Reincarnated as a Familiar Volume 1 (Light Novel), page 5
“I’m surprised the people followed them. Trading food for putting your lives on the line seems like an awfully bad deal.”
“My parents were very well-liked by the people. Many of the nobles within the alliance treat commoners as beneath them. They never once thought that way, though. They believed that the success and prosperity of our territory was thanks to our citizens. We never lived a very extravagant lifestyle, but we never wanted for anything either. The people provided for us, and we did our best to provide for them in return.”
“Your parents sound like wonderful people. I would love to meet them someday.”
“That… won’t be possible,” Lesti said as she turned her gaze away from me, looking out the window.
Oh no. I’m such an idiot. She was literally just talking about her parents going off to war. I guess that’s her reason for wanting to get stronger.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”
“That’s okay,” she said as she turned back to me, “I’m sure you guessed by my reaction, but my parents died in that conflict. They sacrificed themselves so that their troops could escape an ambush. When I learned of their deaths, I was devastated.
“Is that why you want to get stronger then? For revenge?”
She shook her head, “No. Unfortunately, that’s not where the story ends. Do you know how inheritance works in the Alandrian Alliance?”
“I don’t have a clue. In my old world’s past, territories would be passed down from father to son.”
“Oh, that’s surprising. It’s rather similar then. As you said, territories in the alliance are passed down from father to son in most cases. However, I’m my parents’ only heir.”
“So, did your territory fall into the hands of some nasty uncle or cousin then?”
“No,” Lesti said while shaking her head, “However, my uncle is administrating my territory on my behalf until I come of age. Once that happens, I will be forced to marry, and my husband will become the new lord.”
Oh no. If this is anything like the middle ages back home, then I know where this is going.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what age is someone considered to be an adult in this world?”
“Fifteen years old.”
That’s what I thought. What the heck is wrong with people? Marrying off a fifteen-year-old girl is a crime!
“So, you want to get stronger because you don’t want to be married off?”
“If it were only that, I wouldn’t be so desperate. The man who is meant to be my husband is the real problem. He views the common people as beneath him and has a reputation as a womanizer.”
“What the heck!? Why do you have to marry a scummy guy like that? I’m sure your uncle could find someone better.”
“Unfortunately, my uncle has no say in the matter. In the case that the only heir to a territory is female, the council decides who will marry them by majority vote. Ah, the council is made up of representatives of each of the noble houses within the alliance. Usually, they send either the head of the house or a second son.”
“That’s awful. Why should a bunch of old men and their sons get to decide who you have to marry! You should be free to decide for yourself who you get to marry!”
Lesti stared at me with a shocked expression for a moment before bursting out laughing.
“Huh!? What? Did I say something strange? What’s so funny!?”
“Ha~. I’m sorry. It’s just, that’s what you’re worried about? The world you come from must really be different, Astria.”
“What do you mean?”
“In this world, it’s pretty common for women to be married off without any say in the matter. That’s especially true for nobles like myself. Even if my parents hadn’t passed away, they would have decided who my husband would be. They would have never chosen such a pathetic excuse for a man, though.”
I guess she’s right. Even on earth, arranged and political marriages were common for a long time. Still, that doesn’t make it right!
“You’re okay with this, then? With being married off to someone you don’t even love?”
“Not a chance.”
“Wait, really?”
“Surprised? I don’t plan on playing along with the council’s decision. The man that they chose isn’t fit to take over my parents’ territory. My people deserve better than that. That, and I want to marry someone of my own choosing. I want to be the master of my own fate. That’s why I need to be stronger. I need the strength to defy the entirety of the alliance and overturn hundreds of years of tradition.”
I stared at the girl in front of me for a moment, awestruck. She’s incredible. I’m supposed to be a teacher, an adult. Yet, here I am being outdone by a child. She’s trying to find the strength to fight the entire world. And what have I been doing? Just going with the flow and feeling sorry for myself.
“Stop looking so down,” Lesti said, interrupting my thoughts, “You don’t have to worry about me. I may have some pretty big obstacles in my way, but I’m going to blast through all of them!”
“Ah, sorry. I’m just feeling a bit pathetic is all. You’re working so hard despite everything that’s happened to you, yet I’m just scared of this new world and unsure of what to do with myself.”
“Is that all?”
“What do you mean is that all!? I’m all torn up over this, you know!”
“What’s there to be torn up about? Shouldn’t you just do what you want? Think about it. This is your chance at a brand-new life! You can do anything you want and be whoever you want! Although, I guess being a cat does limit your options a bit.”
“You really are a strange one, you know that? You summon me all the way here to be your familiar and then tell me I can do whatever I want. What the heck is that?”
“You’re my familiar Astria, not my slave. I want your help, but I also want you to be happy. So, what do you want to do with your new life?”
