'Hehe. Look what this lord can do now, my servant.'
'What is it?'
Eri snapped her fingers. Sparks flickered between them, but she kept going.
*Snap. Snap. Snap.*
At last, a small flame appeared above her fingertip.
'Behold, my dear servant.'
The flame twisted and stretched, then shaped itself into a tiny dog.
'I can bend flames to this lord's will now. Hehe.'
'That's good.' I nodded. 'Have you tried animating it?'
'This lord has yet to try,' she said. 'Then this lord shall do so now.'
She moved her fingers slightly.
The flame dog tilted its head. Its tail began to wag. Then it turned and looked up at Eri.
'Hehe. You already know who your lord is.'
Then…
The dog jumped out of her hand, and my floor was wood.
'Ahhh! Bad dog!' Eri cried. 'This lord doesn't like you anymore!'
Flames spread across the floorboards while Eri scolded the flaming dog that she'd made.
She made no attempt to put it out, choosing instead to lecture it as flames spread around her.
A magic circle bloomed in my palm. Rings rotated into place, each layer locking with a soft click.
'Dispel.'
The flames flickered and vanished.
Eri blinked.
'Huh? Where did the dog go?'
'I collapsed the structure. That's why it's gone.'
Ever since the whole Saki and Eri saga, my magic had slowly been returning. A lot was still unusable, but at least some spells no longer tried to kill me on the spot.
I still had no idea why it was stabilising, but I wasn't about to complain. At this point, I'd take anything that stopped the headaches.
'Let me make it again.' Eri lifted her hand and started snapping.
'Maybe later. We have school.'
She froze.
'This lord forgot.'
Then she ran to her room.
I looked down at the floor. The fire was gone, but the scorch marks remained.
'Should I get that fixed?'
After a moment, I shook my head.
No. I'd leave it. A memento of Eri's progress.
'Time for school.'
I got dressed, packed our lunch, and picked up the bags.
A moment later, Eri stepped out of her room.
'I am ready, servant.'
'Then let's go.'
I handed her bag over, and she accepted it with a dignified nod.
——————————————————-
'Good work on the recent exam, everyone,' the teacher announced. 'To have no one fail in my class is a teacher's blessing.'
He began returning the papers.
'Good job,' he said as he placed mine on my desk.
I glanced down. A clean 100%.
Kasumi got hers too and her score was good. Good enough that she'd be owing me a favour.
I wonder what I should ask of her?
'What did you get, Di-ran?' Kasumi asked, leaning over.
I held up the paper.
'It was fated that I receive this.'
Kasumi froze.
She wasn't looking at the score, but she was looking at me.
'Umm… Di-ran. You kind of sound like… Eri.'
Slowly, I lowered the paper and stared at my trembling hands.
'What have I become?' I brought my hands to my face. 'The virus… it is spreading.'
Kasumi gave a strained laugh. 'Umm… now you're starting to sound like Saki.'
I dropped face-first onto the desk.
'T-there's nothing wrong…' Kasumi said quickly, patting my back. 'At least now you have some… ah… personality to you.'
I sighed. 'I guess prolonged exposure has side effects.'
Then I pushed myself upright.
'Maybe it's for the better.'
The rest of class passed in a blur of review questions.
*Ding. Dong.*
The school bell rang and it was time for lunch.
Kasumi and I headed to our usual spot, but a commotion broke out in one of the nearby classrooms.
Students crowded around the door, peering through the glass.
'You want to check it out?' I asked.
'I'm fine with anything.'
I didn't feel like forcing my way through the crowd, so I spread my senses instead.
I sighed.
'I feel a headache coming.'
———————————————-
[Eri's POV]
'There were a few failures in this class, but overall, good work,' the teacher said as she handed back the papers. Then she stopped at my desk. 'Honestly, you were the biggest surprise, Morita-san. Keep it up.'
I humbly accepted the paper and glanced down.
'As expected of this lord,' I said, adjusting my glasses. 'Such results are only natural.'
'Eri, what did you get?' The girl beside me asked.
'Of course it would be something worthy of this lord.'
I showed her and her eyes widened.
'93%. How?'
She grabbed my paper, refusing to yield to reality.
'Simple, my minion. If you possess a mind like this lord, such marks would come naturally.'
'Now then, my minion. What did you receive?'
She slowly returned my paper and reluctantly picked up hers.
'I-I-I got…'
She flipped it over and braced herself for my judgment.
I leaned forward.
