Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Rental Magica

2012-05-29T18:56:58Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

''You can tell us what you think of the series by '''[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=1895 polling here and discussing it here]'''.''

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*27 October 2011
**Volume 01 Chapter 6 complete
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.

===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Rental Magica: Registration Page

2012-05-29T18:56:05Z

Amazing Buffalo:

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here." Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==''Rental Magica'' Registration==

===Volume 1===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 5 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 6 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 2===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 3===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 4===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 5===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 6===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Extra
::*Author's Word

===Volume 7===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Pause
::*Author's Word

===Volume 8===
::*Pause
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Chapter 8
::*Pause
::*Chapter 9
::*Pause
::*Chapter 10
::*Chapter 11
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 9===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 10===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 11===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Pause
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 12===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 13===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue (after)
::*Epilogue (before)
::*Author's Word

===Volume 14===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 15===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Author's Word

===Volume 16===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

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[[Category:Registration Page]]

Talk:Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2012-05-29T18:43:47Z

Amazing Buffalo:

Mimizuku! I started reading this a couple days after you started translating it, and I have to admit I was hooked. It seems ridiculous now, but I ended up checking every day for this story first (Well, I mean, I HAVE read most of the others already, but still), even though apparently it isn't even that famous comparatively! But it ended so quickly, probably because I read through it so quickly and avidly myself. I don't know who you are that you would decide to translate this work in only a month, but you have my thanks. It was a wonderful read. I ended up saying "What, it's over? But I wanted more! Where was all the detail that was left off?!" And almost raged at this book, but after reading the Author's notes and commentary, I have to agree that this book did just what they said it did--hooked me so well I was trapped in the world until I had finished.

Thank you so much for translating this novel,
~Blaster

a very beautiful story with loveable characters... thank you for translating it. definitely worth all the time! ;__;

I just finished reading 毒吐姫と星の石. I was enchanted by the story of Mimizuku, and wasn't quite sure of what to expect of this one, but it really shares a lot of feelings. It was quite enjoyable and catching. Mimizuku... was just marvelous, very touching and somehow sad. Dokuhakihime... has a better "happy end" and a more realistic message. I personally liked Elza over Mimizuku as character, but I still like the magic of Mimizuku...' story. Dokuhakihime... presents a strong character and a more tangible plot (war and political meddling), and Dia, Andy and Orietta have a major role than the first novel. Mimizuku appears, she even has a chapter named after her, but very briefly, "randomly", and you can see the contrast between her and Elza in just a scene.
I hope someone translates the second novel so others can enjoy it too. [[User:Pmt7ar|Zell]] 00:58, 10 May 2012 (CDT)

I hated Dokuhakihime. --[[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] 13:43, 29 May 2012 (CDT)

Kino no Tabi

2012-03-11T04:09:05Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:Kino_book_one.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

Kino no Tabi (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- ''Kino's Journey'') is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kohaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000. The first bound volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000 by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko publishing label. As of October 10, 2008, twelve volumes have been published, and over 5.6 million copies of the novels have been sold in Japan.

==Story Synopsis==

The protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people.

== Translation ==

=== [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

(It seems people don't understand what the above means. When we ask you to REGISTER, what we mean is, add your name on the REGISTRATION PAGE next to the chapter you will translate, so that we can know who translated it. That's it. So if there are people out there that would like to help translate these wonderful books, please don't hesitate, translate any chapters you like, in any order you like! Thank you to all who help with this project!)

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*June 5, 2008 - Project started!
*August 8, 2008 - Ch. 1 of Vol. 11 Completed!
*April 15, 2009 - Almost all of Vol. 11 is completed.
*April 15, 2009 - Vol. 10 is nearly 50% complete.

==The ''Kino no Tabi'' series by Keiichi Sigsawa==

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: A Story of a Sniper -Fatalism-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Desert・b -Beginner's Luck・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter1|A Tale of Feeding Off Others -I Want to Live.-]] 9% Complete
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter2|Overprotection -Do You Need It?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter3|Land of Wizards -Potentials of Magic- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter4|Land of Free Press -Believers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter5|A Picture's Tale -Happiness- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter6|Return -'She' is Waiting For You.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter7|Land of Books -Nothing Is Written!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter8|A Kind Land -Tomorrow Never Comes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Desert・a -Beginner's Luck・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Anecdote|Anecdote: Continuation: A Picture's Tale -Anonymous Pictures-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: The Land of Love and Peace -Power Play-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Clouds・b -Blinder・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter1|A Land Without Borders -Designated Area-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter2|Power of Persuasion -Persuader-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter3|The Land of Identical Faces -HACCP-]] (about 2/3 finished)
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter4|A Tale of a Mechanical Doll -One-way Mission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter5|A Land not Permitting Discrimination -True Blue Sky-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter6|A Finished Tale -Ten Years After-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Clouds・a -Blinder・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst a Sea of Red・b -Blooming Prairie・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter1|Land with a Bronze Statue -Angel?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter2|××××× -Solo-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter3|Land of Two People -Even a Dog doesn't Eat-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter4|Tradition -Tricksters-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter5|The Land Without the Need for Work -Workable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter6|A Land Divided -World Divided-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter7|Grapes -On Duty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter8|Land of Acknowledgment -A Vote-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter9|A Tale of a Raid -Bloodsuckers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter10|Land of Bridges -Their Line-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter11|The Tower Country -Freelance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst a Sea of Red・a -Blooming Prairie・a- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Setting Sun・b -Will・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter1|Reminiscence -Blue Rose-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter2|Land Permitting Murder -Jungle's Rule-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter3|A Tale of a Vendor -For Sale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter4|Land of Heroes -No Hero-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter5|Land of Heroes -Seven Heroes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter6|A Land at Leisure -Jog Trot-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter7|Land of Prophecies -We NO The Future-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter8|Bodyguards -Stand-bys-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter9|A Tale of a Salt Field -Family Business-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter10|Land of Illness -For You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst the Setting Sun・a -Will・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: A Land of No Admittance -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: An Unbiased Tale -All Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: A Tale of a Tank -Life Goes On-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue: A Pledge・b -a Kitchen Knife・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter1|Her Journey -Chances-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter2|Her Journey -Love and Bullets- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter3|Land of Fireworks -Fire at Will!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter4|A Land with an Elder -I Need You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter5|A Land that Never Forgets -Not Again-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter6|A Safe Country -For His Safety-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter7|During the Journey -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter8|The Meaning of Blessing -How Much Do I Pay For?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Pledge・a -a Kitchen Knife・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi!:Volume7_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Prologue|Prologue: To Do Something・b -Life Goes On・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter1|An Aggressive Land -Leave Only Footsteps!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter2|A Land of Love -Stray King-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter3|Along a River -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter4|Winter Tale -D-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter5|A Tale of Teatime in a Forest -Thank You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter6|Land of Liars -Waiting for You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Epilogue|Epilogue: To Do Something・a -Life Goes On・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Roads -Go West!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: The Land That Can Do No Wrong -Black box-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Along the Beach, The Beginning and End of a Journey -On the Beach・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter1|A Land With History -Don't Look Back!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter2|A Loving Country -Dinner Party-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter3|Radio Country -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter4|A Reclaimed Land -Confession-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Epilogue|Epilogue: Land of Boats -On the Beach・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Unacceptable People -Traveler's Tale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Walls -Sweet Home-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Prologue|Prologue: In Sorrow・b -Yearning・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter1|Land of Records -His Record-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter2|Evening of Good People -Innocence-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter3|Writer's Journey -Editor's Travels-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter4|Land of Electric Waves - Not Guilty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter5|Land of Diaries -Historians-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter6|Land of Nature Conservation -Let It Be!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter7|Land of Merchants -Professionals-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter8|Murder Country -Clearance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter9|Continue・Tank's Tale -Spirit-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter10|An Old Tale -Tea Talks-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter11|Power of Persuasion II -Persuader II-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Epilogue|Epilogue: In Sorrow・a -Yearning・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 10===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Land of Pets -apPETite-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Tii's Wish -Get Real!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Prologue|Prologue: A Man's Journey・b -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter1|Interview Land -Out of the Question-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter2|A Tale of Braggarts -Fantasy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter3|Land of Protection -Meritocracy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter4|Land of Telephone Poles -Transmission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter5|In a Place Like This -Preface-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter6|Tii's Day -a Day in the Girl's Life-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter7|Land With a Singer -Unsung Divas-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Man's Journey・a -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 11===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Children -Burn Up-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Land of Flower fields -Flower Arrangement-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Prologue|Prologue: Camera Land・b -Picturesque・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter1|Connected Land -Stand Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter2|Land of Disappointment -Hope Against Hope-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter3|Land of Ajin (etc) -With You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter4|Land Without Borders -Asylum-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter5|Land of School -Assignment-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter6|A Tale of Roads -Passage-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter7|A Tale of Fighting People -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Epilogue|Epilogue: Camera Land・a -Picturesque・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 12===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Bandits -Can You Imagine!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: Land of Biting -I Have Ever Seen Before.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece4|Frontispiece: Wishes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Prologue|Prologue: Within Happiness・b -Birth・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter1|Land of Justice -Idiots-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter2|A Land Where Demons Have Come -Take of the Devil.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter3|Land of Seeking -Common Sense-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter4|Land of Sundials -Counter Strike-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter5|Land of Endeavoring -Passage 2-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter6|Sequel・A Tale of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter7|A Tale of Letters -the Weak Link-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter8|A Tale of Wagers -Which is Which.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter9|A Land of Towering Virtue -Serious Killer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter10|Before the Clouds -Eye-opener-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Epilogue|Epilogue: Within Happiness・a -Birth・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 13===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece|Frontspiece: A Detestable Land -Abandon Ship!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece2|Frontspiece: An Amazing Land -Nothing Special-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece3|Frontspiece: A Story of Living People -You Should Be So Lucky.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Prologue|Prologue: A Tale of This World・b -It Happens.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter1|A Tale from Long Ago -Choice-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter2|Land of Family -Divorce-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter3|An Unlawful Land -Just Imagine It!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter4|Land of Travelers -Last Will-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter5|A Necessary Land -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Tale of This World・a -It Happens.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Special Compilation|Various Stories -a Beautiful Dreamer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]

===Volume 14===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Prologue|Prologue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・b -the Dawn・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Chapter 1|Land of Cultivation of Aesthetic Sensibility -Do What We Say!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 2|Land of Sighs -My Daily Life-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 3|Land of Regulations -Unreal Young Man-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 4|Land of Better Fortune -The Fifth "C", Cozenage-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 5|Land of Posthumous Works -Write or Die-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 6|Land of Ruin -Self-destruction-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 7|Land of Marriage -Testament-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 8|Land of Parasitic Insects -Cure-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 9|A Discriminatory Land -We Are NOT Like Us-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 10|A Correct Land -WAR=We Are Right!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 11|Land of Cowards -Toss-up-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・a -the Dawn・a-]]

===Volume 15===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Frontspiece|A Land Found by Accident -Eureka!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Frontspiece|A White Land -Taste!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue: What it Means to Fight and Die・b -Order!・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 1|Land of Beasts -Standing Beasts-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 2|Land of Mania -What I Want&Why I Want-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 3|A Land with a Past -What We Have Taught.-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 4|Days of Photos -the Beautiful Moment-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 5|Land of Journalists -How to Be a Liar-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 6|Land of Criminals -He Had Done It-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue: What it Means to Fight and Die・a -Order!・a-]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[user:XEN gK|XEN gK]]
:*[[user:Shuijie|Shuijie]]
:*[[user:alicia250|alicia250]]

===Editors===

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]

Kino no Tabi:Volume3 Chapter3

2012-03-11T04:08:26Z

Amazing Buffalo: Created page with "Chapter 3 "Land of Identical Faces" -HACCP- The plateaus were like a cluster of low tables. In a continent of brown earth and stone were the summits of many low hills. In bet..."

Chapter 3 "Land of Identical Faces" -HACCP-

The plateaus were like a cluster of low tables.

In a continent of brown earth and stone were the summits of many low hills. In between the hills, it was perfectly level, and was the result of rain carving out the land. In addition to that, weathering was flattening out the bottoms of the valleys. In the valleys and hills, not a single blade of grass grew.

The sky was blue, and seemed transparent. In the higher areas, thin lines of clouds flowed.

There was a single path. It was a small white line that could barely be seen, and it flattened out as it rose through the hills, and flattened out as it sank into the valleys. The path stretched on forever like this.

Kicking up dry dust, a single motorad (note - two wheeled vehicle, simply denotes that it cannot fly) ran.

The motorad was fully loaded with travel luggage. There was a box attached to both sides of the back wheel, and there was a large suitcase and a sleeping bag fastened to the top. To the side hung a small silver cup, dancing.

The rider was wearing a brown coat, and the long cuffs were wrapped around her sides. She was wearing a hat with flaps that covered her ears, along with goggles. She had a bandana around her face to protect her from the dust.

As the motorad climbed the slopes of the hills, it ran atop natural tables. And when it came near a downward slope, the rider would suddenly slow the motorad down. She would lock the back wheels and let it glide. The dust would wrap around them, then immediately dispel.

"Can you see it, Hermes?" said the rider, pulling her bandana down. Her face was young. She was in her teens.

The motorad called Hermes responded.

"Yeah, I can see it. It's pretty amazing."

"Yeah."

The rider nodded.

They were looking down on a wide valley, incomparable to the others. The hill on the other side could barely be seen at all. And in the center of that valley, was a country.

There was a large, circular border wall built around it. In the center was a large cluster of buildings, and streets could be seen lined up within them. A vivid, green forest surrounded the country. Several green lakes filled to the brim with water could be seen as speckles spread across the forest.

A brown wilderness and a green forest. Outside of this circle was a completely different world.

"Kino, what is that water?" Hermes asked. The rider called Kino responded.

"Probably underground waterways. The river that formed this valley is still flowing in a place deep underground."

"Ooh, I see. Let's hurry and visit the place! If the country is as interesting as its surroundings, then I'm interested in seeing it," Hermes said happily.

"Me too." Kino put her bandana back on.

She pushed Hermes forward, and they descended into the valley in high spirits.

Someone was peering at Kino and Hermes from far, far away through a pair of high quality binoculars. Digging a hole in the dirt, they hid themselves under a cloth that was the same color as the ground.

The person clicked their tongue.

"This is bad... they're going to enter that country."

Someone next to that person asked, "It's a traveler, right? Do you think they're not aware of the horrors that await them in that country?"

The first person stiffened their small voice, and spoke as if they were spitting.

"Who on earth would enter if they knew...?"

The person continued.

"Sergeant. Get in touch with headquarters. Tell them we're in a state of emergency."

In this country, the gate wasn't in the same place as the border wall. Kino went around the circumference of the wall to the other side.

In front of the gate was a small gatehouse with one young male and one young female attendant, along with an immigration examiner.

Kino declared to the examiner that she was entering the country for a three-day period for the purpose of sightseeing and recreation. The examiner said that she could do this on one condition.

"Before entering the country, you will have to undergo a blood inspection, Miss Kino. This is in order to ensure that you do not bring in any dangerous diseases. The inspection will take a little bit of your time. Do you accept this?"

Kino asked what she would specifically have to do.

"We'll take a sample of blood from your arm with a needle," the examiner replied.

"..."

Seeing from her silence that she was conflicted, Hermes spoke up.

"What's wrong Kino? ... Don't tell me you're afraid of needles, hm?"

"It's nothing like that at all!" came the immediate response. She politely let the examiner lead her, and then disappeared into the interior of the gatehouse.

After a while, Kino came out with a tired face.

"No matter how many times I do this, I can't stand it..." she sighed in a small voice to herself.

The sun was slowly, but steadily setting.

"Sorry for the wait. I think I'll be getting a call soon," said the examiner to Kino, who was absent-mindedly sitting on Hermes.

After a long wait, when the sun had completely set, the examiner came out of the gatehouse.

"The results of the inspection have come in. It's okay for you to enter. Thank you for waiting."

Kino knocked the sleeping Hermes and woke him up. The examiner saluted, and opened up the border gate for Hermes to pass through.

When they entered the country, they were greeted with a forest spreading out before them in the light shadow of the wall. A large car had stopped in front of them, and there were several people waiting for Kino and Hermes. There was one man and one woman, along with two younger women.

"Welcome, Miss traveler. We have been waiting for you. Since it's quite late already, we will lead you to the hotel by car."

After being told such, Kino voiced her thanks, and in doing so looked at his face. She was startled.

It was the examiner who had been at the gate before.

"No... It can't be..."

Kino sighed under her breath. No matter how she looked at him, it was evident that this man was beyond fifty years old. It was a different person.

Kino made a small concession to the man and turned to the woman nearby. She was speechless.

It was a middle-aged woman who had the exact same face as the female examiner, but her age was obviously greater. However, the two people behind them were, aside from the clothes, exactly the same as the female examiner. Standing there were two of the same person.

"We operate the hotel," the middle aged woman said with a smile. "The two girls there are my daughters."

"Thank you... very much..." Kino said, wholly confused.

They took Kino and Hermes into their car and drove off to the hotel.

On the way, the middle-aged woman spoke.

"Sorry for the long wait you had to endure. The immigration rules in this country are much stricter than those of other countries. Despite that, please enjoy your stay."

She said something like that, Kino thought. She gave a half-hearted reply back.

After arriving at the hotel, they led Kino and Hermes into the lobby. It was a splendidly pretty hotel, but there were no other guests to be seen. At the front desk was a single young man in a business suit, with the exact same face as the examiner. Only his hairstyle and way of speaking were different.

Two bellboy-looking youths carefully removed Kino's luggage from Hermes and carried it off. They both had the same face as the examiner and the man at the front desk.

"..."

The wordless Kino and Hermes were led into a large room. Kino asked the bellboy who led her into the room how much it would cost her to stay.

"For guests from the outside, it's completely free. Please, take it easy. If there's anything you need, please call us with the signal bell."

He thanked her courteously and left.

After the door closed, Kino spent a while thinking, and then stood up.

"Hey, Hermes."

"Hm?"

Kino made sure that no one else was in the room, and then asked,

"Haven't you noticed anything strange about everyone we've met today? The examiner, the man at the front desk, the bellboy, and then the owner and his family? They're all the same. And the women, too. At first I thought there were three of them, but then..."

"Maybe, but aren't you thinking about it too much?"

"But..."

"Everyone in this country probably has the same face. Maybe you didn't see when we were outside, but all the people walking, man or woman, had the same face," Hermes said nonchalantly. Kino stopped her hand as she was taking off her coat.

"But... how?" Kino asked, seeming doubtful.

"Um... hm..."

Hermes thought for a moment.

"Maybe they're all made in a factory on an assembly line? If that's the case, then it's not really strange, is it?" he said in an ordinary tone of voice.

"..."

Kino had a blank expression as she folded her coat.

"What? Why are you making that face?"

"Today tired me out, so I'm going to sleep now. Maybe we can see tomorrow if it wouldn't be too rude to ask them about it."

"Al-right!"

Kino took off her jacket and removed her belt. At the same time, she removed the holsters of her hand persuaders (note - a persuader is a gun, in this case, a revolver).

Kino took a shower, and then laid herself down on the bed, falling asleep the instant she did so.

The morning of the next day, Kino woke up with the dawn. The weather was good.

She practiced with her persuaders for a while, and then performed maintenance on them. She then did some light exercise.

When the sun fully rose, she could see the well-arranged city street and the tidy green trees from the window.

In her room, Kino ate her breakfast. Just as before, the bellboy, the man at the front desk, and the chef who prepared her meal in front of her all had the exact same face.

After breakfast, Kino woke Hermes up, put on her jacket, and went downstairs to the lobby.

Outside of the hotel, there were about twenty people. From behind the glass, they all observed the travelers, Kino and Hermes. Their ages were different, but every man and woman had the same face.

"Aren't you surprised?" Hermes asked.

Kino nodded her head slightly.

"Yeah... I've already gotten used to it."

"Move out of the way."

The hotel owner was leading a man who looked to be in about his late thirties. He had the same face as everyone else.

"Good morning Kino, Hermes! I'm from the town hall. I have been charged with being your sightseeing tour guide around this country. Is that all right with you? I can answer any question you have about this country."

"Thank you very much. I think I'll take you up on your offer... I have one question I want to ask right away, but..."

"Yes, in fact... I am fairly certain I know what the question is already. 'Why does everyone here have the same face? Right?" said the guide.

Kino nodded. The guide also nodded.

"I will explain everything. At the same time, there is also a place I would like to show you. Come with me into the car, if you will."

Followed by several identical smiles, Kino and Hermes got into the car.

They immediately arrived at a large, white building with no windows.

When they entered, they were led into a classy-looking reception office. Kino sat in a chair, and Hermes stood on his kickstand beside her.

"Welcome to our country. With that, I will proceed to answer your question from earlier."

The guide put up an air of importance around him.

"All of us are clones," the guide said.

"Huh? What's a 'clone?'" Kino asked.

"Speaking from definition, clones are 'life forms with the exact same structural information'"

"'Structural information?'"

"Yes. In each and every living thing, there is 'structural information,' that is to say, a 'blueprint' of sorts. This blueprint is very, very small, but in accordance with the different kinds of blueprints, there are many species of living things. But even within an individual species, the form and shape are subtly different. In the case of humans, facial structure, skin color, hair color, eye color, they can all be different. The differences in the 'information' are brought about in these differences in the individual human. Do you understand up to this point?"

"Y-yes..." Kino said with a meek expression.

"Well, living things with no difference in their 'structural information' are called clones. For example, if you break off a branch of a tree and plant it in the ground, a tree will grow in that spot, right? If you do this with another one, since the one from before will have become two, the 'structural information' will be completely the same. That is also a clone. Do you follow so far?"

Kino nodded.

"I understand. Like cutting and planting, right?"

"That's right. A clone, by nature, is a 'small branch.'"

The guide continued.

"And that is exactly what we are doing, but with humans. The men, the women, each and every one of them came from the foundational model of a single person. They are all clones. In layman's terms, you could call them 'copy humans.' I think that at this point, you understand why we all have the same face."

"Yeah, I totally understand. Rather, you make it seem so logical; any other way would seem strange," Hermes said.

Kino glanced at Hermes. She then turned to the guide.

"But... all of this... how?"

"You are asking how it is that we produce these clones?"

"Y-yes."

"Originally, a boy or girl would develop to a certain degree individually, and then they would finally come out of a woman's uterus as a baby. But with this method, the child's 'structural information' is a mixture of two other peoples', so a boy would not be exactly like the father, and a girl would not be exactly like the mother. That is why we use a different method."

"That is to say, that... a 'stamen' and a 'pistil' and those sorts of things aren't needed at all for this method of yours?" Kino asked.

The guide gave a faint smile.

"That is correct. Incidentally, there is no 'stork' involved either."

Kino lowered her eyes and lightly bit her lower lip.

"Um... that specific method, can you explain it to me in a way that I can understand, please?"

Kino leaned forward.

"Of course. That is the reason I invited you here. This facility was made for the purpose of carrying out that method. However, before I take you inside, let me give you a simple background of this country's history."

"Long ago, a man and woman arrived here after struggling long, to this land where no one lived, and not even grass grew. Those two people are the originals of every citizen of this country.

"The two had been born and raised in another country far, far away. There, they had researched biology and medicine, however, the research they proposed, that is to say, the cloning of humans, was rejected by others. Finally, they received orders to halt their research.

"The two decided to leave the country. They loaded all of the apparatuses they had developed onto a gigantic truck, and left on a journey to seek a new world where no one would get in their way.

"Then, the two dug up underground waterways here. With their water troubles dispelled, they planted vegetables and began to raise grain and livestock.

"At the same time, in order to test the fruits of their research, they created clones of themselves. Several babies were safely born, and the two raised them as their own children.

"Finally, with an increase in crop production and a stable population, that is to say, more mouths to feed, this country was officially born. For hundreds of years since then, we have continued our sound way of living."

"With that, let us go."

Kino and Hermes followed the guide through a passageway.

They passed by several people in lab coats who all, of course, had the same face. They went through several rigorous checkpoints, and finally arrived in front of a single door.

"Here we are," said the guide. "Welcome to the cabbage patch!"

He opened the door.

There was a long passageway behind it. On one side of the passageway, the wall was made entirely of glass.

Kino held onto Hermes and slowly stepped inside.

On the other side of the glass was an area that stretched far from the passageway. On the other side, several black glass tubes that looked like thick pillars were spaced evenly apart from one another.

"Those glass tubes are our 'wombs.' Look at number fourteen, if you will."

As the guide said this, he pushed a switch.

The blackness in the tube began to fade. A shape began to appear in the center of the liquid-filled glass tube. It was small, with a large head wrapped by its arms, legs, and back. There was a tube that extended upward attached to its belly button.

"A baby, before it's born..." Kino muttered.

"Amaaazing..." said Hermes.

"Correct. That is a fetus. It has been about thirty-five weeks since this child was conceived. It has been flailing about often, so I am going to bring it out."

The tube was once more immersed in color, and soon became as black as it had been before.

"The fetuses are all raised as such. After one is fully grown, it is removed from this facility. In other words, it is 'born.' After that, things are just like in any other country. Now what should I do about what you asked specifically earlier...

"There are several ways, but I have one thing in particular in mind. I will need two things. The first is the 'structural information' of a man and a woman. It does not matter from which two bodies. Once that information is taken, it will not result in the creation of anything but the part it is taken from, so if it is taken from a hand, then a hand is what we will get. The same goes for a foot; structural information from there will form a foot. This is a rather shoddy way of doing things, but if we gather information from all parts of the body, we will eventually be able to produce an entire body. The second thing that I need is an unfertilized egg cell. We will collect this from a woman, and put it in cold storage. Do you understand me up to this point?"

"Somehow... I think I get it."

"Yeah, I got it."

After confirming Kino and Hermes' understanding, the guide continued his explanation.

"Next, using a terribly precise operation, we will shift all at once that "structural information" as it is. Doing so, this egg cell's "structural information" will be held like that and become a fertilized egg. Then, this fertilized egg will be grown in a "womb" for two hundred sixty-five days. Are you starting to understand what is going on?"

"I see... I think I'm starting to see the general picture."

"Hey, it's just like I said, Kino. This place is a factory, right?"

"Ahaha!" the guide laughed.

"It is indeed just as Mr. Hermes says! Instead of domestic production as was done long ago, we do it in a large factory with a perfect quality control system. Thanks to this, things like "stillbirth," "miscarriage," and "infertility," are now dead words in our country. Almost no one is aware of them."

Kino asked the guide a question.

"Doesn't anyone wish to have children the normal... old way? I know I'm uninformed, but after you substitute the "information," is it possible to naturally return the egg cell to a woman's body...?"

The guide looked a bit taken aback.

"Your question does not sound the least bit uninformed. What you just said now, Ms. Kino, is unmistakably possible. Actually, we use this method to increase the numbers of our livestock. After all, it does not take any labor. However... there is practically no one among us who will do it that way. There is no record of anyone ever having done so. There is also the matter of the nine months' gestation period, and no one can even think of going through so much trouble. We have become unable to do work. To make matters worse, there is also the possibility of the pregnancy complications I mentioned earlier. Now that we boil our water electronically and automatically, there is no one who will chop wood."

"I see..." said Kino.

"Pretty convincing," said Hermes.

Becoming slightly garrulous, the guide continued.

"Ah, but there could be a solution. You see; the notion of "stamen and pistil, and so on" still exists. In this country there is a method of relaxation, basically an activity done with two people, a sport. It is something not far removed from tennis. Ms. Kino, so long as you are staying here, would you like to try it?"

"... Ah, no, I'm sorry," said Kino.

On the path, a group of future wives entered. Of course, the men and the guide had the same faces as one another, just as the women did. However, the women were slightly plump. Seeing the guide, one of the women spoke up.

"Oh? It's rare that we meet here. Are you on break from your town hall duties? You couldn't possibly be skipping out on your work or anything, could you?"

"How terrible! I am working. I am doing guide work; it has been a while since I last had to show a visitor around. Everyone, this is Ms. Kino, and this is Mr. Hermes."

Kino and Hermes greeted the group.

"Oh, you're the travelers! I heard about your arrival yesterday. Welcome!"

Saying this, the woman beckoned Kino and the others over with her hand.

"Hey, my daughter is this way. We're all going to go see her. She's this way, in tube twenty-five!"

Everyone began to walk ahead, until they arrived at tube twenty-five.

Inside the tube, there was nothing.

The woman pulled out a pair of binoculars, and looked inside of the glass tube. She grinned, and then handed the binoculars to Kino.

Kino peered through them. In the center, a tiny, tiny something was barely visible.

"Can you see her? You can see her, right?"

"Y-yeah..." Kino managed to say.

"Isn't she cute? She's so adorable, isn't she?" The woman began to shower Kino with questions.

"... Yeah..."

She was spellbound.

"Even though it's only been six weeks, she's already starting to look as cute as me!"

"..."

The guide helped Kino, who had no idea what to say, out of the situation.

"W-well, how about I show you around the educational facility?"

The guide led Kino and Hermes out of the "cabbage patch" and took them down an ordinary-looking hallway.

"What exactly is the educational facility?" Kino asked.

"It is just as the name would indicate. It is a place where licensed individuals teach various things. First, I will explain who these licensed individuals are."

The guide explained as he walked.

"In this country, people over sixteen years of age who desire to have children must undergo an examination. Married or not, the questions are based around confirming the ability of the individuals to raise their child properly. There are several primary factors for this. The person's bodily and mental state, their economic status, their job or educational status, their experience with raising children, whether or not they have people in their neighborhood that can help them, for instance family, are all tested. Their documents are inspected, they go through an interview, notes are taken on them, then they practice, among other things, and finally, an examination in an isolated facility lasting ten days is performed. In order to see if the person has tendencies toward violence, they are put in a simulated state where they are unable to do as they please, and then pushed to the limit psychologically. We judge their ability to cope, and unless they score ninety-eight points or more on this test, they are not qualified to receive a child."

"Pretty strict, isn't it?" said Hermes.

"Yes, it is indeed very strict. No matter how many times I see it happen, I still think it is strict, but..."

"But?" Kino asked.

The guide looked forward and said in a resolute manner,

"If people who desire a child are not able to pass such strict tests, then they could not possibly be ready for something like parenthood. If someone is not willing to bestow kind, calm, and unrestricted affection upon their child, then they are not fit to be parents. Having a child is not like buying a pet turtle or iguana. You are bringing a single human into the world, and you have almost complete control over their life. As a human, is there a greater responsibility than that? No, absolutely not!" the guide recited passionately, his hands curling into fists.

"People who do not play with their children, people who have children so that they can show them off to others, people who make their children into personal slaves and force them to do the impossible, people who selfishly turn their children into their heirs, locking them up and taking away their freedom to do what they want in life, people who use their children for stress relief or "recreation" when they are dead drunk--these kinds parents have to be "born" first, and if you look at our history, not one child has been raised in an unhealthy way, not even excluding certain isolation orders received from town hall. In order to prevent this country from sinking into ruin, having people who want to become parents take this difficult test is a top priority. This institution does not only produce children, but also parents."

"I see... In one country I went to, I remember one child told me, 'I want to see the faces of my parents...'" Kino said.

"'I want to see the faces of my parents...' They are fine words indeed... Remember them. Incidentally, in this country, if a parent murders their child, they are given a death sentence without question. If a child murders a parent, however, it is not considered a crime no matter what the age of the child or their reason for doing it. It is only natural, since, after all, a child is raised by its parents. If the child you raised would strike, kick, or even kill you, then you have no right to complain. It is entirely the fault of the parents who raised the child. You just have to accept it."

"..."

"..."

Then, the guide pulled up several chairs, and stopped at the end of the hallway.

"Excuse me, we have passed through the door."

The guide said.

"... And then, people who have passed the inspection, that is to say, people with the necessary qualifications, are waiting for 'parental education.' This is the first situation I mentioned earlier. It takes about two-hundred fifty days, or rather, the same amount of time it takes for a fetus to fully grow."

Passing through a door, Kino, Hermes, and the guide went along a different path. The floor here was made of glass, and underneath, there was an area that looked similar to a classroom.

"Please, take a look."

In the room that the guide pointed out, there were ten or so people practicing infant bathing with dolls. In a neighboring classroom, a study session with people using notes and textbooks could be heard. Next to that room, a class on making baby food was being held. The male to female ratio was exactly one to one. Everyone was frantic.

"Yes, you see, everyone masters the techniques required for raising a child. There is also a final examination, and until you pass, you cannot embrace your child. Because everyone is so desperate, none of them fail the exam."

"I see."

Kino sighed as she looked below.

"And then, after waiting and waiting, the day of 'birth' finally arrives. It is the first time they can hold their child with their own hands. It is truly a moving experience, to take a small life made entirely from your own 'information' into your hands. This country's men are men, its women are women, and even though everyone understands that everyone is the same, having a child that is just the same as you is of exceptional importance. And in the case of married people like me, I have a daughter that is just like the wife I love in every way."

As the guide spoke, he narrowed his eyes.

"Unfortunately, there are no births scheduled for either today or tomorrow. I cannot show you the deep emotion of that moment of birth. That is my one regret."

Ending their viewing of the classrooms, Kino, Hermes, and the guide returned to the reception room.

The guide gave Kino one final piece of information.

"In our country, there is one immense weak point."

He made a grave face as he said this.

"Weak point?" Kino asked.

"Yes, and that is disease. The thorough blood inspection that you had to go through before entering the country could not be overlooked even the tiniest bit, so that it was certain you were not bringing any foreign diseases into the country. Even if it might be something common suffered by people born in your country of birth, it may be lethal to all of us, being clones. Do you understand what I mean?"

The guide quizzed Kino, and as she came to realize what he was trying to say, she replied.

"... That is to say, because everyone here is exactly the same, if a disease affects one person, there is a danger that it will affect everyone else as well. With just a single disease, the entire population could be obliterated."

"It's similar to how motorads made in the same place, on the same assembly line, in the same factory, will all break down the same way, right?" Hermes said. The guide nodded satisfactorily.

"That's exactly how it is."

"What do you have as precautions now? Have there been any crises in the past?" Kino asked. The guide shook his head.

"Up until now, no such event has occurred. Because we completely inspect everyone who steps in this land for possible illness, our children have remained. We do not intend to cut off this land from the outside. That is why we have created the checking process, to welcome in any travelers. In addition, since we do it so thoroughly, there has not been any incident up to this point. The future is always uncertain, though."

"..."

"Oh come now, this world is never completely safe," the guide said in a bright voice to Kino, who had a serious expression on. "But..."

"But?" Kino asked.

"If you have the will to survive, it is not that easy to perish," the guide said to her with a smile.

"With that, the tour is complete. How was it?"

"It was very interesting. I'm beyond satisfied," Hermes said.

"That makes me very happy. How about you, Miss Kino?"

"... Out of all of the countries I've visited until now, this one has surprised me the most... I think it was a great idea to come here," Kino said, making several small nods.

"Thank you very much. When you say that, it makes me glad to be a tour guide," the guide said happily, looking relieved.

He then asked a question.

"Miss Kino, I will be returning home now to take my daily lunch, would you like to come with me? If you were desire the homemade cooking of this country, it would be far more delicious than any restaurant you will find here. I suppose it would be a misuse of my authority to mix public and private life, but how about it?"

Kino came down from the car while pushing along Hermes. At the same time, four girls, all with the same faces and wearing the same clothes, and three boys, all with the same faces and wearing the same clothes, surrounded her.

They were the children of the guide, waiting at the gate of their home lined up with the side of the street.

The children looked at Kino and Hermes, and all began speaking at once to the point that Kino couldn't understand what any of them were saying.

"Oh, thank you for the reception everyone. This here is Miss Kino, a traveler. This is her partner, the motorad Mister Hermes," the guide said.

"Hello everyone."

"Hello--!"

And then, pulling along the children who had begun to speak without regard to each other again, they all entered the property. The guide's wife, who had the same face as all the other women, came out to meet them in her apron.

Kino was guided through their spacious garden. There, there was a pretty lawn and plants that looked like a lot of care had gone into them, as well as a large table. On the table, dishes were arranged.

The guide went to introduce his children, as he had gone through many times since they had been born. The children all lined up in a row.

"So, starting from the right... My oldest daughter, Hen, twelve years old, the next oldest daughter, Duo, eleven years old, the oldest boy, Tria, ten years old."

As the children were called, the girls grabbed the hems of their skirts and curtsied, while the boys placed their hand over their chest and bowed.

"I have two third-oldest daughters, Tettara and Fresia. They are both nine years old. They were born on the exact same day."

The two, who looked every inch exactly the same as the other, bowed at exactly the same time.

"My next oldest son is Hex, eight years old, then my third oldest son, Hepta, seven years old. They are all my precious family... Oh yes, and then my wife."

"Oh, I am honored that you remember me," his wife joked.

All of the food served at lunch could more or less be called delicious. The guide told Kino that the animals and vegetables were created through cloning techniques, so the country never had troubles with food.

After they had finished dessert, the children all played in the garden. The guide's wife asked the guide if his work at town hall was finished, but he had already dozed off on the grass.

"My work for today is to be with the traveler. The boss would not care if he found out."

"This is a misuse of your authority, mixing public and private life, you know," his wife said in an exasperated tone.

Kino and the wife met eyes. Kino gave a wry smile.

Hermes, surrounded by the kids, had been made out by them as a toy.

After looking at the children for a while, Kino spoke to the guide, who was lying down.

"Sorry if I get any wrong... the one farthest to the left is Hen. Next is Tria, then Hepta, then Hex. The one touching Hermes' light is Tettara, and the one behind her is Fresia. The one sitting in the chair drinking tea by herself is Duo."

"..."

The guide jumped to his feet, tossing a glance at the children.

"... Correct. How did you know?"

He looked at Kino with a surprised expression.

"Since I couldn't tell them apart, I watched them while they ate. I was a bit surprised. The way they eat; they're all a little different, aren't they? Then, I went by their expressions from their personalities," Kino said. The guide remained speechless for a short time.

"... You are correct, but in such a short time... No, Miss Kino, you have excellent observational skills. Well done!"

Kino was slightly embarrassed.

"Incidentally, which ones were the hardest to discern?" the guide asked.

"The oldest boy, Tria, and the third oldest boy, Hepta. They are about the same height, and their expressions and actions resemble one another. They're both very obedient, aren't they?"

"You are quite sharp. Amongst my boys, Hex is the most showy... Who could you tell apart immediately?"

Kino looked at the two girls standing in front of Hermes.

"Tettara and Fresia, despite looking exactly the same, were unexpectedly easy to tell apart. Fresia is always standing behind Tettara."

The guide told Kino she was absolutely right, and then his face became slightly grim.

"About Fresia, she was actually not supposed to become our daughter..."

Kino turned her face to the guide.

"In this country, you cannot request two children at once. At the most, you can only have one child per year. As for Fresia... the young woman who was supposed to become her mother is said to have died in an accident two days later. On the same day our Tettara was 'born,' we received her by a special exception. 'Fresia' was the name of that woman."

"Is that so..."

"Of course, since she has the same 'information' as my wife and daughters, there have been no problems. Everyone in the family knows Fresia. Just..."

"Just?"

"That young woman--Fresia--what happened to her is certainly regrettable. I think of what happened every time I say her name. Because of that, I feel I have to make Fresia happy for her sake, and I am always thinking of what on earth I could do in order to achieve that."

"..."

The guide looked at the two children for a while. As he did, Fresia came over to him and invited him, telling him she wanted to always play together with her father. The guide looked at his daughter with a slightly troubled face.

Kino suddenly stood up.

"Well then, I think I'd like to go around the country on my own for a while. So, just the tour for today was enough. It helped me out a lot. Thank you very much. If I meet your boss, I'll tell him that you guided me for the whole day."

The guide looked up at Kino in surprise.

"He wouldn't care if he found out, right?" Kino said with a smile.

The next day was the third morning since Kino had entered the country.

The weather was good as usual. When Kino asked, she was told that it had been like this for a whole year.

Kino replenished Hermes' fuel, and after securing some food and water for herself, finished her departure preparations before noon.

In front of the hotel, the guide and the rest of his family were waiting for her, and she gave a goodbye to each of them. She thanked the guide especially for what he had done yesterday.

The guide had his wife drive the children home. Then he turned to Kino and Hermes.

"I have something very important to tell you. Please listen well," the guide said with a serious expression more stern than anything he had put on up to this point.

From inside the gate, the guide, the hotel owners, and anyone else around who seemed to have free time gathered for the final sendoff of the traveler. All the men had the same faces, and all the women had the same faces.

"Miss Kino. Mister Hermes. Thank you so much for spending time in our country. If you ever happen to be near, please visit without any hesitation. At that time, my children will probably welcome you."

"Thank you very much."

"Thanks, stay well everyone."

Watching Kino's back as she passed through the gate, the guide took a deep breath.

"With this, I'm also done with my guide work... I wonder if even fewer travelers will come."

The hotel owner, upon hearing this, said to the guide in a somewhat surprised tone,

"Don't say things like that, and quickly head back to the town hall. Don't you have a lot of work to do?"

"That is right. Things will be tough from her on. You took half the day off yesterday, correct? Don't always loaf around! Well then, let's all get back to work."

The former guide who was unforgivingly scolded by his senior gave a powerless sigh.

"Alright..."

"Yep, that was interesting. Truly interesting."

"Uh-huh."

Kino and Hermes chatted with one another while going across the badland path, the gate behind them.

"We should go back to that country again sometime."

"Oh? It's really rare for you to say something like that, Kino."

The motorad puffed up a loud cloud of dust.

Someone was peering at Kino and Hermes through binoculars from a good distance away. He wore a cloth the same color as the dirt of the hole he was in.

"Alright! They're confirmed to be safe!" he said happily.

"So they were lucky? They got out without knowing the true horrors of that country?" someone else beside him asked.

"That's not important. Our job is to make sure there are no more casualties," the first person said in a slightly lively voice. "Sergeant, contact headquarters. I'm going to safeguard the traveler."

The motorad ran along through the valley with the country, finally climbing the hill before it, and reached the flat summit. On the plateau were three humans. Kino suddenly hit the brake and stopped.

The three men wore clothes the same color as the dirt, and they had paint on their faces. Their clothes were so similar to the color of the ground that if they had been lying on the road, Kino would have mistakenly run over them.

The faces of all three were different. One of them opened an empty hand, and slowly approached Kino.

"Traveler, I am sorry to trouble you, but might you be able to come this way for a bit?"

"How come?" Kino asked. The man took another step closer, and gave a bow.

"I am a soldier from a country far to the south from here. My country is currently performing a military operation. It is very dangerous to be here right now. Once things have cleared up, wait a while and things will be safe again."

"If I refuse, would you force me to come with you?"

The soldier nodded to Kino's question.

"That is correct. We have been ordered to defend your safety."

"I understand. I'll do as you say."

As Kino said this, one of the soldiers crouched on the ground, and lifted up a cloth. There was a hole, in which was hidden a small buggy.

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8

2012-02-16T02:36:56Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 8 - Deliverance II==

That night, just as Claudius was about to fall asleep, he heard a noise amidst his slumber.

"Who's there?"

Opening his eyelids, Claudius quietly requested a confirmation of identity. He couldn't be careless. It was when he was careless that he was most vulnerable.

"Do you realize you're in the room of the prince? If you take another step into my quarters, you'll be put under a curse by this country's greatest magicians."

Even so, if the person had come this far prepared to throw away their life, they wouldn't have any problem harming the prince. As an alarm bell rang silently in Claudius's heart, Claudius strained his eyes in the pitch-blackness.

There was a small, human figure.

"Sorry for coming so late at night, Dia."

The slight voice was like a small, round bell being rolled gently across the floor.

"... Mii? Is that you, Mii?" Claudius asked, bewildered. He thought he felt her nod.

"Yeah. Sorry, during the day, they had me under watch, so I wasn't able to come until late at night."

"You were being watched...?"

"Sort of. They didn't say I couldn't go anywhere, though. The guy at the bottom of your tower let me through."

"I see..." Claudius responded in a complex mental state. Several different words said by various people ran about in his mind. "Mimizuku... I was waiting for you."

"I know. Thank you."

