◇Houghtow City—Houghtow College of Magic, Headmaster's Office◇
Class was still in session at the Houghtow College of Magic as three
individuals settled down to a meeting in the headmaster's office.
"Now then," said Headmaster Nyt, sighing ever so slightly as she sat in
her own chair across from the sofa she used for treating guests. "What isss
thisss about?"
Nyt, once known as Yorminyt the Serpent Princess, had once been of the
Dark Army's Infernal Four during the reign of Dark One Gholl. Currently,
however, she was disguised in a human form using magic. She had been
through all sorts of trials and travails after deserting the Dark Army,
eventually ending up at the Houghtow College of Magic, where she now
served as headmaster.
"But I mussst sssay," Nyt added, "I certainly wasssn't expecting a visssit
from Your Majesssty..."
The Maiden Queen smiled benevolently, bowing politely as she sat
down on the sofa across from Nyt. "First," she said, "I would like to thank
you for making time to see me. I understand that it was a sudden request
during a period when you were occupied with other tasks..."
Before she could get further, however, a knock came on the office door
and in stepped Taclyde, carrying a number of cups of black tea balanced on
a tray.
Taclyde was a local man employed by the Houghtow College of Magic
to handle its administrative tasks. He was a tremendously capable
individual, able to handle the logistics related to repairs, cleaning, tuition,
and staff salaries entirely on his own. The parents of the younger students
enrolled in the college's primary education courses trusted him implicitly.
"Erm... Excuse me, Your Majesty," Taclyde said, clearly awkward in the
presence of royalty. "I have some tea here, although I'm not certain it's
suitable for your royal palate..." He placed one of the cups in front of the
Maiden Queen.
"Oh, not at all! I'm sure it's lovely!" the Maiden Queen reassured him,
bowing her head just slightly, wearing the same benevolent smile as earlier.
"Thank you very much!"
Taclyde placed another cup in front of Nyt, bowed, and made to leave
the office.
"Taclyde," Nyt said, stopping him. "I would like you to ssstay here for
the meeting, pleassse."
"What?" Taclyde balked. "M-Me?"
"Depending on Her Majesssty's busssinesss, I may need to make a
correct judgment," Nyt explained.
"Erm, well, I really can't say how knowledgeable I am about these
affairs..." Taclyde hemmed and hawed. "But all right. If you say so,
Headmaster Nyt, I will..." Bending his torso low and bobbing his head
respectfully, Taclyde sat on the sofa across from the Maiden Queen.
"I am very sorry to take you away from your pressing duties, Mister
Taclyde," the Maiden Queen said, lowering her head.
"No, no, not at all, not at all!" said Taclyde, waving his hands in front of
him to dispel the notion.
Nyt took a sip of tea, looking over at her two guests sitting in opposite
sofas from her own seat in the headmaster's chair. "With that out of the
way..." she said. "May I asssk what bringsss Your Majesssty all thisss way
to meet with usss?"
"Yes, of course," the Maiden Queen said, turning to face Nyt. "I assume
you are familiar with the new school under construction in Klyrode
Castle?"
"Ahh," Yorminyt nodded in recognition. "That would be a
reorganization of a previousss inssstitution, if I am not missstaken..."
"That is correct," said the Maiden Queen. "The previous institution was
a military school, with a curriculum focused on the knowledge and combat
techniques our knights would need for the war against the Dark Army. With
a peace treaty in place between us and the Dark Army, however, we have
been reorganizing the academy as a place where students can study fields
unrelated to war—the Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education."
The Maiden Queen paused, took a sip of her tea, and continued. "It is
our hope that this new campus will be a place not only for humans, but one
where demons, too, may come to study if they so desire. However..." she
hesitated. "Many of those who reside in Klyrode Castle have little love for
demonkind. Your Houghtow College of Magic, meanwhile, has already
taken on a number of demons if I am not mistaken. I was hoping, perhaps,
that you might help me persuade some of the people at the castle with your
history of success..."
Nyt's eyes went wide. Even Taclyde spat out his tea when he heard the
Queen's request.
"Um...pardon me?" the Maiden Queen said, looking blankly between
Nyt and Taclyde. "Is something the matter?"
Ah, I sssee... Nyt told herself as she met the reigning monarch's gaze. I
wasss worried for a moment that I had been found out, but it ssseems the
Maiden Queen doesss not know that I myssself am a demon...
"Oh, of course," the Maiden Queen continued. "This isn't something
you speak publicly of, is it? Rest assured, I myself fully approve of your
decision to enroll demons in your school...and of your position as well,
Headmaster Nyt."
"Wh-What?" Nyt said, caught off guard by the Maiden Queen's last
statement. "O-Oh, I sssee..."
The Maiden Queen failed to stifle a slight giggle at Nyt's reaction.
G-Give me a break! Taclyde thought to himself, eyes daring nervously
between Nyt and the Maiden Queen. I was sure our school was too far in
the middle of nowhere for anyone to find out we'd enrolled those demon
kids...but it sounds like Her Majesty already knows that Headmaster Nyt is
a demon as well! He wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief,
doing his best to keep a pleasant smile on his face.
"There's no cause to worry," the Maiden Queen reassured him, guessing
what was going through his mind. "I haven't breathed a word of your
situation to anyone at the castle."
"And in exchange for your dissscretion," Nyt said, "you would like usss
to openly accept demon children as we have been up until now. Very well. It
would not be much of a change for usss, after all."
"Thank you very much for your cooperation," the Maiden Queen said,
rising from the sofa to give an elegant curtsy.
"Incidentally," said Nyt, "may I asssk a quessstion of my own?"
"Yes?" the Maiden Queen answered. "What is it?"
"When precisssely does Your Majesssty intend to marry our Garyl?"
"Pffffh?!" This time it was the Maiden Queen's turn to violently spit out
a mouthful of tea. Her cheeks bright red, she desperately tried to retain
some semblance of calm. "W-Well!" she said. "Th-That's a private matter,
you know! I'm afraid I can't quite give you an answer just yet! W-Well
then, now that our business is concluded, I had best be off!" Bowing deep,
Her Majesty left the headmaster's office in an evident hurry.
