[TWS] Chapter 326 – Relics and Mementos (Patreon)

“I need to come up with something already. Miria and Selene got their presents yesterday. The others are definitely on a good track too. I can’t believe I agreed to this stupid idea to wrap the person who last finds their gift for Ast into those perverted ribbons for the duration of the entire celebration. That’s so embarrassing! At least allow underwear!” Tina fussed over her current situation while pacing all over her room in her family’s new residence. “But what to do? Maybe buy or custom order a nice pin for his coat? The one he got me for my hair is so perfect. But, that would feel like I’m just stealing his idea.”

As she continued to trot in circles, a noisy bird followed right after her, trying to land on her shoulder but failing miserably each time Tina changed directions and juked him. Ori squawked and tittered at her but his mistress wasn’t paying any attention to him, biting on her fingernail like it was the most delectable piece of bread.

It wasn’t until Esil suddenly stalked out of a dark blue gate, filling almost the entire chamber with his majestic body, that Tina finally stopped, running out of space to wander about. The winged lion chuckled at her deeply and nuzzled his nose into her cheek.

“Fret not, little girl. There’s still time. And we are all here for you,” he said calmly, puffing hot air at her face.

Hydran pooled by her feet and rose up in his somewhat humanoid shape, looking like an inverted cone with a whirlpool at his feet, and even Firo, Tina’s Water Serpent, joined them, swimming around in the Primordial Spirit’s body. Thanks to the fact that it was made completely of water, he could freely inhabit it with no long and short-term repercussions.

“Thanks, everyone.” Tina smiled at her familiars warmly as Ori perched atop her head. “I’m sorry for being so disorganized. It’s making me stressed that others have already succeeded so fast.”

“Then forget about them and focus on the person that matters the most right now,” Esil offered her his words of wisdom. “Open your heart to the bond you share with your mate. You’ve been with him for longer than even he realizes. Out of all his females, you should have it the easiest to use your memories in search of a pleasant surprise for your beloved.”

“Easier said than done.” She giggled shyly at her past being pointed out so unabashedly. “Will ideas from that time even work with his current self?”

“I don’t know. What ideas are those?” the winged patriarch asked.

“I’m also not sure.” Tina rubbed her cheeks. “In the past, perhaps I would have gotten him some rare material he was missing for his summoning or his studies since he and Miss Kindra lived quite frugally. Maybe a simple keychain with a depiction of Roy or Mii, but that would be kind of sad now that they are both gone. Or perhaps a book since he loved to read. Or…”

She paused, freezing completely.

“A book!” Tina shouted, a bright smile making its way onto her troubled face. “I could find the book he was reading on the day of those exams when I talked to him and wished him good luck!”

Then, she turned gloomy again.

“No, that wasn’t a happy day. It doesn’t bring up good memories.” Tina began walking in circles again, much smaller ones this time. “Oh! But a grimoire! That’s still a bit sad but has incredible sentimental value!”

“A grimoire?” Esil tilted his head at her while Ori bobbed up and down in her hair, already knowing what she had in mind.

“The one he used to summon Mii and Roy! It has to still be in the main library since that’s where they lend them to us for our first few summoning attempts! You can bring them home and conduct your own research while taking notes! Sometimes, students add their own annotations to a page or two when they figure out something that could be helpful to others! I know for sure that Ast had to come up with some great advice for summoning or taking care of a Dashing Rabbit or a Soaring Ferret! We need to find it!” Tina practically yelled at his muzzle, causing him to chuckle in amusement again.

“Then let’s find it.” Esil lowered his head in agreement.

“It’s at Rosewind’s Academy, though.” She stroked her chin. “We’ll have to ask Umbra for help, then meet Principal Teireshia to try and get permission, and finally locate that specific book amongst thousands! This might take a long time. I’ll see you guys there.”

Within a moment, Umbra was already swallowing her figure, and she descended into the floor with one last wave. A single blink later, she popped back up in front of the main entrance to the administrative building, skipping the guards at the gate completely. She had no time to introduce herself, even if there was a good chance that they would recognize her and let her in without a thorough check.

She ran inside right away, heading straight for the Principal’s office. Thankfully, the hallways were mostly empty, most likely due to classes being underway, so she was at the door in no time. Stopping for a moment to fix her looks, she knocked gently on the ornamental wood. After a few seconds of no response, she did it again. Third time’s a charm also did not work.