Mimizuku seemed to nod. She also seemed to be smiling, just a little.

"Andy and Orietta came here and told me about you. I thought you wouldn't be coming to see me anymore."

"Why?"

Hidden in the cloth of his bed's canopy overhang, Claudius couldn't see Mimizuku's face, and thus was unaware of just how much Mimizuku had changed since retrieving her memories.

He closed his eyes in the darkness. Nothing changed. Whether his eyes were open or closed, the world was still the same color.

"... The king came by today. He said that the last ceremony in the destruction of the King of Night is being held tomorrow, and that I have to come... He said I had to participate, as the next king."

Claudius had understood what the king meant.

The day before, Ann Duke had come and told him. He knew of the whole situation. Ann Duke told him of Mimizuku's situation, of the meaning of the seal on her forehead, and the reason why she had scars on her wrists and ankles.

And then, Ann Duke told him this: ''"You're going to be called for a ceremony two days from now, Claudius. Burn my actions that day into your memory. However... if you can, please don't tell Mimizuku about this."''

Ann Duke had worn a sad smile as he said those words.

''"I figured I'd become notorious and hated eventually, anyway. It can't be helped..."''

Claudius had asked what he could do to help.

Ann Duke simply smiled. He smiled as if he was holding down what he truly wanted to say.

''"Dia, you might be able to move your arms and legs soon."''

''"I don't care what happens to me,''" Claudius had said. Ann Duke patted him on the head.

''"Don't say things like that. The king wants you to be able to move your arms and legs freely so that you'll have more confidence in yourself."

Confidence in himself

Moving his arms and legs would give him confidence? Could he become king just by moving his arms and legs?

"You know, Claudius," Mimizuku said in a trembling voice. Claudius opened his ears so as to not let any of her voice escape him. "You know..." Even in the dark, Mimizuku's silhouette was small.

Even though he was close to gaining free movement of his limbs, Claudius could only think of Mimizuku.

''Is Mii crying?'' he thought.

Then, in a trembling voice like a whisper, Mimizuku spoke.

"What would you do... if I asked you to help me?"

Claudius smiled before he could say anything.

He knew what his answer would be long ago.

A tricolor bell rang with a pristine sound. As he heard it ring, Ann Duke thought of the dead queen's funeral.

That time, Ann Duke had not yet been chosen as the Holy Knight. He had watched the endless procession absentmindedly of people in black dress from the top of a tree in the garden in his mansion.

Even though he was high up, he couldn't see the inside of the coffin from among the procession. He was disappointed, as it had been said that the queen was a rare beauty.

However.

Ann Duke raised his head, and gazed upon Fukurou, who seemed to create a throne of his own with his outstretched wings.

Two moons had passed since he had been captured. Since then, he was given nothing to eat or drink, simply hung as if to dry and wrung completely clean of magic power.

However... his figure, eyelids lowered, thin and withered, was still coldly beatiful.

Before such ghastly beauty, even the Holy Knight shivered.

"Holy Woman! Bring the sword here...!" King Dantes said in a low voice. Without any wasted effort, Orietta kneeled down beside Ann Duke. She closed her eyes, and offered the Holy Sword to her husband.

He didn't think she would come.

That was what Ann Duke had truly felt. Since he told her that he was to wield the sword on the last day of the demon king's suppression, she hadn't listened to a word he said.

However, Orietta could not say no in the end either.

"... Are you okay with this?" Ann Duke whispered the moment he grabbed hold of the sword.

Orietta sighed, her eyes still closed.

"I live as one with the sword..."

Hearing her answer, Ann Duke made a pained facial expression. If he could do anything about it, he didn't want Orietta to be forced to say such things.

He grasped the hilt of the sword, and unsheathed it in one swift movement.

Two magic lamps reflected the light of the full moon onto the Holy Sword, causing to give off a dim aura. The thing that shined the most brilliantly in the ceremony was the crystal surrounded by the magicians. It was a bit larger than a human head, and a burning blue flame flickered inside of it.

There was no magical power left in the King of Night at this point.

The crown said to be for the next king gave off an intimidating air.

"Bring me my prince...!"

At the order of the king, Claudius arrived on a sedan chair many times larger than his body held up by several men. Covered by a canopy even as he was taken underground, Claudius's lips were pursed. He looked first at the king, and then at Fukurou.

The magicians stepped forward. From here they would, using the magical power of the demon king, perform the largest magical undertaking in the history of their country.

Their aim was the complete resuscitation of Claudius's unrestrained use over his arms and legs, all the way to his fingertips.

It was right when the magicians took their stances with their rods.

"Please wait."

Having not made a sound up to this point, Claudius broke the silence in the empty air with his high voice. Ann Duke unthinkingly turned to look at him.

"Your Highness," Claudius said clearly, meeting eyes with the gray-haired king. "I would like to see the demon king clearly with my own eyes."

"... What?" Dantes growled.

However, Claudius, unabashedly and buried in his chair, raised his voice again.

"Before he is stabbed by the Holy Sword of the Holy Knight Ann Duke, I wish to be allowed to burn the shape of this future symbol of our kingdom's magic power into my eyes..."

The gray-haired king glared fixedly at his son. However, Claudius did not lower his gaze. Dantes wondered when his son had become so courageous. He felt like Claudius was not the same son he had always had, who always looked up at him coweringly.

"... Alright." The king nodded. "Bring Claudius forward!"

The men brought the sedan chair holding the prince forward. They placed him gently on the straight, red carpet. The prince then stared carefully, though from a distance, at Fukurou. He stared at the body, the wings of which seemed to be held up by invisible threads. The figure had not lost its majesty.

He looked at it as though searing its shape into his mind.

Just as Dantes was about to continue on with the proceedings, Claudius suddenly shouted something.

"Mimizuku, now...!"

Nobody there could deny the sound that entered their ears. They simply stood wide-eyed in amazement. The cloth at the bottom of Claudius's sedan chair had been ripped open.

Then, a shadow jumped out from inside.

"Mimizuku!!" Ann Duke yelled. Like the time when she was just skin and bones with one thin cloth over her, Mimizuku jumped out like a bullet and ran.

"Stop! Stop that girl!!" Dantes' voice boomed like cannon fire. Taken aback, the magicians took fighting stances. However, they were the same magicians who had already set up to perform the revitalization of Claudius's limbs. It would take time for them to cast another spell.

Ahead of everyone else, Ann Duke ran toward Mimizuku.

However, his arm was suddenly pulled on from behind.

"Urk!"

He looked to his side. There, with a strong look in her eyes, was his wife.

"Let me go ahead, Andy."

"What are you going to do!?" Ann Duke said.

"I'll show you. Watch my back!"

Orietta's words were strong. Her grip on Ann Duke's wrists was tight, making it hard for him to refuse her.

Impelled by his impatience, Ann Duke looked at Mimizuku.

Mimizuku ran. Wholeheartedly, she ran. To Fukurou, the beautiful King of Night.

"Fukurou!!"

She called out his name with her whole heart.

She grasped a knife, holding its radiant silver hilt to her chest.

Orietta stood at the entrance in her full priestess uniform, looking at Mimizuku. She saw that she had exchanged her old clothes for a thin, white cloth.

"Mimizuku..."

"Orietta, I'm sorry," Mimizuku said. "I have to go."

"... Go ahead, Mimizuku," she said, smiling and crying at the same time.

Looking at Orietta's teary face, Mimizuku also felt like crying.

"You know..." Tears began to parcel out of Mimizuku's eyes. She didn't continue her words. Orietta embraced her compassionately.

"... If I had a daughter, I think this is how things would probably turn out, don't you?"

She had given up on having a child of her own. She had previously cried and apologized to Ann Duke for it. Ann Duke loved her, and she loved Ann Duke, so she apologized whenever she cried to him. Ann Duke didn't blame Orietta. He was fully aware of what she had been through.

They weren't able to take a child from the orphanage, as they were to consider the country their child.

"I'm sorry, Orietta."

"You don't need to apologize," Orietta said, wrapping her arms strongly around Mimizuku's back.

"You know, I... I... I was happy wearing the pretty clothes I got. Everyone's cooking was delicious. The bed was soft and fluffy, and everything made me really happy.

It wasn't a lie. Her feelings were definitely real.

"... That's right..." Orietta's affirmation seemed brimming with all the affection of the Holy Mother.

''She's just like a real mother,'' Mimizuku thought.

''I don't know, I don't understand, but it must be something like this, right? This is what having a mother is like...?''

Even so.

"But, even so... I want to go home." She had a place to return to. "I want to go back to Fukurou's forest... I must be an idiot..."

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Even though you were so kind to me.''

''Even though everyone was kind to me.''

At those words, Orietta tenderly swept her hand across Mimizuku's head.

"You know, us girls... we all become idiots when we fall in love," she said with a mischievous smile.

Mimizuku blinked at her words.

"Orietta... was an idiot too?" she asked, wiping her tears. Orietta looked at Mimizuku and let out a chuckle.

"If I wasn't... how could I become such a good-for-nothing wife?"

Mimizuku laughed involuntarily.

"Take this..."

Orietta then pressed a knife into Mimizuku's hand. It had a simple beauty, and with one look, Mimizuku could tell it was valuable.

"Orietta, what's this?"

Mimizuku's shoulders shivered at the cold weight suddenly placed into her hand.

Orietta smiled at her affectionately.

"Take it. I'm lending it to you. It was given to me when I became the Maiden of the Holy sword. It's been passed down through the temple for generations. It was given shape from a broken off piece of the Holy Sword. If you want to cut the threads holding the King of Night down... you'll need this."

"Is it really okay for me to have it?" Mimizuku asked, assailed by mixed emotions.

Wasn't Orietta Ann Duke's wife? Wasn't she a priestess of this country?

Even so, Orietta continued to smile at her.

"I implore that you take it... my dear Mimizuku," she said.

So Mimizuku took the blade.

Pains from the open air seemed to slice through her body, and she began to feel nauseous.

However, she didn't lose her grip.

''I will fight.''

Up until now, she had always done as others said. She wanted to live for herself now, to give her life direction on her own.

''I knew it, the moment we first met.''

''Meeting you...''

It had been the first choice Mimizuku had made in her life.

''I'm going to take you back. That's why I'll fight.''

Mimizuku prayed to God for the first time.

"Fukurou!!"

Mimizuku cut through the silky thread binding holding Fukurou's body.

"Fukurou, Fukurou, open your eyes...!!" she called out, crying. Fukurou's face was calmly beautiful, as if he had died, and Mimizuku's spine froze, not because of Fukurou's beauty, but because of the fear that he was lost to her.

There were a lot of things Mimizuku couldn't help being afraid of.

Then, slightly, faintly, Fukurou raised his eyelids. Soft moonlight leaked from his eyes.

"Fukurou!"

With his newfound freedom of movement, Fukurou's first action was to grab onto Mimizuku's wrist.

The wrist was slightly discolored, and holding a knife.

"Agh!"

Fukurou's thin fingers had lost much of their vigor, but his grip was still surprisingly strong, causing Mimizuku to drop her knife.

"Mimizuku!!" Ann Duke called out desperately.

Orietta swallowed her breath.

With a dull sound, the knife hit the ground.

However, Fukurou stared at Mimizuku.

"I thought you said... that you hated knives..." he said.

It was the same voice, not changed in the slightest, that Fukurou had spoken with when they had first met.

To his words, Mimizuku smiled.

It was a powerful smile, unlike any one Mimizuku had made before. It radiated from her face, disregarding the single teardrop that had fallen from Mimizuku's eye.

"It's not that important..."

Mimizuku then jumped at Fukurou's neck.

She hugged him tightly. Her delicate, slender arms wrapped around him, as if they were crafted only to embrace him.

Fukurou then narrowed his eyes slightly.

He embraced Mimizuku's body as tightly as he could.

Much time had passed since their chance meeting on that moonlit night. The two finally received each other, arm in arm.

"Andy!!" Dantes called out. Blood vessels were visible on his forehead.

"Holy Knight Ann Duke! Cut down the demon king! The king's life depends on it...!!"

The magicians were also preparing a new spell. Dantes raised his voice, demanding that the Holy Sword be stabbed into Fukurou's heart.

"I don't care if you have to kill Mimizuku as well...!!"

At his mighty tone of voice, Ann Duke shook off his wife's hands from his wrists.

Orietta screamed from behind him.

However, Ann Duke did not turn around. He raised the Holy Sword, higher and higher.

Mimizuku closed her eyes tightly.

She didn't care if she died like this, in Fukurou's embrace.

Repeating the same words in her head over and over, even though a contradiction in them stood before her, she continued to repeat them.

"Andy!"

Claudius was the one who called out the name.

The sword fell.

A distinct sound, like shattering glass, arose.

"!!"

A whirlwind seemed to blow through, and everyone in the room lost control over their senses for an instant.

"Ann Duke, what are you...!!"

A sound like a flowing waterfall could be heard, and the air began to stir.

For a moment, Mimizuku couldn't tell which way was up or down, however her vision eventually began to focus. It had all ended. All that was left in the underground room was Ann Duke, Fukurou, and Mimizuku, still in Fukurou's arms.

Ann Duke had not aimed the blade at Fukurou's heart.

Fukurou's wings, as if taking a deep breath, spread out. He had regained his magic power.

Ann Duke had sliced through the blue burning crystal that held Fukurou's magic power.

"Andy! You..."

The king, who had regained his posture as the magicians at his side supported him, called out the name in a voice brimming with rage.

However, Ann Duke shrugged his shoulders as he always did.

"Sorry, king, but if my wife runs from me, I'll be in trouble," he said indifferently.

His tone was as if he was speaking to an old friend.

"Fukurou, Fukurou, are you okay?" After the sudden discord, Mimizuku had watched Fukurou, worried.

Fukurou did not ignore her; he lowered his gaze to meet Mimizuku's sanpaku eyes.

"Why did you come?" he asked in a low voice.

Mimizuku made a frown that was like a mixture of laughter and crying.

"Why wouldn't I come?"

"Because you finally obtained happiness."

"I did, huh? Warm food, good clothes, soft towels, and a plushy bed. But..." Mimizuku faced the pair of moons. "You weren't there," she said.

Fukurou narrowed his moon eyes.

"You are truly a fool."

"Maybe."

Tears began to drip from Mimizuku's eyes.

"Don't say something so difficult to understand at a time like this. Now that everything's fine, why don't we go home? Let's go home to the forest...!"

"-----..."

Fukurou wiped the tears from Mimizuku's cheek with his clawed, slender fingertips.

"I thought you said you never cried."

"I remembered how." She raised her cheek up. "I remembered how to laugh, too. Do you hate me for becoming so human?"

"No..." Fukurou then combed aside Mimizuku's hair with his finger, so that the symbol on her forehead could be seen. "You... are Mimizuku. And I--... am Fukurou."

That was his answer.

Fukurou flapped his outstretched wings, sending a flurry of magic power and wind into the underground room. The gray-haired king raised his voice against the King of Night holding the small girl.

"What are you doing? Magicians! Riveil! Quickly, quickly, do something...!!"

However, the magicians were unable to cast any further spells.

With the full moon out, the king of monsters brimmed with power befitting of his name, and, feeling the pressure of his magic power, the magicians could not stop shivering.

"What are you doing!? Quickly, the demon king...!!"

"Please, stop this!!" Claudius said to Dantes as he attempted in vain to rouse the magicians. "Please stop, father. No more...!"

Held closely by Fukurou's right arm, Mimizuku looked at Claudius.

He had smiled when she asked him for help.

''"I'll do whatever you ask, Mii."''

She looked at Claudius, the same boy who had said those words to her.

Claudius's face crunched together, as if he was about to cry, still repeating his plea to his father.

"No more, father...! I'm fine, so please, stop all of this!"

"Claudius..." Dantes said, taken aback. He looked at Claudius. "Claudius... what are you thinking...!?"

"Mii is my friend!" A tear streamed across Claudius's cheek. It was the first time since the death of the queen that Dantes had seen Claudius's tears. "Mimizuku is my friend! If I have to make a friend cry, then it's not worth getting my arms and legs back!"

"Dia..." Mimizuku called out from Fukurou's arms.

However, Claudius turned to face Dantes.

"If you say I can't become king with a body like this, then go find another successor! I don't care! But still, father, still... even though I have this body... I'm still your son...!!" he shouted.

He called out for his father, crying. Ann Duke and Orietta stood looking upon the scene before them.

"Claudius..." Dantes called uncertainly.

"Dia!" Mimizuku shouted out from between Fukurou's arms. "Hey, Dia...!"

Tears running down his face, Claudius looked back at Mimizuku. Then, he looked up at Fukurou.

"Dia, I'm sorry... I'm sorry." She knew it was a meaningless apology, and that she had relied on him to do something very difficult. But even so, she was happy that he listened to her. "Sorry... and thank you...!"

"It's fine, Mii." Claudius smiled, his face still damp with tears. "I received many things from you. I learned from you. So it's fine. Don't worry about it." He gave her a warm smile.

It was a smile that resembled the dead queen's.

Suddenly, a low voice was heard.

"... Young prince."

Whose voice was it? After a split second of confusion, Claudius swallowed his breath, and turned to look up at the owner of the voice.

"King... of Night..."

Fukurou looked down at Claudius with his golden eyes.

"Human prince who wears his limbs as decoration. You may still be able to take the throne with that body."

Mimizuku, surprised at Fukurou's words, looked up at him. Claudius tightened his lips and nodded.

"If my father allows it... No, if I find myself to be suitable for the position, then even with these useless limbs, I will become king of this country."

To the prince's resolute answer, Fukurou flapped his wings several times. He landed in front of Claudius.

"Demon king! What are you doing!?" The king pushed past his magicians, lunging forward. "Don't touch him! What are you doing to my son...!?"

Ann Duke raised his sword slightly. Fukurou put Mimizuku down, and gently ran the claws of his long fingers across Claudius's arms and legs.

"!"

Claudius gasped. Strange patterns began to run across his arms and legs, and then a faint light began to shine.

When the light dispersed, something strange happened in Claudius's body.

He shook weakly, and felt weak and cold.

However, he slowly lifted up his right arm.

"Ah..."

Dantes stood up straight, looking wide-eyed at Claudius. Ann Duke stood in a daze, and Orietta covered her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes.

The magicians were also speechless.

Then, shaking like a newborn fawn, Claudius slowly lifted his legs, and stood up, walking down from his chair.

"K-king of Night, this is, I...!"

Claudius, standing, looked up at Fukurou in blank amazement.

Even though he had once thought the King of Night to be fearsome, he had forgotten his fears.

"As a cursed prince, you may have been despised," Fukurou said in a dull, low voice.

"If you are willing to live even with limbs cursed by the demon king, then you should live, human prince."

Claudius opened and closed his fists several times.

Like a dream, he could move.

The brilliant patterns on him could certainly send one who looked upon them into a state of shock.

"Dia!"

With her eyes sparkling, Mimizuku extended both of her arms out to Claudius and hugged him. "Those patterns... they're so pretty!" Mimizuku giggled. "They're all so pretty!"

"Thank you, Mimizuku." Claudius also smiled from the bottom of his heart. With his newly freed arms, he hugged Mimizuku back. "Thank you as well, King of Night..."

However, Fukurou didn't seem to hear him. Turning away as if having lost interest, he flew up into the sky. Back to the forest from whence he came.

"Oh! Oooh! Fukurou!" In a panic, Mimizuku tried to grab onto Fukurou. "I'm going too! I'm going back home with you!"

"..."

Not making a sound, Fukurou glared down at Mimizuku.

"If you're going back, then take me too! You can't just leave me here; even if you do, I'll just follow you! The forest isn't far from here, so don't try to run away!" Mimizuku said, putting her hands on her hips.

"..."

Fukurou breathed a small sigh, and then turned around, grabbing Mimizuku's arm.

Mimizuku shrieked with delight.

"Mimizuku!" Ann Duke called out.

"Oh... Andy, Orietta...!" She leaned forward from her position in Fukurou's arm. "Hey, hey, hey...!"

She felt like there were many things she had to say. Thank you. I'm sorry. Thank you.

''Would just those words be enough?'' Mimizuku thought.

Even thought they had taught her to use them at times like this.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that they wouldn't be enough.

"Hey! Heeeeyy...!"

Tears spread across her face. Why? Why was she so sad? Why was she so regretful? Mimizuku couldn't understand.

Orietta looked at Mimizuku and smiled.

"... You're welcome back anytime," Orietta said, disregarding the tears in her eyes. "I'll be waiting." She smiled compassionately, as she always did.

Beside her, Ann Duke also smiled.

"If life in the forest doesn't suit you, then come right back! We'll go to the market together again!"

Mimizuku made a strained facial expression and nodded rapidly.

There was a comfortable lifestyle, and kind people. But still, she could only make one choice.

To her, the choice was clear.

"... King of Night." The next one to speak was Dantes, standing behind Claudius. The gray-haired king wrinkled his brow as he always did, and made a stern face. "I won't ask you to forgive me, King of Night," he said slowly. "But still..." Dantes took a deep breath. "I thank you, from the bottom of my heart," he declared.

"Father..."

Claudius looked up at his father and gasped.

Fukurou didn't seem interested in responding. He outstretched his wings wide, and turned to disappear into the darkness, but suddenly turned around and faced Dantes.

"... If you are a king who chooses his country, then try to build a wonderful country with your own hands."

At that moment, Mimizuku remembered something.

''Oh, that's right, Fukurou as well...''

Fukurou might have become a human king as well at one time.

Thinking of this, Mimizuku remembered a feeling she couldn't put into words, and clung tightly to Fukurou's neck.

Whenever she couldn't express herself, that was the best thing to do.

Just like Orietta had done for her. Mimizuku felt like she finally understood how to use her own limbs.

Fukurou made an annoyed face at Mimizuku coiling about him, but breathing softly, he gently moved his arms so as to caress Mimizuku's head.

Seeing this, Ann Duke and Orietta looked at each other and laughed.

And then, Mimizuku and Fukurou melted away into the darkness.

A gust blew through, and the next moment, the two had disappeared without leaving a trace.

It was as if a storm had passed through the castle's basement.

"They left..."

Ann Duke sighed.

"Oh well," Orietta smiled, holding out the scabbard of the Holy Sword to Ann Duke.

With a beautiful movement, Ann Duke returned the Holy Sword to its scabbard and gave it to Orietta.

"Well then, we've got a lot of cleaning up to do, don't we?"

"Indeed," Ann Duke simply said.

"You're taking responsibility. Get to work at once, Andy," the gray-haired king said, returning to his usual gloomy tone of voice.

"Huh!? Hey, wait a second! What about you, the king!? Why me!?"

"It's to be expected. Why don't you try working for once? Damned homestay."

Ann Duke drooped his shoulders, and Orietta chuckled beside him.

"... Your Majesty..." Claudius said, looking up timidly at the king. "Um..."

He knew he had to be punished, as he had disobeyed the king.

"Dia."

"Y-yes!?" Claudius answered, his shoulders shaking. His father's gray eyes looked at him. He had a stern face, and an austere light in his eyes. However, Claudius did not look away. He did not cast his eyes down as he had always done before. Pursing his lips tightly, he faced forward, looking straight at Dantes, his father.

He planned to take his punishment gracefully. He had no regrets. Even so, he didn't think he would be hated by his father for it. He simply did what he had to do, for both his own sake, and for the sake of the country.

Dantes looked down at Claudius, and opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it and narrowed his eyes.

He then took a step forward, and tightly embraced Claudius's body.

At his father's sudden action, Claudius's emerald eyes flew wide open.

"Your... Majesty...?"

Dantes did not say anything. He simply hugged his son, his eyes closed tight, and his shoulders slightly quivering.

It was a strong embrace, and it hurt Claudius. He was a hapless old man who didn't know how to be gentle.

However, Claudius closed his eyes.

He had always wanted this.

The hug was instantaneous. The moment that Dantes let go of Claudius, his face turned to that of the stern king.

"... From here on, I will teach you many things. If you have the spirit required to be king, then follow me, even if you cough up blood!"

At those words, Claudius's eyes sparkled.

"... Yes, father!!"

He was the prince that would one day be called "The Ornate Sealed King."

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Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2012-01-09T14:21:02Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:MimizukutoYorunoOuCover.png|thumb|Cover]]

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou (ミミズクと夜の王 ''Mimizuku and the King of Night'') is a light novel by Kougyoku Izuki, and happens to be her first work. It won the Grand Prize in the 13th Dengeki Novel Contest. The book is a stand-alone work, but the author has also written a continuation volume entitled Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi (毒吐姫と星の石 ''The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone'').

The ''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Mimizuku_to_Yoru_no_Ou_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Portuguese (Portuguese)]]

==Story Synopsis==

Mimizuku, a small girl with chains on her wrists and ankles and the numbers "332" branded onto her forehead, wanders into the Forest of Night seeking to be eaten by a monster. However, when the ruler of the monsters, the mysterious and beautiful "King of Night," refuses to eat her, she tries to formulate a way to convince him otherwise.

==Translation==

=== [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*17 April 2011
**Project complete
*19 March 2011
**Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou project officially underway
==''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' by Kougyoku Izuki==

===Mimizuku and the King of Night ([[Mimizuku and the King of Night: Volume|Full Text]] - [http://kylechong.com/misc/epub/Mimizuku%20and%20the%20King%20of%20Night.epub EPUB])===

::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Prologue|Prologue - The Forest of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Suicidal Mimizuku and the Human-Hating King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Threshold to Blessings]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Purgatory Flowers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliverance]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Gentle Lapse]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Seal of the King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Knight and Maiden]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - Deliverance II]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Epilogue|Epilogue - Mimizuku and Fukurou]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Author's Word|Author's Word - What Lies Beyond Prayers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Commentary|Commentary /Hiro Arikawa]]

==''Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi'' by Kougyoku Izuki==
===The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone===
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Prologue|Prologue - The Temple of Stars]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Abandoned Child Erza]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Mute Princess's Wedding]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Dinner and Chalices]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Goodbye, Prince]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Vion's Poison-Breather]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Night the Castle Fell]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Good News on Bare Feet]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - About Stars and Divine Destiny]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Epilogue|Epilogue - The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Aberrant King]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Author's Word|Author's Word - Halfway Down this Long Road]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

===Editors===

All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5

2011-11-30T13:57:06Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 5 - Gentle Lapse==

The sound of cheers traveled loudly through the room.

All the cabinet ministers and soldiers bent over for a toast.

Overseeing the room on his throne was the gray-haired king.

People congratulated the Magician Brigade on their success, and the Holy Knight for his gallantry. Quick-spirited troubadours began to sing odes in the corners of the hall.

Ann Duke leaned his back against a corner of the hall and looked at the scene from afar.

"Lord Holy Knight! They're having a drinking contest over there! I'm sure you'd drink them all under the table!" a friendly soldier said, coming over to Ann Duke.

"Nah, if I drink too much again, my wife'll get mad," Ann Duke answered with a pitiable smile.

"Can you say hello to her for me?"

"Yeah, sure. There are plenty of people from the temple here today after all. She didn't want to come because she was nervous and said she hated these kinds of things."

"Haha! That's too bad!" the soldier said, disappearing back into the crowd.

They succeeded in the subjugation of the demon king, and the captured girl was saved.

The news traveled through the peasantry in an instant. Even at this very moment, citizens were raising a glass to the success of their kingdom.

Ann Duke didn't shy away from a drink either.

However, the subjugation of the king was yesterday. He wanted to go back to his mansion and rest. His wife was surely waiting for him to return, and she didn't like to come to celebrations like these where everyone was passing around greetings here and there.

He had thought of being absent under the pretense of rest, however from the standpoint of the kingdom, he was the face of their honor, and there was something he was interested in anyway. He was waiting after the toast for that report.

Eventually, a servant ran up to Ann Duke. He whispered something into his ear. Hearing that, Ann Duke nodded and gave his thanks to the servant.

He then quietly left the hall behind.

If the king knew why he was leaving, there was no way he would have stopped him anyway.

Ann Duke had been waiting for the report that the girl captured by the demon king had regained consciousness.

Passing through a long hallway, knocking on a door with a golden handle, he slowly entered into the room.

There was a single bed underneath a bright chandelier. There, a small girl was laying down on her side.

Ann Duke walked up to the girl. In the bed stuffed with waterfowl feathers, the girl slept as if sinking into it. Her cheeks were miserably thin, and Ann Duke remembered how surprised he had been at her lightness when he had picked her up. The magic flames had been made so that they didn't burn the girl, but she was still a sooty mess.

He ran his fingers through her thin hair, which gave the impression of straw. He pushed her bangs aside and her forehead was revealed. There was a strange pattern on it, and none of the magicians had any idea of what it represented. However, it was definitely the work of the demon king, and there seemed to be no doubt that she was affected by some kind of spell.

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"..."

She then peered through her slightly open eyes, staring fixedly at Ann Duke.

"Ah... a...." she groaned incomprehensibly.

"Yes? What is it?" Ann Duke asked gently.

However, the girl couldn't muster any more words, and she tried to somehow raise her body out of the bed. Struggling from her lack of strength, she took Ann Duke's hand.

"Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"N-... no."

The girl's voice was slight, like the flapping of insect wings. The wrists that Ann Duke was holding had changed to brown. They had been able to melt the chains off with magic, but they couldn't remove the marks, as she had apparently been wearing them for a very long time. It pained his heart to see that. However, Ann Duke was thankful that she was in good health.

"Alright, good."

He heaved a sigh of relief.

The girl hadn't used her brain much, and all she could manage was,

"Where... am I?"

"This is Red Ark Castle. You don't need to worry anymore. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Nothing... to be... afraid of," she repeated like a parrot.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm Ann Duke. Ann Duke MacValen. What's your name?"

"My... name?"

The girl gently closed her eyes.

Her eyelashes shook as if she were shivering.

She then opened her eyes.

"I forgot my name," she whispered.

To these words, Ann Duke gazed in wonderment. The girl looked at Ann Duke's face with pure, innocent eyes.

Ann Duke nipped at his lip, cast his eyes downward, and shook his head several times.

He then gently embraced the girl's head.

"You poor thing..." he said quietly, in a deep voice.

The girl seemed to tilt her head slightly as she was engulfed in Ann Duke's chest.

She couldn't understand why any of this was being said to her.

The rumors that the King of Night had been suppressed and that the captured girl had been rescued traveled through the region in the blink of an eye.

The people talked of praises for the Magician Brigade and the Holy Knight, and they expressed their sympathy and pity for the girl.

The poets sang their praises along with a note from their harps. They sang of the girl with the strange pattern on her forehead, of her misfortune, and of her cruel destiny. They sang out in a beautiful, melancholy rhythm. They also sang great praises of the heroic deeds of the Holy Knight.

However, there was one thing they never sang of.

They never spoke of the demonic King of Night, and no one knew of his whereabouts.

"Your name is Mimizuku."

One day, a beautiful woman with black hair entered her room of the castle and said this to her in a kind voice. Her hair had been woven into two or three braids, and her eyes, which were the same color as her hair, gave off a brilliant, gentle light.

"Your name is Mimizuku. I heard it from the hunter who had been saved by you earlier when he got lost in the forest."

"Mimizu... ku?"

Mimizuku, sitting on her large bed in a carefree manner, repeated the name. She was wearing a light, thin dress, and a bit of color had returned to her gaunt cheeks.

"Yes. Do you remember?"

"I... I don't understand. But, when you say it... I feel like you might be right. Yeah, my name is Mimizuku," Mimizuku said in a low voice, lowering her eyelids. As if sealing away something important into her heart, she held her hands against her chest.

"I am Orietta. Orietta MacValen. I'm the wife of that lazy Holy Knight. You know of Ann Duke, yes?"

"Yeah, I know Andy."

Ever since Mimizuku had woken up several days earlier, Ann Duke came to visit her every day. Mimizuku slept often, and he would talk with the attendants overseeing Mimizuku's affairs as he stroked her head.

"Yes, I'm the wife of that housekeeping knight. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mimizuku."

Mimizuku shook her outstretched hand. She smiled. Her hand was like a vibrant whitefish as opposed to Mimizuku's, which was like a withered leaf.

Orietta frowned a little after shaking her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, uh..."

"Orietta."

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you, Orietta, Andy's... wife?"

"Yes, unfortunately, that's me."

Unlike her words, Orietta's face was joyful.

"Mimizuku... is it okay if I call you Mimizuku?"

"Uh-huh!"

Mimizuku's eyes sparkled at Orietta's question. Even though they said it was her own name, she felt it to be incredibly precious to be called by it.

"Mimizuku, how do you like living here?"

Being asked "how," Mimizuku tilted her neck. However, she just said what she thought.

"Well, um... There's lots of delicious food. I get lots of pretty things to wear, and everyone's really nice!"

"Is there anything missing?"

"Andy would always ask that! No, there's nothing missing."

Mimizuku shook her head in response. Truly, her lifestyle was more than enough. She would always wonder why they did so much for her.

Probably because they were able to do so much for her, they did just that.

Orietta was smiling at her.

"Have you remembered anything?" she asked in a small voice.

She meant of the days that she had spent before she woke up, in the forest.

Mimizuku didn't have an answer. She shook her head again, but slowly, and with very a different feeling.

Orietta kneeled down on the carpet next to the bed and met eyes with Mimizuku.

"You know, Mimizuku. Up until now, you were in the forest. You were imprisoned by monsters, and your eyes were fearful... That must be why you lost your memory... to protect yourself. Don't push yourself to try to remember. Mimizuku, it might be best to forget. From here on, you have a new life ahead of you!"

The Forest of Night.

Monsters.

Fearful eyes.

The words spun around in the back of Mimizuku's head.

''Really?''

It might be best to forget.

''Re-really?''

"I have... a new life ahead of me?"

"That's right," came the affirmation.

''That's right, it's just like that.''

''Really?''

Why?

Deep in her heart, someone was asking.

She heard a jangling noise somewhere far off.

Along an aged stone path, the smell of mold hung in the air. The ceiling was high, but with no window. With the power of magic, it burned brightly, changing from red to blue. The king moved forward, his footsteps echoing through the room. The magicians flanking him didn't say a single word. The only things that could be heard were shoes hitting the ground and something that sounded like a deep groan.

At the farthest end of the hall, a black shadow was crucified on the wall. When the king stopped, his last step was the most conspicuous of all.

"King of monsters."

The hoarse, but dignified voice arose from the king.

Held in place by a transparent thread, Fukurou was crucified to the wall with his body suspended. His eyes were closed shut, and his wings didn't make the slightest movement.

"Is he conscious?" a magician at the king's side asked.

"Let's see if he can hear us," Riveil answered from underneath his gloomy robe.

"Demon king."

The king spoke strongly. Responding to his voice, or perhaps for another reason, Fukurou lifted open his heavy eyelids.

Silver, faint light flowed from them. They were dimmed due to the influence of the magic power, but the strength of the light made it clear that he was the ruler of the monsters.

The king took a deep breath, and turned to meet him, unflinching.

"Demon king. How do you feel about being captured by humans?"

He spoke with provocation. However, the demon king ignored his question.

"... The king of humans...?"

His voice was deep enough to be felt in the ground.

"Indeed. I am the king of this country, Red Ark."

For a moment, a flicker of emotion seemed to appear in Fukurou's eyes. It was something close to disdain or disgust.

The king thought that he seemed quite humanlike.

He didn't think that something belligerent, with purely evil intent, could feel things such as scorn or hatred.

"... Do you hate humans? You look like a human, king of monsters. It seems like you enslaved a human girl, is that right? Without killing or using your abilities... were you planning revenge?"

Fukurou responded to the question with a silent rejection, not making the slightest twitch. The king bit down on his molars. Even if he was captured, he didn't think he could keep his dignity as long as Fukurou did.

It couldn't be helped. His enemy was a monster, after all.

"... Whatever. The girl is receiving diligent care in the castle. That girl lost her memories, but that's convenient for her, considering that her lifestyle will be fortunate and renewed from now on. Demon king. Your expectations were completely off the mark."

Fukurou didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes again, as if he had lost interest. The king exchanged glances with the magicians, and the reverentially held out a large crystal orb.

The crystal was bright with magic power, and a red flame swayed inside of it. With its beautiful handiwork and the magic power, those who looked at it were taken in by its mystique.

"This flame is represents your magic power. When the flame changes from red to blue, your magic power will be depleted, your body will dry up, and you will become a mummy representing the power of this country's magic."

The king explained all of this casually, and even though he was giving Fukurou a death sentence, Fukurou did not make a response and remained silent.

Running out of things to say, the king turned on his heel, and went back the way he came. To the sound of his footsteps disappearing in the distance, a voice suddenly arose.

"Human king."

The king stopped. Retaining his majesty as best he could, he slowly turned around. He met with Fukurou's silver eyes once again.

"Human king. Which do you value more: you, or your country?"

It was the first question asked by the king of monsters to the king of humans. The king of humans scowled and gave a response with no hesitation.

"That question is meaningless, demon king. Those two things are incomparable. I will, at any time, choose my country. So long as I am myself, I will choose my country."

So long as he had the will, he wouldn't even put them in the same league.

Fukurou closed his eyes to the king's response, and became silent, as if sleeping.

The blue sky, marked with only a few thin clouds, wrapped over the bustling castle town market.

"W-wah...!"

Standing at the entrance to the market, Mimizuku's sanpaku eyes were wide open.

"There are so many people!"

"It's the first time you've seen just this many people in one place?" Ann Duke asked, smiling. He was standing beside her.

"It's definitely the first time!" Mimizuku answered.

"Well then, grab onto my hand so that you won't get lost, okay?" Orietta said. She was standing opposite to Ann Duke. She took Mimizuku's small hand. Mimizuku blinked several times, but then smiled joyfully.

Today was the first time that Mimizuku had left the castle.

She wore clothes that were not flashy, but decidedly well made, along with a hat to match. Ann Duke and Orietta escorted her.

"Hey, Orietta! Everyone's carrying lots of stuff!"

"Yes, this is a shopping area after all," Orietta said, wondering if Mimizuku understood.

Mimizuku, finding it difficult to comprehend, tilted her neck.

"You buy things you want in exchange for money. Here, Mimizuku, open up your hand."

Orietta placed three coins in Mimizuku's empty hand.

They had engravings of pigeons on them, and they seemed to Mimizuku like treasures.

"Use these."

"Pay? With money? For something I want?"

"That's right, something that you want."

"Something I want..."

Mimizuku thought for a bit.

Ann Duke laughed.

"Go look around, first!" he said, pushing Mimizuku's back. In the market stalls were fresh fruits and vegetables, beautiful fabrics, and fine objects that Mimizuku had never seen before.

Mimizuku looked around; most of what she saw was completely new to her.

"Oh my, hello, Lady Orietta!"

Suddenly, a voice arose from a stall to the side. A woman who had come to sell wheat flour appeared before Orietta.

"You're with Lord Holy Knight as well? I'm so jealous of how well you two get along..."

Saying this, the lady gave a hearty laugh.

"Whether or not we get along, he's coming with me today. Whatever I buy, I don't have to worry about bringing them back home, so long as he's here!" Orietta said, putting forth her best smile.

"Ahaha, no mistaking that! Say, Orietta, who's this child?"

The woman looked down to Mimizuku. Mimizuku looked up at Orietta, wondering what she should do.

"Lady Orietta, you've already had a child this big?"

"Isn't she cute?" Orietta answered with a smile, ignoring the woman's second comment.

Before she knew it, Orietta had let go of her hand, and was lightly touching her back. Mimizuku felt as though she meant that she should go, so with her heart beating loudly, she mixed into the crowd between the street stalls. Greeting people here and there, Ann Duke watched her small figure to make sure that he wouldn't lose sight of her.

After bumping into several people, Mimizuku found herself standing in front of a single stall. She stopped for a rest, and found herself smelling the sweet scents emanating from the stall.

"Hey, little miss! Want something to eat?" the proprietor said to Mimizuku courteously. Mimizuku panicked a little.

"Will it taste good?"

"Have a bit and see! Here, eat."

Wrapped in dark colored paper was a cooked fruit dipped in sugar. When she took a bite, warm sweetness and fruit juice mixed in her mouth.

Mimizuku's eyes sparkled.

"Delicious!!"

"Is that so, is that so!"

To Mimizuku's response, the man grew even more spirited.

Without taking a breath, Mimizuku bit into the fruit. After wildly proclaiming its deliciousness, a crowd of adults had soon gathered around her.

"It's even better than the food in the castle!" Mimizuku said truthfully. The crowd was suddenly thrown into a state of excitement.

"That kind of praise is beyond anything I could ask for!"

"Little girl, aren't you going a bit far in your laudation?"

"But it's true! It's amazingly delicious!"

Mimizuku responded honestly even though she didn't know the person who had talked to her.

"Man, now I have to try too!"

Mimizuku's brazenness brought in plenty of customers. When Mimizuku saw their fingers handing over the coins, she suddenly panicked.

"Oh, that's right! Don't I have to give you money?"

The stall owner's hands were already full, and he gave a laugh.

"I don't need any, miss! I'm fine with just you saying that my food is delicious!"

The crowd extolled his generosity, and they showed it through their willingness to purchase more.

"No, that's no good. Orietta said I have to exchange money...!"

The crowd was shocked by Mimizuku's utterance of the name.

"What? Are you an acquaintance of Lady Orietta? The candidate for Maiden of the Temple, is it...?"

An old woman then walked up to Mimizuku.

"Look, your mouth is a mess. Hold on a moment, I'll wipe it off for you."

Extending her gentle, wrinkly hand, she wiped the area around Mimizuku's mouth. She had eaten so quickly that bits of food were all over her face. Everyone gave her kind smiles.

"There, now you're all clean. Oh my, what's this? On your forehead..."

The old woman moved Mimizuku's bangs to the side. What appeared was the strange pattern.

"You... it can't be..."

The old lady swallowed her breath, and the crowd turned silent for a moment. Mimizuku stood there, looking at all of them with a puzzled face.

"Young lady... are you a princess...?" the old lady asked, her finger trembling.

"Hm? I do live in the castle, but I'm not a princess."

The crowd stirred.

"No, that's not what I meant. You, who was saved in the demon king's subjugation, are the princess of the Forest of Night...?"

"Huh? Um, maybe? I..."

To those words, the crowd murmured excessively.

Even though she didn't really understand, and even though she wasn't a princess, she had a feeling as though it was just as she was told. Mimizuku remembered what Orietta had explained to her before.

"Aah...!"

The old woman suddenly yelled, and then embraced Mimizuku tightly.

"W-wh...!"

"You've come back alive. I was so afraid, this is wonderful...!"

"Uh, um...!"

Hugging Mimizuku, tears began to fall from the old woman's eyes. Mimizuku felt confused as the drops began to fall onto her shoulders.

"It's the princess! The princess saved from the Forest of Night is here...!"

Joyous voices could be heard. Mimizuku was jostled about, being touched and hugged by various people. In a nervous flutter, she shook hands with several people.

''What's going on?''

Mimizuku's heart began to beat louder and faster.

It was warm.

What was going on here?

After a while, Ann Duke emerged from the crowd and took Mimizuku with him.

The hands she felt were warm.

"Hey, Ann Duke."

"Hm? What is it?"

"That old woman was all worried. Because of me."

"Yeah, she was crying."

"Crying..."

"Her tears were flowing for your sake," Ann Duke said with a kind smile.

What were tears?

But they were warm. They were affectionate. When she thought of this, her sinuses cleared and her nose felt fresh.

Generally, Mimizuku was obedient as someone who was living in the castle for nothing in return. She never had more free time or boredom than she knew what to do with. She liked to sleep in her bed, and she enjoyed looking at the scenery from her window, and she loved talking to the attendants who occasionally stopped by. Everyone was kind to her, and Ann Duke and Orietta were like family.

There was even one time where she had talked to the king.

"It is the first time that we meet like this, Mimizuku."

The gray-haired king arrived in Mimizuku's room with several attendants. Ann Duke was beside her, and he whispered to her that he was "the highest man in the country."

"Ah, uh, nice to meet you!"

"Hmph... I see you've become quite energetic."

"I, uh, you've done so much to help me!"

"I don't really care about that. I will give you all the care that you need."

Their exchange ended there, and finishing up with her, the king took on a severe expression. Mimizuku asked Ann Duke if the king was angry, and Ann Duke laughed.

"With that face, he's just troubled by something is all."

"Yeah, it looks like that kind of face," Mimizuku agreed.

And then, several days later, a single servant visited Mimizuku.

"Lady Mimizuku, I have brought you this."