"A-Ah!" said Taclyde, hurrying after the Maiden Queen himself. "I-I
suppose I should see her to the exit!"
Nyt found herself alone once again, smiling in something like
amusement as she watched Taclyde and the Maiden Queen speed out the
door. "Ssso that'sss the geniusss who brokered peace between demonsss
and humankind..." she mused, finishing off what was left of her tea in a
single drink. "She hasss a cute ssside to her as well, I sssee..."
◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
That evening before dinner, Garyl stood on guard against his father,
wooden training sword in hand. "All right, dad, here I come!" he said.
"Whenever you're ready!" answered Flio, smiling his usual easygoing
smile.
That day, upon coming home from school, Garyl had challenged Flio to
a sparring match. He was wielding a wooden sword. Flio had no weapon,
simply standing with his right arm outstretched. For a brief moment they
stood facing off against each other until Garyl sprung forward with a
"Hah!" bringing him within striking distance. He thrust his sword towards
the base of Flio's neck, landing a clean hit...or so it appeared. The instant
the sword was about to connect, however, Flio was simply gone.
Garyl's eyes shot open. Flio, who had moved behind him in the blink of
an eye, placed his hand on the middle of his son's back. Garyl was sent
cartwheeling through the air in the direction of the pasture, but even though
the attack had taken him completely by surprise, he managed to correct his
posture in midair and land in a crouch in front of the pasture's fence.
"That was incredible, dad!" Garyl said, smiling earnestly as he paused to
trade words with his father. "I really thought I had you there!"
"You were pretty incredible yourself," said Flio, returning his son's
smile in kind. "With how fast you were moving, I wasn't able to hold back
as much as I'd have liked to. But you know, as fast as that thrust was,
coming straight in like that makes it easy to read your movements. And the
easier an attack is to see coming, the easier it is to dodge."
"I see..." Garyl stood up, frowning seriously as he took in Flio's
criticism. "I guess speed alone isn't enough after all."
Not far away, a small group of Garyl's classmates had gathered to watch
him spar with Flio. "Garyl is amazing, but so is his lord father..." remarked
Salina, her eyes opened wide in awe at the brief exchange she had just seen.
Salina was a young lady from an aristocratic family with a strong case of
unrequited infatuation for Garyl. She specialized in water elemental magic.
Next to her, dressed in her usual black gothic lolita-style dress, was
Irystiel. This time she was holding a black rabbit plush in her hands,
making its mouth move and projecting her voice using ventriloquism.
"Irys says, 'It's too bad Garyl didn't win, but he still looked really
cool!'" the rabbit reported.
Irystiel, like Salina, was quite infatuated with Garyl herself. She was a
shy girl, unable to converse with others without the help of her stuffed
animals. Her specialty was curse magic. She was also the younger sister of
Belianna, one of the current Infernal Four, but that was a secret from the
other children.
"Hah," Sadjitta scoffed, preening and puffing out his chest. "I guess
Garyl's not so tough after all! He couldn't even handle fighting his own
dad! It's only a matter of time before I surpass him too!"
Sadjitta was a boy from Garyl's class, and the son of an important
family in Houghtow City. He favored an even mix of offensive and
defensive magic, although his ability with both was nothing special. He
insisted on playing the role of Garyl's rival at every opportunity, even
though the contest between them was one he had no hope of ever winning.
Snow Little narrowed her eyes, giving Sadjitta a withering sidelong
glance. "Quite a bold declaration," she said. "Remind me, though, who was
it who found himself every bit as unable to handle Garyl himself in our
fencing club activities, even though he was plainly holding back every time
you fought?"
Snow Little belonged to a species of demon known as fable folk, and
skilled at summoning magic. Like the other girls in her class, she, too, was
quite smitten with Garyl. Secretly, she was the younger sister of Snow
White, one of the candidates for Dark One Dawkson's hand in marriage.
"Gah!" Sadjitta exclaimed, stammering out some incoherent excuse.
"W-Well, yeah, b-but I was holding back myself too you know..."
As he spoke, a cloud mist materialized next to Sadjitta, growing steadily
larger until Ben'ne appeared beside him. "Do not speak so boastfully, boy,"
she said, chuckling indulgently and patting Sadjitta on the head. "I, too,
witnessed your match in the fencing club today, and you were most
assuredly challenging my master with the whole of your strength."
"Th-That's not true!" Sadjitta insisted, turning his face away in a huff.
"O-Or rather, I never said I was stronger than him right now! I'm only
saying that I'll surpass him eventually..."
"Good," said Ben'ne, speaking in gentle tones as if Sadjitta were her
own unruly child. "That is a splendid goal. Most would yield to despair
from the very start. To continue in your discipline rather than shrink from
such a foe will be a path of many trials. To overcome it, boy, you must
practice discipline at all times and in all places."
"I-I know..." Sadjitta nodded, frowning just a little at Ben'ne's words.
Alas, Ben'ne thought as she looked down at the boy whose head she was
patting. For an upstart pup with only bark and no bite such as yourself, it
would be many lifetimes of discipline indeed before the day would come for
you to defeat my master...
Internally, she was also seething that Sadjitta would dare speak ill of
Garyl.
In front of the crowd of onlookers, Garyl assumed a fighting stance and
challenged his father once more. "You wanna go another round, dad?"
"Sure!" said Flio, smiling his usual easygoing smile as he raised his
hand once again. "Let's do it!"
Just then, the doors of Flio's house swung open. "My lord husband!
Garyl!" Rys called. "It's almost time for dinner! Hurry on inside!"
Flio and Garyl exchanged a glance. "Sorry, Garyl," Flio said. "I suppose
we'll have to continue this later."
"Okay, all right then," Garyl agreed, following his father back towards
the house. On his way, he stopped by the group of his classmates. "Thanks
for coming to cheer for me, everyone! Shall I see you off?"
"O-Oh!" Salina squeaked in a higher pitched voice than usual, her
cheeks flushing pink. "A-Actually, if it's not too much trouble, I would love
to stay at your house just a little longer, Lord Garyl..."
"Irystiel says there's still plenty of time before dormitory curfew!"
Irystiel's black rabbit plush insisted.
"A-And my sister is going to be out of town today..." added Snow Little,
flushing pink as well. "I would love to stay, if you'll have me..."
