand, you know he still does it].

Louise gasps as she takes a step back, greatly shocked at the language Blitzo just used against her.

The imp demon suddenly vanishes, and Aristidis is seen with his Tome in one hand approaching the pink-haired girl with folded arms.

"I am sorry for his behavior, he is quite the swearer, but it wouldn't come to this if you didn't provoke him. Need to remind you that he is a character from my Tome and not an actual to us threat?" He tells her while indicating his Tome.

Louise looks at him upset. "I don't care! Never call that demonic, filthy-mouthed heathen in here again! The last thing I want is for you to be influenced by one as such, somehow."

At that, Aristidis leans forward, just enough to be at her height, and hugs her happily, much to her surprise. "Aww, you worrying for me is OH so cute!"

The pink-haired Noble blushes at his move, but he breaks the hug before she can get the chance to say anything about it.

The pitch-black Storyteller straightens himself up. "But know that if I was to be influenced, it would have happened long ago already. Don't forget that I know the entirety of this one's story, AND the fact that there are far worse characters than him within the Tome, that are not even demons." Says at the end as he pats his Tome. "Trust me, Blitz is not even in the list of the top ten of THE worst people I have. Not to mention he is surprisingly wholesome in some aspects."

Louise just looks at Aristidis for the moment, while unsure of what sounds more ridiculous. The fact that there are apparently people in the Tome worse than a literal demon itself, or that he just called one as such wholesome?

"Anyway-" Aristidis starts, before showing a somewhat enthusiastic expression as he magically pulls out of his Tome Louise's small magic book. "Who is ready for their most incredible magic lesson of their life?"

At the sound of that, the pink-haired girl exclaims happily as she looks at the book he made for her, knowing that it is finally the time she was looking forward to from last day. The moment she will actually do some proper magic.

A few minutes pass, and Aristidis with Louise, along with Kirche and Tabitha who decided to come as well after learning about it, are seen standing at an empty space of the open courtyard within the academy.

The redhead with the blue-haired girl are standing by the sidelines, watching from an appropriate distance, with the pitch-black Storyteller standing in front of the pink-haired Noble in the middle of the field, with him still holding her small book in one hand.

Kirche leans a bit to the side to whisper at her close friend. "Can you believe that we will see Louise finally doing some actual magic without fail for once, Tabitha?" She then puts her hands together as she looks at Aristidis and blushing about, while straightening herself up. "Only someone as great as Aristidis could make something like that possible."

Tabitha says nothing at that, as her attention keeps on being at the two, and not holding any book with her this time oddly enough.

"Alright, pupil Louise, listen carefully now." Aristidis begins before lifting the small book a bit higher as he gains even more her attention. "I will tell you a few details about the book before we move into the actual practice. First things first, no one but YOU can use it, like I already stated the last day."

She nods in understanding.

He continues. "The next thing you should know, is that you need to be in direct contact with it in order to use its spells. Make sure to NOT lose it under any circumstance." Says the last part with a serious expression."

The pink-haired Noble nods once more. "No book, no magic. Understood."

The mouthless Storyteller keeps on going. "You also need to keep in mind that your book follows a different way of spellcasting. Remember how the most advanced spells normally need a certain number of words to be uttered in order to be cast, according to books of the academy's library?"

"Yes?" Louise says unsure of where he is going with that.

"Well, that rule is more simplified now." Aristidis simply tells her. "Your book's every spell only needs its name to be called in order to activate, along with the image of it in your mind, allowing for a near-instantaneous cast."

"Wha- Just like that?!" The pink-haired Noble says rather surprised at the sound of that.

The other two were just as surprised in their own respective way each at hearing that.

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at Louise with glee. "But wait! There is more. Because not only you don't really need any wand or staff to cast any of them, but once you have good enough memory of each spell, you will not even need to have the book in your possession to do so. Not to mention that uttering the words themselves is ALSO unnecessary for you now, because you can simply utter them inside your thoughts to cast them as well."

The girls, mostly Louise and Kirche, look at him with open mouths, having a hard time believing the even more crazy than the last rule-breaking information they just heard.

"The way I have made your magic connection to work. Don't think much of it." Aristidis says before moving beside the pink-haired Noble, and leans close as he offers her the small book. "I will now need you to take ahold of the book, before we move on with the last part of the explanation."

Louise looks at him, and then at the book in his hand, before deciding to grasp it with both hands. Upon doing that, she feels a strange sensation moving from her body into the book, and then back into her. It was as if her magic for a moment went there and then returned once again back. Other than that, she was not really feeling anything different in herself.

"Your element's alteration has been completed without issues. Good." The pitch-black Storyteller says and then unhands the book, for her to hold on her own. "Now if you open it at page one, you will see the first spell."

She opens it at the said page, and sees two drawings of herself back to back, both unleashing a thin energy beam at opposites directions, with the one at the left using her wand, and the other at the right just her index finger to fire it. The pink-haired girls is fascinated with it at first, due to looking like nothing she has ever seen before, along with the fact it shows she can do it without her wand indeed, but then takes a careful look at the spell's name. "Death Beam?" She reads out loud, and then sweat drops. "What a morbid name..."

"Alright, now see the numbers at the top left corner of the page." Aristidis tells her, getting her attention there, where she sees numbers in two different boxes, with one placed just above the other. The top box has the number twenty in it, and beside it the word COST written there, while the bottom box has a high number in it, with the letters S.E. being written beside. "The COST must be quite obvious as to what it means, and as for the S.E. it means Storyteller's Energy. Each time you use a spell that comes from this book, you will not use just part of your power to do so, but also mine."

Louise is confused by the last part. "Yours too? But why-"

"Because-" He cuts her off. "Knowing how taxing spells can be for a human's stamina in this world after a long usage, I had to make sure that you will be able to efficiently keep on fighting for longer periods of time, just in case. So, I decided that the best option is to share half of that burden, for you to be able to do so and have better chances in case we are separated for any number of reasons."

The pink-haired Noble looks at him shocked. "You're cutting half your power, for me?"

Aristidis puts a hand on his chin as he thinks about it. "Well, not far from the truth, actually." He looks at her with a kind expression. "But a choice not regretting of making for you."

Louise feels touched by the action and those words of his as she just stares at him, with Kirche pouting from jealousy at the special attention the Storyteller gives to her.

The pink-haired girl then remembers herself as she blushes from embarrassment, and turns fast to her book somewhat troubled. "S-So, may I try the spell now."

"Just one last warning regarding the S.E part." He tells her before turning serious. "Always make sure to watch that number. Do not just use whatever spell there is within irresponsibly. Remember that I use that myself. If you use more advanced spells early, or way too many for my power to handle, that will leave me drained and possibly even kill me if the said number reaches zero."

Louise looks at him with eyes wide open. "It will kill you...?"

Aristidis shrugs. "I will be honest, it never happened before, so I am unsure as to what exactly happens once my power reaches zero. Better not risk it though, understood, pupil Louise?" Says the last part with a wagging finger.

"R-Right!" She responds somewhat troubled, having in mind the great weight of responsibility she was just bestowed upon.

The mouthless Storyteller points at the first spell on her small book. "Now, let us get started with this, shall we?" Says before taking a step back as he looks at her, and then points to the side. "Your target is already placed forward."

Louise looks in front of her, and sees just a few meters away standing there a simple scarecrow dummy with a red target circle on both its torso and face.

Aristidis folds his arms. "Remember about everything I have told you, and you may begin once ready."

The pink-haired girl nods, looks at the first spell in her book like before, and reminds herself of the way her magic now works.

She takes out her wand, because she is not feeling quite comfortable using her magic without one yet, and aims at the dummy. "Death Beam!"

Instantly after saying that, a thin purple beam of energy is shot from her wand, passing right beside the dummy's head at incredible speed, going through the academy's wall behind it, making a small hole there, and even through some trees that were in the way outside, which they can't see, but it happened.

Louise and the girls were extremely surprised, not by the miss, but at how fast that beam of hers traveled.

Aristidis was looking with a sideward palm above his eyes at where the beam went. "Hm. Right." He looks at the pink-haired girl. "Well, aiming it is not as simple of a matter as you would expect it to be, but still good job on your first proper cast." Says the last bit while clapping his hands for her, with Kirche and Tabitha doing the same.

Louise then realizes that she has indeed performed a spell for the first time in her life right, and a smile grows on her face, before she starts jumping in place from happiness and yelling "Yes! Yes! Yes!".

The pitch-black Storyteller chuckles greatly amused with her reaction, which draws her attention, before making her realize herself as she rubs the back of her head out of embarrassment as she smiles awkwardly at him.

As she finds her composure back, she looks at the spell in her book one more time, appearing somewhat confused about. "Why Death Beam, though?"

"The name?" Aristidis questions, and then folds his arms as he thinks about it. "Well, the move belongs to a being called Frieza. And to be honest, I am actually quite surprised he didn't name it anything more sinister knowing him."

"Frieza?" She repeats the name.

"That's Lord Frieza to you." A voice behind Louise says, before someone walks past her with folded arms, and stopping next to the Storyteller while turning his gaze upon the pink-haired girl.

The being is short in height, barely taller than Louise herself, white skinned, with a large part of the top of the head, his shoulders, part of the middle of the chest, above the wrists, and at the shins having a purple glossy surface, a thick tail growing from the backside, red wicked eyes with white sclera, round crater-like ears, and black nails and lips. [Surely already guessed it. Frieza from Dragon Ball. Oh boy...]

The girls look with surprise at the bizarre-looking, and technically naked, being that appeared from nowhere, and can't help but feel uneasy at his presence for some reason.

Frieza looks at the entirety of the academy around himself, and at the clothes Louise wears. "Hmph. Another backwater place I found myself into once more it would seem. Not to mention how this peaceful atmosphere with the greenery and all sickens me. Almost as bad as those monkeys' homeworld."

Louise appears to be taking offense to that as she points accusingly at him. "Who do you think you're to dare talk so lowly of the Founder's-"

The alien throws a glare at her, which startles her, causing her to stop herself. Frieza smiles gleefully. "Oh, so you really have no knowledge to whom you speak to so foolishly, do you now?"

He fully turns to her. "Allow me to give a proper introduction for you to understand then." He brings a hand toward him to indicate himself. "I am Lord Frieza. Emperor of all the universe. Conqueror, enslaver, and annihilator of civilizations. Every sane person who knows about me trembles from fear at the very mention of my name alone, knowing very well the cruelty I can decide of bestowing upon them if and when I feel like offering."

The pink-haired Noble appears shocked after hearing all that, along with her other two friends in the sidelines. The sinister way he just spoken with, more than enough to send chills to those who listened. To all but one, that is.

"You forget some people who are not!" Aristidis cheekily reminds him, while currently outside of the scene.

Frieza glares annoyed at the Storyteller with the corner of his eye. "I said sane."

The alien turns his attention to Louise again, and takes a few steps closer to her, causing her to take a step back troubled, and stops right in front of her face. "Be it not for the fact I am under that Storyteller's infuriating control, your entire world would be nothing more but another part of my empire, and your people either soldiers in my army, or slaves to do my bidding. IF I was not given a reason in the end to turn your planet's existence into nothing but a forgotten memory like, let's say, Vegeta."

The pink-haired girl is somewhat worried to ask, but she does so anyway. "What is Vegeta."

Frieza smiles wickedly. "Precisely my point."

The moment the three realizes the meaning behind his words, they fill with even bigger shock than before, being in great disbelief at the fact that being can apparently erase their world if he wished to.

That moment Frieza vanishes from view, and Aristidis approaches the still shocked Louise.

"So yes, that is the guy the Death Beam move belongs to." He simply tells her. "Quite something, wasn't he?"

The pink-haired girl finds some of her composure back, and looks at the Storyteller. "Can he really-"

"Destroy your world as if it was nothing?" Aristidis cuts her off, and then nods. "Yes, yes he can. And like with planet Vegeta, he would take great pleasure in doing so, laughing like a maniac about it."

A sweat falls off Louise as her eyes stay wide open at the shocking to her thought. But then she remembers something. "Wait, if he is that powerful then how did you summon him as if it was nothing?"

The mouthless Storyteller wags his finger. "I didn't truly summon him. What you saw was just me manipulating a small part of the area to give him form, thought, but no actual existence like the ones you have seen me summoning all this time. Those appearing that way are nothing more but living, hard illusions, their only usefulness to simply distract and be in the way when needed, and only that."

One more thing she didn't know her Noble of a Familiar can do. The surprises just keep on coming with him.

Aristidis decides to continue. "The reason I showed him to you is so you can understand why the move has a name like that to begin with, while also understanding how that one is only but ONE of the many evils that exist within the pages of my Tome. You don't have to be a demon to be the worst example in existence." He puts a hand on her shoulder. "Judge them by their intent. Never by their species."

As he lets her shoulder, Louise just now realizes the lesson he wanted her to understand, and can't help but feel somewhat frustrated for putting her through such shock just to teach her that. Though, he is not wrong about how it is not right to judge a book by its cover. The red demon one was just rude, but that white one was the most evil being she has ever met!

The pink-haired Noble stays like that in her thoughts for a moment, and then turns to the pitch-black Storyteller with a serious expression. "I'm sorry, Aristidis, but I will not use the spell inspired by that... Monster. The last thing I want is to rely on something made for an obviously evil purpose."

Aristidis raises an eyebrow. "Shouldn't that be the reason for you to use it, though?"

"Eh?" Louise utters completely confused at the question.

The Storyteller continues as he fakely thinks about it. "I mean, considering that it belongs to an evil like him, wouldn't using it for your own purposes, the BETTER purposes, be like rubbing onto his face that despite that fact, his move has done in your hands more good than bad?"

The pink-haired Noble thinks about it for a moment, and the very idea hits her like a metaphorical blast at how ingenious it is as she puts her hands on the head in her great realization. "By the Founder, you're so right!"

"Of course I am." Aristidis replies in a self-important way as he gracefully flaps his luxurious cape unnecessarily, before his face goes neutral. "Always remember, it is not the power itself that is good or evil, but how a person is using it."

She nods at this, and then gets into stance as she turns her serious attention back at the scarecrow dummy, ready to use the spell again.

The scene moves to Tabitha and Kirche who are watching, with the latter being quite giddy about.

"Aah, how wise he is! Just as expected of my love that is Aristidis." The redhead says while touching her bushing cheeks with both hands.

The blue-haired girl simply keeps on looking at him and Louise. "Psychology expert."

Kirche looks at her close friend, and smiles. "Well if you think about yesterday, with how he made us friends with Louise so fast and all, it is pretty obvious that he is one as such I suppose." She turns her attention back at him, before wrapping her arms around her in delight. "Only HE could achieve something like that in such a short time. OW, how much I would like to wrap my arms around him...!"

Tabitha sweat drops as she looks at her thirsty friend with the corner of her eye.

The redhead then remembers something, and breaks her self-hug as she turns to the blue-haired girl with a somewhat shocked expression. "Say, Tabitha, did you know that Aristidis was all this time actually butt-naked? I was quite surprised to find out that scandalous fact myself."

Tabitha looks normally at the other two again. "I knew."

Kirche appears surprised. "From the start, really? How?"

"Obvious." The blue-haired girl simply answers.

The redhead narrows her eyes at Tabitha as she puts the hands on her own hips. "You think yourself quite smart for finding it out first, don't you?"

The blue-haired girl turns to her, nods, and then turns her attention back to the other two.

Kirche groans at her friend's response, somewhat frustrated at how much of a smart-ass move that was from her.

The scene moves back to Louise, who aims her wand upward at the scarecrow dummy, which is now placed high upon a wooden pole at an unknown time by Aristidis, and shoots a Death Beam at it, without calling out the spell's name this time, which hits and goes through its head as the attack continues its way just a few meters above the academy's wall.

Seeing how the beam traveled above the said wall this time, the pitch-black Storyteller nods satisfied. "Safety ensured for both human AND structural life, great." Says silently to himself, and then turns to his pink-haired pupil with a happy face. "Nice work, pupil Louise, that was a very good headshot for your second time, you are a natural."

Louise smiles happily at him for commenting her due to the great work she has shown so far. She feels so good for being recognized finally.

Aristidis's expression then turns serious. "But remember, as the name implies, this move can be quite a deadly one." He looks at the dummy with the hole through its head. "A shot like that can kill any simple opponent as if they were nothing, so if you don't plan on killing them, always make sure to aim for areas like legs or arms to incapacitate, and render them to you harmless." He looks at her again. "Do not kill unless it is absolutely necessary, and never hesitate when the time comes if you know that your life or anyone important to you is in danger, for those are more important than any enemy. Am I understood?"

