Be careful what you wish for [ZnT/Touhou]

[Blackraptor]

...

"I must admit, the master stroke that you were able to pull of--" My intended compliment on Eleanore's final move was cut off by the sudden descent of my former student.

"That. Was. INSANE!" Cirno immediately exclaimed as she flew back down to ground level moments after the match was settled. Her angle of attack and outstretched arms seemed to indicate that her intention was to--

"Wait! Stop!" Eleanore managed to catch the ice fairy's intention too late as Cirno proceeded fly right into the blonde with a glomping hug. Naturally, such a thing ended up with Eleanore getting knocked back by the fairy before landing on her backside.

"That was freaking brilliant and crazy at the same time! You are the best thing ever!" Eleanore wasn't even able to show her immediate displeasure at being air-tackled by Cirno as my former student started showering the eldest sister with praise. I gave out a small smile, strangely feeling at ease despite my loss. Regardless of how they managed to accomplish the feat, the fact remains that Louise and Eleanore managed to overcome my challenge and defeat me. Speaking of Louse...

"I'll check on Louise. Try not to smother Eleanore too much Cirno, she's had a long night." I reminded my former student before walking back to where Louise was. My master was lying on her back and was completely motionless, both her wands were still in her hands.

"Louise, are you alright?" I asked my master as I got close enough. Her face was in a tight grimace and I could see her body fidgeting every now and then.

"It hurts..." She muttered quietly before opening her eyes to look at me.

"What does?" I asked as I knelt down by her side.

"...everything." She responded before grimacing again.

"I see." I acknowledged. It seemed that Louise pushed herself further than she had done before. Add to that the fact that she should be asleep by now and it was very understandable why her body seemed to be complaining at the time. I placed my hand on her forehead and noted that she wasn't developing a fever at least.

"What happened?" My master finally asked after a few moments of silence between us.

"Eleanore sucker punched me, I was mildly impressed. It was very well thought out and executed. The two of you won. Congratulations, Louise." I explained with a smile, honestly happy that the sisters were able to overcome my challenge at the last moment. I had expected Louise to give me a smile of pure exuberance after finding out about their victory. Instead Louise simply scowled at me making me raise a brow at my master.

"My whole body feels like it's burning too much for me to be happy right now." Louise explained her lack of enthusiasm in her reaction to their win. That was when I heard a tearing sound from behind me.

"What's wrong? Did Louise burn herself out or something?" I heard Yukari say as she leaned out of her newly formed gap by my side.

"I believe so. She was rapid casting her keyword far more times than what she normally could, and that was after all the physical effort she expended from out little match. I assume that you somehow know about what was transpiring here?" I asked the border youkai after taking my hand off Louise's forehead.

"I popped in a while ago while you were dancing around all over the place and Cirno filled me in. I knew that those two sisters would win so I arranged a little something as a small prize from me." Yukari explained before pulling out her fan, opening it, and covering the lower half of her face with it.

"And why did you expect them to be victorious over me?" I asked Yukari in mild curiosity. The border youkai leaned in closer to me before narrowing her eyes at me.

"Because they wanted to win and you didn't." She stated matter-of-factly. I blinked at her words but she cut me off before I could give out a coherent retort.

"And don't try to say something silly like you did not feel like winning. I've fought you when you didn't feel like winning, I know when you end up in that state of mind. This time was different. I could literally feel you not wanting to win. The moment I noticed that, I knew that you will lose." Yukari elaborated further. I see...it seemed that even Yukari could sense that I did not really want to win that match with Louise and Eleanore.

"Hey teach! We have a situation! Looks like Eleanore's hand got busted up after she socked you!" Cirno caught our attention when she called out to me. I turned to her and saw that she was pulling Eleanore to us with her left hand, the blonde's right hand seemed to be shaking and was starting to swell a bit.

"What the founder is your face made of?! It felt like I just punched an iron gate!" The eldest sister complained to me as she and my former student got close enough.

"Obviously made up of sterner stuff than your hand." Yukari joked, the lower half of her face still covered by her fan. Eleanore glanced at Yukari before pausing for a moment.

"Who in blazes are you?" The eldest sister asked the border youkai. The woman in question put her fan away and gave Eleanore a confident smile.

"I am Yukari Yakumo, the youkai of borders. I must congratulate you Miss Eleanore, you are the first and only human to ever be able to defeat Yuka Kazami using an unarmed melee attack. Well done." She introduced herself before pointing out the achievement that Eleanore unwittingly accomplished. The eldest sister stared at Yukari for a few more moments before nodding to her.

"I am Eleanore Albertine Le Blanc De La Blois De La Valliere. I'd like to say that it is a pleasure to meet a...someone like...you...but I'm sleepy, I'm tired, and my hand hurts far too much right now." Eleanore introduced herself as her gaze drifted to the gap that connected Yukari between this part of Mugenkan to the part that was tied to Gensokyo. The border youkai's expression changed from the confident smile to a more mischievous grin after hearing the other woman's words.

"And honest too~! I'm starting to like you almost as much as you little sister~! And on that note, I did say that I arranged a small prize for our victorious duo here." The border youkai said before waving her right hand to the side. Another gap appeared in the air before I heard the surprised yelp of a familiar voice.

"Aaaaah--augh!" One Touya Hakurei grunted after falling out the gap that Yukari made and landing on his backside. The young man made a displeased face before looking at his surroundings.

"Mugenkan huh?" He commented after seeing me and Yukari. His eyes immediately shot open after seeing my master lying on the ground.

"Louise! Hey, are you okay?" Touya called out to her as he stood before going to Louise's side. I briefly wondered why it was that people kept asking if one was okay when they can clearly see that they weren't. During that short tangential thought, Touya had knelt down beside Louise before placing his hand on her head.

"What happened? Was this the reason why you asked if I was busy?" Touya asked as he glanced between me and Yukari.

"Yep. Louise and her older sister here challenged Yuka and won. Unfortunately, they seemed to have come out of it worse that Yuka did. That's where you come in." The border youkai provided, making Touya blink before he finally noticed Cirno and Eleanore nearby.

"There is either a very reasonable, a very absurd, or a very silly explanation for this...or a combination of all three. I'll go along with it for now though so can you please give me some room?" The Hakurei priest requested before taking out some ofuda from within his robes. I nodded and stood up before taking a few steps back. Yukari and Cirno, who was still holding onto Eleanore, followed suit.

"Touya?" I heard Louise call out after she finally noticed the new arrival. The young man gave her a warm smile and a nod even as he started to pour power into the six sleeves of sacred paper.

"Hey there, Louise. Yukari brought me in to patch you up. I'll get you back on your feet in a bit so...try not to go anywhere." Touya explained before pulling out a bit of a jab at Louise's current situation. Instead of getting angry, my master simply tried to laugh at the joke but ended up groaning because of her current discomfort.

"Oops...sorry." The young man said before stepping back and tossing the ofuda in the air. The talismans surrounded Louise in a circular formation and stuck in midair like there was an invisible wall surrounding the girl. Touya put both of his hands forward and muttered an incantation before a white magic circle appeared on the ground my master was lying on.

"Who is that person and what is he doing to the runt?" Eleanore asked from my side. I glanced at the woman and saw that she was practically glaring daggers at the young man. It never ceases to amuse me that Eleanore could care for her sister yet constantly tries to hide it under the guise of apparent hostility. I wondered if it was just how she was brought up by her parents or just the way she personally was when Yukari picked up the question.

"That, dear Eleanore, is Touya Hakurei. That young man holds immense power that hasn't been seen in a human in our realm in approximately five-hundred years. He is also responsible for maintaining order and balance in Gensokyo. He is officially known as the Shield of the Eastern Wonderland...but he has another title as well~" Yukari answered before leading into a topic that has given the young man in question many a headache in recent years. Eleanore narrowed her eyes at the mention of how powerful Touya apparently was.

"So he's strong enough to defeat you in a fair fight?" Eleanore suddenly asked me with a sidelong glance. I considered her question for a moment before nodding.

"Potentially, yes. He has shown the capacity for power that was last seen only by one his ancestors...the one human who has ever defeated me in a straight battle. However, he needs much more training and experience to be able to even match me. Although, due to recent events, I doubt that he would have time for any serious training in." I commented with a shake of my head.

"What are you talking about?" Eleanore asked me with a raised brow.

"Heartcatch Touya~! Now everyone~! Heartcatch Touya~! Let the flowers blo--Mmph!" I purposefully clamped my right hand over Yukari's mouth to stop her from continuing that inane song.

"The lot of you are making less and less sense you know..." Eleanore commented dryly as Yukari tried to pry my hand off her face. Cirno barked out a laugh and decided to answer for the benefit of the eldest sister.

"That's his other title, Hearcatch Touya. Why? Because last we checked, there were at least a dozen women back in Gensokyo who have fallen in love with him. That's counting both humans and youkai by the way...and those were just the ones who have declared to others about their feelings or are about as obvious as the rising sun." The ice fairy explained with a bit of a chuckle.

"So he's popular with women? That's it? His other reputation stems from him romancing multiple females at once?" The blonde asked with a raised brow.

"Oh no. He isn't even trying. He has women falling for him just by him simply being himself. Just imagine how many women would fall if he decides to actually put some effort into it." Cirno clarified with a shake of her head. Indeed, after Touya reached his teenage years, he started inexplicably making various female residents' hearts flutter. I was not one of those victims since I held no interest to that particular emotion.

"To be fair, I don't believe that it was his fault. He simply seems to have a strange kind of charisma when it came to the opposite sex. In the time that I have known him, I can honestly say that he was simply being himself." I added with a shrug. Yukari used this opportunity to finally pry herself free from my grip.

"What can you do? Little Touya simply grew up to be a lady killer~" Yukari added at the end. The entire discussion was both out of the apparent earshot of the person in question and he was too busy with restoring Louise to notice. I blinked when I heard a growl that I could have sworn had come from Eleanore.

"And how long have those two known each other?" the blonde asked through gritted teeth as she once again started to glare at Touya. I was almost certain that the young man flinched a bit at that moment.

"Don't worry, Louise and Touya have only met once before. I doubt that they have had enough time to develop feelings for one another when they've only had a single conversation." I commented with a wave of my hand.

"Don't tempt fate, teach. I know from experience that it has a very consistent way of biting you in the rear when you least expect it." Cirno suddenly countered with a rather displeased expression.

"Are you sure it wasn't because you kept making Remilia upset about something or other?" I shot back with a small smirk. Cirno's brilliantly countered my jab by sticking her tongue out at me. Any further discussion was interrupted by the distinct whistling sound of Touya's spell winding down.

"Whew, that'll do it." The young man declared with a smile before offering a hand to Louise. My master accepted the gesture with a smile before taking Touya's hand.

"How do you feel now?" I asked as the rest of us walked back up to them.

"Better. Still tired but I can move now at least." Louise said with a nod.

"Sorry about that. All I can do is fix whatever physical damage your body may have incured during...whatever it was you were doing. As far as regaining your stamina is concerned, some old fashioned sleep and food is still the way to go." Touya sheepishly admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. Louise merely smiled at him and shook her head.

"No, thank you for healing me. I wouldn't even be able to stand if it wasn't for you." My master responded. The two of them proceeded to smile at one another for a rather long moment. Well, until Eleanore suddenly did a rather deliberate cough that caught everyone's attention.

"So how long do you two plan on holding onto each other's hand like that?" The woman asked, thus showing that she still had the capacity to snark despite her discomfort. Both Louise and Touya blinked at her for a moment, at the same time mind you, before looking down to confirm that they were indeed still holding hands. As expected by now, Louise was the first to react.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Big Sis Eleanore! Touya just helped me up! This doesn't mean anything, I swear!" My master immediately blurted out while releasing her hand from Touya's before holding both of her hands up in the air like thief caught in the act.

"Why is it that your denial just makes you even more suspicious runt? Hmmm?" Eleanore deadpanned before placing her left hand on her hip and leaning forward toward her sister. Touya looked like he wanted to intervene but narrowed his eyes when he saw Eleanore wince. I glanced at the likely cause and it seemed that the woman had inadvertently tried to place her right hand on her hip out of habit. Of course, trying this with a broken hand would inevitably result pain. The Hakurei priest seemed to have come to a similar conclusion because he quickly made his way in front of the eldest sister.

"Where are you hurt?" Touya immediately cut to the heart of the matter while looking up and down Eleanore's form in an effort to track down the cause of the older woman's pain. The woman in question did not seem to have been ready for such a forward question so she was unable to respond immediately. Thankfully, Cirno answered for her.

"Her right hand looks broken after she managed to sucker punch teach in the face. It was awesome. Otherwise, she seems to be okay aside from being tired." The ice fairy provided. Touya nodded at her words and glanced at Eleanore's right hand which was rather swollen now. The young man blinked before giving the blonde woman an incredulous look.

"You punched Yuka Kazami? In the face? How did you do that and live?" Touya asked the woman in question with a completely gobsmacked expression. At this point, Eleanore was starting to get uncomfortable at the situation.

"Wh-wh-what is with all this?! I just did what I had to do to win! Punching that man unawares was the only way for us to win at that point! Why is everyone so strung up about it?!" Eleanore finally voiced her concern at everyone there. Louise looked like she wanted to just explain just how punching me in the face was so special for a human to be capable of. However, it was Touya who made the next move by gently grasping Eleanore's right forearm so he could get a better look at her hand.

"Wait! What are you--" The woman's protests were cut of when Touya put his other hand over Eleanore's broken one. The soft white glow of a healing spell quickly made itself known as the young man went to work in mending the damage. Since the only real injury that Eleanore sustained was a broken hand, Touya did not need to place a bounded field around Eleanore in order to heal her.

"Yuka Kazami. Ask anyone in Gensokyo about the owner of that name and most would just tell you to stay away from the field of sunflowers. Yuka is one of the most powerful beings in Gensokyo and has been since way back before I was born. I've gone up against Yuka a few times and I've only been able to win once...and that was by the skin of my teeth using all the power I had." Touya explained with a smile while keeping his gaze focused on the healing spell he was using. The glow of the spell slowly died out to reveal Eleanore's all healed up.

"To be able to win against Yuka using a punch to the face and getting Yuka to acknowledge that win by that means...that's just something really special. For anyone. Good job." Touya added before giving Eleanore a very warm smile and squeezing her right hand. The eldest sister flinched and started to visibly blush at the gesture. She pulled her right hand away from Touya's grasp before holding it with her other hand.

"Th-th-th-there's no reason to say such things about what I did. I-I-I merely took my chance when the opportunity to strike presented itself." Eleanore quickly stated while folding her arms and looking away from Touya, her blush still very much visible on her face and was actually getting redder.

"Oh boy...and another one goes down. Truly, the power of the Heartcatch is a fearsome one." Cirno muttered with a lopsided grin.

"Hmmm...it's actually a wonder why you haven't become a victim yourself." I commented offhandedly. Cirno just chucked a bit before putting her hands on her hips.

"Please. Touya's like my kid brother. Saying that I might fall for him is like saying that I might fall for Wriggle or Mystia...and that would just be terrible." My former student whispered to me.

"Well anyway...would anyone please tell me what just transpired here? It looked pretty serious." Touya suddenly piped up again while scanning the field where our match took place...completely oblivious to the sideward glances that Eleanore was giving him. I shook my head at the sight before feeling something lean on my back. I turned my head to the source and saw Louise standing behind me and resting her head on my back.

"Tired?" I asked my master.

"Very. Can I stay like this for a while?" Louise asked me back before I felt her hand grab onto my vest as she put more of her weight on my back.

"Sure. We'll wrap up here then we can head back." I responded before turning back to the others. It seemed that Cirno was providing Touya a rather animated account of the match. Considering her vantage point, she should have been able to see everything that happened. Since Louise was using me for support while she rested, I was not able to join in on the conversation but I could still hear them quite well.

...

...

"A one hit unlimited pacifist no-flight run...that's...some handicap..." Touya muttered after hearing the conditions I set before the match. The young man shook his head before glancing at me for a moment then turning his attention back to the others.

"I'll say. But it was so teach could level the field enough to let Louise and Elly here have a chance at winning." Cirno added while jabbing her right thumb in Eleanore's direction.

"E-E-Elly? Don't just go changing people's names like that!" Eleanore immediately protested to Cirno's new nickname for her.

"She's right. Besides, you wouldn't want to mix her up with the Elly back home." Yukari pointed out with a grin. Cirno just shrugged in response but didn't seem like she was going to push the issue.

"Anyway. That was pretty much the conditions of the match. Either Louise and Eleanore get a clean hit on teach or he outlasts them without getting hit." My former student drew the conversation back to the main topic at the moment.

"So? What happened? I know nothing about the way the magic system in Louise's realm works, so how'd they manage to keep pressure on Yuka? Even on foot, I'd can't imagine Yuka Kazami as being an easy target." Touya asked, becoming more interested in how the match went, as he placed his right hand on his hip.

"Well, from what I saw and heard, Eleanore apparently used an active channeling spell to strike at teach with stone constructs that popped out of the ground. She made them at a pretty rapid and consistent rate, so it was pretty impressive to watch. Almost as impressive as watching Louise try to keep up with Yuka while all that was happening." Cirno explained what transpired during the first part of the match. Touya took in the information and gave the field another once over.

"That looks like a lot of earth being moved around. How were you able to cast that fast so many times without letting up or losing accuracy?" The Hakurei priest asked the eldest sister with a raised brow. Eleanore blinked at the direct question but recovered quickly before clearing her throat.

"I've developed, or it would be more accurate to say rediscovered, a casting system that allowed one to lace a spell incantation in a deliberate and measured melody. It was the only way I could think of to be able to perform Earth magic to the degree I wanted it to." Eleanore responded with a nod as if explaining the nuances of her unique casting system in a lecture.

"Wait...are you telling me that you created a hymnic spell...for wide area earth manipulation?! That is awesome!" Touya exclaimed before taking Eleanore's hands into his own, the action obviously making Louise's eldest sister blush again.

"W-w-w-well...such a casting method obviously has its limitations. Mother had shown me time and again that using song to cast magic would leave me open to all sorts of attacks. I can continuously manipulate and adjust the earth using my spell but I need to keep singing in order to maintain it. If I stop singing, so does the spell." The blonde explained the specifics of her unique casting style while once again adopting a more...lecturing feel in her words.

"Even so, I'd assume that kind of casting style isn't exactly widespread in your realm, is it?" Touya asked good-naturedly and got a nod from Eleanore in response.

"Well then, it's a unique and pretty creative way to utilize the spell system your realm has. Besides, judging by the result of the match, it's pretty effective in the right circumstances." The young man had effectively flipped Eleanore's argument on its head by pointing out the more positive side of the eldest sister's personal innovation. The woman in question simply blinked at the Hakurei priest, apparently unsure of what to make of his honest appreciation of her work.

"D-d-do you honestly believe that such a method is so special?" Eleanore finally managed to find her words once more but she sounded much more...subdued than before. Oh dear, she even had her head tilted downward but her eyes were glancing up so she could still look right into Touya's eyes...and yes, she was still blushing as well. I glanced at Cirno just as she was turning to me as well. Our eyes met and she just gave out a mildly exaggerated shrug. I turned my attention to Yukari and saw that she once again had her fan out and was covered her mouth with it. However, because I was to the side of her, I could clearly see her trying very hard not to suddenly burst out laughing because of this development. I looked back at the two of them and suddenly had an uncomfortable feeling about this situation.

By their victory, all three Valliere sisters have the right to be able to access Mugenkan at will. I'll still need to arrange the means for that but it shouldn't be too hard. However, Yukari has shown that she can just drop Touya in Mugenkan whenever she feels like it. In addition, Eleanore seems to be starting to develop something of an attraction to the young man because of his treatment of her...he also gets along well with Louise and I don't doubt that he would get along with Cattleya as well.

This entire situation almost seems to have been orchestrated by a deviously clever conspiracy. One that would take advantage of the possibility of a romantic bond developing between Touya Hakurei and any, if not more than one, of the three sisters. I would have called this out as a Moriya Shrine Conspiracy but nothing seemed to indicate their involvement in this matter. Besides, last time I heard, Kanako and Suwako had wanted the current priestess of the Moriya shrine to be paired up with Touya instead...one Rise Kochiya, a supremely confident young woman who honestly believes that she is the most powerful human in Gensokyo...until Touya defeated her in a Danmaku Battle a few dozen times. That's what she gets for having someone like Kanako Yasaka as her role model growing up. I once heard that Yukari had shown her support for that particular pairing, reasoning out that it would finally unite the two shrines into a unified family.

Of course, Yukari's version of support for the matter is merely a promise to not interfere with any attempt by the two goddesses to get Rise and Touya together. Meaning that the border youkai promised not to actively be part of nor go against any plans they make. Apparently, she had promised a non-intervention policy when it came to Touya's romantic dealings with anyone from Gensokyo. Yuyuko, Remilia, Kanako, Suwako, and somehow even Eirin made her promise that...I wasn't completely sure why though.

Unfortunately for all of them, Yukari is a master when it came to finding loopholes in agreements to have her fun with. How? Well, Louise and her sisters aren't from Gensokyo, are they?

Of course, it wasn't like I was just going to LET this happen in MY Border of Dreams.

I turned back to Louise after I heard her incoherently mumbling about something I couldn't quite get. I saw that she had somehow managed to doze off while leaning on me. I sighed at the fact that my master was that tired to be able to fall asleep while standing up. I carefully picked her up in my arms before walking toward everyone else.

"Cirno can give you the rest of the details about the match at a more convenient time. However, both Louise and Eleanore need at least some sleep before morning arrives in Halkeginia...especially after everything that has happened thus far." I stated, catching everyone's attention while gesturing to the now sound asleep Louise in my arms.

"Hmph! I didn't expect the runt to have so little stamina. However, I agree about returning since I am also feeling very tired now." Eleanore concurred with my sentiment but only after getting one last jab off.

"Right, have a good rest then. Sounds like you two have really earned it." Touya told Eleanore before finally letting go of the woman's hands. The blonde did not respond but she did look slightly displeased for some reason. I then turned to Cirno in order to get started on that other thing.

"Fill in Touya and Yukari about the details on why this match even happened. Hopefully the three of you can figure out the best way to resolve the issue with Cattleya health." I reminded my former student before walking off to the door that led back to Eleanore's room, Louise in my arms and Eleanore following close behind.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Do you mind taking Louise? I need to shut the door." I asked Eleanore after we entered her room once more. Exiting Mugenkan immediately reverted the clothing of both sisters back to their evening wear that they had on prior to the match. The blonde scowled at me for a moment but took Louise from my arms anyway before walking towards her bed. I turned back to the door to my realm and closed it, making sure that it dematerialized before turning back to the others.

"Hm?" I raised a brow when I noticed that Ruukoto was no longer inside the room. Did something happen while we were away? I was about to try to contact to the gynoid using my 'Hey-Listen' when the door suddenly opened to reveal the gynoid in question.

"Did anything happen?" I asked it immediately just as Eleanore finished tucking Louise into her bed. I was assuming that the eldest sister did that either so her younger sister could get some much needed rest or she found it too much of a bother to send Louise to her own room at this hour.

"Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto reported while I shut the door as quietly as possible. Hmmm...some good news I supposed.

"What is it?" Eleanore piped up as she looked between me and Ruukoto. The woman looked like she was about ready to pass out but I doubted that she was going to budge until she got a straight answer.

"Ruukoto was minding the door from outside just in case anyone decided to check up on you and Louise while we were in Mugenkan. That butler of yours, Gerard, came by to ask if you or Louise needed anything. Ruukoto managed to activate White Noise beforehand and explained that the two of you were already resting and did not want to be disturbed." I responded while indicating toward the gynoid as it continued to stand by the door. Eleanore hummed in acknowledgement but narrowed her eyes at me as if anticipating that there was something more. I gave my own hum of amusement as her intuition proved correct in that regard. I gave out a very small smile as Eleanore continued to show how perceptive she was when she wanted to.

I had a feeling that she and Matilda would either get along well or end up as rivals of sorts because of their comparable intellect and wit. That and the fact that they are both rather impressive Earth Magicians, strange that I had the most fun when facing off against Earth Element Specialists. Kirche and Tabitha weren't really much of a match for me while Wardes was almost a chore to fight against mostly due to his undead status at the time.

"In addition to that, it seems that Cattleya's condition seems to have stabilized. The healers that treated her were able to deal with the worst of it apparently. Although, I assume that this was only a temporary solution to the issue?" I explained before directing the question to both Eleanore and Ruukoto. The gynoid made a motion to reply but was preempted by the blonde who took a step toward Ruukoto and pointed at it.

"Before you say anything, do that thing you do so I can understand you first. That thing with the glowing and the changing of your eye color." Eleanore stated in a commanding tone, though I noted that the volume of her voice was much lower than I expected it to be. I decided not to point that out or ask if she was doing it for Louise's sake. That kind of childishness was more Yukari's thing...and I grew tired of doing that myself a long time ago. The gynoid in question blinked once before turning to me, likely deferring to my judgement since its mistress was currenly unconscious.

"Do it. It will save us the trouble of using me as a go-between if Eleanore needs any information from you." I stated with a nod, which Ruukoto returned before activating White Noise.

"Miss Cattleya vital signs have stabilized enough to conclude that she is out of immediate mortal danger. However, please be advised that her overall health has not improved and the rate of organ degeneration is still holding at the previously measured rate. It is logical to assume that similar incidents have happened previously and may happen in the future if cause is not permanently treated. Estimated time until irreversible damage to critical organs remains at three weeks time. Margin of error on estimate is plus-minus five days." Ruukoto reported using its 'motherly voice' so to speak, confirming my suspicions. I turned to the eldest sister and saw that she was biting on her right thumbnail rather hard and had a very displeased expression. Any and all traces of the shy Eleanore that was blushing and stammering in front of Touya Hakurei was completely gone. What remained was the Eleanore that fearlessly questioned the circumstances of my existence and my relationship with her sister. What remained was the woman who challenged me to a match alongside Louise for the sake of their sister despite not knowing what she was getting herself into. What remained was the first and only human to ever manage to get a win over me using a punch to the face. I smiled despite myself when I realized one thing about this woman.

I found myself thinking that I liked this side of Eleanore better...not that I would willingly admit that to anyone of course.

"I would assume that this kind of thing has happened before then?" I questioned Eleanore just to make sure. The blonde nodded without looking at me as she continued to gnaw on her fingernail. She looked significantly haggard despite her fierce expression, clearly displaying her fatigue after what she had just been through. I sighed before walking up to her, raising a brow after she showed no reaction with my approach nor with our subsequent proximity. She didn't seem to even register that I was right there. Eleanore finally showed a reaction when I reached out and gently took her right hand into mine before pulling it away from her teeth. The woman realized what I was doing and glared at me for what I was rather sure were several personal reasons for her.

"What do you think you're doing, familiar?" Eleanore all but snarled at me in a tone of voice that I would normally expect from Karin. I let the obvious shot at me slide since I understood the kind of stress she was going through at the time.

"I merely did not wish for you to accidentally bite into your thumb. At the rate you were going, it was only a matter of time until you would have been subject to a rather unpleasant experience, or so I hear." I explained, remembering the story Cirno told me about that one incident when the fairy maids decided to instigate an uprising in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. My former student was inside the Voile Magic Library when that whole mess started.

At first, she and little Patchouli just thought that it was Marisa doing her runs again. Even after the Ordinary Magician finally ended up marrying that shopkeeper of Kourindou, she still didn't give up any of her old habits easily. That theory fell through after Remilia, Sakuya, and China burst into the library before forcibly closing the door and practically screaming at Patchouli to put up every defensive spell or ward that she knew of to surround the libary with. When the purple-haired magician asked why, with a raised brow, she should need to do such a thing...well, a rather large amount of magic bolts slammed into the door.

Supposedly, The Scarlet Devil had been working the fairy maids beyond their capacity for several months now. Normally the fairy maids just dealt with it solemnly day by day, especially with Sakuya watching over them like a hawk...or a dog as it were. Eventually though, the maids got fed up of their treatment and went on a full on revolt through sheer force of numbers. You'd actually be surprised how many maids were really in that mansion. Also being personally trained by Sakuya means that they were a step up compared to wild fairies.

Eventually, Reimi Hakurei...who had just been recently engaged at the time, found out what was going on and had to fight through the waves upon waves of fairy maids that filled the Scarlet Devil Mansion in a similiar way that her mother once did during the red mist incident. Of course, like her mother, she did not go in alone. Unlike her mother though, she was not accompanied by Marisa Kirisame. Instead, Reimi somehow...for some odd reason...requested and acquired the assistance of  Reisen Udongein Inaba and Mystia Lorelei. This incident was one of the first that were resolved with the help of those who would eventually make up Cirno's little team, Seventh Heaven.

Incident resolved, crisis mostly averted, things in the Scarlet Devil Mansion went back to relative normalcy. Remilia learned her lesson and treated the fairy maids more like the employees they were supposed to be rather than slaves. Although, it took some convincing by Sakuya and some heavy duty snarking and I-told-you-so's by Patchouli before the Scarlet Devil finally folded and gave the maids a raise, actual days off, and vacation days. Of course, Remilia ended up gnawing at her right thumbnail so hard while the whole mess was going on that she accidentally bit on her own thumb. It was such a stupid and uncharacterstic mistake by Remilia that Cirno ended up laughing when it happened. Patchouli joined her after a few moments, though with her it sounded more like a sly snicker than anything.

"I do not need your concern. I know how to take care of myself, familiar." Eleanore's words snapped me from my reverie before she jerked her hand away from my grasp.

"True enough. However, like Louise, you have been through much this night and require an adequate amount of sleep. I suggest that you do so while you can. We can figure out what to do with Cattleya in the morning." I explained calmly to the eldest sister. Much like Matilda, Eleanore was no fool. She should know that my suggestion was correct and that depriving herself of any more rest will only be detrimental to her in the long run. However...

"You expect me to go to sleep while my younger sister is barely clinging onto her life?" The blonde all but snarled at me. Indeed, when it came to family, humans can be rather irrational and stubborn. Reika Hakurei proved that notion when Aya spread that stupid rumor after Reimu was born. Eleanore was showing that it was a common trait for all humans who had family that they loved.

"Think, Eleanore. Think hard. Ruukoto has already stated that your sister's condition is stable for now. That means that we still have time to do what is needed to treat her. Right now, you cannot do anything more than to get some rest and prepare for the next move. You have already done much and as I promised, the doors to my realm are open to the three of you. I have made sure to have Cirno get Yukari and Touya up to speed on her situation so we can leave the means for her cure up to them." I responded as I put myself in front of her and placed my hands on her shoulders. I gently but firmly started to guide her backward to her bed. Thankfully, Louise was placed on the other side so there was no fear of Eleanore falling on top of my master.

"Rest now. We have much yet left to do before Cattleya can be fully treated. For now, savor your victory and sleep. Ruukoto and I will keep an eye on Cattleya's condition in the meantime." Eleanore finally relented and sat back down on her bed before looking up at me. Her expression betrayed her fatigue and her anxiety but her eyes never lost that fire that she had when she challenged me earlier. I smiled at her before gently removing her glasses before placing it on her desk. Eleanore scowled at me for doing that without her permission but looked away after a moment, her face showing a hint of pink, before tucking herself into her bed for the night.

"Where will you and the maid sleep?" Eleanore asked without turning to me or Ruukoto.

"Ruukoto does not need to sleep. I wasn't really planning on sleeping either, so we will both remain up for the duration of the night." I replied with a noncommittal wave of my hand. That drew out a surprising reaction from the eldest sister. I blinked at her when she suddenly gave out a bark of a laugh that I would normally expect from other people...certainly not her. Eleanore turned to face me as if sensing or anticipating my reaction.

"Not wanting to have to deal with those questions you mentioned before?" Eleanore asked, throwing back to our encounter in the gardens before Cattleya collapsed. I was mildly surprised that she was able to remember that little quip of mine after all that transpired afterward. The woman seemed to take my silence as a 'yes' since she decided to continue.

"I'm not sure what you're dealing with or why you keep avoiding those questions of yours. If you are really avoiding them, then they can either just be annoying and not worth your time as you said, or they are questions you don't have answers...or they hit too close to home and just don't want to acknowledge the answer you arrive at." She inferred before turning away from me again.

"If the reason why you avoid those questions is not the first, then I suggest that you stop trying to run away from the problem. Deal with it as soon as you can before it's too late and ends up blowing in your face." The woman stated matter-of-factly. I scoffed at her words. A human woman who I've only known for less than a week telling me what to do when it comes to an issue between me and my subconscious self? Laughable.

"I would if I had a suitable reply to them. The questions that were posed to me are not so easy to confront or answer." I retorted with a bit of an edge to make sure she realizes that her council in that matter was not needed. Eleanore responded with a a soft snort before shaking her head a few times.

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy to obtain. Good night, familiar." Was her parting shot before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

"Fuga." I heard Ruukoto state from behind me. I sighed before turning to the gynoid who was once again doing an impression of a piece of furniture as it stood motionless against a wall.

"Yes, I realize that she was able to get the last word in." I responded before shaking my head one more time and walking up to the large window that adorned the eldest sister's room. I looked up at the twin moons of this realm and suddenly felt like this whole thing somehow involved them.

"Ridiculous." I muttered before turning back to the bed when I heard the sheets getting ruffled around. I raised a brow and gave a small smile when I saw Louise moving around until she was clinging onto her older sister like a pillow. Eleanore visibly frowned but instead of pushing my master away, she just adjusted herself until both sisters were embracing each other. I blinked when I noticed Ruukoto standing at the bedside and was staring at the two sisters. I initially wondered what it was doing but I managed to figure it out after a moment.

"So you were able to record this little moment?" I asked with an amused smile as I folded my arms and leaned back.

"Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto responded with a nod before walking back toward the corner of the room it was previously at.

Hm, High-Definition Pictures and Video at Twelve-Eighty-Thousand-P resolution. Not bad. Should be amusing to show the sisters or Cirno at a later date. We just have to make sure that Cattleya will be among those that will be able to see this little scene in the future.

...

The morning that followed wasn't really the brightest that Louise had ever experienced. Gerard alerted us that breakfast was served a little past dawn. Timely for such a meal, however, it turned out that all the events that transpired last night ate up much more time than we had originally expected. Because of this, Eleanore and Louise only had roughly around four hours of sleep or less. Now normally, Louise takes a bit to be able to wake up after a full night's sleep. Getting her to wake up while she was in that state was a tiresome affair to say the least.

Thankfully, Eleanore was much more used to functioning with limited amounts of sleep, likely a product of her profession or something. In any case, the eldest sister was able to wake up and get dressed...after kicking me out of the room for a few minutes.

"Familiar! Get in here and help me wake up the runt!" The blonde hissed at me after opening the door to her room. The woman was once again wearing a white long-sleeved blouse accompanied with a beige skirt. Well, it wasn't like I had any room to talk when it came to range in clothing. I looked inside the room and saw Louise sprawled on the bed rather contently despite this not being her own room.

"You already know my name. Would it be such a blow to your pride for you to address me with it?" I asked Eleanore in passing before entering the room. I did not hear any reply but I was certain that the woman was now glaring at me rather heartily. I ignored the feeling and walked up to Louise, who was oddly sporting a rather stupid grin. I raised a brow at the odd sight since I normally see Louise in Mugenkan whenever she was asleep. What ever could she be dreaming about?

"Yuka~...Emi~lio~...Matilda~n...Amph~" My master mumbled in her sleep before she grabbed a pillow and started chewing on it. What the blazes was she dreaming about?

"My pillow!" Eleanore exclaimed before trying to pull her pillow out of her sister's grasp. If I wasn't bearing witness to it at that moment, I probably wouldn't believe it if someone described the current scene to me. Eleanore was finally able to pry her pillow from Louise's grasp after performing something akin to a soft battlecry. My master started grabbing around the air with a displeased expression after her sister relieved her of her inedible morning snack.

"Hmmm...someone stole my Yuka-bun..." Yuka...bun? I immediately concluded that any dream wherein Louise consumes any kind of food-based representation of myself needed to end. Now.

Since my master refused to wake up despite her sister's best efforts, I decided to perform a means of waking her up that worked the first time she asked me to wake her up. I reached out with my left hand and pinched her nose to cut off her airflow. The effect was as immediate as it was the first time as Louise's expression quickly turned sour before she finally woke up in a gasp of surprise.

"Agwaaah!" Louise suddenly yelled out. I managed to release my grip on her nose and back away a step a split second before she gasped for air. I was about to check on Louise when I felt something smack on the back of my head.

"What the founder are you doing to my sister?!" Eleanore yelled from behind me. Somehow I felt like something like this had happened before.

"I was waking her up." I responded simply. The strike didn't hurt by any means so there was no real need for me to be offended by such a gesture or sisterly concern.

"Wha...Yuka? Bis Sis Eleanore?" Louise muttered out loud from her still very sleepy state. She was probably wondering why she could hear us even though she just woke up. I wouldn't be surprised if her brain hadn't caught up enough with her yet to realize where is was at the moment and what happened last night.

"Time to wake up runt! Get up! Get to your room! Get dressed! Get ready for breakfast! I don't care how sleepy you are, I am not going to take another lecture about punctuality from mother because of you! Here!" Eleanore ranted to her still mostly asleep sister as she pulled my master out of her bed before, in a show of surprising upper body strength, tossed Louise right at me. The distance and height of the toss wasn't really much of a distance and height...and Louise wasn't exactly heavy...but the fact that Eleanore would be willing to manhandle her sister that easily was quite the eyebrow raiser.

"Wha-augh!" Louise gasped before grunting after I caught her in midair. I set her down and saw that Louise was blinking dumbly, probably still unsure of what was happening. I turned back to Eleanore and saw her hands on her hips and was glowering at us again.

"Well don't just stand there staring at me like a monkey, go!" Eleanore yelled at us. Louise winced at the voice volume that her sister was able to throw around. I simply shrugged before taking Louise by the hand and leading her to the door. Ruukoto was already there and was holding said door open for us. I let the gynoid go through first along with my master before starting to close the door. I stopped midway when I remembered something. I opened the door a bit wider again and looked inside to see Eleanore still glaring at me. I ignored it and smiled at her.

"Good morning by the way." I stated before finally closing the door.

...

Breakfast at the Valliere manor that day was a rather quiet affair. When we arrived, Karin, Eugene, and Eleanore were already seated. The two parents were already eating while Eleanore was finishing up her preparations for the meal.

My master was still rather groggy even after we got back to her room and had her change out of her evening wear. She was wearing a simple white blouse and black skirt along with matching shoes. Simple and similar to her usual school uniform, albeit with a longer skirt, but it was the first thing Ruukoto managed to grab for Louise to change into. We didn't have time to go through Louise's three wardrobes and find something for her to wear, so Ruukoto just used the clothes that Louise had packed in her luggage while I undressed my master. I understood that, from the way Eleanore seemed to critical about it earlier and they way Karin reacted to Louise's lateness from her summons the day before, the Duchess was a bit of a stickler when it came to schedules. Louise didn't need any added stress to what was already there, so I made sure to get her ready as soon as possible. Once ready, Louise led us to a large balcony that overlooked the gardens where the rest of her family were being served breakfast. Well...most of them. My master took a step forward to greet her family.

"Good morning mother, father, Big Sister Eleanore..." Louise trailed off when she noticed that Cattleya wasn't among the people that were already seated for breakfast. I also noted the lack of a middle sister there and glanced around to see if she just stepped away from a moment. Nothing. I turned back to the occupants of the breakfast table and found that Karin had stopped eating and was staring at Louise with narrowed eyes. My master seemed to have noticed this and flinched before lowering her head.

"...and I apologize for not arriving to breakfast earlier. I humbly ask for your consideration." Louise continued the line of dialogue that she had intended to say before she noticed the absence of her sister. Karin continued to simply stare at her youngest daughter without any response to my master's words. Eugene seemed content to continue his breakfast as if the small standoff between his wife and youngest daughter was not happening. Eleanore was staring intently at her eggs and bacon without actually starting to eat her meal yet. Despite her focus on her food, her expression betrayed her tension to the current situation despite her visible effort to conceal it.

I gave a sidelong glance to Ruukoto to see if the gynoid was considering intervening in this situation since Karin was basically performing a psychological attack on its mistress. Interestingly enough, the gynoid made no move nor showed any visible reaction at all. Louise on her part did not seem to be tensing up as much as Eleanore was. I could sense that she was nervous and worried but she was not freaking out or cowering at the moment. I found out why when Karin finally closed her eyes and picked up her cup of what I assumed was tea.

"Be seated and eat." The Duchess stated without giving any further acknowledgement of her daughter. My master did what she was told and sat down on the only available seat left at the table. Obviously, this meant that Ruukoto and I were in a standing room only as far as anyone else was concerned. Their meal continued in silence as Louise and Eleanore tried to act as normally as they could by eating their breakfast. Ruukoto and I were standing side by side behind Louise and I could tell the anxiety that both sisters were feeling. After all, their sister is not at the breakfast table even after they finally have a chance to treat her condition after overcoming a challenge that most others in their realm would have failed at. It seemed that their parents noticed the same as I saw them share a glance before Karin closed her eyes and continued eating.

"Cattleya's condition has improved but she is still too weak to leave her bed. The servants were arranged to serve her breakfast and to attend to all her needs until she regains her strength." The Duke stated matter-of-factly while looking between her two daughters at the table. As if on cue, both Louise and Eleanore gave out a sigh of relief at the same time. After that, both sisters seemed to have been able to enjoy the rest of their breakfast.

"So? What do you think of the conditions surrounding the coalition forces?" Karin suddenly asked her husband, eliciting a raised brow from the Duke. The man put down his cup of tea and closed his eyes before humming and stroking his still-striking mustache. I also noticed that Louise seemed to have stopped eating and wasn't moving anymore.

"The Pope has given his full support on the proposal made by Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta. Gallia and Germania have also agreed to the terms provided that they were given a health donation of Wind Stones from Albion once the Kingdom was returned to the rightful heir. In fact, they all seemed to be ready to finally make a first move to test the border defense of Albion." Eugene stated contemplatively. I see, so Wales and Henrietta were finally able to gain enough support from the other countries to try to take back Albion from Cromwell. I saw Louise visibly relax and continue eating after hearing that news. If all goes well, Cromwell should be taken care of without any personal effort on our part. Louise and I already told the two royals about the Water Ruby and the agreement we had with the Embodiment of Water and they agreed to return the treasure should their forces be able to retrieve it from the man. Finally, things were actually going our way for once so none of us needed to be involved in any more incidents over there. All we had to do now would be to find a way to be able to get Cattleya into Mugenkan safely for treatment and wait for Matilda to return from whatever she was taking care of after we go back to the Academy.

I allowed myself a smile at the thought of everything going relatively well compared to all the hectic things we had to deal with before.

"I asked you what you think of all that, not what everyone else thought of it." Karin suddenly said while giving her husband a flat stare. Eugene for his part seemed to have noticed his mistake and tried to cover up his embarrassment with a cough.

