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[ZnT] Everything And Nothing

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I'm going back and editing some things in Chapter 5 in regards to Miss Longueville.
That was hours ago, and in that time Miss Longville was officially made privy to what she had already known from her eavesdropping by Old Osmond when Colbert explained the situation regarding Wardes. This was good, because it meant she could approach Ryan without suspicion, something she had been trying to work her way towards before by cozying to Colbert.
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Has been changed to...
That was hours ago, and in thanks to some eavesdropping on Old Osmond when Colbert explained the situation regarding Wardes, she was largely up to date on the situation. This was good, because it meant she could approach Ryan without suspicion, something she had been trying to work her way towards before by cozying to Colbert.
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Double-posting... is very bad.

...But I got a snippet for you, tho.

= = =


Later that morning, after Louise had finished breakfast and another round of Aether training had been completed, she and Ryan were in the library. Ryan flipped through a few of the more ancient tomes, humming whenever he came across something interesting.

"Six thousand years and there's not much of a history to show for it. It's mainly founder this, elves that, and a few pointless conflicts between the four main nations that ended with the status quo being restored," Wulf noted.

"So this is a world entirely dependant on magic," Ryan thought back. "But yours also had magic, so why didn't it turn out like this?"

"An almost routine cycle of rising and falling civilization and near extinctions. But in almost all of the texts, it's pretty clear that there isn't such a mechanism in place here. It feels like a meticulously maintained Zero Sum Game."

"Geez, it's a sad thing when my world is the most normal one in the multiverse," Ryan mused.

"There is nothing normal about your world. That internet business you've got is something else, and don't get me started on.your ass-backward obsession with vampires."

"Okay, okay, fair enough," Ryan thought back, definitely wanting to avoid another of Wulf's rants about Twilight. He skimmed a shelf in the theater section, and gasped when he saw a title. He pulled out the very old tome, blew the dust off the cover, and grinned.

"Yes! You have it! Finally something I recognize!" He flipped through it, eyes widening. "Holy shit, the complete collection?!" He eagerly tore into it, as Louise looked over his shoulder curiously.

"Found what?" She was holding a book on magical theory, one she'd read many times over in her first year, in an effort to overcome her problems. Now that she could perform a form of magic without something exploding, she intended to refresh on it to see if she could apply her new magic in different ways.

"Aristophanes' complete plays," Ryan said with a grin. "In my world we've only got eleven of his plays: You've got all forty!"

Louise didn't understand how that was such a big deal. A bunch of old plays that no one even cared to even perform these days. "That's a weird thing to get excited about."

"Ah, but Aristophanes was a comic genius. A satirist, he wrote the book on mocking people and the absurdities of the powerful and 'wise'," Ryan said with a grin. He cleared his throat and stood up, sweeping his hand around as he gave her a grin. He read a line from the play he'd turned to.

"Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages!" Ryan spoke condescendingly. "To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them. Besides, you possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing." Ryan closed the book and grinned as he patted it.

Louise stared at him, blankly. Ryan scowled.

"Oh come on, tell me you got that. What is this, Hogwarts?"

Louise snorted and opened her own book. "It's just a moldy old play. It's not even really funny."

"Not funny?" Ryan asked in disbelief. "Moldy and old? Come on, this is gold! This is human nature!" He smacked the book a few times. "Magic's all well and good but most of what everyone does is deal with the real world. Don't they teach you any of that?"

"This a magical academy, all other study is handled by private tutors," Louise replied.

Ryan blinked. "Private tutors?"
"Home-schooled," Wulf quipped.

"So, how's your rhetoric young lady?" Ryan asked with a grin.

"Discourse is not my strong point," Louise admitted, before she went wide-eyed and slapped her hand over her mouth. Ryan blinked.

"What about debate?" He asked wryly.

Louise was still embarrassed. "My older sisters are better at rhetoric, my mother says that I'm too 'ill-tempered' to hold a debate for very long."

"So is it Cattleya or Eleanore who is the master debater of your family?" Ryan asked, keeping his face straight... just barely.

Louise huffed. "I wouldn't call Eleanore a master debater, she's just very convincing–HEY!" She just realized it, and the look on her face was perfect. Ryan laughed himself sick, falling back onto the table and rolling back and forth.

Louise hit him several times with her book. "You have a disgusting sense of humor!"

"Aristophanes, ladies and gentlemen! The Mel Brooks of Ancient Greece!" Ryan cackled.

She hit him again. "I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS!"

"Ahem."

Ryan and Louise stopped to see Miss Longueville standing near another bookcase, her finger brought up to her lips. Ryan smiled apologetically, and slid off the table to sit next to Louise quietly.

"Miss Longueville, how are you today?" Ryan asked pleasantly.

Miss Longueville smiled. "Not as spirited as you are, but I'm doing well. It's going to be very hectic over the next few days, so I'm going to try to relax as much as I can before then."

Ryan nodded. "Oh, that's right the Princess's visit in a few days."

Louise huffed and opened her book, as Miss Longueville walked over to the two. "With so much commotion going on, it's surprising that she's still going to come."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Like the troubles in Albion?"

"Yes, but there's trouble here as well: Mysterious explosions, and magical thieves running around." Longueville sat down at an empty seat at the table.

That piqued Ryan's interest, and Louise's too, as both paid Miss Longueville closer mind. "A magical thief?" Ryan asked.

"Yes. He's called Fouquet, and he's been targeting noble families for rare and valuable magical artifacts," Longueville explained.

"Huh," Ryan said, scratching his head. "And selling them on the black market?" He guessed there'd be some kind of underground business for magical artifacts.

"Of course not!" Louise huffed. "Family artifacts are so rare that everyone would know what they were and where they came from! Who would buy them?"

"Other nobles?" Ryan suggested.

"That wouldn't be much of a black market though, would it?" Longueville said with a smile.

"What specifically has been stolen, Miss Longueville?" Ryan asked.

"Ah." Old Osmond's secretary smiled secretively. "They're not telling."

"Huh," Ryan said. "So, no black market, no buyers... sounds like someone's just out to humiliate the nobles." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, a dramatic scene playing out in his head. "Probably a former noble?"

"A former noble?" Longueville asked, looking surprised. Ryan nodded.

"Yeah. Revenge."

"Revenge?" Louise asked with a frown. "Someone would go to all this trouble just for revenge?"

"If they wanted it bad enough, why not?" Ryan asked with a shrug. "I mean, think about it. Some nobles ruin, I don't know, a noble household through underhanded means. Like having them declared traitors or something. The family's lost all prestige, probably money, but they've still got magic. Magic is the one thing they can use to fight back." Ryan smiled, leaning back in his chair. "And so they hit the nobles where they are most vulnerable."

"...Their pride," Louise surmised. "Making them look weak, or foolish, or both."

"There, see?" Ryan said, patting the book of Aristophanes' plays. "That's why these old moldy plays are worth something!"

"That passage you read had nothing to do with this situation!" Louise argued.

"Sure it did!"

"What part?"

Ryan was silent for a moment. "Well..."

"Ha! It didn't!"

"Okay, so I meant the plays in general," Ryan said. Louise smirked.

"That's not what you said!"

Miss Longueville laughed. "Aren't you two energetic? You're almost like lovers, in a way."

The smirk fell right off Louise's face, as her face became a shade of red darker than her rose-colored eyes. She flailed wildly, pointing at Ryan. "This... this cad is not my lover! I'd never call him that even if he were the last man on Earth!"

Ryan glanced over at Louise, and shrugged. "Eh. I could do better."

Louise fired back at that with great ferocity. "Who would want a tall, gangly pervert who makes lewd jokes all the time!?"

"Okay, okay, fine, I'd totally bang you and make you my purring kitty cat sex slave! Does that make you feel better?" Ryan asked, before looking over at Miss Longueville in mock disbelief. "Day in, day out like this, oi..."

Her mouth was moving, but Louise could not find the words to say to what he just crassly said. Miss Longueville's eyes narrowed benignly. "Mm... for a handsome young man like you, I wouldn't mind that at all."

Ryan smiled back, allowing his eyes to adopt an intense, focused look. "Hn... Well, if you have a pair of cat ears, Miss Longueville, I'd say we're in business," he said in a low, smooth tone. For good measure, he lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

Louise hit him atop the head with her book. "You're the worst kind of person!"

"Owww...!" Ryan glared at her. "You want me to spank you? Because you are asking for it and I've got plenty of books for paddles!"

Louise growled at him. "I dare you, you lecher!"

Miss Longueville got between the two, still very much amused. "My, my, if you're going to go further, I'd advise you continue in the comfort of your own bedroom. You're making an awful lot of noise."

"Fair enough," Ryan said. He stood up, taking Aristophanes' plays with him. "Let's go Louise, you've been a very bad girl indeed."

Naturally, Louise was aghast. "Y-you're not serious!" She took a step back, clutching her book to her chest.

Ryan gestured for Louise to follow as he headed out the door. "Come along Vallière, you're going to gain an appreciation for theater," and here he grinned as he smacked his book against his palm. He led the furiously blushing Louise out, waving goodbye to Miss Longueville.

"Miss Longueville, please, have a pleasant day!"