The pink-haired Noble realizes in her shock the responsibility her new magic brings with it, and considers everything she was just told. She never considered of taking the life of someone for any reason, and frankly the idea itself is unlikable to her. But even SHE can understand that when the need arises, she will have to do all she can for her well-being and of others', just like Aristidis expects her to.

She looks determined at him, and nods.

The pitch-black Storyteller nods back at her, and then points upward at the training dummy. "Now continue. You only have THAT much time till the next class starts."

Louise gets into stance, and shoots another Death Beam at her target, straight at the hypothetical camera before it flashes to black.

~The Next Hour~

The scene shows the quartet back at the same part of the courtyard, all of them seated around a table, with the maid Cinderella serving them some light snacks, like salty biscuits and more.

Louise had her arms folded and was quite frustrated as she was looking at Aristidis with the rest enjoying the snacks and company, with Kirche trying to touch him but failing due to him slapping her lecherous hand away, much to her displeasure, and forcing herself as well to sit down with them instead of letting her train.

"I don't understand why I have to sit here as well instead of training? I finally have proper magic to train with for once, after all." The pink-haired Noble complains.

The mouthless Storyteller looks at her. "I don't know. Maybe because even I need a good rest when you use part of my power to perform?" Says somewhat sarcastically.

"Oh." Louise utters as she remembers about the fact, and rubs the back of her head awkwardly. "Right..."

"And after all-" Aristidis continues as he leans back onto his chair in a relaxing manner. "What is the point of constantly working, if you can't enjoy yourself at least at parts of your life? Have I not taught you that much already? There IS time for training, so just relax for now, and we can begin again later." Says the last part while offering her a small plastic case with salty biscuits in it.

The pink-haired Noble looks at them, and decides to take one, as the pitch-black Storyteller lets the case down on the table in front of her. "Fine." She says before eating one, and actually liking it quite a bit.

"That's right, Louise-" Kirche begins with a smile. "Listen to your great and wise Familiar. He knows what's best for you." She then turns to him with a seductive look, and extends a hand to touch his own. "Isn't that right, darling?"

Before she can even do that, Aristidis's chair magically moves him fast away from her, and stops right beside the now surprised Louise, much to the redhead's own surprise.

The pitch-black Storyteller turns his head upward to the side with closed eyes in a pompous way. "You may call me whatever, but still no touchy with me. Haven't quite proven yourself to me yet." Says the last part with a wagging finger.

He then puts a hand around his summoner's shoulders, and looks at her seductively, drawing her attention. "Even if you are friends with this precious-looking charming lady over here." Tells to Kirche as he caresses with his other hand Louise's cheek.

That causes the pink-haired girl to blush heavily, before she pushes him off her. "S-Stop that already! I-It's indecent and you know it!" Says the last part while folding her arms and facing the other way.

Aristidis looks at her with a happy expression. "I am sorry. It is just that you are so cute at times that I can hardly control myself." Says while putting both hands on his cheeks.

Hearing him say that, the pink-haired girl turns her head even more away, while blushing and groaning quietly in frustration at his unceasing, overly complimenting attempts.

Kirche groans from frustration at the scene herself. "The attention you get, Louise- I'm SO jealous of you!"

Both Tabitha and Louise sweat drop at the redhead's obsession over Aristidis.

The mouthless Storyteller claps his hands to draw the girl's attention. "Anyway, who is ready to try a new kind of drink?"

Before anyone can answer, a white polar bear with a red scarf around its neck comes walking from the side on its two back paws close to them, while carrying with its front paw a big metal backet with lots of icecubes and four black glass bottles within, before it sets it down in the middle of the table. [It's the Coca-Cola Polar Bear Mascot.]

Needless to say, the girls were quite surprised at the snow-white bear's out of nowhere appearance.

"Thank you for the delivery, friend." Aristidis says to the polar bear with a thumb up. "Give my regards to the rest of the family."

The polar bear gives a thumb up to him as well with a smile, and vanishes into a cloud of snow, with part of the snow staying on the grass where it stood.

Louise shakes the surprise off her first, and looks with a raised eyebrow at the filled with ice and glass bottles bucket. "What is that drink you talk about exactly?"

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at her cunningly, as the maid Cinderella puts four glasses upon the table before the quartet. "You will see."

The orange-haired maid takes a bottle from the bucket, uses a bottle-opener to remove the cap with a distinct pop sound being sound, and fills each of their glasses with the blackish liquid, as foam gathers at the top and almost spilling out till it vanishes to show within the almost filled glass, with small bubbles that come rushing upward continuously from inside as if the liquid itself is simmering in a strange aggressive way.

The girls, especially Louise, are looking at their glasses with quite the unsure expressions.

"Acid?" Tabitha asks Aristidis, as the other two look at him as well.

At that question, the pitch-black Storyteller laughs incredibly amused, but stops two seconds later abruptly and with a neutral face shown just as soon. "No."

After saying that, he takes the glass in front of him, and drinks some, before exclaiming softly in delight as he sets it down again. "Is it wise to doubt me at this point, ladies? Obviously not. Now try it, you literally have no idea what you are missing. Just make sure to not be too surprised at the sensation."

The three just look at him, then at their glasses filled with the black, simmering-looking liquid, before grabbing them, and drink some together.

Once they have done that, their eyes open wide as they take a look at their glass.

"What is this?!" Louise questions surprised. "It's so cold, and sweet, yet offers such a weird sensation with those thousands of small bubbles!"

"And so refreshing and tasty!" Kirche says enthusiastically before sipping some more from her glass, and exclaiming from delight. "This is so good!"

Tabitha drinks some more while still a bit surprised in the new to her discovery.

Aristidis chuckles a bit at their reactions. "This is called Coca-Cola. A carbonated soft drink from quite a few stories in the Tome. At first intended for a pharmacy, but eventually ending up as a worldwide famous drink in stores, with many variations appearing after it as well, like Pepsi-Cola, or simply using the same method of carbonation, like Sprite, Lemonade, and many other tastes that use the same preparation. And yes, they are all just as delicious. Well, most of them at least."

The girls drink the entirety of their glasses and look at him.

"This is amazing! Did they made it with magic?" The pink-haired girl asks him.

The mouthless Storyteller just looks at her with amusement.

Louise realizes what that means and her expression turns to that of mild annoyance. "Let me guess, it's one of those so complicated that it will take time to explain things?"

Aristidis nods twice, which makes the pink-haired Noble to sigh at the fact. One of these days she should really ask him to actually explain about what makes those things so, supposedly, complicated. Can't be that hard to understand after all, can they?

Kirche looks at Louise. "Who cares about how they are made? Just that dear Aristidis here offers us something so incredible should be more than enough, no?" Says before lifting her glass toward the personal maid. "More, please."

The pink-haired Noble starts to get quite annoyed at the redhead's insistence to earn his favor. After all, is it such a bad thing that she is curious about the crazy stuff her Familiar brings on the table every time?

"To me as well, please." Louise says as she lifts her glass to ask some more from the maid Cinderella as well anyway, cause that new drink is too good to not have more of it.

The orange-haired maid fills the glasses again, along with Tabitha's who asked silently.

Aristidis looks at them with his neutral expression. "Well, you can enjoy more if you want, but make sure to not overdo it, cause it can get you fat. Also-"

Before he says more, the three girls hold their mouths as they utter a sudden, near-silent burping, which surprises them.

"That." He continues. "Such drinks can cause you quite the burping the more you drink from them, so you better be ready to watch your manners when you do so." Says before drinking some of his own.

At the moment, Kirche puts a hand on her chin as she thinks about something, and then turns to Louise. "You know, now that I think about it, changing subject here, seeing you using your magic like that during training the last hour, reminds me a lot of the stories we use to hear about the elves. Of how they can do powerful magic without a wand and such, don't you agree, Tabitha?" Says the last part while looking at her close friend, who replies with a nod.

"Ah, you're right!" Louise exclaims in realization, and then turns to Aristidis. "Did you get your inspiration from them when fixing my magic?"

"Firstly, the most preferable term is upgraded." The pitch-black Storyteller says somewhat annoyed. "And secondly, really?" He questions with a raised eyebrow. "You do realize, even in the slightest sense, how many stories are within the Tome, right?" Says while slapping with the back of his hand the said Tome once as he lifts it to make it apparent, before setting it down again. "Just because the elves here can do that, doesn't necessarily mean they are the inspiration for my literal magical work. I have stories about humans who can do as much, stories about elves from many other different words that can do as much- Heck! Even stories about rats who can do as much."

The girls look at him with surprise. Humans, ok that's somewhat surprising. Different kinds of elves, quite surprising to know there are more out there. But rats wielding magic?! Just what kind of world that has them IS that?!

Aristidis folds his arms. "Seriously, there are so many more crazy variations within my Tome in every aspect, that there is no way you can imagine something, anything at all, and not exist already in a story within."

He brings the Tome close to himself as he opens it. "Just to prove it to you, imagine the most crazy thing or being that comes to your mind, and I will show it to you. Come on."

The girls are unsure for a moment, but then decide to think about one such thing.

After a moment of contemplation, an idea comes to Louise's mind and smiles cunningly at the Storyteller. "A really small dragon without wings, not a bady, AND which can talk."

The other two girls look at the pink-haired Noble, with Kirche exclaiming impressed at the odd idea she just expressed.

"Wait, when you say small?" Aristidis questions as he puts a hand on his chin.

"Eh?" Louise utters confused, and then puts a hand above the table, and somewhat close to her head's height. "Well, about this much."

"Oh... Wow." Is all the mouthless Storyteller says in his surprise.

The pink-haired Noble at that lets out a short arrogant chuckle, seeing this as her proving that he may have a lot of things in his Tome, but not everything like he states, making her feel rather satisfied with herself.

"Louise, say red dish." Aristidis tells her, which causes the girls' confusion. "Just do it."

She has no idea why he is asking her to say that all of a sudden, but better not be rude. "Red dish."

The moment she said that, on the table from below jumps a red-colored, pint-sized, slender serpentine dragon with two blue horns on its head, yellowish whisker-like mustache, yellow underbelly, and dark-red spikes on its back, which holds in its clawed hands in total five squared Chinese food boxes. [Mushu from Mulan, everybody!]

"Did someone ordered Chinese?" The small red dragon asks with a toothy smile.

The girls, especially Louise, stare with wide open eyes at the small scaly creature before them, being in complete and utter surprise about it.

Aristidis closes his Tome and raises a hand. "Sure we did, friend. Hand the boxes starting from the ladies, please."

"Sure things, Storyteller." Mushu says, before going to each side to place a food box before them on the table.

The Storyteller turns to Louise somewhat amused. "The joke here is that he is a Chinese dragon, which you pretty much ordered for, who also brought us food people call Chinese, which is usually ordered."

The pink-haired girl points at the small dragon, while still surprised about. "Is this seriously a dragon?!"

After giving the last box to Aristidis, Mushu turns to Louise. "Little lady, you better BELIEVE... That I'm a dragon. And the best guardian one can ever have by his side!" He pumps his chest with pride and a smile while saying the last part.

The pink-haired girl highly confused raises an eyebrow at that. "Wait, you're a guardian you say? But you're- H-How is that even-"

"I'll explain his story as we eat." The pitch-black Storyteller cuts her off, while the small dragon takes a seat with his own box upon his side of the table, as they both open them at the same time.

In the meantime, Louise still tries to come to terms with the fact that something as crazy as a pint-sized talking dragon actually exists, and she thought of it only just that moment!

A few minutes of eating and storytelling pass, with Aristidis wiping with a handkerchief the area his mouth would be. "And that is his story."

The pink-haired Noble looks at Mushu. "Alright, at the beginning, quite irresponsible of you." Says with a reprimanding finger toward him, but then her expression softens. "But, I can understand about you wanting to prove yourself, and show that you're not useless."

"And let us not forget-" The Storyteller begins. "Without him, Mulan would probably not have gotten past the first day in that army camp. Not to mention the further help he provided her with. He is great, despite his dwarfish stature."

"Yes, I-" Mushu begins flattered and proud, but cuts himself off as soon as he realizes the last cheeky part, before turning to Aristidis offended. "Hey!"

All but Tabitha laugh at the whole amusing exchange, with the small dragon folding his arms somewhat frustrated because of it.

Aristidis drinks the last bit of his glass and looks at Louise as he stands up. "Anyway, pupil Louise, be prepared. Time to continue."

Understanding that he talks about training, she drinks fast her remaining cola, which makes her for a moment to stop due to the carbonated and cold feeling in the throat, and puts the glass down onto the table as she looks with a determined expression at her Familiar. "Let's start!" Says before she accidentally burps, which causes her to cover her mouth while blushing embarrassed, as everyone, but the blue-haired girl again, laugh amused at the fact.

Not long later, the scene shows at the middle of the courtyard Aristidis and Louise, like the previous hour, with the former in front of the latter.

He looks at her with a somewhat excited expression. "Alright, pupil Louise, since you are more accustomed with your magic now, it is time to increase the difficulty a bit. So, I have brought you a sparring partner for this."

The pink-haired Noble appears somewhat surprised, yet excited at the sound of that. "Really? Who-"

Before she finishes that sentence, something large falls from the sky right behind the pitch-black Storyteller with a big thud upon the grassy ground there with its two, three-clawed feet. The being is a big, over four meters approximately, minotaur-like muscular monster, covered in brown fur, and having a skeletal head with two large horns that protrude out of it, and with a thick but somewhat short pointy bony-tail hanging between the beast's legs. With both hands it carries a huge wicked-looking great axe, that appears to be made out of sturdy bone or stone. [The Taurus Demon from Dark Souls is here and ready for a fight.]

The demon-looking minotaur sets its eyes upon Louise, and growls at her like the wild beast he shows to be.

The girls look at it shocked, with Tabitha as exception, being her usual calm self in this, especially at the fact it is so big, that Louise barely reaches the beast's kneecap itself.

The pink-haired girl looks really worried at the mouthless Storyteller. "U-Um, isn't this a bit-"

"Don't be so modest, you can totally beat this one!" Aristidis cuts her off with a carefree expression, which then turns neutral. "Just make sure to move around fast, and have good timing with your dodges so you don't get squashed. Now focus, the battle begins in- now."

After saying that, he rolls away, and the demonic minotaur roars as Louise's attention is drawn to it, before she sees it lifting its axe above the head and about to bring it down on her.

She jumps fast to the side, dodging the vertical strike as she yells about startled, the beast's axe striking the ground and raising much of dirt due to the impact.

Louise falls to the ground in all four, before getting up fast to look at the beast as it unsticks its great axe from the ground, and turning to her.

She gets into stance, now determined and with her wand at the ready, and prepares as the demonic minotaur charges toward her with its raised great axe to the side.

The scene then cuts inside one of the academy's hallways, where professor Jean Colbert is seen walking about, one hand at his chin while obviously contemplating about something.

(I wonder if asking him for such thing would be a good idea.) He thinks. (Considering all the wonders his Tome may contain, it could help to vastly improve Halkeginia in the future for the better. And even though he did what he did to young Gramont, and taking into consideration his attitude so far, he doesn't really appear like the character who would cause harm to someone on a whim.)

As the professor thinks more about it, he notices some students running past him from behind, with him stopping as he wonders what's the commotion about.

"Um- Excuse me!" Colbert calls the said running students, with some stopping to look at him. "Is something going on?"

One of them looks at him with a somewhat surprised expression. "I've heard that that girl Valliere is fighting right now outside a huge beast that was summoned by her Familiar, and everyone goes to see it for themselves." Says before running along with the rest on their way.

"Wha-?!" Is all the professor could utter in his shock, before deciding to run after them.

Once he reaches the courtyard outside he notices some sort of purple thin beam above at the sky coming from somewhere, and then looks to the side to see many students there, having done a very thin circle around where they watch and at enough distance due to fear of becoming a target, where he also sees a big demonic-looking bull monster, with multiple small bloody holes across its body, swinging a great axe at Louise, and her jumping back to avoid it in time, while also being obviously quite tired, as she pants from overexertion.

"Keep up the pace, girl, you're doing great!" A voice yells among the students, with professor seeing that it belongs to a pint-sized red serpentine of some sort, that is standing onto Aristidis's shoulder, who he himself is standing in front of the crowd of students along with Kirche and Tabitha who are watching as well, but with the pitch-black Storyteller holding and aiming some kind of box contraption that has a big lens on its middle, as snapping sounds can be heard from it while he moves around in place with it. [Yes, he holds one of those older model cameras.]

"Come on, you can do this, I believe in you!" The Storyteller yells enthusiastically at Louise, and then lower the lensed contraption as he looks with a really happy expression at a random troubled student, and wiping with a finger a small proud tear off his own eye while doing so. "That's my girl over there."

Some of the watching students, with Guiche and Montmorency being among them, were unsure whether they should interfere or not, while others were simply watching with awe at the whole thing.

