Our Ideal Place (Little Witch Academia)

Chapter 3: A Sweet Accident

Diana came a few minutes before noon. This time, Akko noticed Diana's arm and tried her best to imitate how Anna positioned it. With Diana leading the way, they walked down to the dining room. Upon entering, Akko looked around apprehensively for Diana's aunt and cousins. Diana led her to a chair and moved it away from the table.

"Uh, thanks..." Akko sat down. Diana sat across from her. As soon as she was seated, a female servant placed soup in front of them.

Out of habit, Akko clasped her hands together and said, "Thanks for the food..."

"You're welcome. Help yourself," replied Diana.

As she ate, Akko kept looking around for the aunt and cousins.

"Am I really so intimidating?" asked Diana.

"Eh? Why do you ask that?"

"You seem so nervous."

"Um... is your aunt eating with us?"

"No, she and her daughters are at Luna Nova."

"Huh? Why?"

"They'll be teaching Dragon language to all the teachers."

"She's actually a teacher?" said Akko incredulously. With her imperious demeanor and expensive clothes, the aunt didn't seem to be someone who had the patience to teach.

"She'll have to be." Diana smirked which surprised Akko. It was the kind smirk when one had just outsmarted an enemy.

"I don't get it. Your aunt doesn't seem to be the type that wants to work. Last time I was here, she was selling your stuff, so why is she working now?"

"I told her to."

"You did? And she agreed just like that?" Akko stared at her skeptically. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"You guess correctly. I happened to take your advice."

"What advice?"

Diana delicately sliced a portion of lamb and placed it in her mouth.

Time seem to slow for Akko as she watched Diana chew. Impatiently, she asked again, "What advice?"

Instead of answering, Diana took several sips of her fruit juice. Akko had no choice but to wait. Finally, she replied, "You suggested that I become head and attend school."

Akko blinked several times as her brain tried to link the events together. "So you're the head now?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," said Diana with a smug look on her face.

"And your aunt agreed to it without the ritual?"

"I had Beatrix's approval but she didn't, so she had no choice."

"How did you get her approval?"

"At the ritual site. You were there, so you saw Beatrix, or more precisely, her spirit."

"Yeah, that surprised me, but I didn't hear her say anything. Did you?"

"She didn't speak to me, but her appearance indicates her approval, according to Prof. Chariot."

After they defeated the Noir magic missile with the Grand Triskellion, Diana asked Prof. Chariot to be her mentor as well. She and Diana were the only students under her guidance. "How did she know about the ritual?"

"I told her about it during one of our sessions, and she offered to do some research. I thought that the ritual was simply a challenge to test the skills of the next head, but Prof. Chariot thinks that the main intent of the ritual is to summon Beatrix's spirit. Access to her spirit is easiest during the Venusian eclipse, so that's why it had to be done then. If Beatrix gives her approval, then the candidate becomes head and all Cavendish are bound to follow the new head's will. If Beatrix doesn't approve, then the candidate doesn't acquire the authority. To test this, I suggested the teaching job to my aunt yesterday. She refused, of course."