The servant held out a collection of keys.

"What's this?"

"... They are the keys to the tower in the west."

"Hm? The tower in the west?"

"The person living in that tower would like to meet Lady Mimizuku, I am to report."

"Me? Why?"

The old servant simply smiled.

"Please, take this and go."

He handed her a ring of keys that shone dully. Mimizuku took them without much feeling.

"Understood! I'll go!" she responded, grinning widely.

She listened as the servant told her the road to take. He then disappeared back into the hallway. As she watched his back grow farther and farther away, Mimizuku sighed.

The entrance to the west tower required several keys. Testing out the keys on the different locks one after the other, she eventually opened the door. There was a soldier standing right next to her when she entered, but with a single glance and Mimizuku's keys, he simply greeted her with no other comment and without turning to look at her, allowing her to go further in on her own.

When she opened the door, there was a long, winding staircase.

Mimizuku ran up the staircase without any hesitation. She remembered to roll up the hem of her plain dress as she went up the steps.

As she caught her breath at the top of the stairs, she came to a well-crafted oak door.

''Well...''

Mimizuku knocked on the door three times, copying what the castle dwellers did whenever they entered her own room.

"Who is it?"

She was startled by the voice she heard from inside.

"I'm Mimizuku."

There was no other way of saying it.

"... Come in."

Receiving permission, Mimizuku entered inside. When she opened the door, a wide room spread out before her. It was easily twice the size of Mimizuku's room.

There was a latticed window, a bookshelf, a large bed, and plush toys and figures of soldiers.

In the center of the room, sitting in a strangely shaped chair, was a shadow.

"What's wrong? Why won't you enter?"

She heard a voice from the chair. It was high, like a girl's voice. Sitting in the chair with a large wheel attached to it was a small shadow.

It had thin, discolored arms and legs.

It had light hair and eyes, and a small body. His hair color seemed to remind Mimizuku of someone.

"I'm glad to meet you, Mimizuku."

Sitting with his back straight in the chair was a boy who seemed to be more or less ten years old. He was faintly smiling.

"I am Claudius. Claudius Vain Yordelta Red Ark."

Mimizuku blinked.

"I am... the prince of this country."

With his light hair gleaming from the elegant chandelier, Mimizuku thought he looked quite similar to the king.

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| Return to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Rental Magica:Updates

2011-10-27T19:23:47Z

Amazing Buffalo:

*24 May 2011
**Volume 01 Chapter 2 complete
*11 May 2011
**Rental Magica project officially underway
*5 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 1 complete
*27 April 2011
**Rental Magica teaser project started

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|-
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</noinclude>

Rental Magica

2011-10-27T19:19:26Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

''You can tell us what you think of the series by '''[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=1895 polling here and discussing it here]'''.''

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*27 October 2011
**Volume 01 Chapter 6 complete
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.

===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-10-27T19:18:15Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - End of the Magician==

===1===

"Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice.

As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half.

"Owowowow... Don't move them... Ack!"

His bent arms raised a screech. The bruise he had received when he had fallen into the ocean of the <Night> was still causing him pain. In addition, several sutras had been scrawled across his arms and legs. His face hurt and tickled, and he was preoccupied with churning it into multiple expressions.

That is to say, right now, Itsuki's entire body excluding his ears was covered in scripture.

"--Please bear it for now. Since you were in such thick spell wave pollution, we at least need to inspect you and lay out protection."

"But... don't monks normally do this sort of thing?"

"Ah, you probably think that because of societal stereotypes. Onmyoudou is good with dealing with curses and such, but it isn't meant for contamination like this. Mikan-san is also not equipped to deal with a situation as specific as this. Though if this were long ago, and we had Sekiren-san with us, this would have been no problem."

"Meaow."

The black cat on Nekoyashiki's shoulder--Genbu-kun--gave a yawn of agreement.

They were in the <Astral> office's nap room. Itsuki sat up on the white bed in the corner of the room.

It was past three in the afternoon.

It had already been two hours since Itsuki had awoken from his coma. After they hauled Itsuki to the office, it seemed that they had gathered up the completely exhausted <Goetia> magicians.

"I guess it's to be expected. Since long ago, summoning magic has been known to require much rougher exertion of the body than other types of magic. Especially if the evocation fails, a boomerang effect occurs, sapping many times the usual amount of vitality from the body. I suppose it's a best case scenario, since none of them died," Nekoyashiki expounded.

It seemed like all the magicians aside from Adilisia had their energy totally consumed after the intertwining magic circle had been destroyed. It seemed that some of them had already collapsed before when Honami defeated the Shax, but Itsuki figured that they deserved it.

"Hmph. In any case, it doesn't seem like any symptoms are occurring due to the spell wave pollution. Your spiritual resistance must be higher than I thought, president," Nekoyashiki lauded after putting the finishing touches on the sutras across Itsuki's body.

"Hah, I guess that's a relief."

"It seems that way for the time being, at least. There are times when spell wave pollution associated with a taboo erupts after a while."

"W, what happens then...?"

Nekoyashiki made a meek expression, and stroked Genbu-kun on the head.

"... Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hu, huuh?"

Letting out a sigh, the young man shrugged the shoulders of his haori.

"For example... after several months' time, your eyes will grow farther apart, your hands will become webbed, and you'll start yearning for the sea..."

"Th, then, almost becoming a monster..."

"Aside from that... you could turn into a corpse and forever be enamored with loitering around mansions... you could turn into an insect with the rising sun..."

"--*gulp*"

Itsuki's cheeks became stiff.

Just as his scripture-covered face was about to turn from blue to white,

"I'm just messing with you."

"N, n, n, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Ahaha. In any case, the truth is that I don't know for sure what will happen if the spell wave pollution remains in your body, but I don't see anything unusual, so I think you're all right."

"--If that's the case, please say so from the beginning," Itsuki said, almost in tears.

At that point, the sound of the door at the entrance opening could be heard.

"I'm heeeere!"

Spreading out the sleeves of her miko outfit, Mikan looked like an airplane as she ran inside.

Running straight into the nap room, she looked at Itsuki's face, and blinking her large eyes, fell into a fit of laughter.

"Aah, president onii-chan's face looks funny~"

"D, don't laugh!"

"What's the matter?"

Honami, who had just entered the room, blushed as she saw Itsuki's upper half--and then put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter as she saw his face.

"E, even you, Honami?"

"I know, I know, but your letter-covered face is just... ahahahahah!"

As she held her sides, tears began to form in her Ice Blue Eyes.

Itsuki held back his complaints, not wanting to interrupt Honami's rare smile. It was then that a third person entered from outside.

"My my, you have quite a keen sense of fashion."

The newcomer, Adilisia, blushed as she let out a chuckle.

"Hah..."

Somehow, she still seemed desperate. Itsuki hastily threw on a shirt. He wished he had some face washing cream with him.

When he got up from the bed,

"Er, were there any issues with the spell wave pollution?" Adilisia asked.

"No, I'm fine. How about you, Adilisia-san?"

"I told you before. I was a magician the moment I was born. I have not slacked in my training to repel the effects of the spell power of others."

"... Well I'm just a normal person," he pouted, pointing his lips.

Actually, since his father was a magician, he might be just the same as Adilisia, just with a hundred times less experience.

As he splashed his face with water, a knock came from the entrance door.

"Is it a customer?"

Wiping his face with a towel, he left the washroom.

Honami had already opened the door.

And then, the atmosphere became stiff.

"Well, it seems the two leaders are here, so would it be alright to allow me to perform a confirmation of progress right here?"

A person from the <Organization>--Kagezaki--stood still before them with a vacant smile.

Several minutes later.

In the reception room, which was just a desk, with the rest of the room separated by a partition wall, everyone had gathered.

Kagezaki of the <Organization>, Adilisia of <Goetia>, Nekoyashiki, Honami, and Mikan of <Astral>--and Itsuki.

In the middle of the desk, Kagezaki set out a thick stack of documents, and continued speaking.

"For these reasons, the <Organization> has recognized the <Night> from yesterday as having risen from second to third class spell wave pollution. Since it appears that neither of the groups that were tasked with destroying its core have succeeded, it seems the <Night> will occur again in a nearby area. During that time, the 'job' contract will continue to be valid."

His voice seemed to not hold any sort of emotion.

Itsuki made a frown.

"Again... You're saying something like that <Night> is going to happen again?" he moaned.

"Yes, that is of course, if we are talking about a normal <Night>."

Kagezaki looked toward Adilisia questioningly.

Itsuki's shoulders quivered.

However, not one muscle in Adilisia's face budged.

"Is there something you want from me?" she asked with a blooming smile. It was an artful grin, as if begging to be framed and hung on a wall. Though, even if it was pretty, it made Itsuki's stomach hurt.

"No, there is just something I would like to confirm with <Goetia>."

"What may that be? I do not mind if we speak here," Adilisia prompted, crossing her slender fingers together.

"If that is the case, then I will not hesitate," Kagezaki said, then continued, "There are rumors that a magician of <Goetia> has secretly broken a taboo."

''Yikes!'' Itsuki yelped inside his mind.

Adilisia's smile did not falter.

"Unbelievable. A taboo is something absolute. It does not seem befitting of the <Organization> to lend their ears to such playground hearsay, does it?"

"Those are strong words. Well then, please allow your attention to fall to these reference documents."

Kagezaki, making a nod, brought out a new stack of papers. There were several sheets and photos in it, including some satellite photos.

Itsuki scowled.

"What is this photo...?"

"It is an aura-reflecting Kirlian photo. In the <Organization>, Kirlian photography is also used to specify ley lines."

Kirlian photography--a type of photography used for the purpose of detecting life signs, employed in many magical groups as a technique for capturing images of spell power. However, the only magical association with the scale and idea to take Kirlian satellite photos was the <Organization>.

"As you know, a <Night> is a storm of spell power that flows ley lines. If you investigate the flow of these ley lines, you can predict when and where the <Night> will emit spell wave pollution. That is why we are able to conduct these offers." Kagezaki continued his explanation. "The spell power that this <Night> originated from has been traced across mountains and seafloors, leading us all the way to ley lines far off in Europe. If you follow the source, the lines go to England, near Wales, four months ago. A workshop of <Goetia> should be located on these ley lines."

"Wha..."

As opposed to the panicking Itsuki, Adilisia elegantly waved her hand.

"It is natural that our workshop would be constructed on ley lines. That does not amount to any sort of evidence."

"Haha, indeed," Kagezaki nodded, as if agreeing with her.

''Phew...''

Itsuki ran his hand across his chest in relief.

However, he had been too soon.

"Looking further inward--four months ago in Wales, the day that the <Night> first appeared, the representative leader of <Goetia> and his trusted adeptus minor both died unnaturally in their workshop. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"!"

Adilisia sank into silence.

She wasn't using her right to remain silent. It was the sort of silence in which one wondered how someone was aware of something.

"Yes, you managed to cover that one up fairly well. --Do not worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. After all, magicians dying unnatural deaths during ceremonies isn't the kind of thing you want to have in a newspaper. However, to have written the deaths off as the result of a mere heart attack and stroke in your report to the organization makes me a bit wary about your intentions."

"That is..."

"Do you have some sort of excuse?"

His words seemed accusatory, but the color of blame wasn't the least bit present in his voice.

It simply seemed like he was trying to uncover the facts.

"--Well, the reason that you became the leader of <Goetia> was because of this incident, wasn't it? You also quit the academy which Honami-san here was attending as well."

His words had a terrifyingly slow, characteristic rhythm to them.

It almost sounded as if he were using hypnosis.

''Adilisia-san...?''

Itsuki looked at her from the side. The leader of <Goetia> kept her head down.

"U, um, is it okay if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Kagezaki implored.

"I, if something like that were to have happened, why would the magician have traveled to Japan along with the <Night>?"

As Itsuki finished his question, Kagezaki leaned back in his chair, as if to say "Oh, is that what you're wondering about?"

"Just as an example... Like if a magician were to have committed a taboo? If they were to have turned into magic and melted into the ley lines?" Kagezaki traced a river in the air with his finger. "There are several kinds of taboos to be broken, but the easiest to understand, and the most troublesome method would be that. One literally changes his self into magic. This is nothing but an example, but--if we are talking about summoning magic, the user's body would end up shifting between the demons themselves as they were summoned."

Itsuki's chest froze.

The old man that had turned to mud.

A lump of several demons that was once a magician.

If a monster like that were to exist, it would be able to melt into the ley lines and eventually become the storm of spell power called a <Night>.

Wouldn't it?

"..."

Looking at Itsuki, who was at a loss for words, Kagezaki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, as it is now, this would not suffice as evidence."

"Huh...?"

Kagezaki made a light, wry smile.

"That is why I came to make sure of things."

"Then, why are you..."

Kagezaki shot a look at Adilisia in response to what Itsuki was about to ask.

And then he sighed.

"Because if the only one hiding the taboo is the leader, then all guilt would fall upon them."

In an instant, the color of Itsuki's face changed.

After that sentence, he understood what Kagezaki wanted to say.

"However, if all of <Goetia> knew about this, then everyone involved would receive punishment."

... That would be too much.

That is, Kagezaki was telling Adilisia to become a scapegoat.

If she alone were accused, then they would turn a blind eye to the other members of <Goetia>.

"..."

Adilisia bit her red lip. She was probably searching for some way to respond.

But it was no use.

She was trapped.

Even Itsuki knew that.

''"--I am the temporary leader of <Goetia>. The responsibility for any taboos committed would naturally fall on me."''

''"... Yes, this body of mine is a crystal of magic fostered through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power."''

That was the kind of person she was.

Different from Itsuki.

She wasn't simply a figurehead, she was a truly cool person who knew what it meant to stand above others.

"Well then, how shall we handle this?"

Kagezaki slowly drew closer. His words seemed ready to lunge in for the kill.

"If you give us your confirmation, the I will have people dispatched directly from the <Organization>. Tell me the name of the magician who committed the taboo, and I assure you we will not let him escape our might."

Unconcerned, he laid out the facts.

"..."

Adilisia opened her lips.

"I..."

"... know nothing!"

Those words were not Adilisia's.

Kagezaki turned to their source.

"President Iba?"

"I... Itsuki, what are you?"

"I'm saying... I don't know of anything like that. I was underneath the ocean of the <Night> with her, and I didn't see any magician like what you were talking about. That's why Adilisia has nothing to hide."

Itsuki curled up his fists tightly, strongly, trying to push away fear, but still strong.

He endured, staring straight into Kagezaki's gaze.

"--My goodness." Kagezaki let out a breath of surprise. "I see. If the president of <Astral> says as such, I have no choice but to respect it. Well then, let us put an end to this discussion. --However, I have heard that almost all of <Goetia>'s magicians are debilitated for the moment. Do you think you can carry out the offer like this?"

He threw off the direction of the conversation. After all the work he had done prying into <Goetia>'s matters, it seemed his intention was to pry, and nothing more.

"That is..."

"If you need magicians, we're all right here."

This time, a dignified voice rose up from behind Itsuki.

"Honami?"

Combing her short chestnut-colored hair out of the way, Honami narrowed her eyes.

It was a matter-of-fact motion.

"President, did you forget? <Astral> is a company that rents out magicians. There's no reason we can't do business with our competition, though. It might even be a good thing pro forma, seeing as to how we're doing the same offer as <Goetia>."

"Uh... y, yeah!"

"Honami..."

Adilisia, taken aback, looked at Itsuki, then Honami. She had an expression as if she had suddenly turned back into a child.

"It's our job. We've got some stuff between us, but let's ignore it. How about it? Wanna contract with us, Addie?"

Honami gave her a light wink.

Adilisia turned red.

"... I, I do not mind forming a contract with you," she said in a subdued tone.

"Alright then, contract settled. Got any complaints, Kagezaki-san?"

Honami, who had stood up, pushed her thin-rimmed glasses up.

"... No, I have none."

Shaking his head, Kagezaki returned his disarrayed documents to his attache case.

He then bowed and gave an empty smile that left frighteningly little of an impression.

"Well then, this concludes my investigation. Thank you, and to greater magic."

After the suited figure left the office, Itsuki had fallen back into his chair when Mikan ran into him, bumping their heads together.

"Gwah!"

"President onii-chan, you were amazing! You made Kagezaki oji-san go away!"

Mikan jumped up and down with an excited face.

Behind her, Nekoyashiki, covered head to toe in cats, held his cheek with his hand.

"Mm, you picked quite a fight, president."

"H... huh? I didn't mean to--"

"No, since you jumped in after Kagezaki-san had pushed Adilisia-san so far, you ended up ruining him quite brilliantly. That's the first time I've ever seen Kagezaki-san so angry, you know."

"He, he was mad?"

Itsuki had never been able to read his facial expressions.

"Yes, and quite."

Nekoyashiki nodded with a smile.

From their positions on his knee and shoulder, Byakko-kun and Genbu-kun each gave a "mee-ow" in agreement.

Somehow, Itsuki felt as though he was a patient who had just been just diagnosed with a fatal disease.

"--Well then, you managed to ride the mood this far. What now, president?"

Honami looked at him with delicately cold eyes.

"What do you mean?--We're going to capture the magician in that <Night>, right?"

"But if we don't have the support of the <Organization> it'll be difficult to pinpoint where the <Night> will show up next. At best we would only be able to narrow it down to a few options."

"Oh..."

Darn it. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Honami let out another small sigh, putting her hand on her waist. Rather than angry, she seemed more tired.

Even though it was another thing that Itsuki had overlooked, it seemed to make her just a little bit happy, too.

"Iccha--I mean, president..."

"You know, something like that is quite simple."

Adilisia interjected from the side.

"Huh?"

She focused her gaze.

This far in the game, the golden-haired girl was not about to hesitate, and instead she placed her hand across her chest.

"Use me as bait."

===2===

Evening came.

As Nekoyashiki and Adilisia busied themselves with counting out figures on an abacus, Itsuki went out onto the office's messy balcony. Decorative plants were scattered about in a disorderly fashion, giving the place a feeling similar to a jungle.

Incidentally, it seemed that the battle between Nekoyashiki and Adilisia was quite fierce.

"This is the set price we charge for each magician involved."

"That is outrageous! The differences in ability between magicians are not generally taken into consideration. At most, ''this much'' would be appropriate," Adilisia said to Nekoyashiki, who was clicking away the spheres on the abacus.

With a clack, Adilisia stuck her finger between the spheres. Nekoyashiki hadn't thought that Adilisia could read an abacus.

"Th, then, three parts, one less than before!"

Clack!

"That is barely any change at all! No matter how much we compromise, I will only pay this much."

Clack! Clack!

"You aren't even compromising anything! Do you realize how much value my cat skills hold? And how much it costs to import Honami-san's mistletoe?"

Clack! Clack! Clack!

"If you are a magician, then economizing magical items is your own problem! I charge for nothing more than what I bring into battle!"

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

Each of their fingers moved so quickly across the abacus that they left afterimages.

"... W, wha--"

Just looking at them made Itsuki's stomach go sour, so he had left them to be on his own.

"What's wrong, president?"

When he turned around, Honami was there.

As Honami came out into the cool evening air, she had her staff with her, and her neck was tilted gently to the side.

"Er, I'm just taking a break."

"All you do is take breaks."

Tossing a sharp word at Itsuki, Honami sat down on the handrail of the balcony.

Her whole back was washed in the light of the evening sun. Her white skin and pointed hat looked all the more pretty in the red light.

"But still... good work," Honami said with a smile.

"Ah... yeah."

At the unexpected words, Itsuki rubbed the head of his nose.

"And, by the way... sorry."

"Huh?"

"I thought that the offer was just for a regular <Night>. I didn't think things would get that bad. Sorry, president."

Closing the space between her knees, Honami pulled down the rim of her pointed hat with her hand. Her face couldn't be seen.

Itsuki waved both of his hands back and forth.

"Ah, it's fine, its fine! Everything ended alright in the end."

"Then that's good. Thanks, president."

"Y, yeah."

Perhaps it was a fault that she was always angry at him, but Honami seemed bizarrely shy. He could sense his cheeks warming up.

Suddenly, he felt as though he should as something.

"... Come to think of it, why did you come to <Astral>?"

"Why do you ask?" Honami replied in a gentle voice.

"Adilisia said you were an amazing genius. She said you were invited by many other magical groups. --No matter how you think of it, we're a small business, right?"

"We're?"

"Hm?"

Honami raised her staff and pointed at him.

"You said 'we're.' So you've finally noticed that you're our president?"

"D, don't make fun of me!"

Honami smiled at Itsuki's reaction.

She let out a sigh.

"... It's because you were here, Icchan."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jumping down from the handrail, Honami extended her finger.

She touched Itsuki's eye patch.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Huh? No, it doesn't usually anyway."

''Wait, what? I don't think I ever told her about my eye hurting...''

As Itsuki thought, Honami ran her finger across the leather.

"President--Itsuki, you don't remember when you got your eye patch, do you?"

"Right, but it seems like some kind of bad stuff went down."

He had only fragments of memories remaining from the time he ran out of the <Ghost Mansion> in tears. It shouldn't be impossible to remember since it was when he was little, but about a half year before and after the incident, his memories were vague for some reason. One thing he remembered for sure was that he was in a hospital for a long time.

And then, there was another figure that appeared there.

"Itsuki! This man is overcharging me!"

In a huff, Adilisia pointed her lips. Such a face was so like her, and it made Itsuki, and even Honami, erupt with laughter.

"W, what is it?!"

"N, no, it's nothing. I was just thinking, Adilisia-san, that way of doing things fits you."

"I do not think that is something I should take as a compliment," Adilisia answered, pouting.

"--President, we've decided on the contract conditions, so please stamp here," Nekoyashiki called out from the office.

"Ah, coming," Itsuki responded, hurrying over.

"..."

Looking at his back, Adilisia frowned in a troubled manner.

She turned to her side to face Honami.

"... May I ask you something?"

"What?"

"That eye of his..."

"I think it's just what you're thinking."

At Honami's words, Adilisia let out a small breath, and said the name as if shuddering.

"... Glam Sight..."

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8

2011-10-26T03:50:27Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 8 - Deliverance II==

That night, just as Claudius was about to fall asleep, he heard a noise amidst his slumber.

"Who's there?"

Opening his eyelids, Claudius quietly requested a confirmation of identity. He couldn't be careless. It was when he was careless that he was most vulnerable.

"Do you realize you're in the room of the prince? If you take another step into my quarters, you'll be put under a curse by this country's greatest magicians."

Even so, if the person had come this far prepared to throw away their life, they wouldn't have any problem harming the prince. As an alarm bell rang silently in Claudius's heart, Claudius strained his eyes in the pitch-blackness.

There was a small, human figure.

"Sorry for coming so late at night, Dia."

The slight voice was like a small, round bell being rolled gently across the floor.

"... Mii? Is that you, Mii?" Claudius asked, bewildered. He thought he felt her nod.

"Yeah. Sorry, during the day, they had me under watch, so I wasn't able to come until late at night."

"You were being watched...?"

"Sort of. They didn't say I couldn't go anywhere, though. The guy at the bottom of your tower let me through."

"I see..." Claudius responded in a complex mental state. Several different words said by various people ran about in his mind. "Mimizuku... I was waiting for you."

"I know. Thank you."

Mimizuku seemed to nod. She also seemed to be smiling, just a little.

"Andy and Orietta came here and told me about you. I thought you wouldn't be coming to see me anymore."

"Why?"

Hidden in the cloth of his bed's canopy overhang, Claudius couldn't see Mimizuku's face, and thus was unaware of just how much Mimizuku had changed since retrieving her memories.

He closed his eyes in the darkness. Nothing changed. Whether his eyes were open or closed, the world was still the same color.

"... The king came by today. He said that the last ceremony in the destruction of the King of Night is being held tomorrow, and that I have to come... He said I had to participate, as the next king."

Claudius had understood what the king meant.

The day before, Ann Duke had come and told him. He knew of the whole situation. Ann Duke told him of Mimizuku's situation, of the meaning of the seal on her forehead, and the reason why she had scars on her wrists and ankles.

And then, Ann Duke told him this: ''"You're going to be called for a ceremony two days from now, Claudius. Burn my actions that day into your memory. However... if you can, please don't tell Mimizuku about this."''

Ann Duke had worn a sad smile as he said those words.

''"I figured I'd become notorious and hated eventually, anyway. It can't be helped..."''

Claudius had asked what he could do to help.

Ann Duke simply smiled. He smiled as if he was holding down what he truly wanted to say.

''"Dia, you might be able to move your arms and legs soon."''

''"I don't care what happens to me,''" Claudius had said. Ann Duke patted him on the head.

''"Don't say things like that. The king wants you to be able to move your arms and legs freely so that you'll have more confidence in yourself."

Confidence in himself

Moving his arms and legs would give him confidence? Could he become king just by moving his arms and legs?

"You know, Claudius," Mimizuku said in a trembling voice. Claudius opened his ears so as to not let any of her voice escape him. "You know..." Even in the dark, Mimizuku's silhouette was small.

Even though he was close to gaining free movement of his limbs, Claudius could only think of Mimizuku.

''Is Mii crying?'' he thought.

Then, in a trembling voice like a whisper, Mimizuku spoke.

"What would you do... if I asked you to help me?"

Claudius smiled before he could say anything.

He knew what his answer would be long ago.

A tricolor bell rang with a pristine sound. As he heard it ring, Ann Duke thought of the dead queen's funeral.

That time, Ann Duke had not yet been chosen as the Holy Knight. He had watched the endless procession absentmindedly of people in black dress from the top of a tree in the garden in his mansion.

Even though he was high up, he couldn't see the inside of the coffin from among the procession. He was disappointed, as it had been said that the queen was a rare beauty.

However.

Ann Duke raised his head, and gazed upon Fukurou, who seemed to create a throne of his own with his outstretched wings.

Two moons had passed since he had been captured. Since then, he was given nothing to eat or drink, simply hung as if to dry and wrung completely clean of magic power.

However... his figure, eyelids lowered, thin and withered, was still coldly beatiful.

Before such ghastly beauty, even the Holy Knight shivered.

"Holy Woman! Bring the sword here...!" King Dantes said in a low voice. Without any wasted effort, Orietta kneeled down beside Ann Duke. She closed her eyes, and offered the Holy Sword to her husband.

He didn't think she would come.

That was what Ann Duke had truly felt. Since he told her that he was to wield the sword on the last day of the demon king's suppression, she hadn't listened to a word he said.

However, Orietta could not say no in the end either.

"... Are you okay with this?" Ann Duke whispered the moment he grabbed hold of the sword.

Orietta sighed, her eyes still closed.

"I live as one with the sword..."

Hearing her answer, Ann Duke made a pained facial expression. If he could do anything about it, he didn't want Orietta to be forced to say such things.

He grasped the hilt of the sword, and unsheathed it in one swift movement.

Two magic lamps reflected the light of the full moon onto the Holy Sword, causing to give off a dim aura. The thing that shined the most brilliantly in the ceremony was the crystal surrounded by the magicians. It was a bit larger than a human head, and a burning blue flame flickered inside of it.

There was no magical power left in the King of Night at this point.

The crown said to be for the next king gave off an intimidating air.

"Bring me my prince...!"

At the order of the king, Claudius arrived on a sedan chair many times larger than his body held up by several men. Covered by a canopy even as he was taken underground, Claudius's lips were pursed. He looked first at the king, and then at Fukurou.

The magicians stepped forward. From here they would, using the magical power of the demon king, perform the largest magical undertaking in the history of their country.

Their aim was the complete resuscitation of Claudius's unrestrained use over his arms and legs, all the way to his fingertips.

It was right when the magicians took their stances with their rods.

"Please wait."

Having not made a sound up to this point, Claudius broke the silence in the empty air with his high voice. Ann Duke unthinkingly turned to look at him.

"Your Highness," Claudius said clearly, meeting eyes with the gray-haired king. "I would like to see the demon king clearly with my own eyes."

"... What?" Dantes growled.

However, Claudius, unabashedly and buried in his chair, raised his voice again.

"Before he is stabbed by the Holy Sword of the Holy Knight Ann Duke, I wish to be allowed to burn the shape of this future symbol of our kingdom's magic power into my eyes..."

The gray-haired king glared fixedly at his son. However, Claudius did not lower his gaze. Dantes wondered when his son had become so courageous. He felt like Claudius was not the same son he had always had, who always looked up at him coweringly.

"... Alright." The king nodded. "Bring Claudius forward!"

The men brought the sedan chair holding the prince forward. They placed him gently on the straight, red carpet. The prince then stared carefully, though from a distance, at Fukurou. He stared at the body, the wings of which seemed to be held up by invisible threads. The figure had not lost its majesty.

He looked at it as though searing its shape into his mind.

Just as Dantes was about to continue on with the proceedings, Claudius suddenly shouted something.

"Mimizuku, now...!"

Nobody there could deny the sound that entered their ears. They simply stood wide-eyed in amazement. The cloth at the bottom of Claudius's sedan chair had been ripped open.

Then, a shadow jumped out from inside.

"Mimizuku!!" Ann Duke yelled. Like the time when she was just skin and bones with one thin cloth over her, Mimizuku jumped out like a bullet and ran.

"Stop! Stop that girl!!" Dantes' voice boomed like cannon fire. Taken aback, the magicians took fighting stances. However, they were the same magicians who had already set up to perform the revitalization of Claudius's limbs. It would take time for them to cast another spell.

Ahead of everyone else, Ann Duke ran toward Mimizuku.

However, his arm was suddenly pulled on from behind.

"Urk!"

He looked to his side. There, with a strong look in her eyes, was his wife.

"Let me go ahead, Andy."

"What are you going to do!?" Ann Duke said.

"I'll show you. Watch my back!"

Orietta's words were strong. Her grip on Ann Duke's wrists was tight, making it hard for him to refuse her.

Impelled by his impatience, Ann Duke looked at Mimizuku.

Mimizuku ran. Wholeheartedly, she ran. To Fukurou, the beautiful King of Night.

"Fukurou!!"

She called out his name with her whole heart.

She grasped a knife, holding its radiant silver hilt to her chest.

Orietta stood at the entrance in her full priestess uniform, looking at Mimizuku. She saw that she had exchanged her old clothes for a thin, white cloth.

"Mimizuku..."

"Orietta, I'm sorry," Mimizuku said. "I have to go."

"... Go ahead, Mimizuku," she said, smiling and crying at the same time.

Looking at Orietta's teary face, Mimizuku also felt like crying.

"You know..." Tears began to parcel out of Mimizuku's eyes. She didn't continue her words. Orietta embraced her compassionately.

"... If I had a daughter, I think this is how things would probably turn out, don't you?"

She had given up on having a child of her own. She had previously cried and apologized to Ann Duke for it. Ann Duke loved her, and she loved Ann Duke, so she apologized whenever she cried to him. Ann Duke didn't blame Orietta. He was fully aware of what she had been through.

They weren't able to take a child from the orphanage, as they were to consider the country their child.

"I'm sorry, Orietta."

"You don't need to apologize," Orietta said, wrapping her arms strongly around Mimizuku's back.

"You know, I... I... I was happy wearing the pretty clothes I got. Everyone's cooking was delicious. The bed was soft and fluffy, and everything made me really happy.

It wasn't a lie. Her feelings were definitely real.

"... That's right..." Orietta's affirmation seemed brimming with all the affection of the Holy Mother.

''She's just like a real mother,'' Mimizuku thought.

''I don't know, I don't understand, but it must be something like this, right? This is what having a mother is like...?''

Even so.

"But, even so... I want to go home." She had a place to return to. "I want to go back to Fukurou's forest... I must be an idiot..."

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Even thought you were so kind to me.''

''Even though everyone was kind to me.''

At those words, Orietta tenderly swept her hand across Mimizuku's head.

"You know, us girls... we all become idiots when we fall in love," she said with a mischievous smile.

Mimizuku blinked at her words.

"Orietta... was an idiot too?" she asked, wiping her tears. Orietta looked at Mimizuku and let out a chuckle.

"If I wasn't... how could I become such a good-for-nothing wife?"

Mimizuku laughed involuntarily.

"Take this..."

Orietta then pressed a knife into Mimizuku's hand. It had a simple beauty, and with one look, Mimizuku could tell it was valuable.

"Orietta, what's this?"

Mimizuku's shoulders shivered at the cold weight suddenly placed into her hand.

Orietta smiled at her affectionately.

"Take it. I'm lending it to you. It was given to me when I became the Maiden of the Holy sword. It's been passed down through the temple for generations. It was given shape from a broken off piece of the Holy Sword. If you want to cut the threads holding the King of Night down... you'll need this."

"Is it really okay for me to have it?" Mimizuku asked, assailed by mixed emotions.

Wasn't Orietta Ann Duke's wife? Wasn't she a priestess of this country?

Even so, Orietta continued to smile at her.

"I implore that you take it... my dear Mimizuku," she said.

So Mimizuku took the blade.

Pains from the open air seemed to slice through her body, and she began to feel nauseous.

However, she didn't lose her grip.

''I will fight.''

Up until now, she had always done as others said. She wanted to live for herself now, to give her life direction on her own.

''I knew it, the moment we first met.''

''Meeting you...''

It had been the first choice Mimizuku had made in her life.

''I'm going to take you back. That's why I'll fight.''

Mimizuku prayed to God for the first time.

"Fukurou!!"

Mimizuku cut through the silky thread binding holding Fukurou's body.

"Fukurou, Fukurou, open your eyes...!!" she called out, crying. Fukurou's face was calmly beautiful, as if he had died, and Mimizuku's spine froze, not because of Fukurou's beauty, but because of the fear that he was lost to her.

There were a lot of things Mimizuku couldn't help being afraid of.

Then, slightly, faintly, Fukurou raised his eyelids. Soft moonlight leaked from his eyes.

"Fukurou!"

With his newfound freedom of movement, Fukurou's first action was to grab onto Mimizuku's wrist.

The wrist was slightly discolored, and holding a knife.

"Agh!"

Fukurou's thin fingers had lost much of their vigor, but his grip was still surprisingly strong, causing Mimizuku to drop her knife.

"Mimizuku!!" Ann Duke called out desperately.

Orietta swallowed her breath.

With a dull sound, the knife hit the ground.

However, Fukurou stared at Mimizuku.

"I thought you said... that you hated knives..." he said.

It was the same voice, not changed in the slightest, that Fukurou had spoken with when they had first met.

To his words, Mimizuku smiled.

It was a powerful smile, unlike any one Mimizuku had made before. It radiated from her face, disregarding the single teardrop that had fallen from Mimizuku's eye.

"It's not that important..."

Mimizuku then jumped at Fukurou's neck.

She hugged him tightly. Her delicate, slender arms wrapped around him, as if they were crafted only to embrace him.

Fukurou then narrowed his eyes slightly.

He embraced Mimizuku's body as tightly as he could.

Much time had passed since their chance meeting on that moonlit night. The two finally received each other, arm in arm.

"Andy!!" Dantes called out. Blood vessels were visible on his forehead.

"Holy Knight Ann Duke! Cut down the demon king! The king's life depends on it...!!"

The magicians were also preparing a new spell. Dantes raised his voice, demanding that the Holy Sword be stabbed into Fukurou's heart.

"I don't care if you have to kill Mimizuku as well...!!"

At his mighty tone of voice, Ann Duke shook off his wife's hands from his wrists.

Orietta screamed from behind him.

However, Ann Duke did not turn around. He raised the Holy Sword, higher and higher.

Mimizuku closed her eyes tightly.

She didn't care if she died like this, in Fukurou's embrace.

Repeating the same words in her head over and over, even though a contradiction in them stood before her, she continued to repeat them.

"Andy!"

Claudius was the one who called out the name.

The sword fell.

A distinct sound, like shattering glass, arose.

"!!"

A whirlwind seemed to blow through, and everyone in the room lost control over their senses for an instant.

"Ann Duke, what are you...!!"

A sound like a flowing waterfall could be heard, and the air began to stir.

For a moment, Mimizuku couldn't tell which way was up or down, however her vision eventually began to focus. It had all ended. All that was left in the underground room was Ann Duke, Fukurou, and Mimizuku, still in Fukurou's arms.

Ann Duke had not aimed the blade at Fukurou's heart.

Fukurou's wings, as if taking a deep breath, spread out. He had regained his magic power.

Ann Duke had sliced through the blue burning crystal that held Fukurou's magic power.

"Andy! You..."

The king, who had regained his posture as the magicians at his side supported him, called out the name in a voice brimming with rage.

However, Ann Duke shrugged his shoulders as he always did.

"Sorry, king, but if my wife runs from me, I'll be in trouble," he said indifferently.

His tone was as if he was speaking to an old friend.

"Fukurou, Fukurou, are you okay?" After the sudden discord, Mimizuku had watched Fukurou, worried.

Fukurou did not ignore her; he lowered his gaze to meet Mimizuku's sanpaku eyes.

"Why did you come?" he asked in a low voice.

Mimizuku made a frown that was like a mixture of laughter and crying.

"Why wouldn't I come?"

"Because you finally obtained happiness."

"I did, huh? Warm food, good clothes, soft towels, and a plushy bed. But..." Mimizuku faced the pair of moons. "You weren't there," she said.

Fukurou narrowed his moon eyes.

"You are truly a fool."

"Maybe."

Tears began to drip from Mimizuku's eyes.

"Don't say something so difficult to understand at a time like this. Now that everything's fine, why don't we go home? Let's go home to the forest...!"

"-----..."

Fukurou wiped the tears from Mimizuku's cheek with his clawed, slender fingertips.

"I thought you said you never cried."

"I remembered how." She raised her cheek up. "I remembered how to laugh, too. Do you hate me for becoming so human?"

"No..." Fukurou then combed aside Mimizuku's hair with his finger, so that the symbol on her forehead could be seen. "You... are Mimizuku. And I--... am Fukurou."

That was his answer.

Fukurou flapped his outstretched wings, sending a flurry of magic power and wind into the underground room. The gray-haired king raised his voice against the King of Night holding the small girl.

"What are you doing? Magicians! Riveil! Quickly, quickly, do something...!!"

However, the magicians were unable to cast any further spells.

With the full moon out, the king of monsters brimmed with power befitting of his name, and, feeling the pressure of his magic power, the magicians could not stop shivering.

"What are you doing!? Quickly, the demon king...!!"

"Please, stop this!!" Claudius said to Dantes as he attempted in vain to rouse the magicians. "Please stop, father. No more...!"

Held closely by Fukurou's right arm, Mimizuku looked at Claudius.

He had smiled when she asked him for help.

''"I'll do whatever you ask, Mii."''

She looked at Claudius, the same boy who had said those words to her.

Claudius's face crunched together, as if he was about to cry, still repeating his plea to his father.

"No more, father...! I'm fine, so please, stop all of this!"

"Claudius..." Dantes said, taken aback. He looked at Claudius. "Claudius... what are you thinking...!?"

"Mii is my friend!" A tear streamed across Claudius's cheek. It was the first time since the death of the queen that Dantes had seen Claudius's tears. "Mimizuku is my friend! If I have to make a friend cry, then it's not worth getting my arms and legs back!"

"Dia..." Mimizuku called out from Fukurou's arms.

However, Claudius turned to face Dantes.

"If you say I can't become king with a body like this, then go find another successor! I don't care! But still, father, still... even though I have this body... I'm still your son...!!" he shouted.

He called out for his father, crying. Ann Duke and Orietta stood looking upon the scene before them.

"Claudius..." Dantes called uncertainly.

"Dia!" Mimizuku shouted out from between Fukurou's arms. "Hey, Dia...!"

Tears running down his face, Claudius looked back at Mimizuku. Then, he looked up at Fukurou.

"Dia, I'm sorry... I'm sorry." She knew it was a meaningless apology, and that she had relied on him to do something very difficult. But even so, she was happy that he listened to her. "Sorry... and thank you...!"

"It's fine, Mii." Claudius smiled, his face still damp with tears. "I received many things from you. I learned from you. So it's fine. Don't worry about it." He gave her a warm smile.

It was a smile that resembled the dead queen's.

Suddenly, a low voice was heard.

"... Young prince."

Whose voice was it? After a split second of confusion, Claudius swallowed his breath, and turned to look up at the owner of the voice.

"King... of Night..."

Fukurou looked down at Claudius with his golden eyes.

"Human prince who wears his limbs as decoration. You may still be able to take the throne with that body."

Mimizuku, surprised at Fukurou's words, looked up at him. Claudius tightened his lips and nodded.

"If my father allows it... No, if I find myself to be suitable for the position, then even with these useless limbs, I will become king of this country."

To the prince's resolute answer, Fukurou flapped his wings several times. He landed in front of Claudius.

"Demon king! What are you doing!?" The king pushed past his magicians, lunging forward. "Don't touch him! What are you doing to my son...!?"

Ann Duke raised his sword slightly. Fukurou put Mimizuku down, and gently ran the claws of his long fingers across Claudius's arms and legs.

"!"

Claudius gasped. Strange patterns began to run across his arms and legs, and then a faint light began to shine.

When the light dispersed, something strange happened in Claudius's body.

He shook weakly, and felt weak and cold.

However, he slowly lifted up his right arm.

"Ah..."

Dantes stood up straight, looking wide-eyed at Claudius. Ann Duke stood in a daze, and Orietta covered her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes.

The magicians were also speechless.

Then, shaking like a newborn fawn, Claudius slowly lifted his legs, and stood up, walking down from his chair.

"K-king of Night, this is, I...!"

Claudius, standing, looked up at Fukurou in blank amazement.

Even though he had once thought the King of Night to be fearsome, he had forgotten his fears.

"As a cursed prince, you may have been despised," Fukurou said in a dull, low voice.

"If you are willing to live even with limbs cursed by the demon king, then you should live, human prince."

Claudius opened and closed his fists several times.

Like a dream, he could move.

The brilliant patterns on him could certainly send one who looked upon them into a state of shock.

"Dia!"

With her eyes sparkling, Mimizuku extended both of her arms out to Claudius and hugged him. "Those patterns... they're so pretty!" Mimizuku giggled. "They're all so pretty!"

"Thank you, Mimizuku." Claudius also smiled from the bottom of his heart. With his newly freed arms, he hugged Mimizuku back. "Thank you as well, King of Night..."

However, Fukurou didn't seem to hear him. Turning away as if having lost interest, he flew up into the sky. Back to the forest from whence he came.

"Oh! Oooh! Fukurou!" In a panic, Mimizuku tried to grab onto Fukurou. "I'm going too! I'm going back home with you!"

"..."

Not making a sound, Fukurou glared down at Mimizuku.

"If you're going back, then take me too! You can't just leave me here; even if you do, I'll just follow you! The forest isn't far from here, so don't try to run away!" Mimizuku said, putting her hands on her hips.

"..."

Fukurou breathed a small sigh, and then turned around, grabbing Mimizuku's arm.

Mimizuku shrieked with delight.

"Mimizuku!" Ann Duke called out.

"Oh... Andy, Orietta...!" She leaned forward from her position in Fukurou's arm. "Hey, hey, hey...!"

She felt like there were many things she had to say. Thank you. I'm sorry. Thank you.

''Would just those words be enough?'' Mimizuku thought.

Even thought they had taught her to use them at times like this.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that they wouldn't be enough.

"Hey! Heeeeyy...!"

Tears spread across her face. Why? Why was she so sad? Why was she so regretful? Mimizuku couldn't understand.

Orietta looked at Mimizuku and smiled.

"... You're welcome back anytime," Orietta said, disregarding the tears in her eyes. "I'll be waiting." She smiled compassionately, as she always did.

Beside her, Ann Duke also smiled.

"If life in the forest doesn't suit you, then come right back! We'll go to the market together again!"

Mimizuku made a strained facial expression and nodded rapidly.

There was a comfortable lifestyle, and kind people. But still, she could only make one choice.

To her, the choice was clear.

"... King of Night." The next one to speak was Dantes, standing behind Claudius. The gray-haired king wrinkled his brow as he always did, and made a stern face. "I won't ask you to forgive me, King of Night," he said slowly. "But still..." Dantes took a deep breath. "I thank you, from the bottom of my heart," he declared.

"Father..."

Claudius looked up at his father and gasped.

Fukurou didn't seem interested in responding. He outstretched his wings wide, and turned to disappear into the darkness, but suddenly turned around and faced Dantes.

"... If you are a king who chooses his country, then try to build a wonderful country with your own hands."

At that moment, Mimizuku remembered something.

''Oh, that's right, Fukurou as well...''

Fukurou might have become a human king as well at one time.