Colbert on the other hand was incredibly shocked. Not only that one of his students is engaging in an obviously dangerous combat with a monster, especially considering him knowing of Louise's lack of magic capabilities, but also at the fact that Aristidis, her very Familiar, is the one to force her into that!

Suddenly that moment, the minotaur beast leaps forward with the great axe above its head as it roars about, with Louise not expecting it and stepping the last moment to the side, barely avoiding, but with the strike's impact upon the ground beside her proving more than enough to push her away as she yells about, before falling onto the ground with her front, and with her wand falling off her hand in the process and away.

The professor's eyes widen upon noticing that, having in mind that no mage can defend themselves without a wand, even if that someone is Louise, who in his mind could still use a few explosions for defense.

He begins running toward them, staff in hand, and hope that he will reach in time.

The pink-haired girl turns around while still down, and looks troubled as the demonic minotaur raises its great axe, ready to strike her down.

The professor keeps on running toward her, as the students watching the scene are shocked at what is apparently about to happen, as some even yell about in the said shock.

(I'm not gonna make it in time-) Is what Colbert was thinking till what he sees suddenly before him stops both the train of thought and his sprinting.

Louise shot a thin purple beam of energy from her index finger she pointed forward like a gun, which passes through the beast's eye and skull's back, making it roar in pain as it lets its great axe fall on the ground while holding its new grave injury and taking a few steps back in the process.

The fact of her using magic without a wand shocks everyone watching, who don't know about it.

She gets up, and determined shoots another one through its skeletal face, making it take another step back. Then shoots another as she takes a step forward herself, with the beast stepping back once more. And then finally she decides to shoot more in quick succession, with the last making the Taurus Demon to roar in agony, before it turns into a huge cloud of dust in the wind.

There is silence in the crowd of students, as Louise pants while still pointing at the place the beast once stood. She won.

"WOO, now that's what I call magic!" The pint-sized serpentine applauds enthusiastically.

Applauding is sounding that moment from everyone else as well, amazed by both her victory and surprising magical power.

Louise looks around her surprised, just now realizing the crowd around, and then sees Aristidis approaching her along with Tabitha and Kirche, as they clap their hands for her too, and with Mushu now nowhere to be found.

"That was an absolutely amazing performance, pupil Louise!" The pitch-black Storyteller tells her happily. "Not only you defeated a monstrous enemy on your first try, but you have also shown to everyone, who somehow happened to be present here during your more difficult training, that you are no longer that weak girl they used to make fun of." He puts a hand on her shoulder. "But instead one to be inspired by. Excellent work!" Says the last part with a thumbs up.

The pink-haired Noble looks around her one more time at the applauding crowd of students who witnessed her fight and magic, and then smiles happy. She is in the eyes of others officially a Zero no more. And she is also not stupid either. She knows that Aristidis planned for her magic to be witnessed by everyone here, considering the way he said the previous part and all. Always looking out for her in the most unexpected ways.

She turns to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Aristidis. You're best."

The mouthless Storyteller raises his head upward to the side with closed eyes in a self-important way. "Well, obviously. But thank you for keeping on pointing it out, I like that." Says the last part with a wink.

Louise sweat drops at his utter arrogance. There are times she seriously wonders how one guy can be THIS arrogant.

That moment, the crowd of students move fast close to them, much to the pink-haired girl's startling surprise, with Montmorency being at the very front, the surprise and amazement still in everyone's face.

"H-How?! How can you do magic all of a sudden?! And what kind of magic was that, a-and without a wand no less- How is that even possible?!" An incredibly confused Montmorency asks, with the rest of the students making similar questions as well.

"I would like to know that myself." A voice from the side says, with everyone seeing there the professor Jean Colbert approaching.

"Professor Colbert?" Louise says his name, somewhat surprised he is here as well.

Aristidis looks at the bald professor with glee. "Ahh, professor. I see you have witnessed our little training as well. We are expecting comments of approval and amazement for our exemplar work." Says the last part with the same air of self-importance like before.

"A-Alright..." Colbert trails off with a sweat drops forming on his forehead. "But how is it that-"

"Simple." The pitch-black Storyteller cuts him off. "I discovered the problem, checked about it in my Tome, and fixed the issue through different connections, while also adding some more magic into it so she can have her very own personal spells to use."

Everyone just looks at Aristidis, not believing how easy it was for him to do something so impossible-sounding.

He leans forward in front of the professor. "Feeling kind of irrelevant knowing how I did something in a moment, which you or any other of the teachers in the academy could not over these past few years?" He puts a hand on his shoulder. "You will get used to it with me. But just so you know, you could totally solve it yourself if you did better research on the elements."

He pats him once on the shoulder after saying that, and moves away, leaving the now incredibly confused Colbert behind, while some of the students were whispering among themselves about how badly he humiliated the bald professor.

(If I did better research on the elements? Could I have missed something in my studies without realizing?) The professor questions in his thoughts.

The Storyteller stops in front of Louise, and their two friends. "Well, girls, I will have you excuse me now, but as much as I like your company, especially yours-" Says the last bit as he winks and points with a finger at the pink-haired girl, causing her to blush. "I need some time for myself. You know, read from my Tome without distractions, maybe listen to some relaxing music while I do so. You understand."

He puts a hand on Louise's shoulder. "You may continue training if you want, and have the time, but make sure to always watch for my magic meter. Always keep it at half the current number, unless there is an emergency and you really need to defend yourself. Am I understood, young lady?" Says the last part while wagging his finger in a serious manner.

"Y-Yes, understood!" The pink-haired girl replies somewhat troubled at his sudden seriousness.

"Good." Aristidis says with a pleased expression, before turning around to walk past the students and away. "Then I will be seeing you later. Enjoy!"

As he goes, an idea comes in Kirche's mind that moment, and smiles cunningly about. "Well, I guess I will be on my way too. Got stuff to do I just remembered about. Bye!" Says as she leaves, going at the same direction the Storyteller went.

Louise understands immediately the redhead's ploy, as Tabitha shakes her head at her close friend's antics, and upset is about to go after her. She can't just ruin her Familiar's peace like that after everything he has done for her! "Hey, wait just a-"

But before she takes another step, she is stopped by the many students who start once more yelling questions about her new magic, as the pink-haired girl tries troubled to keep up with the crowd's insisted questions and clumsy pushing, as the blue-haired girl simply slips away while opening a book she had all this time in her person.

As for Colbert, he barely makes it out of the crowd, and somewhat tripping on the way, before the mass of students gets tighter.

He looks with a sweat drop at the noisy crowd having surrounded Louise and asking her about, and then turns to where Aristidis went. He thinks some more about what the mouthless Storyteller said, and eventually makes the serious decision to walk after him.

Not long later, the scene shows the professor walking toward the wooden wall with the small cottage building in the middle connected to part of the academy's stone wall.

"What do you mean you can't let me in?!" A voice at the distance says, which makes the professor stop to see just outside of the wooden wall's doors Kirche looking annoyed at some sort of big grey golem with minimal armor, and folded arms, who blocks her way. [Remember Korg from last episode? Ok, just making sure.]

"Sorry, girl, if you're not on the list, you can't enter, simple as that, just doing what I was told to by the Storyteller." The soft speaking Kronan tells her.

The redhead flips her hair with a hand in a pompous way as she smiles about. "Well, he probably forgot to inform you, golem-"

"Again, not a golem, Kronan." He corrects her fast.

She continues normally. "But I'm actually quite an important girl in his life. We are THAT close you could say."

Korg doesn't look all that convinced. "I must insist in any case, though. No name on the list, no entry within."

Kirche pouts as she groans frustrated at the fact she can't convince him to let her through.

The Kronan starts. "Now I will kindly ask you to leave. And please don't try anything rude, else I'll have to call for the guards."

The redhead is taken aback for a moment, as she remembers troubled about the Oblivion Guards she had to deal with that one time.

He continues as he wags his finger. "And no flying above the wall either, else I'll have to call for the flying guards in that specific case."

"You have flying guards too?!" Kirche yells shocked while thinking about the same guards, but with wings.

"That we do." He answers simply with a nod.

The redhead tries to say something, but cuts herself off as she lowers her head defeated, before turning around to walk away.

At the moment, Colbert walks past her as he looks at her with a sweat drop, and then at the really tall golem-like man in front of him.

The professor stops before Korg. "Excuse me, guard."

The Kronan looks down at him. "Hey there, bruh, how can I help you?"

Colbert almost trips in place. He was prepared about the rock-man's soft voice, but not the way he decided to address him as. "Bruh?" He shakes the unexpected surprise off him and focuses on what he wants. "I would like to see Aristidis, please. There is a matter I would like to discuss with him."

Korg brings out his list. "Name?"

"Oh. Professor Jean Colbert." The professor tells him.

The rock-man checks the list, but then shakes his head. "Not on the list. I'm sorry but I can't let you in, man."

Colbert is confused. "What is that even about a list-" He stops himself as he shakes his head fast. "Look, can- could you just ask him if he can make an exception for me?"

Korg thinks about it for a moment, and then shrugs. "Don't see why not."

He turns around and stretches his toes to look from above the spa's wall. "Hey, man, there is a Colbert dude that asks to have a chat with you. You want him in?"

"Sure. Let him through." Aristidis is heard saying from within after a small pause.

"Ok." The Kronan says, turns to face the professor before opening one of the two doors for him, and steps aside. "You can get in."

Colbert relieved smiles and bows. "Thank you very much, sir."

"No problem, man." Korg simply says.

The professor feels somewhat weird talking with a strange character like this. Especially with such a soft voice for a being made of rocks. It is just so... Surreal to him.

He walks through the door, with the Kronan closing it behind him as soon, and stops as he sees the scene before him.

The pitch-black Storyteller inside a pool of softly steaming bubbling water which covers him from the chest and below, with his cape hanging by the chair nearby, holding his Tome with one hand as he reads, and with the other petting an obese-looking cat with dark gray fur, black and white stripes, and yellow eyes. [Here is M.A.D. Cat from Inspector Gadget, enjoying the petting.]

In the meantime, a middle-aged man with a black mustage, black hair with obvious baldness at the top, and wearing your typical black butler uniform is seen crouching beside Aristidis from the other side, putting a cup of something close enough to his mouthless area for him to drink. [Alfred Pennyworth from Batman, here to serve.]

And all that while listening from the small radio box at the table a very distinct, calming, and beautiful to the ear music. [The music is Trois Gymnopedies No. 1 Lent Et Douloureux by Erik Satie.]

Colbert can only sweat drop at the excessiveness of the scene. Also one of his old questions has been answered, the person before him was indeed naked all this time. Not quite sure how to feel about it, though.

Aristidis finally sets his eyes upon the professor, and shows a kind expression, as his butler straightens himself up normally. "Professor Jean Colbert. I have to say, I expected that you will want an audience with me eventually. But during my spa? Quite the naughty one, aren't we?" He says while stopping on petting to wag his finger supposedly in a reprimanding way, while putting a leg above the other with a playful expression on his face.

The professor looks troubled at him as he moves his hands forward fast in defense. "N-No, that's not-"

The pitch-black Storyteller chuckles amused that moment, with the cat snickering along with him as well. "Rela~x, I am just joking with you! I am a straight man myself."

Colbert realizes the joke and feels relieved. Also seeing a cat laughing like that is a first for him.

Aristidis closes his Tome, puts it behind him, and then grabs carefully the obese cat, before handing it to the butler. "Go feed the cute cat inside, and close the radio on the way, please."

The butler bows. "As you wish, sir Storyteller."

Alfred takes the cat in his arms, and on the way inside presses the button on the radio box to close it.

The professor is quite fascinated by the simplicity, yet majesty of the small contraption, as he wonders how one as such is made.

"So anyway-" The mouthless Storyteller' starts, drawing Colbert's attention. "How may I help you?"

The professor clears his throat. "I am here to ask you about what you told me earlier. Could you please explain-"

"No." Aristidis simply tells him.

The professor looks at him confused. "No?"

"Professor-" The mouthless Storyteller begins. "I can understand asking me about something as unique as myself or my Tome-" Says while indicating both himself and the Tome in a pompous way for a moment. "But giving you the answer to something so simple? Not even I am that irresponsible to deny you the experience of finding it out for yourself through your books. You are a scholar, so I am sure you understand."

"I see..." Colbert trails off somewhat disappointed, understanding that he will not get the answer he wanted straight from him in the end, like her element, or what was the problem causing her past inability to proper casting. He might as well ask some other questions he has in mind before he goes back to the library and look it up himself. "Was that monster really a wise choice for her training? I can understand if you wanted to give her some combat experience now that she is able to use her magic, but still-"

"I am no idiot, dear professor." Aristidis cuts him off. "I know Louise well enough already. If I knew she couldn't handle it, then I simply wouldn't have her face that particular opponent. And after all, the monster was at Treatment Level K, so if she made a mistake, at most she would get a few scratches. Like that blonde-flea Guiche boy from that duel, pretty much."

The professor appears interested at the fact. "Speaking about it, that Treatment is some kind of control over the beings of your Tome about how harmful they will be with the people they face as I can understand, correct? How many such levels, as you call them, are there exactly?"

The pitch-black Storyteller puts a hand on his chin as he thinks about it for a moment, and then nods. "The Treatment Levels are two. I used to have more, but then realized that only two of them were important enough to use. Treatment Level K is for when I want someone to be safely beaten, either due to lesson teaching, or to simply capture them alive if there is a need for it."

Colbert exclaims in both understanding and wonder.

Aristidis continues. "And then there is the Treatment Level MA, which is when I want things to go in a more... Realistic way. And that is when someone has to really die. Or worse." Says the last part as he looks with an eerily empty expression at him.

The professor's eyes widen at that. He can only image what kind of creatures within the Tome can be so cruel as to inflict something far worse than death to their victims. And the one holding them all upon the literal palm of his hand, doesn't appear reluctant in using them at all.

The mouthless Storyteller then shows a happy expression as he puts his arms in a relaxing manner to both sides above the pool's wall. "But so far no one appears to deserve it, so everything is good."

"I-I see, that is good to hear." Colbert says as he wipes some of his sweat off his bald head while smiling awkwardly. (I really hope there will be no need for such a thing ever. The last thing I want is for any of the children here to be traumatized by the display of cruelty he can bring out from his Tome.) He says in his thoughts.

"Do you have anything more you might want me to tell you about?" Aristidis asks him.

The professor snaps out of his troubled thoughts, and thinks about what else he wanted to ask. He remembers it after a moment, and looks at the Storyteller. "Your Tome contains innumerable stories from existing civilization, with different ways of functioning each, and a wild guess here, with some not really having the need for magic, correct?"

"Correct." The mouthless Storyteller simply answers with a nod.

Colbert smiles in wonder and continues. "So that means you know about ways to make our world better by sharing your knowledge about some of them, maybe even introduce us to some of their wondrous creations too!" Says the last part as he looks for a moment at the small radio box at the table by the cottage's entrance.

Aristidis's expression turns to that of glee. "Oh trust me, I know lots of things." His eyes suddenly merge and become a large single one. "LOTS OF THINGS..." Says in a heavy and somewhat demonic voice, as his eye shows incredibly fast different changing images in it.

The professor flinches as he take a step back, highly startled at the pitch-black Storyteller's sudden optical display and voice.

Aristidis shakes his head, and the single eye turns back to the original two, before he points with an upside down index finger at Colbert. "But that will depend on what YOU want."

"Eh?" Is all the professor can utter, somewhat confused at what he means by that.

The pitch-black Storyteller decides to elaborate. "For example, if I told you-" As he says that, he takes the Tome in his hands, opens it, and a small cloud appears and expands in front of him, before it vanishes to reveal the model of a very detailed medieval city surrounded by a large dome-like glass, two meters wide each side of the base, and which is supported by four wooden legs on each side of the pool's outside, and lower enough for Aristidis to be able to look at it normally.

Colbert is amazed by the detail of the model.

Aristidis then extends his closed hand, and opens it to reveal a small pen-looking white object there. "That I will give you this little thing called Nuclear Warhead-" Immediately after saying that, the mini nuclear warhead launches itself off his palm, flies at the top of the glass dome, and passes magically through it, falling in the middle of the miniaturized city, and causing a powerful explosion, so great that it destroys most of the small buildings, with the heat released within being felt to the professor even through the glass, as the massive cloud in the epicenter of the said explosion reforms into a mushroom-like shape.

The bald professor was horrified at the image of it all, understanding very well the total destruction one of those could cause in their actual size.

The mouthless Storyteller continues, as Colbert focuses at the small city's utter destruction and the mushroom-like cloud. "And tell you that you can use it to make an example out of a few cities in the same way, till the world is forced to surrender to your will, so you may rebuild it in the utopian image you want to see it as... Would you do it just to ensure that so wanted dream of yours?" He says the last part as the entire destroyed model fades away into nothingness to show Aristidis clearly to the professor once more.

