Chapter 6: Its Time For The Duel, Sword vs Wand

It was the start of a new day in Halkeginia, with each passing second the sun's rays covered more and more land throughout the entire continent, of all the daytime creatures one of the first to awaken was the little birds, stretching and singing marked the beginning of their activities, as the exemplary workers who they were.

They went to fulfill their task in the best possible way, some went to get their daily livelihood, others wanted food for both, themselves and their offspring, some looked for material for their nests while the rest of them looked for a mate, after all, the continuation of the species was the same or perhaps more important than the survival of oneself.

Anyone who saw these creatures couldn't but wonder if humanity would have an equivalent working group, would there be people who would get up so early in the morning to fulfill their duties with a similar dedication? Well, the answer was yes.

The Tristain Academy of Magic was the best and most famous educational center that existed in Halkeginia, it wouldn't only educate its students in magical arts, topics such as etiquette, history, or land administration wouldn't be weird for any student who graduated from the academy, even the level of teachers was high, after, all the school only hired teachers who were in the triangular or square class.

Therefore the quality of the service personnel couldn't be inferior, to be selected they had to go through a rigorous selection process, and although mostly young people, none of them would be out of place working as an important part in any house of at least Earl rank.

Every day they would get up shortly after dawn, after have their breakfast they would clean all the classrooms and rooms where the students would meet, continuing with their work a part would begin with the preparation of the dining room while the rest supported the kitchen staff to have everything ready when the student's breakfast time comes.

But today seemed to be an exception to the rule since it could see a single figure walking through the corridors of the staff rooms even before the other maids woke up to carry out their activities, it wasn't too long, probably anyone could see how they would all go to the kitchen to receive their first meal of the day in 10 minutes, however that didn't take away the curious thing about the situation.

Taking care not to make any sound too loud, the figure moved to the end of the hall, there, standing in front of a door, the figure gave 2 light knocks and waited for an answer.

When it didn't arrive, the figure reached out and slowly opened the door, the room itself was no different from the rest, except for a couple of things.

The first was what was on the small dresser, Siesta approached the garments that had been placed there and without being able to avoid it, her fingers touched the fabric, all she needed was a slight touch to say that the clothes were made with the finest of materials, none of the garments she had held in her hands before matched the sensation this conveyed, as her fingers continued to run across the fabric, the maid's eyes met a printed shape on the shoulder.

"Is this the blazon of Reese's-san family?" She asked quietly with her finger going through the peaks of the blazon.

Leaving the clothes, Siesta's gaze passed to the figure lying on the bed, his red hair stood out in contrast to the muted color of the sheets or pillow, the expression on his face showed that he had a peaceful sleep.

The maid's hand reached out to touch his shoulder and wake him up, but before contact was made the boy moved slightly and his eyes widened, not a second passed when the boy's gaze landed on her, and then he spoke.

"Good morning Siesta"

The sudden greeting surprised her so it took her a second to compose herself and responded. "G-good morning Reese-san"

The boy yawned and stretched his arms to then sit on the bed, without his coat or white pants now a shirt and thin pants of dark fabric covered his figure, Siesta watched with his cheeks a little red as the young man got up and dressed.

When he finished, he lifted the sheets and there was the sword that the boy had with him yesterday, he ... had slept next to his sword? Looking at the golden patterns on the white sheath the maid couldn't help but wonder if the weapon was some kind of family heirloom, considering that Reese had refused to separate from it even while he was sleeping, it was surely very important to him.

When the redhead finished adjusting the weapon at his waist, he looked up and smiled. "Well, I'm ready, I usually take a bath in the morning but I think that today won't be possible, right?"

"Well, the bathrooms for the students open every day after breakfast and close before dinner so if Reese-san waits a bit could bathe afterward"

"I see, and at what time is breakfast served to students?"

"Mmmm". The maid put a finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression, the general appearance was quite cute in Reese's opinion. "I would say in just over 2 hours, approximately"

"Well, then I-grrrrr". The young man's stomach sounded interrupting what he was saying.

….

….

The room was silent for a few seconds until Reese's voice was heard again.

"Please pretend you didn't hear that". The boy asked with an embarrassed tone and without looking at the maid's face, after all, he hadn't eaten anything since he woke up in that white space, and when he arrived at this world he spent all his time talking to Louise so he forgot to ask for something to eat.

Siesta, for her part, more than amused, she was surprised, in all the time she had been working in the magic academy, she had never seen any of the students or teachers behave in the same way that the young man did in front of her.

All the nobles she had seen so far were divided into 2 classes, those who were so refined to the point that they seemed to overact or were emotionless golems, and those who were arrogant to the point where seemed to think they were above even the other nobles.

But the red-haired boy in front of her gave a different feeling, he was friendly without being invasive, and although he did not have the 'elegance' that other nobles had, he was not vulgar at all, thinking about this she couldn't avoid that a slight laugh escaped from her mouth, she wasn't laughing at him or the growling his stomach had made, but at the fact that there were nobles like him.

"Ahh, yes, come on, laugh at the poor guy who hasn't eaten in more than a day". Reese said with an ironic tone as his right hand squeezed the place where his heart was.

"No, it's just that Reese-san really is a curious person". the maid answered before completely processing the redhead's words and opening her eyes with surprise. "Wait! Reese-san hasn't eaten anything yesterday?!"

"Yes, what happens is that after I was summoned I was talking to Louise for hours, and when we realized it, was time to sleep already, it was then that I left the room to look for a place to stay and I met you"

"That's bad! No one should not skip meals, in addition to stomach pain Reese-san could get sick if neglects his diet, from now on if this happens again please tell me and I will take care of preparing something immediately, understand?"

This time Reese couldn't help but be a bit surprised and take a step back by pure instinct, Siesta's tone wasn't aggressive or intimidating at all, it's more, some people might even call it adorable.

Like when a girl scolded a little boy without being really upset with him, this reminded Reese the way of his mother scolding him, so before he knew it, he was nodding at the girl's question.

When Siesta saw the young man taller than her with a surprised expression and nodding quickly she became aware of the situation they were in and laughed again, this time a little louder than the first time, ​this caused Reese to stop his head movement and also laugh at the funny thing about the situation

Shortly thereafter, they left the staff quarters to tower toward the academy dining room when the maid spoke.

