“Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?”
Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.
“Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!”
One of the students amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.
Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.
With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.
Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner…
“You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!”
Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.
Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.
“Old Osmond.”
“Hrm.”
“That commoner actually ended up winning…”
“Hrm.”
“Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so, he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandálfr!”
“Hrmm…”
Mister Colbert urged Osmond.
“Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately and ask for instructions…”
“There will be no need for that.”
Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.
“But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandálfr reborn in the modern world!”
“Mister Colbert. Gandálfr was no ordinary familiar.”
“Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandálfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have been created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations.”
“Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long… However, that made his spells very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spell casting. Gandálfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength…”
Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.
“It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!”
“So, Mister Colbert.”
“Yes?”
“That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?”
“Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Vallière initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner.”
“And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandálfr?”
“That would be Miss Vallière, but…”
“She must be a very talented mage, I take it?”
“Not at all. Rather, one might say she's un –talented…”
“A puzzling duo to be sure.”
“Yes.”
“So how did an average boy contracted by an untalented mage become Gandálfr? What an utter paradox. I just can't see where the ends meet.”
“Indeed…”
“In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandálfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much.”
“O-oh, I see. I apologize for overlooking such important matters.”
“I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert.”
“Y-yes! I understand!”
Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.
“The legendary familiar Gandálfr… Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder.”
Colbert murmured as if dreaming.
“Gandálfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies…”
“Hrm.”
“So it must have at least an arm and a hand, I think.”
The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.
That's right.
I got into a duel with that Guiche and got beaten up really badly…
Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword…
And I fainted.
He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.
Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly with her head on it.
His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.
Right now, those runes weren't glowing.
What exactly was that, I wonder…
While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.
It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.
She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.
“Siesta…?”
“So you're awake now, Saito-san?”
“Yeah… I…”
“After all that, Miss Vallière had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious.”
“Spell of healing?”
“Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?”
“No…”
Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.
“Miss Vallière paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell, so don't be concerned about it.”
His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.
“Did that reagent cost a lot?”
“Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay.”
Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.
“Ouch!”
“Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!”
Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.
“I brought you some food. Please eat.”
Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.
“Thanks… How long was I asleep for?”
“Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up.”
“Everyone?”
“All the kitchen staff…”
Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.
“What's the matter?”
“Um… I'm sorry. That I ran away that time.”
She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry at the dining hall.
“Don't worry. It's nothing to apologize about.”
“Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic…”
Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.
“But I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!”
“Really… Haha.”
Although I really have no clue how I actually won.