Colbert realizes what he is telling him and is shocked. "No- NO! I would never use such means to do that! Life is a precious thing, and it's not right to go to waste as if it was nothing. There has been already enough war and destruction in the past. We don't want more." Says the last parts while lowering his head to the side saddened.

Aristidis's expression turns to that of glee. "Ahh, you look like you must have seen or been in situations at some point in the past. Ones that you might even caused. Ones you feel bad about." Says the last part as he somewhat narrows his eyes at him.

The professor lowers a bit more his head, remembering a certain part in his past.

The Storyteller shrugs. "Well, I am not going to question you about it. Who knows? Maybe I will read about it in a book one day or something."

Colbert's eyes widen for a moment as he remembers something at the sound of that, but then softens his expression as he remembers about another secret fact.

Aristidis puts his hands behind him at the floor, and lifts himself off the spa while moving and stretching his lower body toward the sky as he supports himself with his hands, before bringing his feet down to touch the floor behind him and straighten himself normally with his arms extended upward to the side in a show of perfect flexibility and balance, somewhat impressing the professor, as the spa's water drips off his body.

After that, he walks toward the table, where his luxurious stary cape awaits upon the chair, where the butler Afred is seen waiting there with a towel hanging from his arms, before offering it to the pitch-black Storyteller.

The wet Storyteller starts wiping himself in the upper areas with it. "But in any case, I understand now that you are a person of peace, so now I know in what way you want the betterment of your world. And trust me, I won't deny you that wish. I was actually thinking about whether I should do it or not eventually a few days ago."

Colbert looks at him with surprise, and then smiles brightly. "Then that means you will-"

"However-" The still wet Storyteller cuts him off, as he is seen now wiping the lower areas of his body. "Due to a certain factor, not telling you what, so no questions about it, I will not be able to summon the necessities for that revolutionary plan to begin yet. It is not something worrying, but it is still going to take a while till that day comes. But be assured that when that point is reached-" He stops himself as he is done with the body-wiping, throws the towel up in the air and deftly grabs and flips over his shoulders the luxurious pitch-black cape, before tying it around his neck, while the towel falls neatly onto the butler's prepared arm.

He looks at the professor with glee. "You will be amazed by the extravagantly extraordinary results. Not to mention all the great people who will be placed in charge of all that. Big personalities, let me tell you, you will have a great time conversing with each of them."

Colbert doesn't quite understand what is the secret factor that delays the pitch-black Familiar, but just the thought of meeting who knows how many famous minds of their own unique specialties, is something he can't help but look really forward to! The many ways those geniuses have thought without needing magic to create them...

As he imagines about, something comes to his mind suddenly which he doesn't quite understand. "Excuse me if that sounds rude, but why would you offer so much to our world just like that? That decision just seems so... Sudden."

Aristidis lifts a finger. "It is quite alright to be wary when it comes to situations not clearly understood. I have two reasons for my decision. Firstly, out of curiosity to see how your world's people will react to the sudden and massive change of their lifestyle." He then lifts another finger. "And secondly, because that will officially show to everyone how unbelievably amazing I am."

"Eh?" Is all the professor can say as he sweat drops confused.

The pitch-black Storyteller approaches him. "Think about it, I will advance your civilization to such degree, that even a simple commoner can live a rich and healthy life without issues, while also being able each to be given proper education. Who they will thank for all that? Me obviously." Says as he points his thumb at himself with pride, before putting a hand on his chest while turning his head upward toward the sky. "Most if not all will be grateful to me for all the help they will be given. They will praise me. Look up to me." He turns to the professor excited. "Heck, I will get a yearly holiday out of this! It will be so awesome!"

Colbert can only look at Aristidis with a sweat drop. (This being's want for acknowledgement is far greater than anything I have ever seen before.) Says in his thoughts.

"Plus-" Aristidis continues as he shows a kind expression. "It is nice helping people that truly need it, AND you know you can offer them that needed help without an issue. It just feels right to me."

The professor looks at him for a moment longer, and then smiles. (But despite that, he is actually a good person, judging from both his words now, along with the treatment he shows so far toward the one who summoned him.) Says in his thoughts.

"Um-" Colbert begins. "Is there something I or the academy could do to help you with what keeps you from fulfilling sooner that plan?"

The pitch-black Storyteller thinks about it for a moment, but then shakes his head. "Nothing of significance that I can think of. But you offering a helping hand to me is still appreciated." Says with a nod.

"I see..." The professor says in a contemplating manner. He is really curious as to what stops exactly a being with so much power in his hands from doing straight away what he wants.

"Now I will have you excuse my manners-" Aristidis says while the Tome comes floating on one of his hands, catching Colbert's attention. "But now that I am freshened up, I will be leaving for a morning walk, so I will need you exit as well for my butler here to clean the spa in peace." Says as he looks at the butler to indicate him further.

"Ah, yes of course, I understand." Colbert says in understanding, and then extends a hand toward the pitch-black Storyteller, with him grasping it in return. "I hope for a longer talk next time, and I wish you solve the issue troubling you soon."

"Sure, thank you, and may you have a nice day, professor." The mouthless Storyteller says as he exits from the spa zone along with Colbert, before each take their separate ways.

As he walks away, Aristidis looks at his closed Tome. (It is best if no one knows about my power's current limitation. The more people know about it, the more the possibilities of it being known, and me becoming a target for powerful possible enemies who will want me out of the picture as soon as possible. I am great, even in my current weakened state, but I am no fool. Many make that specific mistake in stories, and I am obviously not planning on making the same. Now about Louise betraying it to anyone, I do not worry, since I know through the ones having been placed to keep an eye on her that when questioned about me, she only speaks of how amazing of a Familiar I am, without mentioning my said limitation at all. Whether that's out of the same caution, or simply out of fear because she thinks I will take offense to that knowing my personality, is unknown. In any case I will still speak with her about it, as to be extra sure.) He says in his thoughts. (Anyway, let us find for now a quiet place to read, and I will introduce the girls to a new game or something later. Really love those entertaining gatherings of ours.)

~An Hour Or So Later~

({Punished again with cleaning the in ruins classroom again?}) Aristidis telepathically questions confused to someone from a distance from where he sits.

The scene then shows Louise in the said classroom swiping some dust and debris while pouting frustrated, like the other time, but this time at the open window at the top of the said room stands there watching her a very small anthropomorphic green cricket wearing a blue top-hat, a black tailcoat, blue shoes, and holding a red, closed umbrella in one hand. [Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, in watching duty.]

Jiminy has a sweat drop on his forehead, while holding two fingers to the side of his head, indicating that he is the one talking telepathically with the Storyteller. ({Some of the students really wanted her to show them some more of the unique magic she can now do, and feeling quite pompous about it the girl obliged, resulting to her using a more powerful than anticipated spell, and ruining much of the class in the process.})

The pitch-black Storyteller pinches the bridge of his nose in obvious disappointment, while the scene now shows that he is sitting outside at a table while reading from his Tome. "You are supposed to be more responsible with your new magic than that, Louise, come on." He whispers to himself, and then moves his two fingers back to the side of his head to speak with the well-dressed cricket. ({Just keep on watching her as usual, and keep me informed about anything of serious nature.})

He brings his hand at the table, and takes a hold of a cup there, before bringing it close to him. "I will make sure to have a serious talk with her about it later." He whispers to himself before taking a sip.

As he places the cup down on the table, Aristidis notices coming from the side the blue-haired Noble Tabitha, having that stoic expression in her face like usual.

The mouthless Storyteller's expression turns kind, as she stops in front of him. "Ahh, Tabitha, witnessing your very presence is always something I love. But if only you smiled more, now that would be sure a sight to behold."

Tabitha remains her stoic self, not reacting to his suddenly poetic-like words in any way.

"So-" Aristidis begins. "Came to continue with our reading session? I have a story about a very certain index, which you could say is magical." Says the last part with a wink.

Still no actual response from the blue-haired girl, as she just stands there staring at him.

The pitch-black Storyteller appears somewhat confused by that. "Alright, that is too quiet even for you, dearie. Something in your mind you might want to talk with me about?"

Tabitha stays silent for a bit more, till she finally appears ready to speak. "Is... Is there any healer within the Tome that can cure the incurable?"

Aristidis stays silent after hearing her say that, and then puts a hand on his chin in a thinking manner. "I have certain people in mind. But frankly, your question is so vague that I cannot randomly suggest you JUST any of them, now can I?" He tilts his head playfully. "Not to mention that the way you said that, makes it sound like you are actually looking for something. A CERTAIN something."

The blue-haired Noble narrows her eyes slightly upon realizing it was so easy for him to understand she was hiding something.

The mouthless Storyteller, with a neutral expression now, leans a bit forward on his seat, his eyes staring closer to hers. "I will need you to be more specific about this. As to understand fully the case. Offering me a bit of trust will not hurt you, you know." Says the last part with a raised eyebrow.

Tabitha lowers her head as she thinks about the painful to her reason for all this, till she makes up her mind. She takes a breath. "I originate from Gallia. My family part of the royal family there."

"O~h." Aristidis exclaims as he listens with interest at her story.

She continues. "When I was little, my father, Charles De Orleans, next in the line for the throne, was killed at the succession dispute that occurred between his supporters and my uncle's, Joseph De Gallia, resulting in him usurping the throne for himself."

Tabitha brings both her lowered hands together, as her expression appears to become somewhat more upset. "But that was not the end. As the previous successor's daughter, I was in their way. So one day we were invited with my mother to a dinner party. While there, a man that was passing us by greet us, and offered me a drink before he leaves."

The blue-haired girl starts to tremble. "Little did I know, it was a poison offered by an assassin. My mother realized that, grabbed it off my hands, and drank it all herself. The poison she took for me ruined her mind, and from that day forth she believes that the doll named Tabitha which I used to carry was me, and that I was someone trying to take her from her."

She turns her head to the side. "After that, I started getting from the current king dangerous jobs to accomplish. Another way to get rid of me. I was able to do every single one without failure, and in the end received the title Chevalier, before I was sent to study overseas, in a sense ridding them of my presence."

Tabitha now tries her best to not shed the slightest of tears from her eyes. "I changed my name to Tabitha so no one else can know about my past to bother me about it. And so... So I can feel even in a way my mother's love through the doll that carries my real name."

After telling him all that, the Storyteller immediately gets up and hugs her tightly, much to her great surprise.

"My poor girl!" Aristidis says while emotionally moved and with his eyes being all watery. "Without your mother's love and warm hug for so long, and in constant conflict to keep your right in living! How can a world be so cruel- You were just an innocent child!"

As she sees him sniffling about, obviously showing how moved he is for her, the blue-haired girl can't hold her emotions in check anymore and sniffles with him as she returns the hug.

While that is going on, some students were about to get in sight from behind the wall as they were minding their business, before they were suddenly being pushed back by some Oblivion Guards, preventing them from seeing the emotional scene happening there.

After some more time of sniffling about, and after both calming down enough, Aristidis finally breaks the hug, and wipes with a handkerchief the tears on her face below the glasses, before using another one to wipe his. "I am sorry for making you speak of that memory. Those years must have been a very painful experience for you."

Tabitha nods, her head still lowered.

The handkerchiefs vanish from the pitch-black Storyteller's hand, before he takes and opens his Tome as he looks at different pages carefully. "Now that I understand the gravity of the situation and the main issue, I can positively tell you that I DO have people and ways that can help heal your mother."

The blue-haired girl looks at him with wide open eyes when hearing about the fact.

"Although-" Aristidis continues somewhat annoyed as he keeps on looking around the pages. "Due to my currently weakened state, I will need some time and careful calculating to see what or who I can call sooner, that will provide with the wanted healing. But trust me, everything is going to be just fine when that time comes." Say the last part with a kind expression toward her.

Tabitha that moment bends the entire upper part of her body forward, bowing before him. "Thank you... So much..." Says grateful while trying to not get emotional again.

The pitch-black Storyteller closes his Tome and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't thank me before you see results."

She lifts her head, before straightening herself up again.

He lets her shoulder. "I will begin with my thorough search immediately. But before that, a question. If Tabitha is not your real name, then what is?" Says the last bit with a raised eyebrow.

The blue-haired girl looks to the side for a moment, thinking about it, and then looks once more at him. "Charlotte."

Aristidis presses with both hands his own cheeks in delight. "Aww, what a cute name for a cute lady."

She blushes a bit at that while somewhat pouting in response.

He looks at her mischievously. "That just makes you cuter."

The blue-haired girl turns around, and begins walking away.

The pitch-black Storyteller happily raises a hand and waves at her. "Alright, see you later. And don't you worry about that secret! It will stay as such for as long as you desire!"

While Tabitha walks away, she stops as she appears to be confused with herself. Why did she suddenly decided to open up and tell him everything just like that? Did he make her feel so safe, that it was only logical for her to do so?

She stays like that for a moment longer as she contemplates about. She might not understand the reason exactly, but at least thanks to him, there is finally a chance to see her mother like herself once again. Like the one who used to hug her with so much love.

At that thought, a bright smile forms upon her usually stoic face, before she continues walking on her way like before.

It was in the end a good idea to keep a close eye on him.

~Many Hours Later~Late In The Night~

It was late in the night, where everyone but the guards are sleeping in their beds.

Well, everyone but a very specific black-haired maid.

The scene shows Siesta looking secretly from around a corner at the closed door of Louise's room.

The black-haired maid comes out of her hiding place and approaches the said door.

As she is about to knock on it with a hand, she stops.

Siesta stays like that for the moment, obviously conflicted about. And how can she not. She learned from this morning that her contract with the academy was bought by the messenger of the palace known as Count Mott, a man known for having an eye for girls such as herself.

And even though the pay will be much better, she doesn't like the idea of being at the service of such man, since it is obvious that he wants her for more than just simple maid duties.

She thought of requesting Aristidis's help in the matter, remembering about his general fair view on commoners, along with how nice he was to the servant personnel all this time here as well. Especially to her.

She blushes for a moment when thinking of the good times they had together.

With all that in mind, and considering he is a powerful Noble himself, the black-haired maid thought that he could do something to help her escape the situation.

But... As she stands now in front of the door he is behind from... Is it appropriate to ask something like that from him?

She was actually trying all day to get the chance to speak with Aristidis, but he was always busy with the rest, and could not bring herself to just interrupt him with her problems like that.

Now she wonders if it is appropriate to ask him about his help at all. And in the middle of the night, no less.

Siesta lowers her hand, and looks down saddened. "It wouldn't be right to bother someone as great as him with problems that are not his." She whispers to herself.

The maid takes a step back, and bends the entire upper part of her body forward, bowing before the room's door. "Thank you for the kindness you have showed me all this time. And I'm sorry for not being able to spend more time with you and get to know you better."

After saying that, she straightens herself up normally, and turns while still looking down in her sadness as a tear falls down from her eye.

"Excuse me, m'lady." A voice in front of her says, drawing Siesta's attention as she looks forward.

What she notices only two meters in front of her, is an upright standing cat with orange fur and slightly darker stripes, wearing a black cavalier's hat with a big yellow feather at its top, a belt with a small rapier sword to his side, and wearing small boots on his back paws. [Puss In Boots from Shrek 2, among other movies and the such, being as unexpected as the spanish inquisition.]

"A talking cat in boots?" The black-haired maid says with wide open eyes in great surprise.

The orange cat takes off his hat and bows courteously with his head low. "Be at ease! For I am Puss..." After the small pause he lifts his head to look at her again and with a smile. "In Boots."

Siesta appears entranced by the talking cat's mannerism.

Puss In Boots straightens himself normally once more. "In the service of the Storyteller. Ready to protect those in need at any given moment. Woe to those who dare to face-"

The scene suddenly shows the maid crouched down and petting the orange cat, who sits now like an actual cat, below the jaw and neck with a smile, with him seated down while purring in enjoyment.

"A little to the side-" The orange cat cuts himself off as he realizes the situation, and gets up while pushing with his front paws Siesta's hands back, with her getting back up in reaction startled. "Stop that!" He says seriously.

"Ah, I didn't want to offend you or anything, I'm sorry!" The maid says while moving her hands in front of her troubled.

Puss In Boots clears his throat. "No offense taken. I am a ladies' cat after all, so it is normal for you to find me irresistible." Says with pride, as Siesta sweat drops while smiling at that, before he shows a somewhat more serious expression. "But I'm also in the middle of my patrol duty, and I don't want the Storyteller to think I'm lazing around like some house-cat."

Siesta blinks confused. "Patrol?"

The orange cat puts his front paws on his hips. "Didn't you notice the mean-looking guards walking around the place?"