All of the girls, it seemed, wanted to stay at Garyl's house for as long as
they could.
"How about this, everyone?" proposed Flio. Standing behind them, he
smiled his usual smile and reached out with his arm. A magic circle
appeared in front of his hand, and from it emerged one door for each of
Garyl's classmates. "The first door leads to the space right in front of
Salina's house, the second leads to the Houghtow College of Magic
Dormitory where Irystiel is staying, the third leads to Snow Little's house,
and the fourth leads to Sadjitta's."
The girls slowly turned to look.
G-Garyl's papa is simply far too preposterous... thought Salina.
I-Irystiel wishes he'd give a little more consideration for a young girl's
feelings... thought Irystiel.
H-He's doing this again...? thought Snow Little.
Holding back bitter tears, however, the three girls managed their best
"Th-Thank you very much!" before stepping through the doors. Sadjitta, on
the other hand, simply took his door home without any fuss whatsoever.
◇Flio's House—Second Floor Lounge◇
From the outside, Flio's house appeared to be a three story wooden
building. The interior, however, had been vastly expanded by a permanent
magic effect courtesy of Flio. Inside, the building boasted five aboveground
floors and three basement levels, each with space to spare.
The first story featured numerous parlors and the dining room where the
whole family ate dinner as a household. It was equipped with an enormous
indoor bath divided into men's and women's areas, and boasted a kitchen
rivaling the finest restaurants. The second floor and above were for
individual rooms, or else rooms shared by one of the house's couples. The
more mature children—Garyl, Elinàsze, Rylnàsze, and Rislei—each had
their own rooms, while Folmina and Ghoro, who were still quite young,
shared a room. Rabbitz shared a room with her parents, Calsi'im and
Charun, as did Belalio with their parents, Belano and Minilio.
Wyne, incidentally, seemed to prefer spending time in Folmina and
Ghoro's room over her own, while Hiya spent most of their time in their
own mindscape and had no need for a room in the material world.
Each person's individual room was divided into two chambers, one to
serve as a private space and the other for sleeping quarters. In addition, each
floor had its own common lounge in the area around the stairway.
In the lounge on the second floor, Garyl, Rislei, and Elinàsze were
having a conversation.
"Your dad sure is strong, huh, Gare?" said Rislei, sighing with
admiration as she thought back to the match she had witnessed between
Flio and Garyl. "Even the invincible Garyl, scourge of the school fencing
club, has no chance at all against him."
"But of course!" preened Elinàsze from the seat beside Garyl. "That's
papa, you know! You weren't expecting him to be weak, were you?" She
cast her head back with so much force that she nearly toppled over in
jubilant laughter, only further cementing her reputation as a daddy's girl par
excellence.
"Tell me about it," Garyl said with a wry smirk, scratching the back of
his head. "You know, between my lessons in school and the training I did
on my own, I thought I'd managed to get just a little bit stronger, but I guess
I'm still not even close..."
"There is no need to take such a pessimistic view, my master," said
Ben'ne, appearing from a sudden mist behind Garyl. "In all my long
centuries training in the Land of the Rising Sun, not once before have I met
a warrior of your caliber, I assure you." Or rather... she thought to herself. It
does no good to compare oneself to beings on my master's father's scale. To
say such a thing would be disrespectful to my master, though, and besides,
he must assuredly know it better than anyone.
"Thank you, Miss B..." said Garyl, lifting his head with a smile and
looking around at the others in the room. "And I know my dad's incredible.
But that's exactly why I want to do everything I can to get even a little bit
closer to his level! That way, I could protect Miss Ellie from anything, no
matter what."
"Well," said Elinàsze, "I expect it would be absolutely impossible for
you to surpass papa or anything like that, but there's certainly nothing
wrong with keeping him as a benchmark to work towards. It will be
absolutely impossible, though, if I'm not mistaken."
Repeating the words "absolutely impossible" like that was Elinàsze's
way of telling her brother not to lose heart over failing at something nobody
could have expected him to succeed at anyway, and to simply continue his
training. It seemed like Garyl must have understood her intention, though,
as he smiled cheerfully at his sister's words.
"Thanks, big sis Elinàsze," he said. "I'll try hard and do what I can."
"I would gladly serve as a partner in your training, master, whenever
you see fit to call on me," Ben'ne offered.
"Of course!" said Garyl with a smile and a nod. "I'll be counting on
you!"
At Garyl's response, however, Ben'ne suddenly began stripping off her
clothes, removing her kimono and undoing the cloth wrapping she wore
over her chest.
"U-Um... M-Miss B?" Garyl asked. "Wh-What are you doing?"
"I am preparing myself for our training, my master," answered Ben'ne.
"W-Well, hang on!" Garyl protested, laughing nervously as he grabbed
at Ben'ne's clothing in an effort to prevent it from falling completely off her
body. "I-It's getting a little late tonight. I don't want to train this very
moment..."
"Oh? Is that so...?" Ben'ne said, inclining her head. "In that case, I shall
await the time when you wish to train with me." With a smile, she began
removing her clothes even faster than before.
"All right, that's enough!" said Elinàsze, holding out her hand. A magic
circle appeared, and as it rotated in midair in front of her, Ben'ne found
herself forcefully dressed in an outfit that resembled a leotard.
"Oh?" Ben'ne chuckled. "A bold play befitting the elder sister of my
master. However..." she said, transforming her body back into mist.
Ben'ne's body was a pure psychic construct, not made of genuine flesh and
blood at all. By returning to her mist form, she would normally be able to
nullify any magic effect that had been applied to her. But when she
reassumed her corporeal body, however, she found the leotard still on,
stubbornly covering up her nudity. "What is this...?"
"Unfortunately for you, that outfit won't go away until I cancel the
spell," Elinàsze said, smiling brightly.
Ben'ne tried to reach between the leotard of her skin, only for her
fingers to slide off harmlessly without disturbing the fabric. "I see..." she
said. "Truly, a spell worthy of the elder sister of my master indeed. I
acknowledge my defeat." She lowered her head in a good display of
sportsmanship in spite of the chagrined look on her face.