A little bit frustrated, she called for Hydran and asked him to take a peek through the keyhole. Her liquid familiar slithered through the gap and notified her that no one was there. She frowned and looked around. Something was weird. It was way too quiet, even if it wasn’t break time.

Bringing him back, she jogged to the nearby classroom and put her ear to the door.

Silence again.

Not a single voice sounded on the other side, and her hearing was much, much better thanks to her bond with Ast.

“What’s going on?” Tina asked herself as she pulled away.

Just to be sure, she checked a few more places, but they were empty too. Then, while passing by one of the offices, a calendar hanging on the corkboard next to its entrance caught her eye. She quickly backpedaled and slapped her forehead.

“Argh! I’m so stupid! It's a holiday!” She groaned in disappointment. “But, not all is lost. The librarian is always at their post. Things just got harder but not impossible. I’ll get that book even if I have to break in.”

Her cheeks warmed up as she realized what she’d just said.

“Gods, I’ve become such a bad girl.” Tina chuckled wryly. “But they owe me. They owe us. A tiny little book is a small price to pay for helping the entire school get rid of horrible bullies. I’ll let Madam Teireshia know later through our connection. There’s no time to waste.”

Trying to convince herself, she dashed towards the library building. Knowing the way perfectly well since she was most likely the second person after Asterios to walk those halls the most often, she found the entrance to the main archive in a matter of minutes. Going in as slowly as quietly as she could, she trotted up to the librarian’s desk.

A mature woman with black hair woven into a bun and golden-rimmed glasses was reading a book behind it. Tina recognized her and thanked lady luck for not setting up the grumpy old man on the post today. He was always a pain to talk to.

“Hello, Miss Noma,” Tina greeted the woman with a shy smile.

The lady raised her eyes from her lecture and furrowed her brows. “What are you doing here today? I don’t remember anyone mentioning any important assignments for the holidays. And what’s with the color of your blazer?”

“It’s a spare I messed up while doing laundry in the past,” Tina lied with an awkward chuckle. “And I just wanted to take a look at a few grimoires. We were allowed to browse the archives during the free days, were we not?”

Noma squinted at her briefly but nodded. “That’s correct. What are you looking for?”

“This might sound weird, but I want to check all the grimoires talking about Dashing Rabbits and Soaring Ferrets,” Tina replied.

The mature lady snorted. “You too? I swear, we need to start charging per hour with how often those go out.”

“Me too?” Tina’s eyes widened. “I had no idea they were that popular.”

“They weren’t. Until not that long ago, at least. Everyone became obsessed with them after that huge controversy with a kicked-out student who became a powerful figure.” The black-haired woman shook her head. “There’s not a single day someone isn’t sitting here leafing through them.”

“Oh no.” Tina’s shoulders slumped. “Are any taken for personal studies?”

“No, they are all here right now. We had to withdraw them from the pool or they were going to be ruined in a flash. You can only view them here for now,” Lady Noma answered.

“Good. I’ll do just that. Thank you so much for your help, Lady Noma.” Tina bowed low and rushed away, causing the woman to raise a brow at her.

Calling for Firo and Hydran, she began locating all the books she’d mentioned. It took them about twenty minutes to collect all eight copies. Then, she had to do the next part on her own. One by one, Tina investigated the chapters containing information on Ast’s past familiars in those books. As expected, some did include handwritten notes at the edges of the paper. She went through seven of them without recognizing Ast’s style though, and was slowly starting to lose hope.

But, the moment she opened the final grimoire on the section touching on the subject of Dashing Rabbits, there was not a single spot of empty space left around the yellowed pages. A beautiful smile curled up the corner of her delicate lips as she pumped her fist in victory.

“Yes!” she cried out in joy, instantly recalling where she was and covering her mouth.

Hastily putting the other volumes away, she sprinted back to the librarian’s desk. Lady Noma was already waiting for her with her brows slightly raised, definitely hearing her short cheer.

“Hello again.” Tina bowed low again. “This will sound very, very outrageous, but I need this book.”

“I’m sorry, but as I told you—”

“Forever,” she added with a strained smile.