The scene shows multiple Oblivion Guards patrolling around the entire academy, with some standing imposingly beside the intimidated academy's official guards.

"The Storyteller summoned them, which includes yours truly, to ensure the maximum security of your academy, so no harm may befall the people close to him." Puss In Boots continues while off the screen.

"I see." Siesta says in understanding, before the scene moves back to them once more.

"In any case-" The orange cat begins. "I saw how you approached the room he stays into, obviously conflicted about something. Do you require an audience with him?"

The maid looks to the side with an awkward smile. "N-No, you're mistaken, I was just checking-" She stops as she looks at the cat again.

Puss In Boots holds with both his front paws the hat over his chest, while looking at her with his famous big, cute and sad-looking eyes.

"Aww..." Siesta utters as she grasp with both hands the fabric upon her chest, feeling bad for somehow causing the cute creature sadness, or in this case thinking she did so.

She looks away toward the door. "Alright yes, I did want to speak with him, but I cannot just bother him now in the middle of the night. He deserves his sleep like everyone else. I'll just-"

"He doesn't really need any sleep." The orange cat interrupts her, his demeanor back to normal now.

The black-haired maid appears confused by that. "Eh?"

He continues. "The Storyteller can actually stay up for as long as he wants to. He is reading in the dark within the room right now as we speak, with the small lady watching him while pretending to sleep."

"Eeh?!" Siesta exclaims surprised at the fact. Learning that someone doesn't need to sleep at all is crazy to her! Also she wonders if it is safe for Aristidis to read without at least a candle lighted.

Puss In Boots keeps on talking. "Well, he CAN sleep, but he does it only for the pleasant sensation of it, as he described it so himself, not out of tiredness." After saying that, he puts a front paw on his chin in contemplation. "Not even sure if that man can get tired at all."

The maid just keeps on looking at the talking cat in shocking surprise at the information she just received.

The scene then moves inside Louise's room, where Aristidis is seen reading while lying on his bed, as the pink-haired girl is secretly watching him as she lies beneath the blanket of her own bed.

She eventually gets tired with all that, and sits up before snapping her fingers to lit the magic lamp on the middle of the table nearby.

Louise looks at him in frustrating disbelief. "Seriously, how can you not need sleep?!"

"Magic." The pitch-black Storyteller simply answers.

The pink-haired Noble groans somewhat frustrated at the not so explained reason.

The door to the room then slightly opens, drawing both their attention, before Puss In Boots half-enters as he sets his eyes on Aristidis.

"Storyteller, excuse any interruption I might be causing, but a maid called Siesta says that she would like to speak with you." The talking cat says.

"A talking cat!" Louise yells as she puts both hands together in astonishment, having heard stories about such rare cases in her world, but never really seeing one with her own eyes.

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at her amused for a moment, before turning his attention back to the said talking cat. "Siesta you said?" He puts a hand on his chin curious. "I haven't seen her all day today now that I think about it." He lowers his hand. "Bring her in, friend."

"Actually, she is requesting for a private talk with you." Puss In Boots informs him.

The pink-haired Noble appears confused by the strange request. "Private?"

The orange cat nods. "Yes, and it appears to be about quite a touchy subject as I understand."

"Really?" Aristidis questions curious as he rubs now his chin with a hand. He closes his Tome, and nods before getting up. "Well, this will be interesting."

The pitch-black Storyteller walks toward the door, as the talking cat opens it more for him. "Puss, keep Louise some company while I am out, and Louise, make sure to not worry too much for me, I will be back to give you my special company again soon." Says the last one seductively as he turns his head to wink at her, which makes her blush from such embarrassment that she plants her face onto her bed's mattress and using one of her pillows to cover her head as she groans in frustration.

The talking cat salutes Aristidis as he walks past him. "Worry not, Storyteller, no foe will get to her for as long as I stand as her guard, be sure about it."

With that, the Storyteller leaves as he closes the door behind him, with the pink-haired girl uncovering herself as she looks at the now closed door.

Both Louise and Puss In Boots then look at each other in silence, and stay like that for the moment.

"So... What is your story?" She asks the talking cat while now looking at him with great curiosity.

He chuckles a bit as he puts a front paw on his chin while looking at the ceiling as he contemplates about. "Where do I even begin?"

The scene moves outside at a farther hallway, where Aristidis and Siesta decided to move to, as to have a more assured privacy.

The mouthless Storyteller turns to her. "Well, Siesta, I must say I was quite surprised after not seeing you all day long, but knowing your work it is understandable. So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

The black-haired maid looks down, the worry all over her face. "When..." She turns her head to the side while looking down. "When you said that if I ever need anything, that you would be more than happy to help, you meant it?"

Aristidis places a hand on his chin as he thinks about. "Not quite how I said it, but same meaning nevertheless." He lets his chin and looks at her with a kind expression. "Of course I meant it! Do you even need to question such a thing?" Says the last part with a raised eyebrow.

Siesta at that moves with a sudden movement right in front of him with a desperate expression and both hands placed together, startling him a bit. "Then please, help me!"

The mouthless Storyteller blinks confused.

The scene then shows them both sitting together at a table in the hallway, obviously placed there by Aristidis, as the maid drinks some tea to calm herself a bit after having explained her situation to him.

"A man using his influence to get what he wants, without a care about the person's opinion the contract is tied to at all." The pitch-black Storyteller says as he thinks about it. "And the academy's Headmaster agreed with it just like that? Someone appears too scared of what a palace messenger might decide to tell to the said palace a bit too much. Or maybe the old man simply doesn't want to bother himself with something he considers as trivial, who knows?" Aristidis guesses.

He turns his attention back to her. "And you obviously want nothing to do with that specific Noble."

Siesta lower her head, as she grasp both her shoulders afraid. "I really don't. I might be nothing but a simple commoner, but even I want better for my future. Not just to be a slave to a Noble's sick fantasies." She trembles a bit as she says the last part.

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at her for a moment, and then shrugs. "Well, that is good enough for me." Says as he gets up.

The maid looks at him confused, as he approaches her.

Aristidis with a kind expression takes both her hands and gets her up as well. "I will help you get out of your unfortunate situation, Siesta. Not letting you go through something you didn't agree to, be sure about it." Says with a wink.

At the sound of that, tears start falling from Siesta, and then falls down on her knees while still holding him by the hands as she cries. "Thank you! Th-ank you~!"

That makes him emotional for a moment seeing her like that, but shakes the feeling off him and shows a kind expression. "No need to even mention it, my dear maid." He tells her, before he lifts her by the hands to bring her back to her feet normally again. "But seriously, no tears, I was feeling emotional one too many times for a day already." Says as he lets her hands to grabs a handkerchief from behind him and wipe the tears off her face.

"I-I'm sorry." The maid says a bit more calm now as the Storyteller finishes wiping the last of her tears.

The handkerchief burns away from Aristidis hand after moving it away, and turns around with a raised index of the hand upward. "In any case, I already have a plan on how to deal with this the appropriate way. But I will need your full trust in order for this to work."

Siesta nods fast with a really happy smile. "Yes, yes, of course!"

The pitch-black Storyteller brings both hands in front of him, his back still turned on her. "Now, as to not cause any unwanted episode, you will have to go along with Count Mott tomorrow like you are expected to."

The maid is surprised by that. "What?"

"But, you are not going alone there." Aristidis says, before turning around to show in his hands a brown, small, anthropomorphic mouse with big round ears. [Jerry from Tom And Jerry, here to say hi.]

The Storyteller extends the mouse toward her. "This is Jerry."

Jerry waves his small hand at her with a smile.

"Aww." Siesta exclaims delighted as she brings her hands toward it, with the mouse jumping there. "You're the cutest mouse I have ever seen." She says as she taps his little nose with a finger.

Jerry places his hands behind him as he is looking about while smiling and shying about at the compliment, causing the maid to laugh a bit at his reaction.

Aristidis continues. "He will accompany you on your little travel to the Count's residence as your small precious guardian." He brings a hand over the mouse's head and pets him, much to Jerry's enjoyment. "Jerry might be small, but he is quite efficient when it matters. Make sure to keep him hidden at all times. Like in your uniform's pockets, he will not mind." He stops with the petting and turns to the maid. "The same day, when the night comes, I will come there as well, and then simply do what I have to do."

Siesta appears confused as she looks at the cute mouse and then at the Storyteller. "Not that I doubt you, but how can a cute, tiny mouse protect me when needed?"

The mouthless Storyteller shows an expression of glee, before taking from behind him with a hand a carrot. "Well, imagine our dear Count not able to resist his urges anymore, and attempting to advance things much farther than allowed." He moves the carrot slowly closer to her. "If that situation occurs, let's just say that Jerry is allowed to use Treatment Level MA."

When the carrot gets close enough, the brown mouse leaps off the maid's hands and toward the vegetable, and opens his mouth wide, with his teeth suddenly becoming surprisingly sharp and pointy, which he uses to chomp the said carrot in half, before landing onto Aristidis's shoulder.

The Storyteller looks at Siesta's shock with a mischievous expression. "I believe you understand the implication."

The black-haired maid nods while still in her shock. She definitely did not expect the cute mouse to be this dangerous, nor Aristidis's use of such unexpected brutality. Though, she still won't say no to the use of it if push comes to shove.

Aristidis turns around and begins walking away, with Jerry hopping from his shoulder to Siesta's. "Anyway, better go get some appropriate rest. Cause tomorrow is a big day for me and you." He stops as he turns his head to look at her with a seductive expression. "See you tomorrow night, dear Siesta."

She blushes at that, while the pitch-black Storyteller flips his luxurious cape as he turns to continue walking on his way.

The scene moves back to Louise's room, where Puss In Boots appears to have reached the end of his story as the pink-haired girl continues listening with interest while lying on her belly and moving her legs up and down.

"And that is the story of my glorious adventures." The orange cat says with an air of extravagant dramarism.

"Wow." Louise exclaims amazed.

They hear the door that moment, and see Aristidis entering the room.

"Apologies if I was late, you may continue with your patrol duties now, Puss." The pitch-black Storyteller tells him.

The talking cat bows with the hat to his chest. "As you command, Storyteller." He then turns to bow toward Louise the same way. "M'lady."

"Thanks for the story, Puss." She says with a respectful nod of her head and a smile.

With that, Puss In Boots walks out of the room, as he closes the door behind him.

The pitch-black Storyteller then suddenly leaps forward, startling Louise for a moment, and gracefully lands with the back on his bed while placing a leg over his knee, and without making the slightest sound oddly enough, like no weight fell upon the said bed. "You know what, enough reading for the day." Says as he places the Tome beside him on a stool, and moves both hands between the pillow and his head in a relaxing manner. "I will sleep as well."

"Ok..." The pink-haired Noble trails off with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he said nothing about why the maid wanted to speak to him about. And that's why she will ask about it. "So, what was all that about with the maid?"

"It appears that it was indeed quite the touchy subject, so I hope you understand why I choose not to tell you anything about it." Aristidis says as he turns his head to look at her.

"Oh, I-I see. I won't bother you more about it if it's that important then." Louise says somewhat awkwardly in understanding, and lies back on her bed normally.

The pitch-black Storyteller turns and looks at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating about something. "... Louise?"

The pink-haired girl turns her head toward him in response. "Hm?"

"... I am disappointed." He simply says after a small pause.

"Eh? About what?" She asks him confused.

Aristidis begins. "Because in more serious stories, there is always an evil person of irredeemable quality, who has done something unacceptable to you or the people important to you. And this world proves in the end to have as much here. So, have this in mind." He turns his head toward her, having quite the menacing expression in his face. "When I meet one as such... I will deal with them in the way that I deem most necessary."

That scares the pink-haired girl for a moment, seeing for the first time that look in his eyes so suddenly.

The mouthless Storyteller stays like that for a moment, and then shows a happy face. "Goodnight, dearie." He says before snapping his fingers for the light to turn off, and turning around to sleep inside the blanket.

Louise snaps out of her shock after a bit, and turns her head to face the ceiling. She thinks about how her Familiar uses to be all cheerful and pretty much like a wise to her teacher. To see him all of a sudden like that is... Just what could make him show such a scary face?

Was it something that maid Siesta told him about? If yes, then what...?

As Louise was contemplating about it, she falls asleep, being too tired to keep her eyes open for more.

~The Next Morning~

Early in the morning, Siesta is seen in her casual clothing and skirt walking with her big suitcase in both hands, and approaching the carriage that is awaiting for her, along with a tall, slightly fat man that has black gelled-colored hair, with curved sideburns, and a swirly mustache, standing just outside of the carriage's door, smiling as he expects his new maid. Count Mott.

As the black-haired maid bows before the Noble and enters the carriage with him entering soon after, and with brown mouse Jerry's ears being shown for a moment from within Siesta's pocket and with no one noticing, the scene moves upward to Louise's closed window, where the pitch-black mouthless Storyteller is watching the whole procedure through it, with a highly sinisterly gleeful look obvious on his face.

"Umm..." A voice far behind him says, that brings back his neutral face, which shows to be from Louise who is getting dressed by the maid Cinderella, who is halfway done dressing her.

"What was all that about you told me before bed yesterday." The pink-haired Noble asks him somewhat concerned.

"Nothing to worry yourself about." Aristidis tells her completely unconcerned and still looking outside. "Are you finished there?"

Maid Cinderella buttons the last parts of Louise's uniform. "A little more patience, sir, almost ready."

The Storyteller says nothing as he continues staring outside of the window.

While still getting ready, the pink-haired Noble appears now quite suspicious of him. Why is he not telling her? It is obviously something she has to know about. He is her Familiar after all! Even if a Noble! But if he doesn't tell her, she can't just force him to as if he was something lower than a beast. So, she will simply go question that maid Siesta instead, who is obviously the cause of this odd behavior. She will get to the bottom of this!

The orange-haired maid finally finishes with the last of the buttoning. "All done."

"Great." Louise says and takes a step toward Aristidis. "Let's go to the dining hall, Ari-"

"Not this time, dear!" He cuts her off as he turns around fast, startling her. "This time you are eating with me outside in the beautiful green open that is the courtyard. Specifically a type of delicious bowl of cereal with honey I know you definitely never had before, and that you will enjoy with some milk." Says as a small anthropomorphic bee with shoes and an orange shirt, comes out flying from behind him while carrying a filled bowl of small yellowish rings. [The famous Bee Mascot Of Cheerios, serving with a smile.]

The pink-haired girl blinks confused. "Ok..."

The pitch-black Storyteller continues. "And after that, and when you will have time between classes, we will pass the time enjoying the day together more than usual. And as a starter-"

That moment, the window behind him opens, and a boy with brown medium hair wearing black and brown armor, flying in place just outside on top of a jet-black colored dragon with two sets of wings, with the second set being close to the base of its tail and smaller in size, more than double the size of its rider, and the most unique looking in overall appearance dragon Louise has ever seen. [Hiccup and Toothless The Dragon from How To Train Your Dragon.]

Aristidis continues while still looking at the pink-haired girl. "You will take the skies at the back of a dragon."

"Hey there." The boy says with a wave of his hand and a smile.

Louise looks with silent amazement at the dragon, and then exclaims as she jumps in place while clapping her hands in clear enthusiasm at the fact.

After that, the day moves on with Aristidis and Louise spending it together, doing in her free time a lot of different, some of the times, unique activities. Like the dragon riding, which was obviously stated at the start, moving target practice using a certain high-speed small golden flying ball with silver wings from Harry Potter, which was extremely hard for her till she finally hit the darn thing, much to her great excitement, and even learning riding a, in a way, living bicycle from Yu-Gi-Oh. And all that with their friends Kirche and Tabitha there to enjoy the day together.

Overall, Louise had a great and exciting day.

When the night came, she went to her bed under the blanket with a smile, though obviously tired from the day, with the Storyteller standing beside her.

"By the look on your face I will say you enjoyed the day quite a bit." He tells her with a kind expression, with her nodding wearily but still happy about with closed eyes. "Glad to know."

He then starts walking toward the door. "Anyway, I have something to do outside that might take me some time, but don't worry, I will be back before you know it. See you later." Says the last part with a wink, before going through the open door as he closes it behind him.

Louise stays like that in her bed peacefully for the moment, when she suddenly opens her eyes wide in realization.

She puts both her hands over her face and groans in frustration. "I totally forgot to go ask that maid Siesta about yesterday!"

All those fun activities her Familiar made her go through got her completely off track.

As she was groaning some more in her frustration, tiredness catches up with her, and falls asleep.

Meanwhile outside, just before the outside of the academy's gate, Aristidis opens his Tome, as he gleefully stares at its content. "Let the fun begin."

After that, the scene cuts to the inside of Tabitha's room, where the blue-haired girl wakes up by a sudden flash of bright light that is emitted from outside of her window.