Thinking of this, Mimizuku remembered a feeling she couldn't put into words, and clung tightly to Fukurou's neck.

Whenever she couldn't express herself, that was the best thing to do.

Just like Orietta had done for her. Mimizuku felt like she finally understood how to use her own limbs.

Fukurou made an annoyed face at Mimizuku coiling about him, but breathing softly, he gently moved his arms so as to caress Mimizuku's head.

Seeing this, Ann Duke and Orietta looked at each other and laughed.

And then, Mimizuku and Fukurou melted away into the darkness.

A gust blew through, and the next moment, the two had disappeared without leaving a trace.

It was as if a storm had passed through the castle's basement.

"They left..."

Ann Duke sighed.

"Oh well," Orietta smiled, holding out the scabbard of the Holy Sword to Ann Duke.

With a beautiful movement, Ann Duke returned the Holy Sword to its scabbard and gave it to Orietta.

"Well then, we've got a lot of cleaning up to do, don't we?"

"Indeed," Ann Duke simply said.

"You're taking responsibility. Get to work at once, Andy," the gray-haired king said, returning to his usual gloomy tone of voice.

"Huh!? Hey, wait a second! What about you, the king!? Why me!?"

"It's to be expected. Why don't you try working for once? Damned homestay."

Ann Duke drooped his shoulders, and Orietta chuckled beside him.

"... Your Majesty..." Claudius said, looking up timidly at the king. "Um..."

He knew he had to be punished, as he had disobeyed the king.

"Dia."

"Y-yes!?" Claudius answered, his shoulders shaking. His father's gray eyes looked at him. He had a stern face, and an austere light in his eyes. However, Claudius did not look away. He did not cast his eyes down as he had always done before. Pursing his lips tightly, he faced forward, looking straight at Dantes, his father.

He planned to take his punishment gracefully. He had no regrets. Even so, he didn't think he would be hated by his father for it. He simply did what he had to do, for both his own sake, and for the sake of the country.

Dantes looked down at Claudius, and opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it and narrowed his eyes.

He then took a step forward, and tightly embraced Claudius's body.

At his father's sudden action, Claudius's emerald eyes flew wide open.

"Your... Majesty...?"

Dantes did not say anything. He simply hugged his son, his eyes closed tight, and his shoulders slightly quivering.

It was a strong embrace, and it hurt Claudius. He was a hapless old man who didn't know how to be gentle.

However, Claudius closed his eyes.

He had always wanted this.

The hug was instantaneous. The moment that Dantes let go of Claudius, his face turned to that of the stern king.

"... From here on, I will teach you many things. If you have the spirit required to be king, then follow me, even if you cough up blood!"

At those words, Claudius's eyes sparkled.

"... Yes, father!!"

He was the prince that would one day be called "The Ornate Sealed King."

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-10-26T02:30:04Z

Amazing Buffalo:

Kino no Tabi:Volume3 Frontispiece

2011-10-11T22:19:54Z

Amazing Buffalo:

My name is Riku, I am a dog. My master, Shizu, is a traveler. This is a story about a certain time in a certain country.

"What is that?"

From the driver's seat of the buggy, Shizu sounded surprised as the country came into view. Usually a country will barricade itself with castle walls to protect itself from foreign enemies; however, this country had nothing but a small fence to keep animals in. Shizu met with the leader, and asked if there were no walls because the country had an unmatched army.

"Such barbaric things are not in our country," said the leader with a sinister grin.

"Then how do you protect your citizens?" Shizu asked somewhat shamelessly. As expected of the former prince.

"You're too old fashioned," said the leader with a condescending tone.

Shizu asked if up until now there's been any attacks.

"This is only my personal experience, but more than I can count on my hands. Despite this all matters were resolved peacefully, and it will stay that way. We have no need for murderous groups or walls that will hinder the natural scenery."

Then the leader said this with a dubious look on his face, and his chest stuck out. "We have a 'Love and Peace song'. If we sing it, we can defeat our enemies without fighting."

"Without closing the gates, they seem to be at ease. It's worrying."

"Let's stay in this country" was what Shizu's face was saying. He had wanted to leave, but because the buggy needed repairs, we decided to stay.

That morning, the entire country was making noise. Word came from across the plains; a neighboring country's army would be attacking. The enemy army sent a messenger, who said that tomorrow morning a general offensive would be launched.

The Leader came to see Shizu with a pleased face, and said almost sarcastically, "Well then traveler, I'm going to show you a beautiful spectacle. Tonight will be fun."

It became night. Beyond the fence, light from a campsite could be seen. On our side, a bonfire was lighting up a large stage which had been prepared. Wearing his favorite sword at his side, Shizu was beckoned by the leader. Shizu sat in a seat on the side of the stage, and I settled between his legs. The enemy army formed its ranks and began marching until they were lined up in front of the stage.

"Look at these fools only capable of violence. Even so, they will lose to us again."

The leader scornfully laughed and gave his subordinate a direction.

Shizu whispered to me, "When it's time to run, stick to the usual plan."

People gathered on top of the stage, and no matter how you looked at it, they seemed like a chorus group. Matching the rhythm of the conductor's baton, they suddenly began singing. It was a gently hummed melody. Before long, a beautiful woman in a flashy dress appeared on the stage. Accompanying the back chorus, a lovely voice began singing.

The lyrics were along the lines of: love and peace are best, fighting is foolish, kindness deep down in your heart, throw away your weapon and pick up a farming tool, etc. Shizu looked like he had overslept and had a headache.

Suddenly, the enemy soldiers who had just been staring at the spectacle started to change. Everyone put their weapons at their feet and happily joined in with the song. The songstress had just stopped singing and was hailed with applause. Everyone continued enjoying themselves.

"Take a look, Traveller. They no longer have any interest in fighting. The Song of Love and Peace changed them. Hmm...that's right. Traveller, the war is over. They listened to our splendid song, and now they will return," is what our messenger said. "Shall I treat you to some food and wine? Why not also lay down your weapon, Traveller?"

Before the beautiful woman on the altar, singing strongly from a sense of duty, the recklessly roused onlookers in military uniforms, and the leader triumphantly speaking in a sarcastic tone, Shizu-sama had been thinking of something.

The next morning, the buggy's repairs were finished so Shizu and I quickly left. Around noon, we caught up with the soldiers from the night before who were taking a break.

Glaring at the soldier in the distance who was pointing a persuader at us, Shizu said: "Are you going to shoot me? Are you in charge here? If not, doing as you please won't be good for your superior officer."

After saying this about five times, we wound up in front of the general. He formally apologized for his subordinate's impoliteness.

Shizu carefully introduced himself as a traveller who had no intention of ever returning to that country then said, "You were never planning to invade that country from the beginning, were you?"

The general laughed and nodded.

"Yes. That's where the soldiers relax. The lyrics have no meaning to them, and they don't know about the declaration of war either; they're just happy if they can party. We told them our vassal state was having a celebration banquet to thank us for protection, but we must be quiet at first"

"I see. Then who is your real enemy?"

"The large country across the mountain range. They have incoherent national policies, they are an evil empire. Exterminating them is our noble mission. If they were to invade that country then they would be "Committing an injustice to our vassal state" and all out war would start. Justice is on our side though, so victory will be as well."

We returned to the buggy, and I asked Shizu if we would visit that army's country. Shizu shook his head. "I'd rather go to a country that doesn't only think about war."

"Those are hard to find."

"Yeah... Sorry, making you live such a vagabond life," said Shizu as he looked into the sky.

"It doesn't matter to me. Wherever Shizu is, I will be," I answered honestly and Shizu looked at me.

"...."

Shizu was silent for a moment, then quietly smiled as always.

"Shall we go?"

"Sounds good."

We started the buggy's engine as usual.

Kino no Tabi

2011-10-11T22:07:43Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:Kino_book_one.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

Kino no Tabi (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- ''Kino's Journey'') is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kohaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000. The first bound volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000 by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko publishing label. As of October 10, 2008, twelve volumes have been published, and over 5.6 million copies of the novels have been sold in Japan.

==Story Synopsis==

Tthe protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people.

== Translation ==

=== [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

(It seems people don't understand what the above means. When we ask you to REGISTER, what we mean is, add your name on the REGISTRATION PAGE next to the chapter you will translate, so that we can know who translated it. That's it. So if there are people out there that would like to help translate these wonderful books, please don't hesitate, translate any chapters you like, in any order you like! Thank you to all who help with this project!)

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*June 5, 2008 - Project started!
*August 8, 2008 - Ch. 1 of Vol. 11 Completed!
*April 15, 2009 - Almost all of Vol. 11 is completed.
*April 15, 2009 - Vol. 10 is nearly 50% complete.

==The ''Kino no Tabi'' series by Keiichi Sigsawa==

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: A Story of a Sniper -Fatalism-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Desert・b -Beginner's Luck・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter1|A Tale of Feeding Off Others -I Want to Live.-]] 9% Complete
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter2|Overprotection -Do You Need It?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter3|Land of Wizards -Potentials of Magic- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter4|Land of Free Press -Believers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter5|A Picture's Tale -Happiness- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter6|Return -'She' is Waiting For You.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter7|Land of Books -Nothing Is Written!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter8|A Kind Land -Tomorrow Never Comes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Desert・a -Beginner's Luck・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Anecdote|Anecdote: Continuation: A Picture's Tale -Anonymous Pictures-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: The Land of Love and Peace -Power Play-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Clouds・b -Blinder・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter1|A Land Without Borders -Designated Area-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter2|Power of Persuasion -Persuader-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter3|The Land of Identical Faces -HACCP-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter4|A Tale of a Mechanical Doll -One-way Mission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter5|A Land not Permitting Discrimination -True Blue Sky-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter6|A Finished Tale -Ten Years After-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Clouds・a -Blinder・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst a Sea of Red・b -Blooming Prairie・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter1|Land with a Bronze Statue -Angel?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter2|××××× -Solo-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter3|Land of Two People -Even a Dog doesn't Eat-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter4|Tradition -Tricksters-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter5|The Land Without the Need for Work -Workable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter6|A Land Divided -World Divided-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter7|Grapes -On Duty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter8|Land of Acknowledgment -A Vote-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter9|A Tale of a Raid -Bloodsuckers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter10|Land of Bridges -Their Line-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter11|The Tower Country -Freelance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst a Sea of Red・a -Blooming Prairie・a- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Setting Sun・b -Will・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter1|Reminiscence -Blue Rose-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter2|Land Permitting Murder -Jungle's Rule-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter3|A Tale of a Vendor -For Sale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter4|Land of Heroes -No Hero-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter5|Land of Heroes -Seven Heroes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter6|A Land at Leisure -Jog Trot-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter7|Land of Prophecies -We NO The Future-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter8|Bodyguards -Stand-bys-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter9|A Tale of a Salt Field -Family Business-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter10|Land of Illness -For You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst the Setting Sun・a -Will・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: A Land of No Admittance -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: An Unbiased Tale -All Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: A Tale of a Tank -Life Goes On-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue: A Pledge・b -a Kitchen Knife・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter1|Her Journey -Chances-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter2|Her Journey -Love and Bullets- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter3|Land of Fireworks -Fire at Will!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter4|A Land with an Elder -I Need You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter5|A Land that Never Forgets -Not Again-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter6|A Safe Country -For His Safety-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter7|During the Journey -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter8|The Meaning of Blessing -How Much Do I Pay For?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Pledge・a -a Kitchen Knife・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi!:Volume7_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Prologue|Prologue: To Do Something・b -Life Goes On・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter1|An Aggressive Land -Leave Only Footsteps!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter2|A Land of Love -Stray King-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter3|Along a River -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter4|Winter Tale -D-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter5|A Tale of Teatime in a Forest -Thank You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter6|Land of Liars -Waiting for You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Epilogue|Epilogue: To Do Something・a -Life Goes On・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Roads -Go West!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: The Land That Can Do No Wrong -Black box-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Along the Beach, The Beginning and End of a Journey -On the Beach・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter1|A Land With History -Don't Look Back!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter2|A Loving Country -Dinner Party-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter3|Radio Country -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter4|A Reclaimed Land -Confession-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Epilogue|Epilogue: Land of Boats -On the Beach・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Unacceptable People -Traveler's Tale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Walls -Sweet Home-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Prologue|Prologue: In Sorrow・b -Yearning・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter1|Land of Records -His Record-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter2|Evening of Good People -Innocence-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter3|Writer's Journey -Editor's Travels-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter4|Land of Electric Waves - Not Guilty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter5|Land of Diaries -Historians-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter6|Land of Nature Conservation -Let It Be!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter7|Land of Merchants -Professionals-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter8|Murder Country -Clearance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter9|Continue・Tank's Tale -Spirit-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter10|An Old Tale -Tea Talks-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter11|Power of Persuasion II -Persuader II-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Epilogue|Epilogue: In Sorrow・a -Yearning・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 10===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Land of Pets -apPETite-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Tii's Wish -Get Real!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Prologue|Prologue: A Man's Journey・b -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter1|Interview Land -Out of the Question-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter2|A Tale of Braggarts -Fantasy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter3|Land of Protection -Meritocracy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter4|Land of Telephone Poles -Transmission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter5|In a Place Like This -Preface-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter6|Tii's Day -a Day in the Girl's Life-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter7|Land With a Singer -Unsung Divas-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Man's Journey・a -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 11===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Children -Burn Up-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Land of Flower fields -Flower Arrangement-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Prologue|Prologue: Camera Land・b -Picturesque・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter1|Connected Land -Stand Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter2|Land of Disappointment -Hope Against Hope-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter3|Land of Ajin (etc) -With You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter4|Land Without Borders -Asylum-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter5|Land of School -Assignment-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter6|A Tale of Roads -Passage-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter7|A Tale of Fighting People -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Epilogue|Epilogue: Camera Land・a -Picturesque・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 12===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Bandits -Can You Imagine!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: Land of Biting -I Have Ever Seen Before.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece4|Frontispiece: Wishes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Prologue|Prologue: Within Happiness・b -Birth・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter1|Land of Justice -Idiots-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter2|A Land Where Demons Have Come -Take of the Devil.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter3|Land of Seeking -Common Sense-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter4|Land of Sundials -Counter Strike-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter5|Land of Endeavoring -Passage 2-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter6|Sequel・A Tale of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter7|A Tale of Letters -the Weak Link-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter8|A Tale of Wagers -Which is Which.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter9|A Land of Towering Virtue -Serious Killer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter10|Before the Clouds -Eye-opener-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Epilogue|Epilogue: Within Happiness・a -Birth・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 13===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece|Frontspiece: A Detestable Land -Abandon Ship!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece2|Frontspiece: An Amazing Land -Nothing Special-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece3|Frontspiece: A Story of Living People -You Should Be So Lucky.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Prologue|Prologue: A Tale of This World・b -It Happens.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter1|A Tale from Long Ago -Choice-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter2|Land of Family -Divorce-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter3|An Unlawful Land -Just Imagine It!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter4|Land of Travelers -Last Will-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter5|A Necessary Land -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Tale of This World・a -It Happens.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Special Compilation|Various Stories -a Beautiful Dreamer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]

===Volume 14===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Prologue|Prologue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・b -the Dawn・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Chapter 1|Land of Cultivation of Aesthetic Sensibility -Do What We Say!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 2|Land of Sighs -My Daily Life-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 3|Land of Regulations -Unreal Young Man-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 4|Land of Better Fortune -The Fifth "C", Cozenage-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 5|Land of Posthumous Works -Write or Die-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 6|Land of Ruin -Self-destruction-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 7|Land of Marriage -Testament-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 8|Land of Parasitic Insects -Cure-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 9|A Discriminatory Land -We Are NOT Like Us-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 10|A Correct Land -WAR=We Are Right!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 11|Land of Cowards -Toss-up-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・a -the Dawn・a-]]

===Volume 15===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Frontspiece|A Land Found by Accident -Eureka!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Frontspiece|A White Land -Taste!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Prologue|Prologue: What it Means to Fight and Die・b -Order!・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 1|Land of Beasts -Standing Beasts-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 2|Land of Mania -What I Want&Why I Want-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 3|A Land with a Past -What We Have Taught.-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 4|Days of Photos -the Beautiful Moment-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 5|Land of Journalists -How to Be a Liar-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Chapter 6|Land of Criminals -He Had Done It-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue: What it Means to Fight and Die・a -Order!・a-]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[user:XEN gK|XEN gK]]
:*[[user:Shuijie|Shuijie]]
:*[[user:alicia250|alicia250]]

===Editors===

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2011-10-01T17:06:28Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:MimizukutoYorunoOuCover.png|thumb|Cover]]

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou (ミミズクと夜の王 ''Mimizuku and the King of Night'') is a light novel by Kougyoku Izuki, and happens to be her first work. It won the Grand Prize in the 13th Dengeki Novel Contest. The book is a stand-alone work, but the author has also written a continuation volume entitled Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi (毒吐姫と星の石 ''The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone'').

The ''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Mimizuku_to_Yoru_no_Ou_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Portuguese (Portuguese)]]

==Story Synopsis==

Mimizuku, a small girl with chains on her wrists and ankles and the numbers "332" branded onto her forehead, wanders into the Forest of Night seeking to be eaten by a monster. However, when the ruler of the monsters, the mysterious and beautiful "King of Night," refuses to eat her, she tries to formulate a way to convince him otherwise.

==Translation==

=== [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*17 April 2011
**Project complete
*19 March 2011
**Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou project officially underway
==''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' by Kougyoku Izuki==

===Mimizuku and the King of Night ([[Mimizuku and the King of Night: Volume|Full Text]])===

::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Prologue|Prologue - The Forest of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Suicidal Mimizuku and the Human-Hating King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Threshold to Blessings]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Purgatory Flowers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliverance]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Gentle Lapse]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Seal of the King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Knight and Maiden]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - Deliverance II]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Epilogue|Epilogue - Mimizuku and Fukurou]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Author's Word|Author's Word - What Lies Beyond Prayers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Commentary|Commentary /Hiro Arikawa]]

==''Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi'' by Kougyoku Izuki==
===The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone===
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Prologue|Prologue - The Temple of Stars]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Abandoned Child Erza]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Mute Princess's Wedding]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Dinner and Chalices]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Goodbye, Prince]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Vion's Poison Breath]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Night the Castle Fell]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Good News on Bare Feet]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - About Stars and Divine Destiny]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Epilogue|Epilogue - The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Aberrant King]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Author's Word|Author's Word - Halfway Down this Long Road]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

===Editors===

All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2011-10-01T17:04:23Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:MimizukutoYorunoOuCover.png|thumb|Cover]]

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou (ミミズクと夜の王 ''Mimizuku and the King of Night'') is a light novel by Kougyoku Izuki, and happens to be her first work. It won the Grand Prize in the 13th Dengeki Novel Contest. The book is a stand-alone work, but the author has also written a continuation volume entitled Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi (毒吐姫と星の石 ''The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone'').

The ''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Mimizuku_to_Yoru_no_Ou_~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Portuguese (Portuguese)]]

==Story Synopsis==

Mimizuku, a small girl with chains on her wrists and ankles and the numbers "332" branded onto her forehead, wanders into the Forest of Night seeking to be eaten by a monster. However, when the ruler of the monsters, the mysterious and beautiful "King of Night," refuses to eat her, she tries to formulate a way to convince him otherwise.

==Translation==

=== [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*17 April 2011
**Project complete
*19 March 2011
**Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou project officially underway
==''Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou'' by Kougyoku Izuki==

===Mimizuku and the King of Night ([[Mimizuku and the King of Night: Volume|Full Text]])===

::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Prologue|Prologue - The Forest of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Suicidal Mimizuku and the Human-Hating King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Threshold to Blessings]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Purgatory Flowers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliverance]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Gentle Lapse]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Seal of the King of Night]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Knight and Maiden]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - Deliverance II]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Epilogue|Epilogue - Mimizuku and Fukurou]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Author's Word|Author's Word - What Lies Beyond Prayers]]
::*[[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Commentary|Commentary /Hiro Arikawa]]

===The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Star Stone===
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Prologue|Prologue - The Temple of Stars]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Abandoned Child Erza]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Mute Princess's Wedding]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Dinner and Chalices]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Goodbye, Prince]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Vion's Poison Breath]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Night the Castle Fell]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Good News on Bare Feet]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - About Stars and Divine Destiny]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Epilogue|Epilogue - The Poison-Breathing Princess and the Aberrant King]]
::*[[Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi: Author's Word|Author's Word - Halfway Down this Long Road]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

===Editors===

All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-09-29T04:26:07Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - End of the Magician==

===1===

"Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice.

As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half.

"Owowowow... Don't move them... Ack!"

His bent arms raised a screech. The bruise he had received when he had fallen into the ocean of the <Night> was still causing him pain. In addition, several sutras had been scrawled across his arms and legs. His face hurt and tickled, and he was preoccupied with churning it into multiple expressions.

That is to say, right now, Itsuki's entire body excluding his ears was covered in scripture.

"--Please bear it for now. Since you were in such thick spell wave pollution, we at least need to inspect you and lay out protection."

"But... don't monks normally do this sort of thing?"

"Ah, you probably think that because of societal stereotypes. Onmyoudou is good with dealing with curses and such, but it isn't meant for contamination like this. Mikan-san is also not equipped to deal with a situation as specific as this. Though if this were long ago, and we had Sekiren-san with us, this would have been no problem."

'Meaow."

The black cat on Nekoyashiki's shoulder--Genbu-kun--gave a yawn of agreement.

They were in the <Astral> office's nap room. Itsuki sat up on the white bed in the corner of the room.

It was past three in the afternoon.

It had already been two hours since Itsuki had awoken from his coma. After they hauled Itsuki to the office, it seemed that they had gathered up the completely exhausted <Goetia> magicians.

"I guess it's to be expected. Since long ago, summoning magic has been known to require much rougher exertion of the body than other types of magic. Especially if the evocation fails, a boomerang effect occurs, sapping many times the usual amount of vitality from the body. I suppose it's a best case scenario, since none of them died," Nekoyashiki expounded.

It seemed like all the magicians aside from Adilisia had their energy totally consumed after the intertwining magic circle had been destroyed. It seemed that some of them had already collapsed before when Honami defeated the Shax, but Itsuki figured that they deserved it.

"Hmph. In any case, it doesn't seem like any symptoms are occurring due to the spell wave pollution. Your spiritual resistance must be higher than I thought, president," Nekoyashiki lauded after putting the finishing touches on the sutras across Itsuki's body.

"Hah, I guess that's a relief."

"It seems that way for the time being, at least. There are times when spell wave pollution associated with a taboo erupts after a while."

"W, what happens then...?"

Nekoyashiki made a meek expression, and stroked Genbu-kun on the head.

"... Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hu, huuh?"

Letting out a sigh, the young man shrugged the shoulders of his haori.

"For example... after several months' time, your eyes will grow farther apart, your hands will become webbed, and you'll start yearning for the sea..."

"Th, then, almost becoming a monster..."

"Aside from that... you could turn into a corpse and forever be enamored with loitering around mansions... you could turn into an insect with the rising sun..."

"--*gulp*"

Itsuki's cheeks became stiff.

Just as his scripture-covered face was about to turn from blue to white,

"I'm just messing with you."

"N, n, n, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Ahaha. In any case, the truth is that I don't know for sure what will happen if the spell wave pollution remains in your body, but I don't see anything unusual, so I think you're all right."

"--If that's the case, please say so from the beginning," Itsuki said, almost in tears.

At that point, the sound of the door at the entrance opening could be heard.

"I'm heeeere!"

Spreading out the sleeves of her miko outfit, Mikan looked like an airplane as she ran inside.

Running straight into the nap room, she looked at Itsuki's face, and blinking her large eyes, fell into a fit of laughter.

"Aah, president onii-chan's face looks funny~"

"D, don't laugh!"

"What's the matter?"

Honami, who had just entered the room, blushed as she saw Itsuki's upper half--and then put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter as she saw his face.

"E, even you, Honami?"

"I know, I know, but your letter-covered face is just... ahahahahah!"

As she held her sides, tears began to form in her Ice Blue Eyes.

Itsuki held back his complaints, not wanting to interrupt Honami's rare smile. It was then that a third person entered from outside.

"My my, you have quite a keen sense of fashion."

The newcomer, Adilisia, blushed as she let out a chuckle.

"Hah..."

Somehow, she still seemed desperate. Itsuki hastily threw on a shirt. He wished he had some face washing cream with him.

When he got up from the bed,

"Er, were there any issues with the spell wave pollution?" Adilisia asked.

"No, I'm fine. How about you, Adilisia-san?"

"I told you before. I was a magician the moment I was born. I have not slacked in my training to repel the effects of the spell power of others."

"... Well I'm just a normal person," he pouted, pointing his lips.

Actually, since his father was a magician, he might be just the same as Adilisia, just with a hundred times less experience.

As he splashed his face with water, a knock came from the entrance door.

"Is it a customer?"

Wiping his face with a towel, he left the washroom.

Honami had already opened the door.

And then, the atmosphere became stiff.

"Well, it seems the two leaders are here, so would it be alright to allow me to perform a confirmation of progress right here?"

A person from the <Organization>--Kagezaki--stood still before them with a vacant smile.

Several minutes later.

In the reception room, which was just a desk, with the rest of the room separated by a partition wall, everyone had gathered.

Kagezaki of the <Organization>, Adilisia of <Goetia>, Nekoyashiki, Honami, and Mikan of <Astral>--and Itsuki.

In the middle of the desk, Kagezaki set out a thick stack of documents, and continued speaking.

"For these reasons, the <Organization> has recognized the <Night> from yesterday as having risen from second to third class spell wave pollution. Since it appears that neither of the groups that were tasked with destroying its core have succeeded, it seems the <Night> will occur again in a nearby area. During that time, the 'job' contract will continue to be valid."

His voice seemed to not hold any sort of emotion.

Itsuki made a frown.

"Again... You're saying something like that <Night> is going to happen again?" he moaned.

"Yes, that is of course, if we are talking about a normal <Night>."

Kagezaki looked toward Adilisia questioningly.

Itsuki's shoulders quivered.

However, not one muscle in Adilisia's face budged.

"Is there something you want from me?" she asked with a blooming smile. It was an artful grin, as if begging to be framed and hung on a wall. Though, even if it was pretty, it made Itsuki's stomach hurt.

"No, there is just something I would like to confirm with <Goetia>."

"What may that be? I do not mind if we speak here," Adilisia prompted, crossing her slender fingers together.

"If that is the case, then I will not hesitate," Kagezaki said, then continued, "There are rumors that a magician of <Goetia> has secretly broken a taboo."

''Yikes!'' Itsuki yelped inside his mind.

Adilisia's smile did not falter.

"Unbelievable. A taboo is something absolute. It does not seem befitting of the <Organization> to lend their ears to such playground hearsay, does it?"

"Those are strong words. Well then, please allow your attention to fall to these reference documents."

Kagezaki, making a nod, brought out a new stack of papers. There were several sheets and photos in it, including some satellite photos.

Itsuki scowled.

"What is this photo...?"

"It is an aura-reflecting Kirlian photo. In the <Organization>, Kirlian photography is also used to specify ley lines."

Kirlian photography--a type of photography used for the purpose of detecting life signs, employed in many magical groups as a technique for capturing images of spell power. However, the only magical association with the scale and idea to take Kirlian satellite photos was the <Organization>.

"As you know, a <Night> is a storm of spell power that flows ley lines. If you investigate the flow of these ley lines, you can predict when and where the <Night> will emit spell wave pollution. That is why we are able to conduct these offers." Kagezaki continued his explanation. "The spell power that this <Night> originated from has been traced across mountains and seafloors, leading us all the way to ley lines far off in Europe. If you follow the source, the lines go to England, near Wales, four months ago. A workshop of <Goetia> should be located on these ley lines."

"Wha..."

As opposed to the panicking Itsuki, Adilisia elegantly waved her hand.

"It is natural that our workshop would be constructed on ley lines. That does not amount to any sort of evidence."

"Haha, indeed," Kagezaki nodded, as if agreeing with her.

''Phew...''

Itsuki ran his hand across his chest in relief.

However, he had been too soon.

"Looking further inward--four months ago in Wales, the day that the <Night> first appeared, the representative leader of <Goetia> and his trusted adeptus minor both died unnaturally in their workshop. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"!"

Adilisia sank into silence.

She wasn't using her right to remain silent. It was the sort of silence in which one wondered how someone was aware of something.

"Yes, you managed to cover that one up fairly well. --Do not worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. After all, magicians dying unnatural deaths during ceremonies isn't the kind of thing you want to have in a newspaper. However, to have written the deaths off as the result of a mere heart attack and stroke in your report to the organization makes me a bit wary about your intentions."

"That is..."

"Do you have some sort of excuse?"

His words seemed accusatory, but the color of blame wasn't the least bit present in his voice.

It simply seemed like he was trying to uncover the facts.

"--Well, the reason that you became the leader of <Goetia> was because of this incident, wasn't it? You also quit the academy which Honami-san here was attending as well.

His words had a terrifyingly slow, characteristic rhythm to them.

It almost sounded as if he were using hypnosis.

''Adilisia-san...?''

Itsuki looked at her from the side. The leader of <Goetia> kept her head down.

"U, um, is it okay if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Kagezaki implored.

"I, if something like that were to have happened, why would the magician have traveled to Japan along with the <Night>?"

As Itsuki finished his question, Kagezaki leaned back in his chair, as if to say "Oh, is that what you're wondering about?"

"Just as an example... Like if a magician were to have committed a taboo? If they were to have turned into magic and melted into the ley lines?" Kagezaki traced a river in the air with his finger. "There are several kinds of taboos to be broken, but the easiest to understand, and the most troublesome method would be that. One literally changes his self into magic. This is nothing but an example, but--if we are talking about summoning magic, the user's body would end up shifting between the demons themselves as they were summoned."

Itsuki's chest froze.

The old man that had turned to mud.

A lump of several demons that was once a magician.

If a monster like that were to exist, it would be able to melt into the ley lines and eventually become the storm of spell power called a <Night>.

Wouldn't it?

"..."

Looking at Itsuki, who was at a loss for words, Kagezaki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, as it is now, this would not suffice as evidence."

"Huh...?"

Kagezaki made a light, wry smile.

"That is why I came to make sure of things."

"Then, why are you..."

Kagezaki shot a look at Adilisia in response to what Itsuki was about to ask.

And then he sighed.

"Because if the only one hiding the taboo is the leader, then all guilt would fall upon them."

In an instant, the color of Itsuki's face changed.

After that sentence, he understood what Kagezaki wanted to say.

"However, if all of <Goetia> knew about this, then everyone involved would receive punishment."

... That would be too much.

That is, Kagezaki was telling Adilisia to become a scapegoat.

If she alone were accused, then they would turn a blind eye to the other members of <Goetia>.

"..."

Adilisia bit her red lip. She was probably searching for some way to respond.

But it was no use.

She was trapped.

Even Itsuki knew that.

''"--I am the temporary leader of <Goetia>. The responsibility for any taboos committed would naturally fall on me."''

''"... Yes, this body of mine is a crystal of magic fostered through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power."''

That was the kind of person she was.

Different from Itsuki.

She wasn't simply a figurehead, she was a truly cool person who knew what it meant to stand above others.

"Well then, how shall we handle this?"

Kagezaki slowly drew closer. His words seemed ready to lunge in for the kill.

"If you give us your confirmation, the I will have people dispatched directly from the <Organization>. Tell me the name of the magician who committed the taboo, and I assure you we will not let him escape our might."

Unconcerned, he laid out the facts.

"..."

Adilisia opened her lips.

"I..."

"... know nothing!"

Those words were not Adilisia's.

Kagezaki turned to their source.

"President Iba?"

"I... Itsuki, what are you?"

"I'm saying... I don't know of anything like that. I was underneath the ocean of the <Night> with her, and I didn't see any magician like what you were talking about. That's why Adilisia has nothing to hide."

Itsuki curled up his fists tightly, strongly, trying to push away fear, but still strong.

He endured, staring straight into Kagezaki's gaze.

"--My goodness." Kagezaki let out a breath of surprise. "I see. If the president of <Astral> says as such, I have no choice but to respect it. Well then, let us put an end to this discussion. --However, I have heard that almost all of <Goetia>'s magicians are debilitated for the moment. Do you think you can carry out the offer like this?"

He threw off the direction of the conversation. After all the work he had done prying into <Goetia>'s matters, it seemed his intention was to pry, and nothing more.

"That is..."

"If you need magicians, we're all right here."

This time, a dignified voice rose up from behind Itsuki.

"Honami?"

Combing her short chestnut-colored hair out of the way, Honami narrowed her eyes.

It was a matter-of-fact motion.

"President, did you forget? <Astral> is a company that rents out magicians. There's no reason we can't do business with our competition, though. It might even be a good thing pro forma, seeing as to how we're doing the same offer as <Goetia>."

"Uh... y, yeah!"

"Honami..."

Adilisia, taken aback, looked at Itsuki, then Honami. She had an expression as if she had suddenly turned back into a child.

"It's our job. We've got some stuff between us, but let's ignore it. How about it? Wanna contract with us, Addie?"

Honami gave her a light wink.

Adilisia turned red.

"... I, I do not mind forming a contract with you," she said in a subdued tone.

"Alright then, contract settled. Got any complaints, Kagezaki-san?"

Honami, who had stood up, pushed her thin-rimmed glasses up.

"... No, I have none."

Shaking his head, Kagezaki returned his disarrayed documents to his attache case.

He then bowed and gave an empty smile that left frighteningly little of an impression.

"Well then, this concludes my investigation. Thank you, and to greater magic."

After the suited figure left the office, Itsuki had fallen back into his chair when Mikan ran into him, bumping their heads together.

"Gwah!"

"President onii-chan, you were amazing! You made Kagezaki oji-san go away!"

Mikan jumped up and down with an excited face.

Behind her, Nekoyashiki, covered head to toe in cats, held his cheek with his hand.

"Mm, you picked quite a fight, president."

"H... huh? I didn't mean to--"

"No, since you jumped in after Kagezaki-san had pushed Adilisia-san so far, you ended up ruining him quite brilliantly. That's the first time I've ever seen Kagezaki-san so angry, you know."

"He, he was mad?"

Itsuki had never been able to read his facial expressions.

"Yes, and quite."

Nekoyashiki nodded with a smile.

From their positions on his knee and shoulder, Byakko-kun and Genbu-kun each gave a "mee-ow" in agreement.

Somehow, Itsuki felt as though he was a patient who had just been just diagnosed with a fatal disease.

"--Well then, you managed to ride the mood this far. What now, president?"

Honami looked at him with delicately cold eyes.

"What do you mean?--We're going to capture the magician in that <Night>, right?"

"But if we don't have the support of the <Organization> it'll be difficult to pinpoint where the <Night> will show up next. At best we would only be able to narrow it down to a few options."

"Oh..."

Darn it. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Honami let out another small sigh, putting her hand on her waist. Rather than angry, she seemed more tired.

Even though it was another thing that Itsuki had overlooked, it seemed to make her just a little bit happy, too.

"Iccha--I mean, president..."

"You know, something like that is quite simple."

Adilisia interjected from the side.

"Huh?"

She focused her gaze.

This far in the game, the golden-haired girl was not about to hesitate, and instead she placed her hand across her chest.

"Use me as bait."

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-09-28T20:56:44Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - End of the Magician==

===1===

"Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice.

As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half.

"Owowowow... Don't move them... Ack!"

His bent arms raised a screech. The bruise he had received when he had fallen into the ocean of the <Night> was still causing him pain. In addition, several sutras had been scrawled across his arms and legs. His face hurt and tickled, and he was preoccupied with churning it into multiple expressions.

That is to say, right now, Itsuki's entire body excluding his ears was covered in scripture.

"--Please bear it for now. Since you were in such thick spell wave pollution, we at least need to inspect you and lay out protection."

"But... don't monks normally do this sort of thing?"

"Ah, you probably think that because of societal stereotypes. Onmyoudou is good with dealing with curses and such, but it isn't meant for contamination like this. Mikan-san is also not equipped to deal with a situation as specific as this. Though if this were long ago, and we had Sekiren-san with us, this would have been no problem."

'Meaow."

The black cat on Nekoyashiki's shoulder--Genbu-kun--gave a yawn of agreement.

They were in the <Astral> office's nap room. Itsuki sat up on the white bed in the corner of the room.

It was past three in the afternoon.

It had already been two hours since Itsuki had awoken from his coma. After they hauled Itsuki to the office, it seemed that they had gathered up the completely exhausted <Goetia> magicians.

"I guess it's to be expected. Since long ago, summoning magic has been known to require much rougher exertion of the body than other types of magic. Especially if the evocation fails, a boomerang effect occurs, sapping many times the usual amount of vitality from the body. I suppose it's a best case scenario, since none of them died," Nekoyashiki expounded.

It seemed like all the magicians aside from Adilisia had their energy totally consumed after the intertwining magic circle had been destroyed. It seemed that some of them had already collapsed before when Honami defeated the Shax, but Itsuki figured that they deserved it.

"Hmph. In any case, it doesn't seem like any symptoms are occurring due to the spell wave pollution. Your spiritual resistance must be higher than I thought, president," Nekoyashiki lauded after putting the finishing touches on the sutras across Itsuki's body.

"Hah, I guess that's a relief."

"It seems that way for the time being, at least. There are times when spell wave pollution associated with a taboo erupts after a while."

"W, what happens then...?"

Nekoyashiki made a meek expression, and stroked Genbu-kun on the head.

"... Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hu, huuh?"

Letting out a sigh, the young man shrugged the shoulders of his haori.

"For example... after several months' time, your eyes will grow farther apart, your hands will become webbed, and you'll start yearning for the sea..."

"Th, then, almost becoming a monster..."

"Aside from that... you could turn into a corpse and forever be enamored with loitering around mansions... you could turn into an insect with the rising sun..."

"--*gulp*"

Itsuki's cheeks became stiff.

Just as his scripture-covered face was about to turn from blue to white,

"I'm just messing with you."

"N, n, n, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Ahaha. In any case, the truth is that I don't know for sure what will happen if the spell wave pollution remains in your body, but I don't see anything unusual, so I think you're all right."

"--If that's the case, please say so from the beginning," Itsuki said, almost in tears.

At that point, the sound of the door at the entrance opening could be heard.

"I'm heeeere!"

Spreading out the sleeves of her miko outfit, Mikan looked like an airplane as she ran inside.

Running straight into the nap room, she looked at Itsuki's face, and blinking her large eyes, fell into a fit of laughter.

"Aah, president onii-chan's face looks funny~"

"D, don't laugh!"

"What's the matter?"

Honami, who had just entered the room, blushed as she saw Itsuki's upper half--and then put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter as she saw his face.

"E, even you, Honami?"

"I know, I know, but your letter-covered face is just... ahahahahah!"

As she held her sides, tears began to form in her Ice Blue Eyes.

Itsuki held back his complaints, not wanting to interrupt Honami's rare smile. It was then that a third person entered from outside.

"My my, you have quite a keen sense of fashion."

The newcomer, Adilisia, blushed as she let out a chuckle.

"Hah..."

Somehow, she still seemed desperate. Itsuki hastily threw on a shirt. He wished he had some face washing cream with him.

When he got up from the bed,

"Er, were there any issues with the spell wave pollution?" Adilisia asked.

"No, I'm fine. How about you, Adilisia-san?"

"I told you before. I was a magician the moment I was born. I have not slacked in my training to repel the effects of the spell power of others."

"... Well I'm just a normal person," he pouted, pointing his lips.

Actually, since his father was a magician, he might be just the same as Adilisia, just with a hundred times less experience.

As he splashed his face with water, a knock came from the entrance door.

"Is it a customer?"

Wiping his face with a towel, he left the washroom.

Honami had already opened the door.

And then, the atmosphere became stiff.

"Well, it seems the two leaders are here, so would it be alright to allow me to perform a confirmation of progress right here?"

A person from the <Organization>--Kagezaki--stood still before them with a vacant smile.

Several minutes later.

In the reception room, which was just a desk, with the rest of the room separated by a partition wall, everyone had gathered.

Kagezaki of the <Organization>, Adilisia of <Goetia>, Nekoyashiki, Honami, and Mikan of <Astral>--and Itsuki.

In the middle of the desk, Kagezaki set out a thick stack of documents, and continued speaking.

"For these reasons, the <Organization> has recognized the <Night> from yesterday as having risen from second to third class spell wave pollution. Since it appears that neither of the groups that were tasked with destroying its core have succeeded, it seems the <Night> will occur again in a nearby area. During that time, the 'job' contract will continue to be valid."

His voice seemed to not hold any sort of emotion.

Itsuki made a frown.

"Again... You're saying something like that <Night> is going to happen again?" he moaned.

"Yes, that is of course, if we are talking about a normal <Night>."

Kagezaki looked toward Adilisia questioningly.

Itsuki's shoulders quivered.

However, not one muscle in Adilisia's face budged.

"Is there something you want from me?" she asked with a blooming smile. It was an artful grin, as if begging to be framed and hung on a wall. Though, even if it was pretty, it made Itsuki's stomach hurt.

"No, there is just something I would like to confirm with <Goetia>."

"What may that be? I do not mind if we speak here," Adilisia prompted, crossing her slender fingers together.

"If that is the case, then I will not hesitate," Kagezaki said, then continued, "There are rumors that a magician of <Goetia> has secretly broken a taboo."

''Yikes!'' Itsuki yelped inside his mind.

Adilisia's smile did not falter.

"Unbelievable. A taboo is something absolute. It does not seem befitting of the <Organization> to lend their ears to such playground hearsay, does it?"

"Those are strong words. Well then, please allow your attention to fall to these reference documents."

Kagezaki, making a nod, brought out a new stack of papers. There were several sheets and photos in it, including some satellite photos.

Itsuki scowled.

"What is this photo...?"

"It is an aura-reflecting Kirlian photo. In the <Organization>, Kirlian photography is also used to specify ley lines."

Kirlian photography--a type of photography used for the purpose of detecting life signs, employed in many magical groups as a technique for capturing images of spell power. However, the only magical association with the scale and idea to take Kirlian satellite photos was the <Organization>.

"As you know, a <Night> is a storm of spell power that flows ley lines. If you investigate the flow of these ley lines, you can predict when and where the <Night> will emit spell wave pollution. That is why we are able to conduct these offers." Kagezaki continued his explanation. "The spell power that this <Night> originated from has been traced across mountains and seafloors, leading us all the way to ley lines far off in Europe. If you follow the source, the lines go to England, near Wales, four months ago. A workshop of <Goetia> should be located on these ley lines."

"Wha..."

As opposed to the panicking Itsuki, Adilisia elegantly waved her hand.

"It is natural that our workshop would be constructed on ley lines. That does not amount to any sort of evidence."

"Haha, indeed," Kagezaki nodded, as if agreeing with her.

''Phew...''

Itsuki ran his hand across his chest in relief.

However, he had been too soon.

"Looking further inward--four months ago in Wales, the day that the <Night> first appeared, the representative leader of <Goetia> and his trusted adeptus minor both died unnaturally in their workshop. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"!"

Adilisia sank into silence.

She wasn't using her right to remain silent. It was the sort of silence in which one wondered how someone was aware of something.

"Yes, you managed to cover that one up fairly well. --Do not worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. After all, magicians dying unnatural deaths during ceremonies isn't the kind of thing you want to have in a newspaper. However, to have written the deaths off as the result of a mere heart attack and stroke in your report to the organization makes me a bit wary about your intentions."

"That is..."

"Do you have some sort of excuse?"

His words seemed accusatory, but the color of blame wasn't the least bit present in his voice.

It simply seemed like he was trying to uncover the facts.

"--Well, the reason that you became the leader of <Goetia> was because of this incident, wasn't it? You also quit the academy which Honami-san here was attending as well.

His words had a terrifyingly slow, characteristic rhythm to them.

It almost sounded as if he were using hypnosis.

''Adilisia-san...?''

Itsuki looked at her from the side. The leader of <Goetia> kept her head down.

"U, um, is it okay if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Kagezaki implored.

"I, if something like that were to have happened, why would the magician have traveled to Japan along with the <Night>?"

