The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, highlighting an impressive cleavage which impulsively drew the eyes in. Her skin was tanned, giving her the look of healthy and natural beauty.
Her height, skin color, bearing, and breast size… It all made for a strong contrast with Louise, who lacked in those charm points.
When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.
“Good morning, Louise.”
Louise returned the greeting with a frown.
“Good morning… Kirche.”
“That… is your familiar?” Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.
“That's right.”
“Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!”
Saito resented that. Sorry for being a human. What are you then? He stared at Kirche's breasts. You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien. His stare intensified.
“It's just like you to summon a commoner with 'Summon Servant.' What else to expect from Louise the Zero?”
Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.
“Shut up.”
“I summoned a familiar yesterday, too. Unlike a certain somebody, I was successful on my first try.”
“Really.”
“And, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one, like this. Flame!”
Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large, dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.
“Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?”
Kirche smiled.
“Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?”
“Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is a fire lizard?”
“Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat.”
Kirche put a hand to her chin and tilted her head teasingly.
The creature was at least as big as a tiger. Its tail was tipped with flame, and its mouth emitted sparks and embers.
“Don't you feel hot being near it?” Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. “Wow, it's a monster… Fantastic!”
“It's actually fairly cool to me.”
“Is that a salamander?” Louise asked jealously.
“That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large means it's without a doubt a salamander from the Fire Dragon Mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!”
“That's nice,” Louise said, her voice bitter.
“Isn't it? It matches my affinity perfectly!”
“Your affinity is Fire, isn't it?”
“Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?”
Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too striking.
Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It looked as if she really hated losing.
“I don't have the time to go around flirting with everything I see, unlike you.”
Kirche only smiled calmly. Then, she turned to Saito.
“And what's your name?”
“Hiraga Saito.”
“Hiragasaito? What a strange name.”
“Hey!”
“Well then, I'll be off now.”
She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her with a cute shuffling movement that looked odd with such a large creature.
As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.
“Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the Fire Dragon Mountains! Argh!”
“Calm down, it's just a summoning.”
“No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at his/her familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?”
“Jeez, sorry for being a human. But you're one too, y'know.”
“Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing wolves and dogs!” Louise exclaimed haughtily.
“…Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero', but, what's the 'Zero' stand for? Is it your surname?”
“No way! My name is Louise de La Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname.”
“A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'”
“You don't need to know,” Louise answered uncomfortably.
“Is it your breasts?” Saito asked, glancing at Louise. Yup. Flat as a board.
Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.
“Come back here!”
“Don't hit me!”
A slap?
That reminds me… This girl…Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.And, last night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.
If she really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't it be better to use magic instead of hitting or kicking me?That would be more effective, and more mage-like.Why is that? Saito wondered.
The Academy of Magic's dining hall was the tallest and centermost building on the premises. Inside, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.
It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks — third years.
The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks — first years. So they're like year-level jerseys, Saito thought.
Every single mage on the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
On an upper level, he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.
All the tables were magnificently decorated.
Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit…
Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised her head imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Tristain's Academy of Magic doesn't teach just magic, you know.”
“Right…”
“Almost all mages are nobles. The saying 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status.”
“Okay…”
“Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Alvíss[4] Dining Hall. Be grateful.”
“Right… Hey, what's an 'Alvíss'?”
“It's the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?”
Where she pointed, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.
“They're well-made. Err, those things don't… like… come alive during the night or anything, do they?”
“Oh, you knew that?”
“So they do?!”
“Well, they dance. Enough of this, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,” Louise remarked, crossing her arms and tilting her head, which made her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. Oh well, ladies first. Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.
Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.
“This is amazing!” Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.
“I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, Miss!” He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her glaring at him. “What?” Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed. “Right, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble.”