She wears her glasses, and gets up to take a closer look.

Because of the dark, all she sees are four purple lights that together pass through the academy's gate, and going through the road to... Somewhere. Anything can be there, really.

That seemed too strange to her. And after a short speculation, she decided to check on something just to be sure, before making any conclusions.

The scene then cuts outside of the Count Mott's estate, where two guards are seen right outside of the main gate, as one of them yawns, bored of standing for hours at the same spot with nothing interesting happening.

"Hey, what is that over there?" The guard beside him says, with the other one looking at where he is staring at.

They both see in surprise a big carriage of black and silver, with four purple lanterns each seen hanging from all four edges of it, with said carriage being drawn by two strong-looking horses of pitch-black coloration.

As the carriage stops in front of them suddenly with a piercing neighing of the horses, a wide insignia depicting the letter A in silver just above each of the two doors to the side can be spotted.

As surprised the guards are by the sudden appearance, they can't help but feel seriously unnerved by the driver, who is wearing a tattered black cloak and hood that covers him completely. They don't know why, but looking at him feels as if they stare straight at Death himself.

Then, the carriage's door opens, and two big figures more than two meters tall exit from it, one after the other, wearing heavy jet-black armor with horns protruding from the helmets, carrying a thick sword seathed on their back, which would take both hands for a normal human to use, a big metallic shield on their left arm, and most of the said armor, shield, and sword's hilt being decorated with unique markings, indicating exceptional craftsmanship of unknown origin. [Two of the Black Knights, from Dark Souls, in all of their intimidatingly imposing glory.]

Mott's guards watch while trembling from intimidation as the two big armored figures move with strong and heavy steps to the sides of the door, where nothing but darkness can be seen through the opening, safe for two eyes staring straight into the two, before a pitch-black leg is seen slowly coming out of that darkness and taking a step outside.

The scene moves inside the Count's personal library, where Mott and Siesta, in her new maid uniform which is just a shade of red different from the original really, can be seen, with him seated at an armchair, and her standing beside him in attention as he converses with her. "How is it? Did you get used to the work here-"

A knock on the door cuts the Count off, as both his and the maid's attention is drawn toward it.

"What is it all of a sudden?" Mott asks the one behind the door somewhat annoyed with the sudden interruption.

"A Noble has arrived in a carriage just outside of the gate and is requesting for an audience with you, sir." The guard says from behind the door.

The Count is confused by that. "A Noble? Is he someone from the palace?"

"I don't think so, sir. He is... Well, black." The guard behind the door says somewhat hesitantly at his choice of words.

Mott raises an eyebrow. "From Germania?"

"N-No, I mean like, his whole body is literally the darkest shade of black we have ever seen." The guard behind the door explains better. "Also he doesn't appear to have a mouth, but we are not really sure about that one."

Siesta smiles brightly as she realizes that Aristidis is finally here.

"What nonsenses are those you're spouting?!" The Count questions in an upsetting manner at the idiocy he is hearing. "More black than a Germanian and no mouth. Have you people forgotten how to use a torch during the dark of the night or something all of a sudden?"

He gets up. "Fine then, I'll come down and see for myself. Useless guards." He says the last part in an annoyed whisper as he walks toward the door, with Siesta following.

Once outside, Mott and Siesta are walking fast toward the main gate, with the former pushing two guards out of his way in annoyance, but stops in place shocked when he sees not just the two tall and heavy armored knights by the carriage, but the pitch-black mouthless Noble in question himself, with his special Tome in one hand, and who's luxurious twinkling cape around his neck is being moved by the wind in a way it showcases it better for the eyes of the people present.

"I do apologize for coming uninvited in the blackness of night, but it is about a matter of great importance. But first, allow me to introduce myself." The pitch-black Noble says before somewhat bowing his head and upper half of the body, with both arms extended to the side. "My name is Aristidis Aristadis O Ellin Tis Ellas. A pleasure to meet you, Count Jules De Mott." Finishes while looking at the Count with glee.

The scene then cuts back in the academy, within Louise's room where the lamp's light suddenly activates, before Kirche comes out of nowhere and starts shaking the sleeping pink-haired girl, with Tabitha standing right next to her.

"Louise, hey, Louise, wake up!" The redhead yells at her in hopes to wake her up faster.

"Aristidis, no, I told you this is inappropriate, sto~p..." Louise says with a soft voice in her sleep.

Kirche sweat drops at that. "What are you dreaming about all of a sudden?"

She shakes her a bit more, till the pink-haired girl finally begins slowly opening her eyes.

When fully aware of Kirche and Tabitha standing above her, she is caught by surprise as she sits up on her bed. "Eh- Kirche, Tabitha? What is going on? Something happened?" She asks concerned.

The redhead shrugs. "We are not so sure ourselves. Tabitha came to wake me up, telling me about mysterious lights leaving from the academy during the night, and thought Aristidis has something to do about it, since he is most likely to be involved with any kind of strange situation that is to occur with that special Tome of his. Speaking about him, where is the glorious hunk of black?" Says as she looks around.

Louise looks around as well, really confused about. "That's weird, he said he will be late, but I expected him to be back by now."

"Left." Tabitha says as she approaches the window, with the other two seeing her looking at the academy's gate.

"He left the academy?" The pink-haired Noble questions the blue-haired girl's thought.

Kirche puts a hand on her chin as she thinks about. "Well, if you think about what Tabitha saw, along with his absence, it pretty much makes sense. But that raises two more questions. To where, and for what reason?"

That moment the door opens Cinderella the maid, who is seen carrying a big basket of clothes.

She notices the trio as she enters and smiles. "What's this? The Noble ladies have a secret meeting in the middle of the night? Don't mind me, just preparing Louise's clothes for tomorrow." Says as she walks to the side and places the basket down.

"Cinderella." Louise calls for her, drawing the personal maid's attention. "Do you happen to know where Aristidis is exactly?"

"The Storyteller? He is at the estate of a Noble called Count Mott." Cinderella tells them.

The pink-haired Noble appears confused by that. "At Count Mott's estate? For what reason would he even go there?"

The personal maid continues. "Apparently Siesta was taken by the one titled as messenger of the palace, after being allowed to, and the Storyteller went there to get your friend back."

"Ah I see." The redhead says as she now understands the reason of his absence, before turning to Louise. "Didn't you say she became a friend of yours? No wonder he is going to the trouble of rescuing her from becoming just another obvious plaything for a random Noble."

That moment the pink-haired Noble remembers what Aristidis told her the last night, along with the menacing face he showed, and her eyes widen in realization as she connects it with the current situation, before she puts both hands on her head in panic. "HE IS PLANNING TO KILL THE COUNT!"

"Eh?" Is all Kirche can utter, startled at Louise's sudden panic and conclusion, with Tabitha being unfazed by all that.

The scene cuts to some time later at the sky, where Tabitha's dragon Sylphid is seen flying at high speed while carrying on her back the known trio, with Louise being incredibly stressed out.

"Faster, faster! If my Familiar kills the Count, I will be in SO much trouble! The palace will not just go after him, but after me as well for allowing him to do it! I will be stigmatized for life!" The pink-haired girl says in her complete panic.

Kirche tries troubled to reason with her. "Louise, are you really sure that's what Aristidis plans on doing?"

Louise turns fast toward her. "YES! After what he said and that face from last day, along with the talk he had with Siesta, it's obvious that all that was for the Count!" She groans in complete frustration that moment as she turns forward. "Why things had to suddenly turn out like that?!"

Soon after, they reach the Count's estate, with Sylphid landing right in the middle of the garden.

As the three disembark, they are surrounded by Mott's guards, as one of them moves in to question them. "Stop right where you are! Why are you tresspa-"

Before he can continue, Louise runs quickly at him and grabs him by the side openings of his light armor, forcing him to bend down.

"Has a pitch-black Noble arrived before we did?!" She asks distressed.

The guard appears flabbergasted by the whole reaction. "What...? Well-"

"Um, Louise?" Kirche's voice interrupts him, as they see her sweat dropping while pointing at the big black and silver carriage with the two Black Knights stationed beside it. "He definitely reached before we did."

Louise lets the guard and places both hands at her head in even more panic as she looks there.

The guard is incredibly confused. "Seriously, what-"

"He will kill the Count!" The pink-haired Noble cuts him off with a yell as she turns to face him again absolutely alarmed.

The scene then cuts to the inside of the Count's door of his personal library, right before it is dynamically opened by Louise, followed by the rest and some guards.

"Aristidis, don't- Eh?" The pink-haired Noble begins with a fearful yell, but then looks confused at the scene in front of her.

Count Mott and Aristidis were sitting together side by side at the couch placed by the table, two cups of tea obvious on it, with Siesta just standing to the side, watching them with a sweat drop on her head.

The three don't notice the forceful entry, with the pitch-black Storyteller continuing with whatever he was talking about. "And in the end he realized, that the beautiful woman he fell for, and who kissed him deeply in the mouth, was a man in disguise all along!"

Mott laughs amused at that. "How ghastly!"

Everyone from the door just watch at the peaceful engage, till Louise decides to break the silence. "Um, what is going on here?"

That finally catches the attention of the three as they see the gathering at the door.

"Louise?" Siesta questions surprise, not expecting to see her Noble friend here as well.

"Ahh, my dearest Louise!" Aristidis says with a happy expression at seeing her, but then looks at her with a raised eyebrow confused. "Were you not supposed to be sleeping now? I remember leaving when close to."

"So this is the girl of the house Valliere who you said summoned you as her Familiar." The Count guesses, making it clear he has been told about it.

The mouthless Storyteller turns to Mott. "Yes, this is the one."

Mott somewhat frowns as he looks at her and the rest. "And for what reason has she, and who I can assume are her friends, forced themselves through my door, not to mention the guards not doing their job of informing me as they are supposed to?!" He says the last one with a yell, upset at his men's incompetence, with them being taken aback at the Count being angry at them.

Aristidis turns to Louise and the rest. "That is something I want to know as well. What are you doing here so late, and what is with this gathering as if a shocking event suddenly occurred?"

"A-A-I-I..." The pink-haired girl tries but fails to speak her mind properly, being way too confused to do so. "YOU-"

Kirche comes from behind, and covers Louise's mouth with both her hands as she smiles awkwardly at Aristidis. "W-We were worried, darling, because you disappeared without even telling us where you were going to begin with! Speaking about it, why did you come to meet with the Count in his estate for?"

"I was actually getting to that part right now." The pitch-black Storyteller tells them with some delight. "Sit down for now, you three. Come on." Says as he indicates them to take their seats at the chairs placed around the table.

The three look at each other, before they decide to do so, sitting at the opposite side of them.

"We will have a talk about your little surprise visit later." Aristidis also tells them, before turning to Mott with a carefree expression. "Young Nobles. They are still learning, we can't really blame them for every small transgression they do. Those things happen only once, so I am sure someone of your status as Noble and experience can understand, and forgive them."

"Hm, I suppose..." The Count trails off as he signs his guards to leave them, which they oblige to as they close the door while leaving. He is still annoyed by the young ones' rude intrusion, but at the same time he doesn't want to argue with the valid point the peculiar Noble beside him makes.

"Anyway, let us get to the point of this meeting." The pitch-black Storyteller begins. "The reason I am here is because I heard you were allowed to take Siesta here for the needs of your estate." Says as as he looks at the black-haired maid, before looking at Mott again. "Now normally I wouldn't go to the trouble in meddling with another Noble's decisions, but this girl is far too important for me and the rest to lose her, especially when thinking of the precious time we spent together. She is pretty much like a family member at this point, and considering I am a Noble, that says a lot."

Siesta appears touched by his words. She really means that much to him?

"I see..." The Count trails off as he thinks about it for a moment, and then sighs. "Listen, I can understand what you're telling me, but letting such a fine maid go after getting to such trouble to acquire her just like that is not a simple matter. I'm sure you understand."

"Thought as much." Aristidis says before putting a leg on top of the other. "Is there some way I can free her from the contract in your possession? Something you might want as a proper exchange between us Noble men?"

Mott rubs his chin with a hand, somewhat intrigued by the pitch-black Noble's offer.

He gets up and approaches one of his bookshelves in contemplation. "There IS something, actually. You see, a hobby of mine is to collect books, and there is a very specific book I would like adding to this collection of mine."

"A fine hobby indeed." The Storyteller comments him. "Continue."

The Count turns toward him as he is about to continue. "A Noble once summoned it by accident during some experiment, and they say its content is written in an unknown language. I heard that a family in Germania has it as their heirloom."

Kirche eyes shot up at that mention for a moment. "Wait, are we talking about the one in the possession of the Zerbst family?"

Mott looks at her, as the rest look at her as well curious. "Indeed. Why you ask?"

The redhead smiles at the opportunity that appeared. She puts a hand over her chest as she bows her head. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kirche Von Zerbst, and the one currently in possession of the summoned book you want."

"Wha- You are?" The Count says surprised, being caught off guard by the revelation.

"What an interesting coincidence." Aristidis says with obvious interest and a hand on his chin.

Kirche continues. "If I give you the book, you will do the favor to Aristidis here and give the Siesta girl back?"

Mott snaps out of his surprise and nods fast. "Yes, yes, I will!"

Siesta smiles brightly at what she assumes as the redhead's generosity, while in the meantime Kirche has in her mind filled with excitement how that move of hers will make her crush Aristidis see her with different eyes, and maybe even be given a chance to get him to her bed like she wants.

The mouthless Storyteller gets up. "That is highly generous of you Kirche, but it won't be necessary."

"What?!" Kirche yells both surprised and confused at what she heard, with the rest sharing her confusion.

Aristidis turns to Mott. "You said you like collecting books, right? So, what if I give you another book that is just as rare, and you definitely do not possess?"

The Count appears to be contemplating about the new intriguing offer for a moment, and then looks at the Storyteller's Tome. "You mean the one in your hand?"

"Oh-ho no, no." Aristidis responds amused in refusal.

He then walks toward the closed window of the room. "Just let me show you to get a better idea of this."

The pitch-black Storyteller opens the window, and what everyone sees through shocks them.

A giant black owl with white feathers on its face, with said face being as wide as a normal person's height, is seen looking at Aristidis through the window. [Wan Shi Tong from Avatar The Last Airbender, also known as ATLA, here... For some reason.]

At the moment outside the guard dogs with the bat-like wings are barking like crazy at the giant owl creature, with the guards being wide eyed and mouthed at seeing the said being standing as tall as the second floor.

The still shocked Mott points at the giant owl. "Is that bizarre creature your Familiar?!"

"I prefer the term: friend." Aristidis tells him, before turning his attention back to the giant owl. "This is Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things, and let me tell you, that title belittles him after getting to know him better through those long conversations of ours."

"Ah, the one who calls himself Storyteller." Says the giant owl with a human and somewhat ethereal voice. "It is always good when seeing a well of knowledge such as you." Says the last part with a respectful nod of his head.

"It talks!" The Count yells even more surprised at the fact.

Everyone stays silent for a moment, till Louise decides to speak her mind with a sweat drop. "I have heard squirrels, a cat, and even a golem-looking man talk. That part is not really that surprising anymore."

The other two girls nod in agreement.

"So anyway-" Aristidis begins as he speaks to Wan Shi Tong. "I would really appreciate it if you could give me a copy of one of your books, so I may present it to the hospitable Count over there." Says as he points at Mott, who is still not over his shock.

The giant owl looks at the man, and then again at the Storyteller. "And are you sure he will not use my knowledge to get an advantage in a war or something, like those children?"

"Depends on if you really believe the one I will now ask for can be used for as much." Aristidis says before proceeding to go close to whisper to Wan Shi Tong in a secretive manner.

After a moment, the giant owl nods, with the mouthless Storyteller stepping back again. "I see. But you do know you don't need me to summon any book, or anything at all, considering your power, right?" He questions him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Aristidis simply tells him with a nod.

"Then why call me at all?" Wan Shi Tong questions now, trying to understand his reasoning.

"Content." The Storyteller simply tells him.

The giant owl tilts his head slightly. "Is that one of those forth-wall jokes you once told me about?"

"Maybe?" Aristidis tells him with some amusement.

The rest stay silent as they try to understand what they are talking about at the end there.

Wan Shi Tong simply looks at him. "You're so bright, yet you can be so odd at times."

The mouthless Storyteller shrugs. "I am what I am."

"Hm." The giant owl utters as if understanding, and then brings one of his giant wings up to the window, with Aristidis extending his free hand outside. The said wing passes right on top of his black hand, and a brown book suddenly is seen upon it.

"Thank you, friend." The Storyteller tells him with a happy expression.

With that, Wan Shi Tong opens his wings and flies away, as Aristidis turns around to walk toward the flabbergasted Count.