As Itsuki finished his question, Kagezaki leaned back in his chair, as if to say "Oh, is that what you're wondering about?"

"Just as an example... Like if a magician were to have committed a taboo? If they were to have turned into magic and melted into the ley lines?" Kagezaki traced a river in the air with his finger. "There are several kinds of taboos to be broken, but the easiest to understand, and the most troublesome method would be that. One literally changes his self into magic. This is nothing but an example, but--if we are talking about summoning magic, the user's body would end up shifting between the demons themselves as they were summoned."

Itsuki's chest froze.

The old man that had turned to mud.

A lump of several demons that was once a magician.

If a monster like that were to exist, it would be able to melt into the ley lines and eventually become the storm of spell power called a <Night>.

Wouldn't it?

"..."

Looking at Itsuki, who was at a loss for words, Kagezaki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, as it is now, this would not suffice as evidence."

"Huh...?"

Kagezaki made a light, wry smile.

"That is why I came to make sure of things."

"Then, why are you..."

Kagezaki shot a look at Adilisia in response to what Itsuki was about to ask.

And then he sighed.

"Because if the only one hiding the taboo is the leader, then all guilt would fall upon them."

In an instant, the color of Itsuki's face changed.

After that sentence, he understood what Kagezaki wanted to say.

"However, if all of <Goetia> knew about this, then everyone involved would receive punishment."

... That would be too much.

That is, Kagezaki was telling Adilisia to become a scapegoat.

If she alone were accused, then they would turn a blind eye to the other members of <Goetia>.

"..."

Adilisia bit her red lip. She was probably searching for some way to respond.

But it was no use.

She was trapped.

Even Itsuki knew that.

''"--I am the temporary leader of <Goetia>. The responsibility for any taboos committed would naturally fall on me."''

''"... Yes, this body of mine is a crystal of magic fostered through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power."''

That was the kind of person she was.

Different from Itsuki.

She wasn't simply a figurehead, she was a truly cool person who knew what it meant to stand above others.

"Well then, how shall we handle this?"

Kagezaki slowly drew closer. His words seemed ready to lunge in for the kill.

"If you give us your confirmation, the I will have people dispatched directly from the <Organization>. Tell me the name of the magician who committed the taboo, and I assure you we will not let him escape our might."

Unconcerned, he laid out the truth.

"..."

Adilisia opened her lips.

"I..."

"... know nothing!"

Those words were not Adilisia's.

Kagezaki turned to their source.

"President Iba?"

"I... Itsuki, what are you?"

"I'm saying... I don't know of anything like that. I was underneath the ocean of the <Night> with her, and I didn't see any magician like what you were talking about. That's why Adilisia has nothing to hide."

Itsuki curled up his fists tightly, strongly, trying to push away fear, but still strong.

He endured, staring straight into Kagezaki's gaze.

"--My goodness." Kagezaki let out a breath of surprise. "I see. If the president of <Astral> says as such, I have no choice but to respect it. Well then, let us put an end to this discussion. --However, I have heard that almost all of <Goetia>'s magicians are all debilitated for the moment. Do you think you can carry out the offer like this?"

He threw off the direction of the conversation. After all the work he had done prying into <Goetia>'s matters, it seemed his intention was to pry, and nothing more.

"That is..."

"If you need magician's, we're all right here."

This time, a dignified voice rose up from behind Itsuki.

"Honami?"

Combing her short chestnut-colored hair out of the way, Honami narrowed her eyes.

It was a matter-of-fact motion.

"President, did you forget? <Astral> is a company that rents out magicians. There's no reason we can't do business with our competition, though. It might even be a good thing pro forma, seeing as to how we're doing the same offer as <Goetia>."

"Uh... y, yeah!"

"Honami..."

Adilisia, taken aback, looked at Itsuki, then Honami. She had an expression as if she had suddenly turned back into a child.

"It's our job. We've got some stuff between us, but let's ignore it. How about it? Wanna contract with us, Addie?"

Honami gave her a light wink.

Adilisia turned red.

"... I, I do not mind forming a contract with you," she said in a subdued tone.

"Alright then, contract settled. Got any complaints, Kagezaki-san?"

Honami, who had stood up, pushed her thin-rimmed glasses up.

"... No, I have none."

Shaking his head, Kagezaki returned his disarrayed documents to his attache case.

He then bowed and gave an empty smile that left frighteningly little of an impression.

"Well then, this concludes my investigation. Thank you, and to greater magic."

After the suited figure left the office, Itsuki had fallen back into his chair when Mikan ran into him, bumping their heads together.

"Gwah!"

"President onii-chan, you were amazing! You made Kagezaki oji-san go away!"

Mikan jumped up and down with an excited face.

Behind her, Nekoyashiki, covered head to toe in cats, held his cheek with his hand.

"Mm, you picked quite a fight, president."

"H... huh? I didn't mean to--"

"No, since you jumped in after Kagezaki-san had pushed Adilisia-san so far, you ended up ruining him quite brilliantly. That's the first time I've ever seen Kagezaki-san so angry, you know."

"He, he was mad?"

Itsuki had never been able to read his facial expressions.

"Yes, and quite."

Nekoyashiki nodded with a smile.

From their positions on his knee and shoulder, Byakko-kun and Genbu-kun each gave a "mee-ow" in agreement.

Somehow, Itsuki felt as though he was a patient who had just been just diagnosed with a fatal disease.

"--Well then, you managed to ride the mood this far. What now, president?"

Honami looked at him with delicately cold eyes.

"What do you mean?--We're going to capture the magician in that <Night>, right?"

"But if we don't have the support of the <Organization> it'll be difficult to pinpoint where the <Night> will show up next. At best we would only be able to narrow it down to a few options."

"Oh..."

Darn it. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Honami let out another small sigh, putting her hand on her waist. Rather than angry, she seemed more tired.

Even though it was another thing that Itsuki had overlooked, it seemed to make her just a little bit happy, too.

"Iccha--I mean, president..."

"You know, something like that is quite simple."

Adilisia interjected from the side.

"Huh?"

She focused her gaze.

This far in the game, the golden-haired girl was not about to hesitate, and instead she placed her hand across her chest.

"Use me as bait."

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-09-28T20:51:20Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - End of the Magician==

===1===

"Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice.

As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half.

"Owowowow... Don't move them... Ack!"

His bent arms raised a screech. The bruise he had received when he had fallen into the ocean of the <Night> was still causing him pain. In addition, several sutras had been scrawled across his arms and legs. His face hurt and tickled, and he was preoccupied with churning it into multiple expressions.

That is to say, right now, Itsuki's entire body excluding his ears was covered in scripture.

"--Please bear it for now. Since you were in such thick spell wave pollution, we at least need to inspect you and lay out protection."

"But... don't monks normally do this sort of thing?"

"Ah, you probably think that because of societal stereotypes. Onmyoudou is good with dealing with curses and such, but it isn't meant for contamination like this. Mikan-san is also not equipped to deal with a situation as specific as this. Though if this were long ago, and we had Sekiren-san with us, this would have been no problem."

'Meaow."

The black cat on Nekoyashiki's shoulder--Genbu-kun--gave a yawn of agreement.

They were in the <Astral> office's nap room. Itsuki sat up on the white bed in the corner of the room.

It was past three in the afternoon.

It had already been two hours since Itsuki had awoken from his coma. After they hauled Itsuki to the office, it seemed that they had gathered up the completely exhausted <Goetia> magicians.

"I guess it's to be expected. Since long ago, summoning magic has been known to require much rougher exertion of the body than other types of magic. Especially if the evocation fails, a boomerang effect occurs, sapping many times the usual amount of vitality from the body. I suppose it's a best case scenario, since none of them died," Nekoyashiki expounded.

It seemed like all the magicians aside from Adilisia had their energy totally consumed after the intertwining magic circle had been destroyed. It seemed that some of them had already collapsed before when Honami defeated the Shax, but Itsuki figured that they deserved it.

"Hmph. In any case, it doesn't seem like any symptoms are occurring due to the spell wave pollution. Your spiritual resistance must be higher than I thought, president," Nekoyashiki lauded after putting the finishing touches on the sutras across Itsuki's body.

"Hah, I guess that's a relief."

"It seems that way for the time being, at least. There are times when spell wave pollution associated with a taboo erupts after a while."

"W, what happens then...?"

Nekoyashiki made a meek expression, and stroked Genbu-kun on the head.

"... Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hu, huuh?"

Letting out a sigh, the young man shrugged the shoulders of his haori.

"For example... after several months' time, your eyes will grow farther apart, your hands will become webbed, and you'll start yearning for the sea..."

"Th, then, almost becoming a monster..."

"Aside from that... you could turn into a corpse and forever be enamored with loitering around mansions... you could turn into an insect with the rising sun..."

"--*gulp*"

Itsuki's cheeks became stiff.

Just as his scripture-covered face was about to turn from blue to white,

"I'm just messing with you."

"N, n, n, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Ahaha. In any case, the truth is that I don't know for sure what will happen if the spell wave pollution remains in your body, but I don't see anything unusual, so I think you're all right."

"--If that's the case, please say so from the beginning," Itsuki said, almost in tears.

At that point, the sound of the door at the entrance opening could be heard.

"I'm heeeere!"

Spreading out the sleeves of her miko outfit, Mikan looked like an airplane as she ran inside.

Running straight into the nap room, she looked at Itsuki's face, and blinking her large eyes, fell into a fit of laughter.

"Aah, president onii-chan's face looks funny~"

"D, don't laugh!"

"What's the matter?"

Honami, who had just entered the room, blushed as she saw Itsuki's upper half--and then put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter as she saw his face.

"E, even you, Honami?"

"I know, I know, but your letter-covered face is just... ahahahahah!"

As she held her sides, tears began to form in her Ice Blue Eyes.

Itsuki held back his complaints, not wanting to interrupt Honami's rare smile. It was then that a third person entered from outside.

"My my, you have quite a keen sense of fashion."

The newcomer, Adilisia, blushed as she let out a chuckle.

"Hah..."

Somehow, she still seemed desperate. Itsuki hastily threw on a shirt. He wished he had some face washing cream with him.

When he got up from the bed,

"Er, were there any issues with the spell wave pollution?" Adilisia asked.

"No, I'm fine. How about you, Adilisia-san?"

"I told you before. I was a magician the moment I was born. I have not slacked in my training to repel the effects of the spell power of others."

"... Well I'm just a normal person," he pouted, pointing his lips.

Actually, since his father was a magician, he might be just the same as Adilisia, just with a hundred times less experience.

As he splashed his face with water, a knock came from the entrance door.

"Is it a customer?"

Wiping his face with a towel, he left the washroom.

Honami had already opened the door.

And then, the atmosphere became stiff.

"Well, it seems the two leaders are here, so would it be alright to allow me to perform a confirmation of progress right here?"

A person from the <Organization>--Kagezaki--stood still before them with a vacant smile.

Several minutes later.

In the reception room, which was just a desk, with the rest of the room separated by a partition wall, everyone had gathered.

Kagezaki of the <Organization>, Adilisia of <Goetia>, Nekoyashiki, Honami, and Mikan of <Astral>--and Itsuki.

In the middle of the desk, Kagezaki set out a thick stack of documents, and continued speaking.

"For these reasons, the <Organization> has recognized the <Night> from yesterday as having risen from second to third class spell wave pollution. Since it appears that neither of the groups that were tasked with destroying its core have succeeded, it seems the <Night> will occur again in a nearby area. During that time, the 'job' contract will continue to be valid."

His voice seemed to not hold any sort of emotion.

Itsuki made a frown.

"Again... You're saying something like that <Night> is going to happen again?" he moaned.

"Yes, that is of course, if we are talking about a normal <Night>."

Kagezaki looked toward Adilisia questioningly.

Itsuki's shoulders quivered.

However, not one muscle in Adilisia's face budged.

"Is there something you want from me?" she asked with a blooming smile. It was an artful grin, as if begging to be framed and hung on a wall. Though, even if it was pretty, it made Itsuki's stomach hurt.

"No, there is just something I would like to confirm with <Goetia>."

"What may that be? I do not mind if we speak here," Adilisia prompted, crossing her slender fingers together.

"If that is the case, then I will not hesitate," Kagezaki said, then continued, "There are rumors that a magician of <Goetia> has secretly broken a taboo."

''Yikes!'' Itsuki yelped inside his mind.

Adilisia's smile did not falter.

"Unbelievable. A taboo is something absolute. It does not seem befitting of the <Organization> to lend their ears to such playground hearsay, does it?"

"Those are strong words. Well then, please allow your attention to fall to these reference documents."

Kagezaki, making a nod, brought out a new stack of papers. There were several sheets and photos in it, including some satellite photos.

Itsuki scowled.

"What is this photo...?"

"It is an aura-reflecting Kirlian photo. In the <Organization>, Kirlian photography is also used to specify ley lines."

Kirlian photography--a type of photography used for the purpose of detecting life signs, employed in many magical groups as a technique for capturing images of spell power. However, the only magical association with the scale and idea to take Kirlian satellite photos was the <Organization>.

"As you know, a <Night> is a storm of spell power that flows ley lines. If you investigate the flow of these ley lines, you can predict when and where the <Night> will emit spell wave pollution. That is why we are able to conduct these offers." Kagezaki continued his explanation. "The spell power that this <Night> originated from has been traced across mountains and seafloors, leading us all the way to ley lines far off in Europe. If you follow the source, the lines go to England, near Wales, four months ago. A workshop of <Goetia> should be located on these ley lines."

"Wha..."

As opposed to the panicking Itsuki, Adilisia elegantly waved her hand.

"It is natural that our workshop would be constructed on ley lines. That does not amount to any sort of evidence."

"Haha, indeed," Kagezaki nodded, as if agreeing with her.

''Phew...''

Itsuki ran his hand across his chest in relief.

However, he had been too soon.

"Looking further inward--four months ago in Wales, the day that the <Night> first appeared, the representative leader of <Goetia> and his trusted adeptus minor both died unnaturally in their workshop. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"!"

Adilisia sank into silence.

She wasn't using her right to remain silent. It was the sort of silence in which one wondered how someone was aware of something.

"Yes, you managed to cover that one up fairly well. --Do not worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. After all, magicians dying unnatural deaths during ceremonies isn't the kind of thing you want to have in a newspaper. However, to have written the deaths off the result of a mere heart attack and stroke in your report to the organization makes me a bit wary about your intentions."

"That is..."

"Do you have some sort of excuse?"

His words seemed accusatory, but the color of blame wasn't the least bit present in his voice.

It simply seemed like he was trying to uncover the facts.

"--Well, the reason that you became the leader of <Goetia> is because of this incident, wasn't it? You also quit the academy which Honami-san here was attending as well.

His words had a terrifyingly slow, characteristic rhythm to them.

It almost sounded as if he were using hypnosis.

''Adilisia-san...?''

Itsuki looked at her from the side. The leader of <Goetia> kept her head down.

"U, um, is it okay if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Kagezaki implored.

"I, if something like that were to have happened, why would the magician have traveled to Japan along with the <Night>?"

As Itsuki finished his question, Kagezaki leaned back in his chair, as if to say "Oh, is that what you're wondering about?"

"Just as an example... Like if a magician were to have committed a taboo? If they were to have turned into magic and melted into the ley lines?" Kagezaki traced a river in the air with his finger. "There are several kinds of taboos to be broken, but the easiest to understand, and the most troublesome method would be that. One literally changes his self into magic. This is nothing but an example, but--if we are talking about summoning magic, the user's body would end up shifting between the demons themselves as they were summoned."

Itsuki's chest froze.

The old man that had turned to mud.

A lump of several demons that was once a magician.

If a monster like that were to exist, it would be able to melt into the ley lines and eventually become the storm of spell power called a <Night>.

Wouldn't it?

"..."

Looking at Itsuki, who was at a loss for words, Kagezaki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, as it is now, this would not suffice as evidence."

"Huh...?"

Kagezaki made a light, wry smile.

"That is why I came to make sure of things."

"Then, why are you..."

Kagezaki shot a look at Adilisia in response to what Itsuki was about to ask.

And then he sighed.

"Because if the only one hiding the taboo is the leader, then all guilt would fall upon them."

In an instant, the color of Itsuki's face changed.

After that sentence, he understood what Kagezaki wanted to say.

"However, if all of <Goetia> knew about this, then everyone involved would receive punishment."

... That would be too much.

That is, Kagezaki was telling Adilisia to become a scapegoat.

If she alone were accused, then they would turn a blind eye to the other members of <Goetia>.

"..."

Adilisia bit her red lip. She was probably searching for some way to respond.

But it was no use.

She was trapped.

Even Itsuki knew that.

''"--I am the temporary leader of <Goetia>. The responsibility for any taboos committed would naturally fall on me."''

''"... Yes, this body of mine is a crystal of magic fostered through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power."''

That was the kind of person she was.

Different from Itsuki.

She wasn't simply a figurehead, she was a truly cool person who knew what it meant to stand above others.

"Well then, how shall we handle this?"

Kagezaki slowly drew closer. His words seemed ready to lunge in for the kill.

"If you give us your confirmation, the I will have people dispatched directly from the <Organization>. Tell me the name of the magician who committed the taboo, and I assure you we will not let him escape our might."

Unconcerned, he laid out the truth.

"..."

Adilisia opened her lips.

"I..."

"... know nothing!"

Those words were not Adilisia's.

Kagezaki turned to their source.

"President Iba?"

"I... Itsuki, what are you?"

"I'm saying... I don't know of anything like that. I was underneath the ocean of the <Night> with her, and I didn't see any magician like what you were talking about. That's why Adilisia has nothing to hide."

Itsuki curled up his fists tightly, strongly, trying to push away fear, but still strong.

He endured, staring straight into Kagezaki's gaze.

"--My goodness." Kagezaki let out a breath of surprise. "I see. If the president of <Astral> says as such, I have no choice but to respect it. Well then, let us put an end to this discussion. --However, I have heard that almost all of <Goetia>'s magicians are all debilitated for the moment. Do you think you can carry out the offer like this?"

He threw off the direction of the conversation. After all the work he had done prying into <Goetia>'s matters, it seemed his intention was to pry, and nothing more.

"That is..."

"If you need magician's, we're all right here."

This time, a dignified voice rose up from behind Itsuki.

"Honami?"

Combing her short chestnut-colored hair out of the way, Honami narrowed her eyes.

It was a matter-of-fact motion.

"President, did you forget? <Astral> is a company that rents out magicians. There's no reason we can't do business with our competition, though. It might even be a good thing pro forma, seeing as to how we're doing the same offer as <Goetia>."

"Uh... y, yeah!"

"Honami..."

Adilisia, taken aback, looked at Itsuki, then Honami. She had an expression as if she had suddenly turned back into a child.

"It's our job. We've got some stuff between us, but let's ignore it. How about it? Wanna contract with us, Addie?"

Honami gave her a light wink.

Adilisia turned red.

"... I, I do not mind forming a contract with you," she said in a subdued tone.

"Alright then, contract settled. Got any complaints, Kagezaki-san?"

Honami, who had stood up, pushed her thin-rimmed glasses up.

"... No, I have none."

Shaking his head, Kagezaki returned his disarrayed documents to his attache case.

He then bowed and gave an empty smile that left frighteningly little of an impression.

"Well then, this concludes my investigation. Thank you, and to greater magic."

After the suited figure left the office, Itsuki had fallen back into his chair when Mikan ran into him, bumping their heads together.

"Gwah!"

"President onii-chan, you were amazing! You made Kagezaki oji-san go away!"

Mikan jumped up and down with an excited face.

Behind her, Nekoyashiki, covered head to toe in cats, held his cheek with his hand.

"Mm, you picked quite a fight, president."

"H... huh? I didn't mean to--"

"No, since you jumped in after Kagezaki-san had pushed Adilisia-san so far, you ended up ruining him quite brilliantly. That's the first time I've ever seen Kagezaki-san so angry, you know."

"He, he was mad?"

Itsuki had never been able to read his facial expressions.

"Yes, and quite."

Nekoyashiki nodded with a smile.

From their positions on his knee and shoulder, Byakko-kun and Genbu-kun each gave a "mee-ow" in agreement.

Somehow, Itsuki felt as though he was a patient who was just diagnosed with a fatal disease.

"--Well then, you managed to ride the mood this far. What now, president?"

Honami looked at him with delicately cold eyes.

"What do you mean?--We're going to capture the magician in that <Night>, right?"

"But if we don't have the support of the <Organization> it'll be difficult to pinpoint where the <Night> will show up next. At best we would only be able to narrow it down to a few options."

"Oh..."

Darn it. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Honami let out another small sigh, putting her hand on her waist. Rather than angry, she seemed more tired.

Even though it was another thing that Itsuki had overlooked, it seemed to make her just a little bit happy, too.

"Iccha--I mean, president..."

"You know, something like that is quite simple."

Adilisia interjected from the side.

"Huh?"

She focused her gaze.

This far in the game, the golden-haired girl was not about to hesitate, and instead she placed her hand across her chest.

"Use me as bait."

Rental Magica

2011-09-28T20:49:24Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

''You can tell us what you think of the series by '''[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=1895 polling here and discussing it here]'''.''

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete
*11 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 2 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]] (1/2)
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.
===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6

2011-09-28T20:47:29Z

Amazing Buffalo: Created page with "Chapter 6 - End of the Magician "Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice. As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half. "Owowowo..."

Chapter 6 - End of the Magician

"Well, at least you're safe, right?" Nekoyashiki said in a tired voice.

As he did, he raised Itsuki's arms above his bare upper half.

"Owowowow... Don't move them... Ack!"

His bent arms raised a screech. The bruise he had received when he had fallen into the ocean of the <Night> was still causing him pain. In addition, several sutras had been scrawled across his arms and legs. His face hurt and tickled, and he was preoccupied with churning it into multiple expressions.

That is to say, right now, Itsuki's entire body excluding his ears was covered in scripture.

"--Please bear it for now. Since you were in such thick spell wave pollution, we at least need to inspect you and lay out protection."

"But... don't monks normally do this sort of thing?"

"Ah, you probably think that because of societal stereotypes. Onmyoudou is good with dealing with curses and such, but it isn't meant for contamination like this. Mikan-san is also not equipped to deal with a situation as specific as this. Though if this were long ago, and we had Sekiren-san with us, this would have been no problem."

'Meaow."

The black cat on Nekoyashiki's shoulder--Genbu-kun--gave a yawn of agreement.

They were in the <Astral> office's nap room. Itsuki sat up on the white bed in the corner of the room.

It was past three in the afternoon.

It had already been two hours since Itsuki had awoken from his coma. After they hauled Itsuki to the office, it seemed that they had gathered up the completely exhausted <Goetia> magicians.

"I guess it's to be expected. Since long ago, summoning magic has been known to require much rougher exertion of the body than other types of magic. Especially if the evocation fails, a boomerang effect occurs, sapping many times the usual amount of vitality from the body. I suppose it's a best case scenario, since none of them died," Nekoyashiki expounded.

It seemed like all the magicians aside from Adilisia had their energy totally consumed after the intertwining magic circle had been destroyed. It seemed that some of them had already collapsed before when Honami defeated the Shax, but Itsuki figured that they deserved it.

"Hmph. In any case, it doesn't seem like any symptoms are occurring due to the spell wave pollution. Your spiritual resistance must be higher than I thought, president," Nekoyashiki lauded after putting the finishing touches on the sutras across Itsuki's body.

"Hah, I guess that's a relief."

"It seems that way for the time being, at least. There are times when spell wave pollution associated with a taboo erupts after a while."

"W, what happens then...?"

Nekoyashiki made a meek expression, and stroked Genbu-kun on the head.

"... Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"Hu, huuh?"

Letting out a sigh, the young man shrugged the shoulders of his haori.

"For example... after several months' time, your eyes will grow farther apart, your hands will become webbed, and you'll start yearning for the sea..."

"Th, then, almost becoming a monster..."

"Aside from that... you could turn into a corpse and forever be enamored with loitering around mansions... you could turn into an insect with the rising sun..."

"--*gulp*"

Itsuki's cheeks became stiff.

Just as his scripture-covered face was about to turn from blue to white,

"I'm just messing with you."

"N, n, n, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Ahaha. In any case, the truth is that I don't know for sure what will happen if the spell wave pollution remains in your body, but I don't see anything unusual, so I think you're all right."

"--If that's the case, please say so from the beginning," Itsuki said, almost in tears.

At that point, the sound of the door at the entrance opening could be heard.

"I'm heeeere!"

Spreading out the sleeves of her miko outfit, Mikan looked like an airplane as she ran inside.

Running straight into the nap room, she looked at Itsuki's face, and blinking her large eyes, fell into a fit of laughter.

"Aah, president onii-chan's face looks funny~"

"D, don't laugh!"

"What's the matter?"

Honami, who had just entered the room, blushed as she saw Itsuki's upper half--and then put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter as she saw his face.

"E, even you, Honami?"

"I know, I know, but your letter-covered face is just... ahahahahah!"

As she held her sides, tears began to form in her Ice Blue Eyes.

Itsuki held back his complaints, not wanting to interrupt Honami's rare smile. It was then that a third person entered from outside.

"My my, you have quite a keen sense of fashion."

The newcomer, Adilisia, blushed as she let out a chuckle.

"Hah..."

Somehow, she still seemed desperate. Itsuki hastily threw on a shirt. He wished he had some face washing cream with him.

When he got up from the bed,

"Er, were there any issues with the spell wave pollution?" Adilisia asked.

"No, I'm fine. How about you, Adilisia-san?"

"I told you before. I was a magician the moment I was born. I have not slacked in my training to repel the effects of the spell power of others."

"... Well I'm just a normal person," he pouted, pointing his lips.

Actually, since his father was a magician, he might be just the same as Adilisia, just with a hundred times less experience.

As he splashed his face with water, a knock came from the entrance door.

"Is it a customer?"

Wiping his face with a towel, he left the washroom.

Honami had already opened the door.

And then, the atmosphere became stiff.

"Well, it seems the two leaders are here, so would it be alright to allow me to perform a confirmation of progress right here?"

A person from the <Organization>--Kagezaki--stood still before them with a vacant smile.

Several minutes later.

In the reception room, which was just a desk, with the rest of the room separated by a partition wall, everyone had gathered.

Kagezaki of the <Organization>, Adilisia of <Goetia>, Nekoyashiki, Honami, and Mikan of <Astral>--and Itsuki.

In the middle of the desk, Kagezaki set out a thick stack of documents, and continued speaking.

"For these reasons, the <Organization> has recognized the <Night> from yesterday as having risen from second to third class spell wave pollution. Since it appears that neither of the groups that were tasked with destroying its core have succeeded, it seems the <Night> will occur again in a nearby area. During that time, the 'job' contract will continue to be valid."

His voice seemed to not hold any sort of emotion.

Itsuki made a frown.

"Again... You're saying something like that <Night> is going to happen again?" he moaned.

"Yes, that is of course, if we are talking about a normal <Night>."

Kagezaki looked toward Adilisia questioningly.

Itsuki's shoulders quivered.

However, not one muscle in Adilisia's face budged.

"Is there something you want from me?" she asked with a blooming smile. It was an artful grin, as if begging to be framed and hung on a wall. Though, even if it was pretty, it made Itsuki's stomach hurt.

"No, there is just something I would like to confirm with <Goetia>."

"What may that be? I do not mind if we speak here," Adilisia prompted, crossing her slender fingers together.

"If that is the case, then I will not hesitate," Kagezaki said, then continued, "There are rumors that a magician of <Goetia> has secretly broken a taboo."

''Yikes!'' Itsuki yelped inside his mind.

Adilisia's smile did not falter.

"Unbelievable. A taboo is something absolute. It does not seem befitting of the <Organization> to lend their ears to such playground hearsay, does it?"

"Those are strong words. Well then, please allow your attention to fall to these reference documents."

Kagezaki, making a nod, brought out a new stack of papers. There were several sheets and photos in it, including some satellite photos.

Itsuki scowled.

"What is this photo...?"

"It is an aura-reflecting Kirlian photo. In the <Organization>, Kirlian photography is also used to specify ley lines."

Kirlian photography--a type of photography used for the purpose of detecting life signs, employed in many magical groups as a technique for capturing images of spell power. However, the only magical association with the scale and idea to take Kirlian satellite photos was the <Organization>.

"As you know, a <Night> is a storm of spell power that flows ley lines. If you investigate the flow of these ley lines, you can predict when and where the <Night> will emit spell wave pollution. That is why we are able to conduct these offers." Kagezaki continued his explanation. "The spell power that this <Night> originated from has been traced across mountains and seafloors, leading us all the way to ley lines far off in Europe. If you follow the source, the lines go to England, near Wales, four months ago. A workshop of <Goetia> should be located on these ley lines."

"Wha..."

As opposed to the panicking Itsuki, Adilisia elegantly waved her hand.

"It is natural that our workshop would be constructed on ley lines. That does not amount to any sort of evidence."

"Haha, indeed," Kagezaki nodded, as if agreeing with her.

''Phew...''

Itsuki ran his hand across his chest in relief.

However, he had been too soon.

"Looking further inward--four months ago in Wales, the day that the <Night> first appeared, the representative leader of <Goetia> and his trusted adeptus minor both died unnaturally in their workshop. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"!"

Adilisia sank into silence.

She wasn't using her right to remain silent. It was the sort of silence in which one wondered how someone was aware of something.

"Yes, you managed to cover that one up fairly well. --Do not worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. After all, magicians dying unnatural deaths during ceremonies isn't the kind of thing you want to have in a newspaper. However, to have written the deaths off the result of a mere heart attack and stroke in your report to the organization makes me a bit wary about your intentions."

"That is..."

"Do you have some sort of excuse?"

His words seemed accusatory, but the color of blame wasn't the least bit present in his voice.

It simply seemed like he was trying to uncover the facts.

"--Well, the reason that you became the leader of <Goetia> is because of this incident, wasn't it? You also quit the academy which Honami-san here was attending as well.

His words had a terrifyingly slow, characteristic rhythm to them.

It almost sounded as if he were using hypnosis.

''Adilisia-san...?''

Itsuki looked at her from the side. The leader of <Goetia> kept her head down.

"U, um, is it okay if I ask a question?"

"What is it?" Kagezaki implored.

"I, if something like that were to have happened, why would the magician have traveled to Japan along with the <Night>?"

As Itsuki finished his question, Kagezaki leaned back in his chair, as if to say "Oh, is that what you're wondering about?"

"Just as an example... Like if a magician were to have committed a taboo? If they were to have turned into magic and melted into the ley lines?" Kagezaki traced a river in the air with his finger. "There are several kinds of taboos to be broken, but the easiest to understand, and the most troublesome method would be that. One literally changes his self into magic. This is nothing but an example, but--if we are talking about summoning magic, the user's body would end up shifting between the demons themselves as they were summoned."

Itsuki's chest froze.

The old man that had turned to mud.

A lump of several demons that was once a magician.

If a monster like that were to exist, it would be able to melt into the ley lines and eventually become the storm of spell power called a <Night>.

Wouldn't it?

"..."

Looking at Itsuki, who was at a loss for words, Kagezaki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, as it is now, this would not suffice as evidence."

"Huh...?"

Kagezaki made a light, wry smile.

"That is why I came to make sure of things."

"Then, why are you..."

Kagezaki shot a look at Adilisia in response to what Itsuki was about to ask.

And then he sighed.

"Because if the only one hiding the taboo is the leader, then all guilt would fall upon them."

In an instant, the color of Itsuki's face changed.

After that sentence, he understood what Kagezaki wanted to say.

"However, if all of <Goetia> knew about this, then everyone involved would receive punishment."

... That would be too much.

That is, Kagezaki was telling Adilisia to become a scapegoat.

If she alone were accused, then they would turn a blind eye to the other members of <Goetia>.

"..."

Adilisia bit her red lip. She was probably searching for some way to respond.

But it was no use.

She was trapped.

Even Itsuki knew that.

''"--I am the temporary leader of <Goetia>. The responsibility for any taboos committed would naturally fall on me."''

''"... Yes, this body of mine is a crystal of magic fostered through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power."''

That was the kind of person she was.

Different from Itsuki.

She wasn't simply a figurehead, she was a truly cool person who knew what it meant to stand above others.

"Well then, how shall we handle this?"

Kagezaki slowly drew closer. His words seemed ready to lunge in for the kill.

"If you give us your confirmation, the I will have people dispatched directly from the <Organization>. Tell me the name of the magician who committed the taboo, and I assure you we will not let him escape our might."

Unconcerned, he laid out the truth.

"..."

Adilisia opened her lips.

"I..."

"... know nothing!"

Those words were not Adilisia's.

Kagezaki turned to their source.

"President Iba?"

"I... Itsuki, what are you?"

"I'm saying... I don't know of anything like that. I was underneath the ocean of the <Night> with her, and I didn't see any magician like what you were talking about. That's why Adilisia has nothing to hide."

Itsuki curled up his fists tightly, strongly, trying to push away fear, but still strong.

He endured, staring straight into Kagezaki's gaze.

"--My goodness." Kagezaki let out a breath of surprise. "I see. If the president of <Astral> says as such, I have no choice but to respect it. Well then, let us put an end to this discussion. --However, I have heard that almost all of <Goetia>'s magicians are all debilitated for the moment. Do you think you can carry out the offer like this?"

He threw off the direction of the conversation. After all the work he had done prying into <Goetia>'s matters, it seemed his intention was to pry, and nothing more.

"That is..."

"If you need magician's, we're all right here."

This time, a dignified voice rose up from behind Itsuki.

"Honami?"

Combing her short chestnut-colored hair out of the way, Honami narrowed her eyes.

It was a matter-of-fact motion.

"President, did you forget? <Astral> is a company that rents out magicians. There's no reason we can't do business with our competition, though. It might even be a good thing pro forma, seeing as to how we're doing the same offer as <Goetia>."

"Uh... y, yeah!"

"Honami..."

Adilisia, taken aback, looked at Itsuki, then Honami. She had an expression as if she had suddenly turned back into a child.

"It's our job. We've got some stuff between us, but let's ignore it. How about it? Wanna contract with us, Addie?"

Honami gave her a light wink.

Adilisia turned red.

"... I, I do not mind forming a contract with you," she said in a subdued tone.

"Alright then, contract settled. Got any complaints, Kagezaki-san?"

Honami, who had stood up, pushed her thin-rimmed glasses up.

"... No, I have none."

Shaking his head, Kagezaki returned his disarrayed documents to his attache case.

He then bowed and gave an empty smile that left frighteningly little of an impression.

"Well then, this concludes my investigation. Thank you, and to greater magic."

After the suited figure left the office, Itsuki had fallen back into his chair when Mikan ran into him, bumping their heads together.

"Gwah!"

"President onii-chan, you were amazing! You made Kagezaki oji-san go away!"

Mikan jumped up and down with an excited face.

Behind her, Nekoyashiki, covered head to toe in cats, held his cheek with his hand.

"Mm, you picked quite a fight, president."

"H... huh? I didn't mean to--"

"No, since you jumped in after Kagezaki-san had pushed Adilisia-san so far, you ended up ruining him quite brilliantly. That's the first time I've ever seen Kagezaki-san so angry, you know."

"He, he was mad?"

Itsuki had never been able to read his facial expressions.

"Yes, and quite."

Nekoyashiki nodded with a smile.

From their positions on his knee and shoulder, Byakko-kun and Genbu-kun each gave a "mee-ow" in agreement.

Somehow, Itsuki felt as though he was a patient who was just diagnosed with a fatal disease.

"--Well then, you managed to ride the mood this far. What now, president?"

Honami looked at him with delicately cold eyes.

"What do you mean?--We're going to capture the magician in that <Night>, right?"

"But if we don't have the support of the <Organization> it'll be difficult to pinpoint where the <Night> will show up next. At best we would only be able to narrow it down to a few options."

"Oh..."

Darn it. He hadn't thought of that at all.

Honami let out another small sigh, putting her hand on her waist. Rather than angry, she seemed more tired.

Even though it was another thing that Itsuki had overlooked, it seemed to make her just a little bit happy, too.

"Iccha--I mean, president..."

"You know, something like that is quite simple."

Adilisia interjected from the side.

"Huh?"

She focused her gaze.

This far in the game, the golden-haired girl was not about to hesitate, and instead she placed her hand across her chest.

"Use me as bait."

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2011-09-25T18:59:43Z

Amazing Buffalo: what the fuck, oni

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Epilogue

2011-09-14T21:05:30Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Epilogue - Mimizuku and Fukurou==

Just like the first time she had visited, the darkness of the forest whispered and the wind sliced through the air like a scythe.

Mimizuku, who hadn't stepped into the Forest of Night since a while before, thought that something seemed a bit strange. She knew right away what it was. It was the feeling of her steps on the ground. She was wearing shoes.

She wasn't really sure whether it was normal or not for her to wear them.

"What should I do with these shoes? I don't really need them..." she sighed loudly to herself. She figured that it should be her that decides what's normal for her. "I missed this place!" Sucking in the air around the beautiful greenery, Mimizuku outstretched her arms. No matter how much she waved her wrists or ankles around, there was no sound. Not that she had ever disliked the sound. "I feel like we've finally come home! Don't you think so?" Mimizuku said, turning to Fukurou.

She wanted to say so many things to him, that she was sorry his painting burned, to thank him for showing it to her, that he was an idiot for erasing her memory. However, she decided that a lot had happened that night, and she would tell him everything tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

She was happy that there was a tomorrow to look forward to.

"... Do you truly consider this place your home?"

The first thing that Fukurou had said to her was something like that. Mimizuku tilted her neck at his words, but then smiled.

"Yeah, I do. This is where I wanted to return, right?" She then stepped closer to Fukurou and looked up at him. His eyes gradually changed to silver. The sky as well soon turned white with the dawn. "If Fukurou wanted to live in the country, with Andy and everyone else, then that's where I would want to go. But you don't want to live there, do you?"

"..."

"I'll go wherever you go! We'll always, always be together!" Mimizuku said brightly.

"... Do you understand?"

"Huh? Understand what?"

Fukurou let out a small breath.

"The meaning of your words. Do you understand them? No matter how long you live, you will never outlive me. You will die, leaving me behind."

"Yeah, that's true, I guess," Mimizuku nodded, smiling. She understood the difference in their lifespans. She knew that they couldn't live eternally together. But still... "Even so, I'll always be by your side." Mimizuku then smiled sympathetically. "I won't force you to eat me, but... if you let me become a grandma, then I definitely won't taste as good. But if I ever die, then I'll go back to the dirt." Mimizuku looked up at Fukurou's beautiful eyes. "If I ever die, I'll return to the dirt of this forest. I'll turn into dirt, then into a flower, and I'll always be blooming by your side... We'll always, always be together..." she vowed, whispering.

Fukurou gazed at Mimizuku silently for a long time.

"... Do as you like," he simply said in a low voice.

With just those words, Mimizuku was happy.

''This is what he meant by "allowances," wasn't it?''

She finally understood everything that Kuro had said.

Eventually, Fukurou stopped and sat at the roots of a giant tree to rest his large wings.

"Hm? Fukurou, what are you doing?"

"... I'm going to sleep for a while."

"S-sleep!? I... I'll sleep too..." Mimizuku decided, rolling up into a ball by Fukurou's side. She became small as she had done long before, but Fukurou's wings acted as cushions for her, and she was able to sleep with similar comfort to the giant bed in the castle.

Mimizuku was very tired, and she slipped away almost as soon as she lay down.

She didn't care if she awoke. If she did, then she would talk to Fukurou about building a new mansion, and making a new painting.

Then, she'd call for Kuro, and everyone would be happy together.

As she thought of these things, she drew closer and closer to the world of sleep.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt Fukurou's wings draw around her like a futon.

It made her incredibly happy.

''Maybe it was all a dream,'' Mimizuku thought.

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| Back to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Author's Word|Author's Word]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6

2011-09-13T15:46:06Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - Seal of the King of Night==

Claudius asked Mimizuku to sit on the carpet next to him. Mimizuku responded to his request without hesitation. Ever since she began to live in the castle, sitting on carpets was one of her favorite things, though she was often chided by the maids for doing so.

Here, however, there was no one to tell her off.

Sitting down directly onto the carpet, Mimizuku looked up at the boy prince, who seemed small even to her. Claudius was sitting in a chair much larger than himself, seeming to drown in its plush exterior.

"Show me your mark," Claudius said, just moving the end of his mouth.

Mimizuku obediently removed her hat and showed him her forehead.

"That's a really strange pattern..."

"Eheheh!" Mimizuku laughed.

"Show me your wrists and ankles."

Just as she was told, she extended her arms to show him her wrists, and stretched out her knees to show her ankles.

"They're really discolored."

"Orietta said they can't make it go away."

"So you were in shackles?"

"Yeah, that's right. They were rusted away, or they said something like that."

"Don't you have trouble moving?"

"Trouble? Hm... they don't hurt, so I guess they don't give me any trouble?"

"... I see."

With that, Claudius gave a light smile. It was a smile of a certain kind that Mimizuku had not seen much. Mimizuku couldn't even tell if he was smiling in the first place.

"If that's the case, then I'm even worse off."

"Okay?"

"Aren't my arms and legs disgustingly discolored?"

"Yeah."

Mimizuku nodded frankly. She didn't know what "ugly" meant, but they certainly were a color that she had never seen before.

"This is how I've been ever since I was born. I haven't been able to move my arms and legs, ever."

"You can't move them?"

"That's right. Even though I went so far as to take my mother's life to be born... like this, I'll surely cause grief to the kingdom."

Saying those words, Claudius averted his gaze from Mimizuku and cast his eyes downward.

"It's as if my body is cursed. Like this, I can't be seen by the citizens of the kingdom. If they say I'm crippled, everyone will get scared. Therefore, ever since my birth, I've been kept in this room, almost never leaving."

Mimizuku opened her mouth wide in amazement, causing Claudius to smile, in that same way that she couldn't tell if he was smiling or not.

"So, you would say I'm unfortunate, right?" Claudius asked.

Mimizuku slanted her head to the side.

"Unfortunate?"

"That's right."

Unfortunate is when you're unhappy. ''Since the prince called himself unfortunate, maybe he really is?'' Mimizuku thought.

''But why is he asking me?''

"So, how was it? You, being captured by the King of Night, I mean. Do you think you're more unfortunate than me?" Claudius said, glaring at Mimizuku with a spiteful expression on his face.

"Um..."

Mimizuku wasn't taken aback by Claudius's appearance.

"I'm happy? In this castle, I'm happy, I think?" she spoke absentmindedly.

Mimizuku's words seemed to stab a hole in Claudius. He opened his dull emerald eyes wide.

"I was told it's thanks to His Majesty, but I suppose you had a part in it too," Mimizuku said with a smile. Claudius looked away.

"... I don't have any authority at all."

Mimizuku, who didn't know what "authority" meant, suddenly stood up. She didn't receive permission from Claudius, but the view of the sunset from the large window was so beautiful to her.

"Wow! Incredible!" Mimizuku shouted with joy.

"Incredible, incredible! There's such a great view from here! Hey, you can even see the market!"

"Mimizuku, I'm not finished ta--!"

His words disappeared unfinished into Mimizuku's shouting.

"Hey, hey! The baked fruits in that stall over there are so delicious! Have you ever eaten them?" Mimizuku asked insouciantly. Claudius's face twisted.

"I already said...! I can't ever leave here!!"

"So you haven't? Alright then, I'll buy some for you! I'm good friends with the man there!" Mimizuku exclaimed, beaming.

Claudius opened his mouth to say something to her, but he closed it, hesitating.

"... You'll... buy me some?" he asked meekly.

"Yeah! I'll buy you some! They're really good. There are also lots of beautiful and fun things there too." Mimizuku nodded several times. She felt very content. She remembered how happy the man at the stand was when she said the fruit was delicious.

Claudius looked up at Mimizuku. It was a forlorn gaze, as if he was clinging to Mimizuku.

"You..."

"Yes?"

"Don't you commiserate me?"

"C... commiserate?"

Mimizuku cocked her neck like a bird.

"Wouldn't you say I'm pitiable?"

"Um... you're pitiable?"

Claudius blushed in an instant and looked away. It seemed that having his question reflected back at him caused him embarrassment.

"I've been called pitiable too, though I don't get what's so pitiable about me," Mimizuku said, smiling broadly. Claudius stared at her face timidly.

"... Hey, Mimizuku."

"Yes?"

"Tell me about what goes on around the castle. Of what's outside, tell me what's beautiful, what's interesting, and what's wonderful," he spoke, his voice like a whisper.