"Indeed. Well...I'm not against taking back Albion from the hands of that madman. If what the Prince and the Princess were saying were true, along with the reports of the survivors of the battle for Tarbes were accurate...along with your own account on the events that day...it seems certain that it would be in everyone's best interest to remove such threats from Halkeginia." Eugene appended his previous statement with his own personal opinion on the matter. It seemed that the Duke had gotten wind of what happened at Tarbes from both the military reports as well as her wife's testimony...which would likely mean that he knows of our involvement there. My master seemed to have come to the same conclusion as she once again tensed up at the mention of Tarbes.

"But..." Karin added, continuing to push her husband. Eugene seemed to have given up on whatever verbal match he and his wife were currently engaging themselves in and just let out a defeated sigh.

"But the Germanians tried to do a preemptive raid with a small elite force of soldiers consisting of both nobles and commoners. They were some of the best that the Germanians had and their Emperor and Generals believed that they will be able to take Saxe Gotha using a small unit of elites. They grossly underestimated what Albion had waiting for them." Eugene added after getting the prompt from his wife. Louise's father then gave out a contemplative hum before steepling his fingers in front of him.

"Eighteen of the twenty members of Germania's Elite Schwarzer Hase were eliminated by a single opponent." The Duke stated in a resigned manner. That got everyone's attention. Both Louise and Eleanore were staring at their father with their own expressions of surprise. Karin simply gave out a acknowledging hum at her husband's words but gave no visible signs of any other reaction. I had no idea who those Schwarzer Hase were and how good they allegedly are, but it seemed that they had a bit of a reputation to their collective name.

"Fuga. Fuga Fuga. Fuga." Ruukoto whispered barely audible to even my hearing. However, it seemed that the gynoid knew about that special unit from the books in the Tristain Magic Academy's library. Why the academy had books about an elite military task force of another country? I didn't really know or care. Regardless, it seemed that the Schwarzer Hase, translated as Black Hares, were a special unit that a previous Emperor of Germania formed back when that country and Tristain had a less than friendly relationship. Because Germania apparently had the lowest ratio of magicians to commoners in Halkeginia, several members of that unit could not cast any form of magic. Thus, they needed to be a bit more...creative in fighting the more magic-inclined armies of Tristain. A mixture of magicians and commoners made up the unit and used stealth, training, teamwork, and cunning to overcome superior foes to great success. From Karin's reaction, it was not out of the realm of possibility that she had encountered them before.

"Were the survivors able to identify the assailant?" Eleanore was the one who asked that after the table went silent for a while. Eugene nodded before considering his words for a moment.

"The ones who made it out alive were able to identify the attacker as female. She had short green hair that was mostly covered with a jester's hat that had a symbol of the sun on it. Her face was equally obscured by a black jester's mask that also had the symbol of the sun on it. The woman was wearing a blue blouse with a yellow ribbon on the chest. She also had a blue skirt that was addorned with several symbols of the crescent moon and stars. One survivor managed to get close enough to identify a black choker on her neck as well. The attacker was wielding a steel chained staff that had a large crescent on one end as a focus. The strange thing about the report was that the attacker commanded advanced Earth Magic, at least Square-Class, as well as being able to create bolts of yellow light from the staff. However, they could not identify if she was using fire magic or something else entirely." The Duke answered with a rather detailed account to the apparent identity of the mystery attacker. He and Karin seemed to be discussing with Eleanore pitching in every now and then. However, anything after Eugene's initial description might as well have been background noise. I was too busy trying to make sense of what Louise father just said.

Aside from hair length, hat, and mask...Eugene just gave out an accurate description of how Mima looked like down to her chained crescent staff. But there was more. I almost wanted to call it since it would have explained where the Evil Spirit went after the events of Mystic Square. However...in addition to dressing and being equipped with most of Mima's gear, the mystery magician also seemed to be rather versed in using Earth Element Magic.

As far as I knew, Mima didn't know of any Earth based spells. She always simply used spells derived from raw magic like what Marisa used before she started weaponizing love, which makes sense since Mima was Marisa's old teacher.

A green haired magician that was very skilled at earth magic that was wielding Mima's staff and protecting Albion territory.

I had a very bad feeling about that...and based on how Louise suddenly turned to me with an almost horrified expression, she seemed to have arrived at the same suspicion as I since there was only one woman that we knew of that fit the bill.

As impossible as it seemed...there was a chance that the person that the Schwarzer Hase encountered was the person Louise and I have been patiently waiting for the return of. My expression tensed visibly as I considered the possibility.

"Matilda..." I hissed quietly, only loud enough for Ruukoto and Louise to hear. My master returned to eating her breakfast with much more fervor while the gynoid simply closed its eyes and continued it vigil behind its master.

Lovely...just what we needed on top of Cattleya's condition.

...

[Blackraptor]

Aaaaand that's it! You guys are now up to date on Be careful what you wish for. Sorry if I haven't updates this in a while, I thought no one was interested in this story anymore because no one comments on it anymore.  Thank you to palver7 who reviewed this on ff.net and stating otherwise.

With that said, I would like to also point out that there is an active side-story for this story called 'Fantastic Shrine Tales of Hidden Romance' located here.

That side story is about the Gensokyo side of BCWYWF and focuses on Touya Hakurei and the people around him. Currently, I gave the guys over at the Spacebattles thread for this story free reign on that side story because I have too much stuff to write as it is. You can check out what they've been up to so far here. Feel free to add ideas and snips over there or here if you want. I'm also giving you guys a chance to contribute to that side story so long as it does not violate anything I have written about Touya and Gensokyo in BCWYWF and the first chapter of FSToHR.

Cheers gents.

[Blackraptor]

...

"Louise, panicking about this won't solve anything. You should know this already." I reminded Louise as she paced around her room in a rather brisk manner while clutching Emilio close to her chest. The blatant worry that marred her face was caused by the unexpected piece of news that her parents discussed earlier at breakfast. My master had excused herself from the breakfast table as soon as she finished her meal before almost dragging both Ruukoto and myself back to her room. Judging from the looks that her parents and Eleanore gave her, none of them understood why Louise suddenly retreated like that. Although, from the disapproving look that Karin gave her youngest daughter, Louise might hear about it later from her mother at length.

"Panicking? Who's panicking? I'm not panicking? Why should I be panicking?" Louise stammered in response while continuing her march around her room as she pulled and squeezed on her stuffed lion plushie, likely from the stress.

"Just because father mentioned an Earth Mage that literally almost fit Matilda's description. Just because father mentioned that said Earth Mage was prancing around Albion. Just because father mentioned that said Earth Mage was openly defending Albion soil from intruders. Just because said Earth Mage apparently killed over a dozen members of the best military strike team that Germania has. I'm not panicking at all, Yuka! Why should I be panicking if Matilda might just be in Albion and using her magic against other people while garbed and equipped like that evil spirit friend of yours! There is clearly no need to panic about something like that!" Louise continued and built up momentum for her rant until she was practically screaming at me. I put a stop to that and prevent any further bouts of hysteria by walking up to her and grabbing her shoulders before shaking her once.??

"Louise! Calm down, you are better than this!" I stated to her in all seriousness and a small bit of annoyance.

"But...!" Louise tried to counter but I simply put my right hand up to interrupt her before she gathered steam for another round of crazed declarations.

"But we don't know if that person referred to in that report really is Matilda. It is not impossible that those Germanian soldiers encountered someone else out there." I pointed out to calm her down. I just hoped that I was not merely deluding myself with my own words. Louise still did not look convinced. No, she still looked very scared at the moment. Scared at the possibility that the person that fought and killed those humans really might be Matilda. Scared of what that could mean for the former thief. Scared about the ramifications of such a possibility.

"Yuka, I don't know of any other Earth Mage that can do anything like that aside from Matilda, Headmaster Osmond, and my sisters. And, out of all of them, Matilda is the only one that has green hair." My master deduced the cause of her fears. I sighed before making a counter-argument.

"Matilda hates the Nobles currently in charge of Albion more than any other human I know of, especially considering its current ruler. There is no way she would willingly cooperate with them, you know this." I stated back to her but Louise merely shook her head and gave me a worried expression.

"Willingly...what if they found out about what happened after she tried to steal the Staff of Destruction? What if they threatened Matilda's sister and those orphans again? What if...what if...it's even worse this time?" Louise asked me questions she knew I did not have answers to, all the while slowly sinking back into her personal pit of despair. I was not able to respond to her inquiries since I really did not have any answers to give her. All signs given so far pointed to Matilda being the perpetrator of the deed.

"What ever happend to that evil spirit? The one Yukari said that used to haunt the Hakurei Shrine and fought alongside you against the demons?" Louise asked me in a subdued voice. I blinked at the sudden and unexpected request for an impromptu history lesson. I considered her questions before responding.

"I don't really know. Mima never returned to Gensokyo with us after that incident. Even Marisa did not know what happened to her teacher after the battle. In fact, the last time I saw her was when she and Marisa opted to stay behind in order to face Alice and her sisters and asked Reimu and I to go on without them. To this day, I have no idea what happened to her." I answered. That one point unnerved me a great deal but I made sure not to show it. Unfortunately, it seemed that Louise was either expecting that response or simply picked up on it.

"Then it's possible that Mima could have ended up here then, right?" My master asked me.

"I...am not certain..." I admitted while closing my eyes. I could have simply waved it off as being impossible. Unfortunately, the fact that both Ruukoto and a Kappa-made Rawket Lawnchair managed to arrive here in the past countered that line of thought almost immediately. To say nothing of my own presence in this realm after Louise summoned me as well. If they were able to get here, who knows what else...or who else. Something that I will seriously need to talk to Yukari about later to be sure.

"What...what do we do, Yuka?" Louise asked me...pleaded to me in a manner not unlike how she did when asking for help in regards to Cattleya's condition. Speaking of...

"For the moment, we need to focus on saving your sister from a slow but very certain death. Everything else can wait after that. I will speak to Yukari about the possibility of Mima slipping into Halkeginia after the events on Mystic Square. In the meantime, you can ask Henrietta or Wales about more specific information about that Mysterious Earth Magician once they return from Romalia." I reminded my master before suggesting a plan of action for the new issue we might end up having to deal with. Honestly, it's one thing after another with this realm. Is it so hard to ask for at least a month of peace and quiet? No, is it so hard to ask for all these silly incidents to stop altogether? I had to hold in a sigh at the thought that this may have been the blowback of my original desire for a new life that was no longer boring. What better way to relieve boredom than to pile up problems one after the other so one wouldn't even have time to get bored?

"Right...we need to focus on Chii-nee-sama first. If Matilda really is the one that was mentioned in that report, then all we need to do is to save her, right?" My master answered, slowly regaining some of her composure. I let go of her shoulders, confident that Louise had at least calmed down enough to be able to think clearly again. I was considering what we should do next when someone started knocking on the door.

"Runt, it's me! We need to talk. Open this door at once." Eleanore's muffled voice came from the other side of the door, changing from her quiet and subdued demeanor in front of their parents and back to her usual personality. Ruukoto, who was once again imitating a piece of furniture by not moving from the spot it stood at when it entered the room, walked up to the door before opening it for Eleanore.

"Fuga." Ruukoto greeted the blonde before moving away to give Eleanore room to enter. The eldest sister nodded in acknowledgement, likely understanding the gist of the message that the gynoid wanted to convey, before entering Louise's room. The blonde glanced between her sister and I before adjusting her pointy glasses.

"Is there something that I should know about?" Eleanore asked us with her hands on her hips. I briefly considered telling Eleanore about what Louise and I discussed before deciding against it. I did not think that it was something that Eleanore should worry about nor something she would likely even care about.

"Nothing particularly important. Are you here to discuss something to Louise?" I waved off the point of concern before changing the subject. Eleanore narrowed her eyes at me for a moment before giving out a huff and turning to her sister.

"Yes. We have a problem, runt. Mother and father confined Cattleya to her room and no visitors are allowed aside from them and the healers." The blonde quickly went back to the matter at hand. I assumed that she had tried to visit her sick sister after breakfast, which was why she found out about the newest complication to our plans. I glanced at my master and saw her stare at her older sister in shock before once again adopting an expression of worry.

"The way you speak of it, I assume that there are guards posted outside her room?" I asked while folding my arms and leaning back. Eleanore nodded at my words before sighing and running her right hand on her hair.

"Yes. This is still the residence of a Duke's family. Mother personally oversaw the selection and training of the manor's security. They are good at their job, very good. Likely a match for the Royal Guards themselves in the Royal Palace at the capital. I can probably sneak past them anywhere else in the manor at night but I have no way of getting inside Cattleya's room without alerting the guards with the way they are posted." Eleanore bitterly stated before she started biting on her right thumbnail in obvious irritation.

"That would be troublesome..." I muttered in agreement. The main thing that we need to accomplish now would be to get Cattleya into Mugenkan first. Based on the situation right now though, it seemed like the fastest way for that to happen is if I create a door in the middle sister's room that led to my border of dreams.

"Can't we just ask mother and father for permission?" Louise asked her sister. Eleanore stared at my master like she was some sort of idiot before giving out an audible sigh and shaking her head.

"Are you even listening to what you're saying? Tell me, runt? How are you going to ask permission to mother and father for what we intend to do?" The blonde asked Louise as she waved around her right hand to further emphasize the point she was trying to make.

"Are you going to just walk up to them and say: Excuse me mother and father, we may have a way to be able cure Cattleya but it involves taking her to my familiar's pocket dimension and have one of his inhuman friends try to figure out what is causing her illness and fix it. Yes, that does mean that we know what is happening to her body but not the cause nor the reasoning behind it." The eldest sister continued before walking up to Louise and pinching both of her cheeks. Predictably, my master closed her eyes and started flailing her arms around in reaction to the pain.

"Do you have ANY idea how much trouble we'd be in if you did that?! We'd be lucky if mother doesn't disown us before handing us over to the church for heresy! Mother and father CANNOT find out about this!" Eleanore concluded while deliberately emphasizing the need for both of their parents to remain in the dark in regards to our plans. Louise weakly nodded in agreement after her sister's masterful display of skill when it came or making persuasive arguments. Eleanore finally let go of my master and turned her gaze toward me instead. She walked up to me and I almost thought that she would try the same method of persuasion on me as well. Thankfully, she simply opted to put her hands on her hips before glaring at me.

"Fami--I mean...you realize the gravity of the situation, right...Yuka?" Eleanore finally said to me, glancing away as she said my name. I couldn't help but give out a small smile at the oddly shy gesture.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed for saying my name so casually, Eleanore." I commented, earning a predictable glare from the woman. I ignored the impotent rage she was directing toward me and continued.

"However, you provide a very valid concern. Tell me, is it standard procedure for guards to be posted around Cattleya's room whenever her illness strikes?" I went back to the issue at hand and asked both sisters. The two of them blinked at me before looking at each other and turning back toward me.

"No...this is the very first time that the manor's guards were assigned to secure Cattleya's room. Yes, she was confined and visitors were generally discouraged from entering her room until she recovered enough but..." Eleanore trailed off as she started rubbing her chin with her right hand while glaring at the carpeted floor.

"That's right...why would mother and father assign guards around Chii-nee-sama's room?" Louise wondered as well after finally realizing how odd the situation really was. I had an idea as to why but...

"I may know why but..." I started before looking at Ruukoto. The gynoid caught my gaze and blinked at me, a silent inquiry as to why my attention shifted to it.

"White Noise. Ruukoto, what are the chances that the reason why the Duke and the Duchess assigned guards around their second daughter's room is because of me?" I told it to use White Noise for both Louise and Eleanore to understand its words, ignoring the gasp from Louise and the questioning gaze of her older sister. My master may have started to become proficient at discerning the general meaning behind the gynoid's untranslated words, but Eleanore was not...and I don't think that even Louise would be able to pick up everything Ruukoto might say for this conversation. The gynoid nodded in acknowledgement before shifting to its White Noise mode.

"Probability of the situation transpiring to the outcome due to your presence was infinitesimal until the previous statement of Mistress Louise and Miss Eleanore." The gynoid admitted as it began its response, getting the full attention of the two sisters.

"But..." I trailed off, urging Ruukoto to continue.

"However, in light of new information provided, the probability of such a possibility increases by a tremendous margin. Enough so that it can now be argued that there is approximately an eighty percent chance that Duchess Valliere's perception of Yuka Kazami is the cause of the current situation. A twenty percent margin of error was provided for possible unknown elements that have yet to be confirmed." Ruukoto reported. So, aside from factors that may or may not even exist, my presence here is likely the entire reason for all the guards around Cattleya's room.

"But why? I understand that you're not exactly human but I don't think that you would be a threat to Cattleya, would you?" Eleanore asked me with a raised brow and a sideward glance.

"Indeed. Normally one would assume that I would have to reason to become hostile toward a family member of Louise. Especially one she treasures as much as Cattleya. Although..." I concurred with Eleanore's reasoning before trailing off.

"The Tarbes incident is likely the cause of the irregular caution that the Duke and Duchess are showing." Ruukoto stated in a tone of certainty. I hummed thoughtfully at the fact that the gynoid reached the same conclusion I did. Granted, there was little else that anyone could use to reason out why Karin and Eugene seemed to have put the manor security on high alert after Cattleya's fit. I glanced at Louise after my master let out an 'urk' after hearing her gynoid's words and saw that her sister was now glaring at her.

"Tarbes. It looks like everyone knows about what happened at that place aside from Cattleya and I for some reason..." The blonde stated in a mildly menacing tone of voice as she glared at her youngest sister.

"And now...that is apparently the reason why we can't even see Cattleya inside her own room right now." Eleanore continued. Louise finally realized the threat to her person that her sister posed and tried to perform evasive action. Too bad that her eldest sister could apparently dim her reaction time to great success through sheer force of intimidation. It was actually somewhat interesting to witness in real-time. The blonde managed to reach out with her right hand and grab the back of her sister's head just as my master was about to dodge it.

"No escape. No changing the subject. No evasive answers. Now, runt, you will tell me everything that happened at Tarbes that you people keep talking about. Is. That. Understood. Little. Sister?" Eleanore told Louise with the same kind of sickeningly sweet smile that Sakuya sometimes uses when dealing with idiots. Amusingly, like the vampire's head maid, Eleanore was also giving out generous proportions of hostile intent at the same time. Obviously, Louise could only nod as a sign that she had resigned to her fate.

Well, this promised to be a rather heartwarming discussion.

...

[Blackraptor]

*discovers the Mahou Shounen Quest threads in the /tg/ archives*
*goddammit Shirou!*

...

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Eleanore roared out as she continued to chase her youngest sister around the room. Thinking back, I supposed that this was the most obvious outcome that could have happened in that kind of situation.

"Why?! I didn't do anything wrong!" Louise yelled back. More as a desperate attempt to reason her way out of the trouble she currently found herself in.

"Didn't do anything wrong?! Do you have any idea how many times you could have DIED out there?!" The blonde shot back, coming short of her attempt to grab my master by the arm.

The current cat and mouse game between Eleanore and Louise got started after the two sisters sat down to discuss what happened at Tarbes. Apparently, the eldest of the Valliere sisters wasn't too happy to hear that her youngest sister was deeply involved in an incident where Albion attempted to invade their country via the sheer superiority of their famed armada.

She continued the trend of becoming unhappy after she found out about what happened to Viscount Wardes. It seemed that Necromancy was not completely unheard of in this realm after all. However, the practitioners, as well as the means used with which they brought the dead back to some semblance of life, were all destroyed around a thousand years ago by a movement started by a previous Romalian Pope. Even Eleanore herself only knew about the craft after she stumbled upon a book that had detailed logs about that time period.

The fact that Louise's former fiance was turned into an undead monster by the Albion forces struck a nerve with the blonde. Eleanore stated that it was an insult to any and all proper practitioners of this realm's magic to defile the sanctity of the cycle of life. Moreso, the eldest sister took it as a personal insult as a researcher when I pointed out the possibility that the whole reason why the Albion forces were even able to do that in the first place was because of a single artifact that was stolen from a divine spirit.

"I didn't have any other choice! Tarbes would have been completely destroyed if the Albion Armada got through our fleet!" Louise responded, this time turning to face her sister and holding her ground.

"There was no way I was just going to let that village be destroyed and let those innocent people die! Not after I found out about it!" My master added, showing the same conviction she showed me when she asked me to help her protect Tarbes. Her motivation for doing what she did, her own sense of honor, and the desire to help those she could managing to override even her fear of her eldest sister.

"So you went there thinking that you could do something that the entire Tristain Fleet couldn't?!" Eleanore pointed out a very valid flaw in my master's argument. Normally, such a concern was normal considering who my master was. However, her situation was far from a normal magician now.

"I had Yuka and Ruukoto with me along my friends from the academy! Besides, the Princess showed up with a detachment of soldiers too!" Louise countered but her words did not hold as much conviction as it did before.

"And you thought that two of your servants and a bunch of meddling kids would make any difference in that kind of situation?!" Eleanore made her counter-point, a valid and logical one as well. It was odd but Ruukoto and I found ourselves turning our heads back and forth between the two sisters as they continued their verbal match.

"But we did make a difference! We helped with the evacuation while Yuka and Ruukoto kept Tarbes safe from any attacks! What does it matter to you anyway?! You never cared about what I did before, so why do you care now?!" Louise all but screamed at her sister with her eyes shut tight. Those words were likely not the best things she could have said to her sister considering the look of rage on Eleanore's face.

"You dare--!" The blonde displayed her dismay by stepping forward before raising her right hand in obvious intent of striking her younger sister. Her intent fell short as Louise was able lean away from the strike. My master blinked at what she had just done, It seemed that she did that more on instinct rather than deliberately avoiding physical harm. Eleanore let loose an irritated growl before trying again. And again. And again. Each time she tried to slap her sister, Louise simply moved away enough to avoid getting hit by a hair's-breadth.

"Stand still you little runt!" Eleanore said after trying one more time to slap her sister.

"No!" Louise responded in full defiance. The two sisters started going around the room again, although this time Eleanore's intent to harm and Louise's intent to dodge were clearly evident. I sighed at the squabble before glancing at Ruukoto. The gynoid was simply observing the whole thing with its usual stoicism and generally didn't seem to care about what was going on. I decided to put an end to the fight between Louise and Eleanore by getting their attention though means of a loud and very deliberate cough.

"This is really not the time for this." I drawled with a bored expression. My master winced at my words and my expression, likely realizing that they were indeed just wasting time that could have been used for more constructive purposes. Eleanore glared at me for a moment before taking advantage of Louise's momentary lapse of concentration to close the distance between them and put her in a smoothly executed headlock.

"Gaaaah! Why?!" Louise cried out in protest as she started flailing her arms around helplessly after getting caught.

"Don't think that this is the end, runt! Do you have any idea what it would do Cattleya and I if anything were to happen to you?!" Eleanore responded with an enraged look, though I raised a brow when I saw a hint of worry in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just let me go already!" Louise continued her cries, completely unaware of her Eleanore's admission of being afraid of her getting harmed. Sad that the eldest sister was still seemingly incapable of showing her affection for her youngest sister in a conventional manner. Eleanore finally relented her assault on my master and gave Louise a few moments to recover, all the while giving her a measured look with both her hands on her hips.

"Now that we are all back on the same page, we will need to address the situation with Cattleya's security detail." I stated as Eleanore took a seat at the edge of Louise's bed, my master taking a seat by her side. I chose to stand since I have found myself sitting down far too often during this little visit. I turned to Eleanore before continuing.

"You are the only one among us here who has confirmed the layout of the guards posted around Cattleya's room. Your thoughts?" I pointed out before asking the blonde for her opinion on the matter. Eleanore blinked at me before adopting a contemplative expression as she stared at the carpeted floor while folding her arms and humming.

"I only made a few passes in the hallway and talked to the guards about what they were even doing there. That was how I found out that it was a direct order from mother. From what I saw, there were two guards posted outside her door and an additional three posted on the balcony of her room. They were all equipped lightly but I noted that they all had whistles tied around their necks." Eleanore started to go into detail on the guards around Cattleya's room. I nodded in acknowledgement before glancing at Louise. My master was looking at me with a rather uncomfortable expression, likely a reflection of her realization that getting Cattleya into Mugenkan won't be as easy as we had initially expected.

"That was quite the detailed observation." I pointed out while folding my arms and leaning back. Eleanore merely scoffed at me before giving me a confident smirk.

"One does not simply get to where I am in my field without at least that amount of observational skill. I am not the youngest head researcher of the Tristain Royal Department of Earth Magic in history for nothing." The blonde declared, her bravado and pride very much reminding me of Louise's own bouts of such declarations every now and then whenever my master managed to accomplish something significant in her training. Pride and confidence brought about by hard work and skill seemed to be common between those two sisters.

"Indeed. Do you think there is a chance for us to be able to get your sister out of her room or at least get one of us in?" I asked the crucial question.

"No, at least not without alerting the guards." Eleanore responded immediately.

"What? There has to be a way right?" Louise asked her sister, partly because of sheer desperation for a spot of hope in the current situation. Understandable considering what they already had to go through to even get my full cooperation in the matter, not to mention the urgency in regards to Cattleya's chances of survival and recovery.

"Not that I can determine right now. If Yuka and your maid are correct, then mother set up those guards not because they can stop Yuka from getting to Cattleya. No. Instead, they are just there to alert the rest of the manor if anyone tried to get in without mother's permission." Eleanore answered with a shake of her head.

"The whistles..." Ruukoto pointed out, still using White Noise, earning a nod and a sigh from the eldest sister.

"Precisely. Each of those things would likely alert everyone in the manor of any intruders that tried to get into Cattleya's room. At the very least, they would likely alert mother and father. Even if you can somehow sneak past the guards, the doors and windows are all sealed and likely have some sort of enchantment to either alert mother and father of a breach or to keep them shut...or both." Eleanore set down her reasoning behind her analysis of the security on Cattleya's room.

"A bit much though, don't you think?" I asked at the apparent excessive means of detecting anyone trying to get to Cattleya. Eleanore looked at me like I was an idiot before scratching her hair with her left hand in irritation.

"You don't understand. Our parents have been trying to find a cure for Cattleya's condition for years, even before the runt was born in fact. They have been doing anything and everything to prevent her illness from getting worse and to deal with whatever symptoms that do show up." Eleanore explained before glancing at Louise.

"I was told that last night's incident was particularly bad...and I'm pretty sure that mother concluded that the runt here would try to do something stupid to try to help Cattleya." She continued while pointing at her sister with her left thumb, causing my master to scowl at her.

"And that would likely mean that she would ask me or Ruukoto to do something about it." I muttered, following Eleanore's reasoning.

"Exactly. Mother most certainly would rather burn than risk Cattleya's health by trusting someone who was obviously inhuman." The eldest sister expounded on the point she made.

"A sensible course of action given the way the Duchess and I were introduced to one another." I added with a sardonic grin, recounting how Karin referred to me as a monster multiple times during the battle at Tarbes. A correct assessment, but one that surprisingly came back to haunt us in a most inconvenient manner. I imagine that getting close to Cattleya would have been far easier if everyone simply thought of me as a common gardener.

"So what...there's nothing we can do now?" Louise finally asked the room at large after a period of silence, so obviously my master decided to immediately cut into the heart of the matter.

"Nothing that wouldn't earn us mother's wrath." Eleanore responded bitterly, none to happy with how the situation had developed either. I reviewed the situation once more in my head. Cattleya was effectively sealed in a closed room setup with sentries and possibly even wards that would alert Karin and Eugene that someone or something was trying to get in their daughter's room without their consent. A troublesome scenario, but one I am not entirely unfamiliar with. Certainly, there was one youkai in Gensokyo whom I was certain would have been able to get into Cattleya's room without anyone realizing it. Sadly, I did not have her ability to make everyone around me subconsciously dismiss my presence at will.

"We will need more time and preparation for this. We still have a few days where we can be certain that Cattleya's health will remain stable. I suggest we take advantage of that by learning as much about our current obstacle as possible. If the goddess of luck smiles on us, Karin might even dismiss the guards if Cattleya's health improves or if she realizes that there is no outside threat to her daughter's well being." I suggested, though I did hope that Tewi would somehow shed some spare luck for Louise and her sisters. An abundance of good luck never hurt anyone, certainly not the Inaba of the Earth.

"So we either wait for mother and father to dismiss the guards or we observe them and find a weak point?" Louise asked in clarification, her voice betraying her slowly slipping sense of optimism in the matter.

"No, we do both." Eleanore answered instead. The blonde stood before pacing around the room with her right hand rubbing her chin while sporting a contemplative expression.

"Yuka's right. Rushing things at this point would just end horribly for us. We still have several days at most to be able to get Cattleya into that pocket realm of his so what we can do is continue to observe the layout of the guards around her room and try to look for any weaknesses. However, the runt's actions will directly determine how easy or difficult this will be for us." She started while walking around the room and nodding to herself every now and then.

"Me? Why me?" My master suddenly asked, obviously surprised and confused as to why the success of our plans seemed to hinge on her. Eleanore stopped walking and stepped in front of Louise before looking at her like she was an idiot and flicking her forehead with her finger.

"Ack!" Louise let out sharply after her head jerked back a bit after Eleanore's sudden attack on her forehead. She quickly covered the afflicted area using Emilio to prevent further assaults before rubbing her forehead with her left hand to soothe the pain.

"Because the whole reason why there are even guards outside our sister's room in the first place is probably because your familiar is here." Eleanore reminded her sister of a point that was previously mentioned. Louise's eyes lit up with understanding before her expression turned horrified at what that point meant.

"Oh founder...what do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" My master suddenly panicked as she looked between Eleanore and I while practically crushing Emilio in her arms.

"Hmmm...as your sister has pointed out previously, the reason why there are guards around Cattleya's room to alert your parents of any intruders is because they were concernd that you might have either Ruukoto or I do something to try to help her. So long as the possibility of that exists, I doubt they would dismiss the guards any time soon." I laid out to Louise. My master mulled over those facts before coming to her own conclusion.

"Then all I have to do is act like I won't make you or Ruukoto try anything with Chii-nee-sama. I'll just act normally and that will convince mother and father to call off the guards so we can see her again right?" My master suggested. Normally this would be the most logical and effective means of dealing with the current hindrance to our plans. Unfortunately...

"Don't bother, you'll just waste everyone's time." Eleanore dismissed Louise's idea with a lazy wave of her hand. My master took this as a personal insult so she suddenly stood up and pouted at her older sister.

"And why is that?! I'm very good at acting you know! I can even convince the commoners in the capital that I am one of their own!" Louise proudly pointed out, likely reaching back to our previous experience with Scarron, Jessica, and the rest of the humans at the Charming Fairy Inn. Although it seemed that Louise did not realize that her cover did not even last the day and everyone just decided to go along with it until we went back to the academy.

"Because I can bet my reputation and my life as a noble member of the Valliere family that mother and father will be able to see right through your ploy immediately." Eleanore flatly rebuked her sister before holding up her right hand to prevent any form of response from Louise.

"Our parents have over a half-century's worth of experience in the military and political scene of Tristain between them. They know what to look for when it comes to those who are being truthful with their words, those who are lying through their teeth, and those who only provide part of the truth to further their own ends. If they can see through corrupt nobles and the like who have decades of experience and skill when it comes to talking to get what they want, what chance do you have?" The eldest sister pointed out in all seriousness. My master proceeded to do her best impression of a fish out of water by opening her mouth and closing it several times, trying and failing to come up with a counter argument to what her sister had just said.

"Then...what now?" Louise finally managed to say. Sadly, none of us had an answer for her. I couldn't think of a way to be able to get into Cattleya's room without it resulting in a confrontation with Karin and Eugene. Judging from the way Eleanore was biting the nail of her right thumb while sporting a very angry expression, she was not able to figure anything out either.

That was when the answer came from a most unexpected source.

"Logically, so long as Mistress Louise and Yuka Kazami remain within the premises of the Valliere manor, it is doubtful that the quarantine of Miss Cattleya will be lifted." Ruukoto suddenly piped up, reminding is that it was still there and it still had White Noise on. We all turned to the gynoid after she spoke with varying degrees of wonder and curiosity as to where it was going with this train of thought. Ruukoto glanced at each of once one at a time before blinking.

"Then solution is simple. We leave." It stated without any hint of doubt or hesitation.

"What?" All three of us there could only say.

...

[UndyingHunterKamigama]

I just noticed something, so here's a question. Do you plan to post the latest chapters on Fanfiction.net?

[Blackraptor]

The posts I'm making here and in Spacebattles are parts of a single chapter, of which is posted on fanfiction.net. I do this to try to get some feedback on my writing before I post the whole thing over there. I'm planning on wrapping up this arc in the next ff.net chapter so there will still be one more part I will post here before I post the whole thing over there. I started doing this to keep chapters at around 7000~12000 words per ff.net chapter and to get some prior feedback from the guys at Spacebattles.

Still working on the last part of this arc though. Tales of Graces F and work have been consuming most of my time lately and I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like.

[Blackraptor]

...

The Valliere family ate dinner in the manor's dining hall in relative silence. I even started wondering if this was the norm for this family whenever they sat down for a meal together. Quite dour if true.

Both Eugene and Karin sat at the head of the table and ate their meals with practiced precision and grace, as to be expected of a Duke and Duchess. However, try as they might to conceal it, I could also faintly glean the telltale signs of stress and sleep deprivation from both of them. No doubt because of what their second daughter has been enduring since last night.

Eleanore and Louise ate their meals from across each other a little further along the table. The eldest sister ate her meal mechanically, with her eyes solely affixed on her plate, and generally ignoring the presence of anyone else at the table. My master was the complete opposite, fidgeting around in her seat even as she dutifully ate her dinner. As before, Ruukoto and I stood behind Louise's seat. The gynoid stood in perfect prim attention with both its hands folded on its skirt like Sakuya would whenever she waited on Remilia. I simply stood there with my arms folded and what I deemed to be an unreadable expression.

"Excuse me, mother and father. May I ask when we will be able to see Chii-nee-sama again?" Louise finally spoke up after she finished eating, seemingly anxious to be able to see her sister again. Of course, this was simply our initial gambit for the scenario Ruukoto drew up during this past afternoon.

After Ruukoto's initial suggestion on our course of action, Eleanore decided to sit on it for a while to mull over the pros and cons of such and arrangement. The rest of the morning went on without much fanfare with Cattleya still confined to her room and Eleanore retreating to her own room to think in peace. Louise spent that time curled up in her bed while clutching Emilio for comfort.

Lunchtime rolled along with the same amount of optimism. Eleanore had Ruukoto make a few rounds around the manor that would conveniently let it pass Cattleya's room a few times. She had Ruukoto do this to see if the guards were given meal breaks or a change of shifts that we could exploit to be able to get into Cattleya's room. Eleanore reasoned that we use Ruukoto's suggestion only after we determine that there was no other way. Unfortunately, the guards were ever present at their posts. They do switch shifts but the ones who relieve the guards currently posted meet with their counterparts face to face before taking over. This meant that there was no lapse in their defenses that we could take advantage of. In fact, Ruukoto noted that the only people that have been able to get in and out of Cattleya's room were certain servants and guards, all of whom were equipped with those whistles that Eleanore spoke of.

The afternoon passed in much the same way. Eleanore tried to get into Cattleya's room on her own under the premise that she needed to speak to her sister about something important. She was turned away by those guards, stating that Karin gave very strict instruction not to allow anyone who was not sanctioned by her to enter. The blonde was very much upset about that development but relented back to her room where she stayed until dinner. Louise continued to stay in bed for the rest of the afternoon and I set Ruukoto out for a few more laps around the manor. With nothing much else to do, I decided to utilize my newly acquired free time to devise a way to let Louise and her sisters conjure a door to Mugenkan at will.

I have only given that particular ability to one being up until that point. My gatekeeper Elly was the only one in Gensokyo whom I have given full consent to be able to enter and exit my border of dreams at will. I had full confidence that she was still at the Gensokyo side of Mugenkan, manning her post there...only because I was very much certain that she busy taking naps to do much else.

I even had the sneaking suspicion that she did not even know that I have been gone for months now...

I had originally laced Elly's scythe with an enchantment that allowed her to conjure a door that connects Mugenkan to the Garden of the Sun. I intended to do the same for the sisters but I wanted to give them a different medium to be able to call up a door to my realm. I doubted that giving them scythes for that purpose would sit well with any of them. I also had to make sure that whatever I gave them had the ability to create doors at will from any location in Halkeginia which would automatically lead to the same point inside my realm, preferably near my mansion there...and preferably, all three doors the sisters would enter from were next to each other. However, as far as what the mediums would actually end up being and what they would look like...I was still working on it. There was a surprising amount of work required for me to create such things exactly the way I want them to from scratch.

Judging the concept of creation.

Formulating the exact ties to my realm required to achieve the intended effect.

Hypothesizing the basic structure.

Figuring out the appropriate composition material.

Performing instantaneous manufacturing of the final product.

...and a few more steps in between I can't really be bothered to remember at the moment.

I continued the development process of those mediums in my head until Louise was summoned for dinner, leading to our current situation.

"Cattleya will remain under strict supervision until we are confident that she will remain healthy." Karin answered without looking at my master, a direct response without actually giving a straight answer. Louise let out a worried hum and drew here gaze back at her empty plate. If I didn't know that she genuinely had great concern for her sister, I would have been rather surprised at how well Louise was acting at that moment. So it seemed that neither of their parents were willing to risk anything else happening to their sick daughter, hoping that isolating her from the rest of the world would actually help with her situation. Unfortunately, they did not know that Cattleya's days were already numbered.

The whole situation was honestly such a real bother...

If I didn't care so much about the consequences to Louise, I would have just performed a smash and grab to get her into Mugenkan. Too bad both Louise and Eleanore opposed any sort of violence while planning our current course of action. I remember back when I just used to break anything dumb enough to get in the way of what I wanted.

Oh well, things change I suppose. Even the most unexpected things.

I opened one eye and noted that both Karin and Eugene were done with their respective meals and were likely preparing to leave. This was the critical moment that would dictate the probability of success for this plan...and it all hung on Louise keeping her cool and acting as natural and convincing as possible. I had to physically repress a sigh. I glanced at Eleanore and she was stealing glances between me, Louise, and their parents. Ruukoto remained ever stoic by my side even though it was the one that came up with the initial idea for this whole thing.

My master started fidgeting in her seat again before she finally started trembling. Eleanore and I shared an almost concerned look at Louise's actions when...

"Forgive my rudeness but...I would like to request permission to return to the academy." Louise finally spoke up with a trembling but determined voice. Eugene, who had already managed to stand up from his seat at the head of the table, turned to his youngest daughter with an intrigued expression. Karin, who was still seated, turned to Louise with a genuinely unreadable expression. This was it, the rest was all in Louise's hands now.

"To what end? There has been no notification that classes at the academy are to resume. Explain yourself child." Karin asked her daughter. Louise flinched at the edge that her mother used in her words but recovered enough of her composure to stand and continue.

"Due to all the...incidents that have been going on one after the other, I have started to fall back in my studies. I wish to return to the academy in order to catch up with some material before classes begin once again." My master explained as clearly as she could. It was the most plausible reason for us to be able to leave with as little suspicion as possible. The only other way would have been to get a summons by Henrietta. Unfortunately, the princess had her own problems to deal with.

"And you would be willing to leave despite Cattleya's condition?" Euguene asked skeptically while stroking his spectacular mustache. Clearly, it was no secret as to just how much Louise loved her older sister. This was the greatest challenge when it came to trying to convince their parents that Louise was leaving of her own free will without any ulterior motives. Now normally, this kind of logic would be sound but...

"You put her up to this didn't you, familiar?" Karin suddenly spoke up while leveling a cold glare at me. With a single question, she had redirected the attention of the conversation from my master to me. I let out a small sigh and was preparing for a verbal spar with Karin when Louise managed to beat me to it.

"I wanted to see Chii-nee-sama again. After what happened to her that night, I didn't desire anything more than to see her again and be there for her..." My master started with a complex expression marring her face. Karin narrowed her eyes at her youngest daughter and seemed like she was about to say something. Thankfully, her retort was halted when Eugene placed a hand on her shoulder, likely a gesture to let the girl continue what she had to say. Louise took a trembling breath before speaking once more.

"I asked Yuka and Ruukoto to find a way for me to be able to get in Chii-nee-sama's room again. The reasoning, the methods, the consequences...they didn't matter. All I wanted was to be by her side again no matter what." She continued with a grimace while her hands balled up into fists even as she started to tremble again. She took a breath before glancing at Eleanore and I and giving us a wry smile.

"Then Big Sis Eleanore told me how childish I was at wanting such a thing...and Yuka reminded me of something important that someone once told me." Louise said with an almost serene smile. I raised a brow at what she was saying before sharing a thoughtful glanced with Eleanore. My master was clearly improvising at that point but I wasn't sure where she was getting neither the material nor what she was trying to prove.

"I was in the middle of making a big decision without actually thinking it through. That someone told me to calm down, take a step back, and consider how my actions will affect those around me that I care about and if that would be worth the cost of what I was about to do. I thought about it and the trouble that would come from having Yuka and Ruukoto force their way into Chii-nee-sama's room just would not be worth it." Louise gave out a slightly modified version of Derf's advice to her when she was originally hell bent on charging right at the Albion Armada when she found out about the impending attack on Tarbes.

"Consideration of the consequences of one's actions. Wise advice at any age if the one receiving it is wise enough to heed the words. The one who dispensed this wisdom has a good head on their shoulders, a teacher at the academy?" Eugene pointed out before asking who gave that advice to his youngest daughter. I suppressed a smirk at the thought of what Derf may have said had the sword not disappeared on us a while back. I saw Eleanore give her sister a confused look before looking at me with a raised brow. Ah, she probably thought that I was the one that gave Louise that advice. I gave a small shake of my head to indicate that it wasn't me, which made Eleanore blink at me before narrowing her eyes at Louise.

"Not a professor but...the one who said that had a knack of giving out wisdom at the most unexpected of times." My master explained with a shake of her head before looking right into the eyes of her parents.

"I know that there is nothing I can do here that can cure Chii-nee-sama of her illness. All I can do now is to believe in her...to believe that she has the strength to overcome this. I know that Chii-nee-sama will not let her health defeat her. She is stronger than that...she is a Valliere. That is why I want to do what I can in the meantime, and what I can do is to improve in my studies and graduate with top marks." Louise stated with firm conviction as she always had when faced with adversity. I was certain that if I were to look into her eyes at that moment, I would have definitely seen a blazing flame of determination in those amber orbs. I flicked my eyes to her parents and saw that Eugene nodded at my master's words and looked like a typical proud father. I blinked in wonder when I thought I even saw Karin's lips twitch into something that almost resembled a smile, though I could have been wrong of course.

"A carriage will be arranged to take you back to the academy tomorrow afternoon. You will be allowed to give your goodbyes to Cattleya. Alone." Karin finally stated after a few moments of silence. I saw Louise flinch in front of me and I was certain that she was giving her mother a dignified smile of gratitude.

