Unlike before, when he had been momentarily delayed by the guards placed outside of the Clock Tower, Vahn was able to freely enter without issue. He didn’t mistake this as them showing him any kind of respect, however, as he could already sense what was going on within. Even if he couldn’t, however, the paling complexion of Lord El-Melloi II was enough to discern that something was wrong but, rather than pointlessly voicing his suspicions, the latter could only pray that the Director intervened quickly.
It was currently near the end of February so many of the Clock Tower’s students had already come back from their holidays and extended visits home. They had now resumed classes but, unlike the past, there was a palpable tension in the air as nearly half the lessons were related to combat and battle tactics. Since the fate of the world was on the line, the average student was being prepared as an expendable soldier while the most elite amongst them polished their skills further by venturing into the Spirit Tomb: Albion.
Due to his last visit, Vahn had become rather famous within the Mage’s Association but, rather than show the same curiosity as before, the hallways were empty, almost as if the entire school had been placed on lockdown.
Vahn could sense the teachers and lecturers within keeping the student silent while, near the central region of the Clock Tower, a large gathering of moderately powerful individuals were waiting in the periphery. It didn’t take his near-perfect imagination to realize they must have determined he would be arriving today after observing Olga visit her father alongside Lakshmibai. They were also keeping a close watch on Lord El-Melloi II so, once he began preparing for their arrival, it seemed that their enemies had done the same.
Rather than showing any fear, Vahn decided to tease the aging Magus, commenting, “It seems your prestige doesn’t quite match Luvia’s, Lord El-Melloi II…” This caused the raven-haired man to release a dry laugh as he replied, “I dare not compare myself to Lady Edelfelt…” Though he was tempted to say his status was much lower than an Empress, the matter of Vahn’s union with Luvia was not yet public knowledge. Here in the Clock Tower, the walls may very well have ears so it was best not to banter too much.
With a curt nod in response to Lord El-Melloi II’s remark, Vahn continued forward until the reached a central hall of sorts, decorated by a 10m tall statue of a Magus, complete with robes, a pointed hat with a wide brim, and an ornate staff that looked similar to a dragon. There were several halls that connected to this central hub, allowing students to quickly navigate to their next class without too much trouble. It was often occupied by members of the student body who had free time as, on one side of the wide hall, there were a few vendors that sold snacks and other foodstuffs.
Today, however, the hall was largely empty, the only exception being a woman standing with her back to the group as she looked up at the Magus statue. She stood around 160cm tall, minus the soles of her riding boots, and chestnut-brown hair. With garb reminiscent of the early victorian military-style, consisting of a white petticoat, dark-red knickerbockers, and brown riding boots. She also had a metal gauntlet on her right hand while, in her left, she was taping a batton against her thigh in a rhythmic fashion.
Adopting a smile that didn’t even remotely reach his eyes, Vahn turned his head toward Kenshin and Lord El-Melloi II before giving a small nod. This caused the former to move to the front of the group as the latter, keeping the pretense of civility, stepped forward to give a polite bow, saying, “Madame Barthomeloi. His Imperial Majesty, the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, has come seeking-”
Rather than allow Lord El-Melloi II to finish, Lorelei interrupted his words by loudly swiping her baton into the palm of her gauntletted hand. She then looked back, her hazel-brown eyes reflecting a cold light as she venomously stated, “You will be silent, Waver Velvet. I have already suspended your title as Lord until my investigation has been completed. You will be placed under house arrest until your loyalty towards the association can be ascertained. Leave now, as it will be your one and only chance to do so.”
Though she did not have the power to strip the title of Lord from someone, Lorelei had the authority as Vice-Director of the association to suspend the title during criminal investigations. In such cases, the title would temporarily go to the next viable candidate for Lord until suspicions could be cleared. Since Lord El-Melloi II had not named a successor yet, it would return to Reines for the time being, making it much harder for her to scheme behind the scenes unless she intended to abandon the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory.
Hearing Lorelei’s words, Lord El-Melloi II took in a deep breath but, as he had already expected this to happen at some point, he did not waste his time trying to argue. Instead, he gave the pretense of a courteous bow before turning his back and sending an apologetic look towards Vahn. This earned him a simple nod in response, causing Lord El-Melloi II, now Waver Velvet, to release a tired sigh as he slowly made his way toward the exit. Though he suddenly felt an additional weight in his pocket, he didn’t show any discernible signs of noticing this, understanding it was likely a parting gift from Vahn to keep him safe.
