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Mana Based System - FoZ/Gamer

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    Horseshit. This had not just happened. Louise had not just destroyed a book from the Academy's Library. A book that could have been priceless! She doubted that this particular book was but… but…. Oh Founder, now what?

    Louise sat back down at her table. Her best option was to just go and tell a professor about it. The sooner she did it, the better. The problem was what to say about it. She couldn't just tell she didn't know, because that wasn't exactly true. Or at all. It'd been the words again. But she couldn't tell the truth. Obviously.

    Especially not after she'd finally succeeded at magic. Anybody could tell that the figments were related to that. Louise didn't want to think they were bad… things. She liked to think they were blessings from the Founder. Not everybody would think like that. Especially not people who didn't like her.

    And weren't there a lot of those…

    "Miss Vallière. There you are."

    Louise's spine straightened with a snap. She gulped and turned around. "Professor Colbert! How can I help you?!"

    The teacher paused as his experienced eyes took him the young lady's fidgeting. Immediately, he was worried, because Louise de La Vallière looked to him… like she felt guilty. And when one took into account everything else... "Is something wrong? You weren't in class and Professor Hooft tells me that's quite rare." Unheard of, had been the exact words.

    Louise bit her lip. Maybe a half-truth would be good? "Yes, I, well..." She took a deep breath to gain some time and reorder her thought. "I wanted to practice some more, my magic that is and… Ah, how shall I put this..."

    Colbert took care to sound approachable to his student, who he'd never seen at a loss for words. "What happened?"

    This was it. "I… destroyed a book?"

    "Pardon?"

    Louise cringed. "I was practicing fire spells..."

    "In the Fenrir library?" Colbert was half-astonished, half-horrified, his glasses nearly falling off his face. Fire spells in the Fenrir Library? He couldn't… he just couldn't wrap his head around it.

    She flinched. "I know, I'm very sorry. I'll repay the Academy for this gross mistake!"

    The professor straightened with a sigh. Well, he supposed the excitement of being able to cast might have risen to the young lady's head and… well, tragedy. It would tach her not to play with fire. From the way she "Which book was it?"

    "Fechtbuch von Messerstecherei, by Michael Lecküchner."

    Colbert translated the title in his head. He blinked. "Ah. Pardon me Miss Vallière but… why… that particular book?"

    Louise blinked herself. How was she going to explain that? "Well, I… I planned on getting myself a swordwand later." And she still did, sort of. "So I was looking for a book on fencing techniques." Just not about normal swordwands or rapiers, or because she was getting a sword. It was because of another different, mouthier and heavier sword.

    A swordwand, thought Colbert. Did she want to become a knight? He could see it, truthfully. She had the spirit, if not the discipline and humility that he knew made good knights. She lacked patience too, though he couldn't truly fault her for that. He could see her in the Corps, any of them. What she lacked could be gained with training and comrades, knowledge and friendships that lasted a lifetime. It really ran in the family, didn't it? Colbert wasn't from that time or branch of the Corps, but he'd heard enough about the La Vallières.

    He'd hoped, futilely, that none of his students would pursue such a career… but he'd been a teacher for over a decade. He'd settled for hoping none had to see what he had seen and striven to teach them what he'd learned that night.

    "I see. It probably didn't have any protective spells. The Headmaster will decide what to do, but I think reimbursing the Academy will be enough for that particular book." Speaking of whom. "In fact, we can do that in a moment. The Headmaster requested your presence."

    Louise frowned. Why would the Headmaster request her? She'd done nothing wrong, had she? Nothing beyond the book anyway. And it had to be something bad for her to be called in during classes. Her shoulders tensed besides her will. What if it was about the figments? It could only be that, couldn't it? "I see. Is he waiting for me now?"

    "Yes. Shall we go?"

    "I just need a moment to gather my things." Said Louise, already turning back to her table to put everything back in her satchel.

    As the library's doors closed behind their retreating backs, a form canceled the spell of tranquility they'd been holding and came into view from behind a bookshelf.

    Tabitha thumped her staff against the ground. What the hell had that been?
     
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    • When I saw that Tabitha was going to investigate Louise, I thought she'd try something involving talking. How silly that was.

    Is Louise instinctively moving like a trained person now or did the manual not cover that? I suppose Colbert would have picked up on it instantly if she was, so probably not. Love these other point of view moments.
     
    Is the title of the book supposed to be different from what the skill book alert called it? If not, you need to edit one of those, if so, it might be good to have Louise wonder why just to point out that it's not an error, in the text.

    Another winner of a story by the way, though since I'm mostly saving and reading offline these days I've only been building up a big folder of carpet like targets rather than taking the time when I can get online for a while.
     
    @minuseven
    I think you digging up information on the Messer is super cool and I'm glad you mentioned. I like old medieval weapons and German ones in particular. I also think the katana is highly over hyped.

    On the other hand, I think the Kriegsmesser is a terrible weapon for Louise. The Albion Swords version weapon is 37 cm shorter than Louise is tall and at the high end(upwards of 1.5 m according to Wikipedia), the sword is 3cm taller than Louise. Then consider the grip, Louise is a small girl with small hands, the grip may be uncomfortably wide and long. That's awful hard to be combat effective with, much less cast combat magic with. Especially since casting is typically portrayed as a one handed process and the curve of the blade can't help aiming a spell.

    I mean, it's fantasy and The Gamer would make anything work, but having to make something work isn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

    I think having Louise work at making it work long enough to get Derflinger's respect is a more reasonable situation. Derf can inhabit swords of his choice after all, so why not a nice swordwand or rapier?
     
    Last edited:
    minuseven said:
    This is magical Europe in the 17th century! Why a bloody katana!?
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    Because they're Japanese. Basically the same reason everyone speaks English in a lot of American media.

    minuseven said:
    I like swords. <3
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    Wecome to Corneria!

    Bailey Matutine said:
    Countdown to shippers showing up in...
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    I am already here!

    minuseven said:
    Tabitha thumped her staff against the ground. What the hell had that been?
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    Magic, dear Tabitha!
     
    Y'know, I've been wondering since Tabitha commented on Louise's eyes; did Joseph get a gaming interface when he did his familiar summoning? Of course, the same question applies to Vittorio.
     
    tortiecat said:
    Y'know, I've been wondering since Tabitha commented on Louise's eyes; did Joseph get a gaming interface when he did his familiar summoning? Of course, the same question applies to Vittorio.
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    Maybe, or it could be simply be how Louise is looking at things that aren't there. Tabitha might notice that before anyone else because her mother was driven insane, and seeing things is one of the hallmarks of insanity. Add in Joseph and Vittorio, (I forget which one Tabitha knows) neither of whom are quite... stable, a sudden burst of power with actions that remind Tabitha of her mother and that Louise doesn't have much to hold much attachment to anyone in the school...

    Tabitha may be thinking that Louise has gone insane and might be willing to burn the school around their ears in time.
     
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