This is about Chibi Spirits

13 September 423

It's morning, I was feeling rather peckish and the breakfast was just satisfactory to my belly. I was content with the fact that I hadn't received any nightly visit. To be fair, I had hoped for Emilia to try and get some answers early on instead of waiting the next day.

I had to give it to her that, if the tactful retreat was driven by a need to plan out how to approach this matter, she had all reasons to not take any awkward risks. The hint was definitely pushing in one direction, but she had to be 100% sure it was a direction she could work on without losing face on it.

So, as I sat down at the seat granted to me by the lengthy table of the dining room after giving Majima something to eat, I found myself in quite the powder-keg situation. Emilia was looking at me, preparing to strike a conversation. Subaru was looking at Emilia, the young man clearly failing to understand how creepy that mere action actually was. Rem was trying her best to not pay attention to anyone, just like her big sis, but she was too Cinnamon Roll to hold herself back for long. Ram was perhaps the only one that was doing a fine job just standing there and waiting for orders. Finally, the twins' boss was studying the entire situation and perhaps trying to understand the reasons behind each unhealthy staring contest that was unfolding by the table.

This was easily becoming a loud explosion in the making, and I knew that, the only way to avoid full detonation, was to address the matter right to the origin. Or at one of the origins to be more precise.

"Lady Emilia, is there something you wish to tell me?"

The half-elf blinked, perhaps surprised by the fact I had decided to break the silence myself.

"I don't recall… mentioning I had anything to ask you, Lord Bukharin."

"But your face says a lot, Lady Emilia," I shot back. "I believe you will spare us both any misunderstanding."

The young woman seemed to think about this, eyes hinting at a brief plotting unraveling as she delivered her response. A brilliant one at that.

"How is… your stay here at the manor going, Lord Bukharin?"

Her sentence managed to gain the surprise and shock of pretty much everyone at the table. Wide eyes greeted the girl as she kept her violet gaze aimed at me. She was asking me, in simple Italian, and she demanded a response. I contemplated playing the long game. Just for the sake of not giving any ammunition to Roswaal to use against me, I decided to be transparent about this development.

"It's a lovely place. The only flaw, but that's my opinion, is that it's quite empty at times."

Emilia's awe seemed to double as I gave her confirmation of her suspicions. She managed a nod and soon she replied back with her accentless tone.

"I'm glad to hear you are having a good time. Sadly, the fact there are so few people is tied to the fact the Mathers family doesn't extend beyond the Lord Margrave."

I nodded. "I was aware of that. I just wanted to express this point, finding it particularly odd."

She spared me a frown, but before we had the chance of keeping up that conversation, Roswaal decided to speak up. Perhaps was the fact that his last name was brought up, or maybe he found the entire situation worthy of some comments.

"Hmm, I don't belieeeve I had the chance of meeeting someone capable of speaking an Elvish language."

"That's because it's not an Elvish language to begin with," I replied with a careful tone, still glancing at Emilia. "In fact, I believe you are aware of who first offered the Elves tribe this form of education."

She nodded, allowing a small smile as she answered. Like a smart child being asked a tough question and knowing the answer to it.

"Centuries ago, the Tribe that once lived in the Elinor Forest shared an unexpected group of guests. Humans that offered us wisdom and protection in exchange of being guests of our land," The girl began explaining. "They lived with the tribe and became part of it, eventually forming families and enjoying their new setting until their natural deaths. While they are long gone, the knowledge and culture they left behind stuck to the very end of the tribes and… I myself have been educated in most of it."

Oh? I wonder how deep that kind of knowledge really is.

"And these men came from my homeland. Which is why the language Lady Emilia just spoke with is one I can easily speak and understand," I ultimately replied. "I'm glad to know that your pronunciation is flawless, Lady Emilia."

She blushed, but the embarrassment behind such a compliment was easily beaten back by a sense of giddiness and a need to test some more about the situation at hand. I saw the multiple ideas now within the girl's head, and I knew that this last day at the manor was going to be quite the packed one.

Once breakfast was over, Emilia decided to take me around the manor so we could share a private discussion about our little connection. She was absolutely hanging to everything I was saying if I brought up anything that could remind her of the good bits of her childhood. I was happy, and I actually felt at ease now that I was talking with someone that could speak and understand my native language.