"J-Jeez..." Rislei complained, peeping at the scene playing out in front
of her through the gaps in her fingers even as she covered her face with her
hands. "Miss B..." As embarrassed as she was, she was getting to be the age
where she was starting to develop an interest in things such as nudity.
"Speaking of training," Garyl said with a smirk. "I wonder how theirs is
—" But that was as far as he got, however, before something seemed to
catch his attention. "Hm?" he said, quickly reaching for something in his
pocket. He produced a ring which was at that moment vibrating and
blinking with light. "Sorry, I gotta step out for a bit. The rest of you should
probably get to sleep." Smiling, he hurried out the nearby window,
crouched down on the windowsill, and sprang up all the way to the roof.
"Well, well," Elinàsze giggled as Garyl exited the scene. "I can only
imagine who this they Garyl mentioned might be. If I had to guess, I
suppose it would be the same person who just contacted him now."
"Huh?" Rislei blinked. "Eli, what was up with Gare just now?"
"Did you see that ring he was holding?" Elinàsze replied. "That's a ring
my papa made and set with a Conversation Gem."
"A...Conversation Gem?" echoed Rislei.
"That's right. It's one part of a set of two rings, enabling their holders to
speak to each other no matter how far apart they may be. It has security
features as well, preventing anyone from listening in on the conversation.
Even if one of the pair was being watched over by a constant guard and
behind a magic barrier over in Klyrode Castle, for example, nobody would
be able to interfere with their conversation—or even notice, for that matter."
Elinàsze's example was right on the money. During the war with the
Dark Army, Klyrode Castle had found itself infiltrated by enemy spies on
many occasions. To prevent any such spies from using a spell to transmit
sensitive information, the castle was kept under a powerful magic barrier at
all times by a team of high level mages. It was a practice that continued
even now that the war had come to an end.
"It can get through the barrier around Klyrode Castle?" Rislei asked.
"That's an incredible little ring..."
"Isn't it?" Elinàsze gushed with so much pride you might think she had
been the one to create it. "That's my papa for you! He really is the most
incredible man."
"Hm..." Rislei paused, thinking. "But if the other ring is in Klyrode
Castle, that would mean Garyl's mysterious conversation partner is..."
"Yes, exactly," Elinàsze confirmed. "It's Miss Ellie, without a doubt."
The two girls shared a knowing smile before Elinàsze continued. "Well, not
that it makes much of a difference. Miss Ellie will be here tomorrow to help
make dinner as part of her bridal training. Papa and mama both are giving
the two of them their full support."
"Yeah," Rislei said, folding her arms in thought. "But on the other hand,
Miss Ellie is the Queen of this land, you know. If Gare marries her, he's
gonna end up being King of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode..."
Elinàsze let out a spat of laughter. "His Majesty King Garyl, hm? I hate
to say it, but I can't imagine that at all. Garyl really doesn't cut much of a
kingly figure. A king should have perfect command of magic as well as
impeccable combat abilities. He should be intelligent, and handsome, and
absolutely perfect at everything he does! Yes, such a person would be
worthy, I think..." She clasped her hands together, a dreamy sparkle coming
to her eyes. "In other words, someone like papa! I can't imagine anyone
else who could manage it!" For a moment she lost herself in the fantasy of
Flio as a king. "And next to him..." she rhapsodized, picturing herself in the
place of a consort following along at King Flio's side.
Elinàsze's reputation as a daddy's girl, it seemed, remained as secure as
ever.
◇Meanwhile...◇
"Hm...?" Rys, who had been combing her hair in front of the mirror on
the bedroom dresser, suddenly looked up from her grooming and glanced
all around the room.
"What's wrong, Rys?" Flio asked. He had been sitting on the corner of
the bed reading a book as Rys finished her routine.
"I'm not sure..." Rys said, continuing to glance suspiciously this way
and that. "I might just be imagining things, but I thought I could sense
vibrations indicating that someone was entertaining some sort of highly
inappropriate fantasy involving my lord husband..."
Rys's senses were keen enough even to pick up on her daughter's idle
daydream. After all, if Elinàsze was a credit to daddy's girls everywhere,
Rys's reputation as an adoring wife to her lord husband was every bit as
high.
◇ ◇ ◇
Rislei smirked as Elinàsze lost herself in her fantasy, eyes sparkling with
wonder. Oh, Eli...you never change, do you? she thought. "Well," she said
out loud, "I'll admit that if anyone's worthy of being king, it would be your
papa. I mean, he's even stronger than the former Dark One, Mister Ghozal,
and a djinn as tough as Hiya..."
As she mulled it over, Rislei let out a slight sigh. If I had a ring like that,
she thought, I'd have no trouble getting in contact with Reptor... She sighed
again as an image of her classmate Reptor, the lizardfolk boy, popped into
her head. I'd really like to get to know him better, but papa is guaranteed to
get in the way if I invite him over to our house. And if I try to take him on a
date in the city, papa will just appear out of nowhere anyway! I wish I had
parents who approved of my relationship like Gare's do...but father would
never let a boy get close to me...
Rislei's father Sleip, for his part, had a legendary reputation as an
overbearing father.
"Ah ha ha," Ben'ne laughed, smiling fondly at the two children. "Ah,
the troubles of youth. How very nostalgic."
◇Later that Week—Klyrode Castle◇
A few days later, Garyl and Flio took a trip to Klyrode Castle.
"Miss Ellie—or rather, Her Majesty the Maiden Queen—contacted me
the other day," said Garyl. They were within the castle walls at this point, so
he had to remember to refer to the Maiden Queen by her official name
rather than the name he knew her by. "She said she wanted me to stop by
the castle to visit the Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education."
"The Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education, hm?" Flio said. "You
know, I heard it was a product of a number of educational institutions
consolidated together, like the Klyrode School for Young Knights aimed at
children and the Klyrode Knight Academy for young adults..."
"That's right," said Garyl. "And now..."
Before their conversation could continue any further however, a man
came up to the two of them, dressed in a knight's uniform—the retired
Knight Commander MacTaulo. "Well, if it isn't Garyl! I've been waiting for
you!"