"Sorry for acting like this Reese-san, I don't know what happened to me". She said with a slightly regretful tone, after all, even if Reese had said that she could treat him like anyone else, she thought she shouldn't have treated him as a child.

"Come on, don't worry, anyway I'm not a fan of formal and serious environments, I prefer the relaxed and friendly ones, although I have to admit that for a moment I felt a little intimidated, you know?"

"Eh? P-please forget what happened Reese-san". The girl said with shame in her voice.

"Hahaha, I'll try, but I can't promise anything, after all, you really reminded me of my mom when she does that"

"The mother of Reese-san?"

"Yes, since I can remember she has always scolded me in that way, honestly I think she just likes to make fun of me when she sees that I react like in the room"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Dad says she acts like this with me because as a mother she feels more attached to her first child, but I don't think that's the reason, in my opinion, she is simply too childish when it comes to the family"

"It seems that Reese-san gets along pretty well with her mother"

"Yes, I think you could say that's the case, after all, she is one of the people I admire the most". The redhead answered when they both arrived at the kitchen.

"Well, please wait here Reese-san, I'll prepare something quickly so you can have breakfast"

"Thanks, you don't need to prepare much foo-grrrrrrr". And once again Reese's words were interrupted by his stomach, which this time had emitted a louder growl than the first time.

"On second thought, I think I'll let you decide the amount of food". He finished with an embarrassed tone.

Siesta smiled and began removing some things from the materials warehouse, among the most striking was a piece of meat, some potatoes and vegetables, a few spices, and a small bottle.

Reese observed everything from his seat a couple of meters away and saw how the girl quickly washed and cut the meat and then put it in a pot and then put the pot in fire.

For a moment the boy's gaze stayed on the flame that was burned under the pot, his thoughts raced to try to find an explanation on how this world could have something that works in a similar way to a modern stove.

There was no smoke coming out of the fire, so the fuel that fueled it was not wood or other similar material, gas was also discarded, even with the little they knew about this world it was obvious that with the technological level here, it would be impossible create gas-fired stoves, and electricity wasn't even taken into account, probably the only current source in this world would be lightning.

So deep was Reese in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Siesta had already removed the pot from the fire, in addition to cutting the vegetables and moving everything to a new pot.

"Well, just wait a moment and the food will be ready, Reese-san". Said the maid when she turned around and saw the redhead with the hand on his chin and a thoughtful expression.

"Reese-san?" She called as she got a little closer.

"Eh?" The boy answered, coming out of his thoughts.

"I was telling you that the stew will be ready in a few minutes"

"Really? I was hoping that it would take you a little more time, I really must have dived into my thoughts"

"What was Reese-san thinking?" Siesta asked as she took a chair and sat at the same table as the boy.

"Nothing important, I was just wondering how that stove works". He replied, pointing to the object with his right hand.

"The stove?" Siesta asked while tilting her head with a somewhat confused expression. "There aren't any stoves where Reese-san comes from?"

"Not that, what happens is that the ones I know are quite different"

"Really? Don't use fire stones?"

"Fire stones?"

"Yes, those stones that are red and have magical fire energy, people normally use them to light stoves, heat water and things like that, haven't you seen one before?"

Reese listened carefully to this information, after all, the topic of elemental magic stones was something that he did not know that this world had, it was just his second day in this world and there were already things that he hadn't heard anything about in the original series, maybe it was something that was mentioned in the novel?

He really regretted not having finished at least one of the versions of this story, for now, he only had to let himself be carried away by the current, but if he had to make an assumption he would say that there was a magic stone for each element, there would be one even for the void? He definitely had to expand his knowledge of this world.

"I understand what you mean, what happens is that where I come from, the stoves use different things than fire stones"

"Really? So they are something like a bonfire?"

"Umm ... I think a bonfire would not be the correct term, let's say that the stove uses something similar to fire stones, but in liquid form, something similar to oil lamps"

"I see, although it doesn't seem very practical, after all, fire stones last longer and are easier to store than oil"

"Yes, I suppose you are right". Reese answered, to then look once more at the pot that was on the fire and point it out. "Hey, I know that yesterday I said that I wasn't a cooking expert but I'm pretty sure that shouldn't smoke in that way"

"Eh? NOOOO!" The girl shouted after seeing the pot, she ran and took a rag to remove it from the fire and lift the lid that covered it, a moment later her expression calmed down. "It seems that I was able to remove it in time from the fire, although barely"

A second later, the same door through which both had entered burst open, and a male figure entered saying with a scream. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"HYYE!!" A shriek came from Siesta's mouth due to the scare, her shock reached the point where she had practically jumped and released the pot full of hot stew that was now getting closer and closer to the ground.

And although Reese had been surprised by the sudden arrival of the man, he quickly turned his attention to the pot that was moving through the air with a little of the content starting to come out of the utensil, it was as if everything moved in slow motion, at that moment his body moved almost before the thought of what he wanted to do finished forming in his mind.

His body sailed from the chair where he had initially been sitting, his hand followed a fluid movement first catching the rag that at that moment had just come off the handle and pushing it once more to the handle of the utensil, his palm closed instantly when it made contact taking control of the object, the utensil followed a perfect movement returning the stew to its interior and before the time returned to normal the pot was resting on the wooden table in the middle of the room.

…..

…....

….....

For a few seconds, no one said anything, and although the maid and the man who had just entered were surprised, Reese's shock surely surpassed that of both of them combined.

After all, he was well aware of the capabilities he had before arriving in this world, and although it could be said that he was in good shape and that his reflexes were sharp, he knew that on earth he would never have been able to move in that way, not with that fluidity, never with that speed, his gaze moved to his hands and a strange feeling filled him, one he knew well and hadn't experienced in a long time, his palms opened and closed a couple of times when a voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"THAT WAS AWESOME REESE-SAN!!" The maid practically screamed with emotion moving until she was next to the redhead.

"Eh? Do you think?" The boy asked, still a bit stunned.

