104 the first ripple

All were paralyzed at the sight. It's wasn't one or even tenth but seeming hundreds of birds that exit the summoning circle. More than one has faint from pure fright in a soundless scream under the penetrating gaze of the avians surrounding perched on windows sills, table chairs, and the nearest walls.

Old Osmand need quite some time to regain his bearing, only now did he feel the quivering move in his pocket, unwilling to show itself with all those natural predators around. He put a hand in his pocket, smoothing as much as he can the distressed mouse.

"Quite the feat Mr. Evans. I would never in my life think to see such amount of familiar." Say the old man with a gentle smile on his face, making his way to him.

"I would too, if those ones where all my familiar, they are not. My two real familiars are here, with me. The white owl his Chione, and the cat looking creature here is Skadi. Among the other are the children of Chione, she is at the head of the Flock."

This was even more disturbing for the old man, for all he knows owls don't form flocks. To see something similar to a queen was simply mind-blowing and disturbing at least.

"Astonishing, but I never see those breed of owls before, not much a cat this size!" Exclam Colbert who had made his way to them.

This seems to be the signal, and more than once hastily retreats inside the walls of the academy, far from the spooky amber eyes.

"This beautiful lady here." Start Alex, making say bird nuzzle her head against his cheek." Is known as an Harfeng, they would normally live in northern lands, in cold weather, their feathering is their most natural camouflage and are surely one of the most silent hunters, in my world anyway.

As for this lovely ball of fluff, don't be fooled by its lazy appearance, it's a magical creature, a dangerous one at that, it had passive surface mind-reading ability and say to be wary of the unfaithful."

The two men's eyes widen at this, mind-reading was completely unknown territory for this world, so was the means to protect oneself for this type of creature. Facing a creature that could judge you without you knowing was another uncomfortable experience for the two.

The more they learn about the young man facing them, the more concerned they became as to what was sent to their world.

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After a few other innocent questions, he was permitted to return to his room, starting immediately on enchanting a one-way window he creates in the wall linked to the pigeon loft of the school.

He does the same in it, leading to the interior of the room, done, he expands the higher rafter into alcoves for each owl to come. At measure he creates them, an owl would sweep in and nest inside before going to sleep. The last he created was larger and beautifully craved for the single most higher rafter.

Chione would be the only one in it. She stops to nuzzle his ear, making know she appreciates the gesture and settles in. He throws silencing and obscuring ward as well as notice me not wards, isolating the owls to leaves them to have a peaceful haven, unbothered by the come and go of students and staffs sending pigeons.

He does the same for the window, knowing that they would found and use it easily. having all-time in the morning, he sends one of them to deliver the message and the small container to collect the required blood as well as some design and color to choose from.

It didn't take more than half an hour to return with the container full and order for five-set of assorted underwear in light colors and simple pattern, nothing extravagant, but rather reserved and conservative if somewhat slightly incentive.

dropping the requested amount of blood on the pre-made wooden enchanted flat bust, he sees it take the shape of a springy modest B cup chest. Going to work, it didn't take him long to create the pairs. As the bust was the exact replica, he could see if they were any reaction to the material utilized, how the chest reacts to the new materials.

Soon a five compartmented wooden box with its load was ready to be sent. He creates a receipt detailing all the features and their cost, along with a message stating that should a product was defective, it would be replaced free of charge, as long as it didn't show the intervention of external factors. A small wooden tag was also given. It would be the number of the client, should she want further order, she would just need to send the tag along with the order. For a small supplement, he would offer a self-updating catalog of products.

As he finishes to bring the last enchantment to its project, Chione came swooping in.

"Hey, girl, ready for your first post in age?" He received a rather eager bark. Smiling at her, he shrinks the box, fixes the message as to how undoing it, and fix a little box with a slot for the coin to be put inside.

As she asked for the maximum available features, each set cost 5 ecus, a total of 25 ecus. The creation and the fabric were featured another 2 ecus each per set. The grand total was 45 ecus, a healthy sum for a commoner but not for young noble girls.

