Aurel: How many more of these can you summon human?
I shrug and reply to her in her low voice. Seeing her so determined is scary
Julia: I-I don’t know… Actually, I wanted to try something before that… Can I?
Aurel: Hmm…
She hums in approval, I turn to look at Cressida who is staring at me contempting something. This is probably one of the few times when the snobby patronizing look that is ever present on her face is nowhere to be found
That medieval pte armor which managed to stop the bullet has really ticked me off. I wanted to show off my ability to Cressida, impress her by showing that this medieval armor is nothing more than paper in front of my bullets, instead of praise all I got was… dismissal and unimpressed looks.
This time though I will definitely try my best to impress her. I put the safety on my handgun and hand it to Aurel after making sure it was empty, she started inspecting the warm weapon. Summoning 3 ear protections and put mine on before turning towards Cressida who is still contempting something. What’s going on in her mind? I hope she is not debating whether to throw me in a dungeon. In the softest voice I can muster I call out to her
Julia: My dy?
I pull her out of her thoughts
Cressida: Hm?
Julia: May I?
She blinks in approval and I lean forward carefully putting on the ear muffs. Ah! So close! She is a bit taller than me, and honestly it suits her whole image of a snobby powerful countess. She feels the outside of the muffs
Julia: This is to protect your ears my dy
I give her a thumbs up and hand the st one to Aurel. The woman has pretty much figured out what these are for and puts the muffs over her ears
Next I summon a rifle I’m most familiar with, the M4 and some bck tipped armor piercing rounds for it. That dummy definitely doesn't stand a chance now!… hopefully….. Cressida eyes the weapon curiously as I load the magazine with bullets
Aurel: Human *incoherent sound* “M4”?
Julia: I can’t hear clearly you over these
She points to the rifle hanging on my shoulder. Good thing this came with a sling.
Julia: Let's talk ter, I can’t hear you properly cause of these muffs
She nods with a reluctant expression on her face. I’m impressed she can even hear me over these bulky ear protection
I put the gun in semi auto, align the iron sights and take aim, going for the center of pte armor I pull the trigger.
*Bang*
The gunshot now is much quieter thanks to the ear muffs. The sun had almost set so I couldn’t see much. Aurel and I remove the muffs
Aurel: By the stars…
Judging by the vampire’s reaction, the bullet definitely did some damage I put on the safety and walked towards the dummy to inspect the damage with my own eyes, Aurel follows me while Cressida doesn’t move, I could feel her eyes following me as Aurel and I walked to the dummy. As I got closer I saw the hay peeking through the hole in the metal pte. Seeing it certainly made me happy, I hope Cressida would be impressed now.
I inspected the clean hole and then inspected the back of the dummy, there was another clean hole in the back. The bullet had gone through and through. Aurel looks towards me for the first time without a scowl on her face, her face is bright as if she had just gotten a golden egg ying goose
Aurel: Amazing work human, you will start summoning and training our guards and soldiers on this as soon as possible
I put my hands on my hips before sighing
Julia: First of all, my name is Julia…
Her expression sours
Aurel: Hm…
Julia: Second, I take orders from the countess not you… but perhaps I will consider your request if you say please
Aurel: YOU!
She got close to me… very close! Putting aside the fact that she is a vampire, her towering and muscur figure is itself enough to frighten me. A bead of sweat forms on my temple and my heart starts to race, readying my body for a flight or fight response. Well I guess there wouldn’t be any fight if she decided to use her real strength. I take a step back
Aurel: HOW DARE A COMMONER LIKE YOU DECIDE TO–
Cressida: That's quite enough!
Cressida spoke up, her voice calm yet commanding. Both of our heads turn towards the countess who appeared beside us, practically radiating authority and power. None of us had noticed her presence until she spoke up.
Cressida: Aurel, Julia is a commoner and still learning the workings of the Cowper estate. Show her a bit more leniency, will you?
Aurel turns toward Cressida and bows
Cressida: And you
She says in a calm tone while her eyes lock with mine
Cressida: It would serve you well to remember, Julia, that Aurel is my closest and most trusted aide. Her commands are to be followed without question. And do not forget, she is a noble and deserves your utmost respect.