"YES, YOU WERE SO FAST AND TOOK THE POT WITHOUT SPILLING THE STEW". She answered even with the euphoria present in her voice. "YOU DONT THINK SO TOO, CHEF MARTEAU?" She asked this time turning her head to see the man who was still at the door while behind him was a small crowd of men and women who were also staring in amazement at what had happened.

"S-Siesta, who is this young man?" Asked the now known as Marteau with a still surprised expression and an unsure tone that ended up getting Reese out of his reverie, who after observing the man and hearing how Siesta calls him, he concluded that this was the man in charge of the kitchen of the academy.

"Good morning, my name is Reese, please forgive me for entering your workplace without permission and causing an uproar". The young man apologized while lowering his head a little.

Once again everything was silent for a few seconds until Siesta spoke. "Reese-san is the person that we heard about yesterday, he was summoned by Miss Valliere"

"EEEEEH?!" Was the collective scream of the chef, the cooks, and the maids behind him.

########

One would think that after having seen the reaction that Siesta had when we met, I would have prepared myself for the treatment that the non-magical population of this world could give me.

Well, to say that I was surprised by the attitude that the staff of the academy had with me in our first meeting would be an understatement, and one particularly big, for the first 10 minutes they acted rather cautiously with me and being honest, the idea of leaving passed through my mind, even if I had to give up the stew Siesta had made for me, all in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation for both the workers and me.

But in the end, it was Siesta who calmed the situation, she approached the chef and the workers, then they made a circle and had a conversation in a very low voice, from time to time everyone except Siesta turned their heads to look at me and in the end, I could hear a "WHAT?! DID HE REALLY DO THAT?!" coming from more than one person.

After that, everyone seemed to calm down a bit and their eyes went from cautious to curious, the crowd approached with chef Marteau leading it until the man was in front of me, then slowly, as if in doubt, he extended his hand towards me.

"I'm sorry to surprise you, sir, when I heard a scream in the kitchen I thought something bad had happened, my name is Marteau and I'm the head chef of the Academy"

I didn't delay in answering, I reached out and took the man's hand waving it up and down in a firm but friendly grip. "You don't have to apologize, as I said before, I was the one who entered your kitchen without your permission, so it's my fault, and you don't need to call me sir, Reese is fine, chef Marteau"

Everyone's eyes were open with a surprised expression that seemed immobile in time, except for Siesta, she was smiling as if the whole situation was the best joke she had ever heard.

Fifteen minutes later everyone in the kitchen was sitting at a large table while they ate their breakfast next to me, occasionally I found myself answering some questions such as where I was from, how it felt to be invoked, and even what rank my family had.

I answered as best I could, but avoided saying my family's rank, being honest I really didn't know what to answer, if I said that I wasn't a noble could be counterproductive, not only for the fact that I would have to explain why I had the sword, the blazon and the uniform that were clearly associated with the nobility but for the fact that I could even be accused of stealing them.

But give me a title of the nobility also could be problematic, not only because I didn't even know what rank the Astrea house had, but because I would have to create a whole backstory and honestly I didn't see myself able to do it and remember every detail, so I avoided talking about it, it would be better if all these people believed what they wanted, in that way I would not have to do anything and technically I wouldn't be lying to anyone.

When everyone finished their food, they got up before greeting me politely and then going to do their job, I thanked Siesta for the food and we separated, each one going in a different direction, I walked around the patio with my cell phone in hand while setting an alarm.

My destination was the source where I had washed clothes yesterday so I could wash my face, Siesta had told me that the student's breakfasts would be served in about an hour, I couldn't keep calm after seeing what I was capable of now, and had about forty-five minutes before I had to wake Louise up, so it was time to do a couple of experiments.

########

Walking down the hall I stood in front of Louise's door, my hand formed a fist and I knocked a few times, not hard enough to seem impatient or intrusive but with the forcefulness necessary to get Louise's attention if she was awake, I counted exactly 10 seconds and there was no response, so I decided to grab the handle and turn it.

Surprisingly the door wasn't locked, I understood that this was a school and that the students should be quite safe inside but it really seemed strange to me, and if anyone decided to play a prank on one of their classmates? Or was it that Louise was the only one who had left the door unsecured for me to enter in the morning?

I didn't know and did not feel like trying to open another door to check my theory, an oversight and I could be branded as a thief, or worse if it was a girl's room, I really did not want to be branded as a pervert.

Moving around the room, first I approached the curtains and opened them letting sunlight pass sweeping away the darkness that was all over the place, after that, I walked until I was standing next to my little summoner's bed.

Apparently, in the night she had moved enough to bring a considerable part of her sheets in front of her and hug them like a pillow, I couldn't really blame her, after all, I had also had made a habit of hugging a pillow myself while sleeping since I was a child.

Focusing on her sleeping expression, I had to admit that she was quite adorable, anyone who saw her in this state could not imagine that this same girl could kick your balls or throw an explosion in your face if you angered her enough.

If the women were already a mystery, those that belonged to the same species as my little pink-haired partner were even more, ha, tsunderes.

Letting my inner monologue aside, I put my hand on the girl's shoulder and shook her lightly.

"Louise". I called.

"..…" There was no response other than a slight movement of her body.

"It's time to get up". I tried one more time.

"Umm …" This time she made a sound, so I should keep insisting.

"Louise wake up, come on, it's daylight already and if you don't get up you'll be late for breakfast". And my third attempt ended up waking the girl, she sat on her bed and then rubbed her eyes a few times and looked at me, her eyes widened and she pointed a finger at me.

"I ... it wasn't a dream, you really are here!!" She said with a tone of surprise, did she think that everything that happened yesterday had been a dream? In any case, I should be the one who thought that what happened was the product of my imagination. If I hadn't awakened the moment Siesta opened the door to my room, I probably would have felt confused for a couple of minutes after getting up.

"The fact that you thought that I was just an imaginary friend, even if for a moment, it hurts a little, you know?" I said in a sarcastic tone.

"Eh? No … I". She said with an embarrassed tone, a second later she saw my mocking expression and I swear that I could feel how her temper warmed, I took action and decided to speak before she did.

"Anyway, I'll be waiting outside the room so you can change calmly". I finished then turned around and left the bedroom.

