“I have a request...”
“What is it that you want?” Saito responded with hostility while putting his belongings onto the saddle. He still could not forgive Guiche for hurting him that badly during their fight some time back.
“I wish to bring my familiar along.”
“Do you have a familiar in the first place?”
“Of course I do. All magicians have one.”
Louise and Saito looked at each other, then looked at Guiche again.
“Where's your familiar now?”
“Here.” Guiche replied while pointing to the ground.
“But there's nothing on the ground,” Louise said.
Guiche responded by tapping his feet on the ground. Just then, a giant brown creature popped out of the ground.
“Verdandi! Oh, my cute Verdandi!”
Saito, dumbfounded, asked, “What in the world is that creature?”
“What do you mean creature? This is my cute little familiar Verdandi.”
“You mean that your familiar is that big thing over there?”
Upon closer inspection, that giant brown creature was actually a mole with a size equivalent to a small bear.
“Yes. Ahh... My Verdandi, you look so cute from any angle I look. Have you eaten your meal of earthworms before you arrived here?”
The gigantic mole hemmed happily in response.
“Really? That's wonderful!” Guiche said while rubbing cheek to cheek with his familiar.
“Actually... I don't think that you could bring it along with us...” Saito said in disgust.
“That's right Guiche. That creature moves underground right?”
“That's right. Even though it's slightly bigger that usual, Verdandi is still a mole all right.”
“How are we going to bring it along? We're all riding on horses.” Louise said in perturbed fashion.
“That's all right. Verdandi moves along quickly underground. Am I right, Verdandi?”
The gigantic mole nodded in agreement.
“But we're going to Albion! We can't bring creatures that move underground!.” Louise explained.
Guiche, upon hearing that, knelt onto the ground and replied, “I cannot bear the separation with my dear Verdandi... Oh! The pain...”
At the same time, the giant mole seemed to pick up some scent from its nose and drew nearer and nearer to Louise.
“What is this stupid mole trying to do!?”
“Like master, like familiar. They both share the same interest – girls.” Saito said.
“Stop! Stop this right now!”
The giant mole knocked Louise off her feet and started sniffing all over her.
“Ah!!! Watch where you're sniffing! Stop it!”
Louise being constantly poked by the giant mole's nose, started to roll all over the ground. All that rolling disheveled her clothes and exposed her underwear. Louise was starting to get very annoyed...
Saito unconsciously started to be immersed in watching Verdandi and Louise just as if he was admiring a beautiful picture...
“Ah... How beautiful is the scene of a giant mole teasing a damsel.”
“I totally agree.”
Both Saito and Guiche nodded in unison.
“Stop blabbering nonsense over there, you oafs! Come over and help me quickly! Ahh!!!”
The giant mole saw the ring at Louise's right hand and started pecking it with its nose.
“You insolent mole! Don't use your nose to sniff at the ring the highness has bestowed to me!.”
“I see now. It's the ring. Verdandi loves jewels.”
“Such an irritating pest!”
“Please don't call Verdandi an irritating pest. It's because of me that Verdandi searches for precious stones and jewels. For an Earth magician, there's nothing more helpful than this.”
Just as Louise was preparing to blow her top, a sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere and blew away Verdandi.
“Who is that!?” Guiche shouted agitatedly.
A rather stout looking noble wearing a feathered cap appeared out of the faint daylight behind him. Saito looked rather surprised.
“That...That person is...”
“What have you done to my Verdandi!?”
Guiche hastily took out his rose shaped wand but the noble wearing the feathered cap was faster. Before Guiche could cast any spell, his wand was already out of his hand.
“I'm not your enemy. I'm under the orders of the highness to accompany you on your journey. The princess is worried about just having you few going to Albion, but then again sending a whole troop of soldiers with you will be too conspicuous. Therefore, I was appointed to accompany you all on this journey.” The noble said while taking off his feather cap and bowing.
“I'm the captain of the Griffin Knights[6], Viscount Wardes.”
The grumbling Guiche quickly shut his mouth. For most of the nobles, Guiche included, being able to join the Griffin Knights meant great prestige.
Wardes looked at Guiche and spoke apologetically. “Sorry for what I did to your familiar. I couldn't stand watching my fiancée being harassed.”
“What!?”
Saito was shocked.
“Fiancée?”
“This majestic looking noble is Louise' fiancé???”
“Wardes-sama...” Louise spoke in a trembling voice after standing up.
“It's been such a long time. My Louise, my dear Louise.”
My Louise??? What kind of joke is that? Saito thought to himself.
Wardes approached Louise and with a beaming smile on his face, carried Louise up.
“It's really been such a long time.” Louise said with her face turning red with embarrassment.
“Still as light as ever. Just like a feather.”
“Viscount... please don't be like this... There are people over here...”
Wardes, who placed Louise back down and replaced his hat said, “Care to introduce your companions to me?”
“Erm... That is Guiche de Gramont and my familiar, Saito.” said Louise while pointing at them while she was introducing them to Wardes. Guiche who did not dare look at Wardes directly, lowered his head. Saito followed suit though a bit unwillingly.
Wardes said with a rather surprised look on his face, “Are you Louise' familiar? This is the first time I've seen a human being a familiar.”
“Thank you for taking such good care of my fiancée.”
“You're welcome.”
Saito took the opportunity to size up Wardes. He was indeed handsome. Even though Guiche could also be considered a bishonen[7] himself, he was always making a fool out of himself and making irrational decisions. He could even rub his own cheek with a giant mole.
However for Wardes, not only he had the looks. His eyes were like that of an eagle – keen and sharp. That mustache he had further enhanced his suaveness.
In addition he had a muscular and well built body. Saito had originally thought that all male magicians would have a body like Guiche, but he was proven wrong. Even in hand to hand combat with Wardes without the use of magic, Saito could be subdued in seconds.
Thinking about all that, Saito gave a deep and long sigh. Wardes seeing that, approached Saito and gave a pat on his shoulders.
“What's wrong? Are you having doubts about this trip? There's nothing to be afraid of! Aren't you the one who caught Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth? With your courage alone, nothing is impossible.”
Wardes who had finished saying that, gave a broad smile. With that, Saito felt a tinge of remorsefulness.
Is he really that good of a person? I don't think that I can compare with him in any aspect. That's right. I think Louise would be married to him soon... Just thinking of that has made me alone and empty...
Louise, not able to calm down due to Wardes' appearance, was feeling restless with anxiety. Saito had to turn his head away, he did not want to see Louise that way.