Miss Longueville waved back. "You as well, and try not to be too loud, all right? There are classes going on."

Departing the library, Louise buried her face in her palm and groaned. "Why are you so embarrassing?"

"Because you're cute when you blush," Ryan said. "That, and you really, really need to loosen up." He reached back and squeezed the back of her neck. "It's like your head is held on with rebar!"

Louise batted his hand away, and looked away from him. "Don't be so grabby, I'm engaged!"

"Right. Of course," Ryan said with a nod. "And as you are now, you two will become a black hole of blandness nothing can escape from." He gave her a wry grin. "Consider this a wedding present." He smacked her bottom lightly with the book and jogged on ahead. "Come on! Lunchtime!"

Louise squeaked and chased after him, brandishing her book. "I'll cave in your skull!"

"Have to catch me first, Princess!"

It was then that Ryan experienced a bit of embarrassment of his own, running straight into Marteau as the good-natured chef rounded the corner. Louise stopped and watched as both men fell to the ground in a heap, and eschewed shock for joy at her perverted master receiving his comeuppance. "It serves you right!"

"Ow..." Ryan glared up at the ceiling. "All right, all right, you've had your laugh. You'd think you'd have gotten tired but no, no, guess I'm still your favorite program..."

Ryan had a tendency to not so much pray to God as complain. A lot.

Marteau sat up, and picked up his chef's hat as he looked to Ryan. "Ah, fancy running into you, Little King!"

"Marteau! It's very nice to see you, how is everything?" Ryan asked as he too rose from the hard floor.
 
He mentioned Twilight, in contect of 'Vampires'.

Now when did he go to school again?

At least this answers my question on if it would effect his lifespan or not.
 
Mizuki_Stone said:
He mentioned Twilight, in contect of 'Vampires'.

Now when did he go to school again?

At least this answers my question on if it would effect his lifespan or not.
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He's seventeen in 2012. Give him a break, his little sister is convinced they're vampires and Kar-Yullians are so offended by vampires they even call the glittering monstrosities vampires.
 
Liking the story so far, the recent font size wackiness is hard on the eyes though.

So let me see if I got this right, Aether is the borders between shapeless nothing. Void could technically be that shapeless nothing.
Does that mean that if Louise manages to control both Aether from her being the familiar, and her natural Void magic, then she can spontaneously create things?
 
The Ero-Sennin said:
Is Louise bordering on the edge of Godhood?

...Maybe.

Also, I can't help the font issues.
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On the top left of the toolbar there's the "Remove formatting" button. That should help, but would also remove italics.
Alternativel- nvm I just saw the source. Are you copy-pasting from Word?
 
The Ero-Sennin said:
Google Docs
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Other way around the copy/pasta format issues would be to paste it into something with no formatting like plain old Notepad first, then copy it out of there and paste it back into the forum.
 
Better way:

Paste into the BBcode editor. On the text entry box, look in the upper right corner, you see a couple of A's, one of which is large, blue, underlined and in italics.
Click it, and you're now in BBCode editor (you can go back to Rich Text formatting by clicking the "Use Rich Text Editor" link which appears below the text entry box).

You have to use bracket tags to enter whatever formatting you do want, of course, but you have full control of it.
 
scriviner said:
Other way around the copy/pasta format issues would be to paste it into something with no formatting like plain old Notepad first, then copy it out of there and paste it back into the forum.
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That's the same as clicking remove formatting.
Jonen C said:
Better way:

Paste into the BBcode editor. On the text entry box, look in the upper right corner, you see a couple of A's, one of which is large, blue, underlined and in italics.
Click it, and you're now in BBCode editor (you can go back to Rich Text formatting by clicking the "Use Rich Text Editor" link which appears below the text entry box).

You have to use bracket tags to enter whatever formatting you do want, of course, but you have full control of it.
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I was about to suggest that, but then I quoting his text and checked out the bbcode myself and it's on every. freaking. line.
Although search and replace could take care of it easily, come to think of it. It's always the same blocks. [color], [font], etc.
 
Kyte said:
I was about to suggest that, but then I quoting his text and checked out the bbcode myself and it's on every. freaking. line.
Although search and replace could take care of it easily, come to think of it. It's always the same blocks. [color], [font], etc.
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That's because whatever script XF is using for converting RTF into BBCode is retarded. Enter BBCode editor and make a tag of any type that covers several paragraphs, exit BBCode and go back in, and one set of tags have been replaced with one set for each individual paragraph.

If you're copying text from somewhere else via copy-paste, pasting directly into the BBcode editor only transfers unformatted raw text.
 
Okay, LN question: What happened to the Ring of Anvari (is it spelled like that?), from the Ragdorian Lake's Water Spirit? I think I read somewhere that it burned out after Saxe-Gotha... is that true?
 
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7. Grey Knighting
  • Threadmarks
    • Actual story, yo.


    = = =

    Disclaimer: The writer of this story owns nothing, except for Ryan and what dignity he has left.


    Everything and Nothing
    Grey Knighting

    "No matter what she's accused of or how mysterious her origins are, the hero will always be ready to fight to the death for any girl he met three seconds ago."
    -The Grand List of Console Role-Playing Game Clichés


    [7.]


    It was another wonderful morning at the academy, with clear skies already getting brighter as the sun neared the horizon to rise. Ryan was sitting outside by a campfire with his tablet hand and a few recipes in mind to cook. Since Louise had a long day of training ahead of her, he decided that he was going to spoil her with a delicious meal right out of his Grandma's cookbook. She deserved that much, at least.

    "You're making your homesickness worse, you know," Wulf pointed out.

    "At the same time, it's helping me cope," he replied to his sword

    "Good morning, Ryan."

    Ryan jumped slightly, and then turned to find Siesta walking towards him. He smiled to her and wave. "Good morning, Siesta."

    "Speaking of helping you cope…"

    Siesta returned the smile. "What are you doing up so early?"

    "I'm just spoiling the Princess with some breakfast in bed," he replied as he gestured to the pan sitting atop a grate over the fire, "What about you?"

    "Oh, I was on my way to work. I didn't want to be late like yesterday, so I got up a little earlier," she replied.

    Ryan lightly scratched his nose and chuckled. "Sorry about that, by the way, were you too late?"

    Siesta smiled. "No harm was done, in fact after I apologized to Marteau, he said I could've taken the day off."

    Ryan's face flushed. "Wait, he knows?"

    Siesta sat down beside him. "Oh no, I only told him that I barely slept last night. Marteau dotes on all of the maids, especially when he thinks we're working too hard."

    Ryan nodded. That Marteau, a bit of a strange one, he felt, but a genuinely nice guy. Siesta then looked down at the fire. "Speaking of, you're more than welcome in the kitchen, why are you cooking outside?"

    "Oh, well it was a nice morning and since the only reason I'm here is because I decided to camp out, I figured I was going to enjoy some outdoor cooking. There's no better way to cook, if you ask me."

    Siesta chuckled. "My father thinks the same way."

    Ryan chuckled as he had began stirring up some eggs with milk, salt and pepper.. "So does mine."

    Siesta scooted up next to him, and looked down at the pan. "What are you cooking?"

    "Nothing fancy, scrambled eggs," Ryan said, "Hand me that cheese please?"

    Siesta nodded and fetched a chunk of cheese sitting on a tray of ingredients brought from the kitchen. Ryan nodded his thanks and used a hunting knife to shave cheese into the frying mixture as she sat down to watch him.

    "Don't you guys have scrambled eggs?" Ryan asked Siesta.

    "Of course, but it's commoner flavor. The nobles expect something more exquisite, so such a thing is prepared only for us staff. If you want Miss Vallière to eat it, you should call it a rare and exotic dish back where you came from."

    Siesta smiled mischievously. "It's how we got the nobles to eat goose liver and sturgeon eggs while we kept the tastier parts to ourselves."

    Ryan laughed. "We say the same thing back home." He grinned at her. "Some things are universal."

    He frowned as he pondered what he said. "Or… Trans-universal. Anyway, she'll eat what I tell her to and like it."

    Siesta smelled the eggs. "I don't think you'll need to tell her, it smells very good. You should add some meat to it."

    "Way ahead of you," Ryan said as he produced a bowl with some chopped up sausage and dumped it into the mix as well.

    As it all sizzled nicely, Siesta breathed it in and sighed at the delectable aroma, before speaking, "I saw your spar with the Viscount, you were splendid."

    Ryan smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I was tempted to kick his ass but that would just make more trouble for me…"

    Siesta laughed. "No one in the staff would have begrudged you for it. In fact, Marteau was so impressed he said he was going to make anything you personally requested as a token of appreciation."

    "Huh? Oh, I don't need any of that, as you can see I'm perfectly able to cook for myself." Ryan grinned and winked. "I also clean, repair household items and keep salesmen at bay."

    Siesta placed a hand on her cheek in mock amazement. "Is there anything you can't do?"

    "Beat a true mage, according to some," Ryan joked.

    Lowering her hand, Siesta let out another small laugh. "The duel aside, what did you think of the Viscount?"

    Ryan continued cooking. "He was all right, I suppose," he replied in a carefully neutral tone. "About as exciting as paint drying… and he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder."

    "I'm not familiar with the reference."