As I stood in the hallway the memories of what I had done in this last hour settled in my mind, I knew Reinhard was strong, but the things I could do now were just ridiculous, I couldn't check all the skills that I had now.

And it's not because I was thrilled and wasted time for almost forty minutes using just one of the blessings, no matter who or how many times asked me, my answer always be the same.

"Well, look what we have here". Turning to find the origin of the voice I found the same girl I had seen in the projection before I was transported here, she was considerably taller than Louise but still was still a little below my height, her long hair that was almost as red as mine fell to her waist, her tanned skin along with her very well developed physique made her quite pleasing to the eye, to put it short words, this girl was a beauty that overflowed seduction from her appearance to her way of walking.

"Good morning miss". I replied following the role of a knight while putting my right hand to where my heart was and leaning slightly, the girl smiled at my greeting and came a little closer, if I remembered correctly, her name was Kirche.

"But how chivalrous, you make it pretty hard to believe that you're somehow related to Louise"

Ah, now I remember it well, in the show she and Louise weren't exactly what one would call best friends, it's more, if I remember correctly, my little partner had openly expressed on more than one occasion that she really did not like this girl.

"It seems the opinion that you have about my summoner is not positive"

"Well, I really doubt that there is someone in the academy who can give you good comments about Louise". She replied while rolling a lock of hair in her finger. "But let's stop talking about her, tell me, what could be your name?" She added leaning forward a little emphasizing her cleavage.

"My name is Reese Van Astrea, it's a pleasure"

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anahalt Zerbst, but only Kirche is fine, tell me, by any chance you are not from Germania, right?"

"Excuse me? Germania?"

"Yes, although not the entire population most of the people in my land have red hair, although I must say that I do not remember seeing anyone with such a vivid color as yours". She clarified while looking at my hair.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but our birthplaces are not the same". I replied with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry, it really doesn't matter, now, what do you think about w-"

"Hey Kirche, what do you think you are doing!!" A voice shouted from behind me, turning I could see Louise with an annoyed expression directed towards the tallest girl.

"Why are you talking to him?" She said as she pointed a finger at her.

At that moment I could see how the red-haired girl's smile grew for a single second before answering calmly. "What are you talking about Louise? What's wrong with greeting the newcomer?"

"I know your intentions, Zerbst, so I warn you not even try"

"Intentions?" She replied while forming a mocking smile. "I have no idea what are you talking about, but even if I had it, why should I heed your warnings?"

"He is my familiar!!" The pink-haired girl screamed and I could clearly see how her face gradually turned redder due to the annoyance.

"And yet he is also a human, or do you plan to impose your will on another noble?" Kirche replied without letting Louise's words affect her.

And the moment Louise heard that phrase her frown instantly disappeared and she stepped back. "I… I … That's not"

*CLAP*

"Okay, both of you, please stop". I interrupted them before this discussion reached the limit and things could get 'explosive'.

"Miss Zerbst, although I can't fully justify Louise's behavior, I would appreciate it if you didn't provoke her, if things escalate more both could end up having problems and I'm sure nobody here wants that"

Kirche stared at me just for a moment before smiling once more and moving on. "Okay, if things are like this then I'll go on ahead, see you, Reese". She said before turning around the corner of the hallway where we could no longer see her.

"You shouldn't be so impulsive". I said when I turned to see Louise.

"She … That woman always drives me crazy". She replied looking directly at me with a frown.

Well, there it was the temperament that I saw in the show, now let's see what I can do with it. "I can see it, but even so, the best thing is to do is rethink things, tell me, Why do you think she is like that?"

"Why? For the simple fact that she is that way, it is in her nature to mortify others as if bringing her some kind of pleasure"

Without her noticing I smiled for a moment, that was the answer I needed to hear. "Then, don't you think that if she sees you in this state she will just keep doing it since she always gets the reaction that she wants from you?"

"Then what should I do!!" She said while raising her voice.

"You have to do exactly the same as you would if the comment came from an ignorant little child, ignore it, I tell you from my own experience, there are only 2 ways you can stop verbal abuse". I explained raising two fingers to emphasize my words.

"The first option is the one that most people choose, answering fire with fire, believe me, that doesn't end well 99% of the time, the situation can escalate even to physical confrontation, in the end, the repercussions of taking this option are at least quite problematic so I do not recommend it"

"While the second option is the one I recommend and what I used myself in the past, when someone sees that their comments hurt you as much as a summer breeze, they lose their calm, and this is worse if you treat them with compassion as if they were small children, at that point, they will leave you alone, or in very rare cases they could try to physically attack you"

"Then what's the point if in the end, both paths end in the same place!" She replied still with a loud voice but with less power than before.

"Simple, you were never the one who provoked her, you never insulted her and above all, you never attacked her, seeing all this on whom you think blame will fall?" I finished my explanation seeing how her eyes opened in understanding.

But to give you a little warning I made sure to add. "However, those are just the final options, the best would always be to sit down and talk seriously with that person to reach a mutual agreement, otherwise, you will not be better than them"

I finished and maybe it was out of habit because I had also done this when I gave advice to my younger cousins and even my sister, but before I knew it, my hand was already caressing her head, however, I did not remove it, after all this also could serve as positive reinforcement.

"I'm sure you're a smart girl, that's why I trust you to would know what you have to do, but remember this, in the end, the only opinions you should pay attention to are those of the people you care about, and more importantly, your own"

Honestly, I was hoping that her reaction would be a bit brusque or even negative, after all, nobody likes to be made to see their mistakes, and when you are young you can react impulsively, however, once you calm down you think about the words that others told you, or at least that's how it was in my case.

So I was surprised when Louise did not reject my advice or remove my hand from her head, instead, she just stood there doing nothing, I slowly withdrew my hand and could see how her cheeks were slightly red, although this time it did not seem to be due to the annoyance.

"What happens?" I asked making her jump slightly.

"I … It's nothing, let's go to the dining room". She answered hastily and then moved down the hall.

Shame? Hah, that was also a possible answer, the girl surely would have realized that what I suggested was the most logical course of action, so she must have been ashamed for not thinking of something like that herself.

Leaving my thoughts aside, I moved to catch up with her a few seconds later, we both walked without saying anything until we reached the entrance to the dining room.

