3

It had been a few days since Leo and Felt had come to the Astrea manor, each day while being a routine of the same thing managing to hold something new for them.

The second day at the manor Felt had managed to get the maids to hand her back her usual thief's clothes to her excitement, not that she cared much for the fact that the maids had taken the time to clean them, to her it made little difference.

It wasn't the only time that Felt had gotten worked up, however, attempting to make an escape every day through various means, desperately trying to return to the life that she once had. But every single attempt ended in the exact same way, either Grimm or Karol quickly taking action and thawing her attempts before handing her over to Leo so that he could calm her down.

As a result, the two had quickly gotten much closer during their stay, in comparison to Reinhard barely making any progress in getting closer to Felt.

When it came to Leo, the pair continued to get along, always making sure to hold at least a sparring match a day while Flam and Grassis watched over them, the pair ready with a towel and water for Leo when they would wrap up for the day, leaving him ready for whatever free time that he would have while Reinhard spent the rest of the day attending to whatever business for the day.

Strangely enough, the only part of his life that he struggled to get used to was his free time, as all the time that was spent either sparring or learning with Felt went by so quickly, being perfectly used to what was his new normal.

The best that he could do to fill his free time was either attempt to read the magic books that Reinhard had supplied him with the assistance of Flam and Grassis or spend time with Felt in various different ways. One night after having finished their dinner is exactly what he did before choosing to go to bed.

"So, what did you think of that one then?" Leo asked the three girls that were on his bed, the two peach-haired girls politely sitting on the end while the blond in a thieves attire was laying there, kicking her legs in the air.

While it had been Felt that had initially entered the room, demanding for Leo to entertain her in some way, the twins had already been with him helping him with his curiosity about magic. Naturally upon the demand of the feisty blond his plans for the night changed, with him offering the twins the chance to take a break and join in with hearing his story.

"How did Mary's mother survive in the end? That part makes no sense…" Felt questioned as she perked up again at the end of hearing Leo's story.

"It was a story that was supposed to be suitable for children to hear, meaning that they usually like hearing happy endings to them and don't care too much for logic," Leo nonchalantly replied, not giving much thought to his answer. "Where I come from, if possible, we shelter kids from the truth of the world and slowly feed in lessons by weaving them into stories,"

"Do you think that we can't handle hearing anything else?" Felt enquired somewhat grumpily.

"No, it's just the first story that came to mind." Leo swiftly and casually replied despite Felt's rising emotion. "But if you want then I can give you some kind of story like that, maybe something famous… or maybe something from mythology like Pandora's box."

"Pandora's box?" Grassis repeated, curious at what kind of story from history could have taken up such a name.

"Keeping it brief, it's about how a woman of near perfection called Pandora who in her curiosity opened a box, accidentally unleashing its contents on the world when wanting to know what those contents were." Leo quickly answered with a smile, as he faced the twin. "It was a story to explain the state of the world but it's all nothing but belief, none of it being true at all."

"Um…" Grassis mumbled as she looked about slightly awkwardly, "Sir…" she started.

"Do you want to hear it next time?" Leo guessed, getting the little maid to gently nod in response.

"You don't need to worry so much about making a request, I'll always be willing to listen," Leo replied with a smile, helping ease the girl into smiling back at the desired response.

"Yeah, I don't see why you're always so formal about everything, it would be easier for you to just be more relaxed with him. Big Bro isn't horrible and demanding like stuck-up nobles you know." Felt quipped in making the twins look at her in shock towards her suggestion.

"Miss Felt, we couldn't. It is our current duty as maids to serve him. We couldn't possibly treat him, or any superior that way." Flam quietly responded as she lowered her head, making Felt begin to think that the two were possibly slightly helpless.

"But I would say that she's got a point." Leo joined in the shock of the girls. "I wouldn't mind a little bit of informality from you, honestly it would make getting along with you less stiff."

"But it would show poorly before others…" Grassis argued, only for Leo to shake his head.

"But that will hardly be all the time. If it's that kind of situation then sure, but why not when we're more alone like this?" Leo pointed out, making the girls go silent for a moment as they exchanged glances, thinking about what was being asked of them.

"If it's what you ask for… Sir Leo." The girls eventually responded in unison, trying to hold back their formalities without success.

"Really?" Felt said in disbelief.

"I guess they'll need to get a little more used to it…" Leo sighed in response at the effort of the girls, "But hopefully they'll be able to relax more at some point, honestly it's always better that way."

It was then that the four went interrupted by a knock at the door, stopping their conversation as they pondered who and why someone would be knocking on Leo's door despite the time of day.

"Come in," Leo called out as he shifted his seat to turn away from the girls on his bed to the doorway, waiting for whoever would enter his room.

"I am sorry to intrude." A butler said as he walked into the room, "I am here to inform you of a message from Sir Reinhard, if it is not too sudden, you will be able to go to the Mathers domain tomorrow." the black-suited gentleman continued.

"That is a little bit abrupt…" Leo thought aloud as his eyes widened slightly at the revelation before Felt was quickly upon him,

"You're leaving already?!" Felt exclaimed before looking back at Grassis and Flam who blandly looked back at her. "Are you going with him?!" She frantically asked.

"We serve and tend to Sir Leo unless we are instructed otherwise we shall be travelling with him." Flam calmly answered for herself and her sister, her response making Felt nearly pout in response.

"Then I'll be the only one left out!" Felt exclaimed, realising that the twins would be able to get a story from Leo the following night, or that they would be able to spend time with him at all while she would be left with nothing but her lessons at the mercy of Grimm and Karol or even possibly Reinhard if he decided to get involved with her again…

"It'll only be for one day you know?" Leo said earning an upset glare from Felt again.

"It still isn't fair that only you can go!" She rebutted in frustration at the events she was forced to conform to.

"Do you want me to do something when I get back?" Leo asked making Felt freeze as she desperately thought about something to order out of him, wanting to make the most out of the offer. "If you keep complaining about not being able to go out and do things then maybe we could go around the capital at some time? Reinhard will likely insist that either he, Grimm or Karol come along through…"

"Fine! That's the best that I can be hopeful for anyways!" Felt said before smirking, "You better make it fun then, or don't blame me for what happens!"

"I hope I live to expectations…" Leo sighed, already thinking how hard it would likely be to please Felt, or at the very least she could be slightly kinder than he was expecting her to be. Either way, whatever his punishment would be he felt confident that it would be nothing short of exhausting should it pass…

"Shall I take it that you are prepared for your journey to the Mather's domain? Shall I inform Sir Reinhard of this?" The butler asked.

"Please." Leo quickly answered, getting the butler to bow in response before leaving the room. As soon as the man had left the room leaving him with the children once again did he then turn back to the kids that were sitting on his bed. "Well, change of plans. I'm not staying up as late as I thought."

"Come on Big Bro, it isn't that late. You'll still be having breakfast at the same time right?" Felt said, trying to get Leo to change his mind, wanting to be able to stand with him for a little bit longer. It was after all the only time that she truly got uninterrupted with him for the whole day, and he was practically all of the enjoyment that she got from being here.

Leo didn't answer right away, instead, he paused, thinking about the request. 'This place doesn't even have clocks dam it. How do they keep track of time?!' Leo thought in irritation. It was truly a pain when he finally had to manage some of his time for once. 'But I guess that I could just sleep in the dragon carriage, Reinhard mentioned sending me over in one of those.'

"Fine, maybe if your lucky I might be willing to go even longer than usual," Leo replied with a slight grin, his answer much to the satisfaction of the girls that sat on his bed, although Felt was the only one to openly show it while Flam and Grassis did they best to hold back their smiles in the attempt to hold some respectfulness as maids.

"Right, you can start by telling us another story! Grassis wanted Pandora's box so I guess you can start telling that one." Felt immediately began to order with a smirk.