    Ryan scraped the eggs around the pan as they became fluffy, they were just about finished. "He was pretty eager to fight me and show the difference between commoners and mages."

    "Oh, that's just how nobles are." Siesta pressed her hip to his with that, and Ryan became more aware of the fact that they were the only ones out here in the courtyard. "They get to do as they please because they're the nobles and we're the commoners; we can't do much about their magic."

    Ryan lifted the pan off the fire and scooped its contents onto a plate that he covered up quickly. "I don't blame you, even holding back that spell of his hurt."

    As he set the pan aside, Siesta rested her chin on his shoulder as she rested her hand on the other. He gave pause when her chest pressed to his arm, and let out a soft sigh as he glanced back at her.

    "It would be nice if we could change how things are," she said.

    "I can't see why you can't. The Princess is popular, isn't she, can't you talk to her?" He asked as he returned his attention to setting the pan aside.

    "We love the Princess, we really do. But the other nobles… well a lot of them are more trouble than they're worth."

    "You've put the idea in her head," Wulf admonished him.

    Ryan smiled back at Siesta, ignoring Wulf for the moment. "That's your prerogative, but I'm not interested in starting or being part of a class war."

    Siesta's pulled away from him. "Even when there are nobles worse than the Viscount, who bully commoners with their magic?"

    "Jerks exist at every level of society," Ryan replied, "I will stop it when I see it, but I'm not going to turn the world upside down over a few assholes. Trust me, my country is one of the few on my world that rebelled against its nobles and came out halfway decent. Revolutions aren't something you execute on a whim."

    Siesta shook her head. "It's wouldn't be on a whim!"

    She withdrew a little from her outburst. "It's not fair that we have to see the nobles as our superiors simply for being born, and that our only obligation is to serve them because they have magic and we do not. It's not fair and it's not right, no one should be subjected to that."

    Ryan agreed with that, but as much as he agreed with it, he wasn't going to budge from his guns. However, it was becoming readily apparent to him that Siesta was upset about something in particular. "Siesta, is everything all right?"

    Siesta hesitated a bit, and then sighed. "I'm fine, after meeting you and learning about your world. I suppose I'm just envious of it and how everyone there sounds more… equal."

    Ryan smiled and tilted her chin up to steal a quick kiss.

    "Well, tell you what," Ryan said as he pulled her into a hug, "When I find a way home, you can come with me to see it. Okay?"

    Siesta blinked, taken aback. "You… really?"

    "Of course," Ryan replied.

    She smiled again. "Well, for that I'm willing to endure."

    "Endure…? Mm…" Ryan was cut off by Siesta's lips covering his in a kiss she deepened as she straddled his lap.


    Later that morning, after Louise had finished breakfast and another round of Aether training had been completed, she and Ryan were in the library. Ryan tried to get the niggling sense about Siesta out of his mind as he flipped through a few of the more ancient tomes, humming whenever he came across something interesting.

    "Six thousand years and there's not much of a history to show for it. It's mainly founder this, elves that, and a few pointless conflicts between the four main nations that ended with the status quo being restored," Wulf noted.

    "So this is a world entirely dependant on magic," Ryan thought back. "But yours also had magic, so why didn't it turn out like this?"

    "An almost routine cycle of rising and falling civilization and near extinctions. But going by most of these texts, it's pretty clear that there isn't such a mechanism in place here. It feels like a meticulously maintained Zero Sum Game."

    "Geez, it's a sad thing when     my world is the most normal one in the multiverse," Ryan mused.

    "There is nothing normal about your world. That internet business you've got is something else, and don't get me started on your ass-backward obsession with vampires."

    "Okay, okay, fair enough,"     Ryan thought back, definitely wanting to avoid another of Wulf's rants about Twilight. He skimmed a shelf in the theater section, and gasped when he saw a title. He pulled out the very old tome, blew the dust off the cover, and grinned.

    "Yes! You have it! Finally something I recognize!"

    He flipped through it, eyes widening. "Holy shit, the complete collection?!"

    He eagerly tore into it, as Louise looked over his shoulder curiously.

    "Found what?" She was holding a book on magical theory, one she'd read many times over in her first year, in an effort to overcome her problems. Now that she could perform a form of magic without something exploding, she intended to refresh on it to see if she could apply her new magic in different ways.

    "Aristophanes' complete plays," Ryan said with a grin, "In my world we've only got eleven of his plays: You've got all forty!"

    Louise didn't understand how that was such a big deal. A bunch of old plays that no one even cared to even perform these days. "That's a weird thing to get excited about."

    "Ah, but Aristophanes was a comic genius. A satirist, he wrote the book on mocking people and the absurdities of the powerful and 'wise'," Ryan said with a grin. He cleared his throat and stood up, sweeping his hand around as he gave her a grin. He read a line from the play he'd turned to.

    "Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages!" Ryan spoke condescendingly, "To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them. Besides, you possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, cross-grained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing."

    Ryan closed the book and grinned as he patted it.

    Louise stared at him, blankly. Ryan scowled.

    "Oh come on, tell me you got that. What is this, Hogwarts?"

    Louise snorted and opened her own book. "It's just a moldy old play. It's not even really funny."

    "Not funny?" Ryan asked in disbelief, "Moldy and old? Come on, this is gold! This is human nature!"

    He smacked the book a few times. "Magic's all well and good but most of what everyone does is deal with the real world. Don't they teach you any of that?"

    "This a magical academy, all other study is handled by private tutors," Louise replied.

    Ryan blinked. "Private tutors?"

    "Home-schooled," Wulf quipped.

    "So, how's your rhetoric young lady?" Ryan asked with a grin.

    "Discourse is not my strong point," Louise admitted, before she went wide-eyed and slapped her hand over her mouth. Ryan blinked.

    "What about debate?" He asked wryly.

    Louise was still embarrassed. "My older sisters are better at rhetoric, my mother says that I'm too 'ill-tempered' to hold a debate for very long."

    "So is it Cattleya or Eleanore who is the master debater of your family?" Ryan asked, keeping his face straight… just barely.

    Louise huffed. "I wouldn't call Eleanore a master debater, she's just very convincing–HEY!"

    She just realized it, and the look on her face was perfect.

    Ryan laughed himself sick, falling back onto the table and rolling back and forth.

    Louise hit him several times with her book. "You have a disgusting sense of humor!"

    "Aristophanes, ladies and gentlemen! The Mel Brooks of Ancient Greece!" Ryan cackled.

    She hit him again. "I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS!"

    "Ahem."

    Ryan and Louise stopped to see Miss Longueville standing near another bookcase, her finger brought up to her lips. Ryan smiled apologetically, and slid off the table to sit next to Louise quietly.

    "Miss Longueville, how are you today?" Ryan asked pleasantly.

    Miss Longueville smiled. "Not as spirited as you are, but I'm doing well. It's going to be very hectic over the next few days, so I'm relaxing as much as I can before then."

    Ryan nodded. "Oh, that's right the Princess's visit in a few days."

    Louise huffed and opened her book, as Miss Longueville walked over to the two. "With so much commotion going on, it's surprising that she's still going to come."

    Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Like the troubles in Albion?"

    "Yes, but there's trouble here as well: Mysterious explosions, and magical thieves running around." Longueville sat down in an empty seat at the table.

    That piqued Ryan's interest, and Louise's too, as both paid Miss Longueville closer mind. "A magical thief?" Ryan asked.

    "Yes. He's called Fouquet, and he's been targeting noble families for rare and valuable magical artifacts," Longueville explained.

    "Huh," Ryan said, scratching his head. "And selling them on the black market?" He guessed there'd be some kind of underground business for magical artifacts.

    "Of course not!" Louise huffed. "Family artifacts are so rare that everyone would know what they were and where they came from! Who would buy them?"

    "Other nobles?" Ryan suggested.

    "That wouldn't be much of a black market though, would it?" Longueville said with a smile.

    "What specifically has been stolen, Miss Longueville?" Ryan asked.

    Old Osmond's secretary smiled secretively. "They're not telling."

    "Huh," Ryan said, "So, no black market, no buyers… sounds like someone's just out to humiliate the nobles."

    He scratched his chin thoughtfully, a dramatic scene playing out in his head. "Probably a former noble?"

    "A former noble?" Longueville asked, looking surprised.

    Ryan nodded. "Yeah. Revenge."

    "Revenge?" Louise asked with a frown. "Someone would go to all this trouble just for revenge?"

    "If they wanted it bad enough, why not?" Ryan asked with a shrug. "I mean, think about it. Some nobles ruin, I don't know, a noble household through underhanded means. Like having them declared traitors or something. The family's lost all prestige, probably money, but they've still got magic. Magic is the one thing they can use to fight back."

    Ryan smiled, leaning back in his chair. "And so they hit the nobles where they are most vulnerable."

    "…Their pride," Louise surmised. "Making them look weak, or foolish, or both."

    "There, see?" Ryan said, patting the book of Aristophanes' plays. "That's why these old moldy plays are worth something!"

    "That passage you read had nothing to do with this situation!" Louise argued.

    "Sure it did!"

    "What part?"

    Ryan was silent for a moment. "Well…"

    "Ha! It didn't!"