He extends the book toward him. "This is the book I am offering to your collection. You may look inside and tell me how unique to you it is."

Mott looks at him for a moment, still trying to come in terms with everything he witnessed, before taking the brown book in his hands.

He opens it, and his eyes widen. "The unique artwork, the unknown words... It is definitely something I have never seen before." He says the last bit with fascination.

The pitch-black Storyteller appears gleeful about it, pretty much expecting that reaction. "So, the book for Siesta. Do we have officially a deal, Count Jules De Mott?"

"Yes, yes, of course we do!" The Count says enthusiastically, and then moves fast toward a desk nearby, where he takes from inside a drawer there a certain parchment, before he goes back to hand it onto Aristidis's hand. "This is Siesta's contract. You may do whatever you wish with it."

"Much appreciated." Aristidis says with a respectful nod of his head, before turning to the black-haired girl. "What are you just standing there for? Go gather your personal belongings, we are going back to the academy."

Siesta smiles as she exclaims from happiness, and then bows. "Yes, Aristidis!"

After that, she goes fast to the door and opens it, before turning to look one more time at the Storyteller, feeling really grateful for helping her out of this situation.

The black-haired girl leaves the room, with Kirche pouting frustrated at the fact Aristidis solved this without her help in the end, denying her of the chance of winning him, the way she was imagining that is.

"Well-" The pitch-black Storyteller begins as he turns his back on the Count, who is busy checking out his new book, while talking to him. "It was nice talking with you, but I believe it is time for us to finally leave. May you have a good reading session."

"Oh I will, thanks to you! May you have a safe return." Mott wishes him before focusing back on the book once more.

Aristidis nods, and turns to the still sitting girls. "Let's go, girls."

As he proceeds to exit from the room, the girls get up and bow politely at the Count, before following the Storyteller, with Tabitha closing the door behind them.

While having walked away enough, Mott looks at the door, as he contemplates about. (Aristidis Aristadis O Elin Tis Ellas. A pitch-black Noble with a foreign, strange-sounding name, without a mouth, that can speak nonetheless, somehow Familiar to a girl of the house Valliere, and with a giant talking owl as his own Familiar... Such description sounds far too one of a kind, to not be common knowledge across the entire Halkeginia by now. I will ask about it tomorrow at the palace in case I missed somehow such information. And if he is unknown to the palace as well, somehow... Well, that will be quite the report to inform her majesty about.)

The scene then moves outside of the Count's estate, where Aristidis and the rest expect Siesta.

"So, what did you give to the Count exactly, Aristidis?" Kirche asks curious.

He looks at her. "Oh, just a book about the architecture of the four nations of the world the giant owl you saw belongs to. Quite mediocre in comparison with everything else I possess, really."

That moment, they finally notice Siesta exiting from the building with a suitcase in both hands, and Jerry the mouse on her shoulder waving his little hand at them, before walking toward them with a smile.

The mouthless Storyteller looks at her with a happy expression, with her stopping in front of him. "You are ready I see, good." He turns around and waves his hand forward. "Off we go then."

With that, they get inside Aristidis's carriage, which has purple fabric inside, and everyone takes their seats, with Tabitha and Kirche at one side, and with Louise, Aristidis and Siesta at the other, before the horses outside start pulling it toward their destination.

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at the pink-haired girl. "Now, let's start from the top about your unexpected arrival here. And also your shockingly worried expression when you forcefully opened the door- don't think I didn't notice that." Says while wagging a finger at her.

Louise appears troubled, and highly awkward about this. "U-Um, well..."

~A Quick Explanation Later~

Aristidis laughs highly amused at what he heard. "You thought I was planning to kill him?! Just like that?!" He continues laughing even harder after saying that, facepalming himself at how ridiculous that sounds to him.

The pink-haired Noble is blushing from embarrassment and frustration. "How could I not make such an assumption after the way you acted last night?!"

"Goodness, and I was not even planning to troll you this time..." He trails off as he tries to calm himself from the amusement he was still feeling.

Louise blinks confused at that. "Troll me?"

"Nevermind that." The pitch-black Storyteller tells her with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But seriously, I am disappointed in you for assuming as much. I may have the power to end most people as if they were nothing special, but that doesn't mean I will just start bringing destruction to whoever makes a minor mistake. That would be too inappropriate considering my glorious and highly respectable status." Says at the end while putting a hand over his chest in a self-important way.

"Then what's the reason that made you act like that back then if not Mott?" The pink-haired Noble asks frustrated.

"No special reason, really." He simply answers her, before he shows a somewhat more serious and bitter face. "I just remembered about all the evil people I hold within my Tome, along with the constant remembrance of their most vile actions, and imagined what people I might end up meeting in this world as well."

Everyone seems concerned at seeing him talking about it like that, understanding that he doesn't quite like recalling such things.

Aristidis shakes the said bitterness off him, and looks at her with simply his somewhat serious expression. "I simply wanted you to understand, that if I ever meet a person who truly deserves what comes for them, I will not hesitate to give them as much. It is only fair, don't you think so too, my dear?"

"Well, if said people truly deserve it..." Louise trails off as she thinks logically about it, but then looks at him frustrated and with a slight blush. "And stop calling me dear! I am not your dear!"

"I refuse. For you are my dear, my dear." He says the last part with a playful wink.

The pink-haired girl grunts in frustration at his usual insistence.

Aristidis turns to Siesta. "So, what are your plans now that you are free from the previous situation with the Count?"

Siesta thinks about it for a moment. "Well, I will go back to working as maid for the academy again, I suppose. I mean, it's the best option, really."

"Here is another one." The pitch-black Storyteller says, before pulling from behind him Siesta's contract, and burns it into ash, shocking everyone with that out of nowhere move of his. "To avoid being given away like last time from the academy, since this would not happen if the Headmaster did not allow it from the beginning, I give you the option to instead come work for me."

The black-haired girl is surprised by what she heard, with the rest sharing the same feeling. "For you, Aristidis?"

He nods. "Precisely. I can always use another personal maid, and Cinderella wouldn't mind some extra help in her duties." He starts extending upward fingers from his now free closed palm. "You will receive payment like never before, you will be respected like any other member of my servant personnel, not to mention being taught of foods and ways of cooking the likes you wouldn't even think were possible."

Siesta exclaims softly at how amazing all that sounds.

Aristidis lowers his arm. "And most importantly, without needing to sign any paperwork at all. Normally I would suggest against trusting anyone offering you work without showing you some official paperwork first, but this is me we are talking about here. No need for that pesky bureaucracy with me, you can absolutely trust me in this."

The black-haired girl appears unsure. "I-Is it really alright for me-"

"Of course it is!" The pitch-black Storyteller cuts her off. "I only take the best, and that means you, Siesta, having proved yourself to me after all this time and all." His expression turns kind. "So, what do you say? You want to come work as my new personal maid?"

Siesta stands where she is, trying to keep her emotions in check, but fails utterly as she throws herself onto Aristidis to hug him tightly as she smiles enthusiastically, much to everyone's further surprise. "Yes! One thousand times yes, I'd love to! Thank you so much, Aristidis!"

"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing h-hugging a Noble so casually?" The now blushing Louise snaps at her for what she considers as offense.

The black-haired girl realizes herself and appears highly troubled. "Ah- I'm so sorr-"

As she proceeds to remove herself from the Storyteller, he prevents her by holding her close to him with an arm around her waist, much to her confusion.

"It is alright." He tells her before his expression turns seductive, and caresses with his other hand her cheek soflty. "Just do what you feel as right."

As everyone else tries to understand what is up all of a sudden, the blushing Siesta continues to look deep into his eyes, and then without warning, she kisses him strongly at the area his mouth would be, with her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"WHA-" Is all the blushing Louise can utter at the extremely surprising view she sees before her, with Kirche going "Ooh!" in both surprise and interest at the said scene, and even with Tabitha opening her eyes a bit wider than usual, clearly not expecting such scenario to happen.

The kissing continues for some more, with both obviously enjoying the moment, till the black-haired girl removes her lips from his face, and taking a breath in as she looks upward. "I did it, and I regret nothing."

Aristidis chuckles a bit at that. "Glad to hear it, dearie."

The blushing and now utterly confused pink-haired Noble gets up and points at the mouthless Storyteller. "Wh-Wh-What do you think you're doing allowing her to ki-ki-kiss you like that?!"

Aristidis moves the concerned Siesta off him and to her seat beside him normally before pointing with a serious expression at Louise. "That better not be a discrimination about her being a commoner, cause I believe I already taught you about NOT treating someone poorly just because of their status."

"N-No, I-I mean..." Louise trails off still blushing and greatly confused about, wanting to point out how inappropriate is for a Noble to have an affair with a commoner, but mostly wanting to ask about the most obvious question. "Were you not c-courting me?"

The Storyteller appears confused at the question. "Of course I am courting you, what are you talking about?"

The pink-haired girl, and everyone else in their own way, just looks at him for a moment, trying hard to understand- "What are talking about?!" She yells frustrated before she points at Siesta as she keeps her attention at him. "You obviously accepted her as yours with the way you acted toward her!"

Aristidis raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"Wha- There is no so!" Louise tells him exasperated of his inability to understand the gravity of his action. "You cannot court me if you're already with another girl!"

The pitch-black Storyteller chuckles at that amused. "Don't be silly, of course I can. Having a girl doesn't stop me from having another." Says the last part while looking seductively at the pink-haired girl.

Louise is taken aback by what he said, realizing just now what he was planning. "You were going for both me and her?" She says shocked, with the rest reacting in their own way with surprise.

She looks at him now upset. "All this time you were courting me, you were betraying my trust by going after another as well? Pervert! Deviant! You're no better than that playboy Guiche in the end! I thought you were a perfect example of a Noble, and yet-"

"I think you misunderstand something." Aristidis cuts her off, before grabbing her by the waist with both hands, and moving her to sit beside him again. "Guiche was going secretly after those girls, and didn't ask them whether they were alright with going for both or not. I on the other hand, did not try to do this secretly, and was rather upfront about it, as you have seen from a few minutes ago mostly." He then puts a hand on his chin as he thinks about it. "Although, it might have slipped my mind to tell you both about that intention of mine now that I think about it."

Siesta appears flabbergasted. "Take both me and Louise?"

Louise folds her arms as she keeps on looking at him frustrated. "Don't be ridiculous, even you must know that polygamy is forbidden in Tristain. What I will hear next? That you would marry me and just keep the other one as some sort of concubine?"

"Marry?" After repeating the question, the Storyteller shakes his head as he chuckles softly. "Oh, Louise, it looks like I forgot to tell you about another important thing. You need to know something about me." He says before looking at her with absolute seriousness. "I despise marriage."

Catches them all by quite the surprise.

"Why would you hate marriage so much, Aristidis?" Siesta questions.

Aristidis looks at the four girls, and then lifts his Tome to make it apparent. "In most stories I know, there were many famous people who were happy to marry their supposed other half, only to see them at a later time to betray that bond in one way or another. Some others simply marry as a way to have an easier life, in case the person they take has a position of power and such, not really caring about their other half from the beginning, or wanting to. And do I have to mention about those who did so, only to realize later that marriage is not for them, and wanting to break from that bond?"

The girls from what they hear can somewhat understand the reason he despises it so much.

He continues. "Nothing but broken bonds, hearts, and promises, which will be lucky to not end up as such. Why would I want to bother myself with something like marriage?"

"To..." Louise trails off as she tries to find the right words. "To get the Founder Brimir's blessings, of course. Through the forge of that bond, the Founder always makes sure to-"

"That's what the people of the church say nowadays?" The pitch-black Storyteller cuts her off, before he shakes his head. "Naive, naive, precious Louise. There is no such thing as the Founder's Blessings."

"What...?" Is all she can say in her shock.

Aristidis continues. "The subject was one of the first I did research on from the moment I was summoned here. The entries I read say a lot of things about the Founder, but not once that for those who marry in his name, they will receive his blessings. That was implemented later by the church itself, for bureaucratic and patriotic reasons, and nothing more. It is all a lie for people who don't know better. Not the first time I hear of people enforcing lies supposedly spoken by a deity or prophet."

All of them, minus Tabitha who is simply somewhat surprised at the fact, can't believe what they hear. To hear that your very religion is based even in a way upon lies, is simply shocking. And the one telling them appears completely serious about it.

"It is not that I don't believe in deities giving their blessings to couples that marry in their name-" The Storyteller tells them calmly. "But here that concept doesn't exist. And personally, I can't just respect a, supposed, deity's rules, that was not even his to begin with."

He puts both hands upon the pink-haired girl's shoulders, gaining her attention. "The reason I want to have you girls in such a way, is so you can be given the option to freely choose for yourselves if you want this kind relationship to hold or not, and in case you decide it is in the end not meant to be, to have the freedom to leave without consequences. I will not judge you for it, because I love you that much."

Louise appears moved by his words.

Aristidis lets her shoulders, with his expression turning happy. "And also, having more than one girl was always a dream of mine."

"Eh?" The pink-haired girl says confused at his sudden change of attitude.

He continues. "Not only multiple partners to enjoy, but also to converse more openly with and enjoy life together to the fullest! I plan on having six, most likely seven girls total in this... Harem? Yeah, it will definitely be a harem with that many." Says at the end as he nods, and then turns to Tabitha. "I plan on having Tabitha as well in this by the way." Says, with everyone looking surprised at her, before his expression turns seductive. "You are just too cute to leave alone, and I would love for you to be part of this. What do you say to that?" ({It will not affect your chance of getting your mother healed if you say no to that, just so you know. I am not that petty in case you thought as much for a moment.}) He tells her telepathically to not reveal her secret to everyone else.

Tabitha just looks at him silently for a moment, and then turns her head the other way toward the window.

The pitch-black Storyteller puts both hands on his cheeks in delight. "Aww, she is shy. Don't worry I can wait till you feel ready."

"Me too, right, darling?" Kirche asks with both hope and enthusiasm.

"You still have a long way to go before anything is decided." Aristidis says as he moves his hand in a dismissive manner.

The redhead places both hands together in a begging manner. "B-But I have been behaving from the moment I realized my endless love for you, come on, darling plea~se."

He raises his head in a negative way. "Still too soon to decide. You will wait more."

Kirche lowers both her hands and her head, sad at being denied once again.

Louise looks at him with a raised eyebrow. "A harem? Are you serious now?"

Aristidis shrugs. "Why not? I have the power to grand everyone's wishes, fulfill their different needs, and unending money, gold and more to pay for everything unceasingly. Where you think the gold I paid for our plates in the Golden Line place came from?" Says as he indicates his Tome. "Heck, I can fill your world's coffers with so much gold, that its value will be forced to be lowered due to existing in much more quantities than everything else if I do just that."

Once more, the thought he can do that surprises everyone. That's just so ludicrously convenient!

"Other than that-" He continues. "There is no written rule that states you can't be in a harem dedicated to someone who is not a human, since your usual rules don't really apply to a being like me. And they can't call it immoral either, cause I am no animal or human, and because they will show that way how jealous of me they are."

Everyone sweat drops at the last one.

The mouthless Storyteller puts an arm around Louise and brings her closer to him, as he looks seductively at her. "And as for love, no one will feel like being left out, despite the number of girls in the harem. I will love you all in your own different, special ways." He brings his mouthless area close to her ear. "So don't think for even a moment, that I will not. Appreciate. Your. Everything." The camera zooms closer to the mouthless area and her ear for every separated word spoken.

The pink-haired girl blushes like a tomato as she tries to utter words, till she decides to push him strongly enough to escape from his grip and moves fast at the other seat in the carriage between Kirche and Tabitha, with the redhead looking at her confused with her reaction.

"Wh-Who said that I agreed to be part of this-this harem?" Louise says while stuttering from complete awkwardness while trying to be serious. "I-I am after all as I a-already told you before e-e-enga-"

"Oh, Louise." Aristidis cuts her off, before he snaps his fingers, with the pink-haired girl suddenly appearing sideways on top of his thighs as he holds her with both hands from her shoulders and the legs, with everyone being really surprised as they look at the place she was, and the place she went to in an instant.

As Louise looks back and forth shocked about, the pitch-black Storyteller puts his hand from behind the head at her cheek, stopping her head-shaking and making her look at him, before he bends his head over hers. "No matter how long it takes, no matter how much you deny it, I will make you love me, as much as I love you." Tells her seductively, and then proceeds with caressing with a thumb part of her blushing cheek.

The pink-haired girl was feeling strange, unsure of how to respond at his honeyed declaration, while also showing signs of sudden fatigue as she was trying to keep her eyes open. "How... Can you just... Expect me to..." Is all she says before being unable to hold her eyes open anymore, and falling asleep in his arms.