Once the sound of Waver’s footsteps faded completely, Lorelei turned around with a scrutinizingly sharp gaze as she squinted her eyes and asked, “I wonder what matter has brought His Majesty to the Clock Tower? I would think an Emperor would have the basic courtesy of informing our staff of your arrival so we could properly receive you…”
As Lorelei spoke, her eyes passed over each member of Vahn’s entourage and, though she was able to keep calm on the outside, the truth of the matter was that her heart was already beating rapidly. This wasn’t due to her fear, however, but more so the result of her excitement after seeing so many powerful figures lined up together. Now that Vahn lost his intermediary, there were several ways in which she could spin this situation in her favor. Though it would be a hard-fought battle, she was confident her side would emerge victorious, despite the rumors that Vahn had battled against the Association Director to a standstill.
Rather than answer Lorelei’s question, Vahn returned a taunting smile as he rebuffed, “How curious. To think you know of our status yet, rather than introduce yourself and try to open a civil dialogue, you attempt to goad us? I wonder if you even know what courtesy is, Madame Lorelei…?” As the last two words left his mouth, Vahn’s smile curled up condescendingly, causing Lorelei’s brow to twitch as she tightly gripped her baton. Though it was not incorrect to address her as Madame Lorelei, she required everyone to address her as Bathomeloi, feeling that her own name was just an attachment.
Resisting the urge to attack directly, Lorelei clenched her teeth for a few seconds before adopting a smile of her own as she stated, “I seem to have forgotten myself…very well then, Your Majesty, allow me to educate you. This humble one is known as the Head of the Bathomeloi Family, Vice-Director of the Mage’s Association, and the Wizard Marshall, Bathomeloi Lorelei. Some have also taken to calling me the Queen, or the Supreme Mage of the Modern Era. You claim I lack courtesy, yet here I am, receiving His Majesty personally, despite the fact you have no authority or status to speak of within my Clock Tower, nor the Mage’s Association as a whole.”
Seeing how she subconsciously puffed out her diminutive chest in pride while speaking, Vahn was tempted to laugh but held it in due to the mild annoyance he felt. Though Lorelei had pointed out that he lacked any status within the Mage’s Association, she had still addressed him as Majesty. It was clear that she had no intention of digging an excessively deep hole for herself, meaning she had likely been warned by Lord Barthomeloi or other sources to show due caution.
Deciding not to waste too much time, Vahn maintained his smile as he casually remarked, “A Queen, is it…? I suppose that makes you the fourth most prestigious person in this room. That is quite the accomplishment…” Then, before Lorelei could offer a rebuttal, as it was very clear she wanted to say something, Vahn added, “Our purpose here is simple. Though you may be the Vice-Director of the Association, you will have to recuse yourself from this matter as the accused. Since your prestige is without question, I’m afraid the only person qualified to handle Arbitration, in this case, is Director Solon. As I’m certain we are both very busy people, I trust you have already informed them of our arrival, yes…?”
Though some looks could kill, Lorelei seemed to lack this capability, despite attempting fervently to bore holes into Vahn’s skull with her gaze. She knew that Vahn was talking down to her and, though his status could certainly be considered higher than hers, that was only if he established himself. The Emperor of a tiny nation had no power within the Association so, as the second most powerful figure in said Association, Lorelei did not appreciate Vahn’s words. He even had the audacity to say she was only the fourth most prestigious person present, lowering her status even further and implying that the status of people within his Empire was inherently higher than those in the Mage’s Association.
As Lorelei was considering the pros and cons of attacking Vahn within the heart of the Clock Tower, her choice was made for her as a voice other than her own answered, “I do not appreciate the fact you have once again brought trouble to my Association, Sage Emperor…”
The moment these soft words echoed throughout the chamber, Lorelei felt two sources of pressure as her face formed into a grimace. Then, along with Vahn, she turned her head toward a petite figure with green hair, overside robes, and enough accessories to fill a jewelry store display case. Next to this figure, a very tall old man, wearing formal robes and wielding an ornate cane loomed over the smaller figure like a mountain.