"Who put you in charge like that?" Leo couldn't help but sigh at the girl's behaviour but nonetheless complied with her order, much to the enjoyment of Grassis as she waited for the story to be told, hoping to satisfy the curiosity that had managed to be sparked within her.

Not that she was the only one to get worked up, as yet a certain blond girl didn't hold back her excitement, openly showing it as she kicked her legs and leaned in, boosting her hearing with her magic...

Upon the light shining through the curtains and the knocking of Flam and Grassis did Leo greet the new day like any other in the short time of being at the Astrea manor. Reluctantly taking his time to get out of bed while Flam and Grassis insisted on at least preparing his clothes for the day.

"Sir Reinhard recommended wearing these to the Margrave," Grassis said as she and her sister held up clearly different clothes to Leo's regular ones, being some smart black shirt and trousers with a white overcoat that was much like Reinhard's own clothing when he claimed to not be on duty, only in a slightly different colour scheme.

"I guess I wouldn't be against it…" Leo thought aloud as he accepted the clothing, "And I guess with the guy having such title and position, it wouldn't exactly do well for me to appear in just anything."

'Thank god that this isn't too formal… I couldn't stand having to wear some formal suit and jacket all day…' He thought to himself with a sigh, doing his best to make sure his thoughts didn't leak out onto his face in the possible event that the twins would take it the wrong way.

"Alright, thank you. Could you two please leave the room now?" Leo asked, facing the twins again as he looked up from the clothing he had been inspecting and thinking about.

"Of course, Sir Leo." The twins answered simultaneously, "Once you are changed, you are expected within the dining room for breakfast before leaving for the Margrave's domain." Flam added on before they turned around, taking their leave from the room as per their orders, closing the door behind them giving Leo his privacy.

"I'm finally going… I wonder what they will think when they see me?" Leo thought aloud, throwing off his night robes to begin putting on the black shirt that had been given. 'Then again, there is the chance that they know they will be getting a visitor at least, but would they know who?' he pondered, putting on his trousers and coat before looking at himself in his mirror.

"Is Reinhard trying to make me like him or something? Or is this about training to be a knight? I thought he said this kind of clothing was off-duty stuff…" Leo continued to muse to himself as he took in his new look. It wasn't to say that he didn't like it however, in fact, it was something that he quite liked the look of and was plenty comfortable being easy to move in.

And the coat was quickly becoming one of the best things he had ever worn…

Breakfast was something kept brief but it wasn't unlike any other, either Felt, Reinhard and Leo eating under the gaze of Flam, Grassis, Karol and Grimm as they stood in their positions, making sure that they remained respectful of their masters.

While Felt had been steadily getting more accumulated to her new lifestyle, her behaviour slowly yet steadily getting better as she got used to everything, not that it changed her sour moments. One of them had been during breakfast, as throughout she clearly remained in a mood, something that Leo already clearly knew why not, that he knew anything he could do for her…

"This will be your dragon carriage for your trip to the margrave," Reinhard said as he, Leo and Felt whilst accompanied by Karol, Grimm, Flam and Grassis who followed politely behind their masters.

"Not bad at all…" Leo replied with a whistle as he looked upon the carriage, noting the high-class carriage that was before him, with plenty of golden touches and ornament at the very top of the carriage which another servant politely held the door open allowing everyone to see inside to the luxurious seats and interior.

"You really don't hold back at all, it just makes me wonder how hard will it hit when I eventually have to support myself…" Leo mentioned before taking another glance at the clothes that he was beginning to get used to wearing, with it becoming more and more comfortable the longer he wore it, the clothes getting more used to his body.

"Wouldn't you say to enjoy it while it lasts?" Felt said from beside him with a mix of a disgruntled yet happy mood.

"True that." Leo quickly replied before looking at Reinhard for any possible reaction out of him, only to be privy to noticing the lonely forlorn look that was once on his face yet again. "Something wrong Reinhard? Don't tell me you're going to be lonely now? I'm sure Felt will be lively enough for you without me." he lightly joked, hoping that it would be enough to change what he thought to be loneliness.

"Ah, please do not worry for me. It is nothing." Reinhard quickly replied, snapping back to reality, quickly putting on a smile for Leo, not that it was something convincing for someone who had seen how forlorn he was.

"Whenever someone says stuff like that, they're always lying. Spit it out." Felt quickly interjected slightly, shocking Reinhard from the first instances of possible concern that she was showing despite her harsh tones.

"Well, I guess I already have gotten used to having you live here with me. It will already feel a little different for the short time you are gone." Reinhard eventually answered with a somewhat awkward voice, giving the slight impression that he would be embarrassed to have admitted something like that, yet his face remained the same as ever, with the expectation of a slightly faltering smile.

"I didn't mean to strike that close to the nail…" Leo replied, somewhat taken back from the earnest response, "Well what I said still stands, Felt's gonna keep you busy one way or another and I'll be back soon enough. I know it'll be hard getting by without my presence but I'll return soon." he continued to tease with a smirk, managing to make a smile reappear on Reinhard.

"As if I'm dependant on you like that! This place is just such a pain in the ass!" Felt shot back before grinning. "Just don't have too much fun without me, and tell me how Big Sis and Bro are doing ok?"

"Will do," Leo briefly replied before finally breaking from the group, walking towards the open carriage with Flam and Grassis following right behind him, soon hopping in with him before the driver shut the carriage door behind them.

"See ya then, and thanks for the clothes, Reinhard!" Leo called out as he lowered one of the posh windows, waving back to the small group that was standing before the Astrea estate with a smile, with Felt and Reinhard returning it back as Grimm and Karol merely bowed towards him.

"I'm very glad to hear that! I hope to see you soon!" Reinhard returned as he gently waved away Leo.

"Don't be too long Big Bro!" Felt cheerfully yelled back as she wildly waved back with both of her hands.

Had it been either from focusing on saying goodbye to one another or simply lack of awareness, no one had managed to sense a fourth, more excited and concealed presence within the carriage…

It had been a few hours of riding in the dragon carriage, having patiently waited within as it continued to be pulled along the unique creature that was the ground dragon pulling it, the riding being something unexpectedly smooth, until the twin maids before him proceeded to mention the dragons divine blessing.

"There're all sorts of them huh… and clearly some more useful than others…" Leo uttered thoughtfully as he brewed over the new information that the twins had left him with. "And Felt mentioned that they're rare, yet there are some blessings for whole races consistently…" he continued to think aloud.

"I guess it's all something that you would try to take advantage of if they weren't so luck dependant." He eventually said almost with a sigh. "I would be nice to have a little boost like that, but I guess that I don't have one."

"If someone has a divine blessing then they usually know exactly what it is without needing to be told, Sir Leo," Grassis mentioned, briefly earning his attention.

"So as you grew up, you just knew or at least had the feeling that you communicate with one another telepathically?" Leo asked, propping the twins to both nod back in response.

"Um, excuse me sir but, it was something that I wondered since yesterday but may we ask what kind of life you lived, not knowing about magical affinities or divine blessings?" Flam then asked, her voice meek and quiet as if she felt she was pushing her bounds as a maid, hoping that no offence would be taken from her words.

"Oh, well…" Leo said, lapsing into thought about the best way to answer the maids, "From my perspective, it was perfectly ordinary, but turns out travelling the world a little bit has changed that opinion… I guess you could say I was a touch sheltered and was only really told about the things that I needed to know, and not much aside from that. I didn't need to know about those things so I didn't." He managed to fib, hoping that the girls wouldn't be so perplexed by his words, and nor would press any further.

Well, even if they did press for better answers then he simply could just order them to stop, but even so, that wouldn't be enough to prevent any curiosities of theirs.