'Not bad, my minion. 64%.'
The girl slumped.
'64% is terrible.'
'Do not worry. It is only natural for my minion to be less intelligent than this lord.'
Then I heard her muttering. 'Can't believe I lost to a chunibyo.'
Then, another girl beside me leaned over.
'Eri, let me see yours.'
I showed her, but unlike the first girl, she had no intention of being subtle.
'Holy shit! Eri got 93%!'
'Suzuki-san, sit down,' the teacher said.
Nobody listened.
'Our emperor actually scored that high?!' Another girl cried, turning around in her seat.
Soon my paper was being passed around the room like a sacred artifact.
Eventually, the teacher gave up, sat at her desk, and looked like she was reconsidering her career.
'I didn't know you were this smart, Eri,' one girl said, eyes shining. 'No… I should call you Emperor Eri from now on.'
'Heh.' I pushed my glasses up. 'I have always possessed the quality of a ruler.'
'Oh! I have something in my bag.'
One of the girls rummaged around and pulled out a tiny crown, a red cape, and a golden sceptre.
Her friend blinked. 'Why do you have that?'
'It's for drama club.'
Before I knew it, I was dressed as an emperor.
'Sit here, my lord.'
A girl gestured grandly at a table.
'Time to show the world our emperor!'
The class cheered.
Two students lifted the table with me still sitting on it.
'All hail Emperor Eri!'
And just like that, I was carried into the hallway in triumph.
'Hehehe.' I pointed my sceptre forward. 'Advance my minions.'
'Yes, my lord!'
A crowd formed almost immediately.
Then I saw them. My servant and my knight.
'Greetings, my knight. Greetings, my servant.'
My carriers came to a stop.
Both of them stared at me.
'Umm… Eri,' my knight said carefully. 'What is going on?'
I looked down at my subjects as they looked at me in awe.
'At last, this lord's efforts have been recognised.'
Then I smiled.
'Do you remember our wager, my subjects?'
'Wager?' My knight asked.
'The one where the person with the highest score commands the loser's soul.'
'It was a favour, not soul,' my servant said flatly.
I ignored him.
'Now then. Reveal your fate.'
My knight fidgeted.
'I-I got… 86%'
'Mm. Not bad, my knight.' I nodded. Then I turned to my followers. 'Minions. Announce my achievement.'
One girl stepped forward like a royal herald.
'Our lord has achieved a score befitting her greatness! She received 93%!'
I smiled faintly.
'Heh. It seems you now owe me a favour.'
To be honest, my knight had always been my only concern.
The way she spoke, the way she carried herself, the way she fed me, it all screamed educated, polished, refined.
But my servant?
Outside of teaching Swordfish Knight and producing food that was technically edible, he had always carried himself like an uncivilised beast.
Once I caught him picking his nose and flicking the evidence into the grass.
Another time, I saw him scratching his bum while walking around the house.
A disgraceful man.
'Eri…'
'Yes, my knight?' I asked magnanimously.
'Di-ran got a higher mark than you.'
My eyes opened wide.
What?
This man?
Nay, this beast scored higher than me?
'Show me your results, my servant.'
Dylan pulled out his paper.
'Read it for me,' I commanded.
The herald girl took it, looked down, and froze.
'…'
'Minion. Speak.'
She slowly raised her head.
'It is… 100%.'
My mind went blank.
How?
The only thing I had ever seen him do with 100% consistency was sigh.
'Give me that.'
I snatched the paper and looked at the top.
A one.
Two zeroes.
A percent sign.
…NANI?!
My hands trembled.
After several long seconds, I handed it back with what dignity I had left.
'Very well. The lord has seen enough.'
My servant accepted it without expression.
I cleared my throat.
'Ahem. As expected of my servant. It is only natural that one who serves me would possess such intellect. In time, I may even promote you to royal advisor.'
Then I stepped down from the table with enough grace to shame the nobility.
'Well done, my servant.' I patted his shoulder.
He looked down at me with that usual blank face. But I knew the truth. He was clearly doing his best to contain the joy of receiving my praise.
*Snap*
'You may all return to your duties.' I declared to the crowd. 'This lord now has business with her subjects.'
The students dispersed in disappointment, no doubt saddened to lose the chance to bask in my radiance.
I raised my sceptre and pointed ahead.
'Come. We shall ascend the mountain to our usual place, my subjects.'
And as we walked, the other students parted before us, instinctively recognising their superior.