Mimizuku lightly nodded her head at his request.

"Yeah, alright! I'll tell you all about it. And I'll bring you something delicious! There are lots of surprising things in the town. And then there are lots of pretty things too!"

"..."

Claudius was silent, and he hung his head far downward.

"Uh... Mimizuku?"

"Yeah?"

"... Will you, um..."

The ears poking out from between strands of his hair turned red.

"Will you... be my friend?"

Mimizuku grinned at his question.

"What's a friend?" she responded innocently, refreshingly.

Claudius looked up and gave an uneasy laugh. It was the first time Mimizuku had seen him laugh.

That day, when the king had finished his governmental affairs, he headed to the reception room to find Ann Duke lounging on his sofa. This was what greeted him after a day of exhausting work. He thought of lighting a fire and sticking it to the nose of Ann Duke's sleeping face, but he considered that he was up against someone who lived by the sword and thought better of it. He couldn't get careless.

"You, over there, homestayer. If you don't want to lose your job, get out of here right now," he said in a deep voice.

"Alright, alright..." the lounger said in a drowsy voice, lifting his body from the sofa. The ill-mannered Holy Knight had always found this sofa to be particularly snug.

"What are you even here for?"

"Just taking a nap."

"Get out."

"Yeah, sure. I was about to go home anyway. If I'm home too late, my wife gets mad, you know?" Ann Duke said in a relaxed manner while standing up. He then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, have you heard the talk that Dia and Mimizuku are getting friendly with one another?"

"... I have."

"Hmm? So it was your suggestion?"

"Claudius is the one who said he wanted to meet the 'captured princess.'"

"Heh... he didn't get what he bargained for, as usual. Actually, nah, it's okay. I was a little surprised when I heard that they met, but I think it's a good idea too."

The king turned his cold eyes toward Ann Duke, who was stretching out like a cat.

"So, what are you trying to say?"

Ann Duke made a troubled face as if he was searching for the right words, and then slowly opened his lips.

"... Shouldn't you look after Dia a little more? Stop keeping him locked up in that place. If you stopped hesitating over suddenly exposing him to the public, he'd be in a nice boarding school somewhere by now. Do you know Remit Island? It's an island far from the border, but the schools there are supposed to be excellent."

Whether the king was listening to Ann Duke or not, he did not look at him.

Ann Duke sighed, and then continued.

"... Hey, even though Dia has a body like that... he's very smart, you know."

"..."

The king responded with silence.

Ann Duke heaved another sigh, and changed the direction of the conversation.

"How's the Demon King Mummification Plan going?"

"Ah, yes. No delays so far."

"I see... Well, that's good, I guess."

The king had lifted the sluggish paralysis of the previous conversation, changing the tone of his voice.

"What do you want to say?"

"Well, it's just... I think this whole thing is going a little too smoothly, I mean we are dealing with the demon king, after all."

He was the king that had had ruled the forest of monsters for a period of several hundred years. It was oddly unbecoming of him to fall into human hands so easily.

Even when they were subjugating him, they had felt that way.

"That is simply because this country's Magician Brigade wields a great amount of power."

The king's response was firm.

"Then that's fine, right? By the way, what do you plan on doing with the magic power that you squeeze out of the demon king anyway?" Ann Duke asked with a light tone of voice.

"... It will be put to use for the sake of the country."

"I see."

Ann Duke nodded to the king's unenthusiastic response, and after a single farewell, left the reception room as he always did.

As the king listened to his footsteps grow farther away, he closed his eyes tightly and let out a small sigh.

"Aileidia..."

It was a beautiful name. As he spoke it, its owner, a stunning woman, became reborn in his mind. The only portraits of her were in the reception room and the bedroom. There, smiling at him now, was the deceased queen. She was a fine woman who, even though her body was weak, loved both king and country. Rather than living for even a second more, she chose to bring forth new life. She had only one answer to those who disrupted her in childbirth.

"I want to become the one and only queen of this country."

She was dead now, and she was the only queen ever since.

The prince also had to bear the burden of the country all by himself.

"Prince! Look at this, I picked it up at the edge of the country."

"What is this?"

Claudius looked at the transparent, yellow lump that Mimizuku held out to him.

"It's a liquid that came from a tree, and then became solid. Look, that's a bug in there, isn't it?"

"It's true..."

Claudius squinted at the lump.

"It looks kind of like honey. It thought it would be sweet, so I licked it, but it turned out to be not so tasty..."

"I wouldn't do anything like that."

"I see, I guess that's just you," Mimizuku said, chuckling. Once every three days, Mimizuku visited Claudius in his room. There were times when there were others, like teachers, already in Claudius's room, but the moment he saw Mimizuku's face, he bid them to leave.

"... Mimizuku, I will give you the honor of calling me by my own name."

"Huh?"

"As thanks... for everything. You don't have to call me prince, Claudius is okay..."

Being told she could call him by name, Mimizuku blinked with surprise. However, she thought that Claudius's name was too long and hard to say.

She called Andy as such because Ann Duke was too hard to call him by.

"Alright, since you're Claudius, I'll call you Kuro--"<ref>Claudius's Nickname: When written in katakana, Claudius's name is クロディアス (Kurodiasu), the first two letters of which are "ku" and "ro," thus explaining Mimizuku's choice of nickname.</ref>

She stopped talking suddenly, and became completely still.

''Huh?''

Something seemed to ring inside of her head.

''Ku... ro...''

''That's wrong,'' someone in her head was saying.

She couldn't call him by that. Not that name.

Not that name.

"Kuro? Don't shorten my name to something seedy like that. If you want to... you can call me 'Dia' like Andy and the others do," Claudius said, his face becoming dim.

"Dia?"

"Yes, that's right. Dia. This is... the name I received from my mother."

"Your mother?"

Claudius cast his gaze downward.

"... After having me, she died. I killed her."

"You... killed her?"

Mimizuku tilted her neck to the side.

"Yes, that's right. I killed her. My mother's body was weak. She didn't have any resistance to magic power. Her body was put under pressure by the growing magical power in this country. The truth is, her body was never fit to have a child at all."

''Hmph,'' Mimizuku thought. ''How does that mean that Claudius killed her?''

"But didn't she want to have you, Dia?"

"... If that was the case, then it would have been fine, I think."

Claudius's face grew deformed as he spoke.

"However, I have this kind of body. The king too, he neglects me..."

"Neglects?"

Mimizuku turned her head to the side. She didn't know the word.

"... It means he hates me, Mimizuku."

"Eh? I really don't understand, though..." Mimizuku gave a hearty smile. "Even if you're hated, I think it's still best to live. And also, I don't hate you, Dia!"

Claudius narrowed his eyes painfully at her words.

"... Mimizuku, have you been hated too?" he sighed.

"Umm..."

Mimizuku looked down, slightly, meekly.

"I don't remember."

Claudius thought that her faced seemed to look as if she were crying.

One day, Ann Duke came into Mimizuku's room to find her with her elbows on the windowsill, engrossed in gazing up at the sky.

"Mimizuku? Is there something interesting outside?"

"I was just thinking, there's no moon," she said faintly, not turning around.

"Moon? It's still noon, you know."

"Yeah. White. I want to see it. Gold is fine too."

"Hm. You really seem to like the moon, huh Mimizuku?"

For some reason, as he said this, Mimizuku's face became gloomy.

"Yeah, sort of. It's somehow... nostalgic," she whispered as if letting out a deep breath.

"Hey Orietta, I've been thinking..."

Returning to his own mansion, Ann Duke, throwing his feet up, sat down on the sofa and began to talk.

"Yes?" Orietta replied, continuing her work in her account book.

"I've been wondering if Mimizuku is happy, not having her memories."

"..."

Orietta's hand stopped.

Ann Duke closed his eyes and continued.

"I've been wondering if it's good for someone to forget a difficult past so frivolously. For example, doesn't happiness come from seeing that sparkle rise above after tears and toil? Isn't that where human strength comes from?"

"... Hey, Andy," Orietta said in a faint voice.

"Hm?"

When Ann Duke looked up, Orietta had stood up and was pulling a document off of the bookshelf. It appeared to be a very old transcript.

"I've been quiet about it, but I can't help myself. I tried taking a look through some of the old books in the temple."

In the temple's underground library, there were documents easily several hundred years old securely stored. They were not meant for the eyes of the general public, but Orietta, as the Maiden of the Holy Sword, had a strong influence in the matters of the temple, and was able to enter the underground library.

"What do you mean, 'took a look'...?"

"The symbol on Mimizuku's head... I tried to figure out just what kind of magic spell was cast on her."

"Did you figure it out?"

Orietta moved quietly beside Ann Duke, bending down on her knees and lowering her long eyelashes.

"It's the sign of the end of the waxing and waning of the moon."

She slowly opened the aged text. There, on the yellowed parchment, drawn out in cracked up ink, was without a doubt the symbol on Mimizuku's forehead.

"That is, the seal of memory imprisonment."

Ann Duke opened his eyes wide. He covered his mouth, disbelieving, and then his face transformed into a scowl.

"How insidious!! Those monsters captured Mimizuku, and then erased her memories!?" Ann Duke spat.

"No."

Orietta firmly denied his speculation.

"No, that's not what it is. The sequence of events is strange. Mimizuku also forgot what happened in the forest. The magic spell was invoked the moment she left the forest..."

Ann Duke suddenly remembered.

The forest had been burning. There, there was a girl cowering in the middle of it all.

There was a loud cry of pain.

She had called out for someone.

His hand covering his mouth, his eyes wandered downward as he sighed to himself.

"To the monsters... would there have been any convenience in sealing them off?"

"I wonder... We don't know the true intentions of the demon king. We only know that Mimizuku losing her memory was not of her own will..." Orietta said, closing her eyes.

"Is there any way to get her memories back?" Ann Duke asked.

"I think there's value in attempting to do so. However, I don't know if it's really for the best. Her body was malnourished, and she has those marks from the chains on her wrists and ankles... It probably wasn't the most enjoyable life for her. On top of that, we're dealing with the king of monsters... that's not something that we can oppose naturally. But if she wishes for it... then probably, it will be up to Mimizuku's will if everything works out or not."

"What do you want to do?" Ann Duke asked frankly.

Mimizuku made a confused facial expression.

Ann Duke smiled at her to relieve her hesitation.

"It's okay if you don't want to do it. This is your life, after all. Even if you've lost your memories, you can still become happy, right?"

However, Mimizuku was worried about something completely different.

"If they dispel the magic, will the pattern on my forehead disappear?" Mimizuku asked nervously. Ann Duke raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, it'll just erase the effect... Unfortunately, I don't think it'll get rid of the seal..."

"Alright then! I'll do it!" Mimizuku replied quickly. She smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"Mimizuku... do you like that symbol?"

With a pure hearted smile, Mimizuku laughed.

"Yeah! It's pretty, after all."

Ann Duke knocked the door. He received the expected "Who is it?" replying with "It's me." As usual, he immediately received permission to enter.

"Hey, it's been a while."

Ann Duke raised his hand and smiled, causing Claudius to crack a smile as well. It was difficult to say if it was befitting of someone his age or not, but it was a small token of a smile.

"You don't have any teachers this time of day?"

"Yeah, none."

"I see."

"Hey, Andy."

Claudius, who usually simply listened to what Ann Duke had to say, took hold of the conversation in a rare moment.

"How is Mii?"

"Mii?"

Ann Duke tilted his neck for a moment, but quickly realized whom he was talking about and smiled.

"Ah, you mean Mimizuku?"

"Y-yeah..."

Claudius nodded, his cheeks turning slightly red.

''Even this boy can make such a rich facial expression,'' Ann Duke mused quietly, growing a bit excited.

"It seems like you've become good friends. Did Mimizuku visit you today?"

"Yeah. She said they're trying to dispel the magic enchantment laid upon her. Will Mimizuku's memory come back?"

"... I'm not sure. At this point, Riveil and the others have been working on her for a whole day. My wife's accompanying them too."

"I see..."

"So you've really been getting friendly with her, huh?" Ann Duke said, unable to hold in a wide grin.

Claudius averted his gaze downward.

"That girl is so strange. She has absolutely no shame, and no pity. She's always smiling."

"... Dia. Do you want to be pitied?"

Claudius raised his head quickly to respond to Ann Duke, but it seemed like his throat was clogged with words, so he closed his mouth.

Then, the words slowly began to drip out, bit by bit.

"I don't understand. Mii says that she's in no way unhappy. When I see that, I... I..."

It seemed like he couldn't say anything more.

Ann Duke quietly drew closer, and gave Claudius a couple of gentle pats on the head.

Ann Duke, Orietta, and the gray-haired king were the only people who could lay a hand on the prince in such a way. When Ann Duke first met Claudius, he was still a baby with crimson hands. He had watched over him as he had grown. Claudius had a special significance to a couple like Ann Duke and Orietta, who had no children of their own.

"If Mimizuku's memories return..." Ann Duke said gently, "she may not be the same Mimizuku that we know now."

"Huh...?"

Claudius looked up, slightly taken aback.

"A person's memory is the one definite substance of their character. The Mimizuku whose memories have returned may be a completely different person from the Mimizuku we know now..."

"I don't want anything like that!!" Claudius shouted unthinkingly.

Ann Duke smiled as if to pacify him.

"But still, I think it would be good for you to make the new Mimizuku your friend as well. Isn't that right?"

"That is... yeah..."

Biting his lip, Claudius nodded. Ann Duke, nodding heavily, continued to talk.

"If Mimizuku's memories return, and she still wants to stay in this country with us... I think I'll make her my daughter."

Claudius's eyes grew wide at Ann Duke's words.

Ann Duke smiled somewhat shyly.

"Of course, only if Mimizuku is okay with it," he added.

"... I want to too..." Claudius looked down and muttered.

"Hm?"

"I wish I could have been born as your and Orietta's child..." he cried out in a tiny voice, like a mosquito's buzz. Ann Duke gave him a strange look.

"You hate your father?"

"I don't hate him!" Claudius yelled. "It's not that I hate him! But for a prince like me to be born like this, I'll only bring unhappiness to the country! For someone like me, who came into this world by killing his own mother..."

Ann Duke smiled and slowly shook his head.

"Don't put your parents on a pedestal like that."

"But..."

"Hey, Claudius."

Ann Duke took a step toward the windowsill, turning his back to Claudius.

"Do you think things would be better if you could move your arms and legs?"

"... Yes. That's what I want. But no matter what this country's magicians do, there's no way they can make my arms and legs move."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Is there a way!?" Claudius asked, clinging to Ann Duke's words.

"... If we had a strong magical power... there could be..." Ann Duke said quietly without turning around.

"Where could anyone get magical power like that!?" Claudius shouted, biting his lip.

Ann Duke turned around and patted Claudius's head once more.

"I'll come again," he said softly.

Even after Ann Duke had removed his hand, Claudius continued to face downward.

"... If I could meet Mii... I'll wait for her to come... Tell her..." He spoke in fragmented sentences. He seemed like he was going to cry, but he was a boy who resisted the urge to shed tears.

After all, he couldn't wipe them away.

"I promise I'll tell her," Ann Duke nodded, exiting Claudius's room.

"Mimizuku, how are you feeling?" Orietta asked Mimizuku, who had just finished a full day of treatment for the purpose of dispelling her curse.

Ann Duke looked on from beside her.

As expected, the King of Night's seal could not be completely dispelled.

''"Frankly, we just can't break through the last wall,"'' Riveil, the head of the Magician Brigade, had said.

''"However, the seal is on its last legs... From the tear we have made in it, there is a possibility that her memory will be reborn."''

Buried in her bed, Mimizuku sluggishly closed her eyes.

"My head hurts..."

"Are you okay?"

With her small body, it was undoubtedly a heavy burden to bear.

"Yeah. I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?" Orietta asked.

Mimizuku opened her dry lips.

"Some one was speaking to me. Forget. Forget. I didn't want to. Don't screw around with me, idiot. Why do I have to forget?"

Seeing Mimizuku say such harsh words in monotone made Orietta smile.

"You don't seem like the usual Mimizuku."

"It's definitely me," Mimizuku answered clearly. "That was my voice."

"Don't screw around with me, idiot..." she said once more, as if to confirm it was really her.

The next day, a rare guest was summoned to Mimizuku's room in the castle.

"Ah, it's been a while. Yep, it was definitely you."

With great humility, he stepped timidly onto the castle's carpet, and couldn't help but crack a smile when he saw Mimizuku. With his plump body and simple clothes, his appearance seemed quite unnatural against the castle's white walls.

"I wonder if you remember me. You and I met in the forest."

"Huh?"

Sitting in her bed, Mimizuku tilted her neck.

Orietta, who had brought the man with her, stepped closer to Mimizuku.

"Mr. Shiira, please tell her in detail what occurred that time."

"Yes, Lady Orietta."

The man called Shiira placed his hat upon his chest and deeply lowered his head to Orietta, then turned to Mimizuku.

"I was in trouble, lost in the forest, but then you suddenly came and spoke to me. I thought you were a monster, and I became very unnerved. But then... you called me 'Grandpa.'"

"Grandpa," Mimizuku parroted back.

Shiira smiled and nodded several times.

"That's right. You then gave me directions. 'Go straight down this river,' you said. Thanks to those words, I was able to get out of the forest."

"Straight down the river..."

"I asked, 'What about you?' But then you misunderstood and answered with your name. I asked in a sense of 'What are you going to do,' but you said 'I'm Mimizuku.'"

"I'm... Mimizuku..."

Something in her head rang out.

''Hm? I'm Mimizuku!''

That voice. Whose voice was it?

"Then I asked, 'Aren't you going to come with me?' But you were delivering a flower, so you said you couldn't. You were holding a very red flower. You gave me the stamen, saying it would ward off monsters."

As Shiira followed his memories, he carefully described the scene.

"Very red..."

"Your hand was soaked with blood. It was an incredibly red flower, like nothing I had seen before."

"Red... flower..."

Sweat began to run down Mimizuku's back. Her heart began to beat faster.

"You said something like... yes, yes, now I remember. You said you had to bring that flower to Fukurou. Mimizuku and Fukurou are associated with each other, so I remembered what you said well."

"Fukurou."

''Alright! Fukurou! I'll call you Fukurou!''

The night was deep.

The darkness was thick.

The moon, was beautiful.

"Fukurou... Fukurou..."

"Mimizuku? What's wrong? Are you okay, Mimizuku?" Orietta asked from beside her. Mimizuku didn't respond, she simply muttered the name to herself over and over.

"Oh? Excuse me, but it seems like the pattern on your head has changed, hasn't it?" Shiira said, taking a closer look at Mimizuku.

"What was there before!?" Orietta asked, surprised.

"Um... when I saw it, it wasn't a pattern, but numbers. Three... 333? No, it was different. It was 332, I think..."

''"I'm number three hundred thirty two!"''

''That was mine.''

''My number.''

"No... no..."

Mimizuku's eyes flew open, and she placed her hands over her ears.

Orietta called her name. However, her words never reached Mimizuku's ears.

"Noooooooooooooooo!!!!"

Mimizuku shrieked in anguish, as though she were dying.

Just like she had on the day she had separated from Fukurou.

Mimizuku vomited. As she cried, she vomited until she was expelling nothing but gastric juices. Orietta held onto her back, but she continued to vomit.

As the muddy waters of her memory engulfed her, she continued to vomit.

She recalled all of her memories once more. She remembered where and when, what she felt, and what she killed.

She couldn't deny her memories. The pain, the suffering. Now, she understood. She understood how closely she had skirted death when she lived in the village. It had all come back to her again.

She couldn't turn away from it anymore. She couldn't abandon her memories any longer.

As she recalled, she searched desperately.

''There had to be a time when someone was kind to me.''

When was it? Surely, it was somewhere.

''I was... treated kindly.''

''Two moons...''

Silver. And then, gold. Moons.

The jangling sound of her shackles. The sound of Mimizuku's world.

''Fukurou.''

She yelled it out into the recesses of her heart.

"How could I forget..."

Mimizuku rolled her hands into fists and screamed.

"Don't just selfishly erase people's memories like that, Fukurou! You idiooooooooot!!"

And then, beside Orietta and her pared eyes, Mimizuku lost consciousness and collapsed.

Meanwhile, underneath the castle, Fukurou, who's vitality and magical power were being squeezed out of him little by little, gave a subdued sigh.

"The idiot is you. Foolish girl..."

It was a small utterance, and no one was there to hear it.

<references/>
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| Return to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]
|-
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</noinclude>

User:Amazing Buffalo

2011-09-09T23:57:39Z

Amazing Buffalo: Replaced content with "I'll be back eventually. Maybe."

I'll be back eventually. Maybe.

Kamisama no Memochou:Volume 1 Chapter 1

2011-08-12T08:32:50Z

Amazing Buffalo:

"It's a primitive response to gratitude. To give pleasure. You see, our normal hosts are quite mindless; they can be thanked only by physical sensation"

"Thank you for accepting transporting me. Thank you very much."

*from "The Only Neat Thing to Do" by James Tiptree, Jr.

==Chapter 1==
On my sixteen winter, I　had already met all kinds of people, including a boxer, a military guy, a gigolo, a detective and yakuza. They are all NEET just that they are different types. The term NEET occasionally comes up on the news or newspapers, I thought it meant unemployed youths that lack motivation. But even as NEET, there can be different sides to them; Not everyone does not go to work or school for the same reason.

"The term NEETs, does not mean "People who can't do anything," nor "People who don't want to do anything." That is what the detective told me. "What is different is the rules. Just as some people's life is like a promotion plan, it's just that ours are pieces in chess."

"I don't really get it; does it mean you guys get in the way?" I asked naively then. The detective bloats her cherry-like lips and thinks for a moment, then smiles silently.

"To people who are rushing to move forward, perhaps so? I know they want to pack all the NEETs together, place a tag, and then drag them/us to the disposal area and throw them away; I can also understand that they want to point at NEETs and mock them/us. Laugh if you want to, but no matter how we try to argue and hide it, so far, we only bring negative influence to the economy of society, that is the unshakable truth."

The detective looked at her opened hands, then raised her head. This time, it was no longer a bitter smile of mockery, but a warm smile like the bright sun in a winter day.

"We will not mock ourselves. Just as an earthworm does not fear darkness, a penguin will not feel ashamed to not be able to fly. This is the meaning of life, isn't it?"

I am at a loss of words, because I have never thought so deeply about this. Even if you use a bunch of seemingly difficult words, it all goes back to the same meaning------ You're just useless people!

But that winter is the first time I have seen a dead person, the first time I punched someone, and gradually began to use my brain to consider (the meaning of) survival. To bear witness to someone who gave up on life or to give up seeking death, I guess anyone would be just like me!

But that is something very much later. Firstly, let me tell you the story of the only non-NEET out of all the people I have met this winter, the story of a normal girl.

<center>*</center>

Near the end of November, I met Ayaka for the first time.

After school ended on Tuesday, I sat on the water tower on the roof of the southern campus, staring into empty space facing the tall buildings far away. Normally once school ends, I would go report in at the computer room and focus on club activities that only consist of one person. But on afternoons with computer lessons, even after school there will still be a lot of students staying back to play with the computers that they usually don't come in contact with. I am unable to bring myself to walk in just like that, so every Tuesday and Thursday I always come up to the roof to waste time. Staring at the computer room on the second story of the northern campus, giving off a huge amount of "Get Lost Already!" waves, and sighing as I look down onto the streets.

The streets I currently live in can be separated into two colors, the long thin river that flows like the artery of a patient is the divider of the colors. The side closer to me has rusted roofs of factories, cheap housing lying back to back to each other, then high school. I am not sure why, but there are a lot of shrines and graves in this area; My house is also on this side. On the other side is a tall flyover bridge for a highway to the capital, a gigantic train station with countless railways, tall buildings packed along complicated slopes, shopping malls and television stations. On sunny days, you can even see the shadow of the government building far away. Tokyo is an amazing place to let boring housings that can be found anywhere in Japan and tall modern buildings to co-exist peacefully here.

Looking down from the roof, the train station is like a scene in an advertisement on TV, without realism. Probably because I don't want to get close to that area? As we can wear our school uniform and just go out and play immediately after school, I heard that our school is rather popular in Tokyo; If the sailor costume has bright colors, it might even increases its attractiveness by around 40%.

It is a cloudy day that day, just nice enough that you can examine closely the glass panels of the tall buildings that are normally not possible due to their bright reflections. But talking about it, it is just a bunch of glass windows that are cut by similar methods. I always fill those glass squares with colors in my mind, sketching pixel art.

I've gotten used to killing time like that. I think it's because I'm always transferring schools because of my dad's work. At the beginning of October, when I transferred into my current high school, I joined the PC club just because there was no one else active there, and went about my school life without being noticed by anyone. I've often thought that there's no point in me going to high school. I don't go to classes either.

As I was gazing at the building, I suddenly heard a clattering sound below me, causing me to raise my feet. The water supply tower was set on top of the stair room jutting out from the roof. It was the sound of someone who had climbed up the stairs opening the door.

"Is someone there?"

I heard a girl's voice. When I carefully leaned forward and and peered directly below, she turned around, meeting my gaze.

She had short hair, and strong-spirited eyebrows, contrasting her eyes, which gave off a cute, friendly impression. I felt like I'd seen her before. As I moved to get up, she made a surprised face, letting out a "Wah!" I tumbled down from the water supply tower.

It was lucky that I fell from my feet, but because the backs of my hands scraped roughly against the concrete wall, the first thing she did when we met was wash my wounds with water from the watering can she had.

"Why would you climb up a place like that, it's dangerous!"
<~~5% Completed~~>

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[GN:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
| Return to [[Kamisama no memocho|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[GN:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Kamisama no Memochou:Volume 1 Chapter 1

2011-08-12T08:31:10Z

Amazing Buffalo:

"It's a primitive response to gratitude. To give pleasure. You see, our normal hosts are quite mindless; they can be thanked only by physical sensation"

"Thank you for accepting transporting me. Thank you very much."

*from "The Only Neat Thing to Do" by James Tiptree, Jr.

==Chapter 1==
On my sixteen winter, I　had already met all kinds of people, including a boxer, a military guy, a gigolo, a detective and yakuza. They are all NEET just that they are different types. The term NEET occasionally comes up on the news or newspapers, I thought it meant unemployed youths that lack motivation. But even as NEET, there can be different sides to them; Not everyone does not go to work or school for the same reason.

"The term NEETs, does not mean "People who can't do anything," nor "People who don't want to do anything." That is what the detective told me. "What is different is the rules. Just as some people's life is like a promotion plan, it's just that ours are pieces in chess."

"I don't really get it; does it mean you guys get in the way?" I asked naively then. The detective bloats her cherry-like lips and thinks for a moment, then smiles silently.

"To people who are rushing to move forward, perhaps so? I know they want to pack all the NEETs together, place a tag, and then drag them/us to the disposal area and throw them away; I can also understand that they want to point at NEETs and mock them/us. Laugh if you want to, but no matter how we try to argue and hide it, so far, we only bring negative influence to the economy of society, that is the unshakable truth."

The detective looked at her opened hands, then raised her head. This time, it was no longer a bitter smile of mockery, but a warm smile like the bright sun in a winter day.

"We will not mock ourselves. Just as an earthworm does not fear darkness, a penguin will not feel ashamed to not be able to fly. This is the meaning of life, isn't it?"

I am at a loss of words, because I have never thought so deeply about this. Even if you use a bunch of seemingly difficult words, it all goes back to the same meaning------ You're just useless people!

But that winter is the first time I have seen a dead person, the first time I punched someone, and gradually began to use my brain to consider (the meaning of) survival. To bear witness to someone who gave up on life or to give up seeking death, I guess anyone would be just like me!

But that is something very much later. Firstly, let me tell you the story of the only non-NEET out of all the people I have met this winter, the story of a normal girl.

<center>*</center>

Near the end of November, I met Ayaka for the first time.

After school ended on Tuesday, I sat on the water tower on the roof of the southern campus, staring into empty space facing the tall buildings far away. Normally once school ends, I would go report in at the computer room and focus on club activities that only consist of one person. But on afternoons with computer lessons, even after school there will still be a lot of students staying back to play with the computers that they usually don't come in contact with. I am unable to bring myself to walk in just like that, so every Tuesday and Thursday I always come up to the roof to waste time. Staring at the computer room on the second story of the northern campus, giving off a huge amount of "Get Lost Already!" waves, and sighing as I look down onto the streets.

The streets I currently live in can be separated into two colors, the long thin river that flows like the artery of a patient is the divider of the colors. The side closer to me has rusted roofs of factories, cheap housing lying back to back to each other, then high school. I am not sure why, but there are a lot of shrines and graves in this area; My house is also on this side. On the other side is a tall flyover bridge for a highway to the capital, a gigantic train station with countless railways, tall buildings packed along complicated slopes, shopping malls and television stations. On sunny days, you can even see the shadow of the government building far away. Tokyo is an amazing place to let boring housings that can be found anywhere in Japan and tall modern buildings to co-exist peacefully here.

Looking down from the roof, the train station is like a scene in an advertisement on TV, without realism. Probably because I don't want to get close to that area? As we can wear our school uniform and just go out and play immediately after school, I heard that our school is rather popular in Tokyo; If the sailor costume has bright colors, it might even increases its attractiveness by around 40%.

It is a cloudy day that day, just nice enough that you can examine closely the glass panels of the tall buildings that are normally not possible due to their bright reflections. But talking about it, it is just a bunch of glass windows that are cut by similar methods. I always fill those glass squares with colors in my mind, sketching pixel art.

I've gotten used to killing time like that. I think it's because I'm always transferring schools because of my dad's work. At the beginning of October, when I transferred into my current high school, I joined the PC club just because there was no one else active there, and went about my school life without being noticed by anyone. I've often thought that there's no point in me going to high school. I don't go to classes either.

As I was gazing at the building, I suddenly heard a clattering sound below my feet, causing me to raise my feet. The water supply tower was set on top of the stair room jutting out from the roof. It was the sound of someone who had climbed up the stairs opening the door.

"Is someone there?"

I heard a girl's voice. When I carefully leaned forward and and peered directly below, she turned around, meeting my gaze.

She had short hair, and strong-spirited eyebrows, contrasting her eyes, which gave off a cute, friendly impression. I felt like I'd seen her before. As I moved to get up, she made a surprised face, letting out a "Wah!" I tumbled down from the water supply tower.

It was lucky that I fell from my feet, but because the backs of my hands scraped roughly against the concrete wall, the first thing she did when we met was wash my wounds with water from the watering can she had.

"Why would you climb up a place like that, it's dangerous!"
<~~5% Completed~~>

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[GN:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
| Return to [[Kamisama no memocho|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[GN:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Rental Magica

2011-08-08T22:53:23Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete
*11 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 2 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.
===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Jonathanasdf|Jonathanasdf]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Rental Magica

2011-08-08T22:50:01Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete
*11 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 2 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
====INACTIVE====
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.
===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Jonathanasdf|Jonathanasdf]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Rental Magica

2011-08-08T22:49:33Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete
*11 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 2 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 20: The Magicians of the Riot===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 20: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
=INACTIVE=
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.
===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Jonathanasdf|Jonathanasdf]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Magicians of the Riot'' レンタルマギカ　争乱の魔法使いたち (August 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424927-4)

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

2011-07-23T04:43:06Z

Amazing Buffalo:

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 6

2011-07-23T04:41:41Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 6 - Seal of the King of Night==

Claudius asked Mimizuku to sit on the carpet next to him. Mimizuku responded to his request without hesitation. Ever since she began to live in the castle, sitting on carpets was one of her favorite things, though she was often chided by the maids for doing so.

Here, however, there was no one to tell her off.

Sitting down directly onto the carpet, Mimizuku looked up at the boy prince, who seemed small even to her. Claudius was sitting in a chair much larger than himself, seeming to drown in its plush exterior.

"Show me your mark," Claudius said, just moving the end of his mouth.

Mimizuku obediently removed her hat and showed him her forehead.

"That's a really strange pattern..."

"Eheheh!" Mimizuku laughed.

"Show me your wrists and ankles."

Just as she was told, she extended her arms to show him her wrists, and stretched out her knees to show her ankles.

"They're really discolored."

"Orietta said they can't make it go away."

"So you were in shackles?"

"Yeah, that's right. They were rusted away, or they said something like that."

"Don't you have trouble moving?"

"Trouble? Hm... they don't hurt, so I guess they don't give me any trouble?"

"... I see."

With that, Claudius gave a light smile. It was a smile of a certain kind that Mimizuku had not seen much. Mimizuku couldn't even tell if he was smiling in the first place.

"If that's the case, then I'm even worse off."

"Okay?"

"Aren't my arms and legs disgustingly discolored?"

"Yeah."

Mimizuku nodded frankly. She didn't know what "ugly" meant, but they certainly were a color that she had never seen before.

"This is how I've been ever since I was born. I haven't been able to move my arms and legs, ever."

"You can't move them?"

"That's right. Even though I went so far as to take my mother's life to be born... like this, I'll surely cause grief to the kingdom."

Saying those words, Claudius averted his gaze from Mimizuku and cast his eyes downward.

"It's as if my body is cursed. Like this, I can't be seen by the citizens of the kingdom. If they say I'm crippled, everyone will get scared. Therefore, ever since my birth, I've been kept in this room, almost never leaving."

Mimizuku opened her mouth wide in amazement, causing Claudius to smile, in that same way that she couldn't tell if he was smiling or not.

"So, you would say I'm unfortunate, right?" Claudius asked.

Mimizuku slanted her head to the side.

"Unfortunate?"

"That's right."

Unfortunate is when you're unhappy. ''Since the prince called himself unfortunate, maybe he really is?'' Mimizuku thought.

''But why is he asking me?''

"So, how was it? You, being captured by the King of Night, I mean. Do you think you're more unfortunate than me?" Claudius said, glaring at Mimizuku with a spiteful expression on his face.

"Um..."

Mimizuku wasn't taken aback by Claudius's appearance.

"I'm happy? In this castle, I'm happy, I think?" she spoke absentmindedly.

Mimizuku's words seemed to stab a hole in Claudius. He opened his dull emerald eyes wide.

"I was told it's thanks to His Majesty, but I suppose you had a part in it too," Mimizuku said with a smile. Claudius looked away.

"... I don't have any authority at all."

Mimizuku, who didn't know what "authority" meant, suddenly stood up. She didn't receive permission from Claudius, but the view of the sunset from the large window was so beautiful to her.

"Wow! Incredible!" Mimizuku shouted with joy.

"Incredible, incredible! There's such a great view from here! Hey, you can even see the market!"

"Mimizuku, I'm not finished ta--!"

His words disappeared unfinished into Mimizuku's shouting.

"Hey, hey! The baked fruits in that stall over there are so delicious! Have you ever eaten them?" Mimizuku asked insouciantly. Claudius's face twisted.

"I already said...! I can't ever leave here!!"

"So you haven't? Alright then, I'll buy some for you! I'm good friends with the man there!" Mimizuku exclaimed, beaming.

Claudius opened his mouth to say something to her, but he closed it, hesitating.

"... You'll... buy me some?" he asked meekly.

"Yeah! I'll buy you some! They're really good. There are also lots of beautiful and fun things there too." Mimizuku nodded several times. She felt very content. She remembered how happy the man at the stand was when she said the fruit was delicious.

Claudius looked up at Mimizuku. It was a forlorn gaze, as if he was clinging to Mimizuku.

"You..."

"Yes?"

"Don't you commiserate me?"

"C... commiserate?"

Mimizuku cocked her neck like a bird.

"Wouldn't you say I'm pitiable?"

"Um... you're pitiable?"

Claudius blushed in an instant and looked away. It seemed that having his question reflected back at him caused him embarrassment.

"I've been called pitiable too, though I don't get what's so pitiable about me," Mimizuku said, smiling broadly. Claudius stared at her face timidly.

"... Hey, Mimizuku."

"Yes?"

"Tell me about what goes on around the castle. Of what's outside, tell me what's beautiful, what's interesting, and what's wonderful," he spoke, his voice like a whisper.

Mimizuku lightly nodded her head at his request.

"Yeah, alright! I'll tell you all about it. And I'll bring you something delicious! There are lots of surprising things in the town. And then there are lots of pretty things too!"

"..."

Claudius was silent, and he hung his head far downward.

"Uh... Mimizuku?"

"Yeah?"

"... Will you, um..."

The ears poking out from between strands of his hair turned red.

"Will you... be my friend?"

Mimizuku grinned at his question.

"What's a friend?" she responded innocently, refreshingly.

Claudius looked up and gave an uneasy laugh. It was the first time Mimizuku had seen him laugh.

That day, when the king had finished his governmental affairs, he headed to the reception room to find Ann Duke lounging on his sofa. This was what greeted him after a day of exhausting work. He thought of lighting a fire and sticking it to the nose of Ann Duke's sleeping face, but he considered that he was up against someone who lived by the sword and thought better of it. He couldn't get careless.

"You, over there, homestayer. If you don't want to lose your job, get out of here right now," he said in a deep voice.

"Alright, alright..." the lounger said in a drowsy voice, lifting his body from the sofa. The ill-mannered Holy Knight had always found this sofa to be particularly snug.

"What are you even here for?"

"Just taking a nap."

"Get out."

"Yeah, sure. I was about to go home anyway. If I'm home too late, my wife gets mad, you know?" Ann Duke said in a relaxed manner while standing up. He then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, have you heard the talk that Dia and Mimizuku are getting friendly with one another?"

"... I have."

"Hmm? So it was your suggestion?"

"Claudius is the one who said he wanted to meet the 'captured princess.'"

"Heh... he didn't get what he bargained for, as usual. Actually, nah, it's okay. I was a little surprised when I heard that they met, but I think it's a good idea too."

The king turned his cold eyes toward Ann Duke, who was stretching out like a cat.

"So, what are you trying to say?"

Ann Duke made a troubled face as if he was searching for the right words, and then slowly opened his lips.

"... Shouldn't you look after Dia a little more? Stop keeping him locked up in that place. If you stopped hesitating over suddenly exposing him to the public, he'd be in a nice boarding school somewhere by now. Do you know Remit Island? It's an island far from the border, but the schools there are supposed to be excellent."

Whether the king was listening to Ann Duke or not, he did not look at him.

Ann Duke sighed, and then continued.

"... Hey, even though Dia has a body like that... he's very smart, you know."

"..."

The king responded with silence.

Ann Duke heaved another sigh, and changed the direction of the conversation.

"How's the Demon King Mummification Plan going?"

"Ah, yes. No delays so far."

"I see... Well, that's good, I guess."

The king had lifted the sluggish paralysis of the previous conversation, changing the tone of his voice.

"What do you want to say?"

"Well, it's just... I think this whole thing is going a little too smoothly, I mean we are dealing with the demon king, after all."

He was the king that had had ruled the forest of monsters for a period of several hundred years. It was oddly unbecoming of him to fall into human hands so easily.

Even when they were subjugating him, they had felt that way.

"That is simply because this country's Magician Brigade wields a great amount of power."

The king's response was firm.

"Then that's fine, right? By the way, what do you plan on doing with the magic power that you squeeze out of the demon king anyway?" Ann Duke asked with a light tone of voice.

"... It will be put to use for the sake of the country."

"I see."

Ann Duke nodded to the king's unenthusiastic response, and after a single farewell, left the reception room as he always did.

As the king listened to his footsteps grow farther away, he closed his eyes tightly and let out a small sigh.

"Aileidia..."

It was a beautiful name. As he spoke it, its owner, a stunning woman, became reborn in his mind. The only portraits of her were in the reception room and the bedroom. There, smiling at him now, was the deceased queen. She was a fine woman who, even though her body was weak, loved both king and country. Rather than living for even a second more, she chose to bring forth new life. She had only one answer to those who disrupted her in childbirth.

"I want to become the one and only queen of this country."

She was dead now, and she was the only queen ever since.

The prince also had to bear the burden of the country all by himself.

"Prince! Look at this, I picked it up at the edge of the country."

"What is this?"

Claudius looked at the transparent, yellow lump that Mimizuku held out to him.

"It's a liquid that came from a tree, and then became solid. Look, that's a bug in there, isn't it?"

"It's true..."

Claudius squinted at the lump.

"It looks kind of like honey. It thought it would be sweet, so I licked it, but it turned out to be not so tasty..."

"I wouldn't do anything like that."

"I see, I guess that's just you," Mimizuku said, chuckling. Once every three days, Mimizuku visited Claudius in his room. There were times when there were others, like teachers, already in Claudius's room, but the moment he saw Mimizuku's face, he bid them to leave.

"... Mimizuku, I will give you the honor of calling me by my own name."

"Huh?"

"As thanks... for everything. You don't have to call me prince, Claudius is okay..."

Being told she could call him by name, Mimizuku blinked with surprise. However, she thought that Claudius's name was too long and hard to say.

She called Andy as such because Ann Duke was too hard to call him by.

"Alright, since you're Claudius, I'll call you Kuro--"<ref>Claudius's Nickname: When written in katakana, Claudius's name is クロディアス (Kurodiasu), the first two letters of which are "ku" and "ro," thus explaining Mimizuku's choice of nickname.</ref>

She stopped talking suddenly, and became completely still.

''Huh?''

Something seemed to ring inside of her head.

''Ku... ro...''

''That's wrong,'' someone in her head was saying.

She couldn't call him by that. Not that name.

Not that name.

"Kuro? Don't shorten my name to something seedy like that. If you want to... you can call me 'Dia' like Andy and the others do," Claudius said, his face becoming dim.

"Dia?"

"Yes, that's right. Dia. This is... the name I received from my mother."

"Your mother?"

Claudius cast his gaze downward.

"... After having me, she died. I killed her."

"You... killed her?"

Mimizuku tilted her neck to the side.

"Yes, that's right. I killed her. My mother's body was weak. She didn't have any resistance to magic power. Her body was put under pressure by the growing magical power in this country. The truth is, her body was never fit to have a child at all."

''Hmph,'' Mimizuku thought. ''How does that mean that Claudius killed her?''

"But didn't she want to have you, Dia?"

"... If that was the case, then it would have been fine, I think."

Claudius's face grew deformed as he spoke.

"However, I have this kind of body. The king too, he neglects me..."

"Neglects?"

Mimizuku turned her head to the side. She didn't know the word.

"... It means he hates me, Mimizuku."

"Eh? I really don't understand, though..." Mimizuku gave a hearty smile. "Even if you're hated, I think it's still best to live. And also, I don't hate you, Dia!"

Claudius narrowed his eyes painfully at her words.

"... Mimizuku, have you been hated too?" he sighed.

"Umm..."

Mimizuku looked down, slightly, meekly.

"I don't remember."

Claudius thought that her faced seemed to look as if she were crying.

One day, Ann Duke came into Mimizuku's room to find her with her elbows on the windowsill, engrossed in gazing up at the sky.

"Mimizuku? Is there something interesting outside?"

"I was just thinking, there's no moon," she said faintly, not turning around.

"Moon? It's still noon, you know."

"Yeah. White. I want to see it. Gold is fine too."

"Hm. You really seem to like the moon, huh Mimizuku?"

For some reason, as he said this, Mimizuku's face became gloomy.

"Yeah, sort of. It's somehow... nostalgic," she whispered as if letting out a deep breath.

"Hey Orietta, I've been thinking..."

Returning to his own mansion, Ann Duke, throwing his feet up, sat down on the sofa and began to talk.

"Yes?" Orietta replied, continuing her work in her account book.

"I've been wondering if Mimizuku is happy, not having her memories."

"..."

Orietta's hand stopped.

Ann Duke closed his eyes and continued.

"I've been wondering if it's good for someone to forget a difficult past so frivolously. For example, doesn't happiness come from seeing that sparkle rise above after tears and toil? Isn't that where human strength comes from?"

"... Hey, Andy," Orietta said in a faint voice.

"Hm?"

When Ann Duke looked up, Orietta had stood up and was pulling a document off of the bookshelf. It appeared to be a very old transcript.

"I've been quiet about it, but I can't help myself. I tried taking a look through some of the old books in the temple."

In the temple's underground library, there were documents easily several hundred years old securely stored. They were not meant for the eyes of the general public, but Orietta, as the Maiden of the Holy Sword, had a strong influence in the matters of the temple, and was able to enter the underground library.

"What do you mean, 'took a look'...?"

"The symbol on Mimizuku's head... I tried to figure out just what kind of magic spell was cast on her."

