The moonlight poured softly through the rectangular dorm window, casting long silver streaks across the floor. The buzz of the academy had faded hours earlier, replaced by the steady rhythm of rain tapping against the glass. Gwen's dorm room was quite peculiar and far cleaner than what he was used to in his own world. The woodwork was much finer than the rough carpentry of his lair, and there was even sothing called a bathroom, a concept entirely new to him.
He wasn't sure how it worked, but sohow they used magic to produce water and used it to wash themselves, sothing the humanoids in the city he had lived in never did. The level of cleanliness was far higher here, and he had not yet co across any animal droppings, which were a common sight in Ferndale.
When the day ca to an end, Gwen and her friend finally retired to a small palace. Humanoid creatures required sleep, but he did not. His summoner stayed awake longer than usual, mumbling to herself as if she did not want the day to end. It seed she feared he might vanish the mont she closed her eyes. Fortunately, even after she had drifted away to sleep, he was still there, left to ponder his next move.
His current form was smaller than usual. Magical restrictions covered almost everything, leaving only a few areas, such as the courtyard and the dueling platforms, where he could assu his true shape.
"I cannot leave her side. This is quite troubling."
After a long day, Gwen and her friend had returned to rest. Astrella had left earlier, leaving Gwen alone with her summon. He stood quietly near the window, watching as his summoner finally fell asleep. She had lingered awake for so ti, turning on her bed and mumbling softly, unwilling to let go of the day. Now she lay still, one arm draped across her pillow, her breathing steady and calm.
He stood on her desk, gazing through the window at the academy grounds. Lanterns glowed across the area, and he could see both people and creatures patrolling. Even if he tried to slip away, he would not get far in his current form.
Rusty tilted his head slightly as he looked at his sleeping summoner. She was completely defenseless, and while the place was well guarded, there were still points of entry, the window being one of them. Summoned creatures had many restrictions, but the ones patrolling outside appeared unaffected. It was also possible that people with other abilities might sneak in to attack his current partner, sothing he could never allow.
"Will she not get cold like that?"
As he considered ways to protect her, he noticed she had kicked away her comforter, a new thing he had learned about today. In the place he ca from, people used only blankets or simple rags for warmth. The orphans who had lived with him once huddled together to stay warm, but eventually, he had been forced to get them a proper blanket and crude mattress because Alexander kept complaining.
Rusty hopped down from the desk with a soft clink, his small armored fra landing neatly on the wooden floor. The rain outside pattered gently, filling the room with a soothing rhythm. He walked toward the bed and stood before the edge. Gwen was turned slightly to her side, and her breathing was steady. Part of the comforter had slipped to the floor, right where he was standing.
'Humanoids are strange…"
His tal body moved forward as he climbed the hanging comforter. In his current form, it was a difficult task, but sohow he managed to pull himself onto the bed. Only now did he realize how weak this minimized fra was, and trying to move the soft cloth was quite tedious.
"Why is this blanket so heavy…"
It was not just the weight. His small hands could not get a good grip, and his fingers could barely form a fist. He waddled forward, lifting one end and struggling to drag it up the side of the bed. The comforter bunched awkwardly, but after several determined tugs, he managed to pull it over her shoulder.
"There… that should be fine."
He stepped back and looked at his work with a sense of satisfaction. Then, as he was about to return to his post by the window, a soft sound reached him.
"…Rusty…"
Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper, but it made him stop. He turned his head just in ti to see her hand slip out from beneath the blanket. Her fingers brushed against his fra, and before he could react, she caught him.
"W-wait!"
He tried to protest, but she rolled slightly and pulled him closer, hugging him against her chest like a plush toy. His helt bumped gently against her chin as she settled back into sleep.
"I can't move… Gwen, wake up!"
No matter how he struggled, pushing or pulling did nothing. He knew his summoner was weak, but in this form, he was even weaker. For several minutes, he kept wriggling, yet the only result was her holding him tighter.
"I can't move. I suppose I'll have to wait until she wakes up…"
His body was made of tal, and soon her warmth spread through his small fra. Rusty stopped struggling as he listened to Gwen's heartbeat, slow and steady. After a mont, he shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, and finally relaxed.
"Very well. I can keep watch from here."
He was still thinking about his mission. Even though the summoned creatures were restricted, smaller ones could always slip through. The humanoids were vulnerable to poison, and perhaps a rat or a snake could sneak in to harm his summoner. Yet as the hours passed, nothing ca, and he was left alone with his thoughts.
'This mission is turning out to be extrely boring…'
"Rusty… don't leave…"
As he pondered how to complete his mission quickly, Gwen began to mumble in her sleep. He didn't truly understand her struggles, but their connection made him share her emotions. When she was angry, his own temper rose. When she was sad, he felt the sa heaviness. He couldn't fully explain it, but when she called out to him, he reached out and gently grasped one of her fingers.
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"I wasn't planning to, at least until the quest is over."
When he said that, a smile appeared on her face. Their ti together had not been long, as he had only helped her twice before. In truth, this was the longest they had ever stayed together. The girl was weak and clingy, yet for so reason, he didn't mind. Instead, he felt a growing desire to protect her.
Outside, the rain clouds drifted away, and the night sky revealed itself once more. The lanterns around the academy flickered brighter, and ti continued to pass. The night had passed uneventfully for the most part, but eventually he found himself fighting for his life as Gwen tossed and turned in her sleep. Only then did he realize how big a mistake he had made, for she kept rolling around while clutching him tightly against her chest.