I copy Aurel and bow
Julia: My apologies, my dy. I will keep that in mind from now on
Cressida: Hmm
Cressida turns toward the manor and starts walking. Both of us follow her lead. As soon as the mansion’s huge doors close behind us Cressida stops and turns to us. She looks at me, her gaze still neutral and stoic
Cressida: Finish your dinner and retire to bed at once. You are not to leave the manor without my express permission, not even to step into the gardens.
Now I am under house arrest? Ugh, I hope she at least lets me visit the gardens, they are too beautiful.
Cressida then turns toward Aurel
Cressida: Aurel, I need to speak with you… In private
I hand my guns to Aurel and do as she says going to the dining room. I take my seat at the usual spot at the long table after asking a maid for dinner, it's really lonely without the countess here. While waiting for dinner to arrive, I think more about my current situation—How do I get back to my world?… Do I even want to go back?… I think about that question for a long time as I slowly eat my dinner. The only reason to go back is my family… and maybe flying… but my heart really wants to stay… Why do I want to stay?......... I hate to admit it, but part of the reason is Cressida, I have developed a small crush on her, and not to mention I can do magic!!!
Whatever the reason, I don't have a way of going back to my world even if I wanted to. After dinner, I head upstairs to my room. On the way I see a small glow of candles under Cressida’s study. They are still talking? I wonder what they are talking about for so long… While I really want to press my ear against the door and eavesdrop on them, I refrain from doing that, after all they did catch me almost immediately when I did it the st time.
I enter my room which is only lit by the dim glow of the moon, there are unlit candles around, but I don’t see any match boxes around to light them.
Julia: *sigh*
My eyes go towards the big closet in my room, I wonder if there are any comfortable night dresses there. The closet is filled with dresses, I just grab the one that feels the most “night dress” like
---------
I am woken up by a light squeeze on my hand.
???: Julia, wake up
Such a soft voice… but I do not want to wake up yet
Julia: 5 more minutes mom…
I say still almost asleep
???: *chuckles* I am not your mother
Only after I do I open my eyes do I see Helen smiling beside me
Julia: Ah… Oh… Sorry Helen
Helen: It's not any trouble
She walks over to the windows and opens the curtains. Unlike yesterday, no sunlight comes in. I don’t think the sun has even risen yet. I sit up on my bed
Julia: You woke me *yawn* So early?
Helen: My dy told us yesterday to make sure you were up early, this is the time when almost all servants of the household start their day
I rub my blurry eyes
Julia: Ohh…
------
I rex in the servant’s bath with Helen, yes there are not 2 but 3 baths, 2 for Cressida and her guests and 1 for servants. Unlike the other two though this is heated manually by servants each morning by boiling water and pouring it in, it's also not as grand as the one I bathed in, but it's good. Helen and I chat about random stuff, the most important thing I learn about is the currency. 1 gold is 100 bronze coins and 1 bronze is 100 copper coins. Inftion is practically non-existent in this world for some reason, my guess would be probably since most are just employed in agriculture. Also, Helen earns around 20 bronze coins a week. I wonder how much I will get at the end of the week
A maid walks up behind me and leans down to whisper in my ear
Maid: The countess is summoning you in her chambers Miss Julia
I instantly stand up, Helen giggles as I fumble with my towel trying to hurry outside
Helen: Time flies by… We will talk more ter
Julia: Of course! Bye!
She gives me a bright smile as I hurry out of the bath and get dressed
------
When I enter Cressida’s room I see her seated in a chair in front of a slightly foggy mirror as a maid brushes her hair silently. She is still in her nightgown… how does she manage to look so prim and proper this early in the morning. Her eyes fall on me through the mirror, the beautiful green pupils move slightly as she takes me in.
Julia: You called for me, my dy?
Her eyes again have that same look from yesterday… She is contempting something. After an uncomfortably long silence she speaks up
Cressida: Gd to see you’ve finally decided to rise early. I’m almost impressed
Dear lord why is she so cranky this early in the morning… or maybe this is how she is every morning
Julia: Um…
Cressida: We’ll begin our work early today. I want to test your abilities further while the sun is still up.
