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Chapter 1 - Maidens of Des Ornières[]

The fourth day of the third week of Niido in Des Ornieres turned out to be very hot. Halkeginia’s summer is rather dry than hot, so heat is usually not a problem, but every now and then there is a day like that.

There were no air conditioners in this world. Coolers based on water magic existed but they were rather expensive and unreliable. Continuous spell cast was difficult to control and losing control was dangerous. Magic was rarely used for air cooling.

This is why a big fan was installed on the ceiling of the mansion room. It was repaired during renovation. Magic rotated the blades creating a flow of air. It didn’t help Louise much.

"Uuuu...," - Louise wiped sweat from her forehead. "I can’t fall asleep."

This was the second or third day she couldn’t get enough sleep. Louise stared in disgust at the rotating fan.

Heat wasn’t the only problem. She looked to the left.

There, serenely sleeping, mouth ajar, lay a black-haired girl.

Siesta.

Napping was her favorite pastime. She was a genius at falling asleep. If there ever was a Falling Asleep Championship she would win hands down.

Ah, it’s impossible. The pillow is humid and hot and it only gets better when someone breathes on your nape. Just perfect.

A rope connected the wrists of Louise and Siesta. It’s like a painter that keeps a ship at a pier. Untie it and Siesta, little unfaithful boat, will start her travel to port Saito sleeping in the other room.

And it wouldn’t be good for anyone. It would only lead to unnecessary violence. No one wants that, right?

Louise looked at the rope to check that it was well tied, then turned to the right where a blue-haired girl slept peacefully with hands folded on her chest.

Tabitha.

She also was falling asleep easily. Naturally for her, who had seen much harsher days, the mansion felt like heaven.

Her hand, just like Siesta’s, was also tied to Louise. Although Tabitha shouldn’t be able to untie it herself she had a very capable familiar, so Louise should still be vigilant.

Louise looked at the ceiling with a deep sigh. I wonder how it’s going to be. She shook her head.

When windstones in the depths of Halkeginia reach critical mass and raise it into the air.

Ah, maybe then I will be able to sleep...

I wonder if all the land will fly?

Louise imagined islands floating in the sky like Albion.

One of them... A small island, with just herself and Saito on it. Just a hundred mails across, with a mansion and a small pond...

The maid sleeping on the left couldn’t sneak in anymore. Hehe. She could only look at them from below! Then Louise felt ashamed of herself.

She shouldn’t waste time on such silly dreams.

The place where she lives is about to disappear, how strange is that?

A wave of anxiety hit Louise. When it passed, she wanted to go to Saito. Every passing moment brought closer the cataclysm that could carry her away.

Eleonore, her elder sister, forbade Louise to sleep in the same bed with Saito until marriage. This was the main reason for her insomnia.

Before that she had no any problems falling asleep. Initially there wasn’t anything special in sleeping in the same bed with her familiar. At some point, unnoticeable for her, it had become a necessity.

"Eleonore is unfair. I can’t fall asleep and neither can he. Sleep deprivation is unhealthy."

She whispered her complaint about her sister sleeping in the next room. Suddenly she opened her eyes.

Impossible. I can’t sleep. It’s too hot and Saito is not here.

How can I fall asleep? Louise blushed lightly.

A kiss. Right. A gentle one. A light touch. Three hours had passed, three hours. The sleep tight charm is faded.

Ok then.

Just a little sneak, about five minutes. He is a moron, so if I say "meow", he will be extremely gentle to me. Hmm, which is it - extreme or gentle... Whatever, both are fine.

Louise thought about the extreme variant and blushed furiously.

"I can’t. Eleonore would kill me. She would never allow it."

Anyway, God and sister have to forgive what will happen in the next five minutes, Louise thought while untying the rope. Then the door opened and a cheerful voice rang in the room.

"Yes! Hi! Kyuikyui!"

It was Sylphid. Her long hair had the same blue color as her master’s. Sylphid briskly started to chew on the rope tying Tabitha to Louise.

"What are you doing?" - asked Louise.

"Decided. Taking big sister."

"Where?"

"Your familiar’s room."

Louise tried to stand up but was pulled back by the rope and fell on the bed with a yelp. The rope was still intact; Sylphid couldn’t bite through it.

"Kyui! Durable rope! Pink Runt!"

"What did you call me?"

"Hair pink, and tiny."

Louise forgot about the rope. Sylphid tried to bite through the rope again when her teeth lost contact. Bam! - a blow came.

"Why?"

"The beast can’t barge into a noble’s room whenever it likes".