It felt like I had dropped some weights I had been holding onto for a while now and that I hadn't noticed until that very moment. We were so distracted that we almost tripped down when we decided to pass through a couple of doors while taking the closest route to the courtyard. One moment we were in the halls, the other we had to pause as we entered a big library. A really big one at that. It took me just a moment to remember what place we were right now, but I allowed Emilia to be the one to 'show me where we were'.

"Oh, this is the manor's library. I believe we entered it by accident since it's tied to a spell that forbids many from finding it," She quickly answered with a nod. "This is where the cultural treasure accumulated by the Mathers Family is currently held. The place is protected by a spirit. Her name is Beatrice."

I nodded, preparing myself to see the little girl herself any moment now. There was so much that could be done at the moment with the blonde. I wasn't exactly sure if removing her from the manor now would be convenient for anyone. Sure, it would pull a big asset away from Roswaal's secret arsenal, but it would also gain the condemnation of the man and ruin any chances of actually convincing both Rem and Ram that he was a bastard and shouldn't be followed.

So I waited for the cutie to come by and introduce herself since she wasn't exactly fond of visitors and she definitely was going to make it a point with her own greeting. She took a while to finally appear to our sight, but there was something really off about her approach. Face set in a small scowl and serious eyes aimed at me, the petite spirit was holding a black book in her arms and… fuck.

She stopped right in front of me, bringing the book up for me to pick up from her hands. Emilia stared at the scene in complete confusion, while Puck, the cat-like spirit having remained until that very point stuck within his crystal, finally appeared to address the circumstance.

"Beatrice?" The fellow spirit inquired, trying to make sense why the girl was offering to me that gospel. I had a clue about what was going on inside her head, and I had to blame Echidna for this very annoying situation.

"I recognize the symbol," I admitted calmly, slowly reaching to grasp at the tome's sides. Beatrice didn't do anything to prevent the action, but she tensed up when I spoke up once more. "I have met the Witch of Greed just once, yet I had the pleasure to see how extended her true nature is and be wary of anything tied to her."

…

"You were created by her, weren't you?" I inquired with a serious voice, looking down at her as she spared me a neutral expression.

"Yes."

"Then I suppose you are aware that she wasn't a good person to begin with," I explained with a calm tone. "Smart she might have been, Echidna was far from having a sane mind. She was what many would call a Sociopath. Someone incapable of abiding by moral rules that are seen as the foundation of society itself."

"You… you've met the witch?" Emilia finally asked and I nodded.

"It happened while I was taking care of an old creation of her. A flawed one that had slowly regained a sense of humanity through careful magical operations and patience to see her recover from it," I answered. "Even though the witches are long dead and have abandoned the physical world, Echidna is one of those few that still exist within reality. Somehow. And even so, their legacy is an element that even today influence the state of the world."

The half-elf seemed to actually understand what I had just said, but I quickly returned to glance at Beatrice.

"Do you know why I asked if you knew about your creator's lack of empathy for living beings?"

…

"I think I do, I suppose," She answered with an upset tone.

I didn't say anything at first as I just decided to open up the gospel and make the revelation to be one driven by the lack of words within it. It was the ultimate proof that Echidna was a terrible person, and the very reason why I was very annoyed all the time I came this close to face her. To condemn someone that had helped you to make the last preparations needed for your master plan to four centuries of isolation under the simple plot of having her wait for 'that person' to come and finally bring new duties for her to fulfill beyond just guarding this place.

As I fished the first available page on the book, I paused over the fact that something was off. The page that was supposed to be blank had a single sentence on it. It was curt, it was simple-worded, and it was easy for me to understand. And yet I was having some trouble digesting this novel issue. There was a heavy pause that persisted just a couple of seconds, with Emilia looking at the page herself… and then another, and then another one. I tried to see if it was just a ploy but… the entire gospel was filled with just that set of words repeated on each page.

"That person is… here," Emilia muttered in confusion, and that small whisper was enough to get a reaction out of Beatrice. The spirit reached out for the book, clearly interested in seeing it herself instead of believing the words uttered by the half-elf. I reluctantly conceded it to her, but I braced myself for what was going to be an easy reaction to predict.

