But I Didn't Want Adventure! (NasuFate SI Chapter 2)
Marjutteta Edelfelt had never expected how much she would come to like having Michael Chaser around as her servant. Or rather James Ainsworth.
Oh yes, she knew who he was from the start, from before they met even. It was his sister Angelica Ainsworth's request for her family, calling on a previous debt (of providing some needed magecraft research aid, via the two familes magi collaboration), for them to look after her brother during his stay in the Clocktower for his education, and offer their protection. Not take him under the Edelfelt house's protection, but give him enough support that he wouldn't be seen as a target, and should he try to avoid trouble, then it wouldn't find him.
Marjutteta was assigned that menial task, as luckily for James, she was starting her study at the same time as him.
She had intended to just make an impression by stealing his parking space, and then once he's cowed, to magnanimously offer him a free favor from her, that would politically dissuade most people from seeing him as prey. At least once the rumor mill about that exchange went around, which should also give James some minor influence to move around in campus, as long as he doesn't use her name arrogantly.
What ended up happening, derailed Marjutteta's whole plan.
It wasn't James' car that was damaged, but her own.
Considering that she and her sister on occasion would add some subtle magecraft enhancements to that car, that ended building up over time, such a thing was impressive.
When she finally asked him what did he do to make his car so durable, he stuttered that it was just Reinforcement. It was bullocks of course, as she was sure it was something else. James' demeanor when she questioned him being a giveaway if nothing else. But it did narrow down the answer to it being magecraft other than Displacement, that had a green shine when he used it. Something that was impressive in it's own right, as that meant it was a spell he cast, and not enchantments and Mystic Codes, that took time and effort, added to the car.
Of course, after taking James, or Michael, as he thinks she doesn't know his real identity, as her servant, Marjutteta in the privacy of her mind...had to admit to have developed a vice related to that Ainsworth magus.
She really liked depending on him.
Rather she enjoyed giving him difficult tasks that no matter how much he complained, he would complete regardless of his complaints about their "impossibility" or "difficulty". Whether it's hunting a heretical magus with her, or raiding some lost tomb, Michael accompanied Marjutteta all the same. Yes, her family butler Carl was with them all those times for safety, but Michael's efforts still count.
Also Carl was only meant to be with her till she reached the Clocktower, help her settle in, like he did with her sister, and leave. He only stuck around to teach Michael how to behave as a servant should for their master, given that Michael's actions from then on, would reflect on her.
Of course, Carl staying around had it's own problems as he was hovering around too much, not letting her...
A-hem. Conduct her own experiments with Michael, while the older caretaker was around.
It's why while Carl was getting permission from her family to join the Clocktower's Queen on her vampire hunt, that Marjutteta went and signed herself and Michael all on their own. They proved skilled enough, thus were approved to come along on the hunt.
"Evil Poison Ivy plants, up ahead!" Michael shouted while holding the car's grab handle.
Good ol's Michael's danger sense. Marjutteta thought. She knew it was his spatial awareness spell that he used for his Displacement Magecraft, but with how good he was with it, it might as well be a danger sense.
Marjutteta saw the ground coming up starting to crack, and began swerving away from it. She just evaded the first trap, as giant tree sized vines burst up from the earth filled with sharp teeth, twisting and moving trying to grab her, but the first protection bounded field on her car, shattered as it stopped the blow.
"Uh-oh." Marjutteta said as she processed what just happened.
"Whadda mean 'uh-oh'!?" Michael cried out.
"The bounded field for kinetic impacts, I placed on the car should have lasted way longer than one hit." She said as she started trying to weave and dodge the vampiric plants.
"IT'S GONE!" Michael shouted in alarm, as she looked frantically forward at the dangers guarding the Dead Apostle Ancestor's castle.
"It's fine!" Marjutteta shouted as the car nearly flew and rolled from a sudden hit, before she righted it lest it started spinning and flipping over. "Second barrier can absorb magic energy. It's fine!"
"That has a limit!" Michael cried out.
The giant vines that followed opened their mouth, and shot beams of fire at them, and other convoys assaulting the place.
"...Are those dragon breaths?" Marjutteta wondered.
"THE PLANTS ARE FIRING LASERS!" Michael screamed.
More explosion occurred around them as other vehicles were hit. Some being helicopters, that started to fall down, with one firing giant beams back. Marjutteta thought that one likely belonged the Clocktower Queen, before others fired their own high thaumaturgies counter attacks. They were however doing so sparingly. Those that attacked too quickly ran out of energy or resources and were destroyed first.
"Mouth trap!" Michael shouted, and Marjutteta saw a giant pitfall-No, it was a large venus flytrap hidden underground rising up...large enough to be the size of a modern stadium.
Fear, rather than excitement gripped Marjutteta's heart for the first time, before she heard a curse from her servant next to her.
She looked to the side to see Michael looking at his hand, that glowed emerald indecisively. Marjutteta suddenly felt the car move much faster, yet they took a stray glazing hit from one of the plants firing fire beams, and shattered the second bounded field.
"Fuck!"
They were too far away to escape the venus flytrap monster's radius.
She felt Michael's hand grab her shoulder, then they disappeared from the car, that was crushed with other unfortunate vehicles with other magi and hunters.
Marjutteta grinned as she felt herself falling, and looked down to see the giant castle in her view. To the side, Michael was holding onto her arm, before grabbing and holding her in a princess carry.
She couldn't help how warm her cheeks felt, as she leaned into his embrace. No matter his complaining, her servant was just too dependable.