The mature woman stared at her incredulously and huffed softly. “You must be joking. The grimoires are not for taking, nor are they for sale. Now, put that book back before I decide to let the Principal now about this—”

“Please, I really need this one very particular grimoire.” Tina batted her eyelashes at the librarian lady. “I would have gone to the Principal for permission, but she isn’t here. I can let her know as soon as she is back and I assure you that she won’t mind. Or I can even contact her right now, right here. I’ll bring a fresh replacement in a week’s time, with all the personal notes copied onto it. No one will even notice the change.”

“That’s preposterous. Who do you think—”

This time, it was Noma who paused by herself instead of getting interrupted. She squinted for a moment before her eyes turned into saucers.

“Wait... You are… You are her, aren’t you? Tina? Tina Nobelle,” she asked with pure astonishment.

“Ummm… Yes?” Tina giggled anxiously, glancing to the sides.

The librarian made an unreadable face as she stared at her from behind the desk. Then, she chuckled to herself and brought something from one of the drawers on her side. An old edition of Summoner’s Journal, the weekly newspaper run by the academy’s press club, rested on the surface between her and Tina, open on the page portraying the last graduation ceremony.

“I think we can come to an arrangement that will satisfy both sides.” A corner of Miss Noma’s lips rose up in a faint trace of a clever smirk. “You sign this declaration of an indefinite loan right under the picture, and I will let you walk out of here with that grimoire in your possession.”

Tina gaped at her in utter disbelief for a good few seconds until an elated laugh escaped her throat.

“With pleasure, Miss Noma!” she replied and got right to work.

The older woman watched her write her own name with a happy smile. When Tina was done, she picked up the newspaper, examined it briefly, and carefully folded it with an approving nod.

“My niece will ascend to the heavens when she learns of this.” She chuckled warmly. “Now, don’t forget what you promised me, alright?”

“Never!” Tina beamed at her. “Thank you so much, Miss Noma! You are a lifesaver! I’ll be back with a new book before you can say Summoner’s Journal!”

A mere fraction of a second after the last word left her lips, Tina’s figure was swallowed by a thick shadow and plunged into the floor, startling the woman a bit. She leaned over the desk and stared at the ground incredulously. Shaking her head, she sat back and chose not to question today’s events.

※※※

“Fuck, this also won’t do!” Grea cursed and threw away the crystal shoelace she had in hand, diving even deeper into the low-standing cabinet. “I have to have something good in there, for cock’s sake!”

Reaching further, she suddenly slipped on something she’d discarded earlier and fell forward, hitting the back of the closet with her horn.

“Argh, shitfuckdickpiss!” She hissed, throwing herself backward and landing hard on her ass. “I almost broke his favorite horn!”

Groaning in pain, she rubbed the black spike in search of any damage. Fortunately, she found no jagged bits or crushed edges. The tip was safe too.

“Looks like I’m getting more durable than before. At least that’s some good news.” Grea sighed and slumped back, resting her head on the island counter behind her. “The quest for the perfect gift? Not so much.”

Aura floated down to her side and caressed her cheek in her gaseous form. “You need to be more careful. What would he say if he found out that you hurt yourself while looking for his present?”

Grea snorted. “He would laugh at me like a madman if he saw my broken horn and a hole in the cupboard.”

“Would he really?” Her familiar pouted skeptically.

“No. He wouldn’t.” Grea sighed again. “He would pull me into a warm hug and run his fingers along it while whispering to my ear how pretty and sexy it now looks, doing everything to improve my sullen mood. Fucking softie. My softie…”

“Maybe you should go with your first idea? The one you presented to his other mates? We are sure that none of them will do it so it will be unique,” Aura suggested.

She shook her head. “Nope. For once in my life, I’m not going to let the horny take over. He deserves better than that. A normal gift, for a normal boyfriend, from a normal girlfriend. No sluttines included.”

“That’s admirable, but would he really want you to act not like yourself?” Aura crossed her arms over her ethereal chest.

Grea grunted, looking away. “There has to be something that’s not sexually suggestive that I can get or do for him. I’m not that one-dimensional. Dick isn’t the only thing on my mind. There are other parts of him too. And the girls. Summoning. My research. My research…”

She brought a finger to her mouth and started lightly biting on it.

“My research… School… Academy… The lab…” Grea murmured in a hushed whisper. “What if…”

“Did you figure something out?” Aura smiled at her.

“Maybe.” Grea unsteadily stood up. “I don’t know if that’s the right move, but… I don’t think there’s a better one.”

“What is it?” her familiar prodded.

“You will see,” she replied with a slightly melancholic tone. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen it too. I really hope it’s still there.”

