Chapter 4 - A Tsundere, How Annoying.

After crushing my head against the wall for a couple of seconds, I finally sit down and begin to nurse the migraine it had caused. "Damn it, goddamn," I mutter under my breath. "Thanks to you, I'm now stuck here, entirely dependent on a sixteen-year-old abusive girl for my survival."

If it weren't for the fact that I had a "slight" chance of everything turning out alright, I would have jumped out the tower window right now. At least there's the chance to survive and potentially come out ahead with some money. I just have to find Arthur's sword.

Well, at least there's a silver lining in things. If I hadn't replaced Saito and just been teleported into this world, I'd be completely screwed. This world is one of massive discrimination. From what I recall, most people with magic are 'Nobles' and therefore above the average commoner, and they usually treat their servants like crap.

It's not surprising that things ended up this way. To be honest, in my world there was slavery in the past, and that was solely because people had different skin colors. Compared to having two different sets of humanity, one possessing magic and the other not, it's obvious to see what would happen.

While I reflect on this issue, the door to my room is abruptly thrown open, revealing the person I least wanted to see right now.

She was incredibly short for a sixteen-year-old girl, standing at a clean 5 feet that were only slightly elevated if she wore heels. Her figure was also incredibly nimble, feeling like I could snap her forearms with bare hands if I wanted to.

Her hair was bright pink and fell to the small of her back, obviously well taken care of and shining in the light as she moved. She was dressed in the typical academy uniform, a clean white button-up shirt, black skirt, and a cape resting over her shoulders secured at the front with a metal clasp adorned with a pentagram.

Why is she staring at me so much? I wondered, but when the girl realized my gaze, she shook her head and her expression changed to a more serious and haughty one.

I would say it was very cute the way she acted. But unfortunately, I remembered that her character was a tsundere.

"I am Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, daughter of the Duke of La Vallière. What is your name, commoner?" she introduced herself in a prim but authoritative manner, causing me to straighten my back unconsciously.

Clearing my throat into my hand with a resigned look, I replied, "My name is Mash... Did you summon me?"

Louise furrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose, her expression hardened by irritation. "You must not ask questions unless I expressly permit it," she said firmly. "Now, close your eyes and stay still for a moment. Be grateful, for a commoner would never normally receive this from a noble."

A knot formed in my chest as Louise's words echoed in my mind. I didn't want to be just a servant, but I realized I was trapped in this situation. My thoughts filled with escape scenarios, with a return to my normal life, but desolation washed over me as I realized I had no choice. So, I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, sitting still and waiting for what was to come.

Louise remained silent for a moment, and in that brief pause, I almost dared to open my eyes to see what was happening. But before I could act, I felt a strange sensation on my lips. Instinctively, I jerked back, startled by the contact. Though deep down I knew something like this was going to happen, the reality of the encounter didn't lessen the impact of the surprise flooding my senses.

Then, the discomfort I was feeling suddenly disappeared, replaced by a searing, agonizing pain that erupted in my left hand.

Gandálfr's glowing runes burned into my flesh, and I couldn't help but let out a scream of pain as it happened. It was as if someone were using a red-hot iron to tattoo the runes onto my skin at a frenzied pace.

Though the pain was unbearable, I remembered not to worry about losing my hand due to this process, thanks to my prior knowledge of the anime. Additionally, there was no trace of the characteristic smell of burned flesh that would have been evident in a real-life situation.

Like Saito, my body convulsed, and I experienced a slight seizure on the bed as the burn began to spread up my arm and then to the rest of my body. The pain kept increasing, until it reached my neck and reached the brainstem, causing me to abruptly faint.

...

...

Louise simply watches this with curious eyes, wondering if this was supposed to happen or not... All the other family members had emerged unscathed and didn't seem to be experiencing any pain at all. However, here her plebeian relative seemed as though he was on the verge of a heart attack. Yet, she felt relieved when he finally fainted, and the sorry sight soured her mood a little.

She had wanted to take him to the courtyard, as it was supposed to be time for the students to meet their relatives... But she supposed her brief conversation with him would suffice for now.