"Did you figure it out?"

Orietta moved quietly beside Ann Duke, bending down on her knees and lowering her long eyelashes.

"It's the sign of the end of the waxing and waning of the moon."

She slowly opened the aged text. There, on the yellowed parchment, drawn out in cracked up ink, was without a doubt the symbol on Mimizuku's forehead.

"That is, the seal of memory imprisonment."

Ann Duke opened his eyes wide. He covered his mouth, disbelieving, and then his face transformed into a scowl.

"How insidious!! Those monsters captured Mimizuku, and then erased her memories!?" Ann Duke spat.

"No."

Orietta firmly denied his speculation.

"No, that's not what it is. The sequence of events is strange. Mimizuku also forgot what happened in the forest. The magic spell was invoked the moment she left the forest..."

Ann Duke suddenly remembered.

The forest had been burning. There, there was a girl cowering in the middle of it all.

There was a loud cry of pain.

She had called out for someone.

His hand covering his mouth, his eyes wandered downward as he sighed to himself.

"To the monsters... would there have been any convenience in sealing them off?"

"I wonder... We don't know the true intentions of the demon king. We only know that Mimizuku losing her memory was not of her own will..." Orietta said, closing her eyes.

"Is there any way to get her memories back?" Ann Duke asked.

"I think there's value in attempting to do so. However, I don't know if it's really for the best. Her body was malnourished, and she has those marks from the chains on her wrists and ankles... It probably wasn't the most enjoyable life for her. On top of that, we're dealing with the king of monsters... that's not something that we can oppose naturally. But if she wishes for it... then probably, it will be up to Mimizuku's will if everything works out or not."

"What do you want to do?" Ann Duke asked frankly.

Mimizuku made a confused facial expression.

Ann Duke smiled at her to relieve her hesitation.

"It's okay if you don't want to do it. This is your life, after all. Even if you've lost your memories, you can still become happy, right?"

However, Mimizuku was worried about something completely different.

"If they dispel the magic, will the pattern on my forehead disappear?" Mimizuku asked nervously. Ann Duke raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, it'll just erase the effect... Unfortunately, I don't think it'll get rid of the seal..."

"Alright then! I'll do it!" Mimizuku replied quickly. She smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"Mimizuku... do you like that symbol?"

With a pure hearted smile, Mimizuku laughed.

"Yeah! It's pretty, after all."

Ann Duke knocked the door. He received the expected "Who is it?" replying with "It's me." As usual, he immediately received permission to enter.

"Hey, it's been a while."

Ann Duke raised his hand and smiled, causing Claudius to crack a smile as well. It was difficult to say if it was befitting of someone his age or not, but it was a small token of a smile.

"You don't have any teachers this time of day?"

"Yeah, none."

"I see."

"Hey, Andy."

Claudius, who usually simply listened to what Ann Duke had to say, took hold of the conversation in a rare moment.

"How is Mii?"

"Mii?"

Ann Duke tilted his neck for a moment, but quickly realized whom he was talking about and smiled.

"Ah, you mean Mimizuku?"

"Y-yeah..."

Claudius nodded, his cheeks turning slightly red.

''Even this boy can make such a rich facial expression,'' Ann Duke mused quietly, growing a bit excited.

"It seems like you've become good friends. Did Mimizuku visit you today?"

"Yeah. She said they're trying to dispel the magic enchantment laid upon her. Will Mimizuku's memory come back?"

"... I'm not sure. At this point, Riveil and the others have been working on her for a whole day. My wife's accompanying them too."

"I see..."

"So you've really been getting friendly with her, huh?" Ann Duke said, unable to hold in a wide grin.

Claudius averted his gaze downward.

"That girl is so strange. She has absolutely no shame, and no pity. She's always smiling."

"... Dia. Do you want to be pitied?"

Claudius raised his head quickly to respond to Ann Duke, but it seemed like his throat was clogged with words, so he closed his mouth.

Then, the words slowly began to drip out, bit by bit.

"I don't understand. Mii says that she's in no way unhappy. When I see that, I... I..."

It seemed like he couldn't say anything more.

Ann Duke quietly drew closer, and gave Claudius a couple of gentle pats on the head.

Ann Duke, Orietta, and the gray-haired king were the only people who could lay a hand on the prince in such a way. When Ann Duke first met Claudius, he was still a baby with crimson hands. He had watched over him as he had grown. Claudius had a special significance to a couple like Ann Duke and Orietta, who had no children of their own.

"If Mimizuku's memories return..." Ann Duke said gently, "she may not be the same Mimizuku that we know now."

"Huh...?"

Claudius looked up, slightly taken aback.

"A person's memory is the one definite substance of their character. The Mimizuku whose memories have returned may be a completely different person from the Mimizuku we know now..."

"I don't want anything like that!!" Claudius shouted unthinkingly.

Ann Duke smiled as if to pacify him.

"But still, I think it would be good for you to make the new Mimizuku your friend as well. Isn't that right?"

"That is... yeah..."

Biting his lip, Claudius nodded. Ann Duke, nodding heavily, continued to talk.

"If Mimizuku's memories return, and she still wants to stay in this country with us... I think I'll make her my daughter."

Claudius's eyes grew wide at Ann Duke's words.

Ann Duke smiled somewhat shyly.

"Of course, only if Mimizuku is okay with it," he added.

"... I want to too..." Claudius looked down and muttered.

"Hm?"

"I wish I could have been born as your and Orietta's child..." he cried out in a tiny voice, like a mosquito's buzz. Ann Duke gave him a strange look.

"You hate your father?"

"I don't hate him!" Claudius yelled. "It's not that I hate him! But for a prince like me to be born like this, I'll only bring unhappiness to the country! For someone like me, who came into this world by killing his own mother..."

Ann Duke smiled and slowly shook his head.

"Don't put your parents on a pedestal like that."

"But..."

"Hey, Claudius."

Ann Duke took a step toward the windowsill, turning his back to Claudius.

"Do you think things would be better if you could move your arms and legs?"

"... Yes. That's what I want. But no matter what this country's magicians do, there's no way they can make my arms and legs move."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Is there a way!?" Claudius asked, clinging to Ann Duke's words.

"... If we had a strong magical power... there could be..." Ann Duke said quietly without turning around.

"Where could anyone get magical power like that!?" Claudius shouted, biting his lip.

Ann Duke turned around and patted Claudius's head once more.

"I'll come again," he said softly.

Even after Ann Duke had removed his hand, Claudius continued to face downward.

"... If I could meet Mii... I'll wait for her to come... Tell her..." He spoke in fragmented sentences. He seemed like he was going to cry, but he was a boy who resisted the urge to shed tears.

After all, he couldn't wipe them away.

"I promise I'll tell her," Ann Duke nodded, exiting Claudius's room.

"Mimizuku, how are you feeling?" Orietta asked Mimizuku, who had just finished a full day of treatment for the purpose of dispelling her curse.

Ann Duke looked on from beside her.

As expected, the King of Night's seal could not be completely dispelled.

''"Frankly, we just can't break through the last wall,"'' Riveil, the head of the Magician Brigade, had said.

''"However, the seal is on its last legs... From the tear we have made in it, there is a possibility that her memory will be reborn."''

Buried in her bed, Mimizuku sluggishly closed her eyes.

"My head hurts..."

"Are you okay?"

With her small body, it was undoubtedly a heavy burden to bear.

"Yeah. I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?" Orietta asked.

Mimizuku opened her dry lips.

"Some one was speaking to me. Forget. Forget. I didn't want to. Don't screw around with me, idiot. Why do I have to forget?"

Seeing Mimizuku say such harsh words in monotone made Orietta smile.

"You don't seem like the usual Mimizuku."

"It's definitely me," Mimizuku answered clearly. "That was my voice."

"Don't screw around with me, idiot..." she said once more, as if to confirm it was really her.

The next day, a rare guest was summoned to Mimizuku's room in the castle.

"Ah, it's been a while. Yep, it was definitely you."

With great humility, he stepped timidly onto the castle's carpet, and couldn't help but crack a smile when he saw Mimizuku. With his plump body and simple clothes, his appearances seemed quite unnatural against the castle's white walls.

"I wonder if you remember me. You and I met in the forest."

"Huh?"

Sitting in her bed, Mimizuku tilted her neck.

Orietta, who had brought the man with her, stepped closer to Mimizuku.

"Mr. Shiira, please tell her in detail what occurred that time."

"Yes, Lady Orietta."

The man called Shiira placed his hat upon his chest and deeply lowered his head to Orietta, then turned to Mimizuku.

"I was in trouble, lost in the forest, but then you suddenly came and spoke to me. I thought you were a monster, and I became very unnerved. But then... you called me 'Grandpa.'"

"Grandpa," Mimizuku parroted back.

Shiira smiled and nodded several times.

"That's right. You then gave me directions. 'Go straight down this river,' you said. Thanks to those words, I was able to get out of the forest."

"Straight down the river..."

"I asked, 'What about you?' But then you misunderstood and answered with your name. I asked in a sense of 'What are you going to do,' but you said 'I'm Mimizuku.'"

"I'm... Mimizuku..."

Something in her head rang out.

''Hm? I'm Mimizuku!''

That voice. Who's voice was it?

"Then I asked, 'Aren't you going to come with me?' But you were delivering a flower, so you said you couldn't. You were holding a very red flower. You gave me the stamen, saying it would ward off monsters."

As Shiira followed his memories, he carefully described the scene.

"Very red..."

"Your hand was soaked with blood. It was an incredibly red flower, like nothing I had seen before."

"Red... flower..."

Sweat began to run down Mimizuku's back. Her heart began to beat faster.

"You said something like... yes, yes, now I remember. You said you had to bring that flower to Fukurou. Mimizuku and Fukurou are associated with each other, so I remembered what you said well."

"Fukurou."

''Alright! Fukurou! I'll call you Fukurou!''

The night was deep.

The darkness was thick.

The moon, was beautiful.

"Fukurou... Fukurou..."

"Mimizuku? What's wrong? Are you okay, Mimizuku?" Orietta asked from beside her. Mimizuku didn't respond, she simply muttered the name to herself over and over.

"Oh? Excuse me, but it seems like the pattern on your head has changed, hasn't it?" Shiira said, taking a closer look at Mimizuku.

"What was there before!?" Orietta asked, surprised.

"Um... when I saw it, it wasn't a pattern, but numbers. Three... 333? No, it was different. It was 332, I think..."

''"I'm number three hundred thirty two!"''

''That was mine.''

''My number.''

"No... no..."

Mimizuku's eyes flew open, and she placed her hands over her ears.

Orietta called her name. However, her words never reached Mimizuku's ears.

"Noooooooooooooooo!!!!"

Mimizuku shrieked in anguish, as though she were dying.

Just like she had on the day she had separated from Fukurou.

Mimizuku vomited. As she cried, she vomited until she was expelling nothing but gastric juices. Orietta held onto her back, but she continued to vomit.

As the muddy waters of her memory engulfed her, she continued to vomit.

She recalled all of her memories once more. She remembered where and when, what she felt, and what she killed.

She couldn't deny her memories. The pain, the suffering. Now, she understood. She understood how closely she had skirted death when she lived in the village. It had all come back to her again.

She couldn't turn away from it anymore. She couldn't abandon her memories any longer.

As she recalled, she searched desperately.

''There had to be a time when someone was kind to me.''

When was it? Surely, it was somewhere.

''I was... treated kindly.''

''Two moons...''

Silver. And then, gold. Moons.

The jangling sound of her shackles. The sound of Mimizuku's world.

''Fukurou.''

She yelled it out into the recesses of her heart.

"How could I forget..."

Mimizuku rolled her hands into fists and screamed.

"Don't just selfishly erase people's memories like that, Fukurou! You idiooooooooot!!"

And then, beside Orietta and her pared eyes, Mimizuku lost consciousness and collapsed.

Meanwhile, underneath the castle, Fukurou, who's vitality and magical power were being squeezed out of him little by little, gave a subdued sigh.

"The idiot is you. Foolish girl..."

It was a small utterance, and no one was there to hear it.

<references/>
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| Return to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Prologue

2011-07-23T04:40:16Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Prologue - The Forest of Night==

The wind wound its way through the trees, cutting through the air like a scythe, making Mimizuku's heart seem cold with fear. The heaviness that could be felt in the surroundings could be described in one word: darkness. However, it was not complete darkness. The gaping wide moons hovering in the night sky above seemed almost too bright, as if it were a lie. But their moonlight made the colors in the darkness glow more richly. In the day, the forest was a luxuriant green, but in the darkness it seemed as though it were squirming about, like wriggling tentacles tangled amongst each other.

"--Ugh!"

Mimizuku let out a yelp as she felt a sharp pain. Looking at the back of her hand, she saw a red horizontal line running through it. She had been cut. Her bare feet and shoulders also had numerous wounds crisscrossing through them.

"Ehehe..."

Mimizuku laughed faintly and licked the back of her hand. She tasted blood. It had a salty tinge to it when it touched her tongue, but then turned dimly sweet.
''Human skin is kind of yummy'', Mimizuku thought. ''I wonder if it would be nice to eat.''
As she thought to herself, the trees and leaves of the forest swept across her skin and opened up new wounds.

''Having all these cuts makes me feel so warm.''

She was happy. After all, it was better to be warm than cold. ''It's okay. It's okay.''

At that moment, a quick gust blew, and Mimizuku's brittle hair rustled like withered grass. It was a strange wind. Though it caused her short hair to dance about, the leaves of the trees did not make any sound at all. With sanpaku<ref>Sanpaku: Literally "three whites." Check [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanpaku here] for more information.</ref> eyes and pupils like pebbles of coal, she looked upwards toward the direction of the wind.

''Those moons...''

There they both were, a perfect pair.

Ripping massive holes through the heavens, they seemed like a pair of eyes themselves.

They stared at Mimizuku.

Looking up through the forest, Mimizuku wondered what they would look like from the top of a tree.

''They're so pretty.''

She felt a shiver down her spine. Magnificent. If she were any shorter, she wouldn't have been able to see them at all. Despite this, the poor view she had of them now was enough to paralyze her. Mimizuku lifted her cheeks with her hands and gave a little chuckle. It was almost like a handsome guy was gazing upon her. But it wasn't a man.

''Not a human, it's different. Different from a human... Well, whatever it is, I hope it's something that would eat me.''

She lifted her hand and tried to touch the moons, but there was no way she could reach. It was okay though, because the moons were places no human could reach.

"Hey, up there, you pretty moons!" Mimizuku screamed as loud as her tiny lungs could muster.

"Can you... won't you eat me...?!"

The two moons began to sway back and forth. Mimizuku's heart began to beat faster.

"Leave, human."

A resonant, thunderous voice shook the darkness to its roots.

Hearing the voice made Mimizuku happy, and she made a large, cheeky grin.

''I'm so happy'', she thought.

"Leave. I dislike humans."

Dislike. Hate. It hates humans. ''We'll get along''.

Even though she had the body of a human, Mimizuku hated humans as well. The moons, the lake, the acorns among other things, she hated them too, but not nearly as much as the humans.

"It's alright! I'm different from a human."

She opened her arms out as wide as she could. The shackles chained to her wrists jangled as she did.

"I'm livestock! So eat me!" Mimizuku said, making another wide, cheeky grin.
The darkness whispered, and the moons twinkled.

<references/>
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| Return to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou: Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5

2011-07-23T04:36:54Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician==

===1===

Time passed.

After having evoked Eligol, Adilisia stood by without moving, talking for a while.

"... What does all this mean? Weren't you supposed to be looking for something?"

"It does not matter what we do. After using magic within the <Night>, it will come to us from the other side sooner or later," Adilisia responded, making the tiny Eligol sit in the palm of her hand.

"From the other side?"

"Yes. This place is like that thing's body. It will notice traces of magic."

"What is this thing you're talking about?"

"You would do best not to ask."

"I told you I'd keep it a secret..."

Itsuki pointed his lips, making a troubled sigh as he did.

"--We have come to retrieve a companion who has violated a taboo," the golden-haired girl said.

"Taboo?"

"Of course, you are unaware of this as well... In the world of magicians, there are several absolute taboos that exist. --One of them is becoming magic."

"That's... I've heard about that from Nekoyashiki-san. What does it mean?"

"It is not so difficult to understand. It is to throw off your meat shell, and become one with the magic that you practice. --It means to unite with the world. In certain religions of the seed, it is also the farthest bounds of enlightenment."

Soon after she was done talking, Itsuki knitted his brows confusedly.

"Wh, what? I didn't even understand half of that..."

"That is because you are an idiot."

Itsuki was sharply rejected.

Furthermore, all of a sudden, Adilisia stopped putting a suffix after his name. Rather than from feelings of endearment, it was quite clear that she was speaking to him as if he were her manservant.

"Uuh... Then, this <Night> is all the work of that magician that committed that taboo?"

"I would not call it his 'work.' Magicians who have become magic spread spell wave pollution simply by existing. That simply causes a phenomenon similar to a <Night> to occur. Thanks to that, we were in a panic when the <Organization> set this up as a 'job.'"

That made sense.

Itsuki could finally understand some of what she was saying. Adilisia's "interference" was not just related to the "job."

As soon as he understood, Itsuki suddenly became downcast.

"Then... you're in a tough situation, aren't you Adilisia-san?"

"Hm?"

"Well, since he was your friend. You have to chase after him and find him, that's tough isn't it?"

"That is how it is. --For the time being, I am the leader of <Goetia>. It is only natural that I take responsibility for one of our own who has violated a taboo."

Adilisia proudly puffed out her chest.

''Because she's... their leader,'' Itsuki thought as he listened to her.

He was a president too. Whatever went on, he stood above Honami and the others. Even this "job," for just a moment--and it really only was just a moment--they let him decide whether or not to take it.

If possible, could he give them some kind of reward for that?

Always running away, being forced to come along... could he do something more president-like for a change?

''--I can't say that I am right now...''

"What is the matter?"

Seeming to worry about Itsuki's silence, Adilisia looked at him.

So, letting go of his inhibitions for a moment, he spoke just what he thought.

"It's just, I think... you're really cool..."

"..."

"What?"

"N, no, pay no heed. I was simply a bit surprised, being told something like that so suddenly... Yes, this body is a crystal of magic cultivated through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power. And you, Itsuki, you can see ether bodies, so surely you are no normal human being either...?"

Adilisia made a slight, sulking sniffle with her nose, and then turned her face away as if she had sensed something.

"Huh?"

Itsuki's heart suddenly made a leap.

The girl softly ran her hand across his black leather eye patch.

"Speaking of which, what is this eye patch? Were you injured before?"

"Uh, y, yeah, but it's nothing serious..."

"But you have it on all the time, even at school, correct? Is there some kind of scar there unfit to show to human eyes?" Adilisia asked him without restraint, looking up at him.

Her delicate chest peering up from her pitch-black dress caused blood to rush to his head, Itsuki turned away.

"No, er, a long time ago, I was chased by a monster in a <Ghost Mansion>. I was told that I shouldn't expose the injury to light. --Thanks to that, now I can't see anything with it except for monsters and the flow of spell power and stuff like that."

The only time he took his patch off was when he slept.

It didn't bother him to keep it on throughout most of the day, even when showering and washing his face. At first it was a bit of trouble to perceive distance with one eye, but over the course of ten years he had managed to get used to it. Even with the issue of monsters... he only encountered them two or three times per year.

"... I wonder if it gets rough."

When he saw things, he would often faint and lose consciousness and end up in bad situations...

Come to think of it, it seemed pretty natural that he was in the situation he was in now.

"... Itsuki."

Suddenly, Adilisia's hands clamped down on Itsuki's cheeks.

"Fwa! F, f, nrgh, nyuh?"

"Itsuki, even when you have your eye patch on... you can see ether bodies? Furthermore, you can see the flow of spell power itself?"

Her voice was horribly cold.

Just like the time in the park, and when they were facing off on the ocean surface only a few hours before, it was the callous voice of a magician.

"... Feh? H, Hm. But it's not really strange, is it? The eye that eye can see ehter bodies with isn't exactly normal..."

"That is not the issue here!" the witch roared. "Anyone relying on normal eyeballs can see how far removed the sight ability of a normal eye and the sight ability of a spiritual eye are. What should not be possible is the ability to see such things when the eye is covered. Even if you could temporarily use clairvoyance, to be able to manage both clairvoyance and spirit sight and the same time would be impossible to anyone aside from a very accomplished magician. Such a thing is comparable to looking through a telescope with one eye and looking through a microscope with the other."

"B, but, I can clearly see them both..."

"That is why I am saying it is strange. Itsuki, is seems as though you have not realized it, but that eye cannot be called the eye of a human. If your eye can normally, unconsciously grasp that kind of vision..."

Her fiery speech suddenly cut off.

Adilisia, who had been moving in closer and closer to Itsuki's face, almost yelling at him--suddenly let go of his hand and stood up.

"...?"

"What's wrong?"

"Eligol is--"

Following her words, Itsuki looked at the tiny Eligol perched on Adilisia's shoulder, bravely holding up his flag.

The flag, and the eyes hidden behind his helmet, had become affixed to the other side of the window.

''The window?''

Felling a chill down his spine, Itsuki turned around.

It was then.

Suddenly--the goblin factory shook hard.

The earthquake-like rumbling, stopping as suddenly as it had begun, gave way to a swelling, thick presence.

"--"

It was a troubling presence that made Itsuki want to vomit.

His teeth began to chatter. Soon, the shivering spread to the rest of his body, sucking the strength from his legs, putting him on his knees while holding onto himself.

And then, the presence spoke.

'''"I fou ・ nd you"'''

"Hu--?"

"Itsuki!"

At the same time, he heard a rebuke from Adilisia.

"It has arrived!"

'''''Crick!'''''

Seemingly unable to withstand the shocks from earlier, the cracks in the ceiling grew wider.

From those cracks that looked like scars from being slashed by a demon, something viscous slowly fell.

... It was a pitch-black tar.

Mud.

Sludge.

Slime.

It was an acridly pungent liquid that could be called by no other words.

''Fwishlip slorshlip''

The mud flowing from the ceiling wriggled out, and began to accumulate.

"Wha, what is, that..." Itsuki blurted out in shock.

Plopping out of the cracks in the concrete, the mud began to pile up.

''Flurp, shlurp''

''Blub glub''

Little by little, it grew four appendages, raised its head, and took shape.

If that shape had been the one of the dragon appearing in the legend, it would have been wonderful. Itsuki and Adilisa would be saved.

However, it wasn't.

"A person..."

It was a form that was all too human.

'''[THAT IS MAGIC]'''

Itsuki's right eye spoke again.

However, paying no attention to it, Itsuki simply let out short breaths.

"You're saying... that's magic...?"

''Then, this is... the magician that became magic?''

--This kind of thing was?

As they looked on, the shape arranged itself. The mud was continually circulating, however it still managed to bear finger-like protrusions, ear-like protuberances, and an empty hole like a mouth.

As it threw of yellow sludge little by little, it drew nearer.

'''" ・・My dea ・r Addie"'''

The mouth moved.

'''"M ・y precio ・us Addieeee ・I've bee ・n loo ・king for y ・ou."'''

The sound of its voice hurt Itsuki's ears. He felt like his ears were burning up.

'''"Ret ・uuurn the ・dem ・on ・・・"'''

Half-collapsing and restoring at the same time, the mud extended a hand.

"... Ugh!"

At loss for words from sheer disgust, Itsuki landed on his backside as he tried to move away.

On the other hand, the golden-haired girl simply looked down and sighed.

At her words, Itsuki forgot his fear.

"... Oswald... Father..." the girl said quietly.

"If you display any further disgrace, father, then I will destroy you."

*

Next to frozen ocean--at the corner of the open thicket, Honami was tying mistletoe needles together.

Placing down four twigs with special letters etched into them, she lit a small bonfire in their center. The bonfire lit up her incredibly focused expression as she threw in several stones.

"Honami onee-chan, what are you doing?" Mikan asked as she helped out by sticking mistletoe into the ground.

"Things are gonna get a little high-handed. I'm gonna connect this flame--and the inside of the frozen ocean."

"What do you mean by 'connect?'"

"Earlier, there was a spell power response from the president's badge."

Honami felt her own badge on her collar.

"I think Addie probably evoked something or something like that, and I could feel it in my badge. If that's the case, hen it would be really thin, but I think I can get a Pass connected."

"I see. We've got a connection then, I suppose."

Nekoyashiki clapped his hands together in admiration.

More than anything, evocation is an art for the purpose of calling spirits from other worlds. It could be called a technique for connecting with others in far off, separated locations. If that kind of magic was used with a badge the same as Honami's and Nekoyashiki's, then it would be natural in magical theory for there to be a connection to their badges as well.

"That reminds me, there was an anecdote of a Celtic legend where the Druid of the Gods connected two closed spaces. Are you planning to imitate that?"

The black cat Genbu-kun made a "Meow?" along with Nekoyashiki's question.

"Yeah. I've only heard that the legend is from storytellers in Wales long ago. This is the first time I try it."

Honami looked at the flame, slightly uneasy.

Mistletoe and flame.

It was the same arrangement as the great stone monument, the Druid Circle--more commonly called Stonehenge. Similar to the magic circles that Adilisia used, these Celtic ritual areas composed of mistletoe and flame made manipulating spell power extremely easy.

"..."

She took a single breath.

She felt her badge.

This was a type of magical technique almost completely forgotten by Celtic magic itself. Not to mention, space connection was not used in any other art.

"--Well, here goes," Honami spoke clearly.

===2===

It was as if the air in the factory had all been replaced with concentrated sulfuric acid.

Itsuki's throat stung. He felt horribly dizzy. His world became distorted, as it was progressively polluted by an alternate world located in the heart of the mud.

It was as if he were in Hell.

--Magicians who have committed a taboo emit spell wave pollution.

Itsuki understood the meaning of that for the first time, in his skin.

This was unmistakably a taboo.

A lump of sin.

Something that, at any cost, should not exist in this world.

However.

"Fa... ther...?"

That simple word made Itsuki confused.

"..."

Adilisia didn't respond.

She simply stood facing the writhing mud--and slowly began to speak.

"Father, if I may speak, I will say it only once more. If you disgrace us any further, I will destroy you."

She made a declaration to the mud that took the shape of a person. It was difficult enough for her to stay staring straight ahead.

'''"Dis・grace・"''' the mud uttered.

It began to shake its body.

At that moment, a part of the mud took on a different shape.

It jumped out with a flapping sound--it was the flock of black pigeons they had seen only hours before!

"--Shax?!"

Pecking at the concrete, stabbing through broken machines, the place where Adilisia had stood was now buried in black pigeons.

The girl had tumbled over just barely in time.

As she stood up, the black pigeons returned to the mud, leaving the floor where Adilisia stood in a state warped from its original form. There only remained a large, round hole like a crater.

Furthermore, that was not the end.

At the same time, the mud, taking on another shape, flew toward Itsuki.

"Marbas?!"

The golden demon lion--though it was now covered in mud.

The strength in its legs was unmistakably that of a beast's.

Closing the distance between the two in an instant, the jaw that would devour Itsuki flew open.

"--!"

Ah.

It died.

The moment Itsuki realized it died, he was unable to move a muscle, and his face was wrapped in the demon's raw breath. Its white fangs were brushing toward his neck.

"GISYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

What arose was the scream of the beast.

Marbas's eyeball exploded.

The ether body's black blood splashed across Itsuki's head. Itsuki, staring dumbfounded straight ahead, had his neck pulled by someone.

"Itsuki! Hold on!"

Within Itsuki's sight as he was pulled by Adilisia, Marbas turned back into mud. Eligol, the one who had stabbed Marbas's eyeball, made a huge leap, landing on Adilisia's shoulder.

"Ah... haah... ha..."

Itsuki breath was rough and broken.

He felt like the oxygen in his body was being used up all at once. No matter how many times he sucked in air, his breathing didn't get any easier.

"Adilisia... san..." he finally managed to whisper. "Don't tell me... that each one... of those mud piles... is a demon..."

"That is how it would appear to be," Adilisia responded in an emotionless voice.

"It was father's loss... to have become magic. Secretly gathering disciples, attempting to merge with the seventy two demons, but failing to completely do so... now all that remains of him is mud reflecting his desire and instinct. Of the seventy two demons, he managed to combine with sixty five of them, his body now an impossible lump of ether.

"..."

Itsuki remembered the workshop he had seen in his right eye.

The sea of blood staining the floor. The scattered chunks of flesh. The severed head that had tumbled into the magic circle.

That time, Adilisia's father had died.

Even if he had attempted to violate a taboo, it was so--

--so, bitter.

"Ah..."

His stupidity finally eluding him, he realized there for the first time.

"Adilisia-san, there's nothing you can..."

If Oswald was drawing from the same seventy two demons as Adilisia, then victory or defeat would depend on the number and quality of each combatant's demons. However, Adilisia's strongest demons had already been consumed in the process of reaching her current position. There was no way she could put up a fight with just her tiny Eligol...

"There is, something."

Adilisia gave the slightest, most faint smile.

"After all, I came here to destroy my father."

'''"A・ddie・・"'''

Oswald, the mud, quivered again.

What would he release next? Glasya・Bolas? Botis? Or perhaps, some new demon that Itsuki was unaware of ?

With speed like a bullet, three black pillars of shadow began to extend.

However, faster than that,

Adilisia held up her pendant of Solomon.

'''"--Recede!"'''

<center>*</center>

"--It's here!" one of the black clothes from <Goetia> shouted from the mountainside.

"Begin the ceremony!"

At the same time, spell power began to flow through all of the magic circles surrounding the frozen ocean.

In an instant, a giant, intertwining magic circle, gained significance.

<center>*</center>

"Hoho, interesting, combining magic circles into one large one..." Kagezaki sighed expressionlessly, still standing halfway up the mountain. Taken at face value, his words might seem like a complement, however his voice was completely devoid of emotion.

"So this is the secret technique of <Goetia>?"

<center>*</center>

The three shadows dashed towards Adilisia.

One was a wolf that breathed fire.

Another was a giant leopard.

And the last, was a winged bull.

The three monsters suddenly engulfed the powerless girl, moving in to devour her.

--They ended in an instant.

'''"Recede!"'''

With that single word, the three demons disappeared without a trace. They weren't even able to return to the mud this time.

Adilisia simply held up the pentagram of Solomon.

"Adilisia-san..."

"If something can be evoked, in can recede as well. That is simple logical reasoning."

The girl gave another smile to the dumbfounded Itsuki.

"Of course, you need more spell power than what your opponent has. If you add me and the other twenty <Goetia> magicians together--naturally we are more than a match for my father."

This was the true form of the magic circles lined up outside.

They had stood by, creating several magic circles of recession, all for this moment.

'''"・・・A・ddie・・!"'''

Oswald was deranged with agony.

"The truth is, after we had disposed of <Astral>, we were planning to take care of this. This is one of the secret techniques of <Goetia>. --However, it could not be helped that our plans underwent a bit of revision."

Adilisia seemed more upset than beaming with the pride of victory.

'''"Recede!"''' she shouted, gripping the pentagram of Solomon.

A blast of spell power was launched at the mud.

'''"--Recede! Recede! Recede!"'''

She performed the opposite action of evocation.

The opposite of evocation--recession.

The demons composing Oswald's shape were one by one sent back to their parallel world. The mud began to shed and shrivel up, finally disappearing.

The mud appeared to be growing smaller.

It was as if it were being burned away by a flame.

The mud, which had been a size larger than Itsuki in the beginning, was now about the size of a child, proceeding on to be squished to the size of a cat or puppy--and then disappearing several seconds after that.

It was too short of a last moment.

"Haah..."

"Haha," Itsuki laughed with a dry voice.

He felt like an idiot for worrying.

From the beginning, Adilisia was the one who held the upper hand. It was fitting for her to be the most valued item in the Magical Company know as <Goetia>.

"My my, what is the matter? Itsuki."

Turning around, Adilisia laughed mischievously.

"Oh, Adilisia-san--"

"I told you. I told you to pull out of this offer, because we would have been enough to handle this. If <Astral> had not gotten in the way, this would have been much easier."

Grabbing the hem of her dress, the golden-haired girl curtsied.

"However, I will thank you, just a little bit, for grieving over a father like mine."

"..."

Unable to say anything, Itsuki touched his cheek.

It was then--

A voice resounded in the darkness.

'''"--I ・do invoc・ate and conjure thee"'''

"Huh?"

They turned around.

Before their eyes, the voice continued.

'''"--I ・do invoc・ate and conjure thee"'''

'''"--I do strongly command thee, by Beralanensis, Baldachiensis, Paumachia, and Apologle Sedes: by the most Powerful Princes, Genii, Lichide, and Ministers of the Tartarean Abode: and by the Chief Prince of the Seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion--"'''

Suddenly, the remains of the mud lurking in the concrete took shape--

"Adilisia, behind you!"

"Wha...!"

The girl twisted her back.

However, there was no way she could have made it in time.

This time, she had no space in which to make the recession spell, and a wolf with the wings of an eagle--a mud-covered Glasya・Bolas slammed into her back from behind.

'''"My d・ear Addie・that w・as disa・ppointin・g"'''

Expelling a broken voice, the mud that should have disappeared rose once again.

It took the shape of a person--of a half-collapsed old man.

'''"If you ・can evoke yo・u can send i・t bac・k. Th・e same・goes fo・r t・he opp・osite. If ev・en the sl・ightest amou・nt remains, ・ you can・evoke it a・gain."'''

"..."

Pain and surprise hovered on Adilisia's face.

--She had made a mistake.

Itsuki and Adilisia hadn't thought that the mud was intelligent. They had thought that it was like a rampaging beast that had shed any remnants of human sense and knowledge.

They were wrong.

It could remember all of its secret techniques and magic from when it was a magician.

And then, it had waited for the moment when the girl would show an oversight.

It could be called, cunning, perhaps.

'''"Now then・allow me to・eat you・r dem・ons"'''

The mud--the mud in the shape of Oswald, inched slowly toward Adilisia.

It didn't even enter Itsuki's eyesight.

There was nothing a boy like him, who could only see it, and was not a magician himself, could do.

Right now, that was correct.

Magic wasn't a mystery that could transcend rational boundaries. It was simply a system based on a hierarchy of survival of the fittest that was affiliated with the spirit world.

Sludge dripped from the finger of the old man.

Just before that sludge could drip into the lips of the girl who had been knocked over by the wolf--

--It was pulled back.

'''"Yo・u・・・?"'''

Oswald's voice bore a question for the first time.

Itsuki's hand was holding onto the old man's wrist.

"... W... wa, wai... wa... wait..."

He couldn't form words.

It was as if the roots of his teeth couldn't arrange properly.

He felt as though he would throw up simply from the bizarre sensation he felt from holding onto the wrist.

Even so, he didn't let go.

'''"Wha・t are・you"'''

With a creak, the old man's head twisted at an impossible angle. His eyeball-like protrusions sluggishly turned toward Itsuki.

"--!"

As he was gazed at, Itsuki's muscles began to cramp. He felt as though he were being bound.

As though the old man had an evil eye.

Throwing off Itsuki's stiff hand, the old man extended his finger toward Itsuki's face.

'''"Tha・t eye"''' the mud's throat squirmed.

'''"Tha・t eye is・inte・resting"'''

Sludge dripped onto his eye patch, causing a white smoke to billow up.

"Hyi...gh"

He couldn't move.

Behind his eye patch, he could feel the sensation of the collapsing finger stroking the surface of his eyeball. A disgusting sensation erupted from his eye.

And then,

Shwing--

Suddenly, the finger of the mud, coming into contact with his badge, melted away.

"--!"

The badge on Itsuki's collar was hot like a frying pan.

'''"Wh・at"'''

The old man flew backward.

His body quivered again.

Another small arrow sliced into his twisted back.

Mistletoe spear.

And then, in the magic circle that Adilisia had carved, a new figure appeared.

"Ho, Honami!"

"President--sorry for making you wait."

A girl with chestnut-colored hair was smiling.

In the process of connecting space with the flames and magic circle, her cape and part of her pointed hat had burned off, but perhaps that added to her charm.

All of a sudden, the wolf that had knocked Adilisia over--Glasya・Bolas--also turned to mud and disappeared. Itsuki and Adilisia stood up with one another.

"... I was seen in a disagreeable position."

Adilisia gave a small sigh. Her dress had been torn in several places as she had fallen, but thankfully she had no serious injuries.

"I got what you were generally trying to do. With those combined magic circles earlier, you were going to stop him, right? Whatever the case, shouldn't you rest?"

"--Hmph, it was not enough."

Adilisia was definitely gritting her teeth.

The two glared at the old man made of mud.

"..."

However,

'''"We wi・ll meet again・in the n・ext <Night>"'''

The mud suddenly melted.

From its face and its shoulders and its arms and its legs, it lost its order and spread out on the floor in puddle of viscous liquid.

Flowing just like that into the cracks in the concrete, the slushing, gushing liquid disappeared.

"It... disappeared?"

Itsuki rubbed his eye, disbelieving.

And after all the trouble he had gone through in preparing himself for an inescapable battle.

"President... are you alright?"

Honami ran up to his side.

"... Ah... yeah," he replied, suddenly bending down.

"President!?"

"Ah... no, my back's just fallen out."

He let out a tired laugh. He felt as though this night had lasted many months. The last minute especially had a weight that felt like many years.

"... Man... even though I thought things were going just a bit well..."

Honami let out a sigh.

Itsuki wanted to tell her that there's no way he could get used to this, but he felt a though he couldn't move his lips properly.

''Ah, this is no good.''

"Honami--I think I'm gonna faint, so I'll say this now--"

"H, huh? What?"

"Yeah. That muddy old guy just now--keep it a secret," he said to Honami, who was in a rare state of worry.

"Secret?"

"Yeah... I promised Adilisia-san. Tell Mikan-chan and Nekoyashiki-san... too."

"Itsuki..."

Adilisia held her chest.

"... Then I'll leave... the rest to you. Right now... I'm tired."

"W, wait, president!"

He slumped over toward Honami. It was indiscrete, but it felt kind of nice.

Finally, the scene outside of the window with the rusty sash was visible.

''--Ah, that's right.''

He finally understood the reason why the monster disappeared.

From the broken window, gentle rays of sunlight extended into the room.

The frozen ocean had completely disappeared, and only the usual scene of the mountain--and of the goblin factory, remained on the grounds.

"President onii-chan!"

He felt as though he could hear Mikan's energetic voice...

Kino no Tabi

2011-07-23T04:13:40Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:Kino_book_one.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

Kino no Tabi (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- ''Kino's Journey'') is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kohaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000. The first bound volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000 by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko publishing label. As of October 10, 2008, twelve volumes have been published, and over 5.6 million copies of the novels have been sold in Japan.

==Story Synopsis==

Tthe protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people.

== Translation ==

=== [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

(It seems people don't understand what the above means. When we ask you to REGISTER, what we mean is, add your name on the REGISTRATION PAGE next to the chapter you will translate, so that we can know who translated it. That's it. So if there are people out there that would like to help translate these wonderful books, please don't hesitate, translate any chapters you like, in any order you like! Thank you to all who help with this project!)

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*June 5, 2008 - Project started!
*August 8, 2008 - Ch. 1 of Vol. 11 Completed!
*April 15, 2009 - Almost all of Vol. 11 is completed.
*April 15, 2009 - Vol. 10 is nearly 50% complete.

==The ''Kino no Tabi'' series by Keiichi Sigsawa==

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: A Story of a Sniper -Fatalism-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Desert・b -Beginner's Luck・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter1|A Tale of Feeding Off Others -I Want to Live.-]] 9% Complete
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter2|Overprotection -Do You Need It?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter3|Land of Wizards -Potentials of Magic- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter4|Land of Free Press -Believers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter5|A Picture's Tale -Happiness- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter6|Return -'She' is Waiting For You.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter7|Land of Books -Nothing Is Written!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter8|A Kind Land -Tomorrow Never Comes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Desert・a -Beginner's Luck・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Anecdote|Anecdote: Continuation: A Picture's Tale -Anonymous Pictures-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: The Land of Love and Peace -Power Play-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Clouds・b -Blinder・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter1|A Land Without Borders -Designated Area-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter2|Power of Persuasion -Persuader-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter3|The Land of Identical Faces -HACCP-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter4|A Tale of a Mechanical Doll -One-way Mission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter5|A Land not Permitting Discrimination -True Blue Sky-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter6|A Finished Tale -Ten Years After-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Clouds・a -Blinder・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst a Sea of Red・b -Blooming Prairie・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter1|Land with a Bronze Statue -Angel?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter2|××××× -Solo-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter3|Land of Two People -Even a Dog doesn't Eat-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter4|Tradition -Tricksters-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter5|The Land Without the Need for Work -Workable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter6|A Land Divided -World Divided-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter7|Grapes -On Duty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter8|Land of Acknowledgment -A Vote-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter9|A Tale of a Raid -Bloodsuckers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter10|Land of Bridges -Their Line-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter11|The Tower Country -Freelance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst a Sea of Red・a -Blooming Prairie・a- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Setting Sun・b -Will・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter1|Reminiscence -Blue Rose-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter2|Land Permitting Murder -Jungle's Rule-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter3|A Tale of a Vendor -For Sale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter4|Land of Heroes -No Hero-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter5|Land of Heroes -Seven Heroes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter6|A Land at Leisure -Jog Trot-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter7|Land of Prophecies -We NO The Future-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter8|Bodyguards -Stand-bys-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter9|A Tale of a Salt Field -Family Business-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter10|Land of Illness -For You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst the Setting Sun・a -Will・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: A Land of No Admittance -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: An Unbiased Tale -All Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: A Tale of a Tank -Life Goes On-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue: A Pledge・b -a Kitchen Knife・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter1|Her Journey -Chances-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter2|Her Journey -Love and Bullets- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter3|Land of Fireworks -Fire at Will!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter4|A Land with an Elder -I Need You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter5|A Land that Never Forgets -Not Again-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter6|A Safe Country -For His Safety-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter7|During the Journey -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter8|The Meaning of Blessing -How Much Do I Pay For?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Pledge・a -a Kitchen Knife・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi!:Volume7_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Prologue|Prologue: To Do Something・b -Life Goes On・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter1|An Aggressive Land -Leave Only Footsteps!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter2|A Land of Love -Stray King-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter3|Along a River -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter4|Winter Tale -D-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter5|A Tale of Teatime in a Forest -Thank You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter6|Land of Liars -Waiting for You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Epilogue|Epilogue: To Do Something・a -Life Goes On・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Roads -Go West!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: The Land That Can Do No Wrong -Black box-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Along the Beach, The Beginning and End of a Journey -On the Beach・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter1|A Land With History -Don't Look Back!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter2|A Loving Country -Dinner Party-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter3|Radio Country -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter4|A Reclaimed Land -Confession-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Epilogue|Epilogue: Land of Boats -On the Beach・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Unacceptable People -Traveler's Tale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Walls -Sweet Home-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Prologue|Prologue: In Sorrow・b -Yearning・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter1|Land of Records -His Record-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter2|Evening of Good People -Innocence-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter3|Writer's Journey -Editor's Travels-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter4|Land of Electric Waves - Not Guilty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter5|Land of Diaries -Historians-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter6|Land of Nature Conservation -Let It Be!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter7|Land of Merchants -Professionals-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter8|Murder Country -Clearance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter9|Continue・Tank's Tale -Spirit-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter10|An Old Tale -Tea Talks-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter11|Power of Persuasion II -Persuader II-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Epilogue|Epilogue: In Sorrow・a -Yearning・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 10===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Land of Pets -apPETite-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Tii's Wish -Get Real!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Prologue|Prologue: A Man's Journey・b -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter1|Interview Land -Out of the Question-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter2|A Tale of Braggarts -Fantasy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter3|Land of Protection -Meritocracy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter4|Land of Telephone Poles -Transmission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter5|In a Place Like This -Preface-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter6|Tii's Day -a Day in the Girl's Life-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter7|Land With a Singer -Unsung Divas-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Man's Journey・a -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 11===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Children -Burn Up-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Land of Flower fields -Flower Arrangement-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Prologue|Prologue: Camera Land・b -Picturesque・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter1|Connected Land -Stand Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter2|Land of Disappointment -Hope Against Hope-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter3|Land of Ajin (etc) -With You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter4|Land Without Borders -Asylum-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter5|Land of School -Assignment-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter6|A Tale of Roads -Passage-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter7|A Tale of Fighting People -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Epilogue|Epilogue: Camera Land・a -Picturesque・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 12===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Bandits -Can You Imagine!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: Land of Biting -I Have Ever Seen Before.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece4|Frontispiece: Wishes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Prologue|Prologue: Within Happiness・b -Birth・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter1|Land of Justice -Idiots-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter2|A Land Where Demons Have Come -Take of the Devil.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter3|Land of Seeking -Common Sense-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter4|Land of Sundials -Counter Strike-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter5|Land of Endeavoring -Passage 2-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter6|Sequel・A Tale of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter7|A Tale of Letters -the Weak Link-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter8|A Tale of Wagers -Which is Which.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter9|A Land of Towering Virtue -Serious Killer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter10|Before the Clouds -Eye-opener-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Epilogue|Epilogue: Within Happiness・a -Birth・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 13===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece|Frontspiece: A Detestable Land -Abandon Ship!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece2|Frontspiece: An Amazing Land -Nothing Special-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece3|Frontspiece: A Story of Living People -You Should Be So Lucky.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Prologue|Prologue: A Tale of This World・b -It Happens.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter1|A Tale from Long Ago -Choice-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter2|Land of Family -Divorce-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter3|An Unlawful Land -Just Imagine It!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter4|Land of Travelers -Last Will-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter5|A Necessary Land -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Tale of This World・a -It Happens.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Special Compilation|Various Stories -a Beautiful Dreamer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]

===Volume 14===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Prologue|Prologue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・b -the Dawn・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Chapter 1|Land of Cultivation of Aesthetic Sensibility -Do What We Say!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 2|Land of Sighs -My Daily Life-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 3|Land of Regulations -Unreal Young Man-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 4|Land of Better Fortune -The Fifth "C", Cozenage-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 5|Land of Posthumous Works -Write or Die-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 6|Land of Ruin -Self-destruction-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 7|Land of Marriage -Testament-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 8|Land of Parasitic Insects -Cure-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 9|A Discriminatory Land -We Are NOT Like Us-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 10|A Correct Land -WAR=We Are Right!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 11|Land of Cowards -Toss-up-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・a -the Dawn・a-]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[user:XEN gK|XEN gK]]
:*[[user:Shuijie|Shuijie]]
:*[[user:alicia250|alicia250]]

===Editors===

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

Kino no Tabi

2011-07-23T04:12:55Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:Kino_book_one.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

Kino no Tabi (キノの旅 -the Beautiful World- ''Kino's Journey'') is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kohaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000. The first bound volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000 by MediaWorks under their Dengeki Bunko publishing label. As of October 10, 2008, twelve volumes have been published, and over 5.6 million copies of the novels have been sold in Japan.