The spirit glanced at the gospel, copying my very attempt of seeing if these words were actually repeated all over it. Once she was given the proper confirmation of this, she looked up at me, then back at the book, finally up to me again. A small smile formed, and I knew what she was planning.

"You are 'that person'!" She exclaimed, causing Emilia to glance at me with a frown.

"'That person'?"

"I don't think Lord Bukharin knows about this, Lia," Puck jumped to my rescue. "I think it was something written on that book Beatrice had been keeping for a long time now."

"My creator- she said that someone was going to come and… and give me a purpose," The petite girl added with a nod, her blue eyes staring at me with absolute hope. "And her gospel says you are the one!"

Yep, that's what the Gospel said… which meant that Echidna somehow predicted I was actually going to come here in this part of the world and meet Beatrice. I wasn't exactly sure how she was capable of writing on that gospel, but, considering what she managed to accomplish with the creation of her 'dreamworld', I wasn't that surprised that she somehow had some control over a couple of her creations.

"What do you mean with 'giving you purpose', Beatrice?" I asked, feigning confusion and inability to understand the full extent of the situation.

"It's simple, I suppose. You will become my new contractor."

…

That just couldn't work out. There were many issues with that very request, starting from the fact that there was a major issue about that.

"But I'm not compatible with you since I have an affinity with Yang Magic. I can sense that you are a spirit that is more attuned with Yin." I replied. "That should be a problem that would prevent the formation of a contract to begin with."

The blonde frowned. "Your affinity is strong in Yin magic, I suppose. Shouldn't you be aware of that?"

"I'm quite certain that I can't have a Yin affinity strong enough to make us both compatible," I rebuked, feeling quite confident about it. "I have a fairly strong Yang affinity, and that should prevent me from actually developing an equal might with its perfect opposite."

"You have a lot of Yin energy in you," I was opposed, this time by Majima as she looked at me from my right side. "I've been sensing that since we first finalized our contract."

But that didn't make any sense! While it was true that some individuals were able to develop strong affinities for two opposing natures, those cases were either tied to the Sword Saints or those that bore the Witch Factor. I was neither, which meant that something was really off about my body for it to actually have an easy time handling both forms of magic.

Still, I had a really big problem to handle and I couldn't come up with a lasting reason to not get spared from this decision.

"W-Wouldn't you miss Puck?"

"I can still visit, I suppose," Beatrice remarked calmly. "Or the opposite, especially since Lady Emilia is quite endeared to your actions."

The half-elf blushed to these words, but she didn't say much about to deny those.

"Uh- the library? What about Roswaal?"

"I've long served my duty and… I don't care, I suppose."

Gah, so harsh but rightfully so!

I wanted to say no. I imagined the ramifications, which I could technically weather and make sure those weren't going to leave lasting damage on anyone's opinion here at the mansion- then I tried to imagine the big loss of depriving Barusu of Beako… and then I remembered how I had set him in a situation where he wasn't going to suffer a lot of the early deaths. At least, until a little after the canon Royal Election arc.

Finally, I stared at her eyes and I could tell that she was so close to begging to be taken in. I felt Majima nudge at my leg, clearly pressuring me to make a decision since she could feel the upset inside my head right back at her. Either that or she was asking me to take her somewhere where she can pee in peace. It wasn't that insistent, so I was quite certain it was the first option.

I knew that I was going to regret a couple of things no matter the decision I took, and I knew that with how the situation was right now within the timeline, this was perhaps the best route to take to give Beako a good future.

I sighed and…

And I finally bitch-slapped Canon into oblivion.

The ride back home was remarkably calm despite how intense things had been before I had the chance to leave. Roswaal had been quite 'understanding' when the full situation was explained to him. The full situation that lacked any mentioning of Echidna beyond my knowledge of the witch of greed and the gospel that got Beatrice to take this plan.

I wasn't completely sure he wasn't plotting against me, but I felt like he really didn't have much of a choice considering the entire predicament. He was going to get curious about me now that he was aware his mentor had built an interest over me. I doubted he was going to plan anything big without me noticing. I had a vast reach with my spy network.

