After resolving the case of the corrupt nobles in the royal capital, Sora and Louise stayed at the Charming Fairy Pavilion for another two days before finally buying a pair of horses and setting out for the Academy.
The sprawling silhouette of Tristain Academy appeared far ahead, rising from the plains like a fortress of stone and spires.
Along the way, they encountered several carriages leaving for the summer holidays. One of them stopped when they recognized Sora. A group of female students leaned out from the windows, waving excitedly.
"I'm so glad to see you, Sora! It's summer vacation—why don't you come visit my estate?" said one particularly enthusiastic girl.
Sora smiled wryly. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
When they parted with the group, he let out a quiet sigh.
He'd been summoned to this world by Louise just at the start of spring—and now, barely a blink later, summer was upon them. He'd grown used to this strange world: learned basic fire magic, bonded with the talking sword Delphlinka, and, most importantly, found companionship with the fiery girl now riding beside him.
And what about Tomoji Ren and Tabasa? He caught himself wondering. When will things move forward with them?
"...Sora? Sora?"
He jolted out of his thoughts and turned to see Louise staring at him curiously from atop her horse.
"Sorry," he said with an awkward grin. "What's up?"
Louise fidgeted, looking away shyly. "W–well… it's just… I was thinking you could come home with me this summer. To the Vallière estate."
Sora smiled. "Oh? So you can't wait to introduce me to your parents already? I'll convince them properly—don't worry, I'll be a good son-in-law."
"W–What are you talking about?!" she snapped, her face glowing scarlet. "Who said anything about marriage?! Idiot!"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "You and I already did it, didn't we? What else would we call that?"
Louise let out a strangled sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeak. "Y–You're impossible!" She spurred her horse forward, galloping ahead just to escape him.
Smiling faintly, Sora urged his horse into an easy trot behind her. "Shy again? How cute."
When they finally returned to the academy, they found the campus nearly deserted. Most students and teachers had already gone home, leaving the halls echoing with summer stillness.
After stabling the horses, they went straight to the Headmaster's office.
"Oh-ho! Isn't this Miss Vallière and her familiar," said Headmaster Osman, turning in his chair as they entered. "You've returned! So, how did things go?"
Louise lifted her chin proudly. "We were wonderful, of course! We helped Her Highness capture the bad noble."
"That so? Excellent, excellent." Osman's amused eyes flickered toward Sora. I'd guess he did all the work, the old man thought, wisely saying nothing aloud.
"The Academy's now officially on summer break," he continued. "Classes resume in September. Do you two have any plans?"
"I'll be going home," Louise said. "Father and Mother haven't met my familiar yet. I'd like to introduce Sora to them."
Osman's grin widened. "Introduce him, hmm? How... charming."
"Wha—! Headmaster!" Louise stomped her foot. "You're just like everyone else!"
"Oh? My apologies, my dear," Osman said, chuckling into his beard.
"I'm leaving!" Louise declared, her face still red as she marched out the door.
Once she was gone, Sora dropped casually into a chair opposite the Headmaster. "You wanted to talk?"
"Yes," Osman said, his eyes gleaming with a quiet curiosity. He clasped his hands, studying the boy before him—the so-called familiar of an ancestor's chosen mage. "Tell me, Sora… do you understand the mark on your hand?"
Sora lifted his left hand. "Isn't it just the contract symbol between Louise and me?"
"That's true," Osman said, opening an old, worn book from his desk. "But yours is unique."
He turned the pages until stopping on one inscribed with the same runes that glowed on Sora's skin.
"This script—Gundaruff. In the ancient fairy tongue, it means the Left Hand of God." Osman's tone grew reverent. "It refers to a legendary familiar with the power to control all weapons."
Sora stared at his hand thoughtfully. "All weapons, huh?"
"Oh, so now you ask about it," Delphlinka's voice echoed dryly from his side. "You really are slow sometimes, partner. I should've guessed—you're the new Gundaruff. My last master was one too, you know. Six thousand years ago."
Osman's eyes widened. "Six thousand years ago?! Then you—your sword belongs to the original Gundaruff?!"
Delphlinka's tone brimmed with pride. "Naturally. She was incredible—could absorb and redirect hundreds of spells at once using me. You've got a long way to go before you reach that level, buddy."
Sora blinked. Hundreds? Just absorbing four Fireballs already let him fight a triangle-class mage on even ground. Whoever that original user was, they must've been frighteningly powerful.
Osman closed the book and leaned back. "If you truly are Gundaruff, that means Miss Vallière isn't an ordinary magician either. She's one of the four descendants chosen by the Founder himself."
"Descendants?" Sora repeated.
"Yes," Osman said gravely. "Before the Founder vanished, he left behind four treasures, four Void Users, and four familiars—one for each of the nations formed from his lineage. For centuries, the world believed it was only legend. But your summoning proves otherwise."
He stood, producing a bound sheepskin volume from his drawer. "Louise is the Void User of Tristain—the magician chosen by the Founder. This book is his legacy: The Founder's Prayer Book. You must protect her well. Perhaps, through it, she'll uncover the truth behind why she struggles with magic."
He placed the heavy tome in Sora's hands.
Sora glanced down, surprised. "Wow, that's… a hell of a gift. Thanks, old man." He flipped it open—only to find every page blank.
"Wait, what the hell? There's not a single word in here!"
Osman coughed into his sleeve. "Ah, yes. It appears blank to most. Only a true Void User may read it."
"So basically, you gave me a book that's useless to everyone else," Sora muttered.
Osman ignored the jab, folding his hands again. "Tristain faces both internal unrest and foreign pressure. To find Gundaruff and a Void User again—it's a rare blessing. I hope you grow stronger, Sora. For Louise's sake… and for this kingdom's."
Sora's expression remained unreadable. If Louise heard that, he thought, she'd pledge her life to protect the Princess without hesitation. But Sora was far more grounded.
"We'll see, Headmaster," he said lightly, standing to leave. "I'll protect her because I want to, not because of kingdoms or prophecies."
Osman watched him go, a faint smile hidden beneath his beard. "You're not from this world, but she is… Remember that, boy. Fight for the people close to you."
Sora paused for a moment in the doorway before leaving.
When he stepped out, Louise was waiting.
"Took you long enough!" she said. "What were you and the Headmaster talking about?"
Sora smoothed his expression and held back a small laugh. "Nothing special. He just gave me a book and told me to keep it safe."
He pulled out The Founder's Prayer Book and handed it to her. "Wanna take a look?"
Louise opened it eagerly—then frowned. "It's blank."
Sora blinked. She can't read it either? So the Headmaster wasn't lying… huh.
"Maybe it reacts to something," he said finally. "Fire, water, something weird like that."
Louise nodded thoughtfully. "What a strange book."
They left the Headmaster's office and returned to Louise's dormitory, the late summer sun spilling through the windows.
That night, as the cicadas outside fell silent and the moon drifted high, the room filled once more with the quiet whispers and soft sighs of another "storm."