    "Okay, so I meant the plays in general," Ryan said.

    Louise smirked in triumph. "That's not what you said!"

    Miss Longueville laughed. "Aren't you two energetic? You're almost like lovers, in a way."

    The smirk fell right off Louise's face, as her face became a shade of red darker than her rose-colored eyes.

    She flailed wildly, before pointing at Ryan. "This… this cad is not my lover! I'd never call him that even if he were the last man on Earth!"

    Ryan glanced over at Louise, and shrugged. "Eh, I could do better."

    Louise fired back at that with great ferocity. "Who would want a tall, gangly pervert who makes lewd jokes all the time!?"

    "Okay, okay, fine, if you weren't engaged to your high and mighty Viscount I'd totally bang you and make you my purring kitty cat sex slave! Does that make you feel better?"

    He looked over at Miss Longueville in mock disbelief. "Day in, day out like this, oi…"

    Her mouth was moving, but Louise could not find the words to say to what he just brazenly said.

    Miss Longueville's eyes narrowed benignly. "Mm… for a handsome young man like you, I wouldn't mind that at all."

    Ryan smiled back, allowing his eyes to adopt an intense, focused look. "Hn… Well, if you have a pair of cat ears, Miss Longueville, I'd say we're in business," he said in a low, smooth tone. For good measure, he lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

    Louise hit him atop the head with her book. "You're the worst kind of person!"

    "Owww…!" Ryan glared at her. "You want me to spank you? Because you are asking for it and I've got plenty of books for paddles!"

    Louise growled at him. "I dare you, you lecher!"

    Miss Longueville got between the two, still very much amused. "My, my, if you're going to go further, I'd advise you continue in the comfort of your own bedroom. You're making an awful lot of noise."

    "Fair enough," Ryan said.

    He stood up, taking Aristophanes' plays with him. "Let's go Louise, you've been a very bad girl indeed."

    Naturally, Louise was aghast. "Y-you're not serious!" She took a step back, clutching her book to her chest.

    Ryan gestured for Louise to follow as he headed out the door. "Come along Vallière, you're going to gain an appreciation for theater," and here he grinned as he smacked his book against his palm. He led the furiously blushing Louise out, waving goodbye to Miss Longueville.

    "Miss Longueville, please, have a pleasant day!"

    Miss Longueville waved back. "You as well, and try not to be too loud, all right? There are classes going on."

    Departing the library, Louise buried her face in her palm and groaned. "Why are you so embarrassing?"

    "Because you're cute when you blush," Ryan said, "That, and you really, really need to loosen up."

    He reached back and squeezed the back of her neck. "It's like your head is held on with rebar!"

    Tensing up from the gentle squeeze briefly, Louise batted his hand away, and looked away from him. "Don't be so grabby, I'm engaged!"

    "Right. Of course," Ryan said with a nod, "And as you are now, you two will become a black hole of blandness no fyb can escape from."

    "Consider this a wedding present." He smacked her bottom lightly with the book.

    "Eep!" Louise squealed.

    Laughing, he jogged on ahead. "Come on! Lunchtime!"

    Louise chased after him, brandishing her book. "I will cave in your skull!"

    "Have to catch me first, Princess!"

    It was then that Ryan experienced a bit of embarrassment of his own, running straight into Marteau as the good-natured chef rounded the corner.

    Louise stopped and watched as both men fell to the ground in a heap, and eschewed shock for joy at her perverted master receiving his comeuppance. "It serves you right!"

    "Ow…" Ryan glared up at the ceiling. "All right, all right, you've had your laugh. You'd think you'd have gotten tired but no, no, guess I'm still your favorite program…"

    Ryan had a tendency to not so much pray to God as complain. A lot.

    Marteau sat up, and picked up his chef's hat as he looked to Ryan. "Ah, fancy running into you, Little King!"

    "Marteau! It's very nice to see you, how is everything?" Ryan asked as he too rose from the hard floor.


    Within minutes, Ryan and Louise were in the kitchen, seated at a table as the chefs carefully examined the recipe provided to them on the screen on Ryan's tablet.

    "Not too complicated, right?" Ryan asked. "It's a American Southern recipe, so most of it is love and grease."

    Marteau laughed. "There's nothing we can't cook, King, so don't you worry about that!"

    Ryan managed to avoid a sigh at the hated nickname, and looked towards the doors leading out to the dining hall. He'd seen a number of maids come and go to set the tables for lunch, but there was no sign of his favorite. "It's about lunch time, where's Siesta?"

    Louise, who had been sipping from a glass of juice, stared at Ryan. "Siesta?"

    "Yeah. Pretty maid, very nice," Ryan said.

    He looked to Marteau. "Where is she? Everything all right?"

    "You didn't hear it from her?" Marteau asked, genuinely surprised. With how nicely the two of them seemed to get along, he figured she'd have told him. "Siesta was summoned to work for Count Mott, at his estate."

    "Count Mott?" Ryan asked. "Summoned? Just like that?"

    He frowned. She hadn't even told him… Or had she? That resentment towards nobles at the start of the day made a lot more sense, her almost somber tone when they were together. "But she came into work today…"

    "She wanted to say goodbye to everyone, and do her last bit of work before she left," Marteau explained.

    Louise made a face of disgust. "Ugh, Count Mott? I feel sorry for her."

    Though not too sorry, Louise was a bit annoyed that Ryan was off talking to this maid girl without her knowing of it. Ryan frowned. "So what's so bad about this guy, he's the Royal Messenger, isn't he?"

    "He's bossy and unpleasant, to say the very least. He's harassed the staff too; Miss Longueville started working here because he drove Old Osmond's previous secretary away." Louise said with no small amount of unpleasantness of her own.

    "And he's pressed Siesta into his service," Ryan said with forced calm.

    Marteau shook his head. "There's not much we can do about it. When a noble wants something they rarely hesitate to take it, especially if it's a pretty girl. At the very least, Siesta will get paid better than she did working here."

    "Paid better," Ryan said in a thoughtful tone, nodding slowly.

    "Of course, a pretty girl like her might end up doing most of her work on her hands and knees… or just on her knees… or on her back…" Wulf said quite deliberately, putting the worst thoughts in Ryan's head within an instant.

    Ryan stood up from the table, and pushed his chair back in. "Save some lunch for me, I'm gonna go… for a walk."

    This excuse fooled precisely no one. Louise got up. "Ryan, you're not going to go cause any trouble, are you?"

    Ryan grinned at her. "Of course not. I'm just going to go for a walk… though not to Mott's estate. I've no intention of going there but just in case, what direction is that in so I can know not to go there?"

    Louise stood up. "Don't you dare, Ryan!"

    Marteau pointed towards the east. "It's an hour's walk in that direction."

    Ryan saluted Marteau. "Thank you very much. I shouldn't be gone very long. Louise, stay here and enjoy your lunch."

    Standing up, Louise slammed her hand on the table. "I'm not just going to just sit here and…!" Ryan had already walked out the door. Letting out a frustrated sound, Louise slammed her hand on the table. "Fine! Go take your stupid 'walk,' but I know what you're going to do!"

    He was gone, and Louise dropped back down into her chair, her face flushed with anger. "That lecher, I bet he and that maid…!"

    Marteau smiled down at Louise. "Are you jealous, Miss?"

    Furious, Louise slammed her hand on the table repeatedly. "DON'T ASK STUPID QUESTIONS! COOK MY LUNCH FASTER!"


    Two minutes later, Ryan was standing outside a large wrought iron gate that was part of a wall that encircled a rather stately manor. It looked like something a statesman of some sort would live in, like a North Korean knock-off of the White house or something.

    "How to get in?" Ryan thought to himself.

    He immediately spotted a pair of maids making their way around the estate, heading towards the front doors. One of them was Siesta, and the other was an attractive older maid in her mid-thirties, clearly the head maid. He had to admit, Mott certainly knew how to dress up his maids, given Siesta's red maid uniform.

    "Sheesh, it's like he got costumes from a Vegas strip club," he thought to himself. He hopped up over the wall.

    "… If you want to have another walk around the estate, that's fine. You have all day to familiarize yourself with every corner of the building until you're comfortable," the head maid said to Siesta as they reached the steps.

    Siesta had been going through her orientation, familiarizing herself with the whole of the house and learning what her duty would be. So far, everything appeared to be going well. The other staff were kind to her, and there actually seemed to be less for her to do than at the academy.

    However, there was no shaking the feeling that she was being pitied by the other staff, like they knew as much as she did why their master had summoned her to work for him.

    "That would be fine," Siesta replied to the head maid with a polite nod.

    The head maid nodded. "Do you have any other questions?"

    "I do, but they're more directed to the new hire."

    Both maids jumped and turned to face Ryan, who stood before them with his arms folded. "Why didn't you tell me you had a new job?"

    "Who are you? How'd you get in here?" the head maid demanded.

    Ryan gave her a polite smile. "Ryan Ingram, and I hopped over the wall. That isn't a problem, is it?"

    "Of-Of course it's a problem!" the head maid gasped, shocked at the brazenness of this young man.

    Holding up his hands, Ryan waved them. "Ah, don't worry it shouldn't take me very long. I only came to speak with Siesta and I'll be out of your hair."