This wouldn't be a large dent in their pocket money, and as to prove it, Chinoe return rapidly, taking the box out of her, 45 five shining golden coins were soon on the table. Having a model, he soon turns his own gold into a coin, becoming soon, 600 others golden coin identical to the ones he had.

Having now a small reserve, he immediately pay Siesta, sealing the contract, much to the black-haired girl joy.

##################################

While Alex was creating the accommodation for his owls and sent the order before class restarts, the Headmaster was receiving a guest in his office. The rather young-looking man wearing a white ruff, a red mantle, a blue garment with yellow trim, puffy black pants stopped to his keen by white stocking and black shoes and a disdaining smirk n his face.

His neatly trimmed hair was letting apparent the ridiculously long, curled eyebrows and an equally long, thin, curled mustache.

"Count Mott, what does the academy own the pleasure of your presence?" Ask Osmand, sitting behind his desk.

"I came for the royal palace, they have taken great interest in your previous message. The princess should be here tomorrow in person. I was also sent information about a certain thief, and used the previous message as a reason to come earlier."

He gives the Headmaster the document, still keeping his smirk.

"Now that my aim has been accomplished, I made my way back, but before that, what about the previous arrangement, had it been sorted?"

"The previous arrangement?" Ask the old man, lost, as he didn't remember any other issues in the previous months.

"The girl, had she been prepared? I have the gold ready for the transfer." Say the man, his smirk growing larger, making the other man frown his brows before his expression clear.

"Ha yes, that. Unfortunately under a rather unfortunate event, the girl had sought employment elsewhere, she didn't is a part of the staff here anymore."

The growing smirk of count Mott froze at this before his expression darken.

"Where is the girl now?"

"She now works for someone residing actually here at the moment."

'This isn't good, most of those brats had a higher rank than me, they wouldn't be coerced to seel the girl without any repercussion.'

"Whose Family had she seek employment with?" Trying to keep his face free of his thoughts, he asks the now smiling man.

"Oh, it isn't a student..."

"Good then, I would found it myself then."

Without leaving the headmaster time to finish his sentence, the man exits the office to roam the corridor of the tower to found his target.

##################################

As they came just out of the kitchen were Her and Alex had shown the contract for her before sealing it, they were soon surrounded by four-foot soldier in dirty brown armor plate that Alex guess must be copper.

"Ha, Siesta! I had searched for you!"

Hearing the pompous git, he knows the man was up to no good.

"Who is he Siesta?" Ask him in low voice.

"This count Mott, the royal messenger for the academy."

"Come, the thing has been settled with the headmaster, you are now in my service!"

Seeing his maid shudder and the lustful gaze of the man at her chest, it didn't take a genius to understand that he didn't need a maid to clean his mansion but warm his bed. Before she could make a move, he takes a step forward, shielding the girl.

Seeing this the count sneer.

"What do you think your doing boy? Move, I don't have time to waste with rubbish like you."

"She won't go anywhere."

Insulted that a mere commoner dares to defy his orders, he barks.

"Kill him and take the girl!"

Marteau, still processing the meal for diner, open the door to see who was at the origin of the noise, before he could say a word, Siesta was ushered inside the kitchen by Alex, still facing the five opponent.

Seeing the situation, he says nothing and closes the door after taking the girl in.

##################################

Mott has seen what he did, but it didn't matter for him, once he killed the commoner, he would be able to take the girl without much trouble.

"Cease your futile resistance commoner! Didn't your parents teach you to not waste a noble time!"

"No, I don't have consideration for a piece of shit that would soon be dead." Say calmly, Alex.

Hearing him, the already enraged count wave his staff, sending his four guards, spear pointed to the boy, after him.

His sported smirk didn't last long when the four collapse on the ground in a muffled thud and clicking armors.

"What..."

Mott would never finish his sentence as another throwing knife embedded in his skull like his four guards.

"Pathetic, and they call themselves nobles?"

He shakes his heads, missing the tuft of blond hair hastily fleeing from the scene.

Before they could exit the kitchen, he stores all the bodies, leaving only a faint trace of red patches in the pristine green mowed grasses.

"Marteau, could you keep Siesta with you the time she calms down? I have an errand to make, it shouldn't take me more than a few hours."