MacTaulo was the highest ranking commander of the knights of Klyrode
during the war against the Dark Army and one of humanity's mightiest
champions. He had fought for many long years on the front lines,
particularly against the forces of Sleip of the Infernal Four, with whom he
had clashed numerous times throughout the course of the war. Now that
their people were at peace, however, he and Sleip had forged a bond of
friendship.
With the war behind him, MacTaulo had taken the opportunity the peace
treaty had given him to quit the military and refocus his efforts on educating
the next generation, now serving as the first headmaster of the new Klyrode
Institute for Chivalric Education.
"Headmaster MacTaulo," Flio said, politely bowing his head. "Thank
you for coming out of your way to meet us."
"Hello, Headmaster," said Garyl, bowing as well. "I've come to visit,
like I promised."
MacTaulo nodded in approval at the father and son. "I couldn't be
happier to have the pride of the Houghtow College of Magic paying a visit
to our institution," he said, firmly shaking hands first with Flio and then
with Garyl. "Please take your time and look around to your heart's content."
"I'm really nothing that special," Garyl demurred as he shook
MacTaulo's hand. "But thank you for having me!"
As MacTaulo smiled kindly at Garyl's words, Rabianna, the rabbitfolk
woman accompanying him, smirked. "Headmaster MacTaulo would be
hopping to teach you himself if it weren't for his injuries!" she volunteered.
"He brings it up every chance he gets, like, 'Oh, if only it weren't for my
bad knee...'"
"Well, can you blame me?" MacTaulo argued, giving the offending knee
a forlorn glance. "It feels like it was only the other day I was fighting on the
front lines, after all! And before everyone got on my case about my bad
knee, I was hard at work leading drills in this very institution..."
"Listen to yourself!" Rabianna chided him, crossing her arms in
aggravation. "You're getting to a hopping old age, Headmaster. Be a good
boy and focus on your management duties, if you please!"
"Preposterous!" MacTaulo insisted. "I could lead drills with one hand
behind my back if I had to! You can't expect me to be satisfied cooped up
behind a desk all day."
"I'm telling you, sir, you have to think of your age!" Rabianna said
rather earnestly. The teasing tone was gone from her voice. "Everyone
knows how incredible you were leading soldiers at the front line! We all
respect you a hopping great deal! But that's exactly why we don't want to
see you pushing yourself too hard!"
Something about the way MacTaulo and Rabianna carried on made them
seem like father and child.
Flio smiled knowingly as watched the exchange. I'd have no problem
curing Mister MacTaulo's knee with a simple Heal spell, he thought,
glancing between the pair. But it seems like Miss Rabianna is just as happy
having the excuse of his injured knee to prevent him from pushing himself
too hard. Hmm...how to approach this...
Flio watched the two argue for some time, but MacTaulo and Rabianna
showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Eventually, Flio resorted to
raising his hand to get the pair's attention. "Excuse me... I'm sorry to
interrupt your conversation, but we do have limited time here. Perhaps we
should get moving?"
"Oh!" MacTaulo started. "My apologies! Rabianna, let's leave this
conversation for another day and give Mister Flio and young Garyl here
their tour!"
"That's exactly what I was trying to say!" Rabianna insisted, getting in
one last jab at MacTaulo before turning to bow her head cheerfully to Flio
and Garyl. "Now then, Mister Flio, Mister Garyl, I'm very sorry to have
kept you waiting! If you'll hop right this way, we can begin your tour!"
◇Meanwhile—Houghtow College of Magic◇
When she heard that Garyl would be absent from class for a visit to the
Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education, Salina hurried to Elinàsze's seat
to ask for details. "Is it true? Is Lord Garyl really visiting another school?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?" Elinàsze answered, giving the girl a tired
glance. "It's just a visit, though. Don't get too excited."
"But, but, but..." Salina stammered, leaning in close over Elinàsze's
desk. "Wh-What if he meets some beautiful lady in the capital and decides
he'd rather be with her! What am I to do then?!" Salina kept on tearfully
catastrophizing in that vein, clutching her head in her arms as panic began
to set in.
Elinàsze sighed as Salina carried on atop her desk. Hahh... she thought,
looking down at her in exasperation. What should I have said, I wonder?
Maybe I should have just told them Garyl's decided to attend the Klyrode
Institute for Chivalric Education...but something tells me if I said that I'd
just throw Irystiel and Snow Little into a panic as well...
Suddenly, Salina ceased her distressed writhing and lifted her head. "By
the by," she said. "Elinàsze..."
"Yes? What is it?" Elinàsze asked.
"You are this school's top student, are you not?"
"I suppose I am," Elinàsze said. "For what it's worth..."
Salina held Elinàsze's hands tight in hers. "Listen to me, Elinàsze..." she
said, a serious look in her eyes as she squeezed Elinàsze's hands as hard as
she could. "You are one of my very most precious friends. Of course I
would like to be with Lord Garyl more than anything, but I would also very
much like to graduate alongside you. I hope you understand that..."
"Salina..." Elinàsze said, finding herself at a loss for words. W-Well...
she thought. I did say it would be too much of a hassle to transfer to the
Klyrode Institute myself, after all... A complicated expression crossed her
face.
"Ahhh!" Salina cried, finally removing herself from Elinàsze's desk. "I
simply can't stop worrying about Lord Garyl! I do hope he comes back
soon..."
◇Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education—Student Council Office◇
"President Lullun!" A girl with long hair threw open the door to the
student council office with a somewhat excessive amount of force.
Followed by a boy wearing glasses, she came to an ungainly stop before the
student council president's seat. "G-Garyl's here!"
"He arrived with a man who seems to be his father," the boy added.
"Headmaster MacTaulo already showed them inside the building!"
The president, a girl with purple hair done up in pigtails, pressed her
false glasses up the ridge of her nose. "Calm down, Locanna. And you too,
Dethryc," she said with cold detachment. "Why are you so worked up over
this boy? He's a mere human-demon hybrid, if I understand correctly—
meaning that half of his blood is common human stock. And he's from the
countryside, no less..."
Locanna, the girl with long hair, and Dethryc, the boy with glasses,
looked at the president in exasperated disbelief. "H-Half of his blood is
human...?" said Locanna.
"But all of your blood is human, isn't it, class president?" said Dethryc.
