Fortunately, Maria was able to remember the name of the book about Friedonia that mentioned intravenous infusions. She was less able to recall the book that described the procedure in detail. Because it was a complete and utter fabrication. Some of the doctors were skeptical, but the most senior doctor, the one who personally treated the royal family, had looked over the book and decided it was worth a shot, and had asked Maria to note down as much as she could remember from the other (alleged but nonexistent) book.

With the assistance of the Ministry of Magic (Maria kept her distance), they had been able to fashion a device similar to the infusion drips of her old life. It was an enclosed bottle, containing a mixture of water, salts and sugars, which had been decided would suffice while others tried to concoct a primarily liquid brew that was more nutritious. The needle used was finer than any Maria had ever seen before though, a testament to Sorcier having some advantage over Yharnam from their magics. And the doctor was apparently used to drawing blood for testing purposes, as he knew how to find a vein to insert the needle into, while a Ministry wielder of Light Magic supervised in case of emergency.

The presence of the Ministry wielder meant Maria was no longer needed, freeing her to return to her studies and duties. Of which there was now a lot of.

"I thought we were done with this nonsense!" president Sirius groaned as he and Maria worked on the Council' paperwork together. "And I was just getting used to having other people in the council again after half a year of it just being me and Nicol. I knew it was too good to last."

"Yes, it is maddening, isn't it Lord Head Clerk," Maria agreed, wishing she had blood or perhaps one of those strange blue elixirs the research hall used. Something, anything to make her hand stop feeling like it was going to fall off. "One would think that in their current state, the other members of the student council would be eager for some sort of constructive distraction."

"I suppose they can't help but be worried," president Sirius said. "She is important to them, after all."

"Yes," Maria said, semi-seriously contemplating amputating her hand to make the pain stop. "I've been aware of how much of the student council consisted of her harem, but this has certainly driven the point to the heart. If the student council had any rivals, one would think this was an attempt to completely destroy us. We are functionally near-useless. Just as my hand will soon be."

"I did not miss this desire to rip my own arm off and fling it away from me, yes," president Sirius agreed. They both sighed.

"This might be an abuse of my presidential powers, but I don't suppose I could ask you to use that light magic of yours on my hand, could I?" president Sirius asked.

Maria blinked. She stared at her hand. "I… had never considered using my light magic like that."

President Sirius blinked. "You haven't?" he said, sounding incredulous.

Maria shook her head. "I've always used it to handle physical injuries. Attempting to treat Lady Claes was the first time I've tried to use it on something other than a bleeding would or swelled and reddened flesh."

"Well, it's a school, and we're here to learn. Let's find out what happens when you do it. Otherwise I'll have to find someone to use their water magic to numb my hand with ice," president Sirius said.

That did sound tempting. She had never before considered the positive points of cold. Maria imagined it covering her hand, rendering every in numb as the blood slowed, the flesh overcome by chilling cold of the heart of winter, rendering her unable to feel her extremities…

She sighed longingly. "Give me your hand then," she said. "Let us see."

Sirius moved closer, presenting his right hand to her. She touched it with her own, concentrating upon her magic. Eldritch light bloomed, and she concentrated upon his hand, imagining the light permeating it, filling its muscles. She imagined the light progressing up from the fingertips, down the back and into the wrist…

Sirius let out an indelicate groan. "Umbasa, that feels so good…"

"Lord Head Clerk, please don't be lewd," Maria chided, but she smiled as she said it.

How long had it been since she'd smiled? Surely it hadn't been that long…

Sirius stared at his handed, flexing it and sighing again in an almost euphoric manner she'd only ever seen once, when she'd watched the Queen award her favor upon one of the Blood Kin. "Marry me," he said to Maria immediately.

"No," Maria riposted immediately, the struck with all her strength while he was on his knees, "Do your paperwork,"

Sirius was thrown back into his chair with a sigh. "After you've tried to use your magic on yourself. It's unfair I'm the only one who feels this good."

"What did I tell you about being lewd, Lord Head Clerk?" Maria said, still smiling as she directed her eldritch light on herself.

She did not moan, no matter that the president said.

…

A Katarina Dream Sequence

"How's your playthrough of Fortune Lover going?"

"It's so hard Acchan! Trying to get the black-hearted, sadist prince ending should NOT be this difficult!"

"Eh, I thought you'd start with the Isekai Hero ending?"

"No way, I'm not going to take Kazuma-kun away from Megumin-chan again! They deserve their happy ending!"

"Actually, the Isekai hero in this game is Valette-chan."

"Nani?! Where is she?"

"Well, first you need to go to the swamp in the Nightmare Frontier–"

"HARD PASS! I don't know why they had to make the game this hard! Why isn't there an Easy Mode setting? No game was ever ruined by having an Easy Mode!"

"You say that, but you're still playing, right?"

"Eh heh he, well, the item trading is kind of fun… but seriously, why is the story hidden inside the item descriptions! All the cutscenes look like they came out of a horror movie! And one of them was about climbing a tree! How did they make climbing a tree in broad daylight scary?"

"That's just how Miyazaki-sensei rolls."

"Miyazaki-sensei is a sadist!"

"That's also just how Miyazaki-sensei rolls. Though maybe you need a break. A bunch of guys wanted to try out this Sachiko Ever After thing they read about…"

"Take this game away from me and I will kill you and then myself.."

"Heh he he… You're becoming one of us! Soon, I'll be able to get you to play Demon Souls. Then Dark Souls…"

"Aren't those the games that always ended with you screaming into your pillow?"

On the edge of her consciousness, she thought she heard … someone… calling. She ignored it. She was talking to Acchan after all. That was more important…