It was easy to find the most appropriate procedures to recruit and vet individuals that wanted to join it, so I had a variety of people that were keen to stay loyal and provide me with a full blanket of research over the entire kingdom. While there were other cells that existed beyond Lugnica's territory, none of those were organized properly just yet. Either for a lack of manpower or because it was difficult to keep things a secret.

The carriage was quiet, with Majima sleeping on my lap while Beatrice was sitting on my right side. The spirit's attention was aimed at the small book she had decided to bring out with herself from the library. It wasn't anything complicated or even tied to magical education. It was a collection of fables of old that she had decided to bring with herself. She mentioned it was her favorite book since it gave her a sense of wonder and distraction when she needed to think elsewhere than the moment itself.

I didn't see any reason to deny her that relief, but I was also reminded that I had yet to get a good way to start our relationship as spirit and contractor. Sure, she didn't seem to mind the fact that she was sitting beside me in the carriage, but I was certain that things just weren't going to start well and improve if I just kept quiet about the entire circumstance. I didn't want to appear helpless, and yet I didn't have anything to work on.

That is… until I noticed something about the blonde. Albeit difficult to see with a brief glance, the moment I started to look a little more at her form, I saw that she was… shaking. It wasn't anything tied to an emotion, or something that had her upset- no, it was a reaction from her body to… the cold. She was shivering and realization struck me as I realized what was going on.

Despite her clothes offering a fine protection to most of it, the cold that was in the carriage, which was fairly close to the temperature outside, was worse than the one I had felt in the library. Even as she tried to fake it, Beatrice was genuinely freezing before my own eyes and-

"Are you feeling cold, Beatrice?" I asked calmly, trying to address the matter without offering any of my growing worries and cause the girl to react wrongly.

The blonde paused in her reading, lifting her gaze up to mine to offer a faux confused look.

"What?"

"I can see you are shaking. Are you feeling cold?"

The petite spirit kept on staring, trying to come up with an excuse, as if expecting a form of punishment if she didn't. Seeing her reluctance, and expecting her to make things more difficult than they needed to, I knew that it was only for the best for me to act and allow actions to speak louder than words themselves.

The girl tensed up a little bit as I removed my jacket, but her concern turned to surprise and then confusion when I brought the cloth over her shoulders. She blinked, instantly feeling her body warming up thanks to the extra layer of fabric. Blue eyes glinted thankfulness from her, but it was short-lived as another thought entered her mind.

"What about you?"

I blinked. "What about me?"

I was now without a jacket, but barely annoyed by the cold itself thanks to my Yang Magic. It was easy to create a thin layer of warmth around myself to keep the freezing temperature from hurting me. She looked at me, then at the silvery silhouette that had formed around my frame and she connected dots.

"You really are… an odd one, I suppose."

"I've been told this a lot now," I remarked. "I suppose I'm truly odd compared to many."

…

"I didn't mean to offend you, I suppose."

"I know," I replied with a smile. "I can tell you didn't mean to make it an insult."

Beatrice spared me with some more staring, eventually resuming her reading and enjoying the lack of unpleasant cold getting her this much unhappy. A few hours went by in complete silence, but, just like everyone else afflicted by boredom and a new sense of initiative born from her regained freedom, the girl ended up concluding her reading session as soon as she let out her first yawn. Tired, but perhaps enticed by the warmth to pursue a need to fall asleep than else, the girl tried to close her eyes and rest in that position. A dumb move considering how sturdy the cushioned seats actually were.

Frustration seemed to build up at the lack of progress on that front and she tried to find a way to solve this. The blonde stared at Majima with jealousy, almost interested in getting that 'seat of power' herself so she could finally have a proper slumber. I noticed this, and I hummed.

"Do you want to sleep sitting on my lap?"

The petite spirit quickly glanced up at me, confused, embarrassed, and immensely annoyed by that sudden offer. Yet, as the tiredness pushed her to make a hasty decision, the girl decided to surrender to the proposal and go through with it. As she settled on my lap and brought Majima close to her in that little pile she had created, I could only stare at them both with a frown. No comments, no snarky remarks- they both genuinely looked like they were trying to enjoy a pleasant trip back home- to the castle.

