23 [Emergency]

//Viking music, aka chanting with some drums is so fucking badass I can't even count the number of times I've listened to it.//

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The day had begun like any other day has for Louise. She'd wake up to her dear familiar's nude body, completely covered in sweat and other bodily fluids before getting into a nice, relaxing hot bath with that very same man. She happily brushed her body against his in the tub, taking some complacency in the fact she, a short petite girl could rile up a man like him.

Even if Louise disagreed or downright hated the fact that Ordell would speak with other women, sometimes even flirt with them, the girl had found a warm embrace in the man. A person to lean against, to please both in mind and heart. Such was this strange familiar she called upon. A man of an unknown, nonexistent race with the charms more powerful than the largest treasury and a body that of a statue.

And, Ordell was all hers to command! Her, Louise The Zero, had a man of great power, sex appeal and... well, she blushed thinking of his other "talents" as well. Still, the girl didn't like the attention he was getting from the women of the academy, even if it technically gave her bragging rights considering she was mounted by this very man just the night before.

She hadn't known him for very long but she still knows him very well. It was a strange, romantic bond that would never fail to make her feel warm inside. To make her heart flutter in giddy happiness every time his corny but lovable side would take over.

And so, Louise was feeling particularly worried after properly waking up and having breakfast, with her familiar of course who also happened to be the prime source of her worries. The man had been strangely silent. Not a completely uncharacteristic trait she supposed, but Ordell was usually much more open to having a conversation. His smile also felt... off. It felt strained, if not a little forced.

Something was bothering him.

Louise knew this much, but every time she would ask her familiar would instead of opening up either divert the conversation or shut her up with a nice, soft kiss on the lips. However, for Ordell, this proved to be just a temporary solution to his nagging but extremely lovable master.

She was worried about him, how cute. He didn't think he could love her more but he was wrong. Such was not a bad thing to be wrong about. Ordell thought that maybe he should talk to his master, but Siesta's privacy was at stake.

The maid had left him really worried last night, especially so after her strange but welcome request. She smelled like sweet flowers that night... Sigh. He needs answers, and he needs them badly. Even if it is a breach of privacy, his heart will not rest easy until he knows what bothered the naively nice girl.

Even if it meant temporarily withholding the truth from his Louise...

"Louise, have you ever tried this so-called... Quiche?"

The familiar's question puzzled Louise the moment it came out of his mouth. The two were walking through the courtyard before Ordell's question stopped them both in their tracks. Louise rose an eyebrow, clearly curious as to what brought the question up.

"Um, yes. It's not really my cup of tea though," she replied with a certain level of minor uncertainty, unsure of how this answer bodes with her familiar.

"I was thinking of trying some after I overheard some people talking about it. Would you mind if I went to get some?"

The girl blinked once before shrugging back, "Sure? I mean, I thought you didn't like sweets."

"Won't know unless I try. Plus, even if that is true, I have this annoying urge to try it now," the girl giggled lightly at her familiar's lighthearted response, was this what was bothering him?

Just some cake? She definitely wanted that to be the case, but something deep inside told her it was more than that. He wasn't... seeing someone behind her back, was he? No. Not physically possible. He was with her as much as he could, loving her all throughout the night and giving her every last ounce of his love. She made sure to watch every damn woman that passed by him, and none so much as talked to him much except that maid, Siesta she believed her name was, Kirche and sometimes even Tabitha. Louise also made sure to always cover the male's neck with as many love bites as she could. Think of it as a... symbol of ownership if the runes on his hand weren't enough.

She sighed, giving in, "Okay, go ahead. I'll wait for you by the library, the view there is nice."

The man nodded, quite happy with Louise's agreement as he turned on his heel and marched away. Louise looked at his back for a quick minute before she too continued to march towards her destination.

The coat-wearing male walked at a brisk pace, his pretend smile nearly vanishing as he marched in one direction and one direction only. The staff room. It was connected directly to the kitchen, but Ordell didn't give a shit about that. He was going to try and interrogate some of the other maids and cooks in hopes of alleviating his worries about the beautiful maid he had embraced last night.

