Summer, nearing her nine hundred and sixty-sixth birthday, had never felt this much 'contempt' towards a person.
Her narrow green eyes flickered at the documents, the professors' mundane complaints blurring by, before a sound flip of a page interrupted her thoughts.
She glanced behind to watch Ciel reading a tome she gifted. Muffled hums escaped the Queen as her legs kicked casually at the air, the gesture revealing more of her bare thighs from the pyjama skirt.
The dragon could excuse the Queen's ability to read. Moonlight magic, mimic encounter, Ciel's efficient combat, Witch contract, and even a Druidic Sigil
All of them had set Summer's weariness for Ciel to a higher bar than before. But worst of all:
"Improper." She huffed, pointing at Ciel's legs. "Sit properly if you're reading."
Why was everything about Ciel so irritating? Why can't she find the initiative to interrogate everything out of her?
Ciel's guilty eyes perked up at Summer, the dragon's scowl never known the concept of relaxing.
The white-headed Queen then climbed up the bed. Her knees bent with the fabric, allowing her plump thighs to be exposed more-
"Hm?"
Ciel's brows raised as Summer's figure flashed before her. A firm hand then pressed onto the knees, tugging down the pyjama skirt with a stubborn grip.
Now within a breath's distance, Summer busied herself with 'correcting' Ciel's behaviour, her grasp firm on the plush thighs.
This must be intentional. That was how Summer judged this annoyance, before lifting her gaze to meet Ciel's wandering eyes, point-blank.
Biting her lips, all diplomatic flair fled from the Dragon's tongue as he hurried to shift the topic. Anything other than about the stupid pyjamas.
"I will be blunt: the mimics won't let you off in the exam." She advised. "You should practice your magic outside rather than just reading."
Ciel tilted her head, then a wide, understanding smile bloomed at her small lips.
"I will." Ciel nodded. "But I need more variations to my Moon Mastery. Just moonblast alone won't be enough."
"But a hasty aim would kill you in battle."
"Don't worry, hehe." Ciel's chuckle was a sweet melody that ground the dragon's nerve. "I will practice eventually. If not, I can always shoot them by running up close."
"Are you… trying to get yourself killed?"
"It's merely a habit." Ciel's breath hitched. "You can call it laziness, but this body is too weak to even stab a shadebeast properly with a knife. A blast is always a far better alternative."
Ciel then flashed a smirk. "Though I won't have excuses. Want to accompany me as I shoot some branches down? I may get one, eventually."
"...I still have my documents to finish."
"Okay then."
She held up the tome titled
The softness from the look melted Summer's hostility, her clenched teeth releasing unconsciously.
It had only been a day since she allowed Ciel some rest, food and a tome to read, yet Summer couldn't detect a single hint of malice from the Queen.
She had executed over three thousand mimics. One thousand and thirty-six of them were wearing the skins of her students.
Familiar voices, grumbles or sobbings all dared to slip from their mouth like tissue papers littered away, deceptions Summer was tired of cleaning up after.
The Queens were the worst. Before their last moments, some would appeal to her. Humanity, they had. No choice, they hadn't.
Summer killed them all. As she should.
So why couldn't Ciel 'fear' her? Lie to her? So the Dragon would feel at ease without her existence?
The Dragon's green eyes lingered at Ciel's wrist, the spell-band drawn of inky vines, a mark of not distrust, but acceptance for further reconciliation.
Alas, she left behind a simple doubt:
"Do you trust me, or your brethren, Ciel?"
The white-haired queen's eyes shook. Memories of last night surged, her heartbeat drumming with that 'smile'.
She forced her lips into a frown. "It'd be you, Miss Dragon."
Summer froze, her grasp on Ciel loosening to an uncertain grip, ghosting at the skin as if hesitating.
The Dragon spoke out, her tone underlying a betrayal.
"You're lying."
A silent tension penetrated the air, the only aftermath both Ciel and Summer could afford.
The Dragon's nose soon strained for a chortle, knowing what she asked for was too quick. Too immature.
Everything took time to adjust. Trust, of course, was always one of them.
"I wish you luck on the exam, Ciel."
Summer stood up straight, her stern expression returning with authority.
Ciel could only give a timid nod.
Though she didn't confess how much she liked Summer's hand on her skin, as weird as it might sound.
—-----------
Trapped in the Dragon's residence, Ciel counted multiple suns and moons passing by, her study soon piling up to a tower of tomes.
With her race as a Witch and stat points into INT, learning spells wasn't much of a difficulty with her closer ties to knowledge itself.
Summer soon shot down her arrogance, though, by revealing their harsh ranking system.