"Thank you mother, father." Louise responded with a respectful bow as both Karin and Eugene left the dining area. I had to say, that went much better than I expected.

...

"Does anyone else find it ironic that Karin would be the one to give us the best chance to get Cattleya into Mugenkan?" I idly asked Louise and Eleanore as we sat in my mansion's living room in Mugenkan. My master got in through the usual means of falling asleep while Eleanore had to get in through the door in her room with my assistance.

"I can't even believe that mother would do that. I had expected her to just let you all be on your way and I had to get Cattleya in here myself." Eleanore said in disbelief in her night gown as she continued to take in the furniture surrounding us. I supposed that she wasn't used to seeing things one would expect to find in a European style home circa the ninteen-hundreds or so. I wonder how they would have reacted to that home entertainment system I had on the second floor? I've never actually used it in this mansion but it was a mildly novel thing to have back in Gensokyo after Cirno introduced me to the concept and had the kappa install it in my mansion there. I never did get to finish playing Final Tales of Fantasy XL-2. The thought reminded me to continue my research in trying to cultivate those sentient killer cacti. They seemed harmless enough in the game but they were quite deadly in battle, something that was definitely worth pursuing.

"It doesn't matter. What matters now is that I'll be alone with Chii-nee-sama in her room to bid her goodbye. So, how are we going to do this?" Louise asked. She was wearing a duplication of her standard academy uniform since she came in here as her dream self instead of using her physical body like Eleanore did.

"Don't get ahead of yourself runt. Simply meeting with Cattleya will not give you enough of an opportunity to get her in here. Yuka here still needs to make a door into this place before anyone can enter." Eleanore pointed out before giving me a withering gaze.

"Indeed. I have been working on designing a means to allow all three of you to be able to conjure up a door that leads into my border of dreams whenever you want to." I stated before making a sweeping hand gesture to the table in front of us, conjuring up some french vanilla tea and choice pieces of cake.

"You can do that?!" My master suddenly exclaimed as she was just starting to reach for a cup of tea. Eleanore winced at her side before glaring at Louise and smacking her at the back of the head.

"Don't shout your runt!" The blonde spat at her sister.

"Sorry..." Louise sheepishly apologized as she rubbed the back of her head before picking up her cup of tea on the table and taking a sip. Eleanore kept a leveled gaze on her sister for another moment before picking up her own cup of tea.

"Moving on...what were you talking about when you said that you were working on something that will let us get in here without your help?" The eldest sister moved the conversation back to the issue at hand.

"It is exactly as I said. Obviously, I will not be able to stay with you or Cattleya for very long as I will always put Louise as my primary concern over everything else." I pointed out before reaching out to a piece of conjured cake and taking a bite of it. My comment earned me an annoyed grunt from Eleanore and an embarrassed blush from my master.

"Because of this, I need to provide each of you a way to be able to make your own door into Mugenkan at will." I continued while pointing at the sisters in turn with the piece of cake in my hand.

"So you'll give them each a key to your private kingdom~" I was unable to suppress a sigh when I heard Yukari's voice come out from a newly opened gap behind Louise and Eleanore. Obviously, since the border youkai suddenly spoke out of nowhere, the two sisters reacted in a very predictable manner.

"Whaaaaaaah!" Both Louise and Eleanore yelled out as they jumped off the couch they were sitting on with a start. Both of the sisters were still drinking tea when that happened so both of them unceremoniously splashed the contents of their respective cups on my face.

"Ahaha! Oh wow~! Now that's what I call 'making a splash'~" Yukari taunted with a terrible pun as she leaned out of the gap she made behind the sisters. I thought that I even heard a rimshot coming from within the gap after she said that. I conjured up a towel and began to wipe my face of the accidentally displaced French vanilla tea. I continued to wipe the liquid from my face, Yukari's laughter being the only sound permeating through the living room. Both Louise and Elaenore were frozen in a silly and awkward half-lunge while sporting matching shocked expressions when they saw their drinks splash onto me. Neither sister daring to move as if doing such a thing was preventing something bad from happening to them in the wake of that little...incidental prank.

I tossed away the soggy towel after I had finished wiping the last of the tea that I could from my face and hair. Yukari was still laughing her head off and the two sisters were still frozen in place. I sighed and decided to nip the problem at the bud so to speak. I conjured a tiny black nondescript seed and tossed it right at Yukari's face.

I haven't really gotten the chance to use that particular flower in a long while, not since a certain incident involving Kanako and her loud mouth...the big bag of air.

The effect was immediate as a mass of leathery vines with four dark pink, almost red, flowers clumped together at the center erupted from the seed latched onto Yukari's head like a giant hand. The seven petaled flowers glowed on and off at a steady rate like a heartbeat even as Yukari tried to rip the mass of vines off her face. The sudden turn of events snapped Louise and Eleanore out of their frozen state and they both turned to see the border youkai try to get the flower off her.

Yandereum Scorpioides - The Unyielding Lover's Embrace

This was originally thought of as a fictional flower created to scare unfaithful males who would dare to try to show affection to another female who was not their lover. The actual flower itself had nothing to do with any scorned lover, fictional or otherwise. It was simply a story that was tacked onto it at some point apparently. However, considering the effects of the blossom, I could understand how that reputation came into being.

"Wh-wh-wh-what in Brimir's name is that?!" Eleanore finally spoke out as she and Louise quick-stepped away from Yukari and made their way behind me for cover. Both sisters unwittingly showing their respective talents when it came to moving around on foot. I calmly conjured a new cup of French vanilla tea before taking a sip, completely ignoring the panicked muffled screams of Yukari as she futily struggled against the vines.

"That..." I said while idly gesturing at the panicking border youkai with my teacup.

"...is a particular flower more commonly known as the Yandereum. The Unyielding Lover's Embrace. The story goes that this flower was created by a powerful sorceress who was unfortunately an extremely jealous lover. The man she had her eyes on was being approached by another woman and it seemed like the man was reciprocating the other woman's feelings." I started the explanation on the origin of that particular flower.

"What kind of idiot man would try to cheat on a powerful sorceress?" Louise suddenly asked. I turned around and saw that both sisters seem to be more interested in the flower's apparent origin story than the continuing struggle of Yukari against the actual flower itself. I decided to roll with it and poofed a couple of comfy chairs into existence for the two of them. The two girls took their seats with varying degrees of gratitude on their expressions. I offered them some more tea before continuing. Louise happily accepted, apparently taking a liking to French vanilla, while Eleanore declined the offer. I gave Louise a new cup and gave Yukari another glance. Satisfied that she was still in the loving clutches of my flower, I continued the explanation.

"Actually, the man in question wasn't even the sorceress' lover." I stated with a sardonic grin, delivering the stinger to the tale.

"What?!" Louise suddenly exclaimed, confusion clearly evident on her face. Eleanore gave an incredulous look before adopting a look of sudden realization.

"She only desired him...it was a one-sided love." The eldest sister muttered.

"Exactly. It wasn't really the man's fault. It was apparently just an extreme example on how a relationship could fail spectacularly due to poor communication...even before anything of the sort even began." I said with a shake of my head. Stories such as this were what made me wonder what was so great about that emotion anyway. The more I hear about the concept of love and its effects on others, the more it seemed to be like an emotional crutch to me. I really couldn't see the appeal of that particular emotion, certainly not Marisa's obsession and eventual weaponization of it.

I raised a brow when I saw Eleanore wince before looking away from me after my comment. I wasn't able to ask her about it since Louise spoke up immediately after that.

"So what happened to them? Did the sorceress create that plant and used it on that man?" My master asked while almost bouncing in her seat...while still holding onto that cup of tea she was nursing.

"Yes. The plant killed the man as the sorceress repeatedly cooed to him that she was doing this to ensure that they would be together forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and well, you get the idea." I responded with a shrug before finishing up the cup of tea I was drinking.

"Urgh! That sounds like the ending from one of those trashy romance novels that Cattleya secretly obsesses over." Eleanore stated bitterly with a shake of her head. I glanced at Louise and saw that she was looking away with a blush on her cheeks. Hm...

"Of course, that was just a story. I have yet to find any real evidence that any of that even happened. It could have just been something that someone came up with to romanticize the origin and purpose of such an odd plant. And yes, I know how ironic that statement was." I added just as Yukari finally managed to rip the Yandereum from her head. The border youkai growled at me before hurling the plant right at my face. I smiled warmly at her before forcing the flower back into a seed and catching it without effort with my left hand.

"Turnabout is fair play." Was the only thing I told her. Yukari huffed at me before folding her arms under her breasts and looking away from me.

"Meanie~" Yukari whined before pouting at me. Honestly, this woman...

"That has been an established fact for over a thousand years Yukari. I assume that you are not here simply for fun, so let us get down to business first since we are still somewhat under time constraint. We managed to get a chance to be able to bring Cattleya into Mugenkan without incident...hopefully. I am hoping that Cirno managed to give you a summary of our situation?" I said in a casual but no-nonsense tone before asking if Yukari was already up to speed on what was going on with Louise's sister. The border youkai looked at me for a moment then made a thoughtful sound before...

"Pffft! Ack!" Yukari made a rather unladylike sound as if trying to suppress a laugh. She obviously failed miserably and ended up choking on her aborted laugh before coughing on it for a few moments.

"Well...that was different." I idly commented with little concern in my voice before finishing off the tea in my cup. Both Louise and Eleanore looked at each other then back to Yukari who was winding down her impression of a cat failing miserably at trying to cough up a hair ball. A few more moments of waiting and it seemed that Yukari had finally recovered.

"Done?" I asked with a small smirk and a raised brow. Yukari glared at me before swiping the cup I was drinking out of and pouring tea in it for herself. She chugged in down in one go before taking a few breaths to calm herself down.

"That wasn't funny..." Yukari flatly stated after regaining her composure.

"Well you certainly thought something was funny before you started impersonating Wriggle after accidentally inhaling some insecticide." I pointed out calmly with a smile. Yukari gave me a flat gaze before dismissing her embarrassment with an equally dismissive wave of her right hand even as her left hand reached into her gap before pulling out her fan.

"I just remembered Touya's reaction to what your little master's sister was going through." Yukari responded while pointing at Louise with her closed fan. I blinked at her words and wondered what she meant but Louise voiced my question for me instead.

"Touya? What does his reaction to Chii-nee-sama's illness have to do with anything?" Louise asked the border youkai in obvious confusion. My master's question allowed me a few moments to actually mull over that little point. I saw Yukari give a stupid grin as it seemed that I guessed correctly...or was on the right track.

"Touya personally wanted to have a chance to cure Cattleya of her illness, didn't he?" I asked, voicing my suspicion.

"What?" Both of the Valliere sisters that were there exclaimed. This time, Yukari was able to laugh out loud without incident and thus confirming my theory.

"Quite. He even asked me if I could open up a gap into Louise's realm in case moving Cattleya was not possible. The boy was fully willing to just jump into a completely unknown realm in order to try to save a girl he had never met before." Yukari outlined what the Shield of the Eastern Wonderland had intended to do before she started giggling again.

"And I suppose that you pointed out how ill advised such a act would have been?" I queried, very curious if Yukari Yakumo had somehow managed to be the voice of reason for a change. The woman in question merely opened her fan and used it to cover the lower half of her face. The look her eyes gave me my answer before she even spoke.

"Not at all. The only reason why I hadn't done so is because I cannot guarantee that the other end of any gap I make would lead to a safe place in Louise's realm. I can certainly make a gap to their realm, I'm just not sure where one would pop up after going through it. If I did, I would have been messing with you there ages ago." Yukari stated before lowering her fan to reveal her trademark stupid grin.

"And Louise's realm is a better place because of it." I idly commented with a disinterested voice before giving Yukari my own grin. I had to admit, I somewhat missed our casual banter and insults that we used to regularly toss at each other. It almost made up for the sheer annoyance the woman had caused me and the rest of Gensokyo over the centuries. Almost.

"Can we please move back to the proper topic? I do still need to get some sleep you know." Eleanore spoke up, pointing out that she was the only one in the group that actually still needed sleep. Louise was already sleeping soundly in her room back at the Valliere manor and the her that was with us at the moment was just a projection of her consciousness that got into Mugenkan. I didn't really need sleep at the time and Yukari still seemed to be as fresh as a daisy. Of course, Yukari just used the eldest sister's words to have her fun again.

"Well, you can always just sleep in Yuka's bed in here you know. I'm sure that he'd be more than happy to make your stay as comfortable and satisfying as possible." Yukari pointed out in an overly provocative tone of voice. The thinly veiled innuendo made both sisters' faces go from zero to red at the speed of human comprehension. Eleanore looked like she was just about to spout her protests when Louise grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"Don't bother. She's just teasing you. We both know that Yuka wouldn't possibly do that kind of thing to you even if you did spend the night here." Louise advised the blonde even though she herself was still blushing hard at what Yukari said. Eleanore looked at her sister for a moment before freeing her arm from the younger girl's grasp.

"And you think I'd let her get away with insinuating such a scandalous thing?! That I would actually allow myself to be ta-ta-ta-ta-taken by your familiar?" The eldest sister shot back with a clearly insulted expression. And, yes, she was still blushing just about as much as Louise still was.

"Been there. Done that. Didn't help. In fact, she just started teasing me harder. Just take it in stride and roll with the punches or whatever." Louise responded, no doubt referencing her previous encounters with the border youkai which started after the end of the Fouquet incident.

"Roll with the what now?" Eleanore asked, unfamiliar with that particular idiom. Understandable since I didn't think that the sport that spawned that saying existed in this realm.

"Another saying Cirno-nee told me about. It means to be able to cope with and withstand adversity, especially by being flexible, and keep moving forward to your goal." Louise explained with a shrug, the talk giving both sisters the chance to finally calm themselves down.

"Hmmm...roll with the punches. I'll keep that saying in mind." Eleanore noted to herself with a thoughtful hum and a nod. I turned back to Yukari and gave her an unamused expression at provoking Eleanore and Louise.

"Was this really the appropriate moment for one of your inane jokes? We do actually have goals we need to accomplish you know." I deigned to ask even though I knew the answer already. Not to mention the sheer futility of trying to prevent Yukari from trying it again at a later time.

"I am a being of power and opportunity, you know how I'm into that whole equal opportunity thing yes?" Yukari reminded me of her innate desire and capability of messing with practically anyone if given any sort of chance to do so. She then straightened herself up, instead of leaning out of her gap, and folded her arms under her breasts and thus pushing them upward and making the more pronounced.

"Not to mention that I am also a being of great beauty and bountiful assets." She stated seductively with a sly smile before blowing me a kiss, which I promptly leaned away from. I then felt a sudden and powerful surge of killing intent from behind me.

"Useless sacks of meat..."

"Insufferable obstructions to any sort of significant work..."

"Unnecessary attachments..."

"Pointless chest add-ons..."

"Rape bait..."

Were among but not all the things that both Louise and Eleanore started muttering from behind me. Unbelievably, as well as disturbingly, they were saying those things in complete sync with each other. Yukari herself visibly stiffened at becoming the target of a combined directed wave of hostile intent coming from the two sisters. It took me a few moments to understand the motive behind their sudden unified antagonistic will. When I did, I very nearly snorted in laughter.

"R-r-right! About that headway in regards to your dear sister!" Yukari hastily aborted her feeble attempt at seducing me after she herself realized why both sisters seemed to suddenly hate her. She even went back to her original position of leaning out of her gap. Yukari made the extra effort to fold her arms over her breasts in an attempt to try to cover them from the searing glares of the Valliere sisters.

"Yes. It would be prudent to move back to the real subject matter at hand." Louise coldly stated in an unusually formal tone of voice...all without letting up on glaring at Yukari for her, apparently unintentional, transgression.

"Indeed. We would be most appreciative if you have any sort of news pertaining to any possible means of saving our sister's life." Eleanore added in the same frigid and overly polite way...all while seemingly trying to make the border youkai spontaneously combust through sheer force of hostile will. It was actually extremely entertaining to watch Yukari squirm under the gaze of two human girls whose names did not end with Hakurei.

"Ahem! Well, after I managed to convince Touya that trying to muscle into your realm is not only ill advised but outright dangerous for him or anyone other than Yuka, I had him try to contribute in a more productive manner." Yukari started to explain after clearing her throat in a manner that seemed to help her calm herself down.

"Productive? How so?" Eleanore asked. Some of the edge in her voice seemed to have faded away but she and Louise still seemed upset at the border youkai.

"I had him try to recruit Yamame Kurodani to help with your sister's condition." Yukari responded with a pleased expression. Yes, Yamame could definitely help substantially in the effort to cure Cattleya.

"And who is this Yamame person?" The eldest sister asked the most obvious question. I decided to take that one so I turned to Eleanore before responding.

"Yamame Kurodani. The Bright Net in the Dark Cavern. She is an Earth Spider Youkai, one of the strongest insect youkai in the realm." I explained to the blonde with a nod. I was about to continue when Yukari suddenly piped up to interrupt me.

"Spiders are not insects Yuka, they're arachnids." Yukari admonished as if speaking to a small child. I gave her a flat stare before dismissing her correction with a wave of my hand.

"Oh shush you." I said to her before turning my attention back to the sisters.

"Yamame lives in the underground part of Gensokyo, inside one of the main passages that leads to the city of the Oni and the Temple of the Earth Spirits." As well as the hell of blazing fires where Utsuho uses her power to provide the heat for the Kappa's main power plant. I did not mention that though since it could have led to more unnecessary reactions from the two girls.

"The more I hear about the place you are from, the more I find it difficult to comprehend the size of it. Just how big is that place anyway? Is it its own country or something?" Eleanore asked with a shake of her head while sporting an expression that shows that she's trying to understand what we were talking about...it was just a bit hard for her to comprehend everything.

"I'm not actually sure how large Gensokyo is exactly. It's really something I never gave any though on." I admitted with a shrug, and it was true. I didn't really care about the specifics of the realm itself so long as I was able to remain in it and live with my sunflowers there.

"I could give you a comprehensive explanation of how large Gensokyo really is and the various areas that comprise it. However, it would probably take me several days to be able to explain it all in a manner that you can fully comprehend." Yukari spoke up with her own shrug. Eleanore gave a thoughtful hum, probably considering Yukari's offer, before shrugging herself and nodding to the two of us in turn.

"Fair enough. Now how can this Yamame help Cattleya's condition when the best healers of Tristain couldn't?" Eleanore asked, steering the conversation back to the main topic. Yukari gave the eldest sister a sweet smile before answering her question.

"That's because your healers do not have that girl's innate ability to manipulate illnesses." The border youkai helpfully provided.

"Manipulate..." Louise started.

"...Illnesses?" And Eleanore finished. A good showing of coordination between the two sisters.

"That is correct, and it is exactly how it sounds like. Her ability to manipulate illness makes many youkai and humans very wary of her, but she won't use it for no reason. Yamame is much smarter than that." Yukari answered with a smile. The two sisters looked at each other with uncertainty and it was obvious that they were still unsure about their option.

"Yamame is quite well known in the underground youkai community because of this ability. I have never really faced the girl personally in a match but I have heard that she isn't really one to openly fight anyone so long as they don't directly antagonize her or her friends." I added in case Louise and Eleanore were still leery about bringing their sick sister anywhere near a youkai with the power to freely manipulate illnesses.

"Then Miss Yamame should be able to manipulate Chii-nee-sama's illness and make it go away right?" Louise asked me with a voice and expression that betrayed anxiety and hope. Eleanore on the other hand was giving both Yukari and I measured looks.

"It can't simply be that simple, could it?" The sharp woman asked us with narrowed eyes, earning a worried look from her younger sister. I couldn't help but shake my head at her impressive intuition, further cementing the possibility that she could easily be a match for Matilda in terms of wit and quick thinking. Yukari and I looked at each other before the woman gave me a shrug in response to my unvoiced question.

"True enough, Eleanore. I cannot completely guarantee that Yamame will be able to deal with your sister's problem until we can have the two of them meet. At the very least, Yamame should be able to identify the exact cause of her illness. However, as far as an actual treatment goes, that would be completely up to Yamame herself." Yukari conceded the point with a nod. Speaking of which...

"Are you certain that Touya will be able to convince Yamame to assist us in this matter?" I asked her, more to check if we will need to expect any more delays or complications when it comes to finally dealing with Cattleya's situation. Yukari raised a brow at me before giving me a condescending laugh.

"You're kidding right? This is Touya Hakurei we are talking about. While it is possible that she'd decline at first, considering she'd end up spending time inside the personal realm of Yuka Kazami, Parsee should be able to persuade her to do so since I made sure to have Touya tag her along for that." She answered with yet another one of her stupid grins, the one she uses whenever she's certain that whatever she was trying to pull off couldn't possibly fail.

"Parsee? That jealousy youkai from that bridge thing?" Louise asked with no small sense of uncertainty. I turned back to Yukari and saw her directing a smile at my master.

"Very good Louise~! Not exactly correct but you were close enough to the general idea~" Yukari cooed before moving her gap around the room and engulfing my master in an embrace. The entire thing transpired so quickly and unexpectedly that Louise never got the chance to even get out of her seat to evade capture.

"Aaaagh! Let me go! Help! Yuka! Big Sis Eleanore! Don't let her take meeee!" Louise immediately went to full-on panic mode as she started flailing her limbs around in a futile effort to try to free herself from Yukari's grasp. I preemptively stood from my seat and stepped away from the two of them to keep myself from getting caught up in that mess. Sadly, Eleanore did not have the foresight to do likewise.

"Kya!" Eleanore yelped out in an uncharacteristically girly manner after Louise accidentally kicked the back of her chair. The action made her launch forward out of her chair...and right into me. I managed to keep her steady by holding onto her arms but she still ended up leaning against me with her head on my right shoulder.

"Are you alright?" I asked the eldest sister as she continued to lean on me. She then started trembling in my arms before slowly looking up to me, her initially blank expression turning into an embarrassed one. I raised a brow at her odd reaction before blinking when I realized that both Louise and Yukari had gone silent. I looked up and them and saw that both were seemingly frozen in place with Yukari behind Louise with her hands around my master's midsection while Louise looked like she was frozen in the middle of a flying kick of some sort.

...and both of them were flatly staring at us as if they were looking at some sort of louse or insignificant insect. Definitely not an arachnid though.

"...yes?" I asked after they didn't make any move for several moments, impressive considering Louise's awkward positioning at the time. No response from either of them. Odd. I looked down to where Eleanore was still leaning against me and saw that she still had that embarrassed expression on her face and her eyes were even starting to tear up, yet she dared not move from my grasp.

Louise and Yukari looked at each other and back to us before the border youkai gently lowered my master on the floor. The two of them quietly straightened out their clothes before looking at us intently once more.

"Well?" Yukari spoke up in an oddly annoyed tone of voice before folding her arms and leaning back. Louise also had her arms folded and was tapping her left foot on the floor impatiently.

"What is it?" I finally asked with a blink. I found it odd that Eleanore seemed to tremble slightly again when I pulled her closer to me in order to have a better view of Louise and Yukari. Both of them looked at each other and grumbled before shaking their heads.

"And the girls call Touya dense..." I heard Yukari mutter to herself. I raised a brow at that comment.

"Dense? Me? Preposterous! I am nothing but perceptive, especially when it comes to things that personally affect me." I dismissed her claims with a wave of my hand.

"Fine. Whatever. Can you let Big Sis Eleanore go now?" Louise deadpanned at me with the same irritated expression and the impatient tapping of her foot. I blinked at her before realizing that I was still holding onto Eleanore close to me.

"Oh...yes, of course. I apologize." I simply said before letting Eleanore go. The blonde stepped back a couple of paces away from me with her hands over her chest while still sporting a very embarrassed expression.

"Are you...alright?" I asked, more in wonder if she would suddenly pass out or hyperventilate or something.

"Hii-!" Eleanore responded with a sharp inhaling breath. I was utterly confused as to why the normally confrontational woman was behaving like...like...Medicine back when she was still extremely shy to others.

"She's fine!" Both Louise and Yukari immediately said while moving in front of Eleanore as if shielding her from me. I raised a brow at their sudden action and saw them narrow their eyes at me.

"He really doesn't know..." I barely heard Louise whisper.

"Another enemy of women everywhere has appeared..." Yukari whispered as well before her expression turned contemplative.

"...I wonder if I could use that against Kanako?" She added. Kanako? What does that wind goddess have to do with anything? I did not get much more of an explanation than that as the two of them set about to the task of calming down Eleanore.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Right! Parsee! She's the close friend of Yamame's and the guardian of the main bridge that links the surface of Gensokyo to the Underground." Yukari suddenly spoke up after things finally settled down, completely forgoing the use of any sort of segue to lead into this conversation. Both Louise and Eleanore were seated back on the couch they were originally using before Yukari showed up. I was seated across them in my own chair while Yukari was leaning out of her gap to my left. Things more or less went back to normal, though I noted that Eleanore couldn't seem to decide whether to stare at me or avert from looking into my eyes.

"She is also one of those who have been...captured...by Touya's talents." I added idly more for the sake of doing so than anything.

"Captured? The two of them fought?" Louise asked with a tilt of her head. Ah yes, she didn't hear about Touya's other talent from the last time. On the other hand, Eleanore quickly had a look of suspicion then realization after putting two-and-two together.

"No. It was more of a euphemism of a similar term. To put it simply, she is in love with him." I bluntly clarified with a shake of my head. Louise's face immediately proceeded to turn a shade of red, she was really weak against direct emotional attacks like that wasn't she? Just shows that my master was still very much a young maiden at heart no matter how much she tried to play up being mature. On the other hand, Eleanore merely gave out a hum and nodded in understanding.

"Lo-lo-love? Does that mean that she and Touya are lo-lo-lo-lo-" Louise embarrassedly asked before being reduced to a stuttering pile of nerves.

"The word you're looking for is 'lovers', runt." The eldest sister flatly stated with a bored expression.

"Quite. Parsee and Touya are not lovers, though they do seem to be a good match if they can work past their issues. Hmmm..." Yukari stated with a contemplative expression before turning to me.

"Don't you think so?" She suddenly asked me. I blinked at her before shrugging.

"She is about as much a match for him as Shikieiki could have been. In the end, they have far too much excess baggage for a meaningful relationship to work." I stated before picking up a choice cupcake and taking a bite. I raised a brow when I noticed that all three of them were seemingly staring dumbfounded at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"That was...an incredibly insightful assessment, Yuka. I thought you didn't care much about things like love. How can you give such a concise statement about the possibility of a relationship between Touya and Parsee?" Yukari asked while leaning toward me and poking my left cheek with her finger as if I was some sort of strange new creature.

"I am simply repeating something that Suika once told me." I explained after swatting away the offending finger.

"Suika? Is that another one of you youkai?" Eleanore asked with a raised brow.

"Suika Ibuki. She's an Oni, a kind of horned humanoid supernatural being. Ancient. Very very very very strong but she's very nice toward humans usually." Louise beat Yukari and I on explaining who Suika is.

"Very good Louise. To give you a better picture, imagine Louise with horns at the side of her head and has enough strength to casually throw the Valliere manor with one hand." I added, earning a widening of Eleanore's eyes.

"So she's a tiny monster then? I can't even imagine anyone that is the runt's size be capable of that kind of power." The blonde asked before giving her sister a sidelong glance. Louise pouted at the comment but did nothing else about it.

"What is the measure of a man or a monster? Suika may sound monstrous but she has been the close family friend of Touya's clan for generations. In fact, she lives with them." Yukari pointed out with a wry smile. Eleanore considered her words for a few moments before giving another nod of understanding.

"And like most youkai that have lived that long, she has become wise from experience...regardless of how much she tries to play a fool." I stated while giving Yukari a flat stare. The woman looked away and just had that stupid nonchalant whistling expression as if she had nothing to do with anything.

"Right...so what does she have to do with whatever kind of relationship Touya gets himself involved in?" Eleanore resumed the line of questioning she seemed to be set on. It almost seemed like some sort of interrogation. Odd that the eldest sister would have such an interest about that specific subject matter.

"Because she is pretty much his unofficial guardian. Touya had grown up with Suika as a constant presence. She took care of him when everyone else was too busy to. Touya even calls her 'Auntie Suika' because of how much he trusts her. Oni as a race pride themselves in always telling the truth. Suika is no exception to that fact so Touya pretty much hangs off her every word." Yukari responded with a wistful sigh. Eleanore let out a thoughtful hum before giving me a measured look.

"And if she talked to you about that then..." She trailed off, trying to prompt me to continue the train of thought.

"Touya has odd tastes in women. The one time that he actually fell in love, the one he fell for was the Highest Judge of Paradise. Shikieiki Yamaxanadu. One of the strongest beings in Gensokyo and the person responsible for judging the souls of the dead in our realm." I started, referencing that one incident that Suika told me about when she and I shared a relaxing afternoon together in my garden after spending the morning having a non-stop Danmaku battle. I noticed Eleanore flinch before looking between Yukari and I in turn.

"And you're not even lying are you?" She blandly asked, earning a blink of confusion from both myself and the border youkai.

"Is everyone in your realm obscenely powerful in some way? The way you two keep throwing around titles and powers so casually makes me think that even the legendary elven armies here would be nothing more than mild inconveniences for the likes of your kind." Eleanore irritably commented while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"To be fair, most of the more powerful residents in our realm are ancient non-humans. Don't feel too inadequate about it. Our realms are two completely separate existences, so it's obvious that there would be differences between them." I provided with a shrug. It was true though.

"Like two different scales of power. Moving on...based on what you told me, Touya's first love didn't work out because he chose a woman who was of great power and responsibility. One who would not have enough time for something such as love." Eleanore inferred, correctly mind you, before glancing away with a distant look in her eyes and sighing.

"That's right. While, the boy's intentions seemed to be pure, both Suika and Shikieiki knew that a relationship between a human and a Yama will never work out, regardless of that human's lineage." I confirmed her theory with another shrug.

"That's so sad..." Louise piped up in an obviously sad voice.

"He got over it. Touya and Eiki still see each other whenever possible. He is probably the only human who has ever become close enough to that little judge that he actually managed to make her genuinely laugh out in joy." Yukari added with a bit of a laugh of her own.

"Do they now? This is the first I have heard of that." I idly commented with a raised brow.

"The two of them would like to think that it is a secret. They don't know that I know about their occasional little 'platonic' rendezvous." The woman said conspiratorially to me, complete with waggling eyebrows. I was about to nod in acknowledgement before taking another bite of my cupcake when I had a sudden realization.

"Are we...are we actually gossiping to one another about Touya's nonexistent love life?" I asked with a bitter expression before rubbing my forehead with my left hand.

"Yes~! We~! Are~!" Yukari responded cheerily with an absolutely delighted expression. She was acting as if she was several centuries and several more decades younger than she really was.

"By the founder, you're right. We're acting like commoner housewives." Eleanore added with a groan.

"I don't understand what's wrong. Yuka and Yukari were just clarifying things for you since you don't know that much about their realm or the ones living there." My master asked her sister with a tilted head. The eldest sister glanced back at her before sighing.

"Sometimes...on fantastically rare occasions...I'm actually tempted to envy your simplemindedness." Eleanore shot back halfheartedly with a shake of her head.

"Hey!" My master let out, clearly offended by what her sister insinuated.

"Well, Louise is correct in pointing out that this conversation transpired in order to give you a better picture of our realm and the denizens therein. And with that in mind..." I stated before finishing off my cupcake and washing it down with another cup of tea.

"Suika was the one who advised Touya not to pursue a relationship with Shikieiki on the aforementioned grounds. Regardless of how much of a drunken idiot that little Oni likes to act, she is still one of the strongest elder Oni in Gensokyo, a Deva of the Mountain, and one of the extremely few surface dwellers who are openly accepted in the realm of the Celestials. One does not gain those kinds of things by purely being dumb drunk muscle." I continued, making sure that Eleanore and Louise had a clear idea just what kind of being Suika Ibuki was...that there was much more to the Oni than meets the eye. A very common aspect for the youkai of Gensokyo. I waited for any other comments from the three of them but they all seemed satisfied to let me continue, so I did.

"Suika drew parallels between Eiki and Parsee when it came to being suitable partners for Touya. They both have a lot of baggage, though their issues are very different. While Shikieiki cannot allow herself to fall in love because of her duties to the realm, Parsee is simply a very emotionally...unstable being." I moved on to the main topic after laying the appropriate groundwork for it. I was about to proceed when Yukari suddenly snorted audibly before covering her mouth to seemingly contain laughter. I raised a brow at the woman but she managed to speak up before I could ask what she was on about.

"Yuka Kazami calling someone else emotionally unstable with a straight face..." Yukari said to me with what Cirno had once termed as a 'shit-eating grin'.

"Very funny." I acknowledged noncommitantly before turning my attention back to Louise and Eleanore, the latter had a look as if she wanted to talk about something.

"Emotionally unstable...how so?" The eldest sister asked. Yukari and I shared a look before sharing grins with each other.

"Funny you should ask that...as you may or may not have noticed, the youkai of Gensokyo more or less have a special ability that is associated with them. Their primary attribute, so to speak. Note my flower manipulation, Yukari's border manipulation, and Cirno's power over ice." I pointed out. Both Eleanore and Louise nodded at the same time, noting that they have indeed noticed such a thing.

"Parsee's personal ability is the affinity to a certain emotion, so much so that she can convert that and manifest it into a tangible form of energy." I explained, specifying as to what Parsee was capable of doing.

"Wait...based on what the runt mentioned earlier, this Parsee's emotional affinity is towards...jealousy?" Eleanore ventured an educated guess based on what she had managed to glean off the conversation so far.

"Correct. Parsee has the ability to convert her own Jealousy into energy. The more jealous she gets, the more energy she manifests. Unfortunately, the problem with her lies there." Yukari confirmed Eleanore's suspicion with a nod before sighing after saying the last part.

"Why? That is a pretty troublesome ability right? I mean, no one can possibly be capable of becoming jealous at will right?" The eldest sister voiced her confusion.

"That's just the thing. She can." Yukari answered with a wry smile. I decided to take over the explanation after the blonde continued to show that she was still confused about that.

"Parsee has proven to be astoundingly petty when it comes to jealousy. She has been known to be capable of being jealous about anything. Anything at all. Even things that barely made any sense of being jealous about. That is the source of her power after all, so it makes a twisted sort of sense. Unfortunately, as I have already pointed out, this makes her extremely emotionally unstable. That is how she had acquired titles such as 'Jealousy Beneath the Earth's Crust' and 'Monster with Green Eyes'." I clarified further, showing just how deep Parsee's particular issue ran.

"Ugh...I can't even imagine having to deal with someone like that." Louise piped up with a very irritated voice.

"Indeed..." Was all Eleanore said.

"Regardless, her attraction to Touya should give us the edge when it comes to convincing Yamame to help. I'm not sure how those two became friends, but they are very close to each other and I doubt that Yamame would turn down a personal favor to her friend." Yukari stated, bringing that line of conversation to an end before leveling a gaze at me.

"Now, about those 'keys' that you will be providing the girls here..." Yukari trailed off before giving a glance to Eleanore and Louise.

"Quite. I was going to tell them about the means by which Eleanore and Cattleya would be able to create their own doors to my border of dreams...before you barged in unannounced." I icily responded, reminding the border youkai that it was her fault as to why I haven't gotten to that topic completely yet.

"What can I say, I just lo~ve making an entrance~" Yukari responded with a girlish smile and a sing-song voice...to which the rest of us simply stared at her for with completely unamused expressions.

"Quite..." I muttered before standing up and making my way out of the living room.

"Yuka?" Louise called out to me in wonder of my sudden action.

"I'll just pick something up from upstairs, please wait here. Yukari, don't touch anything...or anyone for that matter." I responded before tossing the last bit for the sake of the girls. I worked my way up the stairs past my 'gaming room' and entered my bedroom. I entered my bedroom and opened up my cabinet here and began rummaging inside. After finding what I was looking for and putting them in my pants pockets, I closed the cabinet and made my way back down to the living room. Before I could enter, I heard Yukari and the girls talking amongst themselves.

"-ridiculously dense about that kind of thing." I heard Yukari's scoffing voice say.

"You're right. Only a completely direct approach would probably work on him. Even then, he'd probably play it of as everything else aside from genuine romantic attraction." Eleanore bitterly agreed with the border youkai. What on Earth were they talking about? Touya again?

"I don't think Matilda or Siesta were ever able to get through to him in that regard. Even Kirche was summarily ignored and--" My master's statements were suddenly cut of by the sound of something covering her mouth. Matilda, Siesta, and Kirche? What do they have to do with anything.

"Sneaking around your house and eavesdropping on your guests is a terrible habit for a host, Yuka." The border youkai suddenly said in a teasing voice from within the living room.

"My house. My realm. What were you all talking about anyway?" I responded before inquiring about their topic as I walked back to my seat. All three of them flinched before looking at each other, a strange silent agreement seemingly passing between them.

"Nothing you should concern yourself about." They all answered at the same time.

"The fact that you all responded the same way at the same time already shows that there is something of interest there. At the very least, something I should be wary of." I pointed out, drawing from the times when I had to deal with such things with Cirno and her friends...and the handful of times when I even participated in such things alongside Remilia and the alleged saint Toyosatomimi.

"Still something you shouldn't bother yourself with. What did you go to upstairs for anyway?" Yukari dismissed my claims before immediately changing the subject. Definitely something up with that. I should probably ask Louise about it at a later date, for now though...

"I went up there to get these." I reached into my pockets and pulled out two small wooden jewel boxes, small enough to fit only one thing in them. I handed one to Eleanore and the other to Louise. The two of them looked at their respective boxes before opening them, their eyes widening after seeing what was inside.

"Now keep in mind, I only had a few hours to be able to create them so they are only temporary." I pointed out as they both took out the items in the boxes, a pair of matching metal rings.

"What are these things for?" Louise immediately asked as she and Eleanore inspected the rings.

"Those are temporary passes into Mugenkan. With those bands, you will be able to create a door that leads into this realm once. The door that those rings will make will remain manifested until the door is opened and will disappear once closed." I explained as the two of them continued to look at the unassuming bands of metal.

"So these things will let us in here without your help once, right? Then why give one to the runt? And why can they only do it once?" Eleanore asked the immediately logical questions after placing her ring back in its box.

"I'm giving one to Louise so she can give the ring to Cattleya when she says goodbye to her." I explained as I pointed to my master.

"Hmmm...yes, that works. So you'll give Cattleya and I the means to get in here on our own without your help. That makes things easier, but why are they only for one-time use?" The blonde the other obvious question as she closed the lid of her box before pocketing it.

"That is because I have only been able to put that specifically on two other objects in existence. I never created those objects either, I just laced them with the magic needed for them to make a door into this realm." I explained, earning a nod of understanding from the blonde.

"One of them is your parasol right? What is the other one?" Louise asked as she put the ring she had in its box before handing it to Eleanore.

"Why are you giving me this runt?" Eleanore asked irritably even though she still took the box from my master's hand.

"This isn't my real body. I'll just vanish once I wake up and I probably won't be able to bring this ring back with me." Louise pointed out with a shrug.

"Hmmm...I forgot about that...how does she do that anyway?" Eleanore asked after pocketing the other ring.

"I'm not sure myself. Her subconscious simply has a tendency to wander in here once she falls asleep. Although, I assume that it has something to do with our bond as master and familiar." I answered with my own shrug.

"To answer Louise's previous question though, the other object that I enchanted with that ability is the scythe of my gatekeeper Elly. She's the one who makes sure that no one trespasses into Mugenkan without my consent." I went back to my master's inquiry.

"You have a gatekeeper for this realm? Why?" Eleanore asked with a raised brow.

"I hired Elly to guard the original entrance to Mugenkan several centuries ago back when I was still having my long hibernation cycles when I was still much much weaker than I am now." I elaborated on who Elly was before turning to Yukari.

"She doesn't even know that I'm no longer in Gensokyo, does she?" I asked the border youkai with a bored expression.

"She also doesn't know about your other major change as well. For all she cares, you're still around but won't bother to check in with her anymore." Yukari answered with a snicker that wouldn't look out of place with Tewi.

"Alright, we more or less have a plan of action here but I want to make sure that we're all on the same page..." I started as I leaned back into my chair and made sure that they were all listening before I continued.

"Let us review our plan for tomorrow. Eleanore will hand Louise the ring in the morning and Louise will give it to Cattleya. Now, this is very important. You must not mention anything about the ring's capabilities once you give it to Cattleya. In fact, just give her the box and tell her to keep it with her until we leave." I said to everyone before giving specific instructions to my master.

"What? Why?" And she obviously ended up wanting to know why I wanted to play the situation that way.

"In case your parents decided that even a simple farewell between sisters needed to be monitored. We can't really take any chances at this point, not after all the trouble this has already caused all of us." I explained to both sisters.

"Agreed. Just give the box to Cattleya and tell her to keep it somewhere safe until you leave. I'll see if I can talk to her tomorrow after dark so we can finally get her in here." Eleanore added with a determined nod.

"A sound plan then. Louise brings the ring to Cattleya and Eleanore teaches her how to use it and the two of them show up here through their respective doors. I should have a more permanent version of those rings ready by then for your future use." I continued with a slightly revised version of our plan for tomorrow.

"That reminds me..." Eleanore said before pulling out one of the ring boxes.

"How do we use these things?" She asked me while gesturing to the box in her hand.

"Ah, of course. I apologize for not explaining such a thing. I'll spare you the specifics and simply tell you what needs to be done to use the rings." I said before going into the explanation of utilizing the one-time use access rings to Mugenkan.

"The user will obviously first need to wear the ring. After that, the user will need to point the ring in front of an empty space large enough for a door to Mugenkan to manifest." I continued while closing my right hand into a fist and pointing it forward in order to demonstrate how it should be done.

"After which, all that is needed is for the user to state the activation incantation to make the ring perform its purpose." I stated, lowering my hand.

"Activation incantation?" Eleanore repeated those two words in question form.

"Indeed. The spell needed for the manifestation of the door is already in the rings. All you need to do is to make the spell start using a key phrase." I answered with a small smile.

"So...what is the activation incantation?" The eldest sister asked as she leaned forward in anticipation of my answer. I closed my eyes and though of the best way to tell her before opening them and giving her another smile.

"The actual incantation itself could have been anything really. All the ring really needed is to maintain voice recognition with the user long enough for the ring to draw out enough magical energy to conjure the door. Of course, it might as well be classy." I admitted with a completely unashamed smirk. Eleanore suddenly pouted at me before leaning back to her chair and folding her arms over her chest.

"Are you actually going to tell us or not?" The blonde said irritably with a frown.

"Bad Yuka~! You shouldn't keep a lady waiting you know~" Yukari said in an ever increasingly teasing voice. I momentarily thought that she was enjoying this far too much before turning back to Eleanore.

"I apologize for that then Eleanore. The incantation itself is as follows so please listen closely." I said before pausing for a moment to make sure that she was indeed listening.