"I see, if you ever have any enquiries or need any assistance then please do not hesitate to call on us," Flam replied before a knock was heard from one of all the carriages walls, right where the tiny sliding door to speak with the driver was.

"Sir Leo, we will soon be arriving at the Margraves Manor." The faint voice of the driver said, prompting Leo to take a peek outside one of the windows to see whatever new scenery was there, beholding the sight of a quaint little village, where various people moved about with their daily lives, each of them making sure to not be in the way of the dragon carriage while a few kids excitedly ran about, trying to follow after the carriage as it went by.

"He lives near a village, that's nice. I haven't managed to see much outside the capital." Leo said to himself with a smile. "Always thought the gentle, peaceful life would be one of the best."

"Do you wish to stop here for a break sir?" Grassis asked as she heard her master's whims.

"Mm? No, not really. We should make it to the manor first since I imagine they would be expecting us. It shouldn't be too hard to go there later now would it?" Leo replied as he looked back at the twins with them bowing in response again.

"As you wish sir," they spoke in unison.

"Your still rather formal…" Leo noted to himself at the response. "While at the manor it might be best to appear normal like that but when we're on our own I don't mind you being more relaxed if anything I think it's important to be like that and enjoy a few things while your still kids." He told them, getting them to exchange brief glances at his words, the pair of them holding a sense of awkwardness at the request they had received.

"If those are your wishes, Sir Leo." Flam eventually spoke for the both of them, finally facing him again, trying to settle back into normalcy, something that Leo couldn't help but find somewhat disheartening.

'Kids like them already having been moulded into the adult world like that… how much have they ever been able to enjoy themselves? By their age aside from school I was still basically doing whatever I wanted for fun…' he thought to himself, holding back his frown, at least for now. Instead, he started to focus on things for the future.

'I don't know when I'll ever get some money of my own but… I should definitely try to give them a treat or something later. It's just kinda sad otherwise.'

"Anyways, talking about expecting us, I wonder if either Emilia or Subaru will be there to greet us right away? Or in fact, what is Subaru doing there if he's still there at all? I know I'm not exactly in the position to say it but I hope he's not leaching…" Leo then thought aloud, not really trying to hide his disgruntled thoughts at Subaru leaching off of Emilia or Roswall as his voice became unusually deep.

"Sir?" Grassis spoke up worriedly, neither her nor her sister missing out on the sudden deep tones of their master.

"Ah, sorry… I should have a better grip on myself than that, not to mention unjustified…" Leo hurriedly said, snapping out of his thoughts again as he tried waving of the concern of the two girls. 'Flam now knows I have a witches scent and likely told Grassis… I can't be acting like anything offputting…'

"As long as everything is alright," Grassis replied before they returned to looking outside the carriage again, seeing the last of the scenery go by as they began to rapidly approach some rather grand gates that were open wide for them, allowing them onto a nice stone laid path directly to a manor of even greater size and extragenic than that of the Astrea Manor.

"So this is the place of the Margrave, and here I thought Reinhard was living near the top. Being a court magician makes you something else I suppose," Leo thought aloud as the door of the carriage went held open for him by the driver that had gotten down from his seat, allowing him to step out and onto the ground for the first time in a while as Flam and Grassis followed.

"Now I suppose…" he started before something interrupted him.

"Hey! Leo is that you!" A familiar and energetic voice called out to him as the doors of the manor suddenly opened to the reveal of someone.

"Subaru?" Leo said as he looked up to the familiar person in not so familiar clothing, of what they were designed for was completely undeniable. "Your a butler now then?" he summarised looking at his new smart black clothing as he walked up the stairs to him.

"That's right! I got Roswall to hire me so that I could stay close to Mili!" He excitedly exclaimed.

"You got him to hire you? So you made him do it? And Mili?" Leo enquired, doing his best to keep up with what Subaru was saying. "And how did you know so perfectly when I arrived?" he added on as he finally stood before Subaru.

"Mili is my nickname for Emilia, it's pretty cute huh?" Subaru excitedly responded, "And yeah, when I woke up here, Roswall offered me a blank contract for saving Mili, so I asked to be hired here."

"Well, that's better than the first thing to come to mind… actually you've already got a paying job, food and roof. That's not bad progress for a few days." Leo replied helping further Subaru's energetic smile, something that somehow wore out Leo just by seeing it.

"Plus I keep close to Mili, smart choice right?" Subaru practically boasted.

"Yeah, good for you, but you do realise something else right?" Leo tiredly replied before a grin found itself on his face. "That also means that you'll basically be serving me during my stay as well." he grinned, making Subaru give a rather intense yet lighthearted grin back yet before he could say anything they went interrupted.

"And Barusu is already mistreating our guest, you bring shame to Lord Roswall's hospitality." A harsh voice suddenly cut through their conversation, prompting the pair to look further into the manor towards two approaching figures.

"We maids of the Mather house welcome you on behalf of our Lord." Two maids said in unison, bowing after they made the approach.

"My name is Ram, one of the Mather's Manor's maids." A pink-haired maid introduced herself, standing alongside another girl that was practically identical to her in appearance just like Flam and Grassis were, with their defining difference being their hair colour.

"My name is Rem, the head of the Mather's Manor's maids." The blue-haired maid introduced herself, her expression completely blank but it only made the glance she gave Leo offputting.

"Is something wrong? You're staring a little bit." Leo noted, getting Rem to snap out of her daze, or rather what was starting to feel like a glare.

"My apologies sir, please forgive me I was lost in thought for a moment." Rem calmly replied as she gave another polite bow, making Leo simply shrug his shoulders in response. Even if she was ahead maid or just someone with a lot on her mind, would it still be reasonable for people to so suddenly space out so early into meeting someone.

"Please forgive my sister sir." Ram said taking the attention to herself, "Would you please come inside and meet with Lord Roswall, after the messenger he and Miss Emilia have been expecting you." She continued before noticing the other maid twins that were present as well.

"Hey, Leo, are these girls with you as well?" Subaru asked almost as if on cue, pointing out the two little girls that were stood dutifully on either side of him.

"My name is Flam."

"And mine is Grassis" the two girls quickly introduced themselves. "We are the maids in service to Sir Leo," they bluntly continued, getting straight to the point about their roles.

"You've got two cute maids like them in service to you?! What kind of life have you been living?! Why do you get to live the destined life of any reincarnated or summoned protagonist?! Where did my status go?!" Subaru almost comically cried out in response to the introduction of the maids as he dramatically flailed around the place getting everyone to either look at him blandly or in confusion.

"Your status couldn't have gone anywhere if you never had any Barusu." Ram quipped with surprisingly little change to her voice or expressions as she spoke. "Now instead of making a fool of yourself try to follow after us or make yourself scarce."

"So harsh!" Subaru exclaimed.

'Just a tad more than deserved…' Leo thought as he released the faintest of sighs, already beginning to be able to imagine just what kind of life Subaru had likely been living for the past few days.

Little did he know just how wrong he was…

"Please, this way sir." Rem then said as she gestured further into the manor before she and Ram began to walk ahead, allowing Leo to follow with Flam, Grassis and Subaru following after him as well. The black-haired butler secretly took a suttle deep breath before making sure that he was keeping up with the rest.

The group quickly turned toward one of the corridors of the manor, allowing Leo to see more and more of how large and well decorated the whole place was, every aspect of it being enough to somehow set it into a tier above Reinhard's own place, something that Leo didn't think was possible unless he was going to be walking through a castle.

Yet, there was something different about this place, and it was more than the appearance of the building but more so its size…

"Um, how long have we been walking?" Leo could help but ask before glancing back the way that had come to see the corridor seemingly expand back indefinitely, his enquiry getting the Mather maid to come to a stop and quickly glance at one another as if they knew what was going on.

"It must be Beako again," Subaru answered with a smile, getting the attention of Leo, Flam and Grassis.