Collecting a few things into her spatial storage, Grea gave her underground workshop one last glance and asked Umbra for his help. The Lord of Shadows transported her away a moment later, already aware of their destination. A second or two later, they resurfaced in front of the main administrative building of Rosewind’s Summoning Academy.

But, they weren’t alone.

Tina suddenly appeared next to Grea, just as confused as the demon lady.

“What? Why did we come up here again?” she asked with a perplexed frown.

“Again?” Grea raised her brows at her.

A deep chuckle echoed in their heads. ~My apologies. You requested my help at the same moment so I had to compromise. I decided to first bring Grea here and then escort you back home, Tina.~

Both women looked into each other’s eyes and chuckled together.

“So, what’s that?” Grea pointed at the thick book Tina was hugging to her chest.

Tina quickly spun around. “Nothing! No peeking until the party! And what are you here for?”

“I need to speak to the old crone. I’m hoping they haven’t torn my old lab into pieces. There’s something I left there during our move,” Grea explained.

“Oh. The principal is absent. It’s a holiday,” Tina informed her.

“Dick and balls…” Grea groaned. “Never downhill…”

“But, there’s barely anyone in there so you should have no issues sneaking in.” The shorter girl giggled quietly. “Good luck, Professor. I’ll be going first. There’s still the matter of the wrapping I have to figure out.”

With a tiny smile over her shoulder, Tina plunged into the darkness. Grea snickered to herself and moved right out. Thanks to the blue-haired girl’s tip, she ignored the Principal’s office and went straight for her old lab. It was locked, but Aura had no problem opening the lock by making her form solid with her finger in the hole.

“Damn. They really must have hated what I did to this room.” Grea cackled openly after seeing a completely empty space, prepared for renovation. “It doesn’t look like they crushed the walls and floor, at least. That’s good.”

“What are we looking for here?” Aura asked, glancing around the plain chamber. “Nothing is left besides step ladders and cans of paint.”

“Something that isn’t visible to the naked eye.” Grea smirked and activated her Third Eye.

Thanks to their connection, Aura could focus on Grea’s sight and perceive the world through her eyes. A bunch of random places over the walls looked to be marked with some magical imprint in the shape of… an elliptical oval resembling a certain feminine bit.

With a flick of her wrist, Grea summoned a flat-headed chisel and a hammer. Walking closer to one of the symbols, she pressed the short rod to the upper part of the drawing.

“Now, you just give it a good smack and let the magic happen.” She grinned impishly.

As she hit the chisel with the hammer, a faint pulse of spiritual energy traveled through the air. One by one, Grea visited all the marked spots and repeated the motion. After hammering the last symbol, something clicked beneath their feet, and one of the blocks making the floor popped up, turning loose.

“Lift that up for me, please,” Grea asked her pinkish friend.

Aura pulled the stone up and gently placed it aside.

Grea reached out into the recess, leaning down as far as to sink her entire arm in it, and frowned in deep concentration as she searched for something with her hand. A wide smile struck her face the moment her fingers brushed over that something and she brought it up with an extremely gentle and careful movement.

A small box of dark pink color rested atop her crimson hand. She blew some air at it to remove the thick layer of dust and opened the rectangular container. The inside was filled with a white cushion, atop which lay some kind of an ornament.

Grea picked it up with all the care in the world and revealed its purpose as a beautiful necklace. The main part resembled a very simplistic depiction of two feminine bodies entwined together; no more than smooth contours, edges, and some quite obvious womanly details. The bodies were made of shiny metal, one scarlet, the other blue, with a gem of the opposite color embedded in each, symbolizing their eyes.

“A necklace?” Aura floated around it, examining the pretty piece of jewelry respectfully.

Rubbing her eyes, Grea got rid of the few tears that kept trying to escape. “It belonged to her. And it’s the only thing of hers I have left. It’s a memento. A symbol of the past. Of my past failure.”

Aura said nothing, knowing well what kind of past her mistress was referring to. They had no secrets between them. She took a more solid form and rested a supportive hand on the demon woman’s shoulder.

“But, it’s exactly that. A thing of the past.” Grea took a deep breath, letting it out with shaky lips. “It’s time to move on for real. Before, a symbol of my downfall. Soon, a symbol of my hope. One chapter of my life has to close for a new one to open. And now, I’m finally ready to return this book to its peaceful rest.”