"Darkened heaven's light, bear this name as you open the door to the border of dreams...Inanimate Dream." I slowly stated, making sure to speak each word as clearly as possible for her to get it all. Eleanore had her eyes closed and had a serious expression as she absorbed each word I uttered.

"Does it have to be such an ominous incantation?" My master suddenly asked uncomfortably after I finished saying the incantation.

"It is distinct and catchy...which is what a spell incantation should be to make it easier to recall." I retorted with a shrug before turning to Eleanore.

"How is it? Are you able to retain it?" I asked the blonde who opened her eyes and gave me a slightly offended look.

"Of course I memorized it. Even a ten-count aria about the life of a hero that is now only known in a moldy old book in the royal archives is child's play for me to retain after reading it only once. Just who do you think I am?" Eleanore stated indignantly at me with her exceedingly modest chest puffed out and her hands on her hips.

"I meant no disrespect. I know first hand just how cunning, intelligent, and skilled you are in several aspects. I was simply making sure for the sake of being sure. Your sister's life is on the line after all." I said simply with a shake of my head and a disarming smile. Eleanore gave out a pout and a huff but relented from her posturing before turning away from me, her cheeks once again sporting a pink tinge.

"Well, is there anything else? I'd like to have a decent night's sleep if you don't mind." She pointed out as she eyed me and Louise.

"No, I believe that we can end things here for now. Hopefully we will be able to reunite tomorrow after dark, this time with Cattleya and Yamame joining in." I stated before motioning to stand up, both Louise and Eleanore following my example.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Yamame will be willing to help tomorrow. Good night all~" Yukari said in parting before ducking back into her gap and vanishing from this side of Mugenkan. With Yukari gone, Louise and I led Eleanore back out of my mansion where I opened the door that led into the eldest sister's room.

"Make sure you don't screw up later runt." Eleanore said before crossing into her room. Louise gave out a curious 'huh' when I closed the door instead of following Eleanore back into their manor.

"Aren't you going back too?" Louise asked me with a tilted head. I dematerialized the door before turning back to her and giving her a sweet smile.

"I was. Then I remembered that we haven't been training as much as usual ever since you've been called back here." I pointed out to my master. Louise suddenly realized what this meant and immediately went pale before she started to slowly back away from me.

"W-w-w-wait a minute! We just had a big match last night! Shouldn't that be enough to make up for the training I missed previously?!" Louise stated her case desperately to me in a hopes of saving herself from the usual regiment of my personal style of training.

"Exactly. Because of your stunning performance back then, I had decided that out current training level has now become obsolete. Congratulations Louise, you now get to advance to the next level of your training." I explained with a cheerful smile that contrasted with the increasingly horrified expression of my master's.

"Now then...let us begin tonight's lesson." I said moments before Louise started screaming bloody murder at me and at how unfair the situation was.

...

I opened the door that led between Mugenkan and the Valliere manor and walked back into Louise's realm. I quickly closed the door and dematerialized it before turning around...

Whack!

...and immediately coming in contact with a well placed kick to the face. It seemed that I was developing a habit of turning around right into one of Eleanore's direct attacks aimed right in my face.

"Good morning to you, Eleanore." I greeted the eldest sister despite her slippered right foot digging into my left cheek.

"And why in the Founder's name are. you. in. my. room?" She asked me while putting more and more pressure on my face with each emphasized word.

"The only door here so far that leads to Mugenkan is located in your room. I didn't really have anywhere else to come out of." I reminded her.

"That doesn't change the fact that you went into a lady's room uninvited, unannounced, and unwanted." She retorted hotly at me. From what my limited line of sight could manage at that point, I could have sworn that she was blushing while she said those words.

"I apologize for my actions then. However, you should already know that I wouldn't do anything untoward to you regardless. I'm not one who would be interested to do that kind of thing to a woman. Besides, it would be too much of a bother in any real sense." I clarified with her before noticing something when the woman did not respond.

"By the way, wouldn't your current position be rather embarrassing should anyone else see you right now?" I asked since Eleanore was still wearing her night gown and seemed to have woken up a few moments ago. If one would consider that she was in a position of a high kick at the moment while wearing that...

"G-g-g-g-g-get out of my room!" She suddenly exclaimed before lowering her leg and roughly shoving me out of her room and closing the door behind me. I gave the door one last parting glance before shrugging and walking back to Louise's room, once again using my parasol as a walking stick. I 'incidentally' passed by Cattleya's room on the way back and saw that the guards were still there. I gave them a smile and a nod as I passed and saw them tense up after seeing me. I shook my head and merely passed by before continuing back to Louise's room. I knocked on the door until Ruukoto partially opened it to see who was knocking.

"Fuga." The gynoid greeted me before opening the door wide enough for me to enter.

"Good morning to you as well." I returned the greeting before entering the room. I heard the door close behind me before I noticed that Louise still in her bed. I walked up to my master and saw that she was on her side and curled up into a ball while clutching onto Emilio as tightly as she could. Her face was scrunched up into an expression of anger and fear. I reached out to her and was intending to shake her awake when her eyes suddenly shot open and focused onto me.

"Good morning." I greeted her with a kind smile.

"I hate you so much..." Louise muttered at me before sitting up on her bed with Emilio still in her arms.

"Come now, it wasn't that bad." I dismissed her reaction to our last minute training session last night with a wave of my hand.

"Not that bad?! There were hundreds of those needles! How in the founder's name am I supposed to be able to avoid all of that?!" She yelled at me as she struggled to get off her bed in one piece without falling over since she was still hanging onto her plushie.

"Well, if you had bothered to note the patterns used by the Cactuah, you should have noticed that if you rushed them before they fired then you should have been able to dodge the needles before they overwhelmed you." I pointed out the way she could have avoided getting impaled by hundreds of six-inch needles over and over again.

"Kak-Tuwaa? What in Halkeginia is a Kak-Tuwaa?" Louise asked me, once again showing that she still had issues when it came to pronouncing certain kinds of words and names.

"It's pronounced Cactuah actually. They are what you were up against last night and they are certain semi-sentient plants from a certain place. They look harmless but they can be very formidable when provoked or underestimated...as you seem to already know." I clarified as I watched Louise get dressed with the assistance of Ruukoto. My master dressed herself while Ruukoto simply handed her the next article of clothing she needed to wear.

"I wouldn't want to live in a place that had those things running around." Louise muttered to herself as she buttoned up her frilly white blouse.

"The Cactuah are more of an environmental hazard than anything else. Those living in that realm had far bigger problems to worry about." I commented as I recalled the state of the world of that game where the Cactuah came from. It wasn't the first time I had managed to make fictional plants real, though getting those right takes a bit of work if I couldn't get the image and concept just right. Regardless of Louise's resentment toward the sentient killer cacti, her reaction speed had marginally improved as did her timing when using explosions to try to counter or hamper the trajectory of projectiles.

"Whatever. Let's just go before I become late for breakfast. I still need to get that ring from Big Sis Eleanore for later." Louise stated irritably before stomping out of the room with Ruukoto a step behind her. I briefly wondered if the fact that Louise was never a morning person was the cause of her bad mood before following them into the hallway. We walked through the halls once again on our way to the very same balcony where her family had breakfast the previous morning. Along the way, we encountered Eleanore waiting for us impatiently with her arms folded over her chest.

"About time you got off your lazy rear." She said in her usual hostile manner as she approached us. Sad that we all knew, probably even Louise, that her demeanor was just an affront to her real emotions and intentions. Besides, she's done it so much that it had lost all meaning and potency.

"Good morning, Big Sister Eleanore." Louise greeted her sister with an unsteady smile. The eldest sister likely did not expect to be greeted by my master like that after what she had just said considering that she flinched and froze in place for a moment. She quickly regained her composure though and cleared her throat before reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out one of the ring boxes.

"Here. Keep this with you at all times. We don't know when exactly mother will allow you to see Cattleya so we might as well be sure." The blonde instructed as her sister took the box and placed it in her own pocket. I gave the entire scene a mirthful chuckle. Despite the rather clandestine exchange they were technically having, one can notice the similarities between Louise and Eleanore that would no doubt peg them as sisters.

"And you! Don't act like this doesn't have anything to do with you." She turned her attention to me after hearing said chuckle before poking my chest with her right index finger while her other hand was once again situated on her hip.

"You better be sure that these things will work." She muttered to me in something she may have considered as a threatening voice.

"I find your lack of faith amusing. You should already know that those rings will work so long as you use proper incantation. Also, just a reminder, those rings are only for one-time use. Do not use them until the moment you really want to create a door as the spell they cast will use up the material of the ring as the catalyst." I pointed out before reminding Eleanore about that particular property of those rings I made.

"I though you said that you would allow us into your realm any time we wanted. If so, why is our primary means to get there only temporary?" Eleanore asked me with a suspicious look.

"Those two rings are just slapdash constructs. Just something I made to accomplish our objective as soon as possible. I already have three more rings being conjured back in Mugenkan as we speak. They should be done by the time we get back there and will be far more permanent than those simple metal bands." I explained with a smile. The woman looked at me with narrowed eyes for another moment before huffing and turning around.

"Those two rings are just slapdash constructs. Just something I made to accomplish our objective as soon as possible. I already have three more rings being conjured back in Mugenkan as we speak. They should be done by the time we get back there and will be far more permanent than those simple metal bands." I explained with a smile. The woman looked at me with narrowed eyes for another moment before huffing and turning around.

"Well then, let's go. Last thing we need is to get mother mad at us before the runt here can meet Cattleya before you all leave." She declared before taking the lead to where breakfast should already be served for their family.

...

Once again, the Valliere family ate breakfast in silence sans Cattleya. Although, I noted that the overall atmosphere at the table was far less tense than it was the day before. Again, only the immediate Valliere family was served breakfast so Ruukoto and I situated ourselves behind my master. Since I had my parasol with me, I was using it like a walking stick in my right hand. The ever stoic Ruukoto simply stood in attention next to me in complete silence. I sometimes wonder what goes on in that high-tech brain but I did not really let it bother me since it was invariably loyal to Louise.

Karin and Eugene were seated next to one another and were eating in their usual composed manner. I did notice that they did not seem as tired as they were before. I assumed that we could take that as a sign that Cattleya's condition had improved...or at least stabilized to a point where her life was no longer in danger at the moment.

"Your return carriage will be ready this afternoon. We will allow you an hour to speak with Cattleya after lunch time. Do not squander it." Karin suddenly spoke up, as if talking to no one in particular, as she sipped at her wine with her eyes closed. Both sisters stopped eating and stared at their battle-hardened mother as if she just said something earth shattering. I noticed Eugene glance between his wife and daughters before giving a smile and taking a sip of his own drink.

"Cattleya had been constantly pestering the guards and the servants to let her out of her room or to send for Louise so she could talk to her dear sister." Eugene explained while purposely ignoring the cold glance that his wife was giving him.

"It got so bad that she even threatened to perform transmuting magic just to get her point across." The Duke stated while chuckling and stroking his spectacular mustache again. Both Louise and Eleanore audibly gasped at their father's words and for good reason. Even in Gensokyo, transmuting spells were considered above average in terms of required skill and power. For one such as Cattleya who was practically shortening her life every time she casts a spell, that was quite the personal threat...

...all to be able to see my master and talk to her again.

I couldn't help but smile at the fact that Louise's entire family seemed to have their own peculiar but genuine kind of courage.

"That child dared to try to threaten us with her life on the line. Such pointless foolishness." Karin stated in a clipped tone.

"Indeed...I wonder where she got that from." Eugene mused, earning another glare from his wife.

"After she found out that Louise was going back, she pleaded to have some time alone with her before she left." He continued before turning to his youngest daughter with a fatherly smile.

"Cattleya had missed you dearly since you left to study at the academy. Karin and I agreed that there wouldn't be any harm with giving you two some time together before you return to the academy." The Duke explained with the same smile that my master quickly returned.

"Thank you so much mother, father!" Louise said enthusiastically before very nearly launching herself at her father and giving him a very generous hug.

"You are very welcome my child." Eugene responded as he returned his daughter's hug before turning to Karin. The Duchess gave her husband and daughter measured looks before emptying her glass of wine and leaving the dining table. The rest of us watched her go with varying degrees of interest. Normally, one would have assumed Karin to be a cold-hearted human being based on her personality. However, through the times when I had been able to interact with her or the times when I simply observed her behavior, I have found a very different person.

Her adamant desire to get Louise away from the battle zone during the attempted Albion Invasion at Tarbes. Her anger at the fact that Louise summoned a blood soaked monster as her familiar. Her determination to speak with Louise along with her husband to clarify our circumstances. Her worry toward the health of her ill daughter. Eleanore's description on how long she and Eugene have been looking for a sure for Cattleya. Her misguided plan of trying to isolate Cattleya from us to prevent anything else from happening to her. Her reluctant agreement to allow Louise and Cattleya some time alone together as sisters.

It seemed that she was simply one who had a very difficult time conveying her true feelings and intentions to others. A kind of behavior that Eleanore and Louise seemed to share with her. I was not sure why she acted the way she does. It could have been part of her legendary Rule of Steel, the discipline that made her ferocious and successful in the military. It could have been because of the way she herself was brought up or a personal distortion in her way of thinking.

Regardless, she was who she was. Nothing will change the fact that she was Louise's mother. Nothing will change the fact that she did indeed love her family...no matter how hard it was for her to show or admit it.

...

The rest of the day was a complete blur for Louise. It wouldn't be far from the truth that she could barely remember the rest of what happened that day until the moment when she was finally standing in front of her sister's door. Louise left both her familiar and her gynoid maid in her room as per the strict instruction of her mother, besides they needed to pack for the trip back to the academy anyway. She looked at the two guards who were posted at either side of the door. Said guards made no move to stop her and only remained vigilant for any other threats that might appear...though Louise couldn't imagine anyone crazy or stupid enough to try to directly attack the manor of the Valliere family, much lest her sister's room.

The young void mage gulped before rapping her right knuckle on the door three times.

"Chii-nee-sama? It's me--" Louise never managed to finish what she was about to say because she was summarily interrupted by her sister.

"Louise? Is that you? Please, come in! Come in dear Louise!" Even through the muffled sound caused by being on the other side of a door, Louise could still very much feel the joy in her sister's voice as she beckoned her to enter. The young woman obliged her elder sister's request and quickly entered the room.

It only took a single sweeping glance for Louise to take in most of the details of her sister's room thanks to all her training in Mugenkan. The immediate thing she took note was that most of her sister's beloved pet animals were no longer in the room.

The only ones left were a pair of cats, one of them had a spotted coat of orange and black over white. Cattleya had oddly decided to name that cat Smith, after a strange man that was featured in one of the many fictional romance novels her sister loved to read. Louise remembered that one as a cat that wandered into the manor years ago. Their mother only allowed Cattleya to keep the cat because of a grudging respect brought about because the cat managed to avoid detection by everyone in the manor...including their mother.

The other was a exceedingly fluffy cat with a shiny grey coat. That one's name was Wesson, after another man from the same novel Smith came from. Apparently, they were adventuring partners who eventually fell in love with the same woman or something. Louise herself had never really read that particular book since some of the scenes were allegedly too racy for her, if Siesta's information on that book was to be trusted. That cat was a present from Eleanore after she came back home to tell her family of the good news that she was accepted into the Royal Tristain Department of Earth Magic as a full time researcher.

Both of those cats got along oddly well, as evident by the fact that they were both curled up together on Cattleya's lap as her sister sat at the front edge of her bed.

"Louise! Come, sit with me." Cattleya requested with a warm smile while patting the free space on the bed to her left. Louise gave her own genuine smile before walking over and giving Cattleya a hug, minding Smith and Wesson of course, and then taking a seat next to her beloved sister.

"Are you well Chii-nee-sama?" Louise immediately asked the question that she had wanted to ask her personally since yesterday.

"I am better now that I have received a hug from my dear sister." Cattleya responded while idly petting the two cats on her lap. Her answer did not really make Louise feel any better since it felt like Cattleya simply deflected it. Of course, Louise wouldn't dare call her out on that since it won't do anyone any good even if she did.

"I am happy to hear that Chii-nee-sama. Big Sis Eleanore and I were very worried about you." Louise stated with a wry smile. Cattleya blinked at her sister before bringing her left hand up to her mouth and giving out a most lady-like giggle.

"I had expected Big Sister Eleanore and you to worry about me. Please rest assured though that I am healthy once more. The healers even said that I am even healthier than before." Cattleya said with clarity and confidence. If Louise did not know what she already did, she might just have believed her sister. That train of thought made Louise contemplate the kind of suffering her sister must have endured over the years. She couldn't even imagine the feeling of having your body reject the very gift that their lineage had given her.

"I hear that you are heading back to the academy, is this true?" The middle sister asked after the lapse in silence brought by Louise's thoughts. The question brought the young void mage back from her musings and nodded.

"I have things that I need to take care of before classes start once more. I wanted to stay here with you longer but both Big Sis Eleanore and Yuka convinced me otherwise." Louise affirmed her sister's question. She then tilted her head to the side in wonder after Cattleya made a thoughtful noise and looked like she was contemplating something.

"Tell me Louise..." Cattleya started before turning to her sister.

"...does your familiar really not have a lover?" The question itself was more than enough to toss Louise off balance enough that she was not able to respond for the longest time.

"Or could it be that the two of you are developing a bond far deeper than that of a familiar and master?" That seemingly innocent question was what made Louise go over the edge, both figuratively and literally as she fell off the bed and landed rear-first on the floor.

"Oh dear...are you alright, Louise?" Cattleya asked worriedly for her sister but she could not move from her spot on the bed due to her cats. Louise managed to pick herself up off the floor before dusting herself off and giving her sister a mildly unamused expression.

"And what do you mean by that, Chii-nee-sama?" The young void mage asked irritably even as she felt her face flush and her left eyebrow twitch a few times. Cattleya did not seem phased by her reaction as she tilted her head to the side and gave her sister a questioning gaze.

"Well, I thought it a natural question. No matter how you look at it, Yuka is a very attractive male by any standards. It wouldn't be that unusual for a few women to be infatuated with him. Even you are a healthy young woman with your own urges and desires as well, yes?" Louise could do nothing but gape at her sister's words. She understood where she was coming from, surely even Louise could not refute the fact that Yuka was an extremely handsome man. However, Cattleya was probably the first and only woman who had come out an state it. With such a direct approach...no, Louise decided as she shook her head of such thoughts. She only had an hour with her sister and she did not want to spend it speculating on who may or may not be romantically or physically attracted to her familiar.

"We are not having this conversation..." Louise muttered before plopping back next to her sister.

"What conversation?" Cattleya asked in faux innocence.

"Let me just clear this up. Yuka and I do not see each other that way. We are partners as a mage and her familiar as well as being friends. Yuka himself has stated multiple times that he has no interest in love and even said that he had never fallen in love before." Louise clarified in a voice that wouldn't seem out of place if Eleanore had been the one to say it. Unfortunately for Louise, Cattleya's eyes started to almost sparkle after her explanation.

"Really? Then that means that Big Sister Eleanore could potentially become Yuka's first love~!" Cattleya pointed out enthusiastically with a wide smile. Louise could do nothing but look at the older woman as incredulously as she possibly could.

"What?" That one word cleanly summing up what Louise was feeling at that moment.

"They have good chemistry and balance out each other. They may clash in ideals and decisions often but our sister always did savor a challenge, yes?" Cattleya explained before asking for Louise's agreement.

"Are you still going on about that? The two of them wouldn't be able to stay in a room alone together without insulting each other." Louise countered with a shake of her head while pinching the bridge of her nose with her right hand.

"Of course not Louise. If the two of them were locked in a room alone together, they would be far too busy doing things other than arguing." Cattleya shot back with an almost cat-like smile. It was an expression that looked eerily fitting on her sister, especially with those cats on her lap.

"No...just...no..." Louise weakly protested.

"Awww...you don't have to feel jealous, Louise. If we ask nicely enough, I'm sure Big Sister Eleanore would be willing to share with us~" Cattleya said in admonishing tone of voice.

"Chii-nee-sama!" Louise yelled out in embarrassment with her face completely red. She couldn't even imagine the image of Yuka being shared by...the...three...of...them. Well, maybe she could...

"No! No! No! I cannot believe that you would even suggest such a thing!" The young void mage yelled out indignantly. Her apparent anger suddenly faltered when her sister suddenly started giggling once again.

"I apologize, Louise. It had just been so long since we had time together that I could not help but tease you. Though I am glad that you value your familiar so much that you would understand him so well." Cattleya apologized before admitting the real reason why she started that line of conversation. Louise was almost ready to simply play it off as overly playful teasing by her sister...but there was an odd sort of light in her eyes whenever she mentioned Yuka. Louise decided to shake off that feeling and get down to the main reason why she wanted to get in her sister's room in the first place.

"It's alright...but...I have something very important that I must talk to you about." Louise said in such a serious tone that Cattleya couldn't even tease her about it. The older woman could feel the sincerity in Louise's voice and decided to remain quiet and hear the girl out. Seeing that her older sister was finally ready to have a serious conversation, Louise reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring box that contained one of the rings Yuka made.

"Yuka and Ruukoto managed to puzzle out a rough idea of what is causing your illness." Louise immediately noted that Cattleya tensed at her words. The two cats on her lap seemed to notice it as well as they both looked up at their owner.

"They both agreed that the reason was is because your body is reacting badly to the magic in the air...as if it was poison." Louise continued and saw that her sister's normally warm and friendly face turned cold and pale with an unreadable expression. The young void mage wasn't ready to see her sister in such a state and it made her hesitate. Only the feeling of the box in her hand, reminding her of the possible chance of salvation for her sister, let her continue. She reached out and offered the box to Cattleya, who looked at the object strangely.

"Please keep this box with you until we leave. Do not open it until Big Sis Eleanore talks to you later today." Louise instructed in such a serious voice that Cattleya almost thought that she was talking to her mother. The middle sister quietly took the small box from her sister and cradled the object with both hands.

"What is it?" Cattleya finally said as she stared at the ordinary looking box. She did not hear a response so she turned to her sister just in time to get caught in an embrace. Smith and Wesson noticed Louise's intension before she moved and got off their owner before they got caught between the two sisters.

"A chance at a miracle...so please...please trust me, Chii-nee-sama. I don't want to lose you..." Louise said in a cracking voice as she started sobbing in her sister's arms. Cattleya did not fully understand the implications of her younger sister's words at the time. But the feelings that she conveyed were more than enough for the older woman to understand what her sister was really trying to tell her.

"Of course I trust you Louise...with my life if need be." Cattleya answered before holding her sister in her arms tighter. She couldn't see it because of their positioning, but Louise had a bright smile on her face even though her tears continued to flow.
...

"Where are they? They should be here by now!" My master said as she paced around in front of me. We were back in Mugenkan and were standing in front of my mansion there, the place where I set the waypoint for the doors that those two rings would make. Louise got in by way of sleep, her real body was inside our carriage that Karin arranged for our return to the academy. I made sure that the driver of the carriage was soundly asleep before I came here. Naturally, Ruukoto was with Louise's body in order to keep her safe while we did our business here.

"Louise, you're panicking again and that won't solve anything. You should know this already." I reminded Louise as she continued to walk around with a worried expression, the scene oddly familiar to me for some reason.

"Panicking? Who's panicking? I'm not panicking? Why should I be panicking?" Louise asked me in a clearly panicked tone of voice with a clearly panicked expression. I was about to respond when I felt something breach my realm followed by the sound of a low hum. The two of us turned to the source of the sound and saw a new door materialize from nowhere.

Due to the fact that it was a completely rushed job, the rings I made for Eleanore and Cattleya weren't that good. Amusingly, this reflected on the door each ring made as well. The door that appeared looked like a cheap mass-produced steel door. When the knob turned and said door opened, we could even hear the door creaking even though the hinges weren't connected to anything.

"Ugh! This is a really ugly door..." Eleanore said in a rather disgusted voice after she stepped through the now open door and into Mugenkan proper before closing it. The eldest sister blinked when we all heard the sound of glass breaking. The door she came in from, as well as the metal ring she was wearing on her right ring finger, dissolved into motes of light.

"So...where's Cattleya?" I asked the newcomer with a raised brow. Eleanore looked around the immediate vicinity before frowning.

"She's not here yet?" The blonde asked even though the question should already be rather evident.

"You did tell her the proper incantation right?" I automatically asked as that would have been the most obvious cause for the delay.

"Don't insult my intelligence...or Cattleya's. She managed to memorize it correctly and I told her the correct incantation since I made it here." Eleanore stated in a mildly offended tone of voice. I turned to Louise when I noticed her fidgeting again.

"Could something have happened to her?" My master asked worriedly and looked like she was about to start panicking again. I was about to say something when I felt the same thing again before another hearing another low humming sound. As if taking a cue from some sort of omniscient being, another crude metal door appeared next to the place where Eleanore's door appeared moments ago. The knob turned and I heard some light thumping noises from the other side but nothing else happened. The three of us looked at each other for a moment before we heard a familiar voice.

"Ummm...could anyone help me with the door?" Cattleya's voice filtered through. She couldn't open the door? Eleanore suddenly let out an audible sigh before walking up to Cattleya's door.

"For the love of..." The eldest sister muttered before yanking the door open, much to the surprise of Cattleya who was still holding onto the other end of the knob.

"Kya!" Cattleya stumbled through into Mugenkan and nearly fell over if not for the fact that I managed to catch her in time.

"Are you alright?" I asked even as her door and ring started to dissolve after Eleanore closed the door Cattleya conjured. The middle sister looked up at me in mild confusion before looking around to see Eleanore and Louise there as well.

"Wha..." She voiced her wonder as I helped her stand on her own two feet. Cattleya was wearing a light pink night gown in contrast to Eleanore's yellow night gown.

"Where are we?" Cattleya finally managed to ask the most obvious question in her situation as she looked around to see nothing by large sunflowers and my manor.

"This is my personal realm, Mugenkan, located in the border of dreams. That ring that you just used created a one-time portal between your realm and mine." I gave Cattleya the gist of the current situation she had found herself in.

"Your...persona...realm? But...why are we here then?" She followed up with a still confused look. I smiled at her before responding.

"How do you feel right now?" I asked her. The question seemed to put her off guard as she looked at me with a lost expression.

"How do I feel? What do you--" She cut herself off before frowning and taking a few deep breaths.

"This...this can't be...how did you..." She trailed off as she apparently couldn't coherently finish her words.

"It seemed that it worked." I said with a nod and a smile.

"What is it? What's happening to her?" Eleanore asked in rapid succession in an almost threatening voice as she and Louise walked closer to us.

"I simply adjusted my realm to facilitate Cattleya. I changed the way the magic in this realm behaves under the premise of 'not doing harm to Cattleya's health'. That means that the magic in the air changed into a type that will not be detrimental to your health." I explained to all three sisters just to be clear.

"So Cattleya will be fine in this place...then all we have to do is to wait for Yukari and that Yamame person to show up." Eleanore muttered as if she was ticking off a mental checklist...which she probably was.

"Quite. But before anything else, I want to give you all something special. Please wait here." I stated before going into my manor and picking up a tray with three ornate ring boxes. I stepped back outside and saw the three of them talking amongst themselves.

"Now then, Louise, I would like you to take this box..." I indicated the one near my right hand.

"Eleanore, please take the middle one..." I continued.

"Cattleya, please take the last one..." I concluded. The three sisters looked at each other before taking their designated box.

"What are these for?" My master asked on behalf of her older sisters as she stared at the black box in her hands.

[palver7]

At last we're getting to the main part of this "incident".  After comparing this chapter with the one you posted on ff.net, it seems your post here missed a few lines.
After seeing a review on ff net about touya and yuka's unintentional girl magnet status, what's your own stance on harem comedy? what kind of harem stories do you like and what kind you don't like?

Please continue your good work!

[Blackraptor]

I like harem comedies that know what they are and are not afraid to make fun of themselves and those with characters you can enjoy reading about or watching. It is called Harem 'Comedy' for a reason. Drama and the like are fine, so long as they are appropriate and done tastefully. My favorite examples of such things are Muv-Luv Extra, Umi no Misaki, and Seto no Hanayome. I don't really like obviously harem-type stories that take themselves too seriously and try to play up the drama too much that it drags down the whole thing and makes following the story feel more like a chore than something to enjoy. I also dislike the ones that try to play up the 'Harem' part way too much. Amusingly enough, I dislike the Familiar of Zero anime because of that factor. The books were fine because they weren't as blatant about it.

That was the reason why Yuka and Touya's girl magnetism is done lightheartedly and mostly for laughs.

[Blackraptor]

I can't believe that I never noticed the character limit striking again on the previous update!

ONORE!

...

"Those will be your permanent means of getting into Mugenkan at will. They are far more superior versions of the rings that Eleanore and Cattleya used earlier. Go on, open them." I explained before urging them to open their respective boxes. They did and I briefly savored the looks on their faces as they stood there with expressions of surprise and awe.

"To Eleanore, I modeled the ring after a Cornflower." I started while looking right at the eldest sister who had already taken the ring with the design of the blue flower in her hand.

"In the language of flowers, the Cornflower represents the qualities of Education, Reliability, Delicacy, and Elegance. Fitting, wouldn't you say?" I continued before asking for the new owner's approval. I got my answer when Eleanore blushed bright red before looking away from me. I gave out a lighthearted chuckle before turning to the next sister.

"To Cattleya, I modeled the ring after a...well...a Cattleya." I said with a shrug while looking at the middle sister who already had her ring on her right ring finger. The purple and red dashed white flower seemed to be to her tastes judging by her smile.

"It was so obvious it was almost boring really. Although I was mildly amused at how you matched your namesake." I commented with a smile.

"What do you mean by that?" Cattleya asked with a curious expression.

"It is because a Cattleya represents a Lady of Elegance, the Allure of Maturity, and lastly...Magic." I explained and saw the look of realization in Cattleya's eyes.

"More like ironic. Maturity? Elegance? This Cattleya?" Eleanore said condescendingly while giving her younger sister a sidewards glance and a smirk. Cattleya displayed her maturity and elegance by pouting and sticking her tongue out at her older sister.

"Hey! Chii-nee-sama is very mature and elegant!" Louise immediately moved to defend her beloved sister. Eleanore merely scoffed at the attempt before putting her own ring on her right ring finger.

"Are we talking about the same sister?" She gave out the parting shot before ignoring the frowns from both of her younger sisters. Well, they are definitely sisters I supposed...

"Right...Louise?" I let the silliness dissipate enough before calling out to the youngest of the three sisters. My master turned from Eleanore and looked between me and her ring. She hadn't put it on yet and was on the palm of her right hand.

"This is...a sunflower...right?" Louise asked in an uncertain voice as she stared at the yellow flower adorning her ring.

"Very good Louise. More specifically, that is a Woodland Sunflower." I affirmed before clarifying on the kind of sunflower on the ring. Louise nodded in understanding before finally putting the ring on her right ring finger.

"The Woodland Sunflower represents the qualities of Yearning, Respect, and one who is Watching Intently. Very fitting for one who wishes to continue to improve herself." I continued with a smile directed to Louise, who blushed embarrassedly before looking down on the ground while fidgeting.

"And it is clearly your favored kind of flower..." Eleanore commented while looking around the near-infinite field of Giant Sunflowers of Mugenkan.

"Indeed, your powers of observation are leaps and bounds over mere mortals." I responded with a sly smirk.

"Be careful, Yuka. Your sarcasm is showing. Put that away before you hurt yourself." Eleanore shot back with her own smirk.

"Just get a room and get it over with already..." Cattleya commented as she admired the ring adorned with her namesake flower. Both Eleanore and I looked at her dryly and were about to state our respective denials to such claims when we all heard a loud tearing sound from behind me. We all turned and saw Yukari standing up from halfway through a gap. She looked at us in turn before settling her eyes on Cattleya and giving her a wide smile before spreading her arms wide.

"Rejoice, Cattleya something-something de la Valliere! Your wish will finally come true!" Yukari Yakumo yelled out with a voice of pure joy...and that was when Yamame and Touya fell on top of me.

...

[Blackraptor]

Just a tiny update for now to get this part out of the way.

...

 

"I knew this was a terrible idea!" Yamame whined as both she and Touya swung upside down from a mass of Steel Vine I conjured to get them off me.

 

"Yuka, you should know better than to tie up and emotionally threaten the one being that has the best chance to possibly save Cattleya~" Yukari teased with a lopsided grin as she waved at the unfolding scene with her fan.

 

"Don't act as if you're not involved in this." Eleanore pointed out after properly assessing the situation and the reasoning behind my actions.

 

"I don't know what you are talking about, my dear Eleanore. I simply came here to hold up my end up our agreement and deliver Yamame here~" The border youkai retorted before looking away and making whistling noises.

 

"Why am being I hoisted up too?!" The Shield of the Eastern Wonderland complained from where he swung next to Yamame.

 

"Because I sadly cannot take out my frustrations on the actual cause of the problem for various practical reasons." I flatly answered while staring at Yukari. I realized the mistake in my choice of words too late and the woman took full advantage of it.

 

"Oh, I would be more than happy to take care of any such frustrations you may have Yuka~" Yukari responded in a sultry voice before giving me a wink. I really should have known better.

 

"Funny..." I muttered before noticing my master and Cattleya walk closer to me.

 

"Let them go, Yuka. We all know that they don't really deserve that kind of treatment." Louise reasoned out while giving a sympathetic look to Touya and Yamame. Cattleya simply remained silent and seemed content at merely watching things unfold for now. I assumed that she still was not sure how to feel about the current situation considering what Yukari declared earlier.

 

"While your words ring true, life isn't exactly fair. Besides, I had to do something to make myself feel better." I stated with a shrug before snapping my fingers. Both Yamame and Touya suddenly yelled out in surprise when the Steel Vine that was holding them in the air unceremoniously vanished.

 

"Maybe I should have just helped out Reisen in Eientei today..." Touya mumbled as he got up while rubbing his lower back, making sure to help Yamame up after seeing that she had some difficulty standing up on her own.

 

"Thank you..." The Earth Spider said with a mildly depressed tone of voice as she stood up.

 

Yamame's appearance, like many residents of Gensokyo, had changed over time. Her blonde hair was now cut short, almost androgynously so, and she now sported a black beret that had a symbol of a spider on it. She apparently cut it short after belatedly realizing how counterintuitive it was to have long hair while relying on complicated web work for her more high-end Danmaku patterns.

 

Continuing on her pursuit of practicality in terms of her wardrobe, she now wore a brown short-sleeved blouse with a yellow ascot. Her wrists each had special silver colored metal bangles. Said accessories apparently enhanced her strength as well as help her with manipulating her webs during times when she had to use more than two-hundred strands of the stuff at any given time.

 

Yamame had also adopted wearing black shorts and matching thigh-high stockings for comfort and maneuverability. She used to wear a white skirt over of her shorts...until both Kisume and Parsee commented at how it made Yamame look more tomboyish than she already was. Rounding out her new look was a pair of brown steel-toed shoes. All in all, the Earth Spider's new look was born of the necessity of maximizing her agility and utilization of webbing over simply a unique sense of style. After all, she had to get creative since her illness manipulation was not exactly an ideal ability to have in the middle of a Danmaku battle.

 

"My~! My~! So this is the middle sister I've been hearing so much about~" Yukari suddenly spoke out as she moved her gap in front of Cattleya for a closer look at the young woman, completely dismissing the previous trouble she had caused. Classic Yukari Yakumo I suppose.

 

"Such a lovely flower~! It's like peering at a far more improved version of Louise~" The border youkai positively gushed at Cattleya while making grabby gestures with her hands...and pointedly ignoring the glare Louise sent her because of her comment. I made sure to make my way between the border youkai and the middle sister to ensure that nothing inappropriate happened.

 

"Shall we...take this inside? Yamame, Touya, are you two well enough to move?" I asked the two new arrivals.

 

"Yeah, more or less. Though I had expected that Touya would have done something about those vines first. You were supposed to protect me after all." Yamame confirmed before taking a shot at Touya while giving him a sideward glance. The young man flinched and rubbed the back of his head in obvious embarrassment.

 

"The whole thing just took me by surprise. I didn't do anything to the vines since I had a good feeling that Yuka wouldn't actually hurt us. Besides, whatever I could have tried might have ended up hurting you in the process...our entrance didn't exactly help us either." Touya explained before giving Yukari a none too pleased expression. The accused party once again assumed the act of looking away before whistling as if she was not part of anything.

 

"Quite. Now, if everyone would follow me inside, we have much to talk about." I brought the conversation back on the right track as I led our group into my mansion. Louise and her sisters followed immediately behind me while Touya and Yamame walked behind them. Yukari just opted to go back into her gap, likely popping up again in the living room once we were all there.

 

...

 

"I...ah...I'm sorry but...how are you still alive?" Yamame asked Cattleya with a mix of confusion and fear in her voice after trying to comprehend the cause of the middle sister's illness using her power. Her previous apprehension on being in my personal realm was long forgotten in the face of the current development. We were back in the living room and I was once more seated on my personal chair with Yukari leaning out of a new gap to my left. Louise, Eleanore, and Touya were all seated on the large couch across me in that order from left to right. Finally, Yamame and Cattleya were seated in a smaller couch to the side so the Earth Spider could do her thing. The fact that even Yamame seemed worried about Cattleya's condition was cause for concern for all present.

 

"Can you elaborate on that please? What exactly is going on in my little sister's body?" Eleanore asked with thinly veiled tension in her voice. She was leaning forward and looking at Yamame and Cattleya in turn with a severe expression. Louise did not voice her own concern but her own worry was evident by her expression and the fact that she was grabbing onto the couch arm with her right hand and Eleanore's sleeve with her left hand. The patient herself held a mostly calm expression but her eyes betrayed worry and anxiety. Yamame considered the question for several moments, closing her eyes and rubbing her chin while humming for added effect, before nodding to herself and looking at everyone present in turn before settling on Cattleya.

 

"You have a severely mutated case of complete chronic cellular degeneration via prana poisoning due to a severe allergic reaction to it." Yamame stated clinically with her eyes locked onto Cattleya's. A pregnant silence settled on the room as everyone present tried their best to try to comprehend what was just said.

 

"That sounds bad..." Touya breathed out, finally breaking the silence and voicing everyone's sentiments. Even I did not really comprehend the exact meaning of the Earth Spider's diagnosis but it sounded like Ruukoto's initial analysis was on the mark. Oddly enough, Yamame gave out a wry smile in response to the young man's observation.

 

"Normally it would be. However, the fact that it is a mutated case is actually a good thing for her. In fact, that anomaly probably saved her life." Yamame pointed out while taking Cattleya's hands into her own.

 

"How so?" I asked with a raised brow. I was curious considering how Louise and Eleanore were in full panic when we first tried to figure out the exact cause of the middle sister's illness.

 

"Because if this kind of thing hit her normally, it would have killed her in a matter of days." Yamame stated with a shake of her head.

 

"...what?" Cattleya herself asked, her expression showing more fear at that point...an expression that her sisters mirrored.

 

"Normally, something like this would have first shut down her vision, then her kidneys and liver, then her nervous system, then her heart and lungs, and finally...her brain. All that happens in rapid succession that lasts anywhere between a matter of minutes to a few days depending on how bad it is." The Earth Spider expounded before sighing after realizing that we may not have fully appreciated the severity of that illness.

 

"To put it in another way...it would have been equivalent to locking Cattleya in a room filled with poison gas all day, every day, until she died." She put a bit more bluntly and I heard Louise gulp at the realization. I saw the middle sister go pale after she herself realized the full scope of her illness.

 

"So what is this mutation thing that prevented Cattleya from dying much earlier?" Yukari asked curiously with a tilted head. I turned to her and saw that she did not seem to be visibly worried or concerned about the revelations thus far. I chose to keep quiet about it and merely waited for Yamame's response.

 

"That's just the thing. I'm not sure what is causing the slower progress." The Earth Spider admitted with a shrug before letting go of Cattleya's hands. She started rubbing her chin with her right hand before continuing.

 

"Something slowed down the breakdown of cells even though it did not stop it. What that something is...I have no clue since this is the first time I've run into this kind of thing. I do know precisely what her illness is doing to her at this point thanks to my ability but not that extra bit. Whatever kept stalling it is unknown but not unwelcome. Just thank your lucky stars that it was there since you probably wouldn't have even made it to your first birthday if it wasn't." Yamame concluded with a warm smile. Cattleya still looked uneasy but she was starting to regain some of her color again. Louise, Eleanore, and Touya still looked rather worried but kept their thoughts to themselves. I heard Yukari gave out a thoughtful hum before leaning closer to Yamame and Cattleya.

 

"That being said, can you cure her?" Yukari bluntly asked with a raised brow. Yamame seemed to have taken that question as a personal challenge and gave the border youkai a confident smirk.

 

"Of course I can. Who do you think I am. Since I already know what is causing the problem and what it is doing to Cattleya's body, I can tweak it so her body doesn't react badly to their realm's prana anymore." She smugly remarked before her expression turned serious as she turned back to Cattleya.

 

"But it has to be a gradual process. We have to make sure that your body responds to my treatments correctly at its own pace. If we try to force it, you'll end up dying anyway because of the strain on your body. We have to make sure that you adjust to the treatment properly as we progress through it." She explained slowly to make sure that Cattleya understood what needed to be done. The woman in question just stared at the blonde youkai wide-eyed as she sat there stock still.

 

"Um..." Yamame muttered after Cattleya didn't respond. The middle sister suddenly took a deep breath before placing her hands on her chest and looking at Yamame straight in the eyes.

 

"Does that mean that...you can...cure me?" Cattleya asked in disbelief, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Her eyes betraying shock, fear, and hope.

 

"That's what I said, didn't I. After finding out what you actually had, I personally want to deal with this problem considering how utterly weird it is. It'll be a first for me but it shouldn't be too--" Yamame's declaration was cut short when she saw tears forming in Cattleya's eyes before the woman broke down into sobs. The Earth Spider didn't even manage to get another word in since both Eleanore and Louise were immediately at Cattleya's side. Yamame had to stand to give them room but the sisters did not seem to notice as they were far too busy embracing their ill sister and telling her that everything was going to be okay. Seeing as the sisters were busy, I turned to Yamame for another obvious question.

 

"Since this will be a gradual process as you say, how long will it take to cure her?" I asked. She regarded me for a moment before tilting her head to the side as if considering the question for the first time.

 

"I'm not too sure. Like I said, this will be a first for me so I can't give a certain timetable for it." Yamame admitted with a shrug.

 

"But are you absolutely certain that it will work?" The way Eleanore asked her question cut into the conversation like a knife. Yamame gave the eldest sister a smile and a wink.

 

"I am. All I need to do is change the way Cattleya's body reacts to the ambient magic in your realm. That's why it needs to be gradually done, just to be sure that there aren't any negative effects on her body." Yamame explained. Eleanore listened intently through all of it before turning to Cattleya and turning back to Yamame.

 

"When can you start?" She asked, a bit tense. The Earth Spider merely gave her a warm smile.

 

"I can start right away!" She happily declared. The relief on the faces of the three sisters at the time was...remarkable.