"Beako? Is there someone with the ability to make these corridors infinitely long?" Leo inquired.

"Yup, it's one of her methods of protecting the manor, at least until she judges you a safe person or you find her," Subaru explained for him, already looking from door to door, seemingly thinking about just which door would be the correct one.

"I hate to ask this but you have quite the talent for breaking into Miss Breatice's library, Barusu. You can serve your only purpose by finding her for us." Ram ordered as she turned to the butler, her face as best only slightly annoyed, possibly letting more of her true self leak out whilst trying to remain professional for her job.

"Leave it to me!" Subaru declared as he moved towards one of the doors before moving on to the next. "I've got to prove my worth after all!"

"Is it really something to be that prideful about?" Leo asked as he tilted as head, more so wondering about where all of Subaru's energy came from, or why he was so fired up in the first place.

"Miss Beatrice is the protector of the Forbidden Libary, one of her methods of protecting it is being able to move the entrance of the library to anywhere she pleases in the whole manor, meaning that finding her when she doesn't wish to be found is almost impossible." Rem formally answered him, helping Leo understand the situation more.

"And Subaru happens to be a major outlier, someone she just can't keep out?" Leo summarized.

"Barusu will shamelessly break into any room, if you happen to be staying the night I advise all of you to firmly lock your doors." Ram quipped making Subaru spin around in a hurry.

"Don't go ruining my name like that! I'm not some sort of horrible pervert!" he desperately yelled back before suddenly snapping to the door that was in front of him. "It's this one!" He declared triumphantly as he opened the door up, exposing the room that lay within.

"This is it?" Leo asked as he walked up, glancing into the room to see the expansive library that lay within, as well as an unexpected little girl that was sat before them on a stool, book in her hand. "And is this… Beatrice? Beako?" he asked uncertainly taking in the whole of her appearance, noting her blond, drill-shaped twin tails while she wore a pink, frilly dress with white trimmings that left her legs mostly exposed from the front, with pink and purple tights covering her legs

"My name is Beatrice, or Betty I suppose. I am contracted to protect the library, do not go calling me names like his!" The girl replied slightly heatedly as she glared at the group that was intruding in her space. "It's infuriating to Betty that you keep finding this place so easily…" she grumbled, her words aimed towards Subaru who didn't seem to care much for it, not that she paid him much attention before looking back at Leo.

"So you consider me a threat? Or at least a possible one?" Leo continued, getting straight to the point that had led them to her in the first place.

"You are quite the unusual one, anyone who knew either of your stench or your authority would be naturally wary I suppose." Beatrice quipped back before pinching her nose. "Honestly, the two of you are too much. At least he doesn't have any trace of a witch besides that I suppose."

Naturally, upon hearing her words, the blue and pink maids suddenly tensed as they quickly shifted to aggressive demeanour's, clearly no longer happy with his presence. Automatically, Flam and Grassis stood in their way, likewise ready for a fight for the defence of their master while Subaru went straight into a fluster.

"Wait wait wait wait! Please! Didn't we talk about this?! He used his ability to save me and Mili! He's not a cultist!" Subaru desperately pleaded, getting in the way of the four glaring maids.

"She also said that you have the scent." Rem pointed out, "Subaru, Lord Roswall has graciously given you a job here and you have been trying your best, even wearing yourself out so soon but."

"It's incredibly suspicious for him to help out someone like me." Leo cut in, guessing at what Rem was getting back.

"All of you should stop and listen to Betty I suppose. There are cases of people like him being innocent. I never said he was bad." Beatrice then interrupted getting all the attention back to her, not that hostilities dropped in the slightest.

"The annoying one and the elf explained you had an ability that sounded quite like an authority, they only come from witch factors of sin in fact," Beatrice continued with a fixed gaze, one that didn't indicate what side at all that she currently stood on making Leo only hope that she would be a voice of reason, and that said reason said that he was more trustworthy than not.

"First of all, even if I apparently have authority I actually have no idea what it is. I'm assuming that Emilia and Subaru described my od manipulating ability?" Leo calmly enquired, trusting that Flam and Grassis were more capable than their appearances suggested.

"That would have to be an authority, a power unique to you but born from a witch factor of sin. A power typically used by a witch or the archbishops of the witches cult. And once by a warlock, I suppose." Beatrice answered him, completely unchanging in expression and voice.

"And you once knew someone who had an authority who wasn't like any of those things though?" Leo asked, remembering what Beatrice had just mentioned to him making her flinch with his words as grief briefly passed over her.

"Yes, I suppose…" She slowly answered looking down, "But that does not concern you, in fact!" she then fiercely snapped, taking Leo back slightly at the sudden turnabout of her demeanor.

'But it kinda does in this situation? Doesn't it?' Leo briefly pondered to himself before shaking off the thought. If the girl didn't want to press into it then he wouldn't, but it was gradually beginning to think that the girl wasn't so much like any other. If anything she was starting to possess a similar yet different oddity that Cecily possessed.

"He took in a witch factor because he had to, where and why did you take one in? Or did it manifest without your knowledge?" Beatrice asked him, something that had only one thing spark to his mind.

"If it can manifest in a physical form, just what would that look like? Because I have only one idea about something I interacted with to be a witch factor." Leo earnestly replied, doing his best to ignore the deadly stares on his back that felt to be getting worse.

"I guess a black blob would be the best way of putting it. You would know it when you saw it I suppose." Beatrice immediately answered, impatient for an answer.

"Then something like that was forced upon me," Leo answered making everyone go still, while only Rem remained infuriated in contrary to her sister who was simply highly sceptical.

"Continue." Beatrice simply stated.

"She was a platinum-haired girl, her only clothing was a white bit of fabric like a poncho otherwise she was nude. Even looking past her clothes she was really peculiar and cryptic and she insisted on giving me a gift, making a black blob float over to me and then it forcefully entered me." Leo began to answer while Beatrice intently listened to every word that he spoke, something that the others noticed and were intrigued by the girl's own curiosity.

"It was unpleasant, to say the least until everything settled down. She simply stated that she was curious about what kind of power I would gain but she vanished then and there. I haven't seen or heard about her since." Leo finished, leaving the library silent while Subaru frantically looked back and forth between the two sides.

"Do you know who that woman was?" Leo asked, breaking the silence for a moment as he looked back at a thoughtful Beatrice.

She didn't answer immediately, instead choosing to lower her head, his story seemingly having struck a heartstring of hers. "Your similar to Juice…" she eventually mumbled, forcing everyone to have to prick up their ears to try and hear her.

"I don't know who that woman is but she's bad news I suppose," Beatrice said as she looked back up again as if there was nothing wrong. "I have one more thing I want to ask, and then one thing I want to do."

"Which is?"

"You and the two maids of yours are clearly present. But what about the spirit following you, I suppose." Beatrice said, immediately igniting shock among everyone in the room. "The moment you entered the manor I could detect you, you've been following him and are here I suppose." she continued, not speaking to anyone in particular.

"Huh, then find me! Find me!" A cheerful voice suddenly broke out, instigating even more shock from all of the maids as they recognized just what they were dealing with.

"Cecily?! What are you doing here?!" Leo exclaimed as he began looking around the room before settling his gaze on the top of one of the bookshelves, locking on to where he at least felt that the girl was.

"I said I found you interesting! Fun stuff seems to happen around you!" The cheery voice answered before there was a small shimmer and glitter before the childish blond girl came into sight, right where Leo had been looking. "You found me again!" she grinned before hoping down, prompting Leo to hurriedly move forward and catch her again.

"Mm? So you're not contracted then?" Beatrice asked getting Cecily to look straight past Leo at her, but she only did so for a few moments before looking back at Leo one more time and grinning at Beatrice, not giving her a verbal answer.

