Zero´s Partner

Leaving the headmaster's office, Louise walked alongside Saito, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual, but she refused to let it show. She was happy—very happy—but her expression remained as composed and confident as ever.

"Saito, go to the kitchen and ask Siesta to come to our room. I want her to sign the contract as soon as possible and officially become my personal servant," Louise said, crossing her arms in an attempt to appear authoritative.

Saito smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded. "Alright, I'll call her."

As he walked through the halls of the Academy, his mind spun with the recent news. Becoming an honorary noble... It still felt unreal. He wasn't just any commoner—he was someone from another world, ripped from his reality and thrown into a land of magic and nobility. The idea of being recognized among those who once looked down on him was almost absurd, yet thrilling at the same time. But there was no time to get lost in thought; he had a task to complete.

Halfway to his destination, a delicate yet firm hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Before he could react, he was pulled into a room. The door shut quickly behind him, and the sweet scent of perfume filled his senses.

In front of him stood Kirche von Zerbst, leaning casually against a desk with a mischievous smile, her amber eyes gleaming with amusement. She was dressed provocatively on purpose—a low-cut, short dress that left little to the imagination.

"Ara, ara, Saito~ What a coincidence running into you like this," she purred, leaning forward slightly, her crimson hair cascading over her shoulders.

Saito let out a heavy sigh, already predicting where this was going. "Kirche... What do you want? I'm busy."

She twirled a strand of fiery hair between her fingers, feigning innocence. "Oh, don't be so cold, dear. I'm just curious about you. You're so strong, so mysterious... That only makes you more intriguing."

Saito took a step back, keeping his stance firm. "If that's all, I'll be going now."

Kirche chuckled softly, blocking his path with a swift motion. "Wait, wait. I don't want you to leave empty-handed." With an elegant gesture, she picked up a small chest from the desk and lifted the lid, revealing its contents. Inside were glimmering jewels, small magical artifacts, and even a beautifully decorated dagger.

Saito raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "And why would you give me something like this?"

She smiled, tilting her head playfully. "Let's just say I'd like to stay in your good graces. Maybe, if I give you a nice gift, you'll reconsider spending more time with me."

He rolled his eyes, about to refuse, but something inside the chest caught his attention. Among the treasures lay an old book, wrapped in aged leather with no title or visible markings. The object seemed to exude an air of mystery, and Saito couldn't help but reach out to pick it up.

"This... looks valuable," he murmured, feeling the worn texture of the leather under his fingers.

Kirche's smile widened. "It's a family heirloom, but I never had any interest in it. If you want it, it's yours."

He studied the book for a moment, as if sensing there was more to it than met the eye. Then, with a nod, he accepted it. "Thanks. But now, I really have to go."

Before Kirche could protest, he turned the doorknob and slipped out quickly, making sure no one was around to witness his brief visit to her room. Letting out a sigh, he held the book against his chest, feeling that, somehow, this encounter might have more consequences than he had anticipated.

Now, he just needed to find Siesta before Louise started suspecting anything.

Saito headed to the kitchen, where he found Siesta sitting in a corner, looking downcast. She held a cloth in her hands, distracted, her gaze lowered and her expression weighed down with worry.

"Siesta?" he called softly, approaching her cautiously.

She lifted her eyes and tried to force a smile. "Ah, Lord Saito… What brings you here?"

"I came to get you. Louise wants to talk to you in her room. Will you come with me?" he asked, his voice carrying a gentleness that made her avert her gaze.

Siesta hesitated for a moment but then nodded and stood up slowly. As they walked through the quiet halls of the academy, Saito watched her from the corner of his eye. There was something heavy in her posture, something that weighed deeply on her mind. He couldn't ignore it.

"Siesta… I heard about Count Mott."

She stopped immediately, her shoulders shrinking slightly. Her face flushed red, and her fingers tightened around the cloth she was still holding. "You… heard?" Her voice trembled slightly, a reflection of the shame and fear she felt. The thought of Saito knowing about it was unbearable; she didn't want him to think badly of her.

Saito nodded, his gaze steady and determined. "Yes. And I want you to know that you don't have to worry about that anymore."

Siesta lowered her head, biting her lower lip. "I didn't want you to know about this… I really didn't want to go… If I had a choice, I would stay here… with you."

Saito's chest tightened at her words. He gave her a soft smile and gently touched her shoulder, offering reassurance. "I'm glad to hear that. So, I think you're going to like what I did."

She looked at him, confused. "What did you do…?"