"It's just a turn of speech," Class President Lullun said, adjusting her
glasses once again. "Don't take it so seriously." She stood from her seat and
continued. "But this Houghtow College of Magic he studies at
currently...I've heard it's a fairly low-level school. Rumor has it they teach
demihumans who can barely read and write, and now that we have a peace
treaty with the Dark Army, they've even announced their intention to accept
uneducated demon children as well! I cannot for the life of me imagine why
the Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education would accept a student with
an alma mater like that..."
She sighed deeply before continuing. "However, as Headmaster
MacTaulo instructed me to introduce myself to this boy and give him a tour
of our campus, I suppose I must go to meet him. I simply can't help but
wonder if he really is the sort of individual we need in our institution. And
he's having trouble deciding whether to transfer here, they say? I expect it's
simply nerves—nothing worth using my wiles over."
"No, you don't understand!" said Locanna. "Garyl's very famous, even
among the students here!"
"Trust us on this!" begged Dethryc.
Lullun sighed and adjusted her glasses once again. "Yes, yes, I
understand," she said. "Well, I suppose I am off to the headmaster's office.
You two, accompany me as well."
"O-Okay!" agreed Locanna.
"Yes, ma'am!" said Dethryc.
Lullun left the student council office with Locanna and Dethryc hurrying
along behind her, and made their way through the halls to the headmaster's
office where MacTaulo was waiting.
◇Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education—Headmaster's Office◇
"This school really is amazing, huh?" Garyl exclaimed when he saw the
enormous spear decorating the side wall of MacTaulo's office.
"Oh?" MacTaulo's eyes blinked open in surprise. "Don't tell me you
know what this spear is!"
"Well..." Garyl said, smiling bashfully. "I don't know the weapon's
name or anything, but I can sense something. It must have belonged to a
demon with an incredible amount of magic power."
"No need to be modest," MacTaulo told him. "It's quite impressive that
you can tell that much. The legendary knight commander Sir Geldredda
claimed that spear from the Dark One of his day, or so the story goes. He's
the founder of one of our predecessor organizations, you see—the Klyrode
School for Young Knights. In a way, it's one of the symbols of our
institution."
"Wow!" Garyl said, his eyes shining as he gazed up at the spear. "No
wonder I can feel so much magic power from it, then!"
Flio looked up at the spear from his seat on the office sofa. It was true—
magic energy was spilling out of its head. It seemed like it had been used to
slay a demon possessing a high level of magic power. Flio focused his
senses on the spear, magically calling up a window only he could see and
replaying the events of a battle that happened long, long ago.
Flio watched as a man who seemed to be the knight commander
descended upon an enormous demon, swinging his hefty blade and
knocking the demon's spear to the ground. Hmm... he thought, a knowing
smirk coming to his face. Well, it does seem to be true that it was taken from
a powerful demon, but that doesn't look like the Dark One, or even one of
the Infernal Four. It seems to be a demon on the level of a division
commander, maybe...
Flio decided not to share his findings at that very moment, however. The
mood of the room didn't seem right. Instead he watched as MacTaulo
happily relayed the weapon's history to an enraptured Garyl.
Knock knock.
At that point, there came a knock on the door. "Yes, come in!" said
MacTaulo. The door opened, and three students stepped into the reception
area of the office—Lullun, Locanna, and Dethryc.
"Student Council President Lullun here at your request, Headmaster
MacTaulo, accompanied by Student Council Vice Presidents Locanna and
Dethryc," Lullun announced herself, bowing smartly and pressing her
glasses up the ridge of her nose. Locanna and Dethryc bowed their heads
low as well.
"Ah, you three," said MacTaulo. "Thank you for taking the time out of
your student council duties." He clapped a hand on Garyl's shoulder. "This
is Garyl. He's come today to pay the school a visit and see how we
operate."
"I'm Garyl, from the Houghtow College of Magic," said Garyl, giving
Lullun an easygoing smile that was somehow reminiscent of his father's.
"Thank you for agreeing to show me around!" He held out his hand.
Locanna's heart skipped a beat. "I-I'm Locanna, vice president of the
student council!" she squeaked, desperately trying to maintain a calm
demeanor as she shook his hand, blushing all the while. "I-It's my
pleasure!" H-He's rather handsome for a country boy, isn't he...? she
thought.
Dethryc, on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly calm. "I'm the other
student council vice president. My name is Dethryc. It's nice to meet you,
Garyl," he said, giving Garyl's hand a leisurely shake.
"It's nice to meet you too," said Garyl.
Having made the acquaintance of the two student council vice
presidents, Garyl went to shake student council president Lullun's hand as
well. Lullun, however, showed no sign of offering her hand. She simply
stood with her arms crossed, fixing Garyl with an inquisitive gaze.
"Um..." Garyl said. He kept holding out his arm, his smile unfaltering
despite his mounting confusion.
Lullun pressed her glasses up the ridge of her nose in a sharp motion,
and stood fixed in place without so much as a twitch.
MacTaulo, who had been growing uncomfortable in the face of Lullun's
attitude, stepped in between the two. "W-Well then, there you have it!" he
said, giving Garyl a toothy smile. "These three are the representatives of the
student body of our institution. I'll be having them take you on a tour, if
you don't mind!"
"Thank you very much, everyone!" said Garyl, letting down his arm and
happily returning MacTaulo's smile. "Shall we get going?"
The two vice presidents, also acutely aware of their superior's strange
behavior, stepped in between Lullun and Garyl, bowing over and over
again.
"No, no, no, thank you!" said Locanna.
"Feel free to ask any questions you have and I'll tell you what I know,"
offered Dethryc.
Lullun, rooted to her spot, kept on watching Garyl but otherwise did
nothing aside from the odd adjustment of her glasses.
Afterwards, Garyl, Flio, MacTaulo, MacTaulo's secretary Rabianna, and
the three from the student council took a tour around campus. The students
shared facilities for practicing horseback riding, jousting, and archery with
the knights of Klyrode, meaning those classes were held in the wider castle
rather than the Institute for Chivalric Education itself. The institute's main
building, a large three-story stone structure, was within the bounds of the
castle grounds but some distance away from the training fields. All around
it were smaller buildings designed for various types of practical education
as well as areas to practice magic spells. MacTaulo and the student council
members explained the purpose of the various facilities as they walked
along.