"Contracted? You referred to her presence as a spirit as well…" Leo thought aloud as he turned back around to Beatrice, clearly confused about what was going on between the two girls.

"You're just as slow as he was…" Beatrice grumbled in annoyance before hopping off her stool and walking right up to Leo. "Just stay still." She commanded, soon pressing her hand to his stomach even more so to his confusion while Subaru began to grimace, knowing exactly what was about to happen to him.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked before his body suddenly felt like it was both on fire and being electrocuted at the same time, forcing him to drop to his knees in exhaustion, taking plenty of his remaining strength to not drop Cecily to the ground.

"Why did you do that?! Meanie!" Cecily angrily exclaimed as she hopped out of Leo's arm with flaring magical power while Flam and Grassis worriedly rushed to his side.

"I took some of his mana to test his nature, revealing to me he isn't a bad person. Now that Betty knows he is safe, you can all leave me now." Beatrice said, not even turning to look at the apparent angry spirit as she moved towards her stall and book, returning to her reading yet again.

"Don't worry, Beako can be a little rough but she's not a bad girl." Subaru said as he walked over to Leo, "I had to go through the exact same thing when I first woke up here." he explained while Flam and Grassis supported him.

"You know… really harsh for just testing me… Reinhard simply had lie detection…" Leo grumbled, doing his best to stand up on his own, trying not to rely on the child maids.

"Of course, that man would have such a thing." Beatrice huffed. "I guess no cultist or anything like it would get by him so easily I suppose."

"If you knew that you could have trusted him more!" Cecily exclaimed, not calming down in the slightest much to Beatrice's irritation.

"I am contracted to protect this library and cannot take risks I suppose. If you are old enough you would know better than to be careless around someone who smells like him." Beatrice retorted, "Now you can all leave!"

"Right, we'll be going now Beako! I'll be sure to check on you later!" Subaru replied to the group as they each made their way out of the library.

"I'm telling you to not!" Beatrice replied before the door closed, cutting them off from the library once again.

"We apologize for our hostile behaviour and rushed decisions." Rem and Ram suddenly apologized as soon as they left the room, once again acting in unison as they deeply bowed towards Leo.

"Well… I don't really have the energy left for this…" Leo sighed, still going slightly supported by Flam and Grassis, something that while he was thankful for their thoughtfulness he was displeased at the fact that he needed any assistance at all.

"Hey, don't we have some bocco fruit for him? I know that Emilia had some that she gave me a few days ago." Subaru pointed out hoping that the maids would know where a few more would be.

"My sister can go and get one while I take you to Lord Roswall and Miss Emilia, I'm certain they are wondering where you are now." Rem answered as she raised her head, giving a quick glance to Ram who caught the signal before leaving the group, walking back down the way they had come making Leo only assume that she was after whatever fruit Subaru had mentioned.

"Will it still be possible to continue walking a little further? The chamber that Miss Emilia and Lord Roswall are in isn't too much further and would offer the chance to rest." Rem asked, turning back to Leo with a fixed gaze, something that Subaru noticed with worried eyes.

'Did this not change anything at all?' Subaru couldn't help but think to himself in worry…

"I would rather not appear in such a state for first meetings but… being able to rest is appealing…" Leo sighed before directly looking at Rem. "Sure, let's go," he answered, making his desires clear.

In response, all Rem did was nod before turning around to once again lead the way forward towards the room that they would be meeting in, having Subaru follow with Leo, Flam, Grassis and Cecily in tow.

"Welcome~ to my estate, sir Leo! My name is Roswell L Mathers~ as I'm sure~ you must know." A clown figure immediately greeted Leo the moment that the doors to the meeting room were opened to him, his arms spread wide whilst he had an almost off-putting smile on his face. "I must~ say, however, that you do see so awfully tired~. Did something perchance happen to you before our meeting?"

"A blond girl in the library touched me." Leo managed to reply as he did his best to stand straight on his own, yet still somewhat failed to do so.

"Ah, you have already~ run into Beatrice have you? With Subaru alongside you, I guess that it would be no~ surprise! Whilst I do hope you take no offence, please~ sit down!" Roswell replied with his unique attitude, continuing to smile whilst gesturing for him to sit down at one of the sofas that were in the room.

It was a gesture that Flam and Grassis both took without hesitation as they quickly and stoically helped Leo over for him to sit down before taking their positions, standing behind their master, whilst Cecily joyfully plopped herself beside him.

"Once again I feel I must offer my most sincere apologies, it truly is such a poor way to welcome~ the sword saints pupil," Roswell said whilst he too walking into the room, taking a seat on the sofa across from Leo, letting Rem and Subaru to close the doors for them.

"Don't worry about it… she said that it was akin to a security check which I find acceptable under those pretences…" Leo replied. "I mean, from what I've heard recently there is a certain power about me that you weren't pleased with hearing about."

"You shouldn't be ok with her! She was a meanie, she knew the red knight couldn't be fooled yet she still hurt you anyway!" Cecily quickly jumped into the conversation as a pout found its way onto her face.

"Calm down a little bit, if what she said was true then I can't fully blame her…"

"Well~ I thank~ you for understanding. I must admit once we heard Miss Emilia recount her venture's in the royal capital, I assume that Beatrice has already explained things to you?" Roswell said whilst leaning forwards, resting his head on his bridged hands whilst looking at Leo with piercing eyes.

"That I'm the most suspicious person around? Yeah… It makes me appreciate all the fact that there are lie detectors and the like in my life."

"Leo!" Another voice suddenly called out as the doors suddenly burst open revealing Emilia walking into the room with Ram walking into the room behind her. "I'm sorry that I'm late, but, I heard that Beatrice drained mana from your gate. Are you alright?" she asked as leaned in checking over his completion.

"Yeah… I'm fine, but uh… you're a bit close." Leo replied, automatically leaning back slightly from the half-elf's face before she realized what she was doing.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It's just that I was looking forward to you coming over today, and then I heard what Beatrice did to you." Emilia replied whilst recomposing herself, placing a hand on her chest to calm herself down briefly before remembering what she was holding onto. "Oh right, please eat this. It's a bocco fruit, it'll revitalize your gate a bit to help you recover a bit of mana so you'll feel better."

"Oh, thanks" Leo replied as he took what was presented in her hand, being a small round orange berry. The moment that he swallowed it down his body abruptly filled with energy that drowned out all the fatigue that he had been previously feeling. "Oh, that's potent!" he couldn't help but exclaim.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better now," Emilia said with a beaming smile as she sat beside Roswell, glad for the fruit's effects.

"That's Mili for you, so kind and caring, EMA!" Subaru suddenly excitedly burst out to Leo's shock and Emilia's confusion as everyone else paid the butler no mind.

"I don't really understand what your saying, but you don't need to flatter me," Emilia said with a weak smile, leaving Subaru as the questionable presence in the room.

"You mean that isn't the first time he's acted so questionably?" Leo then questioned.

"What do you mean questionably?!" Subaru snapped back.

"Yeah, but Subaru is always with so much energy and helps make every day more interesting even if I can't understand him," Emilia replied to Leo, the two of them completely brushing past Subaru's existence at the moment. "But don't you and Subaru come from the same place? I thought you two knew one another, at least you both seemed as unique as one another when we first met."

"And I am hoping you simply are talking about our dress styles, but we don't know one another, the first time we met was the same time we met Reinhard when he got into trouble in an ally."

"Leo! You didn't need to add that at the end! You're going to affect Mili's thoughts of me!"

"Ah, so Subaru has always needed help with everything then."

"Mili?!"

"Ha, even miss Emilia and sir Leo recognizes your uselessness Barusur." Ram then quipped, taking the presented opportunity to further drive Subaru into the ground.

"You didn't have to go in and give the finishing blow you know!" Subaru shot back with a surprising amount of energy in his voice for a defeated man.