I lowered my head in thought. Since I had arrived in this new world, I hadn’t really considered what I wanted to do. I had just been going along with the flow. What do I want to do? How am I supposed to answer that? I don’t even know what I can do. Maybe that’s my answer then…
“Well, the first thing I’d like to do is learn more about myself. I don’t even know what an Astral Cat is, and I know even less about familiars.”
“Maybe you should go and talk to Instructor Frederick? He’s scary, but he seemed rather knowledgeable about familiars.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Remember when we were in the headmistress’s office? He was the one who knew how you could talk to me privately. He wouldn’t have known that if he wasn’t knowledgeable about familiars.”
This girl…she picked up on that despite being in such a state of shock. She really is full of surprises.
“You really are sharp, despite being terrible at magic.”
“Hey! That last part was unnecessary!” Lesti replied, puffing her cheeks out.
“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t help but tease you a little. I’ll go see Frederick tomorrow during the free study period then. Want to come with me?”
“I’ll pass. I need to keep practicing if I ever want to master this spell. That and I can’t really deal with Instructor Frederick.”
“Alright, I’ll catch up with you after lunch then. Now, let’s get to bed. We’re going to be busy tomorrow.”
* * *
Well, this is a problem. It was the next day, and I was standing outside the closed door of Frederick’s office. I stared up at the simple handle far above my head. How am I supposed to open this? Maybe I can jump and grab the handle? Guess I’ll give it a shot. I quickly looked around to make sure that no one was watching before crouching down and getting ready to jump.
After a moment, I leapt up at the handle with my paws extended out in front of me. I managed to reach, but my paws slipped off the smooth surface, and I went tumbling to the floor. Right before I hit the ground, I managed to twist my body around and land on my feet. Gah! Almost had it! Still, I am happy to learn that it’s true what they say about cats always landing on their feet. I would have fallen right on my face as a human.
I got back in position and crouched down. I once again leapt up at the handle, but this time I wrapped my front paws around it like I was giving it a hug. I then pulled my back paws up and braced them against the door to support myself. Alright, I got it! Now all I need to do is-. My thoughts were cut short by the sight of Frederick standing in the hall with an unimpressed look on his face.
“Having fun attacking my door?” he asked sarcastically.
Why does this keep happening to me! First, it was waking up Lesti and now this! I have got to be more careful where I let my cat-urges get the better of me.
I hopped down from the door handle and turned to face Frederick. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze, so I pretended to be fascinated with the nearby wall.
“I-I was just trying to see if you were around.”
Frederick moved over and opened the door, inviting me inside. Oh, right. He can’t respond to me out here. I went into his office, and he closed the door behind me.
“I would say you should knock next time, but I guess that’s impossible,” he said, “I’ll make sure to leave my door cracked if I’m in my office from now on.”
“Thanks. That’ll really help me out.”
“I assume you needed something from me?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking it over, and I want to learn more about being a familiar.” I started to ask about Astral Cats as well, but since I wasn’t sure if I should let anyone other than Lesti know that I used to be human, I focused on my questions about being a familiar. “I don’t understand what a familiar is capable of. Do I have special powers and abilities I should be able to use? I feel like I’m just a really smart cat right now.”
“I see. And you thought I could help you?”
“Well, Lesti thought you might know something since you were the one who taught us how to communicate privately.”
“A rather sound conclusion, considering it’s coming from that girl. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on familiars. However, I do know someone who should be able to help you. He’s far older and wiser than I am.”
“Really!? Is he a teacher here at the school? I figured that Lesti would know about someone like that.” I replied as my tail swished back and forth in excitement.
“No. He isn’t a teacher. He is an expert on familiars though…in a sense.”
“Um, that last part has me a bit worried. I guess beggars can’t be choosers, though. So, where can I meet this familiar expert of yours at? I hope you remember that I can’t leave the school.”
“Don’t worry. He’s technically on the school grounds, so you’ll be able to meet him without breaking your promise. I can take you to him after lessons are finished today. Wait for me outside my office. And do try to avoid attacking my door this time, please.”
“Okay, I wasn’t attacking your door, guy.”
Frederick raised an eyebrow, bemused. I stopped talking and shook my head.
“You know what? I don’t need to explain myself to you. I’m leaving! Thanks for the information. I’ll meet you here later today.”
I tried to storm out of the room angrily, but the door was shut. I paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to open the door myself.
“Um, would you mind getting the door for me?”
Frederick walked over to the door and pulled it open wide before bowing with a flourish. Surprised at the exaggerated mockery, I stuck my tongue out at him and then turned and walked down the hallway to meet up with Lesti. The look of surprise on his face filled me with a sense of satisfaction the whole way.
* * *
It was after classes, and I was sitting outside Frederick’s office. I arrived a little later than planned because I spent nearly thirty minutes trying to convince Lesti not to practice while I wasn’t around. In the end, I was at least able to get her to promise me that she wouldn’t overdo it.