Julia: Yes my dy
After the maid is done styling her hair, which looks incredible, so much so that if someone right now told me she was a goddess, I would believe them, she definitely looks and carries herself like a goddess… although she would be a very mean and snobby goddess.
WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING! Get your head straight Julia, or she’ll chew you out again. She stands up without a word and leaves the room. I follow her lead as we head towards her study. I guess we are skipping breakfast today
The work is boring as hell, my college assignments were more fun than this, and that's saying something. It's just like yesterday, sort some letters and triple check the ones she wrote for mistakes. But there was something new, I have started writing letters for her, most of them are low priority replies to some barons or other nobles, unreted to the war. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to write with those quills
-------
I crack my knuckles and lean back against the chair. I haven’t written so much since my college days. Cressida puts her pen down and looks at me
Cressida: *sigh* Let’s get something to eat, and then we’ll test your abilities.
I stand up instantly, my stomach growls for the 10th time since the morning.
Julia: Yes my dy!
We go down again to the long table, while we wait for our meals to arrive, Cressida again starts staring at me. I wish I could say her gaze held some kind of desire for me, but it didn’t, it's the same stare from yesterday, she is clearly contempting something about me. Ok now I have to know what she's been thinking since yesterday.
Julia: M–
Cressida: Julia tell me, can I trust you?
Julia: Of course my dy!
Her eyes do that weird thing again, her pupils constrict, a strange feeling develops in my gut as my heart starts beating faster. The air gets heavy and there is this… pressure all around me. Everything is so heavy or am I just weak?
Cressida: Julia, look me in the eyes and tell me, can I trust you?
Every cell in my body is forcing me to answer her truthfully. Is this that ‘persuasion’ thing again?
Julia: Yes
Cressida: Julia, where does your loyalty lie?
Julia: I don’t understand
Cressida: Are you loyal to me or someone else
Julia: I… am loyal to my family… My mom
Her lips curl into a small frown, she is clearly displeased by my answer. I may have a crush on her, but I am not sure if I should trust her. I have only known her for a few days after all.
Cressida: Who is your mother?
Julia: She is a retiree. She used to work as a financial advisor
She looks at me curiously
Cressida: What is a “financial advisor”
Julia: She used to give advice to companies how to manage their money
There is a moment of heavy silence before she speaks up again.
Cressida: If I demand your absolute loyalty, will you offer it to me?
I want to scream ‘yes’ but deep within my heart I know that wouldn’t be true. But telling her ‘no’ isn’t quite right either.
Julia: Only if you are a good person…
She raises her brow
Cressida: And how do you define a 'good person,' Julia?
Julia: A person who tries to help the innocent…
That's… Yes, that's what I think a good person is.
Cressida: Hm.
The air suddenly gets lighter and that pressure all around me suddenly disappears. My whole body is sweating when she stops that ‘persuasion’ thing. I don’t know why she did that, I would have told her the truth anyway. Two maids enter the room, one puts a gss of blood in front of Cressida and the other puts a tray of food in front of me
Cressida: Julia, I demand your absolute loyalty.
Julia: I–
Cressida: This is for the benefit of both you and me, as well as for my county
Julia: I…
Sometimes in life we must take a leap of faith, and my heart is telling me to take a leap with this decision. Maybe this is the worst decision of my life or maybe this is the best, only time can tell
I look back into her piercing green eyes while answering
Julia: I have not seen anything till now to indicate you are a bad person… so…
I bow my head before continuing
Julia: You have my absolute and complete loyalty my dy
Her lips curl into what resembles a subtle smile
Cressida: Your trust is not mispced, Julia. I thank you for it.
Huh so this is what she was thinking about since yesterday… My loyalty? Pretty weird, she could’ve just asked me this st night. We eat our lunch in silence, I notice her eyes on me again. Damn this girl, what is she thinking about so much… I shouldn’t be so harsh, she is probably stressed with a war going on in her borders, no to mention our side seems to fewer supplies than the enemy
----------
Cressida and I were standing at the same pce where I shot my guns from yesterday. There were some differences though, a big table was set up in front of us and 3 dummies were arranged as targets. There were also a few guards around this time
Aurel: Apologies for being te my dy
Cressida: I didn’t expect you to be the one who’s te
Aurel: There was a letter that had arrived…
Aurel stops mid-sentence and gnces towards me. Cressida waves her hand as she reassures Aurel
Cressida: Do not worry about her, she knows much about our situation by now
Aurel: As you wish my dy. The Count of Tlindse has refused our offer
Cressida: Oh…
Though her face remains calm and composed as ever, yet I could see a hint of worry behind her eyes.