==Story Synopsis==

Tthe protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people.

== Translation ==

=== [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[Kino No Tabi:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

(It seems people don't understand what the above means. When we ask you to REGISTER, what we mean is, add your name on the REGISTRATION PAGE next to the chapter you will translate, so that we can know who translated it. That's it. So if there are people out there that would like to help translate these wonderful books, please don't hesitate, translate any chapters you like, in any order you like! Thank you to all who help with this project!)

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*June 5, 2008 - Project started!
*August 8, 2008 - Ch. 1 of Vol. 11 Completed!
*April 15, 2009 - Almost all of Vol. 11 is completed.
*April 15, 2009 - Vol. 10 is nearly 50% complete.

==The ''Kino no Tabi'' series by Keiichi Sigsawa==

===Volume 2===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: A Story of a Sniper -Fatalism-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Desert・b -Beginner's Luck・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter1|A Tale of Feeding Off Others -I Want to Live.-]] 9% Complete
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter2|Overprotection -Do You Need It?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter3|Land of Wizards -Potentials of Magic- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter4|Land of Free Press -Believers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter5|A Picture's Tale -Happiness- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter6|Return -'She' is Waiting For You.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter7|Land of Books -Nothing Is Written!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Chapter8|A Kind Land -Tomorrow Never Comes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Desert・a -Beginner's Luck・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Anecdote|Anecdote: Continuation: A Picture's Tale -Anonymous Pictures-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume2_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 3===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: The Land of Love and Peace -Power Play-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Clouds・b -Blinder・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter1|A Land Without Borders -Designated Area-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter2|Power of Persuasion -Persuader-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter3|The Land of Identical Faces -HACCP-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter4|A Tale of a Mechanical Doll -One-way Mission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter5|A Land not Permitting Discrimination -True Blue Sky-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Chapter6|A Finished Tale -Ten Years After-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Epilogue|Epilogue: Amidst the Clouds・a -Blinder・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume3_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 4===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst a Sea of Red・b -Blooming Prairie・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter1|Land with a Bronze Statue -Angel?- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter2|××××× -Solo-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter3|Land of Two People -Even a Dog doesn't Eat-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter4|Tradition -Tricksters-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter5|The Land Without the Need for Work -Workable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter6|A Land Divided -World Divided-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter7|Grapes -On Duty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter8|Land of Acknowledgment -A Vote-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter9|A Tale of a Raid -Bloodsuckers-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter10|Land of Bridges -Their Line-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter11|The Tower Country -Freelance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst a Sea of Red・a -Blooming Prairie・a- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume4_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue: Amidst the Setting Sun・b -Will・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter1|Reminiscence -Blue Rose-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter2|Land Permitting Murder -Jungle's Rule-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter3|A Tale of a Vendor -For Sale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter4|Land of Heroes -No Hero-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter5|Land of Heroes -Seven Heroes-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter6|A Land at Leisure -Jog Trot-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter7|Land of Prophecies -We NO The Future-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter8|Bodyguards -Stand-bys-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter9|A Tale of a Salt Field -Family Business-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter10|Land of Illness -For You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Chapter12|Epilogue: Amidst the Setting Sun・a -Will・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume5_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: A Land of No Admittance -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: An Unbiased Tale -All Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: A Tale of a Tank -Life Goes On-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue: A Pledge・b -a Kitchen Knife・b- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter1|Her Journey -Chances-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter2|Her Journey -Love and Bullets- ]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter3|Land of Fireworks -Fire at Will!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter4|A Land with an Elder -I Need You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter5|A Land that Never Forgets -Not Again-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter6|A Safe Country -For His Safety-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter7|During the Journey -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Chapter8|The Meaning of Blessing -How Much Do I Pay For?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Pledge・a -a Kitchen Knife・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume6_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 7===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi!:Volume7_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Prologue|Prologue: To Do Something・b -Life Goes On・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter1|An Aggressive Land -Leave Only Footsteps!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter2|A Land of Love -Stray King-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter3|Along a River -Intermission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter4|Winter Tale -D-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter5|A Tale of Teatime in a Forest -Thank You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Chapter6|Land of Liars -Waiting for You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Epilogue|Epilogue: To Do Something・a -Life Goes On・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume7_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 8===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Roads -Go West!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: The Land That Can Do No Wrong -Black box-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Prologue|Prologue: Along the Beach, The Beginning and End of a Journey -On the Beach・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter1|A Land With History -Don't Look Back!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter2|A Loving Country -Dinner Party-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter3|Radio Country -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Chapter4|A Reclaimed Land -Confession-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Epilogue|Epilogue: Land of Boats -On the Beach・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume8_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 9===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Unacceptable People -Traveler's Tale-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Walls -Sweet Home-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Prologue|Prologue: In Sorrow・b -Yearning・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter1|Land of Records -His Record-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter2|Evening of Good People -Innocence-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter3|Writer's Journey -Editor's Travels-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter4|Land of Electric Waves - Not Guilty-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter5|Land of Diaries -Historians-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter6|Land of Nature Conservation -Let It Be!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter7|Land of Merchants -Professionals-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter8|Murder Country -Clearance-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter9|Continue・Tank's Tale -Spirit-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter10|An Old Tale -Tea Talks-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Chapter11|Power of Persuasion II -Persuader II-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Epilogue|Epilogue: In Sorrow・a -Yearning・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume9_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 10===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece1|Frontispiece: Land of Pets -apPETite-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Tii's Wish -Get Real!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Prologue|Prologue: A Man's Journey・b -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter1|Interview Land -Out of the Question-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter2|A Tale of Braggarts -Fantasy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter3|Land of Protection -Meritocracy-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter4|Land of Telephone Poles -Transmission-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter5|In a Place Like This -Preface-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter6|Tii's Day -a Day in the Girl's Life-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Chapter7|Land With a Singer -Unsung Divas-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Man's Journey・a -Life is a Journey, and Vice Versa.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume10_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 11===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Children -Burn Up-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: Land of Flower fields -Flower Arrangement-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Prologue|Prologue: Camera Land・b -Picturesque・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter1|Connected Land -Stand Alone-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter2|Land of Disappointment -Hope Against Hope-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter3|Land of Ajin (etc) -With You-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter4|Land Without Borders -Asylum-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter5|Land of School -Assignment-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter6|A Tale of Roads -Passage-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Chapter7|A Tale of Fighting People -Reasonable-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Epilogue|Epilogue: Camera Land・a -Picturesque・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume11_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 12===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece|Frontispiece: Land of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece2|Frontispiece: A Tale of Bandits -Can You Imagine!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece3|Frontispiece: Land of Biting -I Have Ever Seen Before.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Frontispiece4|Frontispiece: Wishes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Prologue|Prologue: Within Happiness・b -Birth・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter1|Land of Justice -Idiots-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter2|A Land Where Demons Have Come -Take of the Devil.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter3|Land of Seeking -Common Sense-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter4|Land of Sundials -Counter Strike-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter5|Land of Endeavoring -Passage 2-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter6|Sequel・A Tale of Contribution -How's Tricks?-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter7|A Tale of Letters -the Weak Link-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter8|A Tale of Wagers -Which is Which.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter9|A Land of Towering Virtue -Serious Killer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Chapter10|Before the Clouds -Eye-opener-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Epilogue|Epilogue: Within Happiness・a -Birth・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume12_Translator's Notes| Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 13===
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Illustrations|Color Illustrations]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece|Frontspiece: A Detestable Land -Abandon Ship!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece2|Frontspiece: An Amazing Land -Nothing Special-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Frontspiece3|Frontspiece: A Story of Living People -You Should Be So Lucky.-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Prologue|Prologue: A Tale of This World・b -It Happens.・b-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter1|A Tale from Long Ago -Choice-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter2|Land of Family -Divorce-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter3|An Unlawful Land -Just Imagine It!-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter4|Land of Travelers -Last Will-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Chapter5|A Necessary Land -Entertainer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Epilogue|Epilogue: A Tale of This World・a -It Happens.・a-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Special Compilation|Various Stories -a Beautiful Dreamer-]]
::*[[Kino_no_Tabi:Volume13_Author's Notes|Author's Notes]]

===Volume 14===
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Prologue|Prologue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・b -the Dawn・b-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Frontspiece/Chapter 1|Land of Cultivation of Aesthetic Sensibility -Do What We Say!-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 2|Land of Sighs -My Daily Life-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 3|Land of Regulations -Unreal Young Man-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 4|Land of Better Fortune -The Fifth "C", Cozenage-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 5|Land of Posthumous Works -Write or Die-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 6|Land of Ruin -Self-destruction-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 7|Land of Marriage -Testament-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 8|Land of Parasitic Insects -Cure-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 9|A Discriminatory Land -We Are NOT Like Us-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 10|A Correct Land -WAR=We Are Right!-
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Chapter 11|Land of Cowards -Toss-up-]]
::*[[Kino no Tabi: Volume 14 Epilogue|Epilogue: In the Middle of the Morning Sun・a -the Dawn・a-

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[user:XEN gK|XEN gK]]
:*[[user:Shuijie|Shuijie]]
:*[[user:alicia250|alicia250]]

===Editors===

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

Rental Magica: Registration Page

2011-07-23T03:59:00Z

Amazing Buffalo:

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here." Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==''Rental Magica'' Registration==

===Volume 1===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 5 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 6 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 7 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Epilogue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Author's Word - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

===Volume 2===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 3===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 4===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 5===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 6===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Extra
::*Author's Word

===Volume 7===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Pause
::*Author's Word

===Volume 8===
::*Pause
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Chapter 8
::*Pause
::*Chapter 9
::*Pause
::*Chapter 10
::*Chapter 11
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 9===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 10===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 11===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Pause
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 12===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 13===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue (after)
::*Epilogue (before)
::*Author's Word

===Volume 14===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 15===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Author's Word

===Volume 16===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

<noinclude>
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</noinclude>

[[Category:Registration Page]]

Rental Magica

2011-07-23T03:58:05Z

Amazing Buffalo:

[[Image:レンタルマギカ第一巻.jpg|thumb|Volume 01 Cover]]

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. It has been running in Kadokawa's ''The Sneaker'' since 2004 and has since reached twenty volumes and spawned an anime series.

==Story Synopsis==

There is more magic in the world than people think.

There is more mystery in the world than people think.

The incredibly shy and weak high school student Iba Itsuki inherits his father's magician dispatch company, "Astral," after his father's disappearance outlasts seven years and his father is taken for dead. However, he has trouble getting used to the work involved with being president of the company, and also has a hard time dealing with his employees' wild personalities.

==Translation==

=== [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|Registration]]===

'''Translators are asked to [[Rental Magica: Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

==Updates==
*22 July 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 5 complete
*8 June 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 4 complete
*29 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 3 complete
*11 May 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 2 complete

Older updates can be found [[Rental Magica:Updates|here]].
==''Rental Magica'' by Makoto Sanda==

===Rental Magica Volume 1: ~Magicians for Rent!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Offer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - <Night> of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - End of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Eye of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 1: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 2: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Inheritance of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Flying Ship of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians and Wings]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Magicians and Homunculi]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Home of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Story of Long Ago]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Magicians V.S. Alchemists!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 2: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 3: Magicians, Assemble!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 1|Magicians for Rent!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 2|The Magician and the Flower Thief]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Summer Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Portrait]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 3: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 4: The Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician and the Senior]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Town of the Magician's Choosing]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Magicians in the Mist]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Changeling]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Dragon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Fairy Eye]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 4: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 5: The Fate of the Magician!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Sea of Summer]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 2|The Magician and the School Ghost Story]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 1]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Tanabata Festival - Part 2]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 5: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 6: Magicians in Training!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Red Lance]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 2|The Magician and Christmas]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 3|The Magician and the Blood of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Bonds of Solomon]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Special Section|Special Supplement: Basic Theory of ''Rental Magica'']]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 6: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 7: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 1)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician that Doesn't Go Home]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Hometown]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Hunter of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Mortal Hill]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Laughing Demon and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 7: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 8: The Demon Festival and the Magician (Part 2)===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The Magician and the Beginning of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - The Stone and the Stage and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - The Magician and the Shadow of the Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - The Magician and the Demon that is a God]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Pause (3)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - The Magician and the End of the Festival]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - The Magician and the Demon's Dream]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Epilogue|Epilouge]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 8: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 9: The Magician's Classmate===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 1|The Magician and the Spiriting Away]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 2|The Magician's Illness]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 3|The Magician's Closing Ceremony]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Chapter 4|The Magician and the Aquapolis]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 9: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 10: Vampires V.S. Magicians!===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician, a Second Year!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Secret Symbol]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Offer II]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Magician and the Night-Colored Woman]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician and the Monster]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Vampires V.S. Magicians!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 10: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 11: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Prolouge|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Magicians, to England]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Magician Murder Mystery]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Tower of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Deliberations of the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician's Defeat]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 11: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 12: The Magician's Memory===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 1|The Magician's Investigation!]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 2|The Magician's Supplementary Classes]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 3|The Magician's Promise]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Chapter 4|The Magician's Meeting]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 12: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 13: The Olden Day Magicians===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Lending Magicians]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Ghost City and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Secret Poison]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Dragon Egg and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Pause (2)|Pause]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Magician that Doesn't Use Magic]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 1|Epilogue (after)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Epilogue 2|Epilogue (before)]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 13: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 14: The Magician's Little Sister===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 1|The Magician's Home Visit]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 2|The Magician's Confession]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 3|The Magician's Summer Vacation]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Chapter 4|The Magician's Blind Snake]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 14: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 15: The Magician of the Old Capital===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Field Trip and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician's Instructor]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician's Production]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - What the Magician Must Protect]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Shattered Everyday Life and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 15: Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 16: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Magician in the Storm]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Magician and the Evil Miracle]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Magician and the Dragon of Degeneration]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The One Who Protects the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The Red-Colored World and the Magician]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16: Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 16 Author's Word|Author's Word]]

===Rental Magica Volume 17: The Silver Knight and the Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 17: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 18: The White Magician===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 18: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

===Rental Magica Volume 19: The Magician's Little Sister, again===
::*[[Rental Magica Volume 19: Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

===Translators===
:* [[User:Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

All who are willing to help translate are welcome.
===Editors===
:*[[User:Darn2k|Darn2k]]
:*[[User:Jonathanasdf|Jonathanasdf]]
:*[[User:Krytyk|Krytyk]]
All editors who speak English proficiently are welcome.

==Series Information==

#''Rental Magica: ~Magicians for Rent!'' レンタルマギカ～魔法使い、貸します! (August 2004, ISBN 978-4-04-424906-9)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians V.S. Alchemists!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いV.S.錬金術師! (March 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424907-6)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians, Assemble!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、集う! (July 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424908-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ竜と魔法使い (November 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424910-6)
#''Rental Magica: The Fate of the Magician!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの宿命! (December 2005, ISBN 978-4-04-424909-0)
#''Rental Magica: Magicians in Training!'' レンタルマギカ魔法使い、修行中! (June 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424911-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 1) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(上) (October 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424912-0)
#''Rental Magica: The Demon Festival and the Magician'' (Part 2) レンタルマギカ鬼の祭りと魔法使い(下) (November 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424913-7)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Classmate'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いのクラスメイト (December 2006, ISBN 978-4-04-424914-4)
#''Rental Magica: Vampires V.S Magicians!'' レンタルマギカ吸血鬼V.S.魔法使い! (July 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424915-1)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Fairy Metropolis '' レンタルマギカ妖都の魔法使い (October 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424916-8)
#''Rental Magica: Magical Method Encyclopedia'' レンタルマギカ魔導書大全 (December 2007, ISBN 978-4-04-424917-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Memory'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの記憶 (January 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424918-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Olden Day Magicians'' レンタルマギカありし日の魔法使い (April 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424919-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹 (August 2008, ISBN 978-4-04-424920-5)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician of the Old Capital'' レンタルマギカ旧き都の魔法使い (March 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424921-2)
#''Rental Magica: The Fallen Dragon and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ滅びし竜と魔法使い (July 2009, ISBN 978-4-04-424922-9)
#''Rental Magica: The Silver Knight and the Magician'' レンタルマギカ銀の騎士と魔法使い (February 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424923-6)
#''Rental Magica: The White Magician'' レンタルマギカ白の魔法使い (July 2010, ISBN 978-4-04-424924-3)
#''Rental Magica: The Magician's Little Sister, again'' レンタルマギカ魔法使いの妹、再び (February 2011, ISBN 978-4-04-424925-0)

Rental Magica:Updates

2011-07-23T03:55:45Z

Amazing Buffalo:

*5 May 2011
**Rental Magica project officially underway
*27 April 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 1 complete
*24 May 2011
**Rental Magica teaser project started

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</noinclude>

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 5

2011-07-23T03:54:53Z

Amazing Buffalo: Created page with "==Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician== ===1=== Time passed. After having evoked Eligol, Adilisia stood by without moving, talking for a while. "... What does all this..."

==Chapter 5 - Shape of the Magician==

===1===

Time passed.

After having evoked Eligol, Adilisia stood by without moving, talking for a while.

"... What does all this mean? Weren't you supposed to be looking for something?"

"It does not matter what we do. After using magic within the <Night>, it will come to us from the other side sooner or later," Adilisia responded, making the tiny Eligol sit in the palm of her hand.

"From the other side?"

"Yes. This place is like that thing's body. It will notice traces of magic."

"What is this thing you're talking about?"

"You would do best not to ask."

"I told you I'd keep it a secret..."

Itsuki pointed his lips, making a troubled sigh as he did.

"--We have come to retrieve a companion who has violated a taboo," the golden-haired girl said.

"Taboo?"

"Of course, you are unaware of this as well... In the world of magicians, there are several absolute taboos that exist. --One of them is becoming magic."

"That's... I've heard about that from Nekoyashiki-san. What does it mean?"

"It is not so difficult to understand. It is to throw off your meat shell, and become one with the magic that you practice. --It means to unite with the world. In certain religions of the seed, it is also the farthest bounds of enlightenment."

Soon after she was done talking, Itsuki knitted his brows confusedly.

"Wh, what? I didn't even understand half of that..."

"That is because you are an idiot."

Itsuki was sharply rejected.

Furthermore, all of a sudden, Adilisia stopped putting a suffix after his name. Rather than from feelings of endearment, it was quite clear that she was speaking to him as if he were her manservant.

"Uuh... Then, this <Night> is all the work of that magician that committed that taboo?"

"I would not call it his 'work.' Magicians who have become magic spread spell wave pollution simply by existing. That simply causes a phenomenon similar to a <Night> to occur. Thanks to that, we were in a panic when the <Organization> set this up as a 'job.'"

That made sense.

Itsuki could finally understand some of what she was saying. Adilisia's "interference" was not just related to the "job."

As soon as he understood, Itsuki suddenly became downcast.

"Then... you're in a tough situation, aren't you Adilisia-san?"

"Hm?"

"Well, since he was your friend. You have to chase after him and find him, that's tough isn't it?"

"That is how it is. --For the time being, I am the leader of <Goetia>. It is only natural that I take responsibility for one of our own who has violated a taboo."

Adilisia proudly puffed out her chest.

''Because she's... their leader,'' Itsuki thought as he listened to her.

He was a president too. Whatever went on, he stood above Honami and the others. Even this "job," for just a moment--and it really only was just a moment--they let him decide whether or not to take it.

If possible, could he give them some kind of reward for that?

Always running away, being forced to come along... could he do something more president-like for a change?

''--I can't say that I am right now...''

"What is the matter?"

Seeming to worry about Itsuki's silence, Adilisia looked at him.

So, letting go of his inhibitions for a moment, he spoke just what he thought.

"It's just, I think... you're really cool..."

"..."

"What?"

"N, no, pay no heed. I was simply a bit surprised, being told something like that so suddenly... Yes, this body is a crystal of magic cultivated through the ages. It is natural to take the responsibility that accompanies this power. And you, Itsuki, you can see ether bodies, so surely you are no normal human being either...?"

Adilisia made a slight, sulking sniffle with her nose, and then turned her face away as if she had sensed something.

"Huh?"

Itsuki's heart suddenly made a leap.

The girl softly ran her hand across his black leather eye patch.

"Speaking of which, what is this eye patch? Were you injured before?"

"Uh, y, yeah, but it's nothing serious..."

"But you have it on all the time, even at school, correct? Is there some kind of scar there unfit to show to human eyes?" Adilisia asked him without restraint, looking up at him.

Her delicate chest peering up from her pitch-black dress caused blood to rush to his head, Itsuki turned away.

"No, er, a long time ago, I was chased by a monster in a <Ghost Mansion>. I was told that I shouldn't expose the injury to light. --Thanks to that, now I can't see anything with it except for monsters and the flow of spell power and stuff like that."

The only time he took his patch off was when he slept.

It didn't bother him to keep it on throughout most of the day, even when showering and washing his face. At first it was a bit of trouble to perceive distance with one eye, but over the course of ten years he had managed to get used to it. Even with the issue of monsters... he only encountered them two or three times per year.

"... I wonder if it gets rough."

When he saw things, he would often faint and lose consciousness and end up in bad situations...

Come to think of it, it seemed pretty natural that he was in the situation he was in now.

"... Itsuki."

Suddenly, Adilisia's hands clamped down on Itsuki's cheeks.

"Fwa! F, f, nrgh, nyuh?"

"Itsuki, even when you have your eye patch on... you can see ether bodies? Furthermore, you can see the flow of spell power itself?"

Her voice was horribly cold.

Just like the time in the park, and when they were facing off on the ocean surface only a few hours before, it was the callous voice of a magician.

"... Feh? H, Hm. But it's not really strange, is it? The eye that eye can see ehter bodies with isn't exactly normal..."

"That is not the issue here!" the witch roared. "Anyone relying on normal eyeballs can see how far removed the sight ability of a normal eye and the sight ability of a spiritual eye are. What should not be possible is the ability to see such things when the eye is covered. Even if you could temporarily use clairvoyance, to be able to manage both clairvoyance and spirit sight and the same time would be impossible to anyone aside from a very accomplished magician. Such a thing is comparable to looking through a telescope with one eye and looking through a microscope with the other."

"B, but, I can clearly see them both..."

"That is why I am saying it is strange. Itsuki, is seems as though you have not realized it, but that eye cannot be called the eye of a human. If your eye can normally, unconsciously grasp that kind of vision..."

Her fiery speech suddenly cut off.

Adilisia, who had been moving in closer and closer to Itsuki's face, almost yelling at him--suddenly let go of his hand and stood up.

"...?"

"What's wrong?"

"Eligol is--"

Following her words, Itsuki looked at the tiny Eligol perched on Adilisia's shoulder, bravely holding up his flag.

The flag, and the eyes hidden behind his helmet, had become affixed to the other side of the window.

''The window?''

Felling a chill down his spine, Itsuki turned around.

It was then.

Suddenly--the goblin factory shook hard.

The earthquake-like rumbling, stopping as suddenly as it had begun, gave way to a swelling, thick presence.

"--"

It was a troubling presence that made Itsuki want to vomit.

His teeth began to chatter. Soon, the shivering spread to the rest of his body, sucking the strength from his legs, putting him on his knees while holding onto himself.

And then, the presence spoke.

'''"I fou ・ nd you"'''

"Hu--?"

"Itsuki!"

At the same time, he heard a rebuke from Adilisia.

"It has arrived!"

'''''Crick!'''''

Seemingly unable to withstand the shocks from earlier, the cracks in the ceiling grew wider.

From those cracks that looked like scars from being slashed by a demon, something viscous slowly fell.

... It was a pitch-black tar.

Mud.

Sludge.

Slime.

It was an acridly pungent liquid that could be called by no other words.

''Fwishlip slorshlip''

The mud flowing from the ceiling wriggled out, and began to accumulate.

"Wha, what is, that..." Itsuki blurted out in shock.

Plopping out of the cracks in the concrete, the mud began to pile up.

''Flurp, shlurp''

''Blub glub''

Little by little, it grew four appendages, raised its head, and took shape.

If that shape had been the one of the dragon appearing in the legend, it would have been wonderful. Itsuki and Adilisa would be saved.

However, it wasn't.

"A person..."

It was a form that was all too human.

'''[THAT IS MAGIC]'''

Itsuki's right eye spoke again.

However, paying no attention to it, Itsuki simply let out short breaths.

"You're saying... that's magic...?"

''Then, this is... the magician that became magic?''

--This kind of thing was?

As they looked on, the shape arranged itself. The mud was continually circulating, however it still managed to bear finger-like protrusions, ear-like protuberances, and an empty hole like a mouth.

As it threw of yellow sludge little by little, it drew nearer.

'''" ・・My dea ・r Addie"'''

The mouth moved.

'''"M ・y precio ・us Addieeee ・I've bee ・n loo ・king for y ・ou."'''

The sound of its voice hurt Itsuki's ears. He felt like his ears were burning up.

'''"Ret ・uuurn the ・dem ・on ・・・"'''

Half-collapsing and restoring at the same time, the mud extended a hand.

"... Ugh!"

At loss for words from sheer disgust, Itsuki landed on his backside as he tried to move away.

On the other hand, the golden-haired girl simply looked down and sighed.

At her words, Itsuki forgot his fear.

"... Oswald... Father..." the girl said quietly.

"If you display any further disgrace, father, then I will destroy you."

*

Next to frozen ocean--at the corner of the open thicket, Honami was tying mistletoe needles together.

Placing down four twigs with special letters etched into them, she lit a small bonfire in their center. The bonfire lit up her incredibly focused expression as she threw in several stones.

"Honami onee-chan, what are you doing?" Mikan asked as she helped out by sticking mistletoe into the ground.

"Things are gonna get a little high-handed. I'm gonna connect this flame--and the inside of the frozen ocean."

"What do you mean by 'connect?'"

"Earlier, there was a spell power response from the president's badge."

Honami felt her own badge on her collar.

"I think Addie probably evoked something or something like that, and I could feel it in my badge. If that's the case, hen it would be really thin, but I think I can get a Pass connected."

"I see. We've got a connection then, I suppose."

Nekoyashiki clapped his hands together in admiration.

More than anything, evocation is an art for the purpose of calling spirits from other worlds. It could be called a technique for connecting with others in far off, separated locations. If that kind of magic was used with a badge the same as Honami's and Nekoyashiki's, then it would be natural in magical theory for there to be a connection to their badges as well.

"That reminds me, there was an anecdote of a Celtic legend where the Druid of the Gods connected two closed spaces. Are you planning to imitate that?"

The black cat Genbu-kun made a "Meow?" along with Nekoyashiki's question.

"Yeah. I've only heard that the legend is from storytellers in Wales long ago. This is the first time I try it."

Honami looked at the flame, slightly uneasy.

Mistletoe and flame.

It was the same arrangement as the great stone monument, the Druid Circle--more commonly called Stonehenge. Similar to the magic circles that Adilisia used, these Celtic ritual areas composed of mistletoe and flame made manipulating spell power extremely easy.

"..."

She took a single breath.

She felt her badge.

This was a type of magical technique almost completely forgotten by Celtic magic itself. Not to mention, space connection was not used in any other art.

"--Well, here goes," Honami spoke clearly.

===2===

It was as if the air in the factory had all been replaced with concentrated sulfuric acid.

Itsuki's throat stung. He felt horribly dizzy. His world became distorted, as it was progressively polluted by an alternate world located in the heart of the mud.

It was as if he were in Hell.

--Magicians who have committed a taboo emit spell wave pollution.

Itsuki understood the meaning of that for the first time, in his skin.

This was unmistakably a taboo.

A lump of sin.

Something that, at any cost, should not exist in this world.

However.

"Fa... ther...?"

That simple word made Itsuki confused.

"..."

Adilisia didn't respond.

She simply stood facing the writhing mud--and slowly began to speak.

"Father, if I may speak, I will say it only once more. If you disgrace us any further, I will destroy you."

She made a declaration to the mud that took the shape of a person. It was difficult enough for her to stay staring straight ahead.

'''"Dis・grace・"''' the mud uttered.

It began to shake its body.

At that moment, a part of the mud took on a different shape.

It jumped out with a flapping sound--it was the flock of black pigeons they had seen only hours before!

"--Shax?!"

Pecking at the concrete, stabbing through broken machines, the place where Adilisia had stood was now buried in black pigeons.

The girl had tumbled over just barely in time.

As she stood up, the black pigeons returned to the mud, leaving the floor where Adilisia stood in a state warped from its original form. There only remained a large, round hole like a crater.

Furthermore, that was not the end.

At the same time, the mud, taking on another shape, flew toward Itsuki.

"Marbas?!"

The golden demon lion--though it was now covered in mud.

The strength in its legs was unmistakably that of a beast's.

Closing the distance between the two in an instant, the jaw that would devour Itsuki flew open.

"--!"

Ah.

It died.

The moment Itsuki realized it died, he was unable to move a muscle, and his face was wrapped in the demon's raw breath. Its white fangs were brushing toward his neck.

"GISYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

What arose was the scream of the beast.

Marbas's eyeball exploded.

The ether body's black blood splashed across Itsuki's head. Itsuki, staring dumbfounded straight ahead, had his neck pulled by someone.

"Itsuki! Hold on!"

Within Itsuki's sight as he was pulled by Adilisia, Marbas turned back into mud. Eligol, the one who had stabbed Marbas's eyeball, made a huge leap, landing on Adilisia's shoulder.

"Ah... haah... ha..."

Itsuki breath was rough and broken.

He felt like the oxygen in his body was being used up all at once. No matter how many times he sucked in air, his breathing didn't get any easier.

"Adilisia... san..." he finally managed to whisper. "Don't tell me... that each one... of those mud piles... is a demon..."

"That is how it would appear to be," Adilisia responded in an emotionless voice.

"It was father's loss... to have become magic. Secretly gathering disciples, attempting to merge with the seventy two demons, but failing to completely do so... now all that remains of him is mud reflecting his desire and instinct. Of the seventy two demons, he managed to combine with sixty five of them, his body now an impossible lump of ether.

"..."

Itsuki remembered the workshop he had seen in his right eye.

The sea of blood staining the floor. The scattered chunks of flesh. The severed head that had tumbled into the magic circle.

That time, Adilisia's father had died.

Even if he had attempted to violate a taboo, it was so--

--so, bitter.

"Ah..."

His stupidity finally eluding him, he realized there for the first time.

"Adilisia-san, there's nothing you can..."

If Oswald was drawing from the same seventy two demons as Adilisia, then victory or defeat would depend on the number and quality of each combatant's demons. However, Adilisia's strongest demons had already been consumed in the process of reaching her current position. There was no way she could put up a fight with just her tiny Eligol...

"There is, something."

Adilisia gave the slightest, most faint smile.

"After all, I came here to destroy my father."

'''"A・ddie・・"'''

Oswald, the mud, quivered again.

What would he release next? Glasya・Bolas? Botis? Or perhaps, some new demon that Itsuki was unaware of ?

With speed like a bullet, three black pillars of shadow began to extend.

However, faster than that,

Adilisia held up her pendant of Solomon.

'''"--Recede!"'''

<center>*</center>

"--It's here!" one of the black clothes from <Goetia> shouted from the mountainside.

"Begin the ceremony!"

At the same time, spell power began to flow through all of the magic circles surrounding the frozen ocean.

In an instant, a giant, intertwining magic circle, gained significance.

<center>*</center>

"Hoho, interesting, combining magic circles into one large one..." Kagezaki sighed expressionlessly, still standing halfway up the mountain. Taken at face value, his words might seem like a complement, however his voice was completely devoid of emotion.

"So this is the secret technique of <Goetia>?"

<center>*</center>

The three shadows dashed towards Adilisia.

One was a wolf that breathed fire.

Another was a giant leopard.

And the last, was a winged bull.

The three monsters suddenly engulfed the powerless girl, moving in to devour her.

--They ended in an instant.

'''"Recede!"'''

With that single word, the three demons disappeared without a trace. They weren't even able to return to the mud this time.

Adilisia simply held up the pentagram of Solomon.

"Adilisia-san..."

"If something can be evoked, in can recede as well. That is simple logical reasoning."

The girl gave another smile to the dumbfounded Itsuki.

"Of course, you need more spell power than what your opponent has. If you add me and the other twenty <Goetia> magicians together--naturally we are more than a match for my father."

This was the true form of the magic circles lined up outside.

They had stood by, creating several magic circles of recession, all for this moment.

'''"・・・A・ddie・・!"'''

Oswald was deranged with agony.

"The truth is, after we had disposed of <Astral>, we were planning to take care of this. This is one of the secret techniques of <Goetia>. --However, it could not be helped that our plans underwent a bit of revision."

Adilisia seemed more upset than beaming with the pride of victory.

'''"Recede!"''' she shouted, gripping the pentagram of Solomon.

A blast of spell power was launched at the mud.

'''"--Recede! Recede! Recede!"'''

She performed the opposite action of evocation.

The opposite of evocation--recession.

The demons composing Oswald's shape were one by one sent back to their parallel world. The mud began to shed and shrivel up, finally disappearing.

The mud appeared to be growing smaller.

It was as if it were being burned away by a flame.

The mud, which had been a size larger than Itsuki in the beginning, was now about the size of a child, proceeding on to be squished to the size of a cat or puppy--and then disappearing several seconds after that.

It was too short of a last moment.

"Haah..."

"Haha," Itsuki laughed with a dry voice.

He felt like an idiot for worrying.

From the beginning, Adilisia was the one who held the upper hand. It was fitting for her to be the most valued item in the Magical Company know as <Goetia>.

"My my, what is the matter? Itsuki."

Turning around, Adilisia laughed mischievously.

"Oh, Adilisia-san--"

"I told you. I told you to pull out of this offer, because we would have been enough to handle this. If <Astral> had not gotten in the way, this would have been much easier."

Grabbing the hem of her dress, the golden-haired girl curtsied.

"However, I will thank you, just a little bit, for grieving over a father like mine."

"..."

Unable to say anything, Itsuki touched his cheek.

It was then--

A voice resounded in the darkness.

'''"--I ・do invoc・ate and conjure thee"'''

"Huh?"

They turned around.

Before their eyes, the voice continued.

'''"--I ・do invoc・ate and conjure thee"'''

'''"--I do strongly command thee, by Beralanensis, Baldachiensis, Paumachia, and Apologle Sedes: by the most Powerful Princes, Genii, Lichide, and Ministers of the Tartarean Abode: and by the Chief Prince of the Seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion--"'''

Suddenly, the remains of the mud lurking in the concrete took shape--

"Adilisia, behind you!"

"Wha...!"

The girl twisted her back.

However, there was no way she could have made it in time.

This time, she had no space in which to make the recession spell, and a wolf with the wings of an eagle--a mud-covered Glasya・Bolas slammed into her back from behind.

'''"My d・ear Addie・that w・as disa・ppointin・g"'''

Expelling a broken voice, the mud that should have disappeared rose once again.

It took the shape of a person--of a half-collapsed old man.

'''"If you ・can evoke yo・u can send i・t bac・k. Th・e same・goes fo・r t・he opp・osite. If ev・en the sl・ightest amou・nt remains, ・ you can・evoke it a・gain."'''

"..."

Pain and surprise hovered on Adilisia's face.

--She had made a mistake.

Itsuki and Adilisia hadn't thought that the mud was intelligent. They had thought that it was like a rampaging beast that had shed any remnants of human sense and knowledge.

They were wrong.

It could remember all of its secret techniques and magic from when it was a magician.

And then, it had waited for the moment when the girl would show an oversight.

It could be called, cunning, perhaps.

'''"Now then・allow me to・eat you・r dem・ons"'''

The mud--the mud in the shape of Oswald, inched slowly toward Adilisia.

It didn't even enter Itsuki's eyesight.

There was nothing a boy like him, who could only see it, and was not a magician himself, could do.

Right now, that was correct.

Magic wasn't a mystery that could transcend rational boundaries. It was simply a system based on a hierarchy of survival of the fittest that was affiliated with the spirit world.

Sludge dripped from the finger of the old man.

Just before that sludge could drip into the lips of the girl who had been knocked over by the wolf--

--It was pulled back.

'''"Yo・u・・・?"'''

Oswald's voice bore a question for the first time.

Itsuki's hand was holding onto the old man's wrist.

"... W... wa, wai... wa... wait..."

He couldn't form words.

It was as if the roots of his teeth couldn't arrange properly.

He felt as though he would throw up simply from the bizarre sensation he felt from holding onto the wrist.

Even so, he didn't let go.

'''"Wha・t are・you"'''

With a creak, the old man's head twisted at an impossible angle. His eyeball-like protrusions sluggishly turned toward Itsuki.

"--!"

As he was gazed at, Itsuki's muscles began to cramp. He felt as though he were being bound.

As though the old man had an evil eye.

Throwing off Itsuki's stiff hand, the old man extended his finger toward Itsuki's face.

'''"Tha・t eye"''' the mud's throat squirmed.

'''"Tha・t eye is・inte・resting"'''

Sludge dripped onto his eye patch, causing a white smoke to billow up.

"Hyi...gh"

He couldn't move.

Behind his eye patch, he could feel the sensation of the collapsing finger stroking the surface of his eyeball. A disgusting sensation erupted from his eye.

And then,

Shwing--

Suddenly, the finger of the mud, coming into contact with his badge, melted away.

"--!"

The badge on Itsuki's collar was hot like a frying pan.

'''"Wh・at"'''

The old man flew backward.

His body quivered again.

Another small arrow sliced into his twisted back.

Mistletoe spear.

And then, in the magic circle that Adilisia had carved, a new figure appeared.

"Ho, Honami!"

"President--sorry for making you wait."

A girl with chestnut-colored hair was smiling.

In the process of connecting space with the flames and magic circle, her cape and part of her pointed hat had burned off, but perhaps that added to her charm.

All of a sudden, the wolf that had knocked Adilisia over--Glasya・Bolas--also turned to mud and disappeared. Itsuki and Adilisia stood up with one another.

"... I was seen in a disagreeable position."

Adilisia gave a small sigh. Her dress had been torn in several places as she had fallen, but thankfully she had no serious injuries.

"I got what you were generally trying to do. With those combined magic circles earlier, you were going to stop him, right? Whatever the case, shouldn't you rest?"

"--Hmph, it was not enough."

Adilisia was definitely gritting her teeth.

The two glared at the old man made of mud.

"..."

However,

'''"We wi・ll meet again・in the n・ext <Night>"'''

The mud suddenly melted.

From its face and its shoulders and its arms and its legs, it lost its order and spread out on the floor in puddle of viscous liquid.

Flowing just like that into the cracks in the concrete, the slushing, gushing liquid disappeared.

"It... disappeared?"

Itsuki rubbed his eye, disbelieving.

And after all the trouble he had gone through in preparing himself for an inescapable battle.

"President... are you alright?"

Honami ran up to his side.

"... Ah... yeah," he replied, suddenly bending down.

"President!?"

"Ah... no, my back's just fallen out."

He let out a tired laugh. He felt as though this night had lasted many months. <-- :V -->The last minute especially had a weight that felt like many years.

"... Man... even though I thought things were going just a bit well..."

Honami let out a sigh.

Itsuki wanted to tell her that there's no way he could get used to this, but he felt a though he couldn't move his lips properly.

''Ah, this is no good.''

"Honami--I think I'm gonna faint, so I'll say this now--"

"H, huh? What?"

"Yeah. That muddy old guy just now--keep it a secret," he said to Honami, who was in a rare state of worry.

"Secret?"

"Yeah... I promised Adilisia-san. Tell Mikan-chan and Nekoyashiki-san... too."

"Itsuki..."

Adilisia held her chest.

"... Then I'll leave... the rest to you. Right now... I'm tired."

"W, wait, president!"

He slumped over toward Honami. It was indiscrete, but it felt kind of nice.

Finally, the scene outside of the window with the rusty sash was visible.

''--Ah, that's right.''

He finally understood the reason why the monster disappeared.

From the broken window, gentle rays of sunlight extended into the room.

The frozen ocean had completely disappeared, and only the usual scene of the mountain--and of the goblin factory, remained on the grounds.

"President onii-chan!"

He felt as though he could hear Mikan's energetic voice...

User:Amazing Buffalo

2011-07-22T21:27:39Z

Amazing Buffalo:

Just being lazy right now. :V I'll put the chapters I registered for up eventually.

My light novel collection:

Shakugan no Shana 0-21 + S1-S2

Kino no Tabi 1-14

Durarara!! 1-4

Baccano! 1

Rental Magica 1-14

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

Suzumiya Haruhi 1-10

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 1

Welcome to the NHK

Kara no Kyoukai

Kami-sama no Memo-chou 1

Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru 1 (Kadokawa ver.)

User:Amazing Buffalo

2011-07-22T21:23:53Z

Amazing Buffalo:

I'm working on Rental Magica right now. I plan on putting up some Kino no Tabi chapters too.

Just being lazy right now. :V I'll put the chapters I registered for up eventually.

My light novel collection:

Shakugan no Shana 0-21 + S1-S2

Kino no Tabi 1-14

Durarara!! 1-4

Baccano! 1

Rental Magica 1-14

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

Suzumiya Haruhi 1-10

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 1

Welcome to the NHK

Kara no Kyoukai

Kami-sama no Memo-chou 1

Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru 1

Rental Magica: Registration Page

2011-06-23T18:20:48Z

Amazing Buffalo:

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here." Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==''Rental Magica'' Registration==

===Volume 1===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 5 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 6 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 7 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Epilogue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Author's Word - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]

===Volume 2