"Well, this is where we parted Louise, I'll wait outside while you have your breakfast"

"What? But what about you?"

"Don't worry, I took care of that before going to your room in the morning, by the way, how long does it usually take your breakfast?"

"About 30 minutes"

"Then I'll take a short walk to distract myself and when you're done I'll be waiting for you here, ok?"

She looked at me for a few seconds until she just nodded and entered the place, shortly after I also moved, however, I did it in the direction of the patio.

While letting my feet take me in a random direction my mind returned to the conversation with Kirche, she had said that her country of origin was Germania, I vaguely remembered hearing that name on the show, although I wasn't completely sure.

That proved one thing I had thought about before, I had to study about this world, its history, countries, and kingdoms, but above all, about this founder Brimir.

From what I understood from Louise, it was he who established the magic system, and the fact that Louise has the blessing [Void] that coincidentally is called the same as the lost element only implies that she must be a direct descendant of the man, the heiress of his power or something like that.

But first of all, did this world have a system of divine protections like in Re:Zero? I didn't remember that something similar was talked about in the program, would it be something from the light novel like the magic stones? Gerald never mentioned it, but he said he kept several details that he wanted me to discover for myself while watching the series and reading each volume.

I sighed, this was going to be a little laborious, well, at least I didn't have to deal with mabeast bloodthirsty suckers, machinations of a clown wizard, bloody cults led by crazy archbishops, and with Hax even more unfair than mine.

I mean, eat the existence of people? Invulnerability for isolating yourself from the flow of the time? Control and amplification of emotions or pain until the victim's mind is broken or even dead? And better not even talk about the witches of sin or Satella.

Yes, this world could not be so … "demanding" like Re:zero, right? Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts away and took my phone out of my pocket, I decided it was time to check something that I noticed from the beginning but until now I had not deigned to check.

My feet stopped, I turned on the screen of the device and fixed my sight where the battery symbol should be, there was nothing there just like when I found it in my pocket after my appearance changed, this meant that now the device had unlimited energy?

Did it work with magic now like in the anime where that boy took his phone to another world? I wasn't really sure but just as a precaution, I would try to reduce the time I used the phone a little bit, and if after a few days it still worked well, then I would stop worrying.

Returning the object to my coat I noticed how there was something near my foot, sniffing my shoes was a small fox, noticing my sight the animal looked at me directly and after a few seconds he bowed his head in a pretty cute gesture, I wanted to resist, I really tried, but I always had a strong weakness and affinity for animals to the point that I had almost decided to study veterinary medicine.

I slowly knelt down trying not to scare the little creature, although none of his gestures seemed to show fear, rather he seemed to be slightly curious about me, I took off both gloves and put them in the same pocket as the cell phone, slowly I extended my hand to his head and I stroked his ears, I have to say that the sensation was unique, I had stroked many animals before, but this little one easily entered the first 5 if we were talking about softness.

I was stroking it for a few seconds until I noticed that more animals were approaching us, among them, I saw a cat, a small bird, a dog, an owl and many more, I felt like I was in heaven, I had sat on the grass and started to stroke them all, surprisingly none was aggressive, the kitten had even leaned on my legs and started purring.

That was until I saw the giant eyeball that came a little later, now, I'm not the type to judge others by how looks, but I had to admit that seeing the creature was a bit … shocking, he was just there, looking at me, until I reached out my hand towards … He? She? Floating eyes had gender in the first place? But the creature simply looked at my hand.

"Don't worry, I don't judge, so if you don't try to eat one of my fingers, I have no problem pampering you too"

And slowly the being floated towards me until it leaned on my open palm. "That's it, good eye". I said while trying to caress it without damaging it, after all, one never knows how sensitive a flying eye creature can be.

Shortly afterward a particularly strong breeze passed through the place and I saw how a blue dragon landed about 6 meters from me, my heart began to beat rapidly, this was a true fantasy creature, I got up slowly and started walking towards the flying lizard, the dragon was 4 meters tall while sitting, I really hoped this didn't go wrong.

As far as I remembered, he was the familiar of the little blue-haired girl, Dabitha? Lavitha? Lavinia? No, wait, that last one was from DXD, I really can't remember, after all, she was pretty quiet, I guess that was one more thing on my list to find out.

When I was only two meters from the animal, he lowered its head to my height reducing the distance between us even more, and looked directly at me, taking deep breaths I stretched my hand until it was only a few centimeters from his muzzle, I really hoped that "How to Train to your Dragon" hadn't lied to me, I waited for a few seconds where I only felt his breath on my fingers, until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he made contact with my hand.

I … I did it? Looking at the creature I noticed how he had a relaxed expression while he let me touch him, I did not find anything in his gaze that said he was on guard or nervous, so I decided to push my luck a little, I moved my other hand until it was under his jaw and I began to scratch him, I felt how little by little he rested more of his weight on my hand.

"Ah, I would love for Ellie to see you, she sure couldn't contain her excitement and would scream even louder than when she saw a horse for the first time". I said to the dragon while smiling, he tilted its head as if he didn't understand.

"You see, Ellie is my little sister, she is quite small and likes animals as much as me, if she were here she would probably be delighted with you". I said without stopping scratching his chin.

Sometime later I had an idea, maybe Ellie couldn't pet the dragon, but a photo? Now, that was something that I could definitely take for her, I was sure I would look really cool in her eyes if I had a picture with a dragon, after all, one never has enough big brother points.

So I stopped scratching the animal and moved my hand towards the pocket, only to be stopped halfway by the reptile's snout, he had taken my sleeve and guided my arm once more to his chin.

"You are surprisingly spoiled for a mythological creature that is normally associated with power and wisdom in the vast majority of stories and cultures, right?" I said while scratching him again, this time it was my other hand that went to my pocket to take out the device, after turning it on I activated the camera, pointed at both of us, and take the photo, the sound of the click seemed to attract the attention of the dragon who looked at the phone with a curious expression.

"What do you think? Personally, I think it's a good photo". I said while showing the screen, the reptile just looked for a moment at the photograph and then raised his head and smelled the air, after a moment I heard a whistle, the dragon separated from me and looked forward, turning my eyes in the same direction I could see the little girl with blue hair and glasses walking to us, I honestly found it a bit funny that her dragon was the same color as her hair.