"I don't know if I witnessed workplace bullying or just one of the more unique relationships of my life…" Leo mumbled to himself as he glanced towards the servants, ponding if there was anything that should be done about the situation. Not even Emilia or Roswall were doing anything about it either so perhaps there was something that he wasn't understanding?

"But how have things been going for you, Leo? I read that you've become Reinhard's student now, and also, have you when did you meet, um…" Emilia said before slowly going quiet whilst gesturing towards Cecily who cheerily remained clinging to Leo's side.

"I'm Cecily!" she simply replied as cheerful as ever.

"And I'm Emilia, it's nice to meet you Cecily, but when did the two meet, however? It's amazing that you're already in a contract with a great spirit within just a few days!"

"Now hand on Lia, I don't sense a contract between these two yet." Another voice suddenly spoke out whilst Emilia's hair began to shuffle slightly before a familiar tiny cat suddenly poked its head out before floating into the air.

"Ah, um, Puck, right? Isn't that what you were called back at the loot house?" Leo immediately said for the cat to nod in response.

"That's right, my name is Puck, Lia's contracted spirit. It's nice to meet ya." He said with a smile before starting to settle down in Cecily's outstretched hands.

"Wait a moment, you two aren't in a contract? Then what is your relationship with one another, you seem rather close despite not having a contract like me and Puck." Emilia then asked, reevaluating the two that were sat before her only for Leo to shake his head in response.

"What does having a contract exactly detail thought Mili? You have kept mentioning it but you don't seem to be using it the same way that I am used to." Subaru then spoke up with his grown curiosity, making his way into the conversation whilst visibly shocking Emilia at the question.

"You mean that you don't even know what a contract is?" She asked with a mixture of bewilderment and worry. "A contract is like a vow that you can't go against, at least not without consequences attached, but at the same time for spirit arts users, it's what bonds us with our spirits and makes us partners."

"Yup, you could think of a very simple contract with a spirit something like you lend them your mana so they can better survive whilst they lend you their gate in turn allowing you to perform more impressive magic." Puck then chimed in.

"If you are wondering, one of my conditions with Puck is making sure to converse with the lesser spirits at least once every day.

"Yup, I thought that it would be best to help Lia grow into a good girl."

"I see, I see, well good job Puck. Your actions are most praiseworthy!" Subaru replied in his every eccentric demeanour, nodding to himself all the whilst to the confusion of everyone in the room.

"Well, putting Subaru aside, I know that you're here to catch up and converse with Lia but whilst you're here there is something that I wanna do!" Puck said with his arms crossed, floating right before Leo before finishing his sentence, keeping his mind running. "Like Subaru, you helped protect and save Lia, so I want to offer you my thanks. And by that, you can feel free to ask a request of me."

"Eh? Puck? Leo too? I mean I am really thankful towards him but he's with Reinhard. Is there anything we can actually do for him now?" Emilia questioned, almost seemingly slightly worried about her foster father's sudden declaration.

"I think you'll find~ Miss Emilia that you both~ hold correct ways of thinking." Roswall's unique voice then was heard as everyone turned to the Margrave that had hardly spoken at all since Emilia's arrival. "As your sponsor, it is imperative~ that I do my best to reward him as such for his actions as well~."

"I truly~ with to do something for Sir Leo here, as~ such, I offer him the same. To name whatever~ you desire and I shall do my best to supply!" He announced, whilst leaving Emilia conflicted about the situation, she never voice any denial as she turned back to him, bringing everyone's attention with her.

"Well, I did also offer Subaru something as well to say thanks but he never asked that much out of any of us really, he can be so silly at times." She said yet the gentle smile spoke volumes for itself whilst Subaru was completely conflicted at how he should take his angle's comments about him.

For a few moments, there was silence as Leo spent the time processing the multiple offers he had just received from the three different individuals, everyone in the room almost unknowingly getting hooked on the young man as they pondered about just what he would eventually ask for from the three powerful individual's.

"I get how you can call Subaru a fool but… frankly this makes the three of you worse than him…" Leo eventually replied with a heavy sigh at the absurdity of the situation, to the shock of everyone in the room about the first words that left his lips.

"You would take the chance to insult Lord Roswall, even for the sword saint's pupil you must be quite the character." Ram couldn't help but speak up first, whilst doing her best to maintain her usual monotone voice yet her sharp gaze was all she needed to accentuate her threat.

"Now, now, dear Ram. There's no need to get too heated over a simple comment. I do~ believe I know where our guest is coming from." Roswall quickly replied, glancing back at his work staff quickly making the maid calm down once again.

"Foolish?" Emilia repeated, not confident that she had indeed heard the first response to their offers was an insult.

"I mean, you either have all the trust in the world for me or there is simply no other way of putting it. Laying yourself bare like that to someone that you haven't gotten to know very well isn't exactly intelligent…" Leo pointed out.

"Well… you are a good person though. So there isn't any need to worry!" She replied with a shocking amount of confidence in her voice.

'That might just be the most childish thing I have experienced since coming to this new world…' Leo thought to himself, doing his best that his thoughts were as far as the comment ever went.

"You do make a good point but, I can sense people's intention's about these sorts of things so there's no need to worry. I wouldn't be making these kinds of offers either no matter what you might have done for us if I felt that you were going to completely extort us for it." Puck then chimed in, throwing his own reasoning into the hat.

"And there~ you have it," Roswall added on, leaving Leo somewhat confused over how he should be treating it. "If anything we should be wondering if there is anything that we could do to thank you against~ the sword saint."

"Well… there is one thing that comes to mind. Reinhard is a pretty great teacher for many things, but he bears no attributes in magic, so I was wondering if it would be possible to get some magic lessons? He's given me some basic books but that's about all I've had for learning magic."

"Is that all you want? I guess it's more than what Subaru asked for I guess…" Emilia replied, almost hesitant to believe in the simple request that they had heard whilst Roswall and Puck were smiling in response.

"You can consider it done then! One beginner's crash course in magic coming up!" Puck cheerily replied.

"Well, if the great spirit is taking on the duty of teaching then I suppose~ my only way of helping would be supplying better material. If you would like I would be willing to give some books I have on~ the subject, everything from beginner to mastery, and perhaps~ a few written by myself~!" Roswall then offered with an almost creepy smile.

"Magic books that the margrave wrote himself? I have a feeling they'll contain stuff only a prodigy will touch upon…" Leo said with a sigh at thought of whatever knowledge would only be in the book of books that only the greatest magic user in the kingdom would know.

"Perhaps~ so, they certainly aren't anything to start with I assure you. But you were one to be trained under the sword~ saint and your authority~, you certainly aren't an ordinary individual yourself. Consider this some of my own interest in you."

"I think I'm just a person whose luck wildly fluctuates, but thank you very much," Leo replied, casting his eyes away with a slight sense of awkwardness. "But still, I never thought the day would come when I'm taught by a kitty."

"Aw, I know my charms are amazing but I think that you'll find that kitty is a little weak of a word for me!" Puck happily chimed despite licking the back of his paw to groom himself almost in contrast to his own words. "Anyways, can I take it that you're ready to receive your lesson then? Once we're done you can spend the rest of the day with Lia."

"Sounds perfect, I'm ready to learn!" Leo replied as he took hold of Puck's tiny paw between his thumb and finger.

"Well~ it seems that everything is decided! I will make sure to have those books prepared for when you leave, whilst I hope that you enjoy your stay~" The clown said whilst getting to his feet before exiting the room, Ram taking her leave with him.

"Alright!" Subaru then burst out, instantly springing a sense of new life into the room that had been subtly vanishing. "I've gotta blow through all my tasks to get my break to meet up with Mili! I'm not leaving her with you for long Leo! Puck, I'm counting on you!"