Julia: May I ask what happened?
Aurel: The Tlindse County is well-known for its bcksmiths, skilled woodworkers, and thriving merchant trade. We had approached its count requesting weapons and armor—
Cressida: In exchange for me agreeing to bond with his third-born after the war. The deal would have secured quality equipment for our soldiers and given him the opportunity to expand his influence.
WHAT!
Julia: Oh hell no!
I cover my mouth realizing I accidentally said that part out loud. It honestly boils my blood thinking of some dumb brat getting to marry– bond with Cressida just cause his daddy is rich.
Aurel: What do you mean?
Julia: Nothing… Sorry…
I look away from both of them, focusing on the grass under me. Both give me curious looks before Cressida continues
Cressida: It’s likely he’s secured another deal with nobles who promised him more. Or worse, he’s stockpiling the supplies for his own benefit. That man is too greedy to see what we endure, guarding the border against the Theocracy’s forces.
I didn’t know the situation was this dire. I hope my magical ability can really help them out.
Julia: I see…
Cressida: Well, no use dwelling on it. Let’s make the most of the daylight, I want to see more of what these weapons of yours can do.
Aurel lifts the bag she was carrying which I failed to notice until now, and puts the handgun, the rifle, their magazines, and the box of bullets which I summoned yesterday on the table in front of us. Then she points to the dummy in the middle
Aurel: The armor in the middle is the one you tested your weapons on yesterday. The one on the right is crafted from hardened steel.
Cressida chimes in as I load the bullets in the Glock and M4 again. I had unloaded all the bullets before giving it to Aurel yesterday, just in case to make sure she doesn’t misfire the guns.
Cressida: Your weapons are already impressive, given their speed and power. The armor your weapon pierced yesterday, the one in the middle, is typically worn by cavalry. While it’s not what our soldiers usually face, when they do encounter it, it’s a significant challenge. The rightmost armor, worn by high-ranking officers and knights, is even rarer and much tougher to breach.
My eyes go over the one on the right, the armour is dark grey in color, covering all of the dummy’s body from head to toe barely leaving any gaps in the armour, reminds me of those medieval European knight armour in museums. It certainly looks high quality.
Julia: How expensive are those things
Cressida looks toward Aurel for answer, Aurel looks up from my weapons and answers
Aurel: Approximately… 15 to 20 gold for the entire suit, not counting the cost of weapons.
That sounds like a lot but exactly how much is that?
Julia: Is that expensive?
Cressida: Very much so. It’s more than a year’s wages for a guard working here and could easily buy a fine house in any city.
That's like what… maybe 80k to 200k? Holy shit that's expensive. I thought it would be more like 10k. I mean I shouldn’t be surprised considering how expensive the gear of special forces was in the US.
Julia: Are you sure you want me to shoot it my dy?
Cressida: Of course, how else would we test your abilities?
Julia: Ok… Let's start with the handgun first
After putting on the protective gear I take aim at the center of dark grey armour on the right with the Glock. There is no way my 9 mm can penetrate that hardened steel armour
I pull the trigger and a loud bang echoes throughout the makeshift range.
Julia: Lets see the damage
I put on the safety and pce the handgun down on the table. Just as I was about to start walking toward the target Cressida puts a hand on my shoulder
Cressida: Wait
She gestures toward one of the guards on our side, he nods and darts to the dummy, picks it up and brings it back in so little time that it seems humanly impossible.
Cressida: Having you walk to the target and back each time you use your weapon is a waste
Did my normal human speed frustrate her so much yesterday?
I turn to look at the dummy. Now that it's closer I could see beautiful intricate patterns all over its chest pte, it seems like it was made for a noble or a rich person. My eyes scan the armour to look for the impact. The bullet impacted at the upper part, right on its chest. The only thing it did was chip the surface
Cressida: As expected.