"Arrogant human. Rhyme dragons are an ancient and powerful race. History and culture different from yours."

"Huge difference! You are trying to bite through the rope with your teeth! Stop it!"

Louise pulled the rope and Tabitha and Siesta woke up.

"...what?"

"What is going on?"

Sylphid hugged Tabitha, happily cooing "kyiu".

"Ah! Sister awake at last! So good. Sylphy release sister, carry where sister want. Climb."

"What are you talking about? What about our agreement? One day turns?"

Siesta approached Louise.

"Just a dumb dragon trying to take an unnecessary initiative."

"Not unnecessary. Just following master’s feelings!"

"Stop talking and get out. Dragons sleep outside."

Louise and Sylphid glared at each other.

Siesta asked Tabitha "So, does the stupid dragon speak for miss Tabitha?"

Tabitha paled, bit a lip lightly and looked away.

Siesta said "excuse me", lowered her head, and started exploring Tabitha’s chest with both hands.

"Miss Valerie."

"Grrrr."

Sylphid and Louise were pressing each others foreheads with sullen growls.

"No, it’s miss Tabitha."

"Grrrr."

"Obviously we are in estrus."

Tabitha reached for the cane with her free right hand and cast a silencing spell on Siesta. Ignoring Siesta’s attempt to make signs she bashed the head of the dumb dragon.

Louise, with a red face, nodded to Tabitha and muttered a few words to her ear. Tabitha looked at her with wide opened eyes. Louise nodded to her again and said few more words. Cold sweat covered the forehead of the trembling in fear Tabitha. Her mouth opened.

"You know what, I will go to Saito’s room in the middle of the night and pretend to be you. It’s wrong, but he is a good guy. Things can only happen if he is tricked. What do you think?"

Tabitha stiffened. Louise’s spell was too strong of a stimulus for the innocent Tabitha.

"Ah, sister grew enough to lay eggs. Do your best!"

Sylphid, as if nothing happened, continued to gnaw on the rope. Then she forgot about the rope and tried to grab Tabitha’s book.

When the chaos had calmed down a little, the room door burst open. A beautiful woman with long blond hair stormed into the room.

"Miss Eleonore!" - shrieked Louise.

Dressed in a negligee Eleonore, angrily fumbling with her glasses, yelled "Do you have any idea what time is it?"

Louise straightened up and said with trembling voice.

"Oh, were we noisy?"

Enraged, Eleonore came closer and hit Sylphid.

"Why?"

"Sit."

Under Eleonore’s intimidating gaze, Sylphid become quiet.

"Why would you start this party in the middle of the night?"

"We didn’t", mumbled Louise, but Eleonore didn’t hear her.

"I heard the word ’estrus’. What was that?"

"It’s... it’s just that this maid is really noisy."

Siesta felt that she should say something and looked at Tabitha, who quietly cancelled the silencing spell.

"Nonsense. No way. Miss Valliere is horrible. Didn’t you mean to complain about miss Tabitha?"

Tabitha silently hit Siesta.

"Anyway, you don’t seem to realize your responsibility as noble ladies."

"You know better miss Eleonore, but I am just a maid here."

"Quiet dames."

"Sylphy dragon."

"Silence!"

Eleonore frantically folded her arms and looked at the quiet Tabitha and sighed.

"Even though the member of the Gallia royal family is our guest, the responsibility for your education is on me. ’Mingle with the great to become great’; this is what I think as an elder daughter of the La Valliere family. Get ready, I will not go easy on you."

Slap! She fetched a riding whip and hit the bed with all her strength. Everyone yelped.

"Maid, dragon, royalty - as long as you live in this house you will behave as a lady or a servant according to the proper etiquette. I will teach all of you. Any questions?"

"No!" - everyone replied briskly.

The "lesson" lasted about two hours. Apparently its purpose was to entertain the awakened Eleonore. Mostly they were trained to walk properly under a relentless stream of Eleonore’s homilies.

Louise was confident that her gait was appropriate for a noble, but on this night nothing was good enough for Eleonore. She had to repeat the "exercises" again and again.

First Siesta and Sylphid fell on the spot, defeated by sleepiness. Then Eleonore fell asleep on Louise’s bed and Tabitha collapsed next to her.

It was just about an hour till dawn.

"What a preposterous night," - Louise said to herself when the noisy company fell asleep. She sneaked out and went to Saito’s room.

When she opened the door, Saito was sitting on a sofa.

"Are you awake?" - he said smiling.