...

[Blackraptor]

...
 
"And, we're back." I muttered to no one in particular as I opened the door to Louise's room for both her and Ruukoto. We had arrived back at the academy sometime in the afternoon after a few more days of travel. As expected, there were few staff present and no students at all in the dorms. It seemed that everyone did indeed go to their respective homes while the state of emergency in Tristain was still in effect. This brought upon the effect that the dormitory tower was far quieter than it should have been. Louise didn't really care as she silently made a bee-line straight to her room with Ruukoto and I following close behind.
 
"Aaauugh..." My master languidly let out as she walked across her room before flopping onto her bed. Ruukoto mostly ignored Louise's actions and set about the task of methodically unpacking her things. I had asked Louise if she wanted to bring along Emilio back to the academy considering how much she loved the lion plushie. My master thought about it but decided against it since Kirche would likely never let her live it down if the Germanian found out about it.
 
"You can't possibly be tired because of the trip. It's not like you walked all the way back here." I pointed out with a raised brow. Louise just gave out an unintelligibly muffled response due to her still lying face down on her bed, she didn't even bother to take off her hat. Because of the enchantment I put on it, her hat and the Founder's Prayer Book still remained on her head despite her current positioning. I gave out a sigh and took off my own hat after placing my parasol on its corner of the room. I placed my hat on Louise's desk before walking up to the bed and taking a seat next to her.
 
"Louise, do you plan on getting up any time soon?" I asked but did not get a response. I blinked at this and gently nudged Louise's shoulder. Still nothing. I raised a brow at this and simply decided to roll her over on her back.

"You...know...nothing...of Zuul...hauu~" Louise muttered before settling on simply giving out light snores. I tilted my head in curious wonder of what on Earth she could have been dreaming about...to say nothing of who or what this 'Zuul' was even supposed to be. In the end, I simply chalked it up to some sort of lingering effect from the Love Potion she drank a while back. I took off her hat as well as the Founder's Prayer Book and placed both items on her desk along side my own hat. I glanced at Ruukoto and saw that the gynoid had already finished unpacking and was already setting the suitcases aside. I picked up my master and settled her into a more comfortable sleeping position on the bed. She immediately latched onto her pillow before continuing her evedently odd dream.
 
"Skadoosh...mauu~" right...I chose to ignore that and simply walked up to the nearby window. Without the usual bustle of students, teachers and staff, the Tristain Magic Academy simply felt like an abandoned castle. Kind of sad really. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard someone knock on the door.
 
"Miss Louise?  Mister Yuka? Ruukoto? Have you returned?" Siesta's voice came from the other side of the door. Ruukoto and I exchanged a look and the gynoid tilted its head to the side in silent query on what to do. I nodded at door and Ruukoto immediately walked up to it before opening said door to reveal Siesta. The young woman was wearing something that looked like brown travelling clothes, complete with her straw hat, instead of her usual maid uniform.
 
"Greetings Siesta...going somewhere?" I regarded the maid before asking the question with a raised brow. Siesta blinked at me once before understanding what I had meant. Seemingly flustered at the realization, Siesta immediately took off her hat before covering the lower half of her face with the brim to prevent anyone seeing her embarrassment. Anyone looking still would have seen the blush on her face though.

"Oh no! I just arrived back from Tarbes a little while ago. A few of the servants mentioned that they saw you return to the dormitory tower earlier so I...thought...I apologize if I had imposed." Siesta explained in slight panic as she fiddled with the brim of her hat.
 
"Not at all. Seeing a familiar face so soon is a welcomed thing. Please come in, we were just settling back in." I assured her before inviting her inside. Siesta meekly stepped inside the room, Ruukoto making sure that she was clear of the door before the gynoid closed it. The maid, the human one, noted Louise asleep on her bed and looked at me with uncertainty. I assumed that she was still unsure if her presence here was necessary or even really welcome.
 
"Don't worry about Louise. She's just tired from the trip as well as all the things that happened during our visit to her home. Speaking of, how is Tarbes now?" I provided before inquiring on the current state of the village that we all went through so much trouble to protect.
 
"The Village is...recovering." Siesta carefully intoned as she took a seat on a chair that Ruukoto silently offered to the young woman.
 
"A lot of homes and businesses were destroyed during the attack. The worst of it were apparently because of very powerful wind spells. Thankfully, our family farm was spared but others were not so lucky." She continued with a sad smile. Ruukoto and I simply stayed silent and waited to see if she had anything else to say.
 
"The entire village is helping each other out in any way we can. Count Constantine is also doing his best to allocate more funds and resources to aid with the recovery but...it will still take time." Siesta said before going silent for a few moments before shaking her head.
 
"But then, we probably wouldn't have a village anymore were it not for your efforts." The maid added before holding up her right hand when I opened my mouth to interject.

"Even if you do not think of your actions as anything significant. Even if no else in the village knows the truth about how our homes were really saved. Even so, for what it's worth...thank you all so much for protecting Tarbes." Siesta said, her voice filled to the brim with emotion.
 
"Don't worry about it. It wasn't like we were the only ones responsible for protecting Tarbes. Besides, Louise was the one who made the most decisive strike that ensured our victory." I responded with a shrug before pointing out Louise's own contribution to the battle proper since she was the one that permanently took down Wardes' monstrous undead form.
 
"I know that. Our village owes Miss Louise a debt we can never repay. It may not seem like much, especially since she already has Ruukoto, but I request that you please have her consider having me as a personal maid. It would be the least I can do for everything she has done." Siesta offered with a joyous smile. I raised a brow at the sudden request and gave out a thoughtful hum.
 
"Are you certain? I'm assuming that doing so would bound you to Louise until she personally severs the contract. Also, I think your salary as a maid in the academy would be far greater than anything Louise could offer even if she does decide take you up on your offer." I asked before pointing out the possible ramifications of what the young woman was suggesting.
 
"That is alright. I will still receive stipends from the academy for services rendered so long as I continue to work here. Becoming Miss Louise's personal maid simply means that she will be my first priority. She does not even need to pay me." Siesta explained with the same smile. I raised a brow at the sheer confidence that she projected as she said that. Odd...if I remember the way commoners are usually treated in this realm, that is.

"Now, while I'm sure that Louise will probably still insist to offer you a salary or allowance if you end up as her personal maid, isn't this setup a tad...convenient for the servants?" I voiced my curiosity and confusion at how Siesta could be so certain that her contract really is set up that way.
 
"It is. I did not really believe it myself when I was first told about it. However, Headmaster Osmond personally assured me that this policy stands for me so long as I...'grace this academy with my bountiful presence'...is what he said." The girl sheepishly answered. Aaah...Osmond. My face slowly reverted into a more neutral expression after I realized why Siesta's contract seemed so lax. Bountiful presence indeed. At least the old man was satisfied to simply look, though I'd imagine that Matilda would have likely had a few things to say about the old man in regards to that
 
"I...see. I suppose that it is fine if the Headmaster vouched for you." I stated neutrally, not really wanting to bring up my suspected reason why her contract with the academy favored her so much. Our conversation might have been louder than I had thought because I suddenly noticed Louise sit up on her bed.
 
"Munya~" My master let out as she blearily looked around the room until finally turning to us.
 
"I just had the strangest dream..." Louise muttered in a daze while tilting her head to the side. It did not seem like she was fully awake yet and her mind was probably still trying to catch up with itself.
 
"I was falling...and I was fighting a giant red dragon..." Louise started explaining her dream. Quite an adventurous one to open with a mid-air battle with a dragon of all things.

"Then I managed to defeat it...I defeated it by...by...smashing it with massive hot wood." Louise muttered with a grimace as if struggling to remember her dream.
 
"Then it all became really fuzzy. The last thing I remember was a lot of screaming about something called 'Zuul'...then I ran after a treasure chest that was trying to run away from me." What? Both Siesta and I exchanged confused looks at the sudden odd turn of events in Louise's dream.
 
"You were running after a treasure chest...that was also running away from you?" Siesta hesitantly asked, likely unsure of the words coming out of her own mouth. My master blinked a few times at suddenly hearing Siesta's voice. She squinted at the maid before finally realizing that she was indeed present in the room.
 
"Hm? Oh, Siesta. You're here too?" Louise asked the maid.
 
"Umm...yes. I just arrived from visiting home a bit before you all did." Siesta responded with a wry smile. Louise made out a thoughtful noise before nodding in acknowledgement.
 
"Yes, I was chasing after a treasure chest. It ran away from me using a dozen tiny feet that were under it." My master confirmed the maid's previous query. We all simply stayed in awkward silence for the longest time, not really sure how to move the conversation forward after something like that.

"Well...that really is a most unusual dream." I finally admitted. Louise nodded at me seriously before speaking.
 
"Yes. I think I need to sleep more normally without ending up in Mugenkan for a few days for my sanity." She added before falling back into her bed and going out like a light
 
...

[LaserTurtle]

I'm guessing a Wizard is Louise?

Did she happen to meet a were-hakutaku? Fight a gazebo?
(I read things! :])

[Blackraptor]

...

The next few days were rather uneventful. Understandable, considering that Louise was apparently the first student to return to the academy. We assumed that the rest of Louise's friends were still at their respective homes until they get a summons back to the academy for resuming classes.

On that note, most of the staff were also absent from the academy. This included both Professor Colbert and Headmaster Osmond as well. From what Siesta gleaned off of the other servants, Colbert went off to visit a friend in the capital of Germania. No one knew where the old man Osmond went though. All the headmaster said was that he was going out to take care of a certain something for a certain someone and assured everyone that he would be back once the royalty decided to lift the State of Emergency so classes could start again.

Though, Louise herself admitted that having the dormitory tower, and indeed, most of the academy to ourselves was kind of lonely. Of course, I made sure that our days spent were at least productive to some degree.

Due to Louise's odd dream a few days ago, and her apparent desire to have a good night's sleep without ending up in Mugenkan most of the time, I made some adjustments to my border of dreams to keep her out should her subconscious try to manifest her dream-self there. That meant that Louise's only means into Mugenkan, until I remove the filter anyway, would be to use her ring to make her own door. Since she couldn't do any training in Mugenkan at night anymore because of it, I started giving her practical training sessions during the day. It wasn't like we had much else to do anyway.

"Why...do I...need...to do this...?" My master wheezed out her question between breaths. We were at a certain clearing a short way away from the academy that Louise had previously used for her independent training. Among those present were myself, Louise, Ruukoto, and Siesta. Louise was in the middle of said clearing while the rest of us were all grouped together behind her a short distance away.

Louise had been at it for around two hours so she was starting to get tired. She was wearing her academy uniform sans her mantle and her shirt was starting to cling onto her sweat drenched skin because of all the effort she had so far put in.

"Because, my dear Louise. Not all the targets you will encounter will remain stationary...or will always be on the ground for that matter. You should know this already after everything you went through at Tarbes. That being said...Ruukoto, if you would." I pointed out before turning to our resident gynoid. Said gynoid picked up another pre-prepared clay disk that was around the size of a dinner plate. My master grumbled to herself but took a few breaths anyway in order to steady herself for the next round of today's target practice.

"Pull!" I declared. Ruukoto flicked the clay disk high into the air for Louise to shoot down. Yes, we were making Louise do clay pigeon shooting using her broken spells.

"Zero!" Louise yelled out after aiming her wand as carefully as she could at the clay disk. The explosion rang out and promptly missed the intended target by a few feet too low and to the left.  My master let out a frustrated growl in response before giving chase.

"Zero!" She yelled out as she once again tried to hit the clay. Unfortunately, the exercise of aiming at a small moving target in the air with a magic wand while running after said target proved far more difficult than trying to do so while being stationary. Louise once more demonstrated just how stubborn she could be by continuing to go after her target even after missing it twice.

"Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero!" Louise kept casting her broken spells one after another in quick succession. This was also part of the reason why I chose this exercise for Louise. The match I had against Louise and Eleanore in Mugenkan showed that Louise could not maintain her willpower high enough to rapid cast her broken spells for very long. The secondary purpose of this exercise was for a particular experiment. I was testing out to see if it was possible to increase my master's willpower capacity through physical training.

From what was previously explained to me by Louise before we started this, as well as the lectures I've managed to attend with her, there did not seem to be any actual training regiment for increasing a mage's willpower capacity nor for the rate of willpower recovery. Apparently, Halkeginian mages only assume that a mage's willpower capacity only depends on their rank, their family lineage, and the mage's individual skill. They believe that one's capacity is permanently capped from birth based a varying combination of those factors. In conclusion, one's capacity cannot be changed but efficiency in casting and the effectiveness of their spells improve as they increase their rank as a mage. That meant that any sort of improvement in their magic was solely dependent on increasing their rank.

I found such a theory to be rather silly, lazy, and honestly insulting for anyone who actually bothered to work for and earn their power. I wonder what Marisa or Patchouli think if they were to hear the Halkeginian doctrine on personal magic development? Really now, I was living proof that one's power can increase through effort...or lots of sleeping, but that was besides the point.

Even if for some twisted reason this realm really does cap an individual mage's capacity for magic based on the aforementioned factors, this exercise would still improve Louise's accuracy and overall physical stamina. Still very stupid rules though.

"ZERO!" Louise practically roared out and let loose the largest broken spell of the day. The sheer size of the concussive blast made by her spell managed to easily smash the clay disk. Sad that it did when it was only a few feet off the ground. Still, that last burst that my master did brought up something Yukari pointed out in passing during one of our training sessions in Mugenkan. Halkeginian mages refer to their capacity to cast magic esoterically as 'willpower' instead of something more standard such as 'Mana' or 'Od' or 'Spiritual Power' or even 'Love' as Marisa would say. That being said, the border youkai made the following comment while my master was being harassed by Walker Piranha Plants:

'Little Louise has the power to overcome great fear. In fact, desperate situations make her explosions stronger. This clearly means that her magic relies heavily on her emotion right?'

I initially dismissed that observation as a non-factor since none of the other mages in their realm seemed to rely on something as unstable as emotion to boost their spells. Merely chalking up the term 'willpower' on the silly humans' sense of style or tradition. However, it was starting to look like the correlation between emotion and spell casting effectiveness had more merit than I had originally expected. Especially if one takes into account that Louise is a Void Magician and not a standard Halkeginian Elemental Magician.

"Miss Louise! Are you alright?" Siesta's concerned voice cut through my thoughts. I blinked and saw my master slumped down on the ground with her shoulders heaving. Siesta quickly ran up to her with one of the buckets of water Louise was drinking from for the duration of the training. I simply watched Siesta take care of getting Louise rehydrated as she seemed to be more than capable of such a task. I noted Ruukoto walking up to my side at a casual pace. It seemed that it did not seem to think that Louise was in any real trouble either.

"Did you note any significant emotional response from Louise on her last spell?" I asked as I continued to watch Siesta try to ease Louise into drinking some water instead of letting my master simply chug down the liquid as if she breathed it. Ruukoto had previously warned me about that little habit of hers and I deemed it necessary to relay that information to Siesta just in case. It now certainly seemed to have been a wise choice.

"Fuga. Fuga Fuga." Inconclusive? A strange set of observations indeed. Ruukoto had only been able to gather data on Louise's spell casting a handful of times, none of them had Louise in a situation that would have constituted as 'desperate'. The gynoid was present when Louise dispelled Wardes at Tarbes but it said that it had other things to worry about at the time. Mayhaps I should have brought Ruukoto along when we had that little match in Mugenkan. Regardless, with the information it did have, Ruukoto observed times when Louise's emotions, particularly irritation, managed to boost the output of her broken spells. The problem was, there were also times when the very same emotions did nothing to her spells at all. The conflicting accounts were the cause for Ruukoto calling the whole thing as inconclusive for now.

Nothing for it then. All we can really do now is continue training as we were and see what we come up with.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"How much longer will Cattleya have to go through these sessions?" Eleanore asked the room at large as she took another sip of her tea. Cattleya was lying down on the large couch in the living room of my mansion in Mugenkan with Yamame seated on the comfy chair I usually use, moved closer to said couch obviously, and...doing whatever it is she was doing to try to cure the middle sister.

"As was previously mentioned, repeatedly for emphasis might I add, this needs to be done at a careful and gradual pace. Last thing we need is for Cattleya's condition getting worse because of something as silly as impatience." I pointed out with a raised brow before taking a sip of my own tea. The eldest sister gave me a dismissive huff but did not say anything else. Eleanore and I were seated next to each other on the smaller couch. Both sisters were in their evening wear though Eleanore noted that she was already back at the capital because of her job while Cattleya was still back in the Valliere manor. Louise was absent of course due to our previous arrangement of letting her have a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. It took a few days for everyone to agree on a proper schedule for Cattleya's treatments. Due to her already delicate health, as well as Yamame's insistence to give Cattleya some time to check if the treatments that were already administered had any negative effects on her, treatments for her illness will happen every other day for a duration of three hours.

"It's not like there's any harm in taking it easy. It keeps her recovery from being too suspicious to those who don't know any better. Besides, her health has been steadily improving right?" Yukari reminded from where she was leaning out of her gap before taking a bite from a cookie that she brought along with her.

"True enough. Cattleya did say that she has been feeling better than she has been in months." Eleanore begrudgingly admitted with a nod. A comfortable silence descended upon the room, the only sound that could be heard was the quiet hum of Yamame's magic.

"Quite. That reminds me, where is Touya? I had expected him to remain as Yamame's 'protector' throughout the duration of Cattleya's treatments." I asked with a raised brow due to the obvious absence of the young man, making quotation marks with my fingers at the word 'protector'. He had previously accompanied Yamame into my border of dreams every time Cattleya's treatment was done. This was the first time Yamame had come with just Yukari as her companion. An immediate response came from Yamame in the form of a rather deliberate cough.

"That was only because I was scared to come here on my own. I mean come on! Anyone would be scared if Yukari Yakumo suddenly asked you to go into freaking Mugenkan because of an invitation by Yuka freaking Kazami!" The Earth Spider blurted out without so much as letting up on her treatment of the middle sister or even turning to look at us. I could have even sworn that she was blushing with embarrassment.

"Point. It is always wise to have a healthy fear and respect of those who are far more powerful than you." I acknowledged with a smile and a nod. It felt nice to know that I was still feared despite my current absence from Gensokyo. Eleanore chose to stay quiet but gave me a sidewards glance nonetheless. Yukari simply took out her fan before covering the lower part of her face with it.

"As for Touya, let's just say that he's in the middle of his own personal battle right now. One wherein his only option is to try to survive." Yukari vaguely stated. The way she said those words made me raise a brow. She was trying to sound mysterious...but she also sounded amused at the same time.

"Survive? Is someone out to get him?" I inquired. It was not unusual for some youkai to develop a grudge with the Hakurei clan because of their duties. However, I was curious since whatever situation Touya found himself in, it seemed far more serious than a regular incident. Both Eleanore and I blinked when Yukari suddenly started giggling to herself.

"Yes, you could say that~! His girls demanded that he take a few days off to relax so they took a trip into neutral ground for a short vacation~" Yukari explained while giggling like a school girl. Oh...so it was more of a 'personal problem' rather than someone out for blood.

"Neutral ground?" Eleanore repeated the last part in the form of a question. Yukari put her fan away and happily nodded at the eldest sister before responding.

"The Myouren Sky Temple." The border youkai announced with great enthusiasm. So they were actually involving Byakuren and her followers in their mess?

"Who with?" Surprisingly, it was Yamame who asked that question. She was clearly still focused on Cattleya's treatment but she was evidently keeping one ear open to the conversation.

"The Trio, the Wind Priestess, the Bridge Troll, the Curse Goddess, and Hell Crow." Yukari listed. Yamame snorted out a laugh at the mention of the involvement of her good friend. The three friends as well as the Moriya priestess were expected factors. However, I didn't really expect Hina and Utsuho to be involved as well.

"Well...best of luck to him then." I commented while slightly raising my cup of tea in a weak gesture of support before drinking it. Yukari nodded along for a moment before her smile suddenly faded and she gave out a disappointed sigh.

"Though, I was hoping that The Judge would jump in as well but I was sadly disappointed." Yukari muttered while shaking her head.

"What in the nine hells are you people even talking about?" Eleanore said with no small sense of irritation as she glared at both Yukari and I.

"Nothing important...and we're gossiping again so stop it." I waved away her question and the subject itself before pointing out what we were doing.

"You were the one who brought it up~" Yukari teasingly shot back. Fair point.

"And that is why I am dropping that line of conversation." I stated before turning to Eleanore before she could start complaining again.

"Actually, there was something I've been meaning to ask you for quite a bit now. I just keep forgetting for some reason..." I said before shrugging at the last part. Eleanore gave me a curious look, indicating that she was listening.

"She's not married, engaged, nor seeing anyone. She's openly available for prospective suitors..." Cattleya suddenly piped up with words that were so clear and concise that one would think that she was delivering a report of some sort. Her eyes were closed but she was clearly conscious and was paying attention to the conversation. However, Eleanore did not really appreciate the nature of her sister's words.

"Cattleya!" Eleanore voiced her displeasure while sporting a rather prominent blush. She also placed her cup of tea on the table with enough force to clatter the tea set there. Thankfully, nothing was broken because of her outburst.

"Hoo~! So Yuka prefers the confident yet secretly emotionally sensitive tsun-tsun type huh~?" Yukari mused while giving the two of us a sly grin. Eleanore's face became even redder and the woman looked like she was about to snap. I sighed and intervened before things got violent by grabbing onto Eleanore's hand. The eldest sister quickly directed her glare at me because of my action but I just took it in stride.

"Now now, no need to let those two provoke you. They are simply baiting you for fun. Don't dignify their efforts by reacting the way they want you to." I reminded her while squeezing her hand. Eleanore let out a very Louise-like 'urk' before clearing her throat and finally settling down.

"Boo~! You're no fun~!" Yukari complained with a pout.

"No fun at all..." To which Cattleya agreed with.

"I hate you both." To which Eleanore very much disapproved of. I made a rather deliberate cough in order to get everyone's attention and to stop the train of silliness before it got any worse.

"As I was saying..." I carefully intoned, making sure to show that I would not appreciate any further interruptions.

"...while Louise was doing exercises today, there was a thought that suddenly crossed by mind. Is there any way to increase a mage's base willpower capacity or improve the rate of willpower recovery?" I asked. Due to the fact that none of the teaching staff at the academy was present, I did not have anyone to ask this to. Thankfully, Eleanore just so happened to be a reputed academic when it comes to this realm's magic. Imagine my surprise when the eldest sister suddenly gave me an incredulous look before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Ugh! You're asking about that huh?" Eleanore stated in an exasperated voice.

"Umm...yes, I am. Is there something wrong?" I asked with a raised brow after the unexpected response. Eleanore took a few deep breaths before leaning back into the couch were sitting on.

"You can't imagine how rare that question gets asked even in the academic community. Everyone is so hung up on elemental rankings and affinities that those kinds of questions are usually scoffed at." The blonde began before folding her arms and sighing.

"I've asked that very question at the academy and even after I got into the Tristain Royal Department of Earth Magic. When no one could give me an answer, I tried to research it as a personal project." She continued with a dismissive wave and a sigh before adopting a distant look in her eyes.

"...and?" I asked after she stayed quiet for a few more moments. She gave me a look that almost seemed sad before glancing down at her hands and shaking her head.

"And...I realized why there was never any real answer to that question." She muttered to herself.

"Ooohh~? And what did little Eleanore find down in the rabbit hole?" Yukari eagerly asked the eldest sister from her place.

"Rabbit hole? What in blazes are you talking about now?" Said eldest sister asked irritably, likely because she seemed to dislike being kept in the dark much like her youngest sister.

"A reference to a book about a girl who had far more curiosity than should be deemed healthy. Don't think about it too hard, you'll just get a headache. Now, you were saying?" I gave a brief summary of the source of Yukari's words before steering the conversation back to the proper topic.

"Right...the reason why there is no study on how to increase willpower capacity or willpower recovery is because willpower in itself is nigh-unquantifiable." Eleanore started her explanation once again before pouring herself another cup of tea.

"The amusing thing about it is our very system of magic is the cause of that problem." The eldest sister continued after taking a sip of her tea.

"How so?" Yukari inquired, seemingly more interested in the topic now that she was a few moments ago. Eleanore gave out a thoughtful hum before responding.

"Halkeginia's magic system is built around the idea that a mage will always have a close affinity to one or more elements. In addition, a mage's rank determines how easily one will be able to case a particular spell. Now normally, this premise makes it very easy to determine what element a mage is best at and how strong they are. Unfortunately, this is also the very reason why it is difficult to quantify willpower." Eleanore explained while gesturing with her free left hand.

"We cannot accurately specify the amount of willpower a mage has because the difficulty and amount of willpower required to cast a spell varies depending on the affinity and rank of the mage in question." She continued as expression started to become distant.

"A Square-Ranked Wind Mage will have great difficulty making a wall of stone that a Line-Ranked Earth Mage can conjure with ease." Eleanore further elaborated while looking between Yukari and I in turn.

"Likewise, a Square-Ranked Earth Mage will have great difficulty creating wind blades that a Line-Ranked Wind Mage can make en masse." The eldest sister continued her line of reasoning. I made a hum of understanding after realizing what she was trying to say.

"So the reason was because each mage reacts differently to each element based on their rank and affinity." Yukari muttered as a statement and not an inquiry.

"Exactly. We simply do not have the means to be able to accurately measure willpower quantities because of it. It would likely take a combined effort from all the countries in Halkeginia to be able to create a large enough test sample for research. Though, I highly doubt that they'd put in the effort." Eleanore affirmed Yukari's words before sighing at the last part.

"Because of the tensions between countries?" I asked, referencing the issue between Albion and Tristain. Eleanore scoffed before shaking her head.

"No. Over the past six-thousand years, no such effort, proposition, or even a simple request on the matter has ever been recorded. When I asked why, the senior researchers simply looked at me like I wasn't a genius and told me that 'thus is the teachings of the church and the Founder, one would be a fool to question the truth'." The eldest sister's words were practically dripping with sarcasm as she recalled what her fellow researchers told her.

"I don't understand why they think that way. We are researchers for Founder's sake! Instead of trying to improve our system of magic in order to make advancements in our craft, they're more concerned about keeping things the way they are and 'researching' about the most nonsensical things! All because they honestly believe that such a thing was mandated by the founder himself!" Eleanore was practically seething as she spat out those words. The woman had previously claimed to be very serious about her work and carried great pride in her abilities. After everything she just said, I had no more doubts about her claims. The tension in the room was suddenly disrupted by the sound of Yukari's laughter. I looked at the border youkai curiously while Eleanore silently glared at her. Yukari took a few deep breaths and settled down before taking out her open fan and covering the lower part of her face with it.

"Oh, excuse me. You just made me remember something about the nature of humanity." The blonde stated with a hidden smile of malice.

"People are stupid. Given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything." Yukari started, not taking her eyes off the eldest sister.

"Because of their idiocy, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true." She continued before giggling to herself.

"They're heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs. Most of it is false, yet they think it all true." Yukari added before snapping her fan closed and showing Eleanore her vicious grin.

"People are stupid. They can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and thus are all the easier to fool." The border youkai concluded before remaining silent and staring at Eleanore with a look of absolute superiority. After all, despite her mischief and silliness, none can refute the fact that Yukari Yakumo is a monster that had existed for more than a thousand years. A being capable of great and terrible things that a human can only begin to imagine. Then again...

"Yukari..." I slowly intoned, making her turn away from Eleanore and instead look at me with the same expression.

"Yes?" She asked with the same smile of superiority. I sighed before gesturing to her with my cup of tea.

"You're monologuing again..." I flatly stated. That seemed to have snapped her out of her trance as she blinked at me a few times before looking at Eleanore's uncomfortable expression. A long and awkward moment passed between the three of us before Yukari finally gave out an awkward laugh.

"Oh! I apologize for that, dear Eleanore! An old habit of mine, really. Ohohohoho~!" She embarrassedly stammered out before glancing away from us and giving a forced laugh. Yukari Yakumo, ladies and gentlemen...

"Regardless...I suppose this means that there is no real way to find out until we try then, yes?" I turned back to Eleanore with the question. It took a few seconds for the eldest sister to recover from Yukari's display. She cleared her throat before nodding.

"That may be the case until you all can figure out what the runt's element actually is. I can lend you my notes on the matter the next time Cattleya and I go here." She responded with her offer, obviously not privy to the knowledge that her youngest sister's magical element was Void.

"Why wait? You can just bring him to your quarters at the capital and the two of you can discuss the matter there. By yourselves. Alone. Just the two of you. Preferably after having a romantic dinner somewhere." Cattleya suddenly piped up from her place on the large couch. Predictably, Eleanore reacted in a way Louise might have.

"Cattleya! There is no way in hell I'm doing anything like that with Louise's familiar!" Eleanore yelled out, her face completely red.

"That's right, Cattleya. It's not fair to insinuate such a thing about the two on them." Yukari surprisingly stated in an admonishing tone of voice. So surprising was it that both Eleanore and I looked at Yukari as if she spontaneously grew out a second head. The woman in question noticed our gaze and proceeded to pout.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! Besides..." I suddenly had a bad feeling when said pout suddenly turned into a sly smile.

"They will probably be too 'busy' with other activities to discuss the matter about willpower and such after the kind of evening that you are proposing." Yukari finished with a very cat-like grin. There was only one thing on my mind at that moment even as Eleanore spouting threats and denials at both the border youkai and her younger sister:

God dammit Yukari...

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"In case you are wondering...yes, I am still working on figuring out a suitable response to your previously posed questions." I preemptively stated after the spotlight in my mind shined down on me in the middle of my otherwise pitch black subconscious. I decided to get some sleep after Cattleya's treatment session for the night had ended. With a lack of anything else to do for the rest of the night, it seemed to be the most prudent thing to do lest I end up collapsing again due to lack of sleep. I ill wanted to show that part of me to anyone else. Siesta was already more than enough for my personal pride to bear. Of course, I expected that doing so would likely have my subconscious try to pick up where we left off the last time I went to sleep. Thus, the current situation.

As expected, my counterpart appeared a few feet in front of me under the light of another spotlight. My female self. My other half. The apparent representation of my subconscious mind. Doubts, concerns, and questions that I never really asked myself while I was awake.

You are stalling. My other self stated matter-of-factly.

"I've been busy." I countered. It was sort of true after all.

Yes. Busy going out of your way in order to accommodate the silly humans. There was a missing frame of sight from my vision after she said those words then she was suddenly right in front of me with her right hand wrapped around my throat. I did not even get a chance to speak because she suddenly cut me of...and because of the aforementioned hand around my throat.

You actually willingly allowed humans into Mugenkan! She roared at me as her eyes burned red with anger.

You even gave them the means to be able to enter with at their own discretion! She added while putting further pressure around my throat. I grabbed my other half's right wrist with my left hand and squeezed. The action eventually forcing her to loosen her grip somewhat.

"Louise and Eleanore overcame my challenge." I pointed out with some effort.

You threw the match! Had your head not been in the clouds then you would have been victorious! My female self yelled back, referencing my oversight during the match which eventually gave Eleanore the chance to sneak in the winning strike.

"Regardless...they still won and I lost." I pointed out before smiling.

"Need I remind you that we won under similar circumstances when we were challenged by both Scarlet sisters? Or the time when Eirin demolished us for underestimating her?" I reminded her with a small smile on my face. My other self scowled at me before growling.

I would have destroyed them in short order had I been the one who fought your human and her sibling. She said with absolute certainty and confidence.

"Good thing that it was me out there then." I casually joked with a shrug. My other self did not seem to appreciate my wit and proceeded to wrench her right hand free from my grasp. She then proceeded to wind the same hand back and attempted to punch me in the face. I intercepted the oncoming strike with my own right hand after bracing for the impact. Strange since I'm technically not actually getting hit with anything. Oh well, details.

"You know what, I think I do have an answer to give you after all." I flatly said, all previous humor in my voice totally absent as I looked upon my other self with an unamused expression.

"My answer...is yes." I slowly stated as I wrapped my hand around my female self's fist and slowly applied more and more pressure on it.

"I care a great deal about Louise. She is my master, my student, my partner, and my friend." I continued before taking a small step forward while keeping the pressure on my other half's hand, consequently forcing her back.

You what?! She is nothing more than a-AAAHH! I interrupted my other self's counterpoint by abruptly applying more pressure on her fist, enough to hear her bones start to creak.

"Regardless of her race, her power, her shortcomings, her accomplishments, her failures, her personality, or how much she personally values herself." I continued my advance while looking at my other half straight in the eyes.

"Louise, and by extension those she cares about, have grown to become important to me. I treasure them and memories and experiences I have shared with them thus far...and I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future." I said to my other self as I stopped and forced her down to one knee with the pain caused by my hand crushing her fist.

"Louise is slowly becoming as important to me as my own Garden of the Sun. As such, I will not allow something as paltry as my own subconscious insecurities dictate what I can and cannot treasure!" I roared before putting all my strength into my right hand and crushing my female self's right fist. The action also had the added effect of shattering my other half's entire body as well, leaving me alone inside my darkened mind. The spotlight I was under suddenly grew brighter and brighter until I was forced to shut my eyes because of it. I had no real response other than to simply raise an eyebrow at what I saw when I opened my eyes again.

Sunflowers. An endless expanse of nothing but giant sunflowers under the clear blue sky. I looked around and noted that it seemed no different from my Garden of the Sun aside from one aspect. That one aspect made me smile despite myself. Under each giant sunflower in the field was a small woodland sunflower nestled close by.

Well, that was certainly an odd way of dealing with my emotional issues. I supposed that should at least be glad that it was in a manner that I was more or less familiar with.

...

"Huuu..." I heard Louise's sleepy voice as soon as opened the door to her room the following morning. I felt rather refreshed in more ways than one after getting a night's sleep on top of clearing my head of those silly lingering doubts that I did not even realize I had.

"Good morning all." I greeted both Louise and Ruukoto. The gynoid blinked at me a few times but did not return my greeting, simply opting to blink at me one more time before tilting its head to the side. I raised a brow at the odd gesture since the gynoid more or less made it a consistent point to verbally greet anyone it meets so long as the situation deemed it appropriate.

"Yuka? Is that yo-" Louise's words suddenly froze along with her expression after she turned to look at me from where she sat on her bed. She held said expression for an almost uncomfortable moment, her eyes seemed glazed over and her mouth seemed stuck in small 'o' shape.

"Louise?" I called out to the girl since that was clearly not a normal morning response from her.

"Pfffft!" Her response came out in the form of a sputtering attempt to stop herself from laughing. She placed both of her hands over her mouth as her body trembled with her eyes wide while she looked at me. A valiant effort though it was, my master eventually succumbed to the building pressure that was no doubt ready to burst from within the depths of her being.

"Gwahahahahahaha!" Thus Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere proceeded to openly guffaw in a most unladylike manner. In fact, this was probably the loudest that I've heard her laugh out. Ever.

"Is...is there something on my face?" I asked with mild uncertainty considering she only froze and started laughing after she saw me. Louise's sudden outburst so soon after she had woken up obviously easily got me off balance conversation wise.

My query seemed to have hit the mark since Louise suddenly froze before laughing even harder, outright falling back onto her bed as she clutched her sides with tears bursting out of her eyes.

"Can't...bre...brea...the...eeeahahahahaha!" Louise struggled between laughs, still holding onto her sides and rolling around on her bed with her eyes shut tight. Just when I was thoroughly becoming uncomfortable with the situation, Ruukoto slowly walked up to me before offering me a hand mirror.

"Oh, for gods' sakes!" I stated indignantly, my words simply added more fuel to the fire since Louise started laughing even harder. I knew I had a strange foreboding feeling when Yukari only left through her gap after I prepared to go to sleep last night.

My face was liberally used as an impromptu canvas with what seemed to be a pink sharpie marker. My cheeks had what looked like a cat's whiskers, three on each cheek. Also, a large circle was drawn around my right eye. And finally, the words 'Gap Life' were written on my head in stylized cursive. That was not all though. There was a very obvious deep red lipstick mark on my right cheek. I did not dare wonder if it was real or not. All in all, there was only one way for me to convey what I felt at that exact moment.

"God dammit Yukari!" I muttered darkly as I covered my face with my left hand before handing the mirror back to Ruukoto.

"Thank you..." I added as an afterthought before turning back to Louise when I heard her start coughing. Both Ruukoto and I started to walk up to her but she held up her left hand to stop our advance. She then proceeded to use the same hand to point at me while looking at me with an expression of absolute glee.

"Blu--blu--blu--BLUSHING! You're blushing! Yuka's blushing!" Louise sputtered out before slamming her right hand on the soft mattress repeatedly to emphasize her point. I immediately tensed up after hearing her words since those were among the last things I ever expected to hear from someone else.

"Louise, let me make this perfectly clear. I am NOT blushing." I slowly stated in all seriousness. Louise stopped laughing momentarily before her face twisted into barely constrained laughter again.

"Fuga." Ruukoto pointed out since Louise did not seem to possess the capacity for coherent speech at the moment. Even so...

"I am not blushing harder. To insinuate such a thing is utterly preposterous." I stated with as much dignity I could still wield. Naturally, neither Louise nor Ruukoto looked anywhere near convinced by my words.

"...I'll be along shortly after I get cleaned up." I muttered before exiting the room, ignoring Louise who was starting to laugh again as I closed the door.

...

[Blackraptor]

This little segment came about due to the most recent in-progress chapter of this story, a small discussion about it on Spacebattles, and my OCD-addled mind after playing Altier Meruru too much. Must. Syth. Everything. Maximum amounts of EVERYTHING!

Ahem...

Anyway, here is my take on trying to explain the magic system of Halkeginia. Hope this makes some sense of the otherwise vague and honestly crazy casting system that place uses.

...

The Voile Magic Library inside the Scarlet Devil Mansion was, and still is, the single largest repository of scrolls, tomes, and grimoires of anything that had to do with magic in Gensokyo. Nearly every system of magic that mankind had ever discovered or engineered was represented with at least one literary work inside the nigh-labyrinthian depths of the library.

The place itself was created and maintained by the magician known as Patchouli Knowledge: The Unmoving Great Library of Gensokyo. Although, due to her usually poor health, the actual upkeep of cleaning and cataloguing the immense number of books therein rested upon the shoulders of her assistant and succubus familiar Koakuma: The Little Devil of Voile. Patchouli never really explained 'why' she chose a succubus as a familiar and assistant. Unconfirmed rumors and teasing by the mistress of the mansion, one Remilia Scarlet: The Eternally Young Scarlet Moon, can lead one to assume that Koakuma's summoning and subsequent binding to Patchouli was entirely accidental.

The center of the massive library which was very large circular open space, in order to facilitate as a central reading area as well as a point where one can easily reach most parts of the library, was not occupied by the magician. Instead of the magician who was clad in clothing of varying shades of purple, the one occupying the rather comfortable reclining chair in the middle of this central area was a fairy...an Ice Fairy to be exact. The fairy in question was once one who Patchouli reluctantly took in as a student in magic centuries ago. It was something she did in order to pay back a debt that the household collectively owed a certain youkai of flowers. The ice fairy Cirno: Gensokyo's Strongest Fairy, was currently relaxing while reading a book of fiction. One that detailed the life of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter, a concept which amused Remilia to no conceivable end. Cirno made a curious hum before lifting her eyes from her book and smiling at a seemingly unseen audience.

?Hello there! Welcome to Cirno-nee?s Corner Library!? Cirno said before taking off a pair of glasses that were made of ice?that she created in the amount of time it took her to smile at the apparent audience and greet them.

"You're all probably wondering why you are here and what this whole thing is about. Don't worry, that kind of thing happens at times. It's only normal to be confused about such things." She stated before placing both her book and her 'glasses' on a small nearby table.

"Due to some recent events, it has come to the attention of both Teach and myself that the magic system in Louise's realm is vague to the point of being nearly outright bonkers." Cirno explained while leaning back into the chair to make herself more comfortable.

"As such, it would likely be to the benefit of a lot of people to give some kind of plausible and logical explanation as to how the system itself works. That being said, let's get to it!" The ice fairy declared before snapping her fingers. A crystal clear white board made of the purest ice appeared at her side, likely to be used as a visual aid of sorts.

"Back to basics first." Cirno once again snapped her fingers and four icons sudden appeared on the board. A tongue of fire, a teardrop of water, a jagged piece of earth, and a swirling clump of wind.

"The modern magic system in Halkeginia is entirely based on elemental manipulation and all the fun things you can do with them. The elements that are the most used and accepted are Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. You can imagine that Patchy could potentially be the supreme mage in that realm if she ever ended up there considering that Elementalism is her lifelong specialty. I wonder what would have happened if she got 'ported by Louise instead of Teach? Nah, she'd probably bop the poor kid with a book for disturbing her reading before 'porting right back to the library." She mused before shaking her head in order to clear her thoughts and shift back onto the actual topic at hand.

"In addition to the use of elements, the mages there also employ a ranking system based on something as weird as 'connect the dots'. Each dot is taken up by an element and the addition of more dots induces the need for a line to form between them, up to a maximum of four. That is why their ranking system is classified into Dot, Line, Triangle, and Square." Cirno continued and the icons on the board were replaced with a dot, two dots connected by a line, three dots connected by three lines, and four dots connected by four lines.

"There are also unconfirmed instances of Pentagon Rank Spells being available for use. However, such spells can only be done by combining the power of two mages who have a high affinity to one another. It doesn't seem to go any higher than that though. It seems that even combining the power of two Squares still cap out as a Pentagon, so no Hexagon, Heptagon, or Octagon class spells." She continued and three additional shapes appeared on the board. Five dots connected by five lines, six dots connected by six lines, seven dots connected by seven lines, and eight dots connected by eight lines. All of the new patterns except the Pentagon one had a large 'X' on them, indications that they were an incorrect assumption of how the mage ranking system in Halkeginia works.

"Another major factor in their system is Elemental Affinity. Basically, a mage is expected to excel at wielding one element over any of the others. Theoretically, any mage should be access to all the elements. However, depending on their overall affinity to something, they will have the easiest time to cast a spell with their elemental affinity than one which is not. We'll go deeper into that later." The ice fairy continued as she waved her hand at the board, erasing all the contents therein.

"Back to the ranking system. As I stated before, each dot in the rank represents an element. A new rank, or an additional new dot as it were, means that the mage in question has the option of adding either the same element again or adding a completely different one." Cirno explained before gesturing back to the board. Two new sets of icons appear on the clear frozen surface. Two icons of fire that were connected with a line as well as an icon for fire and an icon for wind that were similarly connected by a line.

"This is where affinity rears its head once again. Usually, once a mage finds out what their primary element is, they don't bother trying to use a different one. Why mess with something that works after all, right?" Cirno points out with a grin while gesturing her left hand forward and creating a small ice sculpture of Yuka and Louise dramatically posing back-to-back, showing off her own specialization of solely using ice.