She gestures to guard again and in a split second he takes the dummy and puts it down back to its original position. After the guard comes back, I ready my M4 chambering a round, it's the same armour piercing round from yesterday. I turn off the safety and align the iron sights to the target.
Another loud bang echoes through the field, much louder than the one from the handgun. The guards with us instinctively cover their ears, not expecting the volume of the weapon to be so high.
Aurel: Why is it so loud
I put on the safety and put the gun down.
Julia: Well, the bullet goes faster than the speed of sound so it produces a sonic boom
Aurel looks at me in confusion
Aurel: What!?
Julia: What?
I turn to look at Cressida whose eyes are focused on dummy in the distance
Cressida: Marvelous.
She whispers under her breath. Her eyes brimming with interest and curiosity. I look back to the dummy and squint.
Julia: Did it penetrate? I think I see some hay peeking out… maybe…
Cressida: Ah… your human eyes can’t see it clearly from this distance, can they?
She commands the guard to bring the dummy back again. There I see it, a clean entry hole in the chest pte. I notice everyone except Cressida seems to be staring at the armour cd doll in surprise. Is this armour that tough?
Julia: Can you turn it around
I ask the guard and he obliges. On the back there is a big dent in the armour but no exit hole.
Aurel: This is fantastic
Cressida: Hm…
Cressida is thinking something again as she looks at the M4 on the table
Cressida: Can it shoot as quickly as that smaller weapon you showed me yesterday?
Aurel: Even if it doesn’t, it's still amazing! Summon as many of these as you can huma— Julia
Gd to see she can call me by name… Damn, I never showed them how fast a M4 can fire in full auto mode
Julia: Before I summon more might I show how fast the weapon can fire?
Cressida: You may
Aurel: Fire?
Julia: We call it firing a weapon or shooting a weapon.
Aurel: I did see some smoke when you shoot that… thing
Julia: A gun. It's called as a gun
I turn to Cressida
Julia: Which one should I fire at?
Cressida: Shoot at the right one
I ready my gun and take aim at the dark grey armour. Putting the weapon in full auto I take a deep breath readying myself for the recoil before pulling the trigger
The sound of gunshots drowns out everything in the surrounding area. The guards now were prepared as they had already covered their ears before I pulled the trigger, yet they flinched as soon as the shockwave of the first bullet hit their ears, I think I even saw Cressida flinch out of the corner of my eye.
After the magazine was empty I put the smoking gun back on the table. The guard without needing to be told fetches the dummy. It was riddled with holes mostly on its chest and shoulder. I think I missed a few shots, but there is at least one hole on its full face helmet
I turn towards Cressida grinning from ear to ear
Julia: Was it good my dy? The armour is nothing but paper in front of my bullets
Only after I said that did I realize I sounded like a little kid looking for praise from her parents
Cressida: Quite good. I would say it exceeded expectations.
Her reply makes me smile brightly nonetheless. I feel like the happiest person in the world right now! I want her to praise me more
Aurel: It was excellent hum– Julia! Summon as many of these and train–
Cressida raises a finger and Aurel stops. Cressida looks at me with an intense gaze
Cressida: Just a minute. Vampires cannot use this weapon if they contain silver
So they do have a weakness. I thought every weakness I read about for vampires were false, gd to know how I can defend against one if a crazy vampire ever decides to attack me.
Julia: I don’t think it contains silver. The bullets are made of copper, lead, steel and tungsten, while the gunpowder… I don’t know what the gunpowder is made of, but it's probably not silver
Aurel: *sigh* I will test it by shooting the weapon
Cressida: Aurel! A guard can do it
Aurel: Do not worry my dy
Is silver that deadly? Fuck I should try to remember what gunpowder is made of. Even if Aurel is… or was mean to me, I don’t want her to die! I put pressure on my brain trying to remember what gunpowder was made but nothing comes to mind
Aurel: What are you doing Julia?
She looks at me a little worried
Julia: Trying to remember what gunpowder was made of
Aurel: Do not–
Julia: Wait! I have an idea I can summon some tools to take the bullet apart and if you have some method of testing for silver we can use that to test the gunpowder
Cressida: A finger test then
Julia: What?