"Yes. Can’t sleep for some reason. You too?" Louise replied blushing, strangely embarrassed. Saito seemed to be lost in thoughts until now, his face had been serious and absent. It was like he had instantly become two or three years senior... one year at least.

It was already mentioned that a year in Saito’s world was a little shorter than a year of this world but the length of a day seemed to be about the same. Their worlds were not all that different.

It meant that Saito was about the same age as her, yet just moment ago he seemed to be an adult. It was unusual. She had always considered contemporary boys to be just kids, always spouting some nonsense. Boorish and rude creatures. Until she met Saito she wasn’t much interested in love, and not so long ago he was just one of those creatures.

But he had matured very fast.

I wonder why?" she thought. "A lot had happened recently. But one crisis he faced was obviously the greatest. He left his world. Did it change him?

"What is it? Did you want to discuss something?" - said Saito to the silently watching Louise.

"What? Ah, no. Nothing special..."

Then he calmly said. "Ah, you just wanted to see me?"

Not so long ago Louise would have gotten angry and responded "No I didn’t!".

But not now. Embarrassing.

"I also wanted to see you. I can’t sleep. It’s so hot and sleeping separately is strange. Unusual I mean."

Louise sat next to Saito and gently snuggled to him. It was a new habit. She took his hand. Saito took the hint and lifted her chin. Louise closed her eyes. Their lips met and a sense of security filled Louise. After a while she asked "What were you thinking about?"

"Well, the crusade," Saito said flatly.

"Not convinced?" - she asked with concern. Indeed, she didn’t want to fight the elves herself. If negotiations fail, she will...

It’s inevitable. Otherwise half of the people in Halkeginia will have nowhere to live. And for the other half life will change completely.

"No, I understand the Pope’s position. People will have no place to live. It doesn’t get more serious than that. But elves are such strong opponents."

"Well," - Louise also become serious.

"We don’t have much to bargain with in negotiations. Usual magic is ineffective against them."

Louise knew it. But if four of four worked together they would be able to use much more powerful magic.

Louise thought about the words written in Brimir’s Founder’s Prayer Book: "read when necessary."

"Maybe we will be able to use Void magic when we need it. This is how it worked before."

"Right..." - said Saito with concern.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What is it?"

"Tiffania. I mean, her mother was an elf. It might be hard for her to fight against her mother’s people."

Louise was startled. Indeed, for them, elves were bitter enemies. They definitely didn’t want to fight them, but if it had to be done, there wouldn’t be much rejection. But Tiffania was different.

And they couldn’t do it without her.

Saito stood up, took a letter from a table and showed it to Louise.

"A letter from Tiffania."

"A letter?"

"Oh, an owl brought it."

Louise read the letter. According to it Tiffa was going to Des Ornieres at the Pope’s request.

"I will arrive tomorrow... What? She is going to summon a familiar!" - said a surprised Louise.

"It’s not completely unexpected. The Pope gathers four of four together to use full Void potential."

"Right, but..." said a worried Louise. Crusade wasn’t something new, but now it had become real for her.

Gathering of the Tristain invasion army had started again. Judging by previous campaigns invasions, it is unlikely to go smoothly.

Nothing unusual, but this time she was directly involved. Louise was nervous. The future of the entire of Halkeginia, beyond any doubt, depended on tiny and unreliable her.

She didn’t find what to say. Saito noticed her nervousness and tried to reassure her.

"Indeed, elves are good negotiators. They probably will return Brimir’s magic device. They don’t need it."

Louise was ashamed. She didn’t expect this responsibility and she was afraid of it.

Anyway, the Pope had a plan of some sort, but it didn’t inspire any optimism. Saito was different, he wouldn’t expect something impossible of her.

"It belongs to them."

It was indisputable.

"I will study elves," - Louise said. In any case it’s good to know your adversary. She noticed Saito’s sadness.

"You don’t want to fight?"

Saito shook his head.

"It’s inevitable. Well, I hate it, but it’s just how it is, there is nothing to like or dislike. First we will properly explain our problem to the elves. If they reply ’whatever, tough luck’" - he squinted his eyes - "I will fight. For myself and my friends. There is no doubt about it."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"I mean, this is not your world. It doesn’t concern you..."

Amazed, Saito said "Still on this topic, huh?"

"No. Well, just a little. But, really, thank you."

Louise put her cheek on Saito’s chest. He gently stroked her hair for a while. "This is my place" thought Louise. Of course this wasn’t something she would say aloud.

"I will fight too. To protect this place."

She finally fell asleep.