"Am I supposed to take that some way or…" Leo said but it fell upon deaf ears as Subaru was already making his leave when Rem grabbed his sleeve. For one moment did Subaru look back at her but it was already enough for what she wanted to say as she let him step out of the room.

"I shall take my leave as well, Miss Emilia, Sir Leo. Please feel free to talk to any of the staff should you need anything." Rem said before likewise following after Subaru, leaving Emilia and Puck with Leo and his group.

"Well, I've got everything put aside just for today so we'll have the whole day together, and I don't doubt Subaru will show up sooner rather than later as well," Emilia said with a beaming smile.

"Put everything aide?" Leo repeated, "Is it something troublesome if you can't do it today?" Leo couldn't help but ask at the thought of whatever tasks Emilia may have needed to do, for whatever her role within the mansion was supposed to be.

"Not at all, in fact, I have been told that taking a break would actually be good for me, so it's all good, yup!"

'Yup? Haven't heard that in a long time… wait have I ever?' Leo briefly thought to himself upon hearing the unusual word choice. "Yup is something that I would expect from someone like Cecily." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, are Cecily and I similar?" Emilia asked with a beaming smile, almost shocking Leo with her levels of naivety whilst Puck just shook his head, not all that phased by his adoptive daughter's response.

"We're the same?!" Cecily excitedly asked as she joined in with Emilia, the two girls smiling together as they awaited whatever Leo would say about them.

"I hope that you see what kind of girl Lia is now." Puck said, floating over to take Leo's side against the girls, the two of them knowing sharing thoughts whilst not needing to utter of word of them.

"Sure do… the pair of them of them are pretty cute though because of it."

"I agree with you there"

"What are the two of you talking about now?" Emilia asked the pair, not at all understanding there following their conversation.

"Do you think I'm cute?" Cecily asked however as she leaned forwards with stars in her eyes.

"Easily," Leo replied with an easy smile which was all it took for Cecily to fling herself into his chest, hugging with whatever strength that she could muster into it. Her initial pounce had enough force that, had his back not been supported then he might have fallen backwards with the sudden force that had shocked him before he pulled himself together, gently returning the hug to the spirit child.

It was a scene that both Emilia and Puck simply smiled at for a few moments, neither of them wanting to break the moment for the two whilst their opinions on the two were the same.

"Well then," Puck eventually said, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. "Are you ready to magic now?"

"Alright, so we've heard what your affinities are but do you know the basic concept of how magic works?" Puck asked as he floated before Leo, the pair along with Emilia and Cecily who were sitting down in the middle of one of the Roswaal Manor's great gardens as Flam and Grassis stood nearby, respectfully watching over the group.

"Everyone has something called a gate which stores their mana and is also what their mana is pulled through every time they gather some into themselves to begin casting a spell." Leo began to answer as he immediately began to remember everything that he could from the books that Flam and Grassis had been helping him read.

"Affinities being what kind of magic that a person can make use of, if a person doesn't have the right affinity then they won't be able to use certain kinds of magic," He continued while Puck nodded encouragingly at his words, spurring him on. "The fire affinity is about controlling the temperature while water is about life, and earth allows you to manipulate the world whilst wind allows you to manipulate the natural forces of the world."

"That's right! But is there anything else that you know?" Puck cheerily responded to the display of knowledge from Leo.

"I also heard that one can even use their own Od to make up for mana that they don't have if they really desperately need to cast a spell as well, and that there is some leniency to what each magic affinity can do but it depends on the mage. But I never could learn what yin or yang magic does." he thoughtfully replied, glancing down as he searched his memory for anything else that would prove relevant to the lesson.

"Well for first, you should recognise that using your Od is truly a last resort as you know it is sacrificing some of your own lifespan to do so." Puck immediately replied with only a faintly serious expression that quickly went away, however, "But you are someone a little different to that, aren't you? Not that it would make you a good person to treat Od like that."

"So everyone here truly does know about 'authority'" Leo noted with a tilt of his head, "Say, is an authority considered some kind of magic? Beatrice didn't really explain that, only that it was considered a witches power and born from a witch factor."

"Not at all," Puck immediately answered him. "The power of a witch factor is actually the antithesis of a divine blessing. A power opposite to Od Lagna, the supplier of all mana and divine blessing in the world."

"Leo, I'm sorry that I told everyone and I'm sure Subaru is too but having an authority isn't something that someone should share with the world unless you have to." Emilia then chimed in from behind, breaking from whatever she had been doing with Cecily until she had heard what Puck and Leo had been talking about.

"It's alright." Leo gently replied with a faint smile before he faced Puck again. 'After all, I may as well be saying that I might be the next upcoming calamity at this rate if the witches are anything to go by…' he thought to himself grimly. At the very least it was relieving that everyone so far had been accepting, not that Reinhard nor Felt knew the full truth yet…

'And there's no hiding anything from Reinhard either… but he might be kind enough if I fully explain…' he continued to ponder.

"Either way let's move back onto the lesson!" Puck's voice soon broke through however as the cat performed a small but quick loop-de-loop in the air. "You also asked about shadow and light magic, right?"

"Shadow magic is various kinds of effects like taking away someone's sight or making them weightless and slowing them down right?" Emilia mentioned with a finger to her chin in slight thought, remembering her knowledge of magic. "Subaru had yin magic as well."

'Subaru has debuffs…' Leo thought blandly, 'Outside of combat, how useful would something like that be?'

"That's right Lia! And light magic like yours is when you can increase physical strength or return things to what's considered their original state!" Puck continued.

'So, buffs? I guess? Sounds like a little bit of flexibility in there.' Leo internally noted.

"Well, that should be enough knowledge to start you off with, wanna try a practical now?" Puck said, getting Leo to perk up almost instantly at the offered chance.

"With pleasure." He enthusiastically replied to the smiling cat who then, in turn, looked over at his contractor.

"Just in case he turns out like Subaru, you might want to make some distance Lia." Puck then said before plopping himself on top of Leo who tried to eye him suspiciously despite it.

"So…" Leo slowly said as he watched Emilia hastily back away from him almost retreating to the other end of the garden with Cecily, Flam and Grassis following making his heart begin to sink for what he was getting into. "What the hell happened to Subaru that you aren't telling me?"

"Well, something just went a little wrong is all! But don't worry, it's usually really uncommon so as long as you don't mess up too badly despite my guidance then everything will be fine!" Puck lightheartedly commented, not at all answering Leo in the slightest yet not giving him the opportunity to say anything else. "Right, this time I'll guide your magic for you and since we both have the wind attribute, we'll be using that, ok!"

"Right." Leo firmly replied as he fully focused on what he was told in the hopes of avoiding whatever fate befell Subaru.

"All you've got to do is image what you want, a blade of wind, and say "Fura!" when you ready!"

Immediately after Puck finished his words did he place the white tip of his tail against his head, making Leo feel something that he had never felt before whilst at the same time, something that felt so incredibly natural. It was the perfect equivalent of having begun to move a limb that he never knew he had. And it was a feeling that filled him as if something was pouring directly into him and energising him

Not daring to risk hesitating any further did Leo then begin to follow the instructions that Puck had told him, his facial expressions tensing faintly as he focused his mind on imagining a single blade of wind before finally.

"Fura!" He yelled out with a brief wave of his arm. And just on his command a brief but strong gust of wind suddenly manifest but it blasted away in an instant leaving Leo barely able to see what he had done, with the exception of the sound of cracking wood alongside a sudden deep gash into a tree that was left behind as a result.

"Well done!" Emilia's voice soon rang out as she hurried back over, but not as quickly as Cecily who bounded on over before tackling Leo with a childish grin on her face.

"And that's how you use magic, good job!" Puck joined in as he flew off his head, going back to Emilia to sit down on her shoulder instead.

"Thanks, it felt a little bit more natural than I expected," Leo replied with a friendly smile.