It was only later that Ciel learned all of the tomes she read were of Tenebra I, for now, though, as opposed to the Tenebra II for the next stage, with Tenebra IX for the highest tier.
The only saving grace was that Summer judged her to be a top Tenebra I, very close to a Tenebra II already.
On what merit? Summer didn't elaborate, but Ciel deduced it was probably about her terrifying efficiency when it came to 'killing'.
An inability to hesitate was very much a talent in and of itself.
Conversely, however, Summer's ignorance often distracted Ciel from studying.
Ciel didn't understand why at first, until she recalled her begrudging gratitude from her past life, when a teacher joked about how she scored a one instead of a zero in the exam.
She wanted the same from Summer, but couldn't put a word for it, strangely.
So she would put it aside for later, when she would become a little stronger.
With days passing by, however, Summer finally called out to her again when the sun dismissed itself with a lingering red.
"Oh…"
Ciel's jaws went impressively agape at the mirror depicting her new self, now adorned with a simple white blouse and a black linen skirt.
A black bowtie strung loosely at the neck, completing an outfit fit for travelling, that happened to look pleasing to her eyes.
"Hang on."
Summer's hand gently pushed her shoulder aside. Leaning forward, her strong hand gave a careful tug on the bowtie, their distance now close just like back then.
This time, the Dragon's expression was that of a calm sea.
"Follow the path up North, and you will see the academy soon enough."
Her finger flicked at the air, before a firefly from the lamp responded, its wing fluttering up close to Ciel's cheek.
"This little thing will guide you till then. Do not expect any help from me if you get lost, or even…"
Die. An easy and childish syllable, almost muttered out robotically by the Dragon.
Summer made a funny face, before Ciel watched as she turned around and headed to the bathroom, her composure unknowingly forced.
"Good luck. I will take a bath now."
The bathroom door slid shut beside the bed, forbidding any last word.
Ciel's bare feet rooted themselves, not budging for even a moment.
Yet after seeing no sign of Summer returning, she strode to the exit, kneeling to put on a pair of black leather boots, a habit before leaving she has long gotten used to while being here.
With one last conflicted glance behind her, she left the first-ever place that accepted her.
—-------
The green firefly illuminated the path ahead, allowing Ciel's steps to follow casually.
Her thoughts drifted away with the cool breeze against her skin, her toes occasionally tripping over tree roots and protruding rocks.
She was stuck only on one question: Would things be different if she grew powerful enough to kill a Queen right away?
Her right hand, marked by the Everangarde Sigil and the vine-like spell bind, grazed over towers of rough bark along the way, her mind sharpening amongst the approaching night to arrive at the answer 'no'.
Actions, without substance, proved no trustworthiness at face value.
And Summer was sure to be paranoid even more if she did kill one.
But now that the Dragon's spell bound her life, Ciel needed to prove, at least, that she was willing to entrust Summer with her own life, all to open a path forward.
Even if Summer was unwilling to do the same, it didn't matter.
She was glad to give up everything, precisely because her confidence knew nothing worthier than herself.
Dusk abandoned the world for the horizon, as darkness finally polluted the sky, painting it a malicious black.
[ Warning: Nightfall Approaching. ]
[ Area: Summer's Midgarden (Low-risk Zone) ]
The lone firefly glowed green against the encroaching shadow. With a few blinks, the black silhouette sharpened perfectly to Ciel's vision, a product of her past battles.
Ciel's ears then perked up. Faint murmurs and groans echoed beyond the trees, followed by a chaotic swish, like a violent slide over a violin string.
Someone was battling. As if prompted by her suspicion, the firefly's green turned into a warning red, its direction pivoted towards the source of those noises.
Ciel stretched out her hand and gripped her summoned staff before following it with a quickened pace.
A screen briefly flashed before her eyes.
[ Area: Summer's Midgarden (Low-risk - > Medium-risk Zone) ]
[ Shadebeasts: Shadow Hounds have spawned within your 30m. Please be cautioned. ]
---------
(After one more recommendation, the status screen will go back to author's words)
Status Screen:
[ Status ]
Name: Ciel
Race: Witch, Queen(?)
Mastery: Moon
Level: 4
HP: 70/70
MP: 165/165
SP: 0
[ Stats ]
STR (Strength): 5
AGI (Agility): 7
VIT (Vitality): 5
INT (Intelligence): 11
CHA (Charisma): 15
[ Racial Trait(s) ]
[ Skills ]
[ Spells ]
[ Note – Queen's Bane System ]
Awaiting Upgrades: Tarot Shuffle