Before Lorelei could greet the Association Director, Vahn preempted her by adopting an informal tone as he said, “It is a pleasure to see you in good health, Director Solon and Marshall Zelretch…”
Vahn had placed emphasis on the words ‘good health’, causing the edge of Solon’s mouth to twitch as Zelretch released an awkward laugh. Since it hadn’t been that long since Vahn left Solon in a sorry state, the peculiar green-haired Magus was not at all amused by the unnecessary reminder.
With Vahn offering his greetings first, Lorelei suddenly lost the opportunity to do so as Solon quickly replied, “Tell me, what is this about?” Solon was not fond of leaving the sanctity of their temple, even if it was for official business. If not for the fact that Vahn could turn the entire premises upside down if a fight were to break out, they wouldn’t bother to meddle directly. Now that Vahn had shown up a second time in just as many months, it was becoming increasingly clear that the Sage Emperor was intending to become a permanant thorn in their side.
Not missing the opportunity, Vahn immediately began explaining how the Barthomeloi family had been pressuring the Animusphere, Archisorte, and Belfeban families without just cause. He also took it upon himself to remind Solon of their own decree, stating that conflict between factions would not be tolerated. This remark earned him a grimace from the deceptively youthful Magus while, at the side, Lorelei had become red in the face as she gripped her baton hard enough to leave indents in the magically reinforced metal.
After listening to Vahn’s accounting, Solon couldn’t help but internally retort, (“This brat might as well accuse her of being Angra Mainyu’s manifestation…haaaa…”). They then looked toward Lorelei, an admittedly creepy action considering the blindfold on their face, before turning back to Vahn and stating, “This matter does not require Arbitration. I will not vouch for the Vice-Director’s methods, as I am well aware that she can be heavy-handed at times…however, as you are not affiliated with the Mage’s Association, you have no grounds to make this request. Any private matters between the two of you should be settled outside of the Association, much less the Clock Tower.”
Though Vahn was slightly annoyed by Solon’s words, he noted that the mysterious Magus had worded things in such a way that any conflict between him and Lorelei was a personal matter, meaning she could not drag the Association into it. She also seemed to realize this as her face had paled considerably, despite the raw fury in her eyes. Now, if she tried to drag other factions into their conflict, it would constitute an abuse of the power and authority she had been granted as the Vice-Director. She could still use her own forces and connections but, if any of her actions could be traced back directly to the Mage’s Association, which was preparing for war, it was the same as treason.
At this point, the baton in Lorelei’s hands had lost its initial shape as she hatefully glared at Solon and Zelretch, saying in a low tone, “At a time when the affiliates of the Mage’s Association should be standing together, you show favoritism to an external force…my father will not be pleased to learn of this betrayal.” As the Barthomeloi were one of the oldest Magus Families affiliated with the Mage’s Association, and had even been one of the main factions behind the construction of the Clock Tower itself, she could only construe Solon’s actions as a complete betrayal of their trust.
Hearing Lorelei’s words, Zelretch released a sigh while Solon, even with a blindfold on, was visibly angered by her words. Then, in a voice considerably icier than even Lorelei’s, they stated, “You would do well to remember your place, Lorelei. There is a reason your family has never been able to stand at the peak of the Mage’s Association. When you run back home, perhaps you should ask that old monster propping your family up why I’m still the Director…!?”
Now, as if Vahn wasn’t even present anymore, Lorelei’s focus was entirely fixed on Solon and, if they were alone, she might have even charged the diminutive Director directly. With Zelretch at their side, however, Lorelei could only grit her teeth as, despite her own Magecraft being infinitely close to the level of True Magic, she was not one of the Five Mages. Thus, after taking several deep breaths to restrain herself, she remembered the original task she had been assigned, one given to her by the very same ‘old monster’ that Solon had referred to.