Saito simply smiled, keeping an air of mystery. Despite Siesta's insistence, he remained silent as he led her to Louise's room.

When they arrived, Louise was already waiting for them, arms crossed, but there was no impatience in her gaze—there was a certain softness there, a glimmer of expectation.

"Siesta, at Saito's request, I've decided to make you my personal servant… if you want, of course."

Siesta's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she couldn't say anything. Then, tears welled up in her eyes, and without hesitation, she threw herself into Saito's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you… thank you so much, Saito!" she cried, overwhelmed with emotion.

Saito returned the hug with a genuine smile. Louise, on the other hand, crossed her arms and looked away, feeling a slight discomfort in her chest—a small pang of jealousy she refused to acknowledge. However, she chose to stay silent. This was Siesta's moment, and she deserved it.

After a few moments, Siesta pulled away, wiping her tears, now smiling much more brightly. Then, she turned to Louise and nodded with determination. "I accept."

Louise smiled and handed her the contract. Siesta signed without hesitation, and Louise, satisfied, spoke in a gentler voice than usual: "Welcome to the Vallière family."

With everything settled, the three of them went downstairs together to gather Siesta's belongings. Louise accompanied them—mostly just to stay by Saito's side, since she had no classes that day. As they walked, Saito noticed that, for the first time in a long while, Siesta seemed light, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. And to him, that alone made all the effort worthwhile.

As they walked back to Louise's room, carrying Siesta's belongings, the trio was abruptly stopped by an imposing figure standing in the middle of the corridor. Count Mott, with his arrogant posture and a malicious smile, watched them like a predator studying its prey.

"Ah, Miss Vallière," he greeted, inclining his head slightly in a polite yet clearly condescending gesture. "A beautiful morning, don't you think?"

Louise immediately narrowed her eyes. His mere presence was enough to irritate her. "Count Mott, what do you want? We're busy."

The count ignored the sharp tone in her voice and let his gaze slowly drift toward Siesta, who flinched under his unwanted attention. With a deliberate motion, he raised his hand and lightly brushed the back of his fingers against the maid's cheek.

Siesta shuddered and looked away, a shiver of discomfort running down her spine. Before she could step back, Louise moved forward and intercepted the contact, firmly smacking the count's hand away. "I would ask you not to touch my servant, Count."

Mott's smile widened, but his eyes gleamed with something dark. "I heard that she is under your command now, Miss Vallière. An interesting decision. But perhaps we can negotiate. I have several well-trained servants… How about exchanging her for one of them? A warrior, perhaps? He would be useful for your protection."

Louise crossed her arms and lifted her chin, maintaining her aristocratic composure. "I'm not interested. Siesta will serve exactly as I need, and I already have Saito to protect me."

The mention of Saito's name finally made Mott turn his gaze toward him. The count studied the young man with disdain, as if assessing an insignificant insect. Then, he let out a short laugh. "Ah, yes. The commoner turned pet. I never thought a peasant could fall even lower than they already are. But this world is full of surprises, isn't it?"

Saito remained expressionless, but his green eyes burned with an intense fire. He wasn't easily intimidated, and Mott noticed.

The count turned back to Louise, as if Saito wasn't even worth his attention. "Miss Vallière, would you mind if I tested your… pet? Of course, it's purely out of concern for your safety. Surely you wouldn't mind, would you?"

He stepped forward, trying to intimidate her. But Louise, without hesitation, raised her chin and responded firmly, "No. I will not allow such nonsense."

Students and teachers nearby began murmuring, their attention fully drawn to the verbal confrontation. Some looked outraged at Mott's audacity, while others were eager to see what would happen next.

The count, however, didn't back down. "Hahaha, just as fierce as your mother. Come now, Louise, don't be so rigid. A simple friendly duel wouldn't hurt anyone. How about a little wager?"

He pulled out two rings from a small case—one green and one pink—and displayed them. "These are highly valuable enchanted items. Your servant only needs to land a single hit on me to win them. Of course, I don't expect him to actually defeat me… A mere commoner against a Triangle-class mage? That would be laughable. But… who knows? Surprises do happen."

Louise looked at Saito, ready to refuse immediately. But before she could say anything, he nodded, a confident smile on his face. There was a determined glint in his eyes that made Louise hesitate.

She sighed and crossed her arms. "Very well. I'll allow it."

The count grinned widely, as if he had expected this outcome all along. "Excellent! We'll meet in the courtyard in two hours. I'll call a Sensei to witness, so you needn't worry."