I wasn't exactly in the mood to ruin their little rest, and, before I knew it, I had my eyes closed as I enjoyed the relatively warmth coming from that absurd circumstance.

Afterthoughts: Beako get!? I know many are going to scratch their heads at the chapter, so here are reasons why I decided this was the best course of action:

1) The reason why Beako picked Barusu was tied to the fact she grew to appreciate him as a decent human being. At that stage of the story, Subaru was actually far from his early behavior- he had grown out of some of his childish elements. That, coupled with his endless wave of determination, made him an endearing option for Beako to choose as her contractor;

2) The first reason can't be applied into this timeline. With Barusu skipping deaths, he is effectively unable to get through the growth he had back in Canon. He is more childish, he had less interactions with Beako, and he has no reason to explore the library beyond some quick reads. So, no reason for him to be interested in anything beyond civilian-type knowledge.

With that out of the window… here is the Omake!

Omake 18: The Statesman and the Princess

Many things could be said about me. I was stubborn, I was idealistic, and I tended to go in great lengths to protect my friend, even endangering myself and my future in the process.

Now, I have seen many crazy things happen ever since I entered this world. I fought a corrupt Merchant, subsequently destroying his ring of operations, and then befriending royalty. There was much more that could be brought up, but the list was fairly long and it wasn't exactly helping me face the current scandal I had caused all because I couldn't say no to someone.

I was really panicking when the clarity of what happened last night hit me like a high-speed train. I was sweating bullets with the ramifications of my actions- the things that, the night before had felt so nice and good, were now nails that added at my coffin. I was so dead and at the same time so happy.

But while I was exuding nervousness because of my trail of thoughts, the other occupant of the bed which had been more than happy to make quite the interesting few hours until just a while earlier decided to wake up. Humming happily and stretching her arms to break away the last dizziness on her body, Veneranda Lugnica, the Crown Princess herself, opened her bright red eyes as a recollection of memories from the night before struck her with the most gorgeous emotion possible. So much that she was already grinning eye-to-eye because of it.

Glancing to the side and pausing to see my fully awake self, the girl giggled and leaned in for a kiss on the lips. I didn't shy away, a mix of shock and undeniable sense of attraction urging me to allow the small hint of affection strike me fully.

"Good morning~," Veneranda greeted chirpily, making me sigh.

"Morning, dear," I replied, making her giggle again as she slowly leaned forward to give me a hug.

"Last night was amazing~," She commented happily. "If only I had been a little more forward earlier on, then… things would have definitely been spicier."

"That and alcohol," I remembered. "Lots of alcohol."

My comment had her sigh. "Yes but… you can't say that it wasn't glorious."

As glorious as her body was. I was really having some trouble keeping my stare on her face rather than down below. There was so much that I remembered and yet… it felt as if I wanted more than just that.

Gah, this is bad as it is! I don't need to worsen things up for us- the court- everyone will-

"Are you disappointed in… what happened yesterday?"

My jaws dropped, the young woman quickly catching on with my relative frustration.

"No," I admitted. "I'm just worried about what happens next."

"I'm not afraid of some old fools rumoring and making noises."

"If it comes out that the Crown Princess, someone that didn't have any serious commitments until today, has slept with someone with no noble title like me-"

"You are the mayor or Erindor and the… title father gave you."

"It doesn't quantify as proper nobility," I remarked and she huffed.

"Then I will just bestow you with a title and be done with this."

"I… this is still going to lift up a lot of issues."

"Yes, it will," Veneranda accepted. "But I will not be alone now, will I? Because I can tell you now, that you will not be alone yourself if you are here with me too."

…

"You know that I can't say no to that cute face."

The blonde blushed, her teasing mood busted by that cheeky comment. "W-Well, it's not my fault I turn in a dummy when around a handsome moron."

It didn't take long for the two of us to get off the bed and turn to the bathroom. Our usual stay there took triple the time for both to be done with our routines, mostly because the playfulness of the morning sparked some more action. No matter the nervousness before the possible problems ahead, a smile, a kiss, and a hug from my best friend turned lover made my brain, body, and soul ready to face it all. I had someone close to me, and friends, family and those that believed in change.

We weren't going to lose. Not at all.