I stood in my place watching as the huge animal walked to the girl and lowered his head to her height, the girl for her part stretched out her palm and began to caress the muzzle of her familiar, it was then that I decided to approach and speak.

"He seems like a pretty good partner, he really is tamer than I thought, he would b-"

"She". The girl interrupted me.

"Is a girl?" I asked and she just nodded. "And what is her name?"

The girl was silent for a few seconds before saying. "Sylphid"

"I see, well, I would not like to interrupt and I should go back to meet my little partner, I do not want to tempt my luck and deal with her bad side"

I took just 3 steps when I could hear her voice once more. "Name?"

I stopped and turned to look at her directly, she was on the patio yesterday when I was summoned, so she must have listened to my presentation, what's more, now that I think about it Kirche should have also heard my name too, and still, she asked me when we meet today, they … Are they measuring me? Or maybe … No, I better not give that much thought to the matter.

"Reese Van Astrea, but only Reese is fine, and which one is yours? Because although I think it is a good nickname, I don't know if it is to your liking that I call you Miss Dragon Rider". I said waiting for her answer, If my comment caused her something like surprise, indignation, curiosity, or some similar feeling, she did not show it and her expression remained blank for a few seconds, when I thought she would not say anything, her lips parted once more.

"Tabitha". She said and then turn around to continue caressing her dragon.

"Well, then see you later, Tabitha". I said, then turned around once more and started walking towards the dining room.

I didn't take much more than a couple of minutes to get there and when I did I could see Louise standing at the same door where I leave her while looking from one side to the other.

"Waiting for someone?" I said after sneaking behind her without her noticing.

"Hye!!" She squealed in surprise and turned around looking at me with an expression between surprised and a little irritated.

"Y-you, where were you?!"

"Sorry for being late, it's just that I amused myself a little more than I thought when I saw the other familiars, some of them are quite adorable and I'm weak against animals, especially if they are babies"

When I finished talking I could see how Louise opened her eyes in surprise, her slightly annoyed expression had gone somewhere far from here.

"Do you … like animals?"

"Yes, quite a lot, since I was a child I always had some kind of connection with them, is weird?" I asked her while gesturing for us to start walking.

"No, it's just that you reminded me of someone"

"Really?"

"Yes ... my sister, she ... really love animals, especially small ones, she has many in her room"

"Wow, so she is a fellow lover of animal life, surely it would be interesting to see how many little friends she has"

Ending the conversation with that I stopped and looked at Louise. "By the way, where are we going?" I asked in a curious tone.

"WHAT?! You were the one who told me to follow you!"

"Yes, my mistake, it's just that I didn't want to stay in one place while we were talking"

"Ahh". Louise sighed with resignation "Today the second graders have the day off as a way to fraternize with their familiars, the staff of the academy has set some tables on the patio so that everyone can sit down and have some tea or a little snack"

"I know this is something that has nothing to do with me but, didn't you just take your breakfast a couple of minutes ago? If you keep eating like that, you're likely to gain a little weight, you know?"

"W-what? That is only for today! Also, breakfast this morning was lighter than usual, I'm not going to get fat on this!" She said in a strong tone while pointing a finger at me.

"Ok, relax, it was only a comment, also you have a slim and well-balanced figure as far as I can see, so it would be quite difficult to ruin it"

"Y-you". She said as her hands were placed on her chest as if she wanted to hide something and her face acquired a scarlet tint. "Have you been looking at me in that way?! You are a pervert!"

"Perverted?! That was just a compliment". I quickly rejected her comment, after all, I wasn't a pervert … Well, maybe just a little, I was a healthy young man after all, but even with that, I never had done anything like spying on any girl or openly talking about my likes about the female body.

At that moment Louise looked aside and froze, following her gaze I ended up as paralyzed as she was, the reason? Although we had been walking for a while we hadn't moved far enough from the patio, the same patio where at this moment several students were sitting having their tea, some even had an expectant expression while looked us as if they were seeing something really interesting.

"H-hey, I think we better leave this conversation for later, those looks are really starting to make me uncomfortable". I said as I tried to retain the blush of shame that threatened to show on my face.

"Y-yes". Louise replied with the same embarrassed tone, then we both walked to one of the tables that were still empty and sat down, shortly after one of the maids I saw in the kitchen in the morning came and left 2 cups of tea in front of us, she smiled kindly and before leaving she bowed quickly.

"Hey". Louise said calling my attention. "There is something I wanted to ask you, when we spoke yesterday you said that in order for you to show me the skills that you have you needed a weapon like a sword or a spear, but you already have that sword". She pointed a finger to the weapon on my waist. "Why you would need another weapon if you already have one with you?"

"Are you talking about Reid? Well….. it is….. a bit complicated to explain, but trust me, we will all be better if I never have to draw it". Especially for the fact that more than a sword it would better qualify as a nuclear weapon in a hilt, but it's not like I can tell her that part.

Seeming intrigued by my answer, Louise stared at me for a few seconds like she prompting me to continue, but I honestly didn't want to tell her more about Reid, at least not yet, so I looked away and after a while, she seemed to give up.

"Anyway, what kind of skills could you use with a sword or a spear? Those kinds of things only serve to stab and cut"

"I see that you underestimate physical fighters a lot"

"Of course I do it, after all, what could a swordsman do against a mage? Before he has a chance to swing his weapon the mage would finish a spell and that would be the end"

"Don't you think that is a bit of a closed thought? I know of many human fighters that can´t use magic, and even then they could defeat very strong mages". Although I have only seen them through a screen.

"Really? I really don't think that's possible, I've never heard of a mage being defeated by a commoner"

"Well, the world is very big, so it's not really impossible, right?" I finished and turned my head since something in the corner of my sight caught my attention, about 5 or 6 meters to my right I could see a familiar face, a black-haired maid was pushing a cart full of desserts, and more importantly, in that cart was a dessert that I didn't think I could see around here, a passion fruit cheesecake, my favorite dessert since I could remember.