"What's the matter, partner?"

The voice nearly made Ordell jump as he had all but forgotten about the existence of the sentient but a rusty sword. How he had forgotten that he was wearing the sheathe of the blade on his back was beyond him. Was he perhaps too enamoured in the rampant thoughts going through his mind to so much as acknowledging the fact that there was a talking sword with him? Huh... not good.

"Sigh... just... something has been bothering me since last night."

"You know what's been bothering ME? You two fucking screaming your lungs out for hours on end! At least put a silence spell on me too bro... please... I'm I know but that shit's awkward..."

Nobody ever thought they'd see Ordell blush, they were wrong, but not this time. Ordell laughed off the sword's cries with a half-hearted chuckle, slightly flustered that he forgot about Derflinger during his night of passion with Louise.

"Sorry, sorry~"

He reached his destination in a few short minutes. Ordell didn't so much as wait for a response after he knocked on the wooden door and straight up just barged inside. Almost nobody was there except the one person that Ordell knew best from the kitchen staff. It was Marteau!

"Oh! Hello there!" happily yelled the swoll chef, greeting Ordell with a welcoming smile.

"Hey. Sorry to barge in like this," Marteau knew that Ordell was in a hurry when he heard his tone, a small smile forming on his face when he immediately guessed the reason why.

"Ah, you are here to talk to Siesta, huh?"

"Not completely," the answer threw the head chef off as he would have guessed that Siesta, the sweetheart maid would be just about the only thing to drag Ordell here.

"Then what's the issue? You seem to be... in a hurry," Marteau's tone grew level, serious, his smile all but vanishing from his features.

"I need answers."

Those words alone managed to surprise Marteau the most. How had he, Ordell himself, the person who Siesta unanimously fancied, not known about the poor maid's unfortunate circumstances? Or perhaps there was more to the story than what was being let on? Regardless, Marteau was not one to withhold the truth.

"It's about Siesta's departure, right?"

"Departure?"

...Shit.

"You... don't know...?" now the surprises just keep piling up, and Marteau was not liking where this streak of unexpected was going.

"No... But I have to now. Tell me what happened to Siesta," Ordell's words were completely serious now, and if one could read the expression that Derflinger had, they'd see a serious look on his "face" too.

"Sigh... she left this morning, just over an hour ago. Her contract's been bought by Count Mott, she, according to her contract, serves him now."

Uncomfortable, almost electric silence overtook the room's once welcoming atmosphere, drenching it in an eerie and ominous vibe. The head chef shivered as he felt his hair stand on its end, goosebumps forming across his whole body. Yet, Ordell had not done anything, anything at all...

The strange and terrifying moment lasted for all of the five seconds before it vanished like a puff of smoke. Marteau found himself blinking rapidly, wondering what the hell had just happened as he took deep breaths.

Then, Ordell smiled. His eyes closed and a wide but thin smile appeared on his face. This smile was not the pleasant kind. No, it was far, far from anything that promised a delightful chat. If there ever was a personification of a devil hiding in the body of a human, this would be it. An ominous, almost threatening message to the person who made such a terrible smile appear...

"Thank you for the information. Have a good day."

And so, Ordell left the head chef in complete confusion and slight fright.

Derflinger and Ordell walked in silence for a minute, the sword not saying a word as Ordell quickly walked, almost ran, to where Louise should be around now. The library... Then, the sword broke the silence with an almost quiet but stoic tone, something uncharacteristic for the spirit living in the weapon.

"Hey, partner... are we going on a crusade?"

Ordell blinked but didn't slow down at all. His previous creepy smile was gone, replaced by a stone-cold glare as he marched forth with one purpose in mind. What he wanted to do could potentially ruin his master's life... And that was something he could not allow himself to do unless she was explicitly aware of it. Such was her right, after all...

...

...

...

"...Yes. It's time... for a fucking crusade..."