"Now use Al Jiwald! Use Al Jiwald!" Cecily cheered, pulling away slightly to continue grinning away in excitement whilst Emilia only gave a sympathetic glance at the lively spirit's suggestion.

"Using an Al spell here would cause too much damage, besides, Leo is only a beginner right?" Emilia said as she crouched down slightly to better look at Cecily who smiled back in response.

"I know, I know, but I still wanna see him cast it someday!" Cecily responded.

"What kind of spell is Al Jiwald?" Leo couldn't help but ask as he listened in on the conversation, pondering just what was Cecily hoping that he would do for her.

"Al Jiwald is the strongest variant of the light spell Jiwald, unleashing a super lazer from your hand that gets rid of anything in its path!" Cecily cheered without hesitation.

"While you would need to ask Cecily for more on light spells, there are multiple variations of some spells. With the basic spell getting more powerful with El, Ul, and Al." Puck began to explain, knowing that Cecily's answers were hardly going to be highly uninformative.

"The power increases a lot, and the effects can change slightly as well." Emilia continued for him. "If you were to cast a stronger variant, more mana would be required as well as needing adequate skill so as to not damage your gate."

"And yet Cecily wants to see me perform something like that… but that's blatantly a little different to the kinds of spells you mentioned before. Like what's the strength enhancement one you mentioned?" Leo asked as he couldn't help but release a small sigh of exasperation at the behaviour and wants of Cecily before deciding to pick her up into his arms to her own slight surprise before she cheerily accepted it.

'If she's just like this then I feel like forming a contract with her is gonna make something like a parent for her and I'm only 18…'

"Then try Akra, basic Akra only boosts your physical abilities but it can boost other things as well!" Cecily cheerily answered him as she leaned against his chest. "It needs constant use as well unless you want short bursts!" she added on.

"Well, I could try it now at least…" Leo thought aloud before making up his mind, at the very least both Emilia and Puck were here so if anything were to begin to go wrong he would have immediate help ready and waiting for him that would know what to do more than himself.

Once again he began to calm himself and focus whilst doing his best to replicate the same feeling that he had experienced minutes before whilst the other's silently watched allowing him to concentrate. Soon a similar feeling began to take place again as mana poured into his body from his gate filling him, soon beginning to mould itself to the image in his mind as he tried his best to visualise empowerment…

"Akra!" he finally chanted, and on cue, a slight veil of golden light began to pour out of him swiftly covering him in a thin coat of light whilst simultaneously he felt the burden of Cecily in his arms begin to fade away until she felt almost as light as a feather.

"You did it! You did it!" Cecily immediately chanted in joy as she began to celebrate slightly, throwing her hand to the sky in excitement making Leo act to better support her, a task that usually would have required more strenuous effort from the slightly awkward way that was required to keep her from falling instead only felt as hard as lifting a palm-sized rock.

"That's great Leo! I'm sure that Akra will be super useful with your swordsmanship!" Emilia joined in on praising him as she clasped her hands together with joy.

"This kind of strength would be helpful for a lot more than just that you know," Leo quipped as he swapped his hold on Cecily to do so with one hand, allowing him to grip the open air with the other, testing just how much harder he could feel himself gripping.

Making a silent decision did he then kneel down slightly whilst still holding Cecily, grabbing a small stone that had been in a neat arrangement before standing back up again. After lifting the stone behind his head he then threw it forward, sending it flying through the air and managing to clear the whole of the garden, making it go over the wall and leaving the manor grounds.

'Holy shit that's a lot!' Leo exclaimed to himself in surprise as he watched the stone go sailing off into the distance.

"See, isn't yang magic great!" Cecily cheered again in his arm, "Hey, hey, release Akra for a moment!" she then said, excitedly gripping her with her one free arm

"Ok, but why?" Leo asked as he abided by the spirit's request, the golden veil that covered him fading as he did so whilst Cecily's weight began to become all the more apparent again, making him use two arms to comfortably hold her.

"Because of this! Akra!" Cecily cheered in response before she cast the spell herself, however, she didn't do it for herself as Leo began to glow again, this time the veil of light that covered him being brighter than before whilst glittering as well. "Throw another!" Cecily cheered whilst Emilia and Puck discreetly backed away, already taking a guess at what Leo was experiencing.

"Is there something different about you doing it?" Leo pondered as he once again started to hold her now non-existent weight with one arm as he reached down and grabbed yet another rock that was used for an arrangement in the garden. No one answered him as they waited to see the results of the great spirits' magic themselves, with no one being surprised that the next stone he threw practically became a cannonball or bullet in its own right, shooting through the air until it left everyone's sight even before fading behind the estates fencing.

"How much power did you manage to put into that spell without using El Akra?!" Leo asked in disbelief, facing Cecily who was grinning away with a giggle.

"Regular Akra boosts your physical abilities as much as you want it to as long as you use enough mana constantly!" Cecily finally answered in her excitement, not that she showed much chance of calming down. "El Akra boosts the senses, Ul Akra boosts your magic and Al Akra boosts everything!" she explained whilst failing her arms out wide as if in a demonstration.

"You're certainly pretty powerful for how you look…" Leo couldn't help but mention as Emilia moved closer again upon the light coming from him fading away, indicating that Cecily was no longer using Akra on him.

"You need to remember that she is a great spirit," Emilia soft replied.

"Hey, Leo!" A familiar voice suddenly called out getting the group of four to quickly turn in its direction to behold Subaru briskly walking towards them. "How did that lesson go? But-"

"What happened to you when you started to learn magic?" Leo immediately interrupted him to his shock before he rapidly looked towards Emilia and Puck in horror.

"Now you're selling out my accidents?! Puck I thought we were close friends?!" Subaru dramatically cried out while the cat spirit gave a light chuckle in response only for Emilia to quickly frown at their combined behaviour.

"Subaru, Puck, you shouldn't act like that! It was more than an accident, your gate has been damaged!" Emilia scolded the pair of them, her voice belittling the pair as if they were children while she was their mother.

"You messed up badly enough to damage it? You look just fine and lively to me." Leo mentioned as he looked Subaru over again.

"I thought the same thing, it feels kind of strange knowing that there's something wrong with you despite not being able to see or feel anything." Subaru said whilst scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "But wait! I'm here for something else, Mili's charms have completely made me lose sight of my goal!" he suddenly cried out, once again resuming his dramatics much to Emilia's bewilderment and Leo's exhaustion.

"There you go again, I don't know what you're talking about…" Emilia said with a shallow smile whilst Leo simply remained silent as he thought about how Subaru could claim that it had anything to do with Emilia when it was anything but. "But why did you come here then? You mentioned that you were here for something."

"I've completed all my morning duties and taking my break! Of course, I'm going to come and check on you guys, Mili's been with you the whole time so I want to get what time I can get with her before she starts her studies!" Subaru firmly replied whilst pointing his finger out towards nothing in particular, as if it was helping the impact of his words.

"But Subaru, I've put aside my studies for today because of Leo. It would be wrong to ignore a guest and friend when we're found the time to meet." Emilia practically chided him whilst Leo was left intrigued about whatever they were talking about.

"Studying? You're diligent, aren't you? But what for?" he asked whilst already thinking about the potential answer. Emilia was clearly looked to be at least in her late teens, should education be the same in their own world then she would likely be done with most optional education.

'But she's an elf, couldn't she easily be far older? Who knows what kind of education would interest her then.'

"Leo, didn't you know? Emilia's one of the five candidates to take the throne of Luginica! It's why she was trying to get that insignia back at the loot house, and I'm going to make her queen!" Subaru suddenly proclaimed on the behalf of a now awkward girl who seemed hesitant on letting the truth about her be known.

"Huh…" Came the dull reply as Leo was blown away at the revelation….