    The head maid however wasn't having it. "Sir, this is a private estate, there are no trespassers permitted."

    She let out a squeak when Ryan rested his hands on her shoulders and gave her a pointed look. "Ah…?"

    "I'll just be a minute," he said as the head maid began to experience a very comfortable warmth that flowed from where his hands rested and coursed downward over and through her body. Her face flushing, the maid nodded to Ryan.

    "Please don't take too long…" she said in a slightly shaky voice.

    Letting her go, Ryan turned to Siesta, who was still in disbelief.

    "So, you weren't going to tell me you got a new job? I thought we were close, Siesta," he lightly chided.

    "I… it's not like I had any choice," Siesta defended herself, "If a noble wants a commoner to work for them, you are not allowed to refuse."

    Ryan hummed. "I got that much, but why didn't you tell me?"

    Siesta sighed and looked downward. There was no mistaking her ashamed expression. Before she could say it, the head maid spoke up, "Count Mott took her in to be his mistress."

    "Called it," Wulf said.

    The air around Ryan became very tense, and seemed to shimmer like it would above hot pavement. Ryan however just nodded thoughtfully, to all outward appearances calm.

    "I see… well! I'm just going to have to go talk to Count Mott about returning you to your old job," He cheerfully declared as he turned to go up the stairs. "Where is the Count, by the way?"

    "Hey, you! Who are you and how did you get on this property?" Ryan looked back to see a pair of guards wielding polearms and joined by what could only be described as winged dobermans with pointed tails. Hellhounds?

    "Aw man, I want a whole litter," Ryan thought enviously.

    Wulf was just as envious. "First griffons, now hellhounds. This universe is wasted on these people!"

    "What are you talking about, you guys have ogres, and dire wolves, and nymphs…"

    "I bet they breathe fire, too."

    "Okay, that is awesome…"

    "Well, explain yourself!" the guard who first accosted him demanded as both pointed their weapons at him.

    "Gentlemen," Ryan said politely, bowing low to the ground, "I am Ryan Ingram, the familiar of Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. I've been sent to discuss the matter of Miss Siesta's employment with your master, as Lady Vallière considers Miss Siesta a beloved friend and capable servant."

    He rose, fixing both guards with a confident look while he tailored his body language to say nothing but "Official Business." "Would you kindly direct me to Count Mott so that I might carry out my mistress's orders?"

    The front doors opened, much to everyone's surprise, and out stepped Count Mott himself, drawn to the commotion caused by his guards and the growling hellhounds. "Who did you say you were, commoner?"

    Wulf laughed. "Right off the bat."

    "Familiar, if you please Count Mott," Ryan corrected the noble, "Familiar of Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. She considers Miss Siesta a valued friend and servant and would greatly enjoy a return to her service at the Academy."

    Count Mott hummed as he scrutinized the boy. No doubt about it, that was the young man whom Viscount Wardes challenged to a duel and defeated. A skillful swordsman by what he saw, but all Mott saw was a cheeky and disrespectful commoner who was ignorant of his place despite his humbling defeat.

    The count looked to the maids and his guards and swept his hand dramatically. "I will speak to him in private. You maids go busy yourself elsewhere, guards, with me."

    He looked to Ryan and nodded for him to follow before turning and heading back inside. The two guards shoved Ryan along urging him to follow their lord. Ryan shot the one who shoved him a rude look, as he complied. Within moments, the group entered Count Mott's study, the guards closing the doors behind him as the count went over to his chair and picked up his wizarding staff.

    "Miss Vallière's familiar, hm? If she's so eager to have the maid back, the young lady can come see me herself," he said as he turned to face Ryan.

    "My mistress felt I was sufficient representation," Ryan said, cocking an eyebrow at the count.

    At this, Count Mott's eyebrows rose and he chuckled. "You're a convincing actor, boy, but claiming to represent a noble is fraud, a felony in this country. Were Siesta a valued servant to Miss Vallière, Siesta herself would've informed me."

    Well crap, Mott had him there. Rather than begin sweating, as the Count had hoped, Ryan simply shifted gears.

    "All right you got me. I came here on my own, but she's close to me and I would really hate for her to be put into a situation she doesn't like," Ryan said, going with honesty.

    He locked eyes with the Count. "And I'm the kind of man who can become very… very unpleasant when my friends are in such situations," he said, the air rippling around him slightly. His hands never went near his sword though–no need to make the Count think he was about to cut him in half.

    Count Mott snorted, and began to tug on his thin, curled moustache. "Siesta is a servant of my estate, it's considered a great honor for her to serve a well-known noble as myself. I can't see what part of her situation would be considered unpleasant."

    "I'm sure you wouldn't," Ryan replied dryly, "However, for some reason beyond the ken of nobles, she does. So what would it take for you to release her from your service?"

    Mott was thoroughly amused, such ignorance displayed by this commoner whelp! Well, he could always send the boy off on a fruitless endeavor, while he enjoyed Siesta's services for himself–that would certainly teach the boy a lesson.

    He gestured to his bookcases. "Look around, as you can see I am a collector of literature from far, wide, and beyond."

    Ryan scanned the shelves and pulled one of the books out. He opened it and thumbed through it. "Huh. Someone's been ripping off 'Songs of Solomon'," he muttered.

    His eyes widened at a particular passage. "And made some of the metaphors literal," he mumbled, quickly putting the book back. Judging from the rest of the titles, the particular kind of literature Count Mott collected wasn't hard to guess.

    "A porn collector. How quaint," Wulf laughed.

    "There is a particular book that I desire. I know nothing in detail about it other than it is erotica that surpasses any made in the history of Halkeginia, and that it is possessed by a Germanian Noble family. Bring it to me and I'll return Siesta to you," Mott instructed.

    "Gee, why is this sounding familiar?" Ryan thought to himself. "Well, can't be the worst side quest I've ever gone through…"

    "All right," Ryan said before he raised his voice.

    "Siesta? Can you hear me?"

    There was a squeak of surprise on the other side of the door, before it opened and Siesta peeked in.

    She was not alone, the head maid was watching as well along with a few other maids. "Ryan?"

    "I'll be back for you as soon as I can," Ryan said calmly, "If Count Mott tries anything with you that you don't like, please tell me. Because if he does, I will ensure he will have no more need…"

    And here he turned a deadly gaze to the count, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, "…For pretty maids."

    "A commoner threatening the life of a noble is a severe crime," Mott pointed out as he raised his staff. "And I'm an employee of Her Majesty."

    Ryan turned away from Mott and walked towards the window. "I wasn't threatening your life, Count, only promising to castrate you if you did anything inappropriate to her while I was out running your errand."

    He turned his dangerous look back towards the Count. "It's just to ensure that we're all playing your little game nice and fair."

    He turned around, back to the window, and smiled pleasantly at Siesta. "Have a nice day," he said, as he pushed the shutters open behind him, and casually jumped out. Siesta quickly ran over to the window and looked out to call after him… but he was gone.

    Siesta blinked in confusion, and looked around. "But… where…?"

    Behind her, Count Mott snorted dismissively of the boy. He wasn't going to be intimidated by some lovestruck commoner.


    Louise was in the middle of reading for one of her classes, reviewing her notes carefully and checking them against the tome and the reference books she had checked out. While she may have been unable to do anything but blow things up, she was a very good student. The teacher was out of the room, getting materials for the next lesson, allowing the students to relax and/or prepare.

    "Louise!" Ryan shouted, appearing out of nowhere and slamming his hands down on her desk in front of her. She and the other students in the classroom jumped from the sudden outburst. Ryan looked around, as though seeing that he was in a classroom for the first time. He scratched his nose.

    "Sorry about that," he said, "Little over excited…"

    "Good afternoon, Ingram!" Guiche said cheerfully to the young man. Ryan smiled back and nodded.

    "Afternoon Guiche," he returned politely.

    "You can't just barge in here, I'm in the middle of study!" Louise snapped at him.

    A few seats over, Kirche watched with amusement as Tabitha waved her staff to cast a spell of silence around herself.

    "Kind of an emergency," Ryan said, hands resting on her shoulders. "I need to go to Germania to find a book."

    Louise stared blankly at Ryan.

    "What."

    "A book! A Germanian family has a book Count Mott wants in exchange for Siesta," Ryan quickly explained, "So, I either need to go to Germania, find a Germanian noble family, or beat up some Germanians to get it. Now, are you going to help me or not?"

    Oh great, this Siesta nonsense again. "Who on Earth is this maid and why is she so important to you?"

    Kirche hummed in interest. She knew of the commoner maid, even exchanged pleasantries once; that she and Ryan had struck up a rapport surprised her, and made her a little jealous.

    "Because she's a friend who is going to suffer a very humiliating and horrible fate and I don't let that kind of thing happen to people close to me," Ryan said flatly, "Any more stupid questions or do you want to keep wasting my time?"

    Kirche then called out, "You're looking for a particular piece of erotica? I happen to have such a thing."

    Louise rolled her eyes. "Of course you would!"

    "How do you know which book I'm even talking about?" Ryan asked in disbelief.

    Kirche smiled. "Count Mott has asked me about it before, naturally. He was willing to spend a lot of money to purchase it from me."