Cressida: Silver burns our skin. If we need to know if something contains silver, we test it by touching it briefly. If it burns, we know
Ouch! That sounds… archaic. But much better than using the gun and hoping for the best
Julia: Ok then let me just
I summon some pliers and gloves and after 10 minutes of trying to get it out, the bullet finally comes free from the casing, but the powder spills everywhere on the wooden table
Julia: Sorry…
Aurel: Do not worry about it. Put some on the side and I will test it
I summon a knife while a maid brings a gss of water. I scoop some tiny amount on the tip of the knife and put it at the edge of the table. A gss of water in one hand, Aurel slowly approaches the table, her pinky finger stretched out. Her hand was a blur as it moved, she looked at her finger carefully afterward, finally replying
Aurel: No silver
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Most if not all of my weapons would be useless if vampires couldn’t use them. My eyes met Cressida’s, she was as relieved as me. Her lips curl upwards hinting that she was pleased with the result
Cressida: Now then Julia. Try to summon ten of these weapons… guns as you call them
She probably means the M4 rifle, since the handgun was pretty useless. I do as she says and summon 10 M4 rifles. The rifles appear out of thin air and are stacked on each other. The small tower of rifles easily topples over when it hits the ground. Aurel and the guards stare at it with mouths agape. My magic is clearly very rare.
I giggle at their reaction and turn to Cressida, smiling brightly
Julia: Anything else? Shall I summon bullets as well?
Cressida: Yes
She picks up a used bullet casing from the table while I summon a 1000 bck tipped bullets. Thankfully the bullets come in a box.
Cressida: Can’t we reuse these
Julia: No, these are bullet casings that contain the gunpowder, the gunpowder is spent after we fire. I think they are recycled but not reused.
After that Cressida asks me to summon 20 more guns and 2000 more bullets. I feel like I have become a living breathing arsenal. I also summon some toiletries for myself. All this summoning got me thinking, what else can I summon? Gold? I could become a billionaire here… well, the more likely outcome would be just a huge drop in gold prices and crashing the economy. But there is something else I want to try
Julia: My dy
I look towards Cressida who looks away from Aurel and the guard who are learning how to load bullets in magazines
Cressida: Yes Julia?
Julia: I was thinking… if I may summon something for myself.
Cressida: I believe I’ve already given you permission for that.
Julia: No, not toiletries… it's something big…
Cressida: I have no patience for riddles. Be clear.
She says in a harsh tone, getting irritated. I see she is back to her usual self again
Julia: It would be better if I just show you. So can I summon it? It can be useful to us, I promise
Cressida: I trust you, you have my permission.
She says waving her hand. I smile brightly and turn towards Aurel
Julia: Aurel, can you come and stand by my side
She looks at me with a confused expression.
Aurel: Sure…
Julia: I am about to summon something really big and heavy, I want you and my dy to protect me just it case it summons directly over my head
Aurel: How big?
Julia: About the weight of 3 or 4 horses
Aurel: That might be too heavy–
Julia: Just use your super speed to move me away
I feel Aurel grip tighten around my hand. As they say, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Here goes nothing! I lift my hand pointing it to the empty space in my front and say those magical words
Julia: I wish I had a Mercedes S-css
A bck Mercedes materializes maybe an inch or half above ground exactly where I wanted it to be and nds with a very soft thud on the ground. I can’t believe I will finally have my dream car.
I take only a step towards it before my legs go weak. Aurel puts her arm around me before I fall.
Aurel: Are you ok?
Worry evident in her voice
Julia: Yes… I just feel so tired
Cressida: It seems you’ve drained your mana. You should rest for a while.
Her voice is gentle and soothing. I wish she would continue to say such gentle things to me. She turns to the tall muscur woman holding me
Cressida: Aurel, carry her to her chambers
Aurel: As you wish my dy
Aurel scoops me up in a princess carry. What??? Nooo! Why can’t Cressida carry me? Aurel gently walks toward the manor and I try my best to not fall asleep in her arms. It'd be pretty weird if that happened.
I murmur a ‘thanks’ to Aurel as she puts me in bed, she gives me a small nod before leaving my room. Sleep takes me as soon as I close my eyes