With one last smug glance at Saito and another filled with questionable intent toward Siesta, Mott turned and walked away, leaving a tense atmosphere in his wake.

As soon as he was gone, Louise turned to Saito, her face full of concern. "I hope you know what you're doing, Saito. He's a Triangle-class mage, capable of controlling three elements with mastery. You can't just face him recklessly."

Saito gave her a reassuring smile and briefly took her hand. "Trust me, Louise. I know exactly what I'm doing."

Louise blushed slightly but didn't pull away. She felt torn between worry and an unfamiliar confidence in his determination. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Alright… But don't get yourself hurt."

Nodding, Saito tightened his grip on her hand and gave her a slight tug by the wrist. "I need your help to win this duel," he said, looking into her eyes seriously. Louise's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden declaration, but she quickly nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders.

Without another word, Saito led her toward the room, determined. Siesta hurried after them, still holding her belongings, while the weight of the upcoming challenge lingered in the air.

...

While waiting for Saito's arrival, a small crowd gathered around the makeshift arena set up by the entourage accompanying Count Mott. The stone structure, robust and imposing, easily covered the entire courtyard of the academy, giving the place an even more official and grand air. The sun shone brightly in the blue sky, casting short shadows over the anxious faces of the spectators.

The students clustered on the elevated terraces and in the tower windows, where they would be protected from the powerful magic of the Triangle-class noble. The murmurs among the students were intense, but few believed the outcome would be anything but a crushing victory for the Count. To most, the duel was already decided before it had even begun. The idea of a commoner defeating such an influential mage seemed absurd.

Still, some dissenting voices could be heard. Some professors, though limited by their origins in lesser noble families, whispered among themselves, expressing discontent with Mott's petty attitude. The nobility's politics prevented them from speaking openly, but the disapproval was evident in their darkened glances. Only one man there held enough authority to intervene: Director Osmond.

Leaning slightly on his staff, Osmond fixed the Count with a wise and perceptive gaze before speaking.

"Please, Count Mott. This behavior could be seen poorly by the Palace. I kindly ask you to reconsider your decision and not intimidate the students of this academy," he said, his tone respectful yet firm.

The Count let out a low laugh, not even glancing at the director. His smile was cold, devoid of any trace of remorse.

"Intimidate?" he repeated, as if the very word amused him. "I'm not intimidating anyone, old Osmond. I'm simply a concerned senior, worried about the safety of a junior. After all, it would be a shame if she were surrounded by individuals unworthy of her company."

His tone was laced with condescension. Then, as if to emphasize his authority, he turned to face Osmond directly, his eyes narrowing cruelly.

"Besides, the commoner isn't a student of the academy, is he? No one would care if a leg or two of that boy got broken."

Osmond maintained his composure, but his expression darkened slightly. Mott's disdain for those who didn't share his noble lineage was evident, and worse yet, it was accepted by society. However, the director had no intention of letting this abuse go unnoticed.

"Count..." Osmond tried to intervene once more, his voice carrying a final attempt at calming things down.

"Enough, Osmond." Mott interrupted, now visibly impatient. "I've been more than cordial until now, but I don't want to be questioned about this any longer. My decision stands. The duel will take place."

His wounded pride demanded retaliation. Louise had dared to humiliate him by turning Siesta into her servant, depriving him of taking her as a lover. The fact that a noble of such prestigious lineage as the Vallière family had publicly challenged him was an insult he couldn't ignore. But if he couldn't take revenge directly on her without consequences, nothing stopped him from venting his frustration on the commoner who served her.

Osmond sighed inwardly. This was the part of his position he hated most: watching high-ranking nobles abuse their power, knowing that as long as they didn't harm other nobles of higher status, nothing could be done. But this time, the situation was different. He knew Saito's secret. And even though he couldn't reveal it to the Count by orders from the Palace, he knew that this duel wouldn't be as predictable as Mott thought.

However, he couldn't let the situation get out of hand.

With a decision made, he quickly turned and approached one of his most trusted professors. The sunlight reflected off the glasses of Colbert, who was watching the scene with a serious expression.

"Professor Colbert, please be the judge for this match. At the slightest sign that Saito's life is in danger, end the duel immediately." His voice left no room for argument.

Colbert remained silent for a moment, analyzing the director's face before nodding firmly. He understood the gravity of the situation. Mott wasn't a merciful man, and if Saito wasn't prepared, this duel could very well end in tragedy.

Without further hesitation, the professor made his way to the center of the arena, his cloak billowing in the wind as he waited for Saito to arrive.