"And that girls is why you never skip your sleep schedule if you are not fully prepared for it." Aristidis tells them, and then looks at the sleeping Louise again with a delighed expression. "Isn't she just the cutest when she sleeps, though?"

Everyone smiles awkwardly at how much he shows to like her.

He then realizes something and looks at Siesta. "Oh, I am sorry, with all that explanation I totally forgot. Are you alright with being part of my harem, yourself? Know that if you refuse, it will not affect your chances with being my maid, nor your pay."

The black-haired girl thinks for a moment, and then smiles. "Normally I would be conflicted with being asked that by anyone else. But you, Aristidis, have showed me so much care from the first day we met, not to mention helped me where others would just look the other way, that I can't just say no to this wish of yours." She then looks downward to the side awkwardly while blushing softly. "Plus, it would be too rude of me after kissing you with so much affection all of a sudden like that." She looks at him normally again, and bows her head. "I am happy with you choosing me. Even if I am but a simple commoner."

The Storyteller nods pleased. "Very glad to hear it, but you have to stop with this simple commoner nonsense." He says, which makes her lift her head confused. "Now that you agreed to be mine, you cannot be considered as such anymore. You are woman to none other than the Storyteller himself, after all!" Say the last part while raising a hand up to the air and being really pompous about it. "And I expect you to consider yourself as nothing less, even if you are technically still a maid."

"A-Alright, I will if that's what you want, Aristidis." Siesta responds while smiling awkwardly.

Aristidis nods satisfied at that.

Kirche appears quite jealous about all the special care everyone takes but her, but then stops as a thought crosses her mind. "Wait, you said before that the Headmaster allowed Siesta to end up at the hands of Count Mott? Does that mean Old Osmond could just refuse his request into giving her to him from the start?"

That draws everyone's attention.

"Exactly." The Storyteller tells her, and his expression turns serious. "I had someone to secretly look for any suspicious documents, only to find nothing that indicates the Headmaster being forced into this or anything. The old man had literally no reason to accept that request. He just didn't care enough to oppose the messenger of the palace."

The black-haired girl lowers her head sad at the fact.

The redhead is somewhat upset by what she heard. "That's awful! How could he just-"

"Don't bother your thoughts with that." Aristidis cuts her off. "After all it will be the last time he does that mistake."

That confuses the girls.

"What do you mean it will be the last time, darling?" Kirche asks.

The pitch-black Storyteller looks at her with quite the mischievous look on his face. "Let's just say that one of my Tome personnel is going to give him a message."

The scene cuts at the moment back in the academy, before going to the part of the tower where Old Osmond is sleeping calmly in his room, with his small, white mouse Familiar sleeping above his blanket to the side.

Then that moment, a shadow can be seen emerging from the little light provided by the moons through the windows.

The mouse wakes up that moment, looks curiously toward the source of the shadow, and panics as soon as the window opens, going straight at the Headmaster's face before rubbing it as strongly as it could, trying to wake him up.

It doesn't take long for Osmond to wake up after all that, with the white mouse moving off him as he sits up on his bed.

He rubs his eyes from tiredness, while his small Familiar keeps on squeaking and jumping in place like crazy. "Motsognir, what is all that commotion in the middle-" He cuts himself off with a shocked gasp as he looks at the figure barely shrouded by the darkness of the room.

What he sees in his shock, is a dark/green creature standing at the base of his open window, and being barely more than one meter tall, though the old man is not sure due to the thing being hunched forward. Its ears are pointy, shorter than an elf's, and wider in height, giving them a more thick appearance. The creature is also wearing black leather that covers everything but the torso, right arm, hands, and feet, with a hood over his head. He also appears to have some kind of contraption strapped just behind his left wrist, which judging by the darts around the arm is meant for mid-range purposes. The beings eyes are also glowing a faint amber-like color, which causes a eerie feeling to the Headmaster as he is looking straight at them. [Styx, mostly known from Styx: Master Of Darkness, here to deliver.]

(Is... Is this a goblin? From the old fairytales parents usually tell to scare their children? What is such creature doing here?) The old man questions in his thoughts.

"The Headmaster, I presume." The goblin says, before reaching for something behind his back.

(It can talk?!) The Headmaster questions in his mind even more surprised.

Before he even realizes it, something is launched suddenly between the old man's legs, startling him as it sticks itself there.

When he looks at it more carefully, he sees that it is a folded letter closed with a black wax seal stamp of the A symbol in the middle, with one of those darts stuck beside it, indicating that the goblin used his contraption to launch it.

"You have a message from the Storyteller, old man." Styx tells him. "Read it aloud."

That catches Osmond's attention. "From the Storyteller, you said?"

The goblin appears annoyed by that, and unsheathes his blade before pointing it at the Headmaster. "I said read it out loud, you old f*ck."

(Quite a rude fellow, isn't he?) He thinks as he sweat drops, before taking the letter in his hand, and wondering why would that Aristidis Familiar send it to him this way, and so late no less.

He opens it and starts reading. "Dear Headmaster of this academy, it has come to my attention of you giving away a servant originally working under you, and for the sake of this prestigious establishment, to someone else. I will make this clear enough so it can be as understandable as possible. Next time I will hear that you have treated anyone from your servant personnel like nothing but your typical slave for any reason, I will have Styx here next time come back to your room during the dark of the night again, and peel your manhood like a banana, before he forces you to bend over and eat it while still attached to your body. Sincerely: Aristidis Aristadis O Ellin Tis Ellas."

The Headmaster is horrified by what he is reading, and looks at the one who is apparently called Styx, and who is smiling about.

"Keep going." The goblin prompts him to continue reading.

It takes a moment for the old man to find his composure after reading such a savagery, and continues. "PS: This message will self-destruct."

Osmond narrows his eyes at that in confusion. "What?"

The next moment, the letter explodes into a thick smoke, covering the entire room as the old man coughs for the duration.

When the smoke dissipates, the old man's face is blackened by the smoker's remains, and Styx the goblin is nowhere to be found.

That troubles greatly the Headmaster. Because he knows this was not just your typical warning. It was Aristidis's way to show him, that if he wishes to, he can kill him in his sleep without even being able to realize it, as proven by how the goblin was able to infiltrate his room without being noticed till it was too late.

And all that for giving away a servant.

Osmond just stays like that for the moment, and then looks scared at his white mouse, with a tear even being about to fall from one of his trembling eyes. "I know it was neglectful and inappropriate of me to just give away the girl, but was it necessary to be treated like this, Motsognir?"

The mouse simply blinks its eyes, not knowing any way to respond to the question.

Time moves on, and the scene shows Louise in her bed, still sleeping about.

Then, the scene cuts outside of Kirche's room, before it shows inside Aristidis and the redhead alone, as she searches for something in her drawers nearby.

Eventually she smiles as she finds what she was looking for, which shows to be a well-decorated book-shaped case with a lock, and extends it toward him. "Here you go, darling."

The pitch-black Storyteller takes it in his hand. "So this is the book that was summoned. I am very excited to see what is this about, not going to lie."

"Here is the key." Kirche says as she offers him the key for its lock as well.

"Thank you." He says as he takes it, and proceeds to unlock the case.

"So-" The redhead begins while getting close to him from the side. "Am I earning your favor with this, love?"

"You are getting there." Aristidis tells her as the sound of the case unlocking sounds, and then looks at her. "You may touch me from now on freely in non-inappropriate manners."

When hearing that, Kirche doesn't lose time and wraps her arms around just above his waist enthusiastically happy about, as she rubs her cheek on his shoulder. "OH, Aristidis, thank you so much! You're so generous!

The Storyteller chuckles a bit at that amused, before turning his attention back at the case.

He opens it, and he is surprised with what that Zerbst heirloom book was about, which by the Japanese cover proves to be-

"A H*ntai-Type Manga?" He says with a raised eyebrow.

The redhead stops rubbing herself onto him as she is confused by what he said. "Hm? A Hen-What?"

Aristidis turns to her. "Well, it basically is-"

Just before he completes, a bright light is suddenly emitted by the heirloom, drawing their startled attention, before it turns into a ball of light.

Before any of the two react in any way, the ball of light flies with great speed straight at the Storyteller's Tome, which is placed on the table nearby, entering it before the Tome itself blinks once with the same type of light.

Both keep on looking at the Tome highly confused, till Aristidis decides to speak. "What in the-"

"Congratulations, my boy!" A voice coming from the case interrupts the Storyteller, with both him and the redhead looking, and seeing a small version of Kremant standing in it, with the notable M shaped hood over his head, grinning about as he stares at him. "You have found a fragment of your power!"

The two just look at him, till Kirche decides to break the silence. "Um, darling, what is that small thing exactly?"

Aristidis turns to her. "That, is Kremant. You must have heard about him in one of our few talks from approximately two days ago if not mistaken."

That shocks the redhead as she looks at the Storyteller and then at the black cloaked mini-man, who is casually waving at her with a hand. "Wait, the one responsible for your existence and for being here in general?!"

"Pretty much." Aristidis simply answers.

Kirche immediately falls upon the floor in a submissive manner before the small Kremant inside the case. "I am so sorry if I disrespected you in any way, sir! You're as great as you have been described."

The cloaked mini-man chuckles amused. "Wow, what a brown-noser."

"I know right?" The Storyteller agrees while being amused at the fact as well, and turns to her. "Don't worry, you insulted no one. This is not really his actual size. He can become small, and do lots more things. Now why he remains small, I have no idea."

"Oh." Is all the redhead says after realizing the fact, before getting up and starting to laughs awkwardly for a moment while scratching the back of her head.

Aristidis turns to the small Kremant. "Back on topic. Fragment of power?"

"Exactly." The black cloaked mini-person replies. "You see, most of your power didn't just vanish. That would be a waste, be honest. Instead it was separated, with each part being hidden in certain items, magical and not, till they are exposed before your very presence to reveal their actual purpose. Like that very odd heirloom as an example. Thanks to that specifically, you have gained the extra number of two hundred and fifty!" He finishes with a clapping of his hands.

The pitch-black Storyteller just looks at him. "That... Is not much, really."

Mini-Krenant raises an eyebrow. "Did you expect something more from a simple old Offbrand Manga?"

"Fair enough." The mouthless Storyteller replies with an understanding nod of his head. "Well, I suppose that means that I have to start searching for the rest, pretty much."

"Not necessarily." The black cloaked mini-person says, before showing to be wearing a black sleeping cap, with a pattern of stars and crescent moons all around it, over his head, and lying on the case before covering himself with a black blanket, which is of the same pattern like the cap. "The said fragments of your power will found their way to you eventually. Your story progresses in such a way so far, that it makes this possibility possible."

"So... Just kick back and enjoy life as I was planning to from the start?" Aristidis asks him while raising an eyebrow and shrugging.

"Whatever you prefer, my boy." Mini-Kremant tells him. "Just remember, always be yourself, and nothing less. See you."

With that, he vanishes in the blink of an eye, leaving the duo alone in the room.

"That is it then." The mouthless Storyteller says as he folds his arms kinda disappointed. "Honestly though, that whole heirloom book was a total disappointment considering it had nothing special to teach me about in the end, other than the fact it hosted a small portion of my lost power apparently." Says as he rolls his eyes.

Kirche sweat drops at that troubled, afraid that he will take away her precious touching privileges.

Aristidis then realizes something as he looks at the now empty case it once kept the odd heirloom, and then looks at the redhead. "Right, your heirloom turned to energy and vanished. Do not worry, I can restore it using a specific way from my Tome. It will take some time though, till I have enough power to reach that point."

"Oh. D-Don't worry about it." Kirche says, relieved that he didn't mind what she was worrying about in the end. "I was never really interested in it to begin with. And no one in the family will even notice its disappearance."

"Ahh, THAT valuable of a heirloom." The Storyteller says in a sarcastic tone, understanding that in the end it was as unimportant to the Zerbst, as it was to him as well.

He bows politely before her with a hand to his chest. I thank you again, and wish you a good night." Says before turning around and going for the door.

The redhead smiles as she sits down on her bed and puts a leg above her knee, and looks at him seductively. "I think you know what would make my night good, don't you?"

Aristidis turns to look at her as he opens the door, and is somewhat amused by her constant acts of seduction. "I do." Says before looking seductively at her as well with a tilt of his head. "Be patient and prove to me that you want to belong only to me, and you can consider your nights... Simply, excellent." He says the last part while running a finger slowly from his backside, to his side, and ending up to his playfully raised chin, before flipping his luxurious cape while leaving through the door and closing it behind him.

Kirche blushes as she trembles after witnessing him doing that, and falls completely on her bed with her face buried in her pillow as she lets out a muffled yell while moving her legs up and down. "AAH, why must you tease me like that, da~rling?"

The scene moves back to the pitch-black Storyteller who is seen thinking about as he walks through the hallway, and being close to reaching Louise's room. "I should do that since I have more than enough power now. The girls will definitely enjoy- Hm?" He cuts himself off as he stops at the feeling of something pulling his cape from down below, before noticing that it is Jerry the mouse hanging from it with his hands as he jumps up and down.

After seeing that he gained his attention, he lets go as Aristidis turns to him.

He crouches down to look closer at the brown mouse. "Oh hey, Jerry. Need anything, my little buddy?"

Jerry runs toward the way that leads downstairs, and stops to wave with his hand at Aristidis to follow him.

The Storyteller looks at the brown mouse for a moment, before deciding to simply follow.

He follows him outside, till they reach the outside of the Spa's wooden walls, where Korg the Kronan stands guard before the doors.

"Hey, Korg." Aristidis greets the big rocky man.

Korg smiles at him. "Hey, Storyteller man, your day good?"

"Indeed, my rocky friend." The mouthless Storyteller replies satisfied. "Is Siesta liking her stay in the Spa Zone's cottage?"

The golem-like man nods. "Yeah she does, even if the room is more cramped than expected, not that she minds though."

Aristidis signs with a waves of his hand at Korg for him to step aside, with the rock-man doing so, as he walks toward one of the doors. "Her stay here is temporary anyway. From the next day I will have a more appropriate place for her to stay in. I just have to decide in what style. Anyway, anything else to tell me before I enter?"

"Nothing." Korg simply tells him.

"I see." The Storyteller says, before opening the door and walks in, with Jerry going fast in first. "Make sure no one bothers me, unless it is absolutely important."

The rock-man salutes. "Sure things, bruh."

Aristidis closes the door behind him, and follows the little mouse inside the small cottage. Once in, he sees no one around other than the bed and a lamp lighted.

He looks at Jerry down to the side, waiting for a response from the mouse, with him shrugging confused.

Then, the door behind closes, drawing the pitch-black Storyteller's attention where he sees Siesta, who was standing behind the said door all this time, holding a blanket that covers her entire body but the head.

The blushing black-haired girl looks at him. "Aristidis."

She pulls part of the top off, without revealing anything that much but the top of her chest, as she smiles at him. "I know I'm being too bold with this-"

Siesta pulls the the entire blanket away to the sides with both hands, revealing her completely naked body. "But I thought that since I am now yours and all, I should act like it. It's to show my appreciation too, for everything you have done for me."

Aristidis just looks at her for a moment, and his expression turns to that of glee. "Hm." Utters before untying his cape, and magically making it fold itself before levitating it to a shelf at the wall beside her, much to her amazement at his magic. "I knew there was more to you than meets the eye." Says as he walks toward the bed, gaining the girl's attention again. "But to think you would want it this soon? Now that is something not even I expected. Quite the thirsty one, are you not?" He says the last part as he wags his finger at her.

"Th-That's..." Siesta trails off, too embarrassed suddenly to find the right words to respond to that.

The pitch-black Storyteller lies down at the bed as he places his Tome at a stool to the side, and a leg above his other, before looking at her seductively. "Don't you start with excuses with me, dear. It is the truth, after all. And in fact, I know very well how much you enjoyed seeing this the first time."

When saying that, his body gains huge muscles in the blink of an eye, like in the previous episode, which he stretches for a moment as to show off the beautiful bulkiness of them all, even of his backside, enthralling Siesta's entire wide eyed attention.

After stopping with the stretching, he turns and places his back at the bed again as he looks at her with quite the mischievous expression in his face. "And let us not forget the most important part."

With that, the camera shows the black-haired girl, with the sound of something coming out being heard, and her expression being frozen in complete shock with what she is seeing.

"Hop on, you." Aristidis says as he laughs amused, before his hands extend unnaturally and yank her toward him, with her yelping in surprise by the sudden action.

After that, the scene shows Jerry climbing on top of the shelf up to the wall, where he hears and witnesses what happens off-screen, before covering his eyes as he moves his head away while blushing and smiling awkwardly.

Then he looks toward the camera, and winks at the audience.

{To Be Continued}

[Don't expect more details than that. This is for your fantasy to make out mostly. Till the next one, folks!]