"And this is where we teach courses on sword maintenance," explained
MacTaulo as they passed one of the buildings.
"Hey, Locanna," said Dethryc. "Remember the time you bent a sword all
the way in half during repair training? You've always been absurdly
strong..."
"H-Hey!" Locanna protested, turning bright red at her co-vice president
bringing up details of her personal life. "Dethryc! There's no need to bring
up irrelevant stories like that!"
They continued in that vein around the campus, the vice presidents
taking the brunt of the work of introducing Garyl to the school. It was a
weekday, and class was in session as usual. Everywhere they passed by,
they could hear classrooms full of whispering girls gossiping about their
visitors.
"Look over there! It's that Garyl everyone's been talking about, isn't it?"
"The boy who was so incredible at the grand tournament?!"
"He's so handsome, just like they say..."
"B-B-But why is he here? Today?!"
"If only we weren't in class... I want to talk to him!"
"M-Maybe I'll slip out for a moment..."
"Hey! No cutting in line!"
Garyl could only grimace at the strangely familiar spectacle.
The tour concluded in the afternoon. MacTaulo and Rabianna showed
Flio and Garyl off to the school gates.
"I'm sorry we didn't have enough time to properly explain everything
today," MacTaulo said. "Perhaps you could tell just by looking, but I
guarantee the facilities and equipment at the Klyrode Institute for Chivalric
Education are all brand-new and state of the art, and our faculty are a
collection of truly formidable individuals. I am confident that we have what
it takes to assist you in your training. All of us are eagerly awaiting the day
you join us here to study, practice, and further refine your abilities
alongside your fellow students." He held out his hand.
"Thank you," said Garyl, giving MacTaulo a firm handshake and an
easygoing smile. "But like I told you before, I want to properly finish my
studies at the Houghtow College of Magic first. I'd be happy to come visit
along with my friends from Houghtow, though, if we could hold something
like a training camp..."
"Of course," said MacTaulo. "Her Majesty the Maiden Queen
mentioned your idea for a training camp to me earlier. We'll see about
setting up a system for applicants in the next couple days."
Garyl said his goodbyes to Locanna and Dethryc, who were waiting
behind MacTaulo, but their superior, the student council president Lullun,
was nowhere to be seen.
"Hmm..." MacTaulo said. "No sign of Lullun, I see. Well, I suppose that
finishes our business today. Mister Flio, Garyl, thank you both very much
for paying us this visit." He bowed his head, and Flio and Garyl politely
returned the gesture.
"How are you getting home, Garyl?" Locanna asked. "A carriage? Or
perhaps you'll catch an Enchanted Frigate?"
"Oh, no," said Flio, smiling his usual easygoing smile. "We'll be using
this." He held out his hand and cast a spell, summoning a large magic
circle. It rotated silently on the ground, shining with a mystic light, until a
massive door emerged from inside.
"What?" Locanna blinked. "I-Is that...? Could it be?"
"There's no way!" said Dethryc, his eyes going wide. "Is that a
teleportation portal?!"
As the two watched in disbelief, Flio opened the door with perfect
nonchalance, revealing the front door of his house on the other side. "Well
then," he said, "we'll be taking our leave," and with one last smile he left
through the door.
"'Til we meet again," said Garyl. "And tell Miss Ellie hi for me,
please!"
The door closed behind them, and vanished on the spot.
"Huh? H-Hang on a minute..." Locanna looked like she couldn't believe
her own eyes. "But this is Klyrode Castle, isn't it?"
"It should be impossible to cast Teleportation here, thanks to the barrier
put up by the mages of the castle," Dethryc agreed as the two stared blankly
at the spot where the door had been.
"Well, that's Mister Flio and Garyl for you," MacTaulo said, lowering
his head. For his part, he seemed confused on a different point entirely. "By
the way..." he started, glancing over at Rabianna. "Do you know this 'Miss
Ellie' Garyl mentioned, by any chance?"
"Never hopping heard of her, I'm afraid..." Rabianna said, coming up
equally blank.
There were very few people indeed who knew the Maiden Queen by her
nickname Ellie, a fact that had slipped Garyl's mind as he was leaving.
After some time staring at the patch of earth where Garyl and Flio had
disappeared, Locanna and Dethryc suddenly returned to their senses.
"W-Wait a minute..." Locanna said, leaning in to whisper quietly to her
companion. "Where did our president get to, anyway? I thought she was
going to use that famous Charm spell of hers to convince Garyl to transfer
schools. But instead she didn't say a word the whole time and disappeared
halfway through! What in Klyrode could have happened?"
"That's a good question..." Dethryc whispered back. "I don't have any
more of a clue than you. She certainly seemed determined to go through
with it back in the student council office..."
"The nerve!" Locanna huffed. "I can't believe she let such a cute boy get
away! O-Or rather, such an excellent student, I mean..." She hastened to
correct herself. "Having someone like him here would be motivation for
everyone in the Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education!"
"What's going on, you two?" MacTaulo said, cocking his head as he
looked over in the direction of the whispering students. "Something the
matter?"
The two fervently shook their heads.
"O-Oh! Nothing! Nothing at all!" Locanna squeaked in a panicked
falsetto.
"Th-That's right!" added Dethryc. "Nothing whatsoever, Headmaster
MacTaulo!"
◇Meanwhile—Klyrode Institute for Chivalric Education, Girls'
Lavatories◇
At that moment, Lullun, who had gone missing partway through the
tour, had sequestered herself in the girls' lavatories. Her body looked
different than it had earlier—she no longer resembled a human, but a paleskinned demonic woman.
"To think that I—Lullun, the succubus-human hybrid—would be
reduced to such a state," she muttered to herself, nervously adjusting her
glasses over and over again.
She was also, as it happened, blushing furiously. An image of Garyl's
smiling face floated unbidden to Lullun's mind, causing her cheeks to turn
even redder than before. The blush was only growing more and more
pronounced as she thought about the boy.