Eventually, sunlight began to stream through the window, and a strange clock near the bedfra started ringing. It had a wooden crow at the top and the bird was giving out a chirping noise. Gwen twisted and turned for a few seconds before reaching out to silence it. So kind of effect took place as she touched the bird with her finger. The sound faded and the girl finally opened her eyes.
"Huh?"
Her hair was a ss, covering half of her face. Rusty watched her glance down while still holding him with her right hand. It took her a few monts to understand what she was doing, and when she did, her face turned bright red.
"R-Rusty? W-what are you doing here?"
"Can you let go now?"
"Of course!"
Gwen let out a strange high-pitched squeak and instantly released him, sending Rusty tumbling off the edge of the bed with a clank. He landed squarely on his back but felt no pain. His form was quite small, yet it still possessed a fair amount of durability. Once he was on the floor, he began wobbling and trying to stand, but with most of his weight centered in his large head, it proved difficult.
"I'll help you!"
Gwen rushed to his side and lifted him up, placing him back on her desk near the window. Once there, Rusty stretched his limbs a little and looked at his summoner, who seed embarrassed by the whole scene.
"Are you okay? W-what happened?"
"Nothing, I just tried to pull the big blanket over you, and then you started clinging to , and I couldn't get free."
Rusty did not attempt to hide anything, as sha or subtlety were beyond him. The young girl blushed even more for reasons he could not comprehend.
"I'm not sure what to say…"
"I don't really mind, but maybe you should tie the blanket to your wrists if you keep pushing it down like that."
He still did not understand the purpose of a comforter if it was not wrapped around the body. For so reason, she always pushed it away so that only half of her body remained covered.
"Please, don't ntion this to Astrella!"
"Do you want it to be a secret?"
Rusty was unsure what she ant, but her pleading expression was easy to read. Humans had many odd habits, and it seed she felt embarrassed about the situation. He recalled that they sotis mocked each other for small things, so he decided to agree. Allowing his summoner to be made fun of would also be an insult to him as her summon.
"Yes, please!"
"Fine with . So, what are you doing today? Is it the thing Astrella ntioned yesterday?"
As soon as she was fully awake, Rusty asked about her schedule. He had learned a few things about the school and discovered that today was a special day. Gwen and her friend were now third years and had begun taking on more responsibilities. Today, they were scheduled to visit a place connected to the void gates he had heard about the day before. Within those gates, he would be able to assu his true form, and nothing excited him more than the thought of going there.
With sleep finally out of the way, Gwen hopped out of bed to get ready. Rusty still had to wait another hour for both of the girls to finish. He was not sure what they were doing in the bathroom, but it took more than half an hour. Eventually, they both put on their uniforms and headed out, with Rusty perched on Gwen's shoulder again.
Rusty noticed sothing peculiar about this place. There was a strange diminishnt of other races besides humans. Astrella was part elf and fairy, but she was in the minority. The dorm housed a few people, and he could see more students wandering through the courtyard. Most of them lacked the different shapes, sizes, or long ears he had seen in the place he ca from. Still, he was more focused on the task ahead to care much about it.
The B-Class had its own courtyard, and today their group was gathering outside. Dozens of students in dark blue uniforms stood in formation. The student he had defeated before was among them, standing behind a girl with a spider creature resting on her shoulder. Just like the other day, she kept sneaking glances at him for so odd reason. For a mont, it seed she was about to call out to them, but Astrella stepped in and blocked her view.
"Finally, so action! Isn't this great?"
The young girl with green hair said cheerfully.
"I'm not sure… I think we should have a few more theoretical lessons first."
Gwen replied, clearly uneasy about the situation. Today, they were going to explore one of the Void Gates for the first ti without any direct teacher assistance. While they would be supervised, the spells that could save them from death would not be active within the tears. If sothing happened, the teachers would need ti to reach them, making this a dangerous task.
"You're worrying for nothing. With as support and you as the main attacker, we will get the best grades!"
"I'm not so sure about that…"
Gwen replied, but before she could continue, a stern voice resounded through the air.
"Quiet down, everyone."
The teacher with the monocle was also there, the sa instructor who had overseen their duels the day before. The chatter stopped instantly as his cold gaze swept across the B-Class students.
"You've all been summoned here for a reason."
Once everyone was quiet and paying attention, he continued speaking.
"From today onward, your training will take on a more practical form. Each team will participate in supervised Void Gate expeditions. These missions will serve as both your assessnt and preparation for the upcoming inter-class competition."
So of the students, like Gwen, had concerned expressions, but most seed eager to prove themselves. Rusty leaned forward on Gwen's shoulder, itching to return to his regular form and see so action.
"The competition between the B-Classes will begin in two weeks. The event will test your adaptability, and you will not be inford about its structure until the final day. Therefore, use this mission to learn as much as you can. It may be crucial later."
Astrella smirked and whispered.
"Sounds fun, right?"
"Fun isn't the word I'd use."
As Gwen whispered back, their teacher raised his hand to silence them once more.
"This is a group exercise. You will divide yourselves into groups of three and then enter the gates. If you do not decide on your own, I will choose the mbers for you. Now form up."
The teacher's command sent the students into motion as they began forming groups. Aranea and her two henchn quickly joined together, though she looked displeased with the arrangent. Gwen and Astrella, however, faced a problem. They were new to the class, and before they could even ask anyone to join them, all the other students had already ford their trios.
"Excuse , would you like…"
"Ah… I already have a group, sorry…"
Astrella frowned as she returned to Gwen without managing to convince anyone to join their group. Gwen was still a bit shy when it ca to approaching new people, and soon the number of available partners grew smaller. Only one unclaid student remained. He was leaning against a large stone pillar without making any effort to move, and it seed that everyone was avoiding him for so reason.
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