But the two might be one and the same. I‘m just fooling myself with family members and classmates, because I am just a user of Void...
While she was lost in such musings, a laughter echoed.
“W-what?”
“Ah, sorry! City of Saxe-Gotha!”
“An ancient town. I heard it is beautiful. We cannot let it be destroyed by war.”
This made Louise speechless and Julio turned around.
“Well, I understand - there is war now. However, I am a priest,” he laughed.
He gave her a charming smile. This made Louise’s cheeks blaze on their own.
“I, I see.”
Julio, still turned around, brought his face close to Louise’s.
“You are truly beautiful, Miss Vallière.”
Pulling away slightly, a confused Louise asked, “B-but why is Romalia helping? They're not our allies…”
“On our own will! Small help! Today’s Albion may effect all countries in Halkeginia. If the monarchy were to be overthrown, what would happen with the nobility in the republic? If that happens it would be a serious threat! A republic nightmare for all countries. Romalia is no exception, governed by the Pope.”
“I do not understand politics well.”
“I am the same. I also do not have much interest in it. I am much more interested talking about other things...”
“Like?”
“Like, how can you be so beautiful, just like a fairy?”
He asked with a serious expression, Louise looked down slightly.
“Don’t say silly things, look more carefully. You are badly mistaken.”
“Excuses. According to Azuro, we are going the right way. We are flying to the city of Saxe-Gotha right?”
Louise became suspicious. This priest was not a mage. In other words, his abilities were those of a commoner. And even for a mage, it would take some time to establish a connection between him and his familiar…
So how could a priest, who was not even a mage, communicate so well with a beast that was not a familiar? How was this possible?
Julio laughed at Louise’s vacant look.
“The same way that you can use Academy’s magic weapons, I can use God's miracle.”
“Stop joking.”
God's miracle? It must be some kind of joke. God is a metaphysical being. Such power in a world where magic rules the reason of the world is impossible.
“What! Yes, it's a joke! However, I know about animals more than others! Naa, Azuro!”
The wind dragon barked and started increasing his speed.
Two people were flying through the sky of city of Saxe-Gotha for one hour.
The town was encircled by walls, with colorful brick houses behind them. The town’s population was close to 40,000 people.
“Fly lower.”
Julio nodded and started to fly lower. They could see towns people waving. They probably mistook them for allies. Then Julio smiled and muttered something to the wind dragon. Azuro spread his wings and started to shake in a strange way.
“What are you doing?”
“Mimicking Albion wind dragon’s movement. With this ‘dance’ Albion’s wind dragon looks for a companion. Albion dragon knights use it to identify foe or friend.”
“Your Azuro is from Albion?”
“Are you kidding? I trained him myself!”
“You're great.”
Louise felt admiration. It is not easy even for an average mage to train a dragon.
“It is good to study enemy movements beforehand.”
When Louise nodded and looked at the town scenery below. She could give a report while using the “Illusion” spell, providing vivid images seen from above. After seeing this, she could create images from her memory with the Illusion spell.
The instructions to use “Illusion” came from the staff section. Louise's Void could be applied in military planning. It was the moment when she finally realized that she was just a tool.
In the town’s plaza, they noticed a big monster striding.
“An orc.”
“Yeah. Is it my imagination… or are there a lot of soldiers missing?”
Not just her imagination. There were just orcs, trolls and demi-humans armed with spears and clubs. Though they could see a mage commanding them… there were no soldiers in sight.
“Using demi-humans as an army replacement is a cheap stuff. However… those brutal orc demons are following the humans as well…”
“There must be some kind of trick. However I do not know how that mage can make them obey.”
Louise concentrated her spirit and began imprinting the spectacle in her mind.
When you use the Void element for big, one-time spells, collecting willpower takes some time. And since it was already used today… the big Illusion spell covering wide landscape could not be created now.
“Circle over the town once more.”
“It might be dangerous. This cover will not last forever.”
Julio muttered - he was dancing an Albion wind dragon dance for five minutes.
“Facts and figures are needed. The amount of will for the spell is insufficient, so I can do nothing but write on paper.”
Louise, ignoring the danger, wrote down information regarding the town on the parchment, while shuttling many times over the town. With those notes 'Illusion' was used in order to take as many facts and figures home as possible. While seeing Louise in such a state, Julio smiled.
“There was no point for jealousy, right?”
“Eh? Eeh? What are you talking about?!”
“Without weapons it is dangerous and you were worried. Not for yourself… but for that familiar. Danger cannot be helped. Because of duty. However, I cannot be brave in rash danger. Do you differ? Why oh why, are you leaving this calm part out in anger. I wonder if it's because you're a girl?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Louise said with a furious blush on her cheeks.
“That flying machine is out of bullets, right? There are no other secret weapons. Other than fast flights it's useless.”
“…How do you know this?”
“I was onboard the Varsenda. Being curious, I examined that flying machine attached to the deck. Extremely well made! Amazing!”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
Julio laughed from Louise’s threatening words.
“Please be relieved! I am your ally! I wasn’t thinking of any ploy to use you, unlike your generals… Now then, our time has run out.”
“Not yet. Wait a little.”
“It's impossible.”
“It's an order!”
“It's an enemy.”
Julio pointed with his chin. Nine wind dragons were flying directly at them.
Louise was stupefied.
“Escape!”
“…nnh, impossible. I've become too addicted to this chat!”
Smiling, Julio muttered. The enemy was faster in the sky. It was not possible to get away even when flying at one's best.
Staring at the closing wind dragons, Louise trembled. Gathering information for the generals, may have been overdone. She bit her lip, thinking about the possibility of death in terror.
She shook her head, trying to shake off such fears… Somehow… she needed to counterattack with Void. But how many explosions could be shot? Willpower… is low. The scale is small. Would they hit well enough?
While she was thinking that, the instructions came from Julio.
“Louise, are you good at horseback riding?”
Though she was suddenly called by her first name, it wasn’t the right time to complain about it. She nodded with a suspicious expression on her face.
“Y-yeah…I am.”
“Hold on tight then! As if you were jumping over fences with a stud! Azuro!”
The wind dragon let out a small bark and sped up aiming towards the enemy.