"I am an elite succubus, invited to this school on a full scholarship!" she
told herself. "H-H-How could I fall in love at first sight with some country
bumpkin?! It just can't be real..." She covered her face with her hands in
shame. "M-M-My emotions started running wild the moment I set eyes on
that boy... Not only could I not manage to say a single word in front of him,
but worse, before I knew it I had lost my ability to hold on to my human
form! Not being able to speak is one thing, b-b-but I wish I had been able to
stay with them until the end..."
Lullun, it turned out, was a hybrid herself, with a succubus demon and a
human for parents. She was one of the students invited to the Klyrode
Institute for Chivalric Education as part of the Magical Kingdom's ongoing
project of deepening the bonds of friendship between humans and demons.
In fact, the Houghtow College of Magic had been the first school to
offer her a spot among their student body due to her being half demon, but
she had rejected them out of hand, saying, "Some country school is no place
for an elite such as myself!" Instead, she had opted to attend the Klyrode
Institute for Chivalric Education, keeping her ancestry a secret. Only
MacTaulo knew that she was part succubus.
"Whyever was I so stubborn back then?" she cried as she sat red-faced
on the toilet. "If only I had gone to the Houghtow College of Magic from
the very beginning. Oh, my sweet Garyl..."
◇ ◇ ◇
"Whoa!" said Garyl, a sudden tremor running through his body.
"Garyl?" Flio asked, concerned for his son. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, sorry, dad," Garyl said with a wince. "It just felt like there was
something running down my spine all of a sudden. Everything seems to be
in working order now, though!" He flexed his muscles, demonstrating his
good health.
Flio smiled his usual easygoing smile. "Well, then, what did you think of
today's visit?"
"It was really interesting!" said Garyl. "But I wonder why Miss Lullun,
that half human, half succubus girl, ran off partway through..."
"Oh?" Flio asked. "You noticed she was half succubus?"
"Yeah," Garyl nodded. "I mean, she was leaking out a fair amount of
magic power."
"She certainly was, at least a bit..." Flio confirmed. "But I'm impressed
you could pick up on such a subtle amount of magic energy."
"I suppose..." said Garyl. "Maybe I'm just sensitive to it since I live with
so many demons myself."
The two of them made their way up to the front door of the house,
talking all the while, when who should come running their way down the
road but Salina, followed closely by the rest of the group of classmates
Garyl spent most of his time with at the Houghtow College of Magic.
"Ah!" cried Salina. "Lord Garyl!"
"Salina?" Garyl said, turning to greet his fellow students. "And the rest
of you? What are you doing here?"
"Lord Garyl!" Salina cried, leaping his direction and casting her arms
tight around his shoulders. "Tell me it isn't true! You aren't transferring
schools, are you? You'll stay at the Houghtow College of Magic until we all
graduate?" She hugged him tight, begging and begging for reassurance.
"Of course!" said Garyl, giving an easygoing smile. "I'll graduate from
the Houghtow College of Magic. Going to the Klyrode Institute for
Chivalric Education will be my next step after that."
Salina's face lit up with a bright, relieved smile at the news.
"Irystiel says she's happy to hear that too! Mreowr!" said the black cat
plush Irystiel was carrying, opening and closing its mouth thanks to a
simple application of Irystiel's skills as a ventriloquist.
"How lovely!" Snow Little concurred. "And while we're at school
together, I must convince Lord Garyl to pledge his future to—"
"Snow Little! That's quite enough rank opportunism out of you!" Salina
said, hurriedly covering Snow Little's mouth with her hands before she
could say something truly preposterous.
"Hmph..." Sadjitta said, folding his arms in the back of the group. "Your
being here doesn't make a difference to me one way or another," he said.
"But...let's keep doing our best together, I guess..."
With that, Reptor, the lizardfolk boy, jabbed Sadjitta in the flank with his
elbow. Reptor was a boy of few words with an imposing physique and a
gentle nature that made him inclined to see the best in the people around
him. He and Rislei, incidentally, were getting to be quite close.
"Hey!" Sadjitta complained. "Reptor! What was that for?!"
"Can't you be honest and tell Garyl you're happy he's staying, at least
this once?" Reptor urged him.
"Wh-What?!" Sadjitta sputtered. "Wh-Why would I be happy about
that?! B-Besides, what about your honesty?!"
"Mine?" Reptor asked.
"Yeah, yours!" Sadjitta shot back. "What is your actual relationship with
Rislei?!"
"Huh?!" Reptor balked. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"You're not fooling anyone with lines like that!" said Sadjitta. "I know
you and Rislei are a couple!"
"Cut it out!" Reptor clapped a hand over Sadjitta's mouth, his face
turning pale with fear. "This isn't the place for that conversation!"
Suddenly, two heard a sound approaching from behind. Clop clop clop
clop clop...
"Huh?" Sadjitta said, confused. "What's that sound?"
Reptor, on the other hand, turned even paler than before. "Oh no..." he
said, swallowing heavily and gazing off towards the pasture outside Flio's
house. "He's coming..."
Something was running in their direction from the deepest part of their
pasture. It was Sleip in his centaur form, his skin bright red with anger.
"Crap, crap, crap..." Reptor said. "It's Rislei's papa! He'll never listen to
reason when it comes to his daughter!" He took off running down the road
as Sleip raced after him with tremendous speed.
"You wastrel!" Sleip bellowed. "Still keen on wooing my Rislei, are
you?!"
Reptor ran down the road, over a hill, and nearly reached the forest
before he was caught, his screams echoing throughout the area. The chase
was over in a matter of seconds.
Garyl winced at Reptor's predicament before turning his attention back
to the rest of the group. "If I had known you all were coming, I would have
bought some kind of souvenirs," he said, bowing apologetically. "Sorry that
I came back empty-handed this time."
"Well, why don't we have everyone over for dinner?" Flio offered,
smiling as usual. "If we let Rys know, I'm sure she'd be happy to prepare
food for you, and I can send you home with Teleportation before it gets too
late."
"Yes, please!" said Salina, raising her hand high without a trace of
hesitation. "I would like to stay!"
"Irystiel is happy to accept your invitation as well, mreowr!" said
Irystiel's plush cat.
"W-Well, then, I suppose I shall impose on your hospitality as well,"
said Snow Little.
"Hmph..." said Sadjitta. "I guess I'd better stay too..."
And so it was decided.