    That bastard was trying to send him off on a wild goose chase, Ryan realized. He wanted to murder him.

    "Must… Resist… Urge…"

    "Great!" Ryan said with a somewhat forced smile. "What do you want for it?"

    "Oh no, don't you dare go making a deal with that devil!" Louise warned. "You know and I know exactly what she'll want!"

    "And…?" Ryan asked, holding out his hands. "So? Therefore?" If he had to bang the slutty Germanian girl to save Siesta from being banged by the fat Tristanian, so be it.

    Kirche let out a sigh of mock exasperation. "Vallière, must you think so low of me?"

    "Because I've known you long enough, you over-ripened harlot!"

    Kirche glared death at Louise. "Hey, Vallière, did you just call me a-"

    "I said it."

    Montmorency and Guiche together leaped from their seats to disarm Kirche of her wand and hold her back as she attempted to breathe fire at Louise.

    Ryan facepalmed. "For the love of God Louise, priorities! This is a young woman's life we're talking here!"

    Louise only grew more defensive. "It's not worth jumping into bed with Zerbst. Nothing ever is."

    "I will set your hair on fire!" Kirche snapped at her, but went ignored.

    "You're just being petty," Ryan argued.

    "I am not! You shouldn't go around crossing people like Count Mott! Just forget about the whole thing!" Louise snapped at him, slamming her hands on the table.

    Tabitha closed her book and looked over when she heard the smack of Louise's hands on the wooden surface. Her silence spell was tuned to filter voices but not other ambient sounds in case the teacher returned.

    She watched the exchange between Ryan and Louise, reading their lips.

    Ryan sighed, and patted his sword. "Well, I guess I'll have to go kick his ass and rescue Siesta. Later!"

    "WHAT?!" Louise shrieked, jumping out of her chair. "You can't!"

    "What? Sure I can, it won't take very long," Ryan said, as though missing Louise's point entirely.

    "He's the Princess's messenger, an employee of the castle, you can't just attack him!"

    "Well if you're not leaving me with any other choice then yes, I can and I will," Ryan stated matter of factly.

    "No!" Louise growled, glaring at the far wall with her back held to Ryan. "Honestly, he only took her on as a maid. What do you think's going to happen to her that's so horrible?!"

    Ryan sighed… and narrowed his eyes.

    "All right, she asked for it," Ryan thought.

    He leaned across the table. "You want to know what he's going to do to her? I'll tell you what he's going to do to her. First, he'll…"

    Tabitha had to stop reading Ryan's lips; his descriptions started at from vile then went straight to disgusting and just kept sliding down. He waved his hands around, before bringing them together. He lewdly thrust his middle finger through a circle formed by his index finger and thumb, then three fingers, then four, then his entire fist was thrusting through the gap in his cupped hand. Louise shuddered, but held her ground.

    Ryan then grabbed the air in front of him and rolled his hips violently, still talking. He waved one of his hands in the air as though spanking the space ahead of him, and then he lifted his hands to the sides of his head. He held fingers up high, as though giving himself horns, and then moved his hands back to trace the shape of wings on his back, before they came down, up and around into a point-Almost like he was describing a devil. He then slammed his hands back down on the table and resumed humping the air as he just kept talking.

    Louise cringed, and tried to cover her ears. She was green, and trembling. She looked as though she was trying not to throw up.

    One of the students yelled at Ryan, something along the lines of "DEAR BRIMIR IN HEAVEN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF DECENCY!?"

    Ryan didn't relent. He drew Wulf, thrust it up and down, and twirled it…

    "UGH! YOU WIN! YOU WIN!" Louise cried, turning around with her ears covered. "JUST STOP!"

    "Oh good!" Ryan said cheerfully, re-sheathing his sword. "Thank you very much Louise, for being so compassionate."

    That he was being entirely sincere seemed to just piss Louise off even more. The pink haired mage grumbled something unflattering to Ryan's ancestors as she stalked over to the waiting Kirche. "Zerbst! Give Ryan that book so he can give it to Count Mott."

    Kirche, who had been ready to burst into flame a few moments before, immediately brightened. "Okay."

    Louise stopped. "Wait, what?"

    Ryan smiled. "Thanks! What do I owe you?"

    Kirche smiled seductively to Ryan. "Oh, I don't want anything at all; I'm just happy to help."

    Louise did a double take. "Wait, what?!"

    "My parents left it with me as a wedding gift for my future husband to get him in the mood." Kirche sniffed and then posed. "Do I look like I need a book to get a man's blood rushing?"

    Ryan smiled. "You certainly do not!"

    He bent down to whisper in Louise's ear. "Don't complain, just thank her." He sure as hell wasn't going to.

    "Th… th… th…" Louise sighed, and as though she was swallowing something very foul, "…Thank you."

    "You're welcome," Kirche said, laughing low in her throat.

    Ryan grabbed Louise's hand. "Well, let's go! Sooner she's out of his clutches the better," he said, leading the mage to the door.

    "Wait."

    Everyone looked to see Tabitha stand from her seat and pick up her staff. Using a wind spell to pick up her books, she followed Ryan and Louise to the door, and nodded to them before heading for the nearest exit.

    Kirche blinked and followed. "Tabitha, you want to go with them?" she called after the generally silent mage, who brought her hand to her lips and whistled.

    "A ride," she said, as her dragon familiar Sylphid flew past the windows.

    Ryan hummed. "Well, today gets even more interesting. I get to rescue a friend from being a notch in someone's belt, and ride a dragon to do said rescue."

    He grinned. "Awesome."


    Up in his office, Old Osmond glanced around suspiciously before he reached into his desk and removed his pipe, which he carefully and quietly packed. To his side, Miss Longueville seemed completely immersed in a book and thus unable to chide him for getting a quick puff or two in. If he could choose, he'd be taking this golden opportunity to have a bit of 'old man fun' at her expense, but she was pulling her punches less so it was safer to just smoke.

    With a quiet chuckle at his own sneakiness, he prepared to light the pipe, before it floated out of his grasp. "Hm?"

    He looked over to see Miss Longueville waving her wand at him. Pouting, he sat back and looked out his window, for the first time pondering possibly moving Miss Longueville to another department so he could have a secretary who was a little more fun. It was then that he noticed Tabitha's familiar lift off from the courtyard below and fly away, carrying four passengers.

    "That Ingram boy and Miss Vallière should really consult me before running off like they do," he commented.

    That piqued Miss Longueville's interest. "Oh? Would you like me to follow them, Headmaster?"

    Old Osmond glanced back to Miss Longueville. "If you can catch up with them, I'd appreciate it."


    Siesta was worried, as she paced around the second floor of Mott's estate, already glancing out the windows towards the courtyard in the hope that Ryan returned. Going all the way to Germania for her sake, and even threatening a noble to his face, the young maid was overwhelmingly struck by the gesture. Nevertheless, she was worried, it felt like that this was going to end with someone getting hurt, and that was the last thing she wanted, especially for her sake.

    "Do you think he'll really come back?" The head maid asked Siesta, who glanced over to her. Siesta nodded.

    "He's a strange boy, but he's a good person," she replied.

    "I hope so, it's kind of romantic don't you think? Like a knight coming to rescue a princess," the maid said with a smile.

    Siesta faintly blushed at that observation, before Count Mott called to Siesta. "Standing around will not make time go any faster, Siesta. You should be familiarizing yourself with the mansion."

    "Oh, of course." Siesta bowed her head and sighed. Coming up from behind her, Mott rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned close.

    "You were hired to be more than merely my maid, and with it you have privileges that no other under my employ are entitled to."

    He ran his hands down from her shoulders to her upper arms, as tensed under his touch. "Simply forget about the boy, and I'll treat you like a queen."

    Siesta's tension did not abate, as she looked away from him. "Count…"

    "Are you lovers? You and that commoner boy?" he asked, before he whispered in her ear, "Tonight, I'll show you how much greater a noble's touch is, compared to a dirt commoner's."

    Her eyes darted to the head maid, who was only looking away now.

    "Tonight, I'll show you how much greater a noble's touch is, compared to a commoner's," Mott promised her.

    Siesta whimpered when he began to run his hands down her body, his hands feeling cold and uncomfortable compared to the warmth and firmness she was accustomed to with that "dirt commoner."

    At that moment the head maid noticed something out the window, a rapidly approaching dot in the sky. Blinking, she pointed to the sky. "Look, something's coming! I think it's a dragon!"

    Mott grew alarmed. "A dragon, here?"

    Siesta looked out in surprise. Indeed, there was a dragon rapidly approaching the mansion and Siesta recognized it right away. "That's Miss Tabitha's…"

    Outside, Count Mott's guards looked up when Sylphid's shadow passed over them. Sure enough they spotted the blue dragon and its occupants riding its back. Going to the window, Count Mott was surprised to see Ryan riding along with Kirche, the very Germanian who owned the book he'd hoped to send the boy halfway across the continent to retrieve.

    "He couldn't have, so soon?!" It had been barely an hour. Quickly, he ran for the stairs, to summon his security.


    "I wonder what all of that commotion is about," Kirche said as she peered down at the half-dozen polearm wielding soldiers rushing to the courtyard, and watching their descent. Count Mott himself emerged, holding his staff. "Oh, are they coming to greet us?"