I didn't think about it a second, I got up from the table leaving behind a. "I'll be back in a moment". and I moved quickly to where Siesta was.

"Hey". I greeted the maid from behind making her jump and letting out a little cry of surprise.

"Hya! R-Reese -san? Please don't surprise me like that". She said with a slight tone of reproach and puffy cheeks, a really cute expression in my opinion.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry". I said with a cheerful tone. "I just couldn't help noticing that you have that little piece of paradise in your cart". I pointed to the dessert that had caught my attention.

"Oh? So you want this?" She asked taking the plate in his hands, my answer was simply to nod repeatedly.

"Then please wait a moment, this is for a young lady who has already asked for it, when I finish here I will go to the kitchen and bring another for you"

"Don't worry about it, I won't interrupt your work, I can go myself, plus I'll take the opportunity to also have something for Louise". I said and I quickly turned around without listening to what she tried to tell me.

The way to the kitchen was quite calm, as I got closer I saw more maids leaving with carts similar to the one that Siesta had with her, it was really curious, did this school only hire women to be part of the service staff? Until now I had not seen a man in a butler suit.

When I went through the door I could see the same table where I had breakfast this morning, but this time it was full of all kinds of desserts, there were some cakes, cupcakes, and buns, it was really an amazing sight.

"Young Reese". I heard a rough, clearly masculine voice calling me from my right side.

"Chef Marteau, I see that you have a lot of work". I said approaching the man.

"Yes, you see, when there are these types of events we are always quite busy, tell me, what brings you here?"

"Ah, it's just that I came across Siesta on the patio and saw a dessert that I really wanted to eat, but the one she had was for a student so I wanted to ask if I could have a couple here, one for me and one for Louise"

"A dessert? Sure, I don't see why not, take the one you want"

After thanking him, I taking one of the passion fruit cheesecake that I saw.

"An interesting option". The man said when he saw me take it.

"Yes, this has been my favorite dessert since I tried it when I was a child, now, do you have any recommendation for my little summoner?"

"Umm, the young lady Valliere right?" He asked as if he recognized who the name belonged to. "Then I think this would be a good option". He said taking a plate that had a cake that was filled with something red.

"Blueberries?" I asked looking at the desert.

"Good eye, throughout the previous year she personally requested this cake at least a couple of times a month, so I think she will be happy if you take this for her"

"I see, thanks for this, chef". I said as I turned around with both dishes in hand and start to way back to the table where I had left Louise.

It didn't take long for me to get back to the patio and when I was only a couple of meters from the back of the little pink-haired girl, I noticed a small crowd in the distance, in the middle of it was the blonde boy I saw in the pyramid before being summoned and ... Siesta? Why she was there? WAIT!! THE BLONDE BOY!! IN THE ORIGINAL SHOW SAITO HAD A DUEL WITH HIM!!

I quickly walked past Louise's table and left the desserts there without stopping me, I walked briskly into the middle of the crowd just to see how the blonde had his rose up high, and if I remembered anything about him, was that that rose was his wand, so I quickly my right hand reached out and took the boy's wrist.

"Huh?" He blurted out as he turned his neck to look at me.

"Lifting your wand against someone who is harmless, don't you think you're going too far?"

"You're ... the Louise's familiar?" He said as he turned around to see me, his surprised expression left and I could notice how his gaze became slightly sharp. "What business do you have with me to interrupt me, because of this maid two ladies have been embarrassed and now their hearts are broken, I'm only taking justice in their names as the gentleman that I am"

"Justice? I do not see how Siesta could have caused two girls to break their hearts, unless, of course, they had confessed to her and she rejected them, it is not very common but I really do not judge the likes of others, after all, she is really pretty"

"W-what? It was not for that, she tried to return me the perfume of one of the girls in front of the other, and even when I pretended ignorance she did not notice and thanks to that I received a slap from both and they left with broken hearts"

"Mmm, I see"

"If you understand then stop inter..."

"Basically, you are trying to divert the blame you have in all this towards someone else because you are afraid"

"What?!" He asked surprised.

"Yes, and I really don't blame you for the second". I started with a calm tone. "I would also be a little scared if I were between 2 angry women". Then my tone became serious. "But that doesn't give you the right to blame someone for your mistakes, if you are a man and a gentleman as you say, then take responsibility for your actions"

"You … Are you implying that I'm a coward?" He said in a dangerous tone.

"I don't know, are you?" I asked in the most innocent tone I could.

"What can someone like you know of the value? A noble who threw his pride to be a familiar, and no less than a familiar for Louise the Zero"

"You confuse my pride with your vanity, it's really funny how someone who has himself on such a high pedestal can't see his own mistakes, but that's one of the most common aspects found in someone immature"

"You! I'm going to teach you to close that big mouth". He said and looked inside his cloak for a few seconds before taking out something made of white cloth and throwing it at my feet, looking at the object I noticed that it was a white glove.

"Collect it if you really believe you have value, familiar, because I, Guiche de Gramont, challenge you to a duel"

And when he ended, the student's whispers increased exponentially.

"A duel?" I said as I took the glove and walked towards the blond. "Very well, let's see how good you are then, noble". I finished when I was in front of him.

"I'll be waiting in the Vestri Garden, don't you dare be late"

When he turned around and left I breathed a sigh of relief, that was close, if I had come only a minute later perhaps Siesta would have received the consequences of this, besides that, after the tests I had done this morning, this would be a good way to measure myself in a real battle environment.

At that moment I felt a slight tug on my left sleeve, turning I saw Siesta with a complicated expression. "R-Reese-san ... I ..." She said with an apologetic tone and looking down, however, I interrupted her by clapping in front of her face.

"Come on Siesta, don't make that face, remember what I told you in the morning, I'm pretty bad with this kind of atmosphere, and don't even think about apologizing". I warned her.

"But I…"

"This wasn't your fault, this is the same thing that happened yesterday, you must stop assuming guilt that isn't yours because you are afraid, but at least this time, leave it to me"

Having said that, I turned around and started walking in the same direction that Guiche had left, or that would I have done it if a pink head of hair was not getting in my way.

"You! What do you think you just did!!" Louise yelled with a clearly irritated tone.