Nodding grimly at the young boy, he leads back she still shaking girl in. While they didn't hear much, the four muffled bodies falling and the halted count Mott had told them all they need to know, he had permanently deal with the man, problem, he was directly linked with eh royal palace, that why he was grim. While he thinks the boy capable, he would still face the wrath of the Tristain nobility to have killed one of their own.

##################################

Since he already killed the man, Alex decides to go all the way and loot anything he can from the man. Hearing that he was the royal messager, the man must leave near the academy to transmit the message in person. After a few inquiries, he learns that he was indeed lived about an hour at horse speed from here.

Picking the scent of the man, he didn't need long for him to bolts out the academy ground, morphs, and tore through the landscape, following the trail back to its origin. Twenty minutes later, he stands in front of a long E shaped, two stories high manor.

"Halt! You are on Count Mott land! Turn around and make your way back, commoner!"

Seeing the hostility of the guards, he thinks again about sparing them, and they soon rejoin their four comrades. Making his way in the manor, he starts to store anything he came in contact with, stripping the walls of any ornaments.

It didn't take long before his intrusion was detected but he kills any guards that didn't hear him, leaving the others to go. As Mott was only made count messenger, he had a lesser rank than a normal baronet, thus the mansion was still of relatively small size and size of his personal guards rather limited.

After killing the fifteenth guards, not a single one appears ever again, the servants have long since fled in fear for their lives, leaving looting the place.

Even with a mediocre rank, the House was obscenely richly ornamented. He could feel the ingot of gold and silver stacking higher and higher. Each piece of furniture was kept and stored for the moment.

Done with all the room, he goes for the central piece of the manor and the private carter of the ex-count. Made in a tower shape, and raising of a level higher. All the moldings, painting frames, and furniture coating were pure gold.

The amount of money throws away in gaudy decoration left him flabbergasted.

"At least the Death Eater where knowing the valor of gold, but here?"

-See the bright side, the pig had gifted you quite the amount, not as you need it, seeing the mountain of golds sleeping under the manor, but still...-

While SC was answering back, he was transmuting silverware, or any other thing of value into ingots threw into his storage. Every document the man had kept where put on the side, away from books that seem to have never been open.

Done, he exits the House, transfiguring the entire building into a large slab of stone put away, only to discover the entrance of the cellar and basement. Any wine and other beverages where taken, before the place was collapsed once he was sure that he had taken everything.

It was only after looking around the previous place of the tower that he discovers the suspected second and more private basement. Inside, he discovers other documents, and thanks to the inexistence of bank, the entire fortune of Mott.

Not knowing the amount he should receive, he neithermind knows that he had much more than he was supposed to have.

-Bribe?-

'Most likely, the man was responsible for the message between the school and the royal palace, his position was too unique to not leak some important information to the higher bidder.'

-You better go through those documents tonight.-

'I was going to, He must have been there today because of my appearance since I didn't receive a summon by the headmaster it signifies that someone higher will came soon if it a primary target, he may have already leaked it's coming and its life may be in danger.'

Done with the loot, he finally takes away the entire basement reserved to the past servant carters and baths, leaving a sizable crater that was soon starting to fill with the now freely running water, creating a large pound roughly the size of the previous manor.

Done he made his way back to the school before the nightfall. Giving a quick glance, he saw that Siesta has returned and was Daydreaming, alternating silly smile, blushing a storm, and even drooling a little while a small trickle of blood coming from his nose to worried and furtive glance at the window.

Shaking its head at the maid, he closes the door slowly. Looking at the sleeping form of Kirche, he sat at her desk, lit up the candle, and take out the founding documents.

The more he read, the more exasperated he became. Not that Mott was selling information, it was clear even before that, but at the stupidity of the man that had to keep all trace until then. Even if the door had been protected by triangle class protection, he hadn't needed two seconds to transmute the gons from the walls, making the door fall and render the protection obsolete.

'Either the mage here are also lacking in common sense or the man was plain stupid.'

-As long as it not a mix of the two.-

He groans at the thought, before replunging in them.