    Tabitha looked down and nodded. "Intimidation."

    Ryan agreed. "What a petty man, thinking he can push me around."

    He grinned. "Besides, he's not even trying to intimidate me properly."

    He looked over to Tabitha. "Take us down, Tabby."

    Tabitha only gave him a cold, lingering look before she instructed Sylphid to come in for a landing, just inside the gates of the estate. Ryan was the first one off the dragon, with Louise landing directly behind him. Kirche and Tabitha disembarked next, staying behind the two and close to the dragon.

    Almost immediately, Mott's hellhounds surrounded them as his guards took up a defensive position in front of their master, who moved himself close to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Louise noticed this, and whispered to Ryan. "Count Mott specializes in water magic."

    "He could be a master of breakdancing and it wouldn't make a difference," Ryan replied as he stepped forward. He reached into one of the pockets of his belt, and he pulled out a book wrapped up in a protective cover. "Count Mott, I've brought your book as ordered. Though, I have to admit trying to put me on a wild goose chase wasn't very sporting."

    "You're just not making this any fun, commoner," Count Mott returned with a sigh.

    "Yeah, well the game is over. Here's your silly porn, give me back my maid." He tossed the book over the heads of Mott's dogs and guards and it landed at the Count's feet.

    Count Mott's eyebrows rose, when the coveted book was simply thrown to his feet. He knelt down and picked it up. The cover even had the key attached, and he did not waste a second in unlocking and peering at its contents. "Yes, this is indeed the book. The summoned book of erotica unequaled in Halkeginia, an excellent addition to my collection."

    He closed the cover back up, and looked to Ryan. The young man smiled back pleasantly, expectantly, so of course Mott held up his end of the bargain. "You may leave now."

    Or not. Ryan blinked as the hellhounds growled threateningly. "Excuse me?"

    "I will return Siesta, at such a time when her services will be no longer required at this estate. It should not be very long, a night or two at most," Count Mott replied.

    Louise was offended. "But we brought you the book!"

    "Yes, and I agreed to return Siesta. Terms were not agreed as to when," Mott said dismissively towards the boy and his entourage, "But as I said, I'll return her when I am finished with her."

    The air shimmered a bit again around Ryan, and Louise felt her own body become warm from the excess seeping through the rune on her hand.

    Tabitha looked from Mott to Ryan, and saw where this was headed. "When a commoner draws a sword towards a noble…"

    Kirche translated Tabithanese. "If a commoner draws his sword on a noble, it's considered a duel on the spot and the noble is free to use any magic at his disposal."

    "She's right Ryan, don't let him goad you!" Louise pleaded.

    Count Mott snorted. "You should be grateful I gave you a chance to have the maid back at all, commoner. It's not everyday that nobles grant such favors to low folk as yourself."

    "This is the only way you can get an erection, isn't it?" Ryan asked quite calmly, even though his expression was full of thunder, "Lording your titles and bloodline over others. You get off on it, don't you?"

    Count Mott recoiled at that. "Get a… how dare you a commoner insult a noble?!"

    Ryan cut him off with a snort."Oh please, you're about as intimidating as a horny purse dog."

    The air around him was practically vibrating now. "Tell you what, Count Mott. I'll give you a chance to reconsider and allow me to take my maid back and leave your home in peace, right now. Otherwise…"

    He fixed a deadly gaze onto Mott. "I swear by my pretty red hood that I will end you."

    Siesta covered her mouth, with both hands, as Mott let out a rather angry laugh. "You amuse me, boy. Even after your sound defeat against the Viscount you have the gall to threaten another mage? You're welcome to attack me with all your strength, but you'll drown where you stand. I am known as 'The Crashing Wave' for a reason, boy."

    He held up his staff and pointed it at Ryan. Ryan then shrugged and began walking towards Mott and his men.

    "Take your best shot then," Ryan said, scratching his nose negligently as he gripped his sword with his other hand and began to draw it, "Ladies, you may want to step back."

    "Ryan, don't," Louise hissed, "Please, don't!"

    Kirche prepared to draw her wand, when Tabitha stopped her and shook her head. "Don't make your country look bad."

    With a snort, Mott called out to his hellhounds. "Attack!"

    The winged demon dogs quickly lowered themselves to attack position as Ryan continued to slowly draw his sword. Before they could lunge, Ryan looked down at them, and the moment the sword left the sheath, a faint shockwave rushed out from his feet.

    The guards and Mott himself barely felt the burst, but the dogs went rigid, and flew into a hysterical panic, barking and yelping as they quickly scattered in desperate bid to get away from Ryan.

    Mott recoiled in surprise. "What?"

    He looked at Ryan's sword, the blade giving an unearthly glow in the afternoon sun, and chuckled. "Impressive trick, but like yesterday you're facing a true mage, Mott the Crashing Wave!"

    Ryan rubbed the side of his face with his free hand. "This isn't a wrestling match, idiot, show don't tell."

    Mott confidently waved his wand, and the fountain behind him came to life like a geyser, blasting up a deluge of water that surged straight at Ryan.

    Ryan lifted his hand from his face and held it towards the torrent surging towards him, and then clenched into a fist. In an instant, there was a loud crack, almost like thunder, as the water spell was blasted back straight into Mott and his guards.

    The guards were bowled over instantly by the blast of water. Mott managed to remain standing however, sputtering as he regained control of his water and pulling it into a circular barrier that swirled around him. His eyes widened as he saw Ryan was no longer standing in front of him.

    "Wha-Where-!"

    Mott hit the ground face first, knocked over by a powerful force from behind. Thanks to the water from his barrier collapsing around him, the ground was now muddy and he got back up dirty, wet and sputtering.

    Ryan was standing on the edge of the fountain, twirling his sword in one hand as he held Mott's coveted treasure in the other. "You know, I got a look at this precious book of yours on my way here, and I have to say you're a waste of a human being for coveting what on my world would be third-rate porn at best."

    He slipped the book back into his belt pocket. "Add in the fact you're a double crossing, lying, lecherous creep and man, I'm going to have to get downright vulgar when I talk about you, Count."

    Kirche was stunned, while Louise simply had her face buried in her palm. Tabitha, as in every instance she'd witnessed Ryan engage in combat so far, watched him raptly. Up in the mansion, Siesta and the head maid were slack-jawed with shock. They hadn't even seen Ryan move, and they could clearly see that Ryan hadn't a drop of water on him.

    Mott wiped the mud from his face, also in disbelief. That was impossible, that speed was nothing short of magic, but this boy was a commoner familiar.

    Ryan tossed his sword straight up into the air, and pointed at Count Mott with both hands. "Your next line will be: No, this is impossible, how could this be?"

    "No, this is impossible, how could this be?!" Count Mott yelled, before he realized it. "A-ah?!"

    Ryan caught the sword and twirled it. "Now that we've got that out of the way… you're going to warn me to not underestimate your skill and show off a new attack."

    Mott snorted. "Don't underestimate me, for you see I can also do this!"

    He waved his staff, and several jets of water shot up around him, before transforming into ice spears and firing at Ryan like bullets out of a rifle. The boy tilted his head and dropped his shoulders, allowing them all to shoot past harmlessly.

    "That's slow," Ryan replied as the fountain fell to pieces behind him, cut down by the spears.

    Count Mott took a step back, his eyes widened. "… W-what?"

    He cracked his neck. "My turn."

    Ryan vanished, and Mott was blown off his feet by a blow to the stomach that felt like a punch from a fist made of stone. A second blow struck him from behind while he was in mid-air, and he was sent flying face first into the fountain with a tremendous splash.

    One of the guards got up and reached for his spear, but it was kicked away by a hiking boot-clad foot.

    "Stay down," Ryan said sternly, turning back to face the fountain as Mott emerged, his face a mask of cold rage.

    "So, you are a mage…" Mott said as he wiped a bit of blood that seeped from the corner of his mouth.

    Ryan began walking towards Mott, his footsteps leaving shimmering ripples across the surface of the puddles caused by the skirmish.

    "No, I'm not," he said, annoyed. "But I can call myself that if it makes you feel better about me kicking your flabby ass."

    Mott raised his staff. "Mage or not, you're still a boy against a Triangle level mage!"

    Spears of ice lanced up from the very water beneath Ryan's feet, but they simply hit nothing. It was as though Ryan had stopped existing altogether. Mott stared at the spot Ryan had been standing, and then froze when he felt the blade of Wulf rest against his shoulder.

    "Are you done?" Ryan asked, "or do I need to take your arms?" He growled low in his throat.

    Kirche just blinked rapidly as she tried to process what she was seeing. "He's…"

    "Oh my…" Siesta whispered.

    Count Mott slowly looked back, and saw Ryan was standing over him. He looked down, and sure enough the boy was standing on the surface of the water, the same shimmering ripples radiating from under his feet. It wasn't frozen, there didn't seem to be any force holding him up, he was simply standing on it.

    "I gave you a chance to take your prize, let me take my maid home, and leave you in peace," Ryan said softly. "That offer is still open, Count Mott. If you want to prove that you've got brains at all, take it. If not…" He fell silent.