"Come on Louise, calm down". I said when I resumed my way with the little mage following me.

"How can you say that! Do you know what implies that you have accepted the duel with Guiche?"

"What did you expect me to do? I am sorry to tell you now but although I am not a person you can really call it disinterested, I will not deny that if I see someone being abused I will intervene"

"But still, this wasn't even your problem, why are you protecting that maid?"

"Well, there are several reasons, first is that it was thanks to her that yesterday I was able to find a comfortable place to spend the night, she offered me one of the service rooms that were empty and today she prepared breakfast for me, all without asking anything in return, basically, it is because she has been the person who has offered me the most kindness so far, but ..."

I added a low tone for her to pay more attention to this part. "Do you remember you said that a melee fighter could never compete against a mage? I think watching this duel could make you think the things again"

"What?" The girl said as she stopped and processing the words that she had just heard. "What do you mean? Hey! Don't leave me here talking to myself!!" She shouted when she realized that I had not stopped and was already a couple of meters ahead of her.

Reaching what I assumed was the Vestri Garden, if the crowd gathered around Guiche was a sign, I entered the circle and stopped 5 meters from the blonde.

"I see that at least you had the courtesy of not making me wait". He said out loud for all to hear him.

"What can I say, my parents raised me to be polite"

"Although it seems they forgot to teach you the correct ways to show respect"

"Oh, don't worry about it, they, and especially a couple of other members of my family made sure to leave me more than clear that I must respect the people who deserve it"

"Let's see how much longer you will be able to keep releasing that kind of comments". He said with a smile when Louise walked to be in front of him and looked directly at him.

"Stop this Guiche, you know that duels inside the academy are totally prohibited"

When Louise released that statement I could see Guiche's gaze falter, although it was only for a brief moment since quickly a smile reappeared on his face and he spoke again. "However, that only applies to duels between nobles, but can we consider him as such?" He said pointing at me with his rose. "As far as I am concerned, at the moment your familiarization contract was sealed he abandoned all the privileges that he may have had as a noble to surrender to the life of a simple familiar"

"What?! That's ridiculous, just for..."

"Louise". I said out loud, drawing her attention. "He is right, remember that the conditions of my invocation are quite special, so it could be said that he is right"

"You see? Even he admits it, so there is nothing that prevents the duel". He said to Louise and then looked at me.

"Now, take your wand, I will not attack an unarmed opponent"

"While I appreciate the gesture, I'm sorry to tell you that I will not use a wand"

"What?!"

"You think that the nobility is above the commoners because they are unable to use magic, right? So if I can beat you without using it, I think it would be enough proof for you to at least think things again". Besides the fact that I am completely unable to use it, but I won't say something like that here.

"Do you want to fight with that sword?!" He asked in a clearly surprised tone and then frowned. "If your arrogance leads you to so much, I will not oppose it, draw it then, it is the least advantage that I can give you to save some time in your movements, after all, even if your weapon is well decorated, against a magician it will not help you at all"

"Yeah, about that, this sword can only be drawn when needed, so the fact that it hasn't left its sheath means this is not one of those times". I repeated the cool phrase with a smile on my face.

"You! Won't you stop making fun of me?!" This time the blonde was clearly annoyed, he passed Louise and waved his rose causing a petal of it to fall to the ground.

"Do not blame me when you end up in bed for a month once this duel ends, that will only be your fault for underestimating me". He bellowed when the place where the petal had fallen lit up and from it emerged what looked like armor, this was holding a sword and its height was similar to that of the blonde. "My bronze Valkyrie will see to it that you learn the lesson"

"Before that, there is something I would like to add, what do you think about a small bet"

"A bet?"

"Yes, nothing too complicated, if you win I will do something you want, although within reason". I added gaining a smile from the blonde.

"Perfect, now when this over you will ask for forgiveness for your insolence, but on your knees!!"

"Sure, but if I win, the one who will have to apologize will be you"

"Keep dreaming, because there is no way that I can lose this duel!!"

And when he finished his statement, the metal doll started running towards me.

############

At the moment Reese declared that he would not use a wand or his sword, everyone on the patio took him for a madman, did he want to face a mage with bare hands?

Even Siesta had an expression between shocked and horrified, even if Reese was as or stronger than a soldier, what he was doing easily could well be called suicide, and the moment that she saw the golem running towards the redhead she wanted to turn her head and look at the other side, but for some reason, her eyes refused to move away from the scene.

Louise for her part was in a similar situation, when she met Reese she thought that he was quite particular, even if he had certain evidence that supported his claim to be a person from another world she refused to believe it until she saw those "magical abilities" that Reese claimed to have.

At any other time, she would have cataloged him instantly as a heretic, however, due to the suddenness of the situation she had not been completely in control of herself, so after thinking it over she decided to wait and first check if the redhead's words were true before doing anything, after all, there was still the possibility that Reese was lying.

But now she had checked, it wasn't that he was lying, it was much worse, she had summoned a madman as a familiar, a person who had completely lost his mind, after all, what other explanation was there? Defend a maid by accepting a duel? And what was worse, refusing to use his only weapon? Who but an insane would do something so stupid? Why did this have to happen to her? Why could she not simply summon any ordinary animal and then continue with her life? As she watched Guiche's golem get closer and closer to the redhead these were her thoughts.

This of course, until Reese's left foot rose when the golem was just a meter away from him.

One step, the redhead took only one step, and it didn't even seem like he was putting any real effort into the action, but at the moment his foot made contact with the ground, 2 things happened that were recorded in the retinas of all present.

The first came from the ground, that unable to resist the force impressed by Reese gave way and broke under his foot leaving a small crater.

The second thing was even more incredible, a shock wave stopped the Valkyrie's advance by pushing it back and even caused it to rise a few inches in midair, and before it touched the ground again, a fist connected with the midsection of its chest.

When the doll received it, it didn't fly away or was split in half, no, the metallic golem practically exploded, the only thing that remained was what was below its waist.

"Since you seem so upset about my state in this duel". Reese said extending his right hand at the exact moment to catch the sword of the Valkyrie that had gone flying by the impulse of his punch.

"Then I will confront you with this, now, let's see who will be victorious, your wand or my sword"