Like I believe that. That girl doesn’t know the meaning of taking it easy. I wish Frederick would hurry up. I need to get back before she goes and collapses on me again. Where could he be?
A few minutes later, I spotted Frederick walking down the hall. He was walking with a boy I had never seen before. He looked to be about the same age as Lesti and had short blond hair that was neatly styled. His blue eyes were sharp, and he carried himself with an air that didn’t match his young face. Most shocking, though, was the magical energy that was literally leaking out of him.
Ever since I was summoned to this world, I had been able to kind of see when people were using magic. It was faint, but I could make out the traces of their magic energy working their spells. I had never seen this before, though. This boy was just dumping out magical energy like it was burning a hole in his pocket. It didn’t seem like he was casting a spell either as the energy would quickly dissipate. The effect resulted in something akin to an aura around him.
As Frederick and the young man approached, I became able to hear their conversation.
“Thank you again, instructor, for taking the time to answer my questions,” the boy said.
“Not a problem. That’s what I’m paid to do after all. Did you need anything else?” Frederick replied.
“There was one last thing. I’d like to take the upcoming practical exam early. I have some family matters that I need to attend to during the normal exam period and will be away. I promise you that I’ll hold on to my top spot even without the extra time.”
“Rather confident, aren’t you? Well, I suppose you’ve earned that right. You’ve held the top score in your year ever since you arrived. Don’t get too comfortable, though. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself getting passed in no time.”
“So, I have your permission then?”
“Yes. I’ll arrange things with the headmistress and get back to you with a date and time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to.”
“Of course,” the boy bowed, “Thank you for your time, instructor.”
He then turned on his heel and headed back in the other direction. He eventually turned the corner and headed toward the courtyard, disappearing from sight. Frederick came over and opened the door without saying a word, and we entered his office. Unlike last time, he locked the door behind us.
“Forgive my lateness,” he said, “as you could see, I was held up by a student.”
“About that, just who is that boy? He seems…special.”
“Oh, so you noticed? Well, that’s not surprising, I guess. He does have a certain air about him, no?”
“I suppose you could say that. Anyway, who is he?”
“Ah, right. That is Alexander Bestroff. He’s the second son of the Bestroff family, the most influential noble family in the entire alliance. He’s also the number one student in your master’s year by a landslide.”
Lesti has to beat that kind of monster? We’re going to have our work cut out for us. Hopefully, I can learn some useful information from this familiar expert of Frederick’s.
I paused for a moment, surprised by my own thoughts. Us? When did I start including myself in Lesti’s problems? Apparently, I was getting more attached to the girl than I had realized.
“My apologies,” Frederick continued, “but could you wait just a few more minutes? I’d like to get some things organized before heading down.”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” I replied.
Down? Is his friend underground then? I looked around Frederick’s office for some sort of staircase. His office was smaller than most. Since it was located in one of the towers, the room took up the portion of the first floor that wasn’t occupied by the staircase. There was only enough room for a simple desk and a small bookcase that sat against the back wall.
The room wasn’t very decorated, but the wall on the right did bare a simple cloth banner. The banner bore a red field. The head of a black fanged beast, similar to the one on Frederick’s hand, adorned the center of the banner. It looked like a banner for a military unit rather than a family crest. I turned to ask Frederick about it when I realized something.
That’s odd. The tower is round, and the staircase spirals up the wall, but this room is perfectly square. That seems like an odd design choice. The room would have had much more space if they had just followed the shape of the tower.
As I pondered about the shape of the room, Frederick finished his task and walked over to the bookshelf. He placed his hand on the side and released a small amount of magical energy. The spot under his hand lit up with a green light as a small magic circle formed. A moment later, the bookcase slid effortlessly to the side, revealing a small hidden room between the wall of the room and the outer wall of the tower.
“Shall we?” Frederick asked before ducking into the newly revealed room.
I followed him through and found the room to be empty except for a ladder sticking out of a ten-foot square hole. Frederick was already starting down the ladder. He stopped, only his shoulders and head sticking out and held his hand out to me.
“It’s rather far down, so I’ll have to carry you.”
“If you insist.”
I walked over, and he scooped me up into his hand and put me on his shoulder. I extended my claws into the fabric to be extra safe as he began to descend. Frederick summoned a magical light, allowing me to see all the way to the bottom of the hole. The entire drop was about twenty feet, and the floor below was made of the same stone as the walls.
A staircase awaited us once we reached the bottom of the ladder. Rather than being straight, it followed a gentle curve. We followed it back toward the center of the school grounds. After descending for about 5 minutes, I began to feel the air grow moist. Shortly after, the staircase stopped, and we entered a much more natural-looking tunnel.