    Count Mott looked at the blade, which inched closer to his neck, and then bowed his head. "I… I yield…"

    Ryan didn't take the blade away. "Siesta!" he shouted. "Get out here! We're leaving."

    A few moments later, the doors burst open and out came Siesta, struggling to carry her suitcase with her as she scrambled over to Ryan. Ryan retrieved the porn magazine, and handed it to Mott. Only then did he withdrew his blade and sheath it.

    "Now… if you wish to make trouble for me or anyone associated with me, that's your prerogative Count Mott," Ryan said, "However, I could have slain you at any time in our duel, and chose not to."

    Mott met his gaze, and he let out a strangled sound as something inside him broke.

    "I suggest you remember that when you think of your bruised pride. Have a nice day." He turned and walked towards the front gate, Siesta following at his heels.

    "Ryan, that… that was incredible!" Kirche said.

    Ryan shrugged his shoulders, having pretty much summed up the Count's antagonistic behavior. "He's just a mage in a midlife crisis. There's nothing incredible about that-OOF!"

    Siesta had dropped her suitcase and tackled him from behind. When they hit the ground, she was nuzzling his back, overjoyed. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

    "A Triangle Mage, no problem. A maid, that you have no defense against," Wulf commented, amused.

    "Shut up!" Ryan thought back, unable to help a laugh. "Okay, okay, you're welcome! You're welcome, please don't kill me!"

    When Ryan turned over, Siesta enthusiastically kissed him, prompting both Louise and Kirche to recoil in shock.

    "Mmph," Ryan commented unintelligibly, unable to help returning the kiss a little before he gently pushed her back. "Hahaha!"

    Siesta sat up, her face flushed. "Ah, I'm sorry… it's just you have no idea how horrible that was and how glad I am you came back. He was going to take me to his bed tonight!"

    Ryan grimaced. "Please, don't tempt me to change my mind about not killing him," he groaned. He smiled and hugged the maid. "Relax, you're safe now. I bet Old Osmond will hire you back in an instant."

    "He'd never turn down a pretty girl," Kirche joked, though, she did seem a little bit… disappointed? Maybe, that's how it came off to Ryan.

    He turned to Louise and smiled. "You should thank Louise and Kirche too, Siesta."

    Siesta stood up and bowed to Louise, who also looked like she'd been kicked, but for a different reason. "Thank you, Miss Vallière, Miss Zerbst. I'll repay you any way you like, I'll even be your personal maid!"

    Louise saw the way Siesta looked at Ryan, and had a few ideas as to how personal she might be. She flushed a bit at the thought. "Do what ever you want! He did all the fighting, why don't you be his maid?!"

    Siesta brightened. "I'd like that very much." She turned to Ryan. "You wouldn't be against that, would you?"

    "No, but I don't know how I'll pay you," Ryan said, scratching his head.

    "Shut up."

    "I didn't say a word," Wulf laughed.

    "You don't have to pay me, I owe you a debt, and I'm happy to pay it back to you," Siesta replied.

    Ryan sighed. "Well, as long as Old Osmond will still pay you, I'll be fine with that." He smiled at Louise. "Shall we… Mistress?"

    "Let's get out of this place," Louise said before she let out an annoyed sigh. "The Princess is going to be so cross with me when she hears about it…"

    "I could do my explanation of what he was going to do to her," Ryan said with a little smirk. "That might convince her to-"

    "Do it and I'll hurt you!" Louise growled.

    "Just saying, just saying…!"

    As the group climbed aboard Sylphid and departed for the school, Miss Longueville rode up on her horse and disembarked from it to find the courtyard a mess, the fountain ruined, and Count Mott getting shakily onto his feet as his men did the same. Looking back towards the departing dragon for a moment, she turned back to face Count Mott.

    "Your excellency, what just happened here?" She asked.

    Count Mott looked at Miss Longueville, and then down at the book, still in its protective cover. He let out a brief chuckle, and then tossed it aside. "I had an experience, Miss Longueville."

    Miss Longueville blinked. "Ah?"

    Count Mott dropped his staff and walked for his home, chuckling again. "He let the Viscount win… the fool has no idea…"

    Miss Longueville just stared, and then looked back towards Sylphid's figure shrinking in the distance.

    Interesting.


    By dinner, news of the encounter at Count Mott's estate had spread to every corner of the school, albeit with several details omitted by Ryan and those who witnessed it. All that was important, was that a well-known and high ranking member of Princess Henrietta's court had gotten into it with a mere commoner, and was humiliatingly defeated for it. As the students debated over the events, the commoner staff were simply celebrating the result, especially Marteau: They got one of their own back, and she was happy to be back.

    "Alas, if I'd only been there, I would've happily fought by your side!" Guiche lamented to Ryan as the former finished telling the story to him, Montmorency, and Katie by the school's fountain.

    He held up his rose, eyes sparkling. "Two chivalrous knights, fighting side by side against a corrupt and unseemly noble. It'd be the start of a legend!"

    Katie's eyes also sparkled as she imagined the scene, while Montmorency rolled hers. Ryan laughed, and nodded to Guiche. "Guiche, if there's anybody I'd like to have my back in a battle, it'd be you."

    He may be a pretty-boy fop, but Ryan knew a dependable guy when he saw one. Guiche of course took this as a high honor. "Then don't leave me out next time, Ingram! On your next adventure, you know who to turn to."

    Montmorency looked over to Louise, who was still brooding over this somewhat and took her aside. "Men can be so foolish," she said with a defeated sigh, "Still, at least their hearts are in the right place."

    Louise just sniffed and quietly replied. "I don't know about that. There's not much difference between him and Count Mott."

    Montmorency blinked. "What?"

    Louise huffed. "He only went through all of this trouble so he could have Siesta for himself. He didn't want that slimy old pervert's hands all over his maid."

    "What's wrong with that? I can't think of any woman who would want to be subjected to what Ryan described," Montmorency said with a shudder. Thanks to that, she didn't think she was going to be intimate with either Guiche or Katie for a few nights.

    Louise cast a glare over to Ryan, as he explained the concept of "Back to Back Badasses" to Guiche and Katie, before she looked back down at the ground. "He's no better than Mott."

    At that moment, Siesta arrived, carrying a pot with several containers stacked atop it. "Oh, Ryan!"

    Ryan looked over. "Siesta, what's all of that stuff you're carrying?"

    Siesta lowered the containers so she could see over them properly. "Oh, Marteau and the others threw me a feast, but I was tired from today so I decided to take the extra food they had home with me. H-have you had dinner yet?"

    Ryan smiled. "No, I haven't, but if you're offering…"

    Siesta shook her head. "Just humbly requesting your company…" She smiled warmly to him. "… Master."

    Louise set her teeth, but said nothing, as Ryan smiled back. "I'd be honored. Besides, you look like you could use help with that."

    He looked to Guiche and Katie. "Guiche, Katie, I'm going to have to excuse myself for the night. You two have a good one."

    "Of course, Ingram. I'd wish you a good evening but you're well on your way to having one," Guiche replied.

    Siesta blushed at that, as Ryan took most of the bowls, leaving her with the pot. Smiling back to Guiche, he looked over to Louise. "If you need me, just call and I'll be there, Louise. You have a good night, you too Montmorency."

    Montmorency bowed politely, while Louise just mumbled something and nodded. As Ryan and Siesta walked towards the servants' quarters, Louise watched them and huffed in annoyance.

    "He's only been here a few days, and he's taken in that maid as a lover," Montmorency realized as she watched how Siesta looked up at Ryan.

    Louise nodded. "Yes."

    She took a deep breath, and let it out with an even more annoyed huff.

    "… But he already has a lover, back where he came from."
     
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    • You know, from the way he's talked about her, I'm gonna guess that Ryan's girlfriend from back home (can't remember her name if it was mentioned) is dead. And possibly for long enough that Ryan's been able to recover somewhat.
     
    New update is great. Mott at the end seems a bit OOC in his asshole-ness taking his loss somewhat okay and laughed at how Wardes got fooled, I'd have thought Mott would be scheming to get back at Ryan in the long run or something *shrug*

    Then again, Mott's a anime-only character so I can't really say I've got a good grasp on his character. It's not like this lowers my enjoyment of this chapter anyway, so it's all good :)
     
    Flere821 said:
    New update is great. Mott at the end seems a bit OOC in his asshole-ness taking his loss somewhat okay and laughed at how Wardes got fooled, I'd have thought Mott would be scheming to get back at Ryan in the long run or something *shrug*

    Then again, Mott's a anime-only character so I can't really say I've got a good grasp on his character. It's not like this lowers my enjoyment of this chapter anyway, so it's all good :)
    Click to expand...
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    Yeah, I think I should clarify the nature of that laugh. Either by editing it, or showing what becomes of Mott at the start of the next chapter...
     
    Now taking soundtrack suggestions for Everything and Nothing! Suggest tracks for the story!

    And bonus points to whoever caught the Firefly reference!
     
    Charon said:
    You know, from the way he's talked about her, I'm gonna guess that Ryan's girlfriend from back home (can't remember her name if it was mentioned) is dead. And possibly for long enough that Ryan's been able to recover somewhat.
    Click to expand...
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    Really? I got the impression that she was a succubus (with all that usually implies).
     
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