Turning her attention back to Vahn, Lorelei surprised him by being the first to say, “You may not be affiliated with the Mage’s Association, but I wish to issue a formal declaration of challenge against you. I wonder if Your Majesty has the courage to accept?” Then, seeing the mild surprise in Vahn’s eyes, she added, “I’m afraid that this matter can only escalate to all-out war if we cannot settle our personal differences…”
Understanding the threat in Lorelei’s words, Vahn was tempted to smile but, as this was not his battle to fight, Artoria was the one to step forward, her aura and dignity radiating through the chamber as she answered, “You lack the qualifications to issue such a challenge. Since you are nothing but a pawn acting as an extension of your family, I, Empress Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon, shall accept your challenge on My Emperor’s behalf. Show me your courage, Supreme Mage of the Modern Era!”
A lot of thoughts were running through the heads of everyone present as they heard Artoria’s outburst, Solon and Zelretch included. The latter then broke the silence by laughing like a madman as Solon began to rub their temples due to the sheer exasperation they felt. As for Lorelei, her mind was like a supercomputer that had just been tasked with finding a way to divide by zero. There was a lot of information running through her mind but, no matter how the circuits fired, she wasn’t quite able to make sense of what she had just heard. The only thing she knew was that ‘the’ King Arthur had just challenged her to battle, one of the potentialities they had planned for.
As if reading from a script, Lorelei fixed her expression as she answered, “I accept your challenge, King of-” Before she was able to finish, Artoria interrupted, saying, “We are an Empress and you will address us as such. You are also incorrect in saying we challenged you, as it is clear to everyone here that you were the one to issue the challenge. As for our terms, the battle will take place precisely one month from today. Take care to prepare properly, as I will afford you no leniency after your affronts against the Empire and the underhanded means you have used to suppress others.”
Lorelei’s face looked like she had swallowed a fly as, without the other side challenging her, she did not have the grounds to make her intended wager. Fortunately, Artoria had set the time of their duel an entire month from now so she still had a number of cards to play. Unless the Director went out of their way to intervene, she could spread the rumor of their wager and publicize the event so that it would be difficult for them to back out. If she manipulated the information properly, she could even make Vahn and Artoria seem arrogant, claiming they were so confident in their own victory that they offered up their own allies without making any demands in return.
Thinking down this line of thought, Lorelei allowed a malicious smile to spread across her face as she gave a mock-bow towards Artoria and stated, “Your Majesty’s words have been taken to heart. Trust that I will make ample preparations, as per your request…” With that said, Lorelei gave one final look toward Solon and Zelretch before snapping her gauntletted hand, a curious action until Vahn noted the strangely pliant bumps at the tips of her fingers that allowed for the necessary friction.
In response to Lorelei’s snap, the fifty people who had been waiting in the periphery filed out, some sending glares toward Vahn’s group while the majority had prideful expression as they pretended to ignore them entirely. Then, in neat columns, they followed after Lorelei as she quickly made her exit, her face blackened from the pure, unadulterated, wrath she was feeling.
To everyone’s surprise, the only exception being a peculiar duo, Lorelei suddenly lost her footing as the heel of her riding boots miraculously came loose. With her superhuman reflexes, she avoided the fate of falling to the ground but the expression on her face became reminiscent of a baleful wraith as she looked back and glared at the smiling Solon. Since Lorelei’s animosity was clear as day, they had used a simple counter-curse against her, one which would cause her to experience sudden bouts of misfortune whenever she directed animosity towards them. If not for the pacts they had made with the founding families, Solon would have already killed Lorelei for her audaciousness.
Due to her hatred of Solon peaking, Lorelei nearly lost her balance once again when she tried to remove her riding boots entirely. This time, she fell backward but, just as before, managed to catch herself before falling down. Unfortunately, despite her outfit being designed for ease of movement, the tension in her knickerbockers suddenly reached its limit, causing a slight tear in the back that made her face turn white as a ghost. Though her petticoat covered the exposed area, she had never felt more rage and embarrassment in this one moment than any point in her entire life.
Knowing things would only get worse for her if she continued in this manner, Lorelei used a simple spell to forcibly calm her mind as she quickly led her group away from the area. Since they were all personally trained by their Master, none of Lorelei’s subordinates showed any sign of amusement as they dutifully followed her retreat. Instead, they allowed their own rage to pile up like coal, waiting to be ignited at a moment’s notice when their Master needed it.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Poor Waver…’,’Dat fourth-highest status though…’,’Solon is very petty for someone that has lived for nearly three millennia…’)
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