"There are of course mages that try to mix it up, sometimes to even greater success than their elemental purist counterparts. Apparently, the use of more than a single element allows the mage to create spells and effects that would have otherwise been impossible with a single element." The ice fairy stated with a wry smile before adopting a more contemplative expression while rubbing her chin with her right hand.

"That's actually one of the more freaky things about this system. From what I know, a mage can create Electric element spells like lightning bolt by combining Wind and Fire. A mage can also create Ice element spells by combining Wind and Water. The overall power output of hybrid spells don't suffer from penalties in power though. Even if the hybrid spell is made up of two different elements, in the end, it's still has the power of two elements. So a lightning bolt, a combination of Wind and Fire, has roughly the same output as an empowered fireball, which is simply Fire added with more Fire." Cirno paused from her explanations in order to reach out for a glass of water that was most assuredly not there during the start of her lecture. Finishing the glass with a satisfied sigh, she set the glass back on the table before continuing.

"What was I talking about again? Oh right! Again, a mage pretty much as free reign on what element to use as he or she advances in rank. They can be a specialist that only uses their primary element or they can try other combinations. Hell, they can even be a Square Class Universalist and have a unit of each element at their disposal. I'm not sure if they can change elements after picking one though...I personally think that they increase their rank by improving on one or more elements rather than picking an element to use after they increase their rank. Apparently, Halkeginia at large also believes the former." Cirno continues to explain before sighing.

"It's a painfully simple yet versatile system really. In fact, the reason why Patchy got into Elementalism in the first place is because of all the possible combinations with them." The ice fairy commented before clearing her throat and waggling her finger at her unseen audience.

"A magician is only limited in the possibilities of their magic by their knowledge, skill, motivation and creativity." Cirno stated in a crude imitation of Patchouli's voice. She laughed to herself at the apparent inside joke of mocking his former instructor before taking a breath to settle down.

"Back on topic. We move on from the basic outlined aspects of the system and to the more technical mechanics of it." She stated, showing the apparent progress of her lecture, before adjusting herself in her seat to make herself more comfortable.

"Now, one of the main concerns Teach had while training Louise over at her realm was her endurance. Not her actual physical endurance, mind you. Thanks to all the workouts in Mugenkan and her real-world experience she's been getting, Louise is probably the most athletic student in her entire school." Cirno pointed out with a smile that held no small sense of pride.

"Rather than physical endurance, Teach was concerned about her magical endurance. Specifically, to find the upper limit of Louise's endurance and to see if there was any way to improve that. Halkeginians call it 'Willpower' instead of Prana or Mana or Od or straight out Magic Points. Apparently, it has to do with the way their faith works in regards to their magic." The ice fairy said while pursing her lips and tilting her head to the side. In the end, she simply shrugged away her apparent concerns and reached out for the cup of tea that was on the nearby table. Cirno did not bother with the obvious question of where the cup of tea came from or where the previously placed empty glass she drank water out of went.

"Willpower is apparently the amount of desire a mage has to cast a spell...umm...to put it in a way you can understand, it's like 'clap your hands if you believe' but on a more complicated scale." Cirno stated with less certainty than her previous explanations. Possibly because she cannot seem to put her intent into the proper words.

"That was a terrible analogy." A concise and slightly disinterested voice spoke from within the depths of the library. Cirno visibly flinched at the voice before slowly turning to the direction where it came from. There she saw Patchouli Knowledge slowly floating towards her with a book held close to her chest.

"H-h-hey there...umm..." As previously pointed out by Yuka some time ago, while Cirno had become more intelligent and matured over the centuries thanks to great effort by all parties involved, she was still vulnerable to suddenly blanking out on occasion when faced with something she knew that she could not overcome...or was too scared to even try. Without any more words, Patchouli made a gesture with her left hand and conjured a chair identical to the one Cirno was sitting on. Said chair was on the other side of the table the ice fairy was also conveniently using. With another swift, if overly simple wave of the hand, Cirno suddenly found herself backside over teakettle in the air before landing perfectly on the new chair Patchouli made. The ice fairy blinked dumbly several times at the sudden and rather dynamic change of seats. Patchouli used that time to float over to her chair before settling down on it. The bookworm proceeded to ignore the dumbstruck look Cirno was giving her and opened the book in her hand to continue reading it. She was re-reading '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

"Halkeginian belief system is integrally tied to their magic. Up to that point your supposition was accurate." Patchouli acknowledged part of Cirno's previous explanation before reaching over to the table and picking up small cookie. Again, the plate of cookies on the table was not there prior to Patchouli's arrival. Neither occupant seemed to care.

"Willpower is simply what it says. Willpower. The spellcasting method of Halkeginian mages do not draw magical power from within in order to cast a spell. Instead, they use their willpower to gather, focus, and shape the ambient magic around them into their intended spell. That is the reason why they need a focus in order to use magic, be it a wand, a staff, a sword, or rose petals." The bookworm spontaneously started to say without once looking up from her book. Cirno looked like she wanted to say something but the mistress of the library spoke up before she could say anything.

"Incantations are a red herring, a placebo effect. They are not actually required to be able to cast a spell with their system. Words and gestures are placeholders in order to allow the mind to focus on the effect a mage wanted to create with the gathered magical energy. This explains why Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere is capable of Keyword Casting despite initially not having the talent for such a casting method. I also expect that there are mages who have noticed this and have taken advantage of that facet in their magic system." The librarian continued her explanation before finishing the cookie she was snacking on and reaching out for a cup of tea, a different cup from the one Cirno was using.

"Take advantage? How so?" The ice fairy asked, intrigued at the words her former instructor was saying. She had similar theories about the magic system in Louise's realm but nothing as detailed as what Patchouli was providing.

"High speed casting. Silent casting. Or high speed silent casting under pressure. All are possible through that system with the correct discipline and mindset." Patchouli elaborated after taking a sip from her tea and placing it back on the table.

"Makes sense. The caster is only limited to their rank, element, and willpower then. More on that, apparently, that is the reason why the concept of willpower seems so vague." Cirno pointed out while leaning towards Patchouli. The librarian regarded the ice fairy for a moment before nodding.

"A conflict between factors and human samples in the continent." The asthmatic agreed before voicing the possible reason why.

"With so many mages, each of them should behave differently to each element based on their affinity and rank. With their technological level the way it is, there's no way to be able to come up with a standard unit to define willpower." Cirno added with enthusiasm before humming and snapping her fingers at the apparent realization of something,

"There's also the thing where the number and quality of mages in the realm is allegedly at a constant decline with each generation." The girl stated. Patchouli shook her head and went back to her book.

"It's not an allegation. Six-thousand years is more than enough time for something to rot away. Also, the condition is only isolated to human magic users. The overall amount of ambient magic in their realm has been surprisingly consistent over the millennia...far more than Earth's anyway." She explained with the patience developed from dealing with Marisa as well as having Cirno as a pupil in magic.

"Yeah...I never thought of that in that light..." Cirno stated while nodding appreciatively at the opinion from a different viewpoint.

"The decay in the quality of human mages and their own system of government is to thank for that, ironically enough." Patchouli continued with a small yet still sardonic smile while glancing at Cirno.

"...because they're magic hasn't really changed or advanced for the past six-thousand years? In fact, I think it's been getting progressivly worse..." The girl with blue hair postulated.

"Ten points. Indeed, the six-thousand year stagnation of the social, technological, and magical aspects of their civilization is the cause of their current situation. They continue to adhere to warped obsolete teachings of a church that barely knows the founder of their civilization anymore. To put it in a way that most others out there can understand, the status quo is their god now." Patchouli stated, which elicited a delighted 'whoop' from Cirno for getting it right.

"Wait...wouldn't going down this road eventually break their civilization? Eventually, they're gonna run out of mages. Why are there fewer and fewer mages per generation anyway? If the environment is not to blame then...the people?" Cirno asked as she thought about the possible ultimate end of the line for that kind of civilization.

"Yes, I estimate that the population of human Halkeginian mages will eventually dry out within the next three-hundred years. Thankfully, long after Miss Valliere lives out her life." Patchouli paused for a few moments in order to once again pick up her cup of tea and finishing it. She took a moment of silence to savor the after taste before placing the cup back on the table.

"You are correct in your assumption by the way. One way or another, the people are to blame for the continuous decline of human spell casters. The cause could be the progressive degradation of genetic quality due to inbreeding. As disgusting as it seems, it is a plausible and logical...and honestly stupid way humans have tried to keep their respective bloodlines 'pure'. The possibility of such actions increases dramatically if the system of government follows a monarchy. Guess what kind of government most of Halkeginia has." The librarian continued with a straight face despite Cirno showing a creeped out expression at the implication of widespread incest amongst the nobility in Louise's realm.

"Of course, that is only one factor. Another major factor is the simple lack of innovation in their magic." Patchouli said in a much darker tone of voice than what she usually uses. She said those words with so much contempt that Cirno could feel the disapproval radiating from the magician.

"The human mages there have been using the same system and basic set of spells for six-thousand years. Six-thousand years and they only have one magic system. In half that span of time, humans on Earth have created dozens upon dozens of ways to use magic...and that was with the steady decline in the ambient magic in the surroundings. It is not incorrect to assume that their system had rolled over, died, and is currently in the process of slowly decomposing." Patchouli bit out with such pathos and venom that Cirno was honestly getting genuinely frightened with their proximity. She had learned from experience that things nearest an upset Patchouli, which weren't books of course, tend to immolate in a rather abrupt fashion. Cirno didn't even want to think about what a thoroughly pissed off Patchouli would be capable or willing to do.

"Huh...well, them's pretty much the basics of the main four elements of the Halkeginian magic system. Next, we'll deal with Louise's personal element and how everything we talked about affects it. It is none other than the apparently legendary Void Element!" Cirno declared enthusiastically to change the subject to something else...hopefully in order to cool down her former instructor's head.

"Not today." Patchouli's simple declaration caught Cirno off guard for a moment.

"What? Why not? You were so enthused about the whole thing a while ago?" Cirno asked while leaning toward the librarian and pointing a finger at her.

"Vocal explanations tire me greatly. I wish to sleep for a while." The magician stated simply before placing a bookmark on her novel and placing it on the now empty table.

"Oh, okay. That's fine then, I'll just--" Cirno's words were interrupted when Patchouli leveled an open palm in her general direction.

"Out." Was all she said before a portal appeared next to Cirno and the ice fairy was blown through it with a powerful gust of wind.

"Creativity and hard work are some of the most important things when learning magic. At times, they eclipse even knowledge, talent, and experience. Marisa Kirisame and Cirno prove that concept soundly. Of course, a combination off all aforementioned would still be the most optimal." She gave her parting words to the unseen audience with a ghost of a smile before once more adopting her usual expression.

"Now leave me to my rest, lest I throw you out using a portal as well." Patchouli states with a dismissive wave before adjusting herself in her chair.

The world slowly fades to black.

...

Cirno is Gensokyo's 'That Guy With The Glasses'. You cannot, shall not, and will not unsee! Patchouli is 'Nostalgia Guy'.

Also, if anyone never got it for whatever reason, Sakuya was the one placing and taking stuff from the 'magic' table.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Who the hell needs an explaination for suddenly appearing and dissapearing items? It's Gensokyo; nothing more needs to be said.

[Blackraptor]

...

I chose to remain quiet when I returned Louise's room after making a quick trip into Mugenkan to wash up. I decided to take a full relaxing bath altogether as I wasn't about to take any chances after I found out that Yukari was about in my room while I was asleep. It took great effort on my part not to think about what else that insufferable woman could have been capable of doing while I was unconscious.

"Hmmm..." Was all I was able to voice out after opening the door to Louise's room. My master was seated in front of the small round table in her room with and was obviously having her breakfast. Siesta and Ruukoto were standing at either side of her all prim and proper as was to be expected of professionals. Also, all three of them were staring at me intently as I entered the room and closed the door. Ruukoto looked as impassive as ever but Louise and Siesta shared a glance before looking back to me with expressions that showed varying degrees of mirth. No guesses as to why the two of them looked so amused.

"Is it too much to ask that we never speak of that ever again?" I asked as smoothly as I could while folding my arms and leaning back against the now closed door. My answer came in the form of stifled giggling from both Louise and Siesta. I rolled my eyes at them before walking up to the table and taking a seat on the chair across my master.

"Too bad Siesta wasn't able to see you earlier. Words cannot possibly do justice to how utterly hilarious you looked this morning." Louise commented with a bright smile before continuing to eat what was left of her breakfast. At least she was in bright spirits today. Said comment earned a childish whine from Siesta.

"Such a shame~" The maid said in a disappointed tone of voice while looking at me with a mischievous smile.

"A great loss to the world at large to be sure." I drawled out with a roll of my eyes and a wave of my hand. Both girls started giggling again but I knew it was more in good fun than anything truly meant to insult me. After having to deal with Cirno and her friends for so long, I've been able to distinguish between the two.

The rest of the morning went about at a more relaxed pace after that. Louise inquired as to the status of Cattleya's health and was practically glowing after I told her that her sister's treatment had been progressing well so far.

"So Big Sis Eleanore is still going into Mugenkan during Chii-nee-sama's treatment?" Louise asked after I told her the events that happened in my border of dreams last night as we walked through the halls of the dormitory tower.

"Indeed she is. She made it adamantly clear that she means to see the entire treatment through and confirm with her own eyes if it will be a success or not." I answered while making our way down the stairwell. Ruukoto was silently following us while Siesta was taken away by the other servants to help out in cleaning. The teaching staff and the students may be absent, but the castle still needs to be maintained regardless.

"If I wasn't so worn out from going into Mugenkan so much, I'd be right there with them." Louise sullenly muttered as we continued our trek.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You were correct in suggesting that you take some time off from Mugenkan for a while. As much as I don't want to admit it, I did not really take into account the amount of mental stress you were enduring because of your training in there. To say nothing of the stress your subconscious goes through by travelling between your body and my border of dreams." I pointed out in bid to assure her that she was not doing anything wrong by taking a break from training in Mugenkan.

"Besides, it's not like you're slacking off or anything. Your daily workouts here have been helping in showing us your limits in your physical and magical endurance. In fact, you have been steadily increasing your physical endurance as we continue with these exercises." I added with a smile and a squeeze on her shoulder. Instead of being happy about the compliment as I had hoped, Louise instead chose to hunch forward and give out a sigh as we exited the dormitory tower.

"Yes, I know. I've been noticing that my body has been getting...harder." Louise said with a shake of her head.

"And you find this troubling?" I asked with a raised brow. That seemed to have set something off in her and she suddenly spun around and glared at me.

"I'm a girl! I'm supposed to be a fair maiden! A delicate flower in the meadow! An embodiment of refinement and femininity like Chii-nee-sama! I don't want to end up with the body of a barbarian!" Louise yelled at me. That was what she was worried about? Good thing there still weren't any other students in the academy yet, otherwise that outburst would have made quite the scene. Not to mention what would happen if Kirche had heard that rant. Louise seemed to have realized it to a degree as well as her face suddenly went red with embarrassment before turning her head away from me.

"I think you are overreacting." I plainly stated before putting my hand on her head and gently rubbing it. I wasn't sure why I suddenly did that and based on Louise's expression, she didn't know why either. The moment we were having, which was a strange mix of comfort and awkwardness, was interrupted by none other by Ruukoto.

"There is no need for concern for the increase in your muscle tone, Mistress." Ruukoto addressed Louise in White Noise mode. The fact that it bothered to shift its operating mode likely meant that it wanted to tell say something to Louise that might have gotten lost in translation if it simply spoke normally. Both Louise and I turned to the gynoid and waited for it to continue.

"Your body fat percentage was reduced to the most optimal point for a female body of your age group due to your efforts. The development of your muscles provides an increase in overall physical strength, endurance, durability, and general health. The new difference in your muscle to fat ratio only increased your body weight by three pounds. All of it muscle, not fat. You are not giving yourself a disservice by doing this, Mistress. You are simply living an active and healthy lifestyle far beyond most people your age are willing or capable of doing. The benefits of continuing this lifestyle outweighs the superficial disadvantages it may have by a laughable margin." The gynoid said in its usual clinical manner. It was clear. It was concise. It was to the point. It covered all the major issues with this matter. It was also a roundabout way of showing that Ruukoto was worrying about Louise in its own way. Sadly, with the way Louise was looking at Ruukoto, it seemed that most of what it said simply sailed over the poor girl's head. Ruukoto seemed to notice it as well but simply chose to revert back to its normal mode, with its eyes going from blue to red.

"Fuga." It muttered in an almost disappointed manner. Indeed, it did not seem like it was able to convey its intentions as well as it would have wanted to.

"What Ruukoto was trying to say is that the development of your body is not a bad thing. You lose unnecessary body fat while making yourself stronger, tougher, and it gives you more endurance. As Ruukoto said, the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences it might give you." I gave an abridged version of Ruukoto's words in a way Louise might have an easier time comprehending.

"Even so...no one would want to marry a woman with muscles." Louise muttered even though I was certain that she was smart enough to realize that we were correct.

"Nonsense. Have you forgotten just how proficient your mother is in combat? Or how efficiently well Eleanore moves when necessary? Those aren't the kind of things one can develop solely because of magic." I pointed out some examples that were already in her own family. Louise gave out an 'urk' that indicated that she didn't really think about it in that way before.

"Not only that, I know a number of denizens of Gensokyo who have toned bodies but are most assuredly still feminine. Reika Hakurei, Hong Meiling, Kasen Ibara, Shou Toramaru, Momiji Inubashiri, Youmu Konpaku to name a few." I listed off some of the more well known close combat fighters Gensokyo had. I would have put my own name in but I never really had to train and work out physically to become as strong as I became. It simply came naturally to me as I gathered power while I slept.

"All of them were dedicated masters of their respective martial arts, often training for months without end. All of them are built tougher than stone walls. All of them still retain their elegance as women despite that." I pointed out with a warm smile as Louise continued to listen. She suddenly gave me a curious look when I started chuckling.

"I apologize. I suddenly remembered something." I explained while shaking my head. We started walking toward the open field which had pretty much become Louise's training grounds. As we walked, I told Louise about that memory that made me chuckle earlier.

"A long time ago...the Oni, Yuugi Hoshiguma, surprised everyone with her elegance as a woman when she went to the Hakurei Harvest Festival one time in a kimono. She lost a bet with the wind goddess, Kanako Yasaka and that was supposed to have been her punishment. Yuugi was never known for her feminine side after all." I started while shaking my head at the sheer oddity of that night.

"Imagine what was going through her mind when the usually brash and battle hungry Deva of the Mountain showed up in dazzling deep blue seven layer kimono supplied by none other than the exiled Lunarian Princess, Kaguya Houraisan. She even had light makeup and simple but elegant jewellery. Honestly, she looked nothing like the Yuugi we knew." I said with a smile. How Yuugi managed to get Kaguya's help, I'll never know. However all that matter was that she did and she blew Kanako and everyone else away with her beauty.

"What happened after that?" Louise asked, obviously very interested in the development in that story.

"Nearly every single male who was there, who didn't already have a female companion at the time, tried to talk to her." I answered with a sly grin.

"Even Yuugi didn't expect it and was quickly overwhelmed by the attention. She stammered at their compliments and was obviously embarrassed by them. I supposed that she wasn't really used to getting compliments about how beautiful she was." I continued before stopping suddenly and simply started outright laughing.

"Y-Yuka?" Louise called out to me. She was likely unsure on what to do about my sudden outburst. I took a breath to settle down before grinning at my master.

"Yuugi eventually got so fed up about the sudden attention she was getting. She ended up deciding to elegantly point it out to her would be suitors by saying that she would rip off each of their testicles and make them eat each other's genitals. She spent the rest of the festival accompanied by her friends and all the men gave her a very healthy amount of distance." I finished the story just as we arrived at the clearing.

"Did she ever wear that...kimono...again?" My master asked, having some difficulty pronouncing the word 'kimono' since it was an unfamiliar word to her.

"I don't really know. I heard that Kaguya let Yuugi keep it, a trophy to commemorate her victory over Kanako and as proof that the oni can do something that what was originally perceived to be impossible for her." I answered with a shrug as Louise started to go through the motions of stretching and warming up. She started doing this as routine since she quickly got cramps the first time we tried to do some serious training outside of Mugenkan. I had the oversight of assuming that her muscles did not need to go through the process of limbering up just because she never needed to in Mugenkan. I had forgotten that her dream self was much more robust and convenient than her real body.

"So, what will we do today? Targeting again?" Louise asked as she performed her last set of jumping jacks. Ruukoto was the one who provided the entire warm up and stretching process Louise uses prior to her exercises. I thought about it for a moment and decided to see if improving Louise's physical endurance will increase her overall willpower capacity or willpower recovery rate.

"Eleanore and I had a small discussion in Mugenkan about you actually." I started off, immediately getting my master's reaction because the mention of her eldest sister.

"What did you two talk about?" Louise asked. Her breathing was a bit more labored before and her forehead was starting to sweat because of the light warm up she just did.

"I asked her if there was any kind of standard unit of measurement for willpower. I also asked if there was any way to increase the maximum capacity for it as well as the rate in which you recover willpower." I explained to Louise the gist of what I talked about with Eleanore in my mansion.

"I've never heard of a standard measurement of willpower in any lectures or books. I don't even know if it's possible to increase it past the limit a mage already has. What did Big Sis Eleanore say?" My master mused as she drew on the teachings of her school before asking what her sister's opinion on the matter was.

"Inconclusive. It seems that there is no way to be able to be sure about those things because of how the magic system works. She said it would take a very large, very focused, very extensive and very unified effort by all the human countries in Halkeginia in order to make it happen. Of course, with the way the continent seems to be like at this time, that doesn't seem to be possible any time soon." I relayed Eleanore's take on that particular subject matter.

"Then why did you want to see if my workouts will have an effect on my willpower?" Louise asked with a tilt of her head. I merely shrugged and sighed.

"She said that it wouldn't hurt to try. She'll bring her notes on the subject the next time we meet at the mansion. Hopefully, Professor Colbert can give some new insight on the subject once classes here resume." I admitted before telling Louise our current plan of action for that issue.

"With that being said, you have been trying to hit a varied number of targets for a while now. I have decided that you have become skilled enough to try it the other way around." I stated with a jovial smile. My expression was contrasted with the way the color drained from Louise's face as well as her increasingly panicked expression.

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-you're n-n-n-not going to let those chomping flowers go after me out here are you?!" Louise stammered out the question in near hysteria. Considering what she had gone through with my piranha plants, that wasn't really much of a surprise.

"Not out here. Instead, I will be personally seeing to your training in practical evasion on the ground." I said while walking toward Louise with my right hand raised to show a glowing red energy bullet floating above my palm. Louise gulped before started to walk backwards away from me.

"Wait! I'm not ready! It's my first time! This is too sudden! I have to prepare my heart first! You can just force yourself on me like this!" Louise yelled at me in panic while waving her hands at me in a bid to prevent what was to come.

"Don't worry Louise. I understand that you are scared but I'll be sure to be gentle with you. It will only hurt for a moment but I'm certain that you'll be able to settle into a rhythm that you will be comfortable with soon enough." I assured her with a warm smile. Of course I had no intention of hurting the girl. Danmaku was designed specifically to be non-lethal. Some bullets tend to sting on impact but no permanent damage should come from it.

"Bu-bu-but..." Louise was still rather hesitant in going through with the training.

"Don't worry Louise. You should know better than anyone that I would never intentionally harm you. Rest assured, I will do my best to take is as slow as I can." I said in all seriousness and saw my master visibly relax.

"I...okay then. I trust you, Yuka. I guess it's fine if it's you." Louise said with a mildly shaky smile before taking a few deep breaths.

"Okay! I'm ready! Give it to me!" Louise yelled out in a bid to pscyhe herself up for what she was about to experience.

"Very well. Here I come Louise!" I declared before firing my first barrage.

Ruukoto remained oddly still and silent throughout that entire exchange. Odd.

...

"Uuuugh...I'm sore all over..." Louise groaned out as I piggybacked her on the return trip to her room. Louise performed admirably on her first try at dodging one of my barrages. She did not have the convenience of flying around so she only had two dimensions to work with instead of three. She still got hit a number of times but still soldiered on and endured three different non-spell card barrages that I used. All of them were on the Easy side but considering that Louise was a human from a place that knew nothing of Danmaku, that was still pretty good. Ruukoto went off to get Siesta to prepare some lunch and a lot of water for Louise considering all the exertion my master did during her exercise.

"Did I come at a bad time?" A hardened but familiar female voice suddenly made itself known. Both Louise and I looked at the source of the voice and saw none other than one of Henrietta's personal female knights standing by Louise's door. The blonde one that was trying to order me around...ummm...

"I'm sorry, what was your name again? I had forgotten thanks to everything that transpired when we first met." I asked with a shake of my head. The woman in question gave me an unflinching measured look for a few moments before giving a curt nod.

"My name is Agnes. Agnes Chevalier de Milan. Captain of the Musketeer Squadron under the direct command of Princess Henrietta de Tristain." She formally introduced herself before giving what I assumed was an official salute of some sort.

"Hello again Captain. How may we be of assistance?" Louise was the one who asked. I could see her face because of how I was carrying her but I assumed that she was giving Agnes a tired smile.

"I was sent by her Highness Princess Henrietta to find you. She has given an official summons for Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere and her familiar, Master Yuka Kazami. Your presence at the royal palace is requested as soon as possible. I had originally gone to the Valliere estate as it was assumed that you had returned there for the duration of the State of Emergency." She started to explain her purpose for being here before folding her arms and narrowing her eyes a bit.

"I did not expect to be told that you have gone back to the Academy by your own free will. I must say, I was curious as to why you chose to do so even though there wasn't any official notice for you to return." The woman stated in a curious tone of voice, almost as if...

"Now now, you're not assuming that Louise had anything untoward planned, did you? You know of her friendship with your Princess." I jokingly asked with a smirk. After everything my master had done for her old friend and her country, I would have expected her to be the least suspicious person in Tristain.

"Nevertheless. With the way things are right now, I cannot take any chances. Lest we get a repeat of what happened with Former Captain Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes. Dame Valliere is close to both our Princess and the traitor which almost led to Albion invading our soil. Would you take a chance if given the same set of circumstances?" Agnes gave her reasoning before posing her question. A spontaneous test of loyalty for Louise? I was about to open my mouth to respond to such an insult to my master but the person in question decided to answer the inquiry herself.

"I probably wouldn't be as forgiving as you and throw that person in a dungeon in the deepest part of the castle." Louise answered confidently. Her answer made Agnes blink a few times before giving Louise a smile.

"Now I understand why her Highness trusts you so much." Agnes stated before giving by blushing master a raised brow.

"I assume that you're not exactly ready to make the trip to the capital yet?" The knight asked a rather rhetorical question.

"Probably in the afternoon after Louise has lunch and freshens up." I answered with a shrug as Agnes opened the door for us to proceed inside.

I was having my doubts about the whole thing though. I mean, every single time we've interacted with Henrietta something very inconvenient ended up happening to us.

I just hope this meeting finally breaks that streak.

...

[palver7]

Once again thanks for the update. Do you plan to diverge significantly from the canon storyline?

[Blackraptor]

Not as much as in other stories but expect some multi-rail drifting. Some events in previous chapters have already bypassed, taken cared of, or changed the flow of canon events. Things will flow in the same general direction, people tend to underestimate the durability of plots and schemes that have been in the works for many years, but expect some changes along the way.

[Blackraptor]

?

"Fuga. Fuga Fuga Fuga." Ruukoto stated from her seat beside me. We were had nearly arrived at the capital via carriage along with Agnes. Louise took a few hours to recover from her training enough to be considered fit for travel. By the time the city of Tristain was visible, the sun was already well on its way back down on the western horizon. I was seated next to the gynoid while Louise sat across me with Agnes to her side.

The trip itself was mostly spent in silence as the gentle rocking of the carriage ended up lolling Louise to sleep. My master was once again wearing her ever constant uniform, including the mantle, with the addition of her hat. I had idly entertained the thought that my own unchanging tastes in my wardrobe was finally starting to rub off on her. I shook away that thought and just chalked up her chosen clothing to her sense of practicality. After all, Louise seemed to have a nigh-infinite supply of her uniforms. Louise was currently slouched on her seat and was clearly still sleeping, her hat covered most of her face due to the positioning of her head.

Agnes herself was completely silent throughout the entire journey. The knight seemingly completely content in folding her arms under her chest with her eyes closed while seemingly having an expression that was bordering on displeasure. She only ever moved in order to open her eyes and take a glance out the window to take note of where we were. It was a rather interesting contrast to the sheer fire and ferocity she showed me at Tarbes after she showed her disapproval at how I addressed Henrietta.

"I see. That is unfortunate. Do you think that you can come up with a more solid formula once I receive Eleanore's notes on the subject matter?" I asked the gynoid while glancing at Louise's sleeping form. With absolutely nothing better to do for most of the trip, I decided it prudent to utilize one of the skills I had developed over the centuries of merely enjoying the day amongst the sunflowers in my garden. I spaced out.

Sadly, even that was not enough to save me from the boredom of being stuck inside a moving carriage with nothing to do. A thought suddenly popped into my head during that time and spoke to Ruukoto about it. I proceeded to ask the gynoid if it could calculate a means to be able to measure Louise's base willpower capacity and rate of recovery based on our workouts. Ruukoto explained that it did not have anywhere near enough data on Halkeginian mages or magic to be able to determine what I wanted it to. In addition, the nanomachines inside Louise's body were never made to be able to accurately measure what I wanted it to. At most, they can only compare the 'intensity' of Louise's willpower whenever it spikes in relation to when it was benign.

Ruukoto then suggested that a standardized formula to be able to determine the factors that I wanted would be the most ideal way to accurately measure capacity and rate of recovery. Obviously, there was no such thing available in Tristain as Eleanore had already confirmed. I then asked if it would be able to create a formula itself using its apparently impressive computational capabilities. It then told me that it did not have enough data to be able to create one. The data samples it currently had were too few and would thusly have a very high chance of being inaccurate or outright inapplicable to some mages.

"Fuga. Fuga Fuga." And it seemed that Ruukoto was still uncertain even if it gets Eleanore's notes. Depending on the accuracy of Eleanore's findings and the age of the material her reaserch was based on, Ruukoto may or may not have enough to draft out a rough formula on it. It also reiterated that a large enough data sample is required for accuracy, preferably with racial variety. It seemed that Eleanore's thoughts on the matter were correct. There was simply no way to be able to find out what I wanted without enough information. I gave out a sigh knowing that trying to push the matter any further at the moment would simply be an exercise in futility. Might as well shelve the thought until I meet Eleanore again. I glanced outside and saw that were already in the city proper, Agnes was already fully alert and looking out the window as well.

"Louise? Louise, wake up. We've arrived at the capital." I said as I reached out and nudged Louise's shoulder. My master made a displeased grumbling sound before sitting up properly and rubbing her eyes with her right hand.

"What time is it? I feel like someone sat on the back of my neck for several hours." Louise said before rubbing the back of her neck with her right hand while tilting her head from side to side in order to get some kinks out. Based on her relieved expression after a few popping sounds, it seemed to have been effective.

"It's time to get up. You wouldn't want to look disheveled in front of your beloved Princess, now would you?" I asked the rhetorical question with a smirk.

"That would be bad...ow." Louise agreed before popping a few more kinks from her back.

"And you really shouldn't sleep while seated upright inside a moving vehicle. I hear that it's bad for your posture." I added offhandedly after noticing my master's current discomfort. Louise glared at me before trying to fix up her uniform as best she could while seated.

"Don't patronize me. I've slept inside a carriage a number of times in the past. It's only this bad because SOMEONE decided it prudent to suddenly start firing magic bolts at me without my prior knowledge or consent." Louise flatly stated with a rather upset expression. I then noticed that Agnes was looking between the two of us with a lot more interest than she previously had.

"Louise has been going through physical training for a while now. We started this as an experiment as well as for the practicality of improving her physical endurance, strength, dexterity and durability." I provided the for the knight due to her inquisitive look. Agnes blinked at me once, likely not expecting such a direct answer to a question she never vocally asked.

"I...see. I did not realize that Dame Valliere was going through a physical training regiment." Agnes admitted as she looked at Louise and gave a thoughtful hum.

"I was completely battered and exhausted when you saw me at the academy, Dame Milan. How do you think I ended up that way?" Louise shot back at the knight with a bit more edge than she had likely intended.

"I apologize for my incorrect assumption. I merely thought, as a student at the Tristain Magic Academy, that you were experiencing willpower depletion. With all due respect, few mages seem to bother with any training aside from magic." Agnes said before inclining her head towards Louise in a gesture of apology.

"No, it's alright Dame Milan. Honestly, if you said that back in early spring then I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you. Yuka merely insisted that this kind of training was very important for a mage as well so..." Louise responded before trailing off with a shrug. Agnes then turned to me with a raised brow and another silent question. Said question was 'why?'

"The body houses the mind and the soul. Regardless of how powerful a mage becomes, the body is still an important part of the spell casting process. Neglecting that will simply turn the mage into someone who can only wait for their doom should they face a foe that can get past their magic or a situation wherein their magic was useless. Besides, isn't one of Tristains greatest mages also a skilled conventional combatant?" I explained before throwing out the little fact that Louise's mother was an excellent physical specimen on top of being a gifted spell caster. Of course, Agnes knew the legend of the 'Heavy Wind' and nodded in agreement.

"Point made." She admitted just as the carriage came to a stop in front of the main entrance to the Royal Castle. The driver of the carriage opened the door for us and Agnes exited first. Louise went next with an offered hand from the driver. Ruukoto and I exited afterwards while Louise was thanking the driver for the ride. The poor man looked surprised at the amount of politeness Louise was giving a commoner like him and ended bowing to her repeatedly while saying that her thanks were not necessary. The carriage left a short time later and we turned to the castle entrance where Agnes was waiting alongside another blue haired female knight. The other woman had the same no-nonsense feel that Agnes had and I vaguely recalled seeing her at Tarbes at some point. However, it seemed that Louise did recognize her based on the smile on her face.

"Dame Falkenmayer!" Louise exclaimed, obviously rather happy to see the knight. The blue haired woman returned the smile Louise was giving her and raised her right hand in greeting.

"Greetings, Dame Valliere. It is good to see that you are well." The knight said as Ruukoto we walked up to her and Agnes. Louise nodded at her greeting before turning to Ruukoto and I.

"Yuka, Ruukoto, this is Helgarose Chevalier de La Falkenmayer. She was one of the knights who helped me with the evacuation at Tarbes." Louise formally introduced the knight to us before turning back to Helgarose.

"This is my familiar, Yuka Kazami, and my maid, Ruukoto." Louise introduced us to the knight while gesturing between us in turn.

"Yuka Kazami. A pleasure." I greeted with a warm smile and a tip of my hat.

"Fuga." Ruukoto also greeted with a much more formal bow. Helgarose gave us both a measured look before she gave what seemed to be a formal salute.

"I am Helgarose Chevalier de La Falkenmayer, second in command of the Royal Musketeer Squadron under the direct command of her Highness Princess Henrietta de Tristain." She formally introduced herself to us before looking around as if checking if there was anyone else in the immediate vicinity. I raised a brow at her actions but what she said next explained it.

"It is an honor to formally meet the Steel Goddess and the Winged Demon of Tarbes." Helgarose said with a wry smile. The titles she suddenly threw out elicited a sigh from Agnes, an 'urk' from Louise, a raised brow from myself, and pointed disinterest from Ruukoto.

"People aren't blind you know. They weren't able to accurately give a description of who you were during the battle but your actions spoke for themselves. A woman with pure white wings watched over and defended the village of Tarbes after it was attacked while a man with dark shadowy green wings tore apart the famed Red Dragon Knights of Albion." Helgarose pointed out with a shrug before placing her right hand on her hip.

"Yes...I supposed that we should have expected that. Was anyone able to positively identify Louise though?" I admitted before asking her a rather critical question that made my master stiffen up.

I had made it a point to try my best to keep my master's identity as a Void Mage a secret for as long as possible. Such a thing was unavoidable forever, especially with the kind of luck my master seemed to have when it came to getting involved in incidents. I had at least wanted to make sure that Louise would be strong enough to handle herself should she ever find herself without assistance. Also, I wanted to make sure that she would become wise enough to make sure that she wouldn't get taken advantage of...aside from Henrietta. It seemed that despite it all, Louise's faith and love for her old friend seemed to rival that of the Kochiya family's faith for Kanako and Suwako.

"No. Both Princess Henrietta and Prince Wales made it a priority to suppress any and all information that would even imply the involvement of Dame Valliere and her companions during the battle at Tarbes." Surprisingly, it was Agnes who answered my question with her seemingly permanent serious business face. It kind of reminded me of Karin actually.

"R-r-really? Why would the Prince and Princess do that for me?" My master asked in disbelief that Henrietta and Wales would go through such trouble to cover up Louise's and her friends' involvement at Tarbes.

"It would likely be best to ask them yourself. Neither Helgarose nor I can speak for the motive on their behalf on this matter." Agnes answered with a shake of her head. My master blinked before realizing what the knight meant by her words. Agnes and her subordinates were knights under the service of their princess. For the most part, they simply follow orders to the best of their abilities. It appeared that Agnes was a rather grounded person who knew where her limits in certain matters were. Speaking on behalf of her princess was one of them.

"Oh...yes. I understand." Louise acknowledged with a nod.

"If there is nothing else, her Highness and the Romalian Liaison are waiting. Please follow us." Agnes stated before starting for the entrance to the castle, Helgarose following in step by her side. Louise and I looked at each other before following the two knights into the depths of the castle with Ruukoto silently following behind us. It wasn't the first time we entered this castle so I more or less could tell that we were headed to Henrietta's private chambers. The walk was mostly spent in silence until Louise finally piped up and addressed the two women.

"If I may ask, where are Dame Feulner and Dame Wizleben?" Louise inquired. I did not know the names of which she spoke so she must have been talking about some other members of the musketeer squadron. My guess was confirmed by a sigh and an answer by Helgarose.

"Ilfriede and Lunateresia are on a mission along with some of the others. They'll likely be back in a few days though." The dark blue haired knight stated with a shrug. Louise seemed satisfied with the explanation but I had a question for them myself.

"You mentioned that there was someone else waiting aside from Princess Henrietta. A Romalian Liaison, you said?" I pointed out to the last part of the previous conversation.

"Yes. You may ask for the specifics from her Highness directly but the gist of it is that Prince Wales is now officially under the protection of the Papacy of Romalia. He will be granted sanctuary there until Albion is liberated from that swine Cromwell. In exchange, a liaison who is under the direct command of the pope was sent out as a go-between for Romalia and Tristain." Agnes explained just as we turned the corner to Henrietta's chambers. The knight rapped her knuckle at the door twice and waited for a response.

"Please enter." The familiar voice of the princess bid. Agnes opened the door and entered first alongside Helgarose before allowing the rest of us to go inside. The two knights bowed before their princess before Agnes spoke out.

"I apologize for the delay. Our information as to the whereabouts of Dame Valliere was slightly inaccurate." Agnes reported to Henrietta before gesturing towards us.

"Do not be so hard on yourself Agnes. You have accomplished your mission admirably as always." Henrietta said with a warm smile before turning to us.

"And it does my heart well to see you all in good health." The princess continued before walking up towards my master and, quite predictably, wrapping her up in a tight embrace.

"How I've missed you Louise Francoise!" Henrietta exclaimed with no small sense of glee in her voice. She then turned to Ruukoto and I with a smile.

"I am also happy to see you as well Mister Yuka, Lady Ruukoto." The princess personally greeted us with respective nods, all the while still keeping my master's head hostage within the depths of her bosom. Louise valiantly tried to fight for her freedom but her efforts seemed fruitless...especially since said effort only involved the aimless flailing of her arms.

"Fuga." Ruukoto returned the greeting with a low bow.

"I'm sure Louise feels the same way, despite her current actions." I responded with a nod. I noticed her smile falter just a bit and saw Agnes narrow her eyes at me. Understandable since I merely deflected her greeting instead of returning it. It may have been rude and childish but I was still less than pleased with the fact that Louise keeps getting herself involved in something whenever we talk with her.

"Though we really should make an effort to meet in more auspicious circumstances next time." I added as a giveaway with a shrug. Agnes' narrowed eyes turned into a full scowl at the obvious lack of respect for Henrietta.

"Indeed. How I hoped that I could meet my old friend just to relax and catch up. Alas, circumstances conspire against that wish..." The princess agreed with a sad smile. It seemed that instead of being offended by my words, Henrietta seemed to share my sentiment. My master used the apparent lapse in being smothered with affection to at least get her face clear of Henrietta's chest.

"I apologize for my familiar's attitude." She stated while giving me a withering gaze as best she could from her position before turning back to her princess and beaming.

"I am happy to see you again as well princess." My master continued more enthusiastically. The two of them shared one more hug before Henrietta finally released her dear friend. It was at that point that I noticed another person in the room.

It was a rather smug looking young man was leaning on the wall next to a window to our left. He had light blonde, slightly spiky, hair as well as dichromatic eyes. One blue and one red, right eye and left respectively. He looked to be around Louise's age, possibly a bt older. He wore what looked like a white formal double-breasted long coat with matching gloves, though most of it was covered with a blue cape. He also wore conspicuously tight black pants and brown shoes. Though he also had some sort of thin sword, possibly a rapier, secured on the left side of the belt that he wore over his coat. The utility or sense of wearing a belt over a coat instead of directly on one's pants evaded me at the time. Henrietta noticed by gaze and proceeded to gesture towards said young man.

"I would like to introduce you all to our Liaison to the papacy in Romalia." The princess started which prompted the apparent liaison to step forward and give a formal bow.

"Julio Cesare. I am but a humble priest in the service of Pope Vittorio Serevare, St. Aegis the 32nd, and am currently assigned as the direct human link between Tristain and Romalia." Julio introduced himself with a pleasant smile. His sickly sweet words dripped from his mouth in a very well practiced manner, though it was clearly all for show.

Then he walked right up to Louise, dismissing the presence of both Ruukoto and myself, before taking my master's left hand into his own.

"And you must be Dame Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere. Descriptions of your beauty belie the truth of which I see before me. Indeed, to be in the presence of such beautiful and delicate rose is a privilege in of itself." Julio delivered words that would have been right at home if Guiche had said it before kissing the hand he was holding.

"Oh my..." Henrietta managed to squeak out after witnessing the display. Ruukoto remained impassive as always and was mirrored by the two knights present. Louise simply stared at the so called priest for a few long moments while I entertained the thought of ripping that smug smile off his face along with most of his lower jaw.

"Agwaah!" Louise finally delivered her delayed reaction by way of jerking her hand away from Julio and covering it with her other hand. The then proceeded to take a few steps back while looking at the so called priest with a prominent blush on her face and an expression that made it look like she was violated in some way. Once again, Louise showed that she was still a young maiden...though much more prone to sudden meltdowns in the face of matters of the heart than what I would assume would be normal for girls her age. Lack of experience in such things and her time as a veritable social outcast with her peers were likely contributing factors as well.

"Are you alright, dear rose?" Julio asked as he tried to once again reach out to Louise. He was giving her a nickname now too? My master responded to the inquiry my taking another step back before deciding on a better course of action by scurrying to my side. Not exactly the most 'noble' of actions but still a rather sensible one considering who she ran to. Now to clear a few things up...

"I'm sure she is merely overwhelmed by your...actions." I stated coolly, an attempt to imitate Sakuya whenever she had to 'take out the trash' so to speak. The young man did not miss a beat and gave me another one of his 'winning smiles' that I was quickly getting annoyed with.

"And you must be the famous Yuka Kazami, the familiar of my dear rose. I have heard great things about your courage and loyalty from both Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta." Julio stated with a straight face. I felt my eyebrow twitch at the way he referred to Louise in a possessive context. Considering how Louise flinched at his words, I assumed that she wasn't too keen about the nickname the so called priest gave her.

"Indeed. Also, I would very much like to clarify a few misconceptions you may have with my master." I responded with the same 'Sakuya Voice' while positioning myself between him and Louise.

"Louise is neither 'delicate' nor a 'rose', least of all is she 'yours'." I started, making sure to counter the smile the whelp was giving with one of my own.

"Of course, I would not dare assume that she would be mine. A mere slip of the tongue can be forgiven in the face of her beauty, yes?" Julio amended his words without actually apologizing for his assumptions. I gave out a sigh before closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. Again, Louise shared my sentiment if her displeased grumbling about 'precocious jerk' is to be believed.

"I've not the patience to play your games boy. Now while I am certain that Louise would be more than capable of demonstrating just how much she appreciates the way you refer to her, it would also imply that you would actually be worth the effort." I answered but this time without my previous smile. Peace said, I then turned my attention to the young woman that called us here in the first place.

"Now, are we actually here for any productive reason or do simply enjoy putting my master in troublesome situations?" I asked, not bothering to conceal my irritation at the way things seemed to have degraded.

"Watch your tongue Master Kazami, lest I forget that you are here as a guest of her Highness." Agnes darkly stated nearby. I glanced at her and saw that both she and Helgarose were glaring at me and had their hands on the hilt of their respective swords. My annoyance grew at the unnecessary increase in tensions in the room. I was about to voice out my thoughts on the matter when Louise spoke up before I did.

"Yuka! Knock it off!" My master yelled at me before hopping in order to smack the back of my head with her open palm. It didn't hurt at all but it got the point across that Louise was less than pleased with my actions.

"Fine. I apologize for my actions. My words were needlessly harsh and I request your consideration. It has been a long day and Agnes picked us up after Louise's morning training." I conceded with a sigh. I wasn't conceding to Henrietta or the others mind you. I was merely relenting to prevent further stress to myself and Louise. Clearly.

"Oh! I did not realize! Are you still tired Louise Francoise?" Henrietta suddenly exclaimed worriedly before taking Louise's hands into her own.

"I'm fine your Highness! I was able to take a nap and rest on the way here! There's no need to worry about me!" Louise, being the kind soul she was, immediately set about the task of assuring Henrietta that she was fine.

"Are you sure? If you want, I can arrange a room for you to sleep in until you feel sufficiently rested." And typically, Henrietta refused to listen. I decided to put a stop to them right there before they ended up going through an endless recursion of good intentions.

"With all due...respect, Louise has already stated that she was fine. Ruukoto and I can vouch for her health as well. She was simply fatigued from her morning workout but she had sufficient rest on the way here. Do you not trust her word?" I stated before folding my arms and leaning back. A bit a metaphorical arm-bending on my part but it got the point across if Henrietta's pensive expression was to be believed. Louise and the knights looked like they had something to say but the princess' smile toward my master silenced them.

"Indeed, your familiar is very wise. I apologize, my friend. I let my worry cloud my judgment." Henrietta said to Louise and seemingly only to Louise. My master's expression turned from worried to happy to resigned before settling on a smile of her own.

"Please don't apologize, your Highness. Things have been...stressful for everyone lately." Louise responded and the two friends proceeded to smile at each other while holding hands for a while.

"So...about the reason we were summoned here?" I asked, reminding the princess that we were likely called here for a specific reason other than for her and Louise to catch up.

"Oh, of course. You may want to sit down for this, we have much to talk about." Henrietta stated before turning to Agnes.

"You and Helgarose are dismissed. I thank you for your hard work as always. Please tell the servants to bring refreshments for us though if you would." She stated with a smile. Both knights bowed to her almost automatically.

"Of course." Was all Agnes said before she and Helgarose stepped out of the room. We then proceeded to be seated on the available seats in the room. Louise and I sat next to each other on a couch with Ruukoto standing dutifully behind its mistress. Henrietta and Julio sat across from us with a fine wooden table in between. The Princess and the so called priest were seated in respective comfy chairs. I was wondering if we were to wait for the refreshments before starting our discussions but Julio broke the ice with a question.

"Now then, what do you know about Void Magic?" A question that Louise and I didn't really expect at that moment...

Well, at least it confirms that meeting with Henrietta is synonymous with incidents and inconveniences.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Void Magic eh? Who doesn't know the element wielded by Founder Brimir himself during the birth of our civilization? Ha ha ha ha ha..." Louise was currently demonstrating that her skill at feigning ignorance could use some more work. Henrietta's eyes flashed minor worry at Louise's reaction but quickly covered it up by closing her eyes and taking a sip of her tea.

"Indeed. However I was not referring to our dear Founder. Instead, I am referring to the possibility of Void Magic existing in the modern era. What do you think, Dame Valliere? Do you think it possible for those who have inherited our Founder's magic to be walking among us?" Julio clarified his question before once again smiling at my master as if such a subject was something to use as small talk. The room settled into an odd silence after that. Louise was as stiff as a board for the longest time until she took a few deep breaths to recompose herself and finally answer the so called priest's question.

"I am of the opinion that nothing in this world is impossible. I believe that those of appropriate power and qualities will appear should God deem their presence needed." My master stated without any of her previous nervousness.

"Well said." Julio stated with a more cheerful smile. However, it seemed that Louise was not finished with her words either.

"However, I am also of the opinion that nothing in this world is certain as well. There has after all been no record of any mage who wielded the power of the Founder in all our history." Louise added while pointing out something I pointed out to her after I presented evidence as to what her element was.

"It is not impossible for a Void Mage to exist in our time, Sir Cesare. However, I believe that such a thing to be highly improbable." Louise finished with confidence before taking a sip of her tea. I could not help but give out a small smirk at how well Louise turned the situation around. Glancing at Henrietta and Julio, they seemed to have been unexpectedly impressed as well.

"The qualities of wisdom as well as an open mind. Indeed, you are special even amongst nobility." Julio didn't miss a beat and proceeded to lay on the compliments thickly. Louise didn't seem flattered by his words at all while Henrietta maintained her calm collected expression.

"In any case, I would assume that you did not call us out here simply to poorly attempt to flirt with my master yes?" I spoke up while looking right at the boy.

"Indeed. It has come to our attention that certain...unconventional things have been happening in Albion as of late. Both Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta deemed it wise to have you and Dame Valliere be brought up to speed in the matter. Although..." Julio explained, immediately getting Louise and my attention, before trailing off to carefully glance at Ruukoto who was standing behind its mistress.

"...such discussion will have rather...sensitive information. With all due respect, I have only been cleared to divulge this to Dame Valliere and Master Kazami and to no one else." The so called priest continued without his previously annoying smile. Instead he looked at Ruukoto, then to me, and finally to Louise in turn with a very serious expression.

"Ummm...it is fine, Sir Cesare. Ruukoto has a lifelong contract with me. I personally vouch for her trustworthiness." Louise piped up. She stalled somewhat at the start due to the sudden shift in the so called priest's attitude. The boy didn't really looked convinced so I decided to pick up Louise's line of thought.

"Ruukoto acts as Louise's primary personal servant and secondary bodyguard. It doesn't matter if you send it out for the duration of this meeting since it will eventually learn of it once Louise and I discuss the matter in private at a later time." I pointed out with a shrug. It was very true. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Louise brought up the topic later with Siesta and Ruukoto present in her room...or with her sisters in Mugenkan. The boy still looked uncertain about talking about what he was supposed to be telling us in the presence of a maid but he then blinked after a moment before raising a inquisitive brow.

"It? You refer to your maid as an object, something less than human?" Julio asked with a slight edge, picking up on my particular use of pronouns for the gynoid. I was a bit surprise at the tone he used when he inquired. There was hostility there, very subtle and hidden, but hostility nonetheless.

"It's a long story." I provided with a shrug.

"I'm certain that it is..." He carefully stated. Louise and I shared a glance before looking back to Julio.

"Don't think about it too hard, you'll just get a headache." We both said at the same time. Julio blinked at us a few times before shifting his gaze towards Ruukoto once more. He was quiet for a few moments, likely trying to decide what to do in this situation.

"Please rest assured that Miss Ruukoto is one everyone in this room trusts. Mister Yuka's designation to her is with...some merit, though I would agree with them to not dwell on the matter too much." Henrietta finally spoke up on behalf of our party.

"Are you certain, your Highness?" Julio asked the rather rhetorical question.

"Indeed. I have complete trust in Louise Francoise's judgment." The princess responded without a hint of hesitation or doubt. The gesture in itself was enough to make my master blush and fidget around in her seat with embarrassment. Julio finally relented and sighed.

"Very well..." He stated before taking a breath and picking up his own cup of tea.

"Now, as you may already know by now, the countries of Tristain, Gallia, and Germania have formed a coalition under the blessing of Romalia and our pope." Julio began before taking a sip of tea.

"The coalition's purpose is to liberate the country of Albion from the clutches of the usurper of the throne, one Oliver Cromwell, and return it to the remaining rightful heir, Prince Wales Tudor." The so called priest continued and thus confirming what Louise's parents had discussed back at the Valliere manor.

"The idea of a united liberation front was proposed by Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta, though it was not approved by the rest of the rulers until they learned of what transpired at Tarbes." Julio explained in a concise manner. Both Louise and Henrietta tensed momentarily at the mention of Tarbes. If Julio had taken note of their reactions, he did not make them known.

"The Albion Armada, under the assumed direct order of Cromwell, attempted an invasion of Tristain through the village of Tarbes. Details of the battle are sketchy at best, but there were a few things that stood out in the reports on that battle." Julio said while pouring himself another cup of tea. I was only paying token attention to what he was saying at that point. I did not need to hear about the details of that battle. I was there.

"The main points of interest of the battle as a whole are the unusual number of Red Dragon Knights present, the mysterious appearance and disappearance of the so-called Steel Goddess and Winged Demon, and the appearance of a gigantic unknown creature that proceeded to initiate hostilities to both sides." The so called priest ticked off each point with a finger. Again, once again talking about things we already more or less knew about. Well, there was something to interest to Louise at least since made a questioning hum before speaking.

"What do you mean by an unusual number of Red Dragon Knights?" My master queried with a tilt of her head. Her question made me reconsider the thought myself. I admit that there was an...abundance of those dragon knights. However, I never really thought it unusual since they were part of an invading army.

"The number of Red Dragon Knights that were confirmed to have been slain in battle was far more than the known number that Albion had." Julio elaborated somewhat on the point.

"And how can you be certain of what their number should be? I doubt that Albion would openly declare the strength of their army to other nations if they could help it." I asked with a shrug. My knowledge when it comes to international relations is limited to those 'video games' from the outside world Cirno kept pestering me to try, specifically a series of games called 'Civilizating'...or something. It was standard procedure in those games to maintain benign to friendly relations with your neighboring nations...all the while amassing your armies in secret until such time you felt them ready to crush all others underfoot. I enjoyed that part the most. Cirno said that there were other, more peaceful means, of achieving victory but I didn't really care for them. Slow going at the start though, so it didn't hold my interest for too long.

"You are correct in your assumption, Master Kazami. However, nations often have very 'creative' means of acquiring various bits of information should they need such information." He gave away enough to get the implication across. Espionage then, likely of the tactical sort and maybe even action filled. Even in a place like Gensokyo, the Tengu made sure everyone were on their toes when it came to keeping certain things secret.

"Fair enough. Then you say that the numbers do not add up to the previous count?" I acknowledged the point before clarifying what he was previously trying to say.

"Indeed. Cross-checking sources from each nation in the coalition confirmed that the average number of Red Dragon Knights should have been more or less the same. The issue is that the number of knights encountered at Tarbes was nearly twice the number previously reported." Julio explained the discrepancy between what the number of knights was supposed to be and the number of knights that were actually there during the attack at Tarbes.

"Wouldn't it possible that they could have amassed that many in secret?" Louise asked while rubbing her chin with her left hand.

"I'm afraid it simply does not work that way. The previous report on the number of Red Dragon Knights enlisted and ready for action was made a little over one year ago." Julio pointed out with a shake of his head.

"It would normally be impossible to breed enough dragons for such a number to say nothing of training the beasts and the knights who would mount them." The so called priest added with an obviously displeased expression. Indeed, I would assume that it would likely take more than a year to achieve that in the span of a year.

"Normally...you suspect foul play?" I echoed before asking him. Julio responded by giving me a sardonic smile before responding.

"'Foul play' is a severe understatement in this situation. There are no natural means to be able to achieve the results they did with their Red Dragon Knights. Add to that the possibility of that giant monster being originally theirs and simply went out of control..." Julio responded before trailing off with an uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Do you believe that...Cromwell...do you believe that he could have forced heretically forbidden magic to yield these results?" Louise hesitantly asked, not really happy about the possibility of such a thing being even remotely possible.

"As much as I wanted it to be so, Dame Valliere..." Julio trailed off before looking like he was contemplating about something.

"Cromwell instigated the coup and usurp power in Albion in a matter of weeks. Very swift considering what was accomplished but unsurprising considering his possible backers. However, even that much time would not have been enough to form the ranks of those additional knights and dragons. The monster may have been created during his subsequent occupation of the country but the knight corps additions may have been going on long before he came into power." Julio stated in a somber tone. It was oddly remarkable to see how much his mood shifted from what it was moments ago.

"That means that..." Louise trailed off before gulping at the implication.

"Wales does not know if it was his father who made the initiative or if it was one of his advisors or generals. He isn't even sure if his family even knew about it. However, the evidence points to the possibility of the previous government being involved in artificially creating soldiers and fire dragons." Henrietta was the one who answered in a sad voice which made my master gasp in shock. Curious. Necromancy and now possibly even creation of Homunculi or even managing cloning through magic and alchemy. It was starting to seem that there were much more...clandestine means of applying the magic system in the realm than simple elemental manipulation.

"And you are certain of the involvement of artificial creation of life?" I asked with a raised brow. After all, doing such a thing isn't exactly easy. You either need to know exactly what was needed to be done to create life or have enough resources to engineer it from the correct amounts of raw materials.

"We have some...evidence of such actions. Although I am impressed that you do not seem at all disturbed about these revelations." Julio acknowledged before pointing out his observation. I merely sighed and shrugged my shoulders in return.

"I've had an interesting life." I stated noncommittally. Julio gave out a curious hum but did not pursue the matter further.

"To answer your question, yes. That does seem to be the most likely possibility, especially after what happened to the captured Red Dragon Knights. The fact is that, the more we investigate, the more disturbing the things we find become." The so called priest stated somberly.

"Why? What happened to the captured knights?" Louise latched onto that one point and immediately asked about it.

"Every single one of the captured knights and their respective mounts all died suddenly after two weeks of captivity...at the same time." Julio explained.

"What? How is that even..." My master trailed off, unable to even finish the question. I, however, had some idea as to why such a thing happened.

"Whatever was sustaining them wore off." I postulated and earned a nod from Julio.

"Indeed. It appeared that they were all...manufactured at the same time for the expressed purpose of the invasion of Tristain. Destined to be thrown away after they have outlived their usefulness. That was also the likely reason why none of the captured knights could perform magic." Julio confirmed before elaborating on it and pointing out something I also noticed during the battle of Tarbes.

"Is it really that unusual though? The knights being incapable of wielding magic I mean." I asked as I poured more tea for Louise and myself.

"It is usually standard practice to make sure that all mounted knights to be of at least line rank. This is to ensure the maximum use of both knight and mount on any possible situation. As Sir Cesare previously pointed out, it is not easy to breed mounts." Henrietta answered on behalf of the young man. It made sense. Beasts that can be bred and trained would have likely been a rather limited resource.

"So the reason why they couldn't use magic was because they were not born with the talent...because they were not likely 'born' in the first place. Hmmm...that raises an interesting point though." I thought out loud before raising a new thought based on what had already been established.

"Which is?" Julio asked with a raised brow.

"If Albion can artificially create soldiers and dragons, however temporary they were, then it stands to reason that they can make foot solders as well." I stated. It was, after all, reasonable to expect mass production on something once you establish the proof of concept for the methods in doing so. Of course, I doubted that Louise's civilization understood the concept of mass production yet since their relative industrial capabilities seemed to be on par with early renaissance Europe back on Earth.

"That...is indeed a possibility. A frightening one...but a possibility nonetheless." Henrietta agreed and her expression showed her distress over that matter.

"Let me guess, it gets worse right?" Louise seemed to have completely given up on being optimistic about our discussion and just simply prepared for the worst that might happen. Henrietta looked at her friend with obvious worry while Julio simply gave her a sheepish smile.

"Well there are...reports...of a most unusual female Earth Mage who has been acting as the protector of Albion's port cities." The so called priest responded. Louise and I immediately shared a glance at what Julio just said. I saw my master doing her best to keep calm and not immediately start panicking again. Unfortunately, it was taking up all of her focus and willpower to do so and she was likely unable to speak at that moment because of it.

"Interesting. Would to you care to elaborate on that?" I asked while keeping up my poker face. Julio proceeded to explain what we had already heard back in the Valliere manor. A mysterious Earth Mage wearing a jester's mask and hat demolished Germania's elite strike force and wore something that seemed to have been inspired from Mima's clothes. In addition to that, she was also wielding what seemed to be the evil spirit's chained crescent staff. Louise and I shared another glance after Julio was finished confirming what we already knew.

"This mage, on top of what has already been previously mentioned, was more than enough to convince the members of the coalition of the very real threat the current government of Albion poses to everyone." The young man finished before drinking the rest of his tea. Conversation suddenly dried up afterwards and Louise ended up idly nursing her cup of tea, likely worrying about the true identity of that mystery earth magician. I, on the other hand was wondering about something else entirely.

Why did Henrietta summon us here?

If it was simply to divulge information that I was assuming was currently should be a state secret, she could have done so personally. There was no real reason to involve someone else, especially an outsider from a completely different country, in the discussion. Doing so would do nothing but raise suspicion since Julio seemed sly enough to consider the same things I was. I was missing something here but I couldn't put my finger on it at the time. It was rather annoying really.

"I had originally wanted to have the State of Emergency lifted after the united coalition had been established. Unfortunately, there are still certain...complications that must be dealt with." Henrietta suddenly broke through the silence like an oni punching through a wall. Louise glanced up to her old friend but made no move to inquire about the new topic.

"Complications?" I asked the question that no one else seemed to be willing to.

"Indeed. There have been unconfirmed reports of a traitor in the court who is consorting with agents of Cromwell's backers. Leaking classified information and spreading misinformation in turn. All in exchange for money and the assurance of power once Tristain falls." The princess answered with a nod. I had expected a surprised gasp from my master followed by a slew of curses and damnations at the offending individual. Instead, Louise did the exact opposite. She simply sat there with a distant look in her eyes. Louise didn't seem to be looking at Henrietta rather, she seemed to be looking past her.

"Hawaaa!" My master suddenly yelped out when I gently nudged her shoulder. Her eyes quickly darted around to take in her surroundings before finally realizing where she was and what was happening.

"Louise Francoise? Are you alright?" Henrietta asked with obvious concern.

"Yes..." Louise immediately answered but without much conviction.

"Are you-" Henrietta was about to say but was surprisingly cut off by my master.

"I am." Said in a clipped tone.

"I...just have a few things on my mind and fatigue is starting to creep up again. I'm sorry, does anyone know who the traitor could be?" Louise explained before turning the conversation back to the main topic. The princess maintained her worried expression and wasn't sure she should believe what her old friend told her. The silence met only lasted for a few moments before Henrietta finally responded.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to uncover the identity of the traitor. However, we have reason to believe it to be a member of the court who has a prominent rank and significant influence." Henrietta answered and got a nod of understanding from Louise. Julio remained silent throughout all this and simply looked like he was enjoying his tea without a care in the world.

"Are you sure there is only one traitor?" Louise followed up with another question. I was actually surprised that she was able to immediately come up with that question instead of taking Henrietta's answer in face value.

"Ha! A wise question." Julio piped up with a compliment and a wink at Louise which she wisely chose to ignore.

"Yes. We have a very short list of potential suspects and are currently in the brink of launching an operation to catch the true culprit in the act." Henrietta answered with a certain sense of confidence...almost as if she already knew who the traitor was. If so, she was probably going through with her plan to be able to prove it.

"Of course...due to the political clout of the ones suspected of being the traitor, I only have very few people whom I can trust." The princess continued before giving out a tired sigh. I was having a very annoying feeling that she would either ask Louise for help in her little plan or imply that she could use our help on this. Oddly, that did not happen...

"Do you need our help to accomplish this, your Highness?" ...because my master offered our services on her own. I suppressed a sigh and started thinking about how Ruukoto and I would be the most effective when it came to that kind of situation since I was certain at the time that Henrietta would jump at the chance at getting our help again considering our consistent record so far in getting things done. Oddly, that did not happen either...

"No, I believe that we already have everything we need to accomplish our objective. It would be best if you return to the academy for some much needed rest. Thank you for coming here despite everything my friend." ...because Henrietta just adjourned our meeting and asked us to go back to the academy. It was so unexpected that it made Louise and I blink at each her a few times before looking at each other then back to her.

"A-are you certain?" I asked in mild disbelief. Contrary to our confusion, Henrietta simply gave us a warm smile.

"Indeed I am. I can have a carriage arranged for you at once." The princess casually stated with the same smile.

"No, that won't be necessary." My master responded with a shake of her head. Henrietta and Julio both gave her questioning gazes while I just raised at brow at her. Was she planning on helping Henrietta with her plans anyway?

"It has been a while since we last went to the capital. I have a few things I'd like to take care of while I'm here. I am deeply grateful for your generosity but I assure you that we can safely make our way back on our own once I am finished with my business." Louise explained with a small smile. Reasonable enough I supposed. I doubt that Henrietta would doubt that Louise can safely return to the academy, especially with Ruukoto and I with her.

"Very well." The princess acknowledged before standing up. The rest of us ended up standing up as well since the little meeting seemed to have already ended. As if to punctuate the point, Henrietta walked up to Louise and gave her another hug.

"Even with everything that is happening all around us. Even under the circumstances that brought us together once more. Even with our country is at the brink of war. I am so very happy to see you again, my dear friend." Henrietta whispered in a subdued voice. My master on her part hesitated for a moment before returning the embrace.

"Your highness..." Louise whispered back. I wasn't really any good in these situations so I simply remained quiet throughout the exchange.

"More and more, I continue to feel as if you are my only true friend anymore in this hard world of nobility." Henrietta added with a far more weary voice. I noticed Louise shift and realized that she was hugging Henrietta tighter.

"I will always be your friend, your Highness. No matter what happens, you can count on that." My master declared, sounding far more mature than she normally was.

"Thank you..." Was the obvious response. They stayed that way for a few more moments before they finally broke off their embrace and we excused ourselves. Julio apparently still had some business with the princess so he stayed behind.

"So..." I spoke up as we were escorted out of the palace by Agnes and Helgarose.

"We will need to return to our other duties now. Will you all be able to take care of yourselves from here on out?" The blonde knight pointed out before asking Louise.

"We should be fine now. Thank you again Dame Milan." Louise responded before turning to the other knight.

"It was nice to see you again, Dame Falkenmayer. Please give Dame Wizleben and Dame Feulner my regards." My master said with a smile which Helgarose returned.

"I'll be sure to do so. Stay safe, Dame Valliere." The knight responded before she and Agnes went back into the castle.

"So..." I started after the three of us were left alone.

"So..." Louise repeated after adjusting her hat.

"Fuga..." Ruukoto repeated as well without much fanfare.

"I was wondering just what kind of business you would want to take care of here." I asked Louise with a raised brow. She nodded before starting towards the darkening streets of the city proper.

"Charming Fairy Inn." Was all she said. We ended up walking around the city for a while before I noticed something rather pertinent to our situation.

"Louise..." I slowly intoned just as my master stopped walking to look around.

"...do you even remember where the Inn is located?" I sighed when Louise's trademark 'urk' answered the question for me.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" I pointed out with a raised brow as the three of us stood in front of a familiar building. Louise grumbled a bit and didn't seem like she was happy about it. My master's old stubborn side shone through during our walk around the city as she repeatedly refused to simply ask directions from one of the city guards or the citizens who lived there.

Louise reasoning was that she wouldn't be caught dead asking people where to find a place like the Charming Fairy Inn. She said that asking such a thing would have been unbecoming of a pure maiden such as her.

Being a maiden, I wasn't really going to argue with her. Purity though? Even I had a pretty good idea of the kind of novels she and Siesta liked to read whenever they thought no one noticed. Louise might not have any practical experience in the matter, but I was certain that she wasn't clueless about it either.

In the end I got fed up with walking aimlessly with the sun almost completely set and asked a shop keeper for directions. We then proceeded to our destination with relative ease save for Louise's protests on how shameful it was for me to up and out asking such a thing.

"Well, the door won't open by itself so..." I stated while ignoring Louise's grumbling. I opened the door inward to see if anyone was around...

"Aaaahn~!"

...and immediately shut it again before pressing my back against the door.

"Perhaps we still got the wrong place. It's already dark out anyway. Why don't we simply return to the academy for now and try again some other day?" I quickly stated while making sure to keep my back against the wooden barrier to prevent anything inside from getting loose.

"Yuka...it says 'Charming Fairy Inn' right above the door." Louise deadpanned while pointing at the large sign that was indeed above the door.

"An establishment of the same name then. It is not impossible as I doubt that Tristain has trademark or copyright laws in place. Thus, I propose to return to the academy post haste." I presented my counter-argument while nodding to myself. Indeed, vacating the immediate vicinity would be the wisest plan of action.

Obviously I wasn't planning on running away or anything.

Far from it.

Insinuating such a thing was preposterous.

One should be in the middle of combat or under hostile threat for the concept of 'running away' to apply. Clearly.

"Yuka, we're at the right place, move out of the way. I'm too weary to deal with this right now." Louise glowered at me before stomping forward.

"No need to be hasty, Louise. I trust that one such as you knows the value of discretion." I reasoned while pressing myself harder against the door, the only thing keeping us separated from the unfathomable horror on the other side.

"Yuka. Move. Now." My master slowly growled at me.

"Louise, be reasonable. You should simply trust my judgment on this matter. Nothing beneficial is on the other side of this door. There will only be pain, suffering, and regret. Now quickly, before it is too late-" I was unable to finish my statement as I suddenly heard something I did not want to hear at the moment.

"Aaaahn~! Is someone there~?"

"Ruukoto! Get Louise as far away from here as you can! I will hold the door for as long as I can!" I stated with great urgency while bracing against the door.  Louise and Ruukoto stared at me for a moment before glancing at each other and back to me.

"What the blazes are you talking about?" My master asked me while sporting a look that clearly said 'you are crazy'. Not a question, but a statement.

"Fuga." Ruukoto added. The gynoid pointing out that it could not detect anything that could possibly become a threat to Louise. Doubly so since we were both within close proximity with my master.

"You fools don't understand! Just do as I say and get Louise out of here right now you walking paperweight! Fly you fools! Go! Go now!" I started shouting at them. Louise looked rather surprised at my sudden outbursts and we were getting odd looks and stares from others but I didn't care. All that mattered was to be able to get away before-

"That sounded like Matilda's beloved~!" The horror stated from the other side of the door. The wood suddenly stirred, indicating that someone was trying to open it. I put my full weight upon the door in hopes that it would have been enough to hold back a fate worse than death. Unfortunately, I somehow miscalculated a bit in my planning. It was demonstrated as such when the door swung open...inward, making me lose my balance and stumbling right upon that which I was trying to save Louise from.

It wore a gaudy blonde wig that had a tiara on it. It was also wearing what looked like the formal dress of some princess from a child's fairytale. Nowhere near anything as fine as what Henrietta wore but it was enough to make the distinction that the creature was trying to pass itself off as royalty.

"Aaaahn~! What a strange and wonderful chance happening~! For a shining knight to fall upon the bosom of the princess instead~!" It exclaimed moments before it clutched me with its gloved hands.

The horror...

The horror...

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Oh come off it Yuka! It can't have been that bad!" My master's words remain unheeded as I continued to stand at a far corner of the inn's first floor. It appeared that our timing was most...unique as the Scarron and the ladies of the inn were apparently preparing to perform some manner of play in order to increase revenue and publicity for their business.

"You say so because you did not experience it." I muttered bitterly before once again feeling a chill down my spine. I wished to forget that entire thing, purge it from my mind with Ultimate Magic if need be. Louise merely sighed while shaking her head. Ruukoto was standing by her side and did not deem it necessary to comment on my current behavior. Whether because it had some understanding as to the horror I had just experienced or if it deemed the whole scene as not worth its full attention, I did not know.

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost." Jessica asked worriedly as she approached us. She was dressed up in fine white regalia indicative of a prince of some far-off country. Apparently, she was her father's counterpart and love interest in the play. The thought made me reel.

"I have seen ghosts before, Jessica. None of them could compare to what I had just experienced." I spat out at the young woman who simply raised a brow at me.

"Don't tell me that you're still freaked out about dad hugging you earlier." The young woman asked. She gave out a hum of understanding when I responded by giving out a low growl.

"Oh get over it." I heard my master say before turning to Jessica after the girl poked her shoulder.

"Where is Big Sis? And who is this?" Jessica asked the most obvious questions.

"Oh, this is Ruukoto. A maid we found while adventuring a while back. She's currently under my employ as a personal maid of mine. As for Matilda..." Louise explained before trailing off.

"We were actually wondering of you could help us out with that." I continued for Louise while doing my best to shake off my previous discomfort.

"Why? What happ-" The young woman's question was cut off by the very source of my previous discomfort.

"Jessica~! Where have you been~? We need to prepare to open up shop~!" The beast stated as it...pranced towards us wearing its usual garbs. Usual...but no less terrible. Scarron regarded the three of us for a few moments before proceeding to flex its muscles.

"I must say~! It is wonderful to see you once more Louise~! You look as lovely as ever~" The creature exclaimed before winking at my master.

"Umm...yes, thank you." Louise responded in a rather uneasy manner. Scarron nodded to her once before turning its beastly eyes towards me instead.

"And I must apologize for my earlier actions, Yuka~! I did not realize that my womanly charms would overwhelm you so~" The beast remarked its mockery of an apology. I remained impassive and silent for a while, a scowl on my face after it reminded me what it did to me. I only relented before Louise struck my side with her elbow. It didn't hurt but the action conveyed her meaning.

"It is...fine." I forced out, if only to get it over with.

"And who is this lovely girl~?" Scarron then turned its attention to the remaining member of our current party. Ruukoto regarded him for a few moments as a few streams of light ran across its eyes. It then blinked before giving Scarron a bow.

"Fuga. Fuga." The gynoid introduced itself...before commenting that it was an honor to meet a being that could strike such fear into the likes of Yuka Kazami. Cute.

"It's nice to meet you too...um...Ruukoto right? I'm not really sure if dad can really 'strike fear' on Yuka here though..." Jessica responded while rubbing the back of her head. Louise and I blinked at her for a moment before glancing at each other.

"You can understand what she is saying?" I asked the girl with clear curiosity.

"Well sure. She sounds like she can improve on her accent and expressiveness though." The young woman explained with a shrug and a raised brow. Louise and I shared another glance while Jessica looked at us like we were idiots.

"Truly~? All I could hear was a repeated word~" The beast suddenly cut in and was about as confused as one could be with the current situation.

"What? Do you need to get your ears cleaned again?" The young woman reprimanded her still rather confused...father. I coughed deliberately to get their attention.

"It is of no fault of your...father...that he cannot fully comprehend Ruukoto's words. Ruukoto is...unique and not from around here originally. Don't think about too hard, you'll just get a headache." I answered in hopes of the topic being dropped so we can move forward with the conversation. However, I made sure to keep the little tidbit that Jessica can understand Ruukoto at the back of my mind just in case. Scarron took that time to look around before looking rather confused about something.

"And just where is Matilda then~?" Scarron asked as if it just realized that we came here without Matilda. Louise gave me a worried look when she realized that both Scarron and Jessica had expected that Matilda should have been with us still.

"Matilda had things she wished to deal with personally by herself. She simply left us a letter stating that she would return once she has accomplished her goals, whatever they may be." I explained with a shrug.

"But that was over a month ago, we haven't heard from her since. Has she been here by any chance?" Louise continued with a sigh and an obviously concerned tone of voice. Both father and daughter shared a look before turning back to us. I didn't like that look.

"She did pass by here several weeks ago actually." Jessica admitted but her expression was not of relief.

"Matilda was asking where she could get supplies for travel~! We had simply assumed that she was shopping for another family outing of yours but~" Scarron trailed off with a thoughtful look.

"Did she mention to you her possible reasons or destination?" I immediately asked. This was, after all, our first lead on Matilda's actual whereabouts. A small cynical part of my mind sneered and mentioned that it was all but guaranteed that the mystery earth mage wielding a copy of Mima's staff was none other than our missing companion herself.

"She wouldn't say. Big Sis just said that she was just preparing for a little something and she'll be fine. She's always has been so we thought...she's not in trouble is she?" Jessica said before asking her question with a growing sense of worry.

"I would certainly hope not..." I immediately responded with a frown.

"Yuka." Louise called out my name and held my left hand with both of her's. I turned to her and saw that she was giving me a look of concern.

"Your hand is trembling..." My master continued, making me blink in confusion. I turned my attention to my hands and realized that I had them clenched so hard that my knuckles were turning white. I took a few breaths in order to calm myself down.

"I'm fine. I...do not know what came over me." I stated. As a matter of fact, I really didn't know why I reacted the way I did. I hadn't even realized what I was doing until Louise pointed it out. No doubt that I would have likely even dug my nails into my skin and drew blood if left alone.

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head~! It is normal to worry about the woman you love~" Scarron assured me with a very unassuring wink. Jessica looked between her father and my hands before giving me a searching look.

"Mi Mademoiselle! We're almost ready to open!" One of the many girls of the Charming Fairy Inn yelled out.

"Well, nothing for it~! It is already dark out so the three of you might as well spend the night here~! I've no doubt that none of you are really up for travelling right now anyway~" Scarron offered, a reasonable one to give regular people considering the situation. Louise looked at me and Ruukoto in turn to gauge our reactions to the offer. I simply shrugged while the gynoid nodded to show its consent to the suggestion.

"Well, I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to-whaaa!" Louise's agreement to the arrangement was quickly interrupted when Scarron pulled her and Ruukoto by their arms.

"Tres Bien~! Jessica~! Have these two fitted~! Quickly now~!" The creature happily stated before shoving Louise and Ruukoto right at Jessica.

"Wait what?!" My master quickly exclaimed as Jessica took hold of her and Ruukoto's arms.

"You didn't really expect to get a room in the Charming Fairy Inn without paying or working for it did you?" Jessica asked while flashing Louise a predatory grin.

"Right..." Oddly, Louise did not really protest and simply followed the older girl to the changing room. Ruukoto also followed without issue after seeing its mistress agree to the terms given. It was too late for me to realize that what just happened left me alone with the beast itself.

"Now then~! As Jessica said, you either need to pay or work here to be able to stay~! Therefore you, Matilda's beloved, must pay~! Using~! Your~! Body~! Aaaahn~" The creature exclaimed as if flexed to emphasize each word at the end of its statement. I was close, so very close, in Master Sparking it right there. I was glad that I had enough self-restraint to prevent myself from doing so as such action would have likely just given more problems to my master.

"As such I want you to do some~! Heavy~! Lifting~! In~! The~! Back~!" Scarron continued while flexing before ending the series of poses by elaborately pointing towards the kitchen area.

"I'm certain that a strapping man such as yourself would be more than capable of such work, yes~?" It added while giving me a wink I made sure to completely dismiss. I considered the offer for a few moments. I then recalled the last time we were here and remembered that Scarron tended to hover around the patrons and the waitresses. It seemed that it was the way to keep an eye on everything and serve as some sort of horrid deterrent to customers who might think of crossing a metaphorical line the beast established beforehand.

By that logic, if I wanted to keep away from the creature as much as possible, taking it up on its offer would have been wise.

"Indeed. Such work should be of little issue for me." I stated as much. If it was simply moving around heavy objects, then it would have been nothing more than a minor chore for me.

"Tres Bien!" The creature exclaimed before ushering me into the kitchen area. I was quickly put to work moving boxes around that seemed to be too heavy to be carried around by young women...then again, there were young women like Siesta.

Jessica and a few other girls eventually came down with Louise and Ruukoto. My master was once again wearing the light pink skimpy outfit she wore last time while the gynoid was wearing the dark green outfit that Matilda wore. Oddly, it suited it as well. It was probably the hair. Interestingly, Ruukoto was still wearing its visor-like head piece, arm bracers, and boots. I didn't get to speak with either of them as they were quickly ushered by the beast to start serving customers.

Ruukoto met the challenge with its usual stoicism. It was quick and efficient at taking orders and such but it didn't really interact with any of the men it was serving aside from the occasional 'Fuga' that they likely heard. The customers seemed to be rather put off by the treatment at first...until they realized that Ruukoto didn't protest whenever someone tried to cop a feel at her rear end. Scarron made sure it never escalated beyond that though and Ruukoto didn't seem to care either way.

Louise on the other hand was greeted by some of the patrons and were referring to her as the 'Little Fairy Princess'. It seemed that there were people who were here the last time she worked here. Louise was embarrassed by her impromptu title at first but she eventually warmed up to it after it seemed like the patrons were treating her like a little sister, a niece, or even a daughter. In the end, she adapted and used her newfound title to her advantage when it came to interacting with the patrons.

The night wore on with me moving around boxes as directed by Jessica, Scarron, or one of the other girls. Louise and Ruukoto had already gotten into a rhythm at serving the patrons and my master even looked like she was almost having fun. Well, she was until we all heard a very exuberant and overly pleased voice from the entrance.

"Hahaha! What a fantastic establishment this is! My! I seem to have been so taken by the good cheer that I almost thought I saw my dearest rose serving drinks! How silly! Hahaha!" The empty barrels I was lugging around in each hand suddenly creaked under my grip as I heard the unmistakable voice of none other than Julio Cesare.  I set the barrels down and took a look out from the kitchen area.

I saw Louise trying her best to look as inconspicuous as possible and likely hoping that the so called priest would simply go away. Sadly, it was not to be so as Julio quickly took a table before surrounding himself with a few of the girls. He then looked straight at Louise and beckoned her to join them. That was enough to make my master turn away and make a break upstairs to hide. Unfortunately for her, Jessica managed to nab her and drag her to Julio's table.

"He already has enough girls with him! There's no need for me to be there!" I heard Louise exclaim. Ruukoto simply continued to serve the customers without much care for Louise's situation. I was about to step in and confront the boy when I noticed Scarron from the corner of my vision. The beast was looking at Julio's table very closely before it noticed my eyes on it and it winked at me and gave me a thumbs up. As appalled as I was at the gesture, its message was clear. I supposed that there were worse things to trust Louise's well-being to. Besides, Jessica and Ruukoto were there as well and I doubted that Julio would try anything on my master considering her relationship with Princess Henrietta.

Reluctantly, I went back to the kitchen to continue my chores while noting that Julio had pulled Louise close and was apparently whispering something to her. Well, if worse comes to worse, I was sure that Louise had at least one of her wands on her person...somewhere in that skimpy outfit of hers.

I was asked to take some boxes filled with empty bottles out the back door of the inn. Apparently, this was so they would be picked up by someone in the following morning. I wasn't really interested in the ins and outs of how those kinds of things worked so I simply agreed to get it over with. The back entrance of the inn was situated in an alley between it and another building. I set the boxes down on the ground next to the door as instructed and was about to go back inside when I noticed something.

"Did you find anything?"

"Where is the rest of the company?"

"How did this even happen?"

"Just shut up and move to the next area! We have to find her as soon as we can!"

I raised a brow at the commotion going on in the streets. From what I could see from within the alley, it seemed that there were quite a number of armored and armed men running around at a frantic pace. Odd.

I wondered if this was part of whatever plan Henrietta had to deal with the traitor she was talking about. I was considering telling Louise about it when I felt something bump into my back before falling to the ground with a surprised and very feminine 'kya'. I turned to the source of the sudden 'attack' and found the perpetrator on the ground. I couldn't see her face since most of her person was covered with a heavy cloak...a cloak I could have sworn that I've seen before.

"Are you alri-"
"I'm sorry for bumping into-"

Suddenly, that cloak became very familiar to me.

"Mister Yuka?" And indeed, the person who bumped into me revealed herself to be none other than Princess Henrietta de Tristain. The princess gave out a rather uncomfortable laugh after I started scowling at her.

"There is a very good reason for all of this, I assure you." The princess hurriedly stated as she tried to get to her feet. I gave out a sigh and helped her up. She looked like she was about to thank me when we both noticed several heavy footfalls coming closer.

"Get inside. We can talk later." I stated after I saw that she put the hood of her cloak back on. I opened the door that led back into the inn and suddenly felt Henrietta press herself to my side.

"Thank you. Please don't tell Louise Francoise that I am here..." She whispered before looking up at me with pleading eyes and a desperate expression.

"...you alone are the one I need tonight, Mister Yuka. So please...take me somewhere private." Henrietta added as her hand grabbed onto the sleeve of my shirt. I gave out an audible sigh before freeing my arm from her grasp.

"Just get inside." I grumbled before pulling the princess into the inn.

Why can't situations in this realm just be simple and straightforward?

...

[Blackraptor]

...

The sound of the door's iron deadbolt locking into place echoed throughout the otherwise silent room. It was the same room that was provided by Scarron for my personal use the last time we stayed here. Louise and Matilda were provided a different room for apparently obvious reasons, a room I assumed that my master will share with Ruukoto once their work had finished.

The silence that followed punctuated the mood that settled inside the darkened room. I turned from the door and saw Henrietta sitting on the bed, her cloak had been removed and was neatly folded on her lap. She was wearing a white one piece dress and leather shoes. It was a bit of an experience to see her without her usual gown and tiara but the novelty of it wore out rather quickly after I remembered what the current situation was.

"So..." I intoned while folding my arms and leaning back against the door.

"S-so..." The princess responded a bit hesitantly after realizing my current displeasure.

"Can you please help me understand why you were running around the alleyways of a particularly less reputable part of your capital city like a fugitive?" I asked with a raised brow. Henrietta glanced away for a moment before turning back to me and taking a breath.

"And would it have anything to do with the soldiers scouring the streets like men possessed?" I followed up with a dismissive wave before she could speak.

"Ummm...perhaps..." Henrietta responded with a hesitant laugh before wringing her hands and falling silent once more.

"Well? I'm waiting for that very good explanation." I asked expectantly because I honestly wanted to know what in the Hell of Blazing Fires she was planning. The princess took another deep breath before placing her cloak on the bed and rising to her feet.

"You would recall that I mentioned that we were planning an entrapment operation to expose a high ranking traitor inside the country, yes?" Henrietta started, calling back to our little meeting back in the Royal Palace earlier that day. I nodded once in acknowledgement and waited for her to continue.

"In order to incriminate the suspect without question, we needed to catch him in the act of speaking with an Albion agent about high treason." She continued though her words made me raise a brow.

"He? You are certain that this...traitor is male?" I asked and got a nod from her.

"The short list I mentioned only has male officials in it. I apologize but those names are very sensitive and cannot be disclosed to anyone. If the innocent parties somehow discover our suspicions despite their loyalty..." Henrietta explained before trailing off.

"The results would be rather inconvenient for you." I finished the train of thought for her.

"Indeed." She agreed with a wry smile.

"I still don't understand how this involves you being here in relatively casual clothes and specifically asking for my personal assistance." I pointed out while gesturing to her with my hand.

"Ah, yes. The reason why is we needed to be sure that the traitor would meet with the Albion agent without fear, therefore maximizing the chances of him incriminating himself to the crime. Thus I had Agnes and the musketeer squadron report to the Palace Guards that I have gone missing." Henrietta proudly declared her master stroke to me with a confident -almost cocky- smile.

"Wait..." I said as I raised my right hand to her while pinching the bridge of my nose with my left.

"You are telling me that the reason why you were running around in the dark corners of this city is because you fully believed that doing so would make this traitor overconfident and expose himself enough to be captured in the act of committing high treason?" I asked with clarity and a small amount of confusion.

"Of course! Not all who wander are lost, Mister Yuka." The princess declared with full confidence in herself and her planned course of action. I stared at her for a few moments before shaking my head.

"That is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. A fine addition to the long sad history of bad ideas." I stated while looking at Henrietta with an incredulous expression.

"I'm sorry? I don't think I understand..." She asked as her previous confidence started to falter.

"There are too many risks involved. As you previously stated, the whole plan hinged on the premise that this traitor of yours would be bullheaded enough to take your bait. The very same traitor that has thus avoided detection and capture until very recently. In addition, what would you have done had Louise simply decided to return to the academy? Did you have a backup plan in case we left the capital?" I explained before asking for clarification on the most obvious flaws on her plan. She was silent for a few moments but she met my questions with the same kind of confidence she had a short while ago.

"I was confident that Louise Francoise would stay to at least investigate." She stated with certainty. The sheer confidence she exuded made me raise a brow. It reminded me of the complete and absolute confidence and trust my master had for the young woman who was trying to stare me down. Interesting.

"And if Louise had chosen a different place to stay? Somewhere at a completely different point in your city? Do you think you would have found us in time to execute your plan? Even our meeting earlier was purely by chance." I asked before pointing out that we only met because she literally bumped into me. Had I not been distracted by the commotion made by those soldiers then I would have simply gone back inside the Inn without much fuss. Doing so would have completely averted our meeting in the first place.

"I am confident that I would have found you regardless." Henrietta responded with a smile that made me frown.

"How can you be so sure?" I voiced my skepticism on the matter while folding my arms and leaning back.

"Fate." The princess of Tristain stated clearly as if it was one of the simple truths of the Universe.

"...fate?" I repeated in a more questioning manner. I was not unfamiliar with the concept, that things were predetermined to happen in a certain way. It was Remilia's specialty after all.

"I was confident that Justice was fated to be served. I was certain that I would meet you and be able to bring our plan to fruition. I have faith that it was destiny which dictated that my closest childhood friend is the inheritor to our Founder's magic as well as one of his legendary familiars." Henrietta elaborated while placing both of her hands on her chest and closing her eyes. I gave out a thoughtful hum before rubbing my chin with my left hand.

"You place a lot of faith in an unsubstantiated truth." I pointed out while gesturing towards her with my other hand. To my surprise, instead of being offended by my words, the princess actually let out a good natured giggle of all things.

"I do not believe that my faith is misplaced." Henrietta stated with a good natured smile. In fact, her expression was so sincere that it actually unnerved me a bit. She took a breath after I did not give and response and continued.

"The summoning of a powerful human familiar..." She stated while giving me a warm smile. I scoffed at her words. A 'human' familiar indeed. Heedless of my reaction, the princess continued.

"The retrieval of the Staff of Destruction and the subsequent vanquishment of Fouqet the Crumbling Dirt." The princess pointed out before sitting down on the hard mattress of the bed in the room.

"The exposure and subsequent incarceration of a corrupt tax collector." She then mentioned the time when we first ended up in the Charming Fairy Inn.

"The infiltration of a foreign country under the control of madman, the rescue and successful extraction of an exiled prince, and the elimination of a villainous traitor." She then decided to remind me of the headache we went through when she asked us to go to Albion to retrieve some letter from her secret lover, Prince Wales Tudor. A retrieval mission that ended up as a rescue mission after the late Viscount Wardes decided to switch sides and attempted to kill the prince and Louise after she stepped forward to defend him.

"The revelation that the power of our Founder was still among us to this very day." As well as the little slip of the tongue that revealed Louise to be a Void Magician.

"The rediscovery and acquisition of the service of a local legendary deity revered by an otherwise nondescript village." And of course, the time when we stumbled on Ruukoto's hangar because of a treasure map from Kirche of all people. I didn't even know where and how exactly she got it aside from her saying it was from 'an acquaintance of the family'.

"The defense of village under threat of total destruction by an armada and a monster intent on invading our country." And she added the battle at Tarbes as the metaphorical cherry on top. And then, just as quickly as it appeared, the naive looking smile on her face vanished and all I saw was a young woman that had nothing but confidence and certainty.

"Tell me Yuka Kazami, do you really think that a regular student of the Tristain Magic Academy can have such accomplishments?" Henrietta asked her rhetorical question. Obviously, going by the examples of the average student at the academy, it was rather certain that nearly all of them would have not been able to do what Louise has done. The most likely person who would be capable of such was Tabitha and she wasn't exactly normal for a girl her age. Kirche 'might' have with enough discipline and training but that would have still be quite a stretch.

"I firmly believe that Louise Francoise is destined for great things. I am confident that if there was anyone who I can truly rely on above all else, it would be Louise Francoise and those who follow her." Henrietta said with a renewed confident smile. Everything she has stated was indeed correct. After our initial encounter with Matilda while she was still after the Staff of Destruction, I had personally made sure that Louise would eventually become capable of handling herself in most, if not all, hostile situations.

"Point made." I conceded with a sigh which made the princess smile even brighter. I then shook my head at the rather obvious proof that Henrietta had about as much faith in Louise as my master did in her.

Believe in she who believes in you.

They were about as bad as that Kochiya girl's faith in Kanako.

"Can I count on your assistance in this matter then?" She asked, her expression full of hope and confidence after I went silent for a moment.

"Tell me one thing. What would you really have done if for some reason you were never able to find me or I refused to help you in this situation?" I responded with a question of my own. It was more of a curiosity on my part to know if Henrietta even had the sense to prepare a contingency plan just in case. The princess blinked at my question a few times before giving out a nervous laugh.

"I'm certain that Agnes and I would have been able to improvise something..." Henrietta stated with far less confidence than before.

"And are you actually sure that this traitor would really reveal himself using this ruse you created?" I followed up after it was clear that this whole mess hinged on my apparent cooperation from that point on.

"You underestimate how frivolous some nobles can be, Mister Yuka." Henrietta sheepishly admitted before giving out another rather demure giggle.

"'Some' indeed..." I muttered under my breath. Due to our relative proximity and the general silence of the room, I was sure that she still would have heard me but gave no indication of it. I considered my options while giving out a thoughtful hum...who was I kidding?

"I liked this sort of thing better back when it was a Shrine Maiden's problem and not mine." I followed up before pinching the bridge of my nose once more.

"Alright, I'll lend you my strength this one time." I finally stated after another moment of silence. The seemingly adventurous princess gave out a genuine smile of relief and gratitude before taking a step forward with her hands clutched close to her chest. I held up my right hand to interrupt her when I noticed that she was about it speak, my expression far less happy than hers was.

"Make no mistake Henrietta de Tristain, I am not willingly going along with this idiocy for your sake much less your country's." I clearly said before putting my hand back down. Henrietta's smile faltered but I cared little for it and continued.

"I am doing this for the girl who thought herself worthless yet still persevered. I am doing this for the girl who somehow summoned an old monster who used to think that humans were as insignificant as ants underfoot." I said while looking right into the young woman's eyes. Her expression shifted to one of surprise when I started twisting her earlier words.

"I am doing this for the girl who managed to recover a stolen artifact and defeated the one who stole it, albeit with close assistance. I am doing this for the girl who willingly swallowed her pride as a noble and worked as a commoner. All in order to find and smoke out a pitiful example of her social class who couldn't even do his job properly." I proceeded while taking a step forward toward the princess. Most others would have instinctively taken a step back but I was slightly surprised when Henrietta held her ground. Obviously, I made sure not to let my surprise show.

"I am doing this for the girl who saved a prince. I am doing this for the girl who helped protect a village and subsequently helped prevent this country from being invaded." Not missing a beat, I continued to turn her previous statements against her before taking another step forward.

"I am doing this for the sake of a girl who never had to do any of those things yet did so anyway to the best of her abilities. I am doing this for the girl who once had the foolish idea that she could deal with everything on her own, shouldering every problem she comes across by herself. It took quite a bit of effort to let her realize that she didn't have to. That she had those who she could rely on during those times. That she was still only human." I said with a thoughtful expression as I recalled those moments where I was reminded how very human Louise was. I suddenly noticed that my voice became softer as I recounted those moments and quickly shook my head before narrowing my eyes at Henrietta once more.

"Remove all delusions you may have about my master, Princess of Tristain. Louise is not a convenient existence, someone who you can simply shove your problems onto and expect results. My master is not a hero." I said in a way that left no room for argument. A statement of fact and was neither a suggestion nor opinion. I then found that I had once again underestimated the human before me. Instead of backing down and letting me have the final word in our little argument, Henrietta saw it fit to return my steely gaze before responding.

"She is a Void mage, inheritor and direct descendant to our Founder Brimir's power." She declared like it was a decree or something, as if that was the perfect answer to everything.

"Irrelevant. The origin of her magic has no bearing on what kind of life she should lead." I flippantly dismissed her words with a sneer and a wave of my right hand.

"Why are you so opposed to Louise achieving greater things through her deeds and power?" Henrietta asked a frown and an edge in her voice as she folded her arms under her chest.

"I am not opposed to such things for her so long as they are things that she actively sought after, something she actually really wanted for herself. Certainly not because of something inherited from a man long dead or the will of a whimsical princess." I countered while folding my arms across my own chest while mirroring her expression. We simply stood there for a few moments frowning at each other until the princess' expression softened before giving out a sigh.

"I am starting to get the odd feeling that you seem to dislike me, Mister Yuka." She mused while slowly shaking her head, her expression turning into one of melancholy and weariness.

"Only because interacting with you in any capacity seem to bring nothing but inconveniences for my master." I pointed out while shrugging my shoulders. Henrietta fidgeted a bit before taking a breath and once again looking right into my eyes.

"I apologize if that is what your perception towards me is like. However, I would like to believe that I am merely helping my old friend along in order to realize her destiny." The princess reasoned out while squaring her shoulders at me, clearly still not backing down.

"Destiny is nothing more than an excuse made up by those who are too afraid to accept the fact that their actions have consequences. Everyone is responsible for their own actions no matter how insignificant they may seem. Fate can be manipulated. Even destiny can be outright overcome with great effort." I stated with thinly disguised contempt for that line of argument. After all, if everything one does in life is dictated by fate or destiny, there would be no need for beings like Shikieiki to judge the dead based on what they did during their lives.

"A valid point, however...I..." Henrietta's counter-point suddenly came to a crashing halt when she shook her head before placing her right hand on her forehead.

"Is something wrong?" I asked even though it was already rather obvious that the princess was having some sort of headache.

"I...apologize. It would seem that recent events have finally taken its toll on me." I raised a brow when I saw the young woman take a seat on the bed and started massaging her forehead with her hands. The way she looked terribly frail at the moment made me wonder about a few things about this whole situation. I gave out a sigh before walking over and taking a seat right next to her on the bed.

"You've been wandering around since we left the palace?" I asked while staring at a nondescript part of the wall in front of me.

"I started getting ready as soon as you all left the room but we've been preparing for this moment for days now. I can barely even remember the last time I've slept soundly since the battle at Tarbes ended. This is our best chance to catch this traitor in the act. We may not have another opportunity to do so, it has to be tonight." She responded. I gave her a sideward glance and saw her weakly smile at me.

"I truly need your help, Mister Yuka. So please..." Henrietta repeated her earlier plea. I let out an audible sigh and stood up before facing the princess.

"Stop your groveling, Henrietta. Louise would be beside herself if she ever saw you in that state." I stated with a raised brow. Henrietta blinked at me a few times before giving me a soft smile.

"That is the reason why I did not want Louise Francoise to know about this until it was done." She sheepishly pointed out.

"In any case, I already said that I would aid you in this matter. That said, how I do exactly play into this whole thing anyway?" I asked. Since she managed to goad me into helping I decided that I might as well do what I can to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"Thank you, Mister Yuka. I need you as my personal guard to escort me to the Theater in this district." She quickly explained as her complexion started looking better.

"The...Theater?" I repeated as her words as I remembered that Scarron had set up some sort of play that he and the rest of the girls at the inn will perform.

"Indeed. A local troupe will be performing there later on tonight and our sources indicate that the traitor and his contact with Albion will use that play as a meeting point." The princess responded with a determined nod before elaborating.

"And you need me to get you to that Theater." I stated, following her train of thought.

"Correct. As you already know, the city guards are on high alert trying to scour the city in order to try to look for me." Henrietta said with a nod. What she said made me give out a thoughtful hum though.

"They don't believe that whoever took you could have already left the city?" I asked with a raised brow. I would have assumed that there would have been search parties all over the nearby countryside by now. In response, Henrietta gave me a sly smile.

"That is part of our gambit and why my Musketeer Squadron is not by my side. I had them posted at all the entrances to the city and report that they were able to secure all routes to the outside soon after I was reported missing." She explained while nodding to herself.

"Which means that everyone thinks that you're still inside the city walls." I continued with a nod. I was mildly impressed. It seemed that Henrietta really did think this plan through.

"I am admittedly not familiar with the streets of this city. Do you know the way to the Theater from here?" I pointed out with a bit of a grimace.

"If it is from walking around the main streets, then yes. Unfortunately, I did not have time to competently memorize all the back alley routes in my city." Henrietta added with a wince and a shake of her head.

"That is a problem then as I would assume that all the guards know what you look like. Will you be using your cloak for this then?" I pointed out before asking as I pointed at the folded up cloak she used earlier.

"No, it would be too suspicious if I were to use it out in the streets. Are there any other clothes that I can use?" She responded with a shake of her head before posing her question.

"Wait here." I instructed before stepping out and closing the door. I was rather thankful that it was busy downstairs and no one conveniently decided to go upstairs or try to look for me. I slipped into Louise's room and rummaged around for anything Henrietta could possibly use.

I had considered having her use Ruukoto's outfit but decided against it as I wasn't sure if the gynoid had anything integrated to its maid uniform that might end up harming anyone else trying to use it. I checked the cabinets and chests inside the room but didn't find anything she could use...except Louise's own uniform.

Somewhere at the back of my mind, I just knew my subconscious was screaming at me at how stupid this idea was.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"How in the blazing fires is this working?" I hissed out at the sheer absurdity of the current situation. Henrietta had eventually decided to wear Louise's uniform instead of her own dress but had the sense to use her own shoes.

However, due to the difference in their body types, the only articles of clothing that fit were the white shirt and the black skirt. Even then, I use the term 'fit' loosely in this case as my master's clothing highlighted just how developed the Princess' body was compared to Louise's. The skirt was large enough to fit around her waist, true. However, since Henrietta was taller than Louise, it barely managed to cover up her modesty and thus ended up exposing a generous view of her legs.

In addition, since Louise's shirt was meant to be used by one of my master's slender body type, the poor article of clothing was only barely able to hold in Henrietta's chest. In fact, the shirt was so small for her that she was only able to button it up halfway before her chest made it physically impossible to secure the rest. The entire ensemble made for quite the scandalous look considering she was the princess of that country. Strangely, and rather infuriatingly on my part, Henrietta seemed to have a rather competent grasp of the human male psyche.

Because even though her face was open for all to see, every male we passed as we walked by were looking at her entire body 'except' her face.

Men...

"Hm?" I made an inquiring hum when I noticed that Henrietta had latched herself onto my arm instead of simply walking close to my side. I quickly found out why when I noticed a group of guards in our path questioning a couple. I was considering ducking into an alleyway or into a nearby building when I suddenly noted a very warm softness pressing harder against my arm. I turned to Henrietta and saw that she had most of her face buried behind my shoulder while placing my arm between her breasts.

It was both a rather daring and a clever move from the young woman. The action made her face obscure enough to be nearly unnoticeable thanks to the darkness and the placement of my arm accentuated her chest even further. The effectiveness was proven as the group of guards gave the two of us only the briefest of glances before focusing solely on Henrietta's state of dress.

"Gentlemen, is something wrong?" I asked the three armed men as the two of us came up to them. Since they were situated in the middle of the walkway, there wasn't any way for us to pass by without rousing suspicion. Hopefully, Henrietta's...distractions would be enough to deter any invasive inquiries. As if sensing my intent, the princess pushed herself harder against my arm. The effect seemed sound if the muffled gasp from one of the guards was to be believed.

"N-no...move along..." The apparent lead guard muttered before turning to the others.

"Move out to the next area! Go!" He roared out before leading his men to another part of the city. I made sure that they were out of sight before turning back to the direction we were walking toward to proceed. That was the plan anyway until I noticed Henrietta leaning rather heavily on me, more than she was a moment ago.

"What is it?" I asked and saw that the princess had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily.

"I've...rarely been that scared..." She admitted with a shaky smile and an equally shaky voice. I raised a brow at her sudden demeanor and she shook her head in response.

"They were so very close...and the way they were looking at me." She admitted while slightly trembling against my arm.

"This was your plan of action for this situation was it not?" I reminded her when she stubbornly insisted that walking out in the open street in that kind of attire was a smart idea.

"It still doesn't change how terrifying it really was." She reasoned out with a bitter chuckle.

"Indeed. Let's get this over with as quickly as possible then before anyone else starts leering at your body." I said with a shrug of my shoulders before once again leading Henrietta down the path she said would take us to the theater.

...

[Blackraptor]

...

"Did you have problems arriving at the rendezvous point, your highness?" A green haired female knight in civilian clothing I couldn't really be bothered to identify personally greeted us after we arrived at what I presumed was somewhere at the back of the theater. Though it was interesting that the knight did not even flinch or question her liege's state of attire after we arrived. I shrugged the thought off as something they may have prepared or planned for as I didn't really have any interest with the fine details of how Henrietta was supposed to pull her little plan off.

"There few obstacles thanks to one Yuka Kazami." The princess stated with a small hint of pride while gesturing to me with a small wink. The knight eyed me for a moment before giving me what I assumed was a salute.

"On behalf of the Royal Musketeer Squadron, you have our thanks for keeping the princess safe Master Yuka Kazami." The woman said with a small smile and a bow. I huffed at her and shook my head before shrugging.

"Such gestures are unnecessary. Your princess was doing fine before she ran into me. In fact, I believe that she would have been able to find her way here on her own eventually even without my assistance." I said with a dismissive wave. It was true though. It was no simple feat for an apparently sheltered princess like Henrietta to evade detection and capture by guards who are trained to know every inch of their city in order to keep it secure, to say nothing of whoever else might have gotten their hands on her.

"Even so, it gives us great relief to know that she had a competent bodyguard by her side." She responded with a curt nod.

"Indeed. Do not sell your deed short, Mister Yuka. I would not have been able to make it here with time to spare if not for you. If I had tried to get here on my own, the chance to catch the traitor would have long passed by the time I would have arrived." Henrietta added a valid, and likely intended, point. I then decided that further argument on whether or not what I did was of any actual significance would only needlessly grate on my patience.

"Fine, believe what you wish. I don't think I'll be able to change either of your minds in the matter so shall we simply proceed with your ploy and get whole thing over with?" I gave them their little victory in favor of moving things forward.

"Agreed. Preparations are nearly complete, please follow me inside." The knight stated before opening the door behind her for Henrietta and myself. We entered the building and into a dimly lit corridor before being led into a seemingly innocuous room. Seemingly being the working term since it was filled with other women, presumably more members of Agnes' command. The women proceeded to confirm my guess when they all suddenly snapped at attention and collectively gave Henrietta a crisp salute.

"Well met my knights. Is everyone ready Helga?" Henrietta greeted the women before giving out an inquiry by name to one of them. A familiar blue haired woman stepped forward to answer, Dame Helgarose from the palace earlier.

"The Captain is in place. A change of clothing has been prepared for you just in case. We are as ready as we will ever be." The blue haired knight responded. Henrietta nodded approvingly before turning to me.

"I thank you for bringing me here to my knights, Mister Yuka. You may not think of your actions as anything significant but know that no one else I trust would have been able to accomplish what you did this night." The princess told me with a brilliant and sincere smile that would have likely made my master swoon if she saw it. A moment after though, Helgarose walked up and placed herself between Henrietta and myself.

"Thank you for your hard work. I will escort you to the backstage of the theater. I am informed that you are acquainted with the group that will be performing so you should be able to go there without raising too much suspicion." The knight said with no small sense of gratitude and respect. However, the way she said it...

"So quick to get rid of me after I have done my part in your little plan? You wound me, Dame Helgarose." I said with a hurt expression while my voice rang mock sadness. I had expected the woman to be slow on the uptake for such jests due to her rather strict behavior so it was simply too much of a temptation to pass up teasing her a bit. They had their small victory earlier, I had the right to mine.

"N-n-no! Her highness needs to change her attire into something more suited for her. We cannot allow anyone to view her highness in such a state. Obviously, we cannot allow any man to see her while she dresses so..." Helgarose quickly justified her previous words in way that was amusingly close to embarrassment. I noted that she had enough self control to make her blush only barely noticeable to the naked eye. Fun had, I gave the woman a smile and a dismissive wave.

"I was only joking dear knight. I'll be in the backstage if anyone needs me. Good luck in whatever masterstroke you have planned for the evening. I look forward to the amusement it might bring me." I said as a giveaway before leaving the room and heading left, not even waiting for Helgarose to escort me in consideration that I had a good chuckle at her expense. Why left you ask? Well, as Reimu used to say: "When in doubt, head left."

My choice was proven correct when I saw the familiar sight of the girls of the Charming Fairy Inn in various costumes milling about and preparing props and set pieces for their performance. I briefly wondered if they even realized that their little play was going to be used for a real drama starring a real princess. The girls didn't really pay me much mind aside from the casual smiles and greetings. I supposed that they were far too involved in their preparations for them to be concerned as to what I was doing here. I dared a peek to the other side of the curtain to see the audience that came to see the play and to see where Henrietta and her knights placed themselves. I was barely able to pick out a few of them in the crowd when a rather familiar and welcomed voice made itself known.

"Yuka!" Louise's yell pierced through the background noise of various other activities around me like one of Sakuya's knives piercing the hindquarters of a certain sleepy gate guard. My master stomped towards me with a scowl on her face and an impassive gynoid following close behind. I also noted that they were both still wearing their waitress outfits from the Inn.

"Hello Louise. Here to watch the play as well?" I casually asked with a measure of nonchalance.

"I am so not in the mood right now. Where is the princess?" My master hissed at me while placing her hands on her hips in, what I came to realize, a pose she copied from her older sister Eleanore.

"And how would you know about something like that?" I asked her with a raised brow. From what Henrietta told me, she didn't want Louise to be involved with this particular operation so it was a bit of a wonder where she got that information.

"Julio told me that there was something going on in the city before he left the inn. Then you disappear without even telling me and I suddenly saw Agnes following someone while Ruukoto and I went out to look for you. She told me that you were to be the bodyguard of the princess for some secret mission but she wouldn't tell me more than that other than she needed to get to the theater." My master explained before pulling me by my plaid vest...which ended up with her pulling herself up off the ground instead of pulling me down to her. Louise's glare allowed me only a moment to note the surprising improvement of her upper body strength. Another product of her training I suppose.

"Now what in the Founder's name is going on?!" Louise growled at me. I looked between her and Ruukoto in turn, the gynoid merely giving me a small shrug in response to my look. I was about to respond when I was once more interrupted before I could speak.

"Aaaahhn~! Magnifique~! What luck for the two of you to be here in our time of need~" Scarron called out to us from the other end of the stage. We turned to it and saw that the creature was once more wearing that horrid pink princess costume and wig. It was such a jarring sight that I nearly did not notice Jessica standing beside the beast in her own costume.

"What are you talk--" Louise's inquiry was cut short when several of the girls from the Inn suddenly surrounded us without warning.

"Excellent~! No go my fairies~! Transform these two into suitable actors for our production~" Scarron declared with an overly flamboyant wave of its arms.

"Oui mi Mademoiselle~!" The girls all said in unison in a manner that would have likely made Henrietta's Musketeer Squardon proud before latching onto my master and me and dragging us off to the dressing rooms.

"What?! Hey! I didn't agree to this! Release me! I command you!" Louise defiantly yelled out as she was lifted up and carried away. The girls gleefully ignored her words and proceeded to the women's dressing room with a collective smile on their faces. Ruukoto followed Louise at a much more sedate pace but didn't seem inclined to rescue its master from the other girls. I looked at the girls who were surrounding me and saw that they were all giving me expectant smiles.

"Be gentle?" I said with a wry smile. The girls' smiles widened with more than one sporting a blush. I sighed and wondered what kind of ridiculous costume they were going to make me wear as I was dragged into a changing room next to the one Louise was using.

...

"Well, that wasn't so bad..." I idly mused while standing on the stage with my master as we waited for the curtain to be drawn. It was amusing to discover that my usual attire was so 'plain' that I didn't really need to change much to be able to convincingly play my intended part. All I really needed was a straw hat. The hat provided to me was not my own but it was comfortable enough to be worn without issue. Said part was that of a local farmer and father of Louise's character, a shepherd girl.

Speaking of Louise, she was standing a little over two feet away from me and was wearing a full brown on white shepherd girl outfit, including the headdress. She was even holding a wooden shepherd staff in her right hand which was taller than she was. You must also be wondering about that space between us. Well, the reason why we were standing a few feet apart is because there was something placed in between. It was a finely crafted life sized sheep prop complete with a full coat of wool. It was very well made and rather lifelike in appearance.

Louise proceeded to name it 'Vera'. Arbitrarily.

"You never answered my question." Louise suddenly said after a few moments. The rest of the people involved in the play were all either back stage or too far away to hear. In fact, the closest person to us at that time was Ruukoto and it was at the edge of stage left which would have very nearly made her visible to the audience.

"Remember when Henrietta mentioned that she was planning on catching a traitor within the royal court?" I asked her, referring of course to a part of the discussion we had at the palace. Louise nodded in response after a moment of consideration.

"Well, to keep things simple for you, she basically took a very large gamble to be able to know definitively who the traitor was. I just happened to be involved in said gamble." I explained the gist of the whole situation with a shrug.

"I don't understand why the princess needed to do all that just for information. Was all this really necessary?" Louise asked with a weary sigh. Obviously she was worried about her old friend and princess, especially since she wasn't involved with Henrietta's plan.

"There is a very famous saying from the Outside a long time ago when it came to understanding such motivations." I mused out loud when the odd thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"What saying?" Louise inquired with a raised brow.

"Knowing is half the battle." I stated with my eyes closed and nodding sagely to myself. My master gave out a hum while moving the cane she was holding from one hand to the other.

"And what's the other half?" She asked.

"Violence." I said with a smirk and chuckled a bit when Louise rolled her eyes at me. Further discussion was interrupted when we heard someone speak from the other side of the curtain which was followed by applause before the curtain finally opened.

Since Scarron merely dragged Louise and I to the dressing rooms without any other prompt or explanation, we weren't really provided any lines to say during the play. That wasn't really important apparently since all we literally had to do was stand around and take up space on the left side of the stage. Louise was oddly silent throughout the whole thing and looked rather uncomfortable for some reason. Whether it was because of her own shyness in front of strangers or the possible embarrassment of being seen in commoner's clothing, I didn't really know at the time.

Instead, I decided to scan the audience to try to find Henrietta and whoever else I could. It wasn't really that hard to find the princess since I quickly spotted a rather familiar hooded figure seated in the middle of the audience. It was rather odd that no one called her out on her flimsy and quite honestly very suspicious disguise...least of all the two gentlemen who were seated directly in front of her. It was really very silly since, even at this distance, I could tell that those two men were up to something.

"I have heard more than enough Minister Richmon!" Henrietta suddenly yelled out before standing up from her seat and discarding her hood. Louise then proceeded to openly gawk at her princess' actions, and expression mirrored by the two men Henrietta was currently glaring at.

"Princess Henrietta! How?! Weren't you abducted?! You were reported missing by those commoner women you knighted!" One of the men, Richmon I supposed, exclaimed before he and the other man stood as well. The princess of Tristain then gave them a confident smile before dismissing his claim with a wave of her hand.

"The reports of my abduction were greatly exaggerated." Henrietta responded in a tone that almost sounded like she was joking.

"It is time for you to face justice, Minister Richmon." Her voice suddenly turned frigid. I had to blink at the sudden change in her attitude since even her expression turned dead cold while staring right at the man in question.

"You are a fool, Henrietta de Tristain! The current state of our country is because of you! Our fleet was dismembered by the Albion Armada! Our country was almost invaded! If we had adequate time and preparation, we could have saved our men!" Richmon suddenly yelled out indignantly at Henrietta in addition to pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Regardless, you have been found guilty of consorting with an Albion agent. As the crown princess of the kingdom of Tristain, I hereby place you under arrest under the charge of high treason." Henrietta responded with the same impassive expression and cold voice. On that apparent cue, several members of the audience who were seated beside and behind Henrietta stood before discarding their disguises in a single motion to reveal the women of the Musketeer Squadron that I saw earlier...with each and every one of them fully equipped with their armor and armed with swords. I was wondering how all of them were able to hide that from the rest of the people in the audience when Richmon started laughing.

"Always ignoring the voices of other nobility in favor of commoners! Bah! This is why the current monarchy is not suitable to lead us! Through the united power of the nobility under Reconquista, we shall restore Tristain to the glory it deserves!" The man ranted before the members of the audience who were seated at his side and in front of him stood to reveal several men armed with their own swords.

"Protect her highness!" One of the knights suddenly yelled out before the whole thing turned into a massive indoor fight between the two sides.

"This is just ridiculous..." I muttered while rubbing my forehead with my right hand. The whole situation was just absurd. How in blazes did either side not know about each others' presence if they had that many people with them? The two sides took up more than two-thirds of the total number of people in the audience! I glanced to my side and saw that Louise had already pulled out her main wand and was taking aim at the general direction of the fighting but had a look of frustration on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a raised brow. Louise's frown deepened as she shifted her aim again and again without actually casting any of her broken spells.

"Everyone is in the way! I can't get a clear shot without risking one of the knights!" Louise explained with gritted teeth before glaring at me.

"And why aren't you helping?!" My master suddenly yelled at me. Odd that she didn't ask the same question to Ruukoto who was still hadn't moved from its spot just off the stage. I merely shrugged before glancing back at the fight and had to suppress a sigh when I saw Henrietta standing around in the middle of it all. The princess wasn't even doing anything despite her earlier words. She was just...there. No one was even paying any mind to the young woman.

"This really isn't my fight." I honestly said, much to the obvious displeasure of my master.

"Henrietta has her knights. If they are as competent as they seem, then they should be more than capable of handling things here." I reasoned while gesturing to the female knights who were still locked in combat with their foes but there slowly starting to seize the advantage.

"Prepare yourself Henrietta de Tristain!" One of the enemy soldiers suddenly yelled out before going into a breaking run right at the princess with his sword at the ready for an overhand strike.

"Yuka! Do something!" Louise suddenly yelled out at me.

"She could just move away from him..." I commented while looking at Louise with a raised brow.

"Yuka!" My master yelled again and I sighed as the man was only a few feet away from Henrietta, who 'still' hadn't made any effort to move away from the obvious threat. I sighed again before my gaze settled upon our other companion. In a flash of inspiration, I decided to put our new friend to good use.

"Fly true little one." I softly stated before lifting up the prop sheep and throwing it at the man who was about to kill Henrietta.

In one glorious visceral moment, the diminutive sheep my master named Vera saved the life of the princess of Tristain.

"Well done, little one." I sad while nodding in approval at the result of our action. I then had to blink when I abruptly felt Louise's magic spike a massive amount before she crouched while sporting a 'very' upset expression.

"Oh! That! Is! It! Raaaagh!" My master roared before leaping off the stage and right into the middle of the frenzy. It appeared that the sudden and direct attempt at Henrietta's life smashed any remaining form of hesitation Louise may have had in engaging the enemy in such close quarters with several allies in the immediate vicinity. Thankfully, I could still keep track of my master thanks to her rather vibrant hair color.

"Fuga Fuga?" Ruukoto asked after walking up to my side. It was asking if we should be worried considering my master's rash actions and the fact that there were several pointy metal objects swinging around everywhere.

"I don't really think so. Henrietta's knights seem more than capable of routing Richmond's men if given a bit more time and besides..." I responded while gesturing to the fight that was still going on. Due to the height of the stage, we had a perfect view of everyone who was fighting. Included of course was Louise who was making her way towards the-still-standing-around Henrietta. Louise bobbed and weaved through the crowd, avoiding friend and foe alike. One of the men tried to strike her down with a swing of his sword but Louise easily managed to side-step it before pointing her wand right at the man's chest point blank and...

"Zero!" ...sent the man flying to the other end of the room, surprisingly missing everyone else along the way.

"...it is a good opportunity for Louise to apply her hard work while protecting her beloved princess." I continued while gesturing to Louise who deftly proved my point. She then proceeded to meet up with Henrietta and they started to exchange a few words before Louise's attention was taken by three more enemy swordsmen trying to take down the princess.

Louise responded by placing herself between the men and her princess before rushing to intercept the men. My master ducked under one horizontal slash from the first man before stepping past him to poke her wand at the next man's chest and...

"Zero!" Blowing him right into the third one before reaching into her clothes with her left hand and pulling out her spare wand. She then spun around and dodged another sword swing from the first one before poking his midsection with her spare wand.

"Zero!" Louise four, nameless goons zero. I nodded in approval at how well my master handled herself despite facing multiple foes. Rather comically incompetent foes, but still...

"Hm?" I raised a brow when I noticed that man who Richmon was speaking to earlier was trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He slinked through the fighting before disappearing through one of the side passages.

"Take care of that, would you? I'll try to see if I can expedite the end of the fight." I said to the gynoid while pointing to where that other man, the Albion Agent I assumed, ran to.

"Fuga." Ruukoto nodded before jogging after the fleeing man. I highly doubted that he would be able to outrun or hide from the gynoid so I decided to turn my attention to other matters. I looked around and saw some suitable targets. I hopped off the stage before casually walking up to where two men were trying to overwhelm Helgarose in combat. I approached the two men from behind before grabbing them both by the back of their necks.

"Shoo." I said before tossing both men aside and right into a pile of chairs. I turned to Helgarose and saw the woman looking at me with a wary expression.

"Was all of this really necessary?" I asked the knight while looking around at the fights that were still going. The Musketeer Squadron was obviously winning but it was slow going.

"I admit that we did not expect Richmon to have the audacity to try something like this. We were originally brought along simply to make sure he does not escape but--" The knight's explanation was interrupted when she suddenly stepped past me to block an oncoming sword strike aimed at my head.

"Cowardice!" The blue-haired woman yelled before parrying the strike and driving her sword into the man's chest and ending his life.

"That wasn't really needed you know." I pointed out just as Helgarose turned back to me. She gave me a slight frown before shaking her head.

"The honor of a knight." She said simply before taking in the current situation.

"The others should be able to take care of the rest. We should go and end this by apprehending the traitor and his contact." The knight stated while looking around for what I assume would be the aforementioned targets.

"The Albion agent has already left the immediate area a few moments ago." I pointed out, making Helgarose face me with an expression that showed fear and anger. I held up a hand before she could respond to prevent any unnecessary outbursts.

"I already sent Ruukoto to subdue that man so that's already covered. At this point, all we need to do now would be to catch that Richmon character and mop up what's left of his men." I explained which seemed to have calmed the knight down significantly.

"Yuka! The stage!" Sadly, that calm was painfully short lived as my master's voice rang out in alarm. Everyone who heard turned to the stage to see the man in question leaping on the stage before moving to the center of it.

"This is not over!" He said in order to get the last word in before tapping the floor with the tip of his cane. The action made a hidden trap door open at his feet, sending him falling with a smug smile on his face.

Not bad. Not bad at all. He might have been overconfident in this particular situation, but he showed just why he was able to be successful as a traitor despite apparently being such an important member of Henrietta's court all the while evading suspicion and persecution for so long.

"Yuka! Get him!" Louise yelled out to me while dodging the slow and ineffectual attacks of Richmon's remaining men.

Actually, Louise at the time was acting as a distraction to give Henrietta's knights time to recover and attack. She would get their attention by simply being a target or by blowing one of them across the room. She then proceeded to completely evade everything they threw at her, giving the knights ample time to pick them off at leisure. Considering what she has already been though, this much is to be expected from Louise at that point.

"The things I do for that girl..." I mused out loud with a wry smile before jogging up to the stage and looking down the trap door Richmon dropped down into. It looked to be a sheer drop down a dark shaft that led to who-knows-where. I can't even begin to imagine what that man thought to be able to set something up like this in a theater of all placed. Then again, it wasn't really any of my business. With that in mind, I hopped down into the darkness. I dropped straight down for around five seconds before I noticed a bright red glow coming from the bottom of the shaft. Fire? Was Richmon fighting something?

"Hm!" I grunted as I landed on the ground with a crouch to more or less absorb the impact. I idly noted that I seemed to have ended up in some sort of underground tunnel network.

"These fangs have waited years to be bared at the ones responsible for the injustices done against us." I immediately turned around after hearing Agnes' voice. She was standing in front of Richmon in a lunge while holding her sword. Her armor looked badly damaged though and parts of it that covered her upper body seemed to have been burned off. That answered what that red glow I saw earlier was.

Obviously, considering their relative distance to each other and the way their bodies were positioned, Agnes seemed to have run right through some form of fire attack and stabbed the man in the chest with her sword. Impressive feat for a regular human.

"Know this, Richmon. The last daughter of D'Angleterre has finally taken her first step towards justice." Agnes continued. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about at the time so I merely remained quiet since this seemed important. Going by the way Richmon's expression turned into that of horror, it seemed that the old man did though.

"Do yourself a favor before you die and tell me who the captain of the unit that burned down my village was?" Agnes continued with barely contained rage before slightly shifting her arms which made Richmon groan out in pain.

"You are a fool...if you want to know the truth then find it for yourself inside the secret archives under the Tristain Magic Academy. You'll get no answers from me. Search them out yourself and see if your precious truth...is...worth...it." Richmon managed to say before finally dying. I briefly wondered how he was able to speak so coherently for so long while having a sword running through his chest when Agnes suddenly let out her own groan before dropping to a knee.

I walked up to her in order to check if the was still alive, making sure to file away their conversation for later consideration. I then noticed that her leather armor was non-existent now as well as her cape. Her upper body was down to a cloth undershirt that was already partially burned away, revealing large burn marks on her back and left shoulder. The only reason why the article of clothing was even on anymore was due to the right side of her shirt was still relatively intact. I assumed that she charged at Richmon's attack left shoulder first with the full intention of plunging her sword into his body.

"Those scars don't seem new." I idly commented while helping the knight captain to her feet when I noticed some older scars on various parts of her back that were exposed. I looked in her eyes and saw nothing but cold hatred as she continued to stare at the corpse at her feet.

"Our scars have the unique power to remind us that the past was real." She said simply before tearing her eyes away from her dead target in order to glare at me.

"You were supposed to stay with the princess to ensure her safety." She pointed out in a lecturing tone. I simply gave her a shrug of my shoulders before answering.

"Henrietta has more than adequate protection at this point. Your subordinates had full control of the situation and Louise ensured that no one could even get near your princess if they tried. Though, I was amused at that man's words when he tried to reason out his actions as righteous." I explained before gesturing to the late minister with a tilt of my head. Agnes scoffed at the implication that the man she killed was in the right.

"I am no longer amazed by how quickly a man will justify his change of heart when backed into a corner." The knight captain said with much distaste before groaning in pain again and nearly falling over. I managed to catch her though and slung her right arm over my shoulder to keep her on her feet. I had the feeling that a woman such as her would not have appreciated being carried in my arms.

"And on that note, you wouldn't happen to know how to get back out would you?" I asked while adjusting my grip on her.

"Straight ahead." She responded while gesturing to the other end of the tunnel we were on. Course set, I started walking in the direction she indicated, fully intent on getting out of this dank hole in the ground and finally being done with this whole mess.

"Thank you..." Agnes softly said, barely even a whisper. It was so soft that a normal human wouldn't have been able to hear it. I made no reaction to her thanks, thinking that she would have appreciated that more.

...

"So..." I muttered as Louise, Ruukoto, and I stood outside the theater. I handed off Agnes to her comrades who quickly took her to healers who were sent for by Henrietta. The princess was quickly taken back to the palace for security reasons and the rest of the Musketeer Squardon started coordinating with the city guards to clean up the mess. With nothing else to do, the three of us simply stood around to wind down.

"So..." Louise repeated as she leaned back against a conveniently placed tree for support.

"Fuga." Ruukoto responded just for convenience.

"Quite a day eh?" I mused before chuckling at Louise's groan.

"That reminds me...other than looking for me and meeting Agnes, did anything interesting happen while I was gone?" I asked with a raised brow. The other eyebrow went up as well when Louise inexplicably blushed harder than she ever had before.

"Louise?" I called out to her when she wouldn't respond.

"Academy. Now. No more questions." Louise stated in a clearly upset voice before stomping off. I turned to Ruukoto for an explanation but it simply shook its head before gesturing that its lips were sealed. With nothing better to do, we went off to follow Louise. I just hoped she had the sense of mind to stop over at the Charming Fairy Inn first since she and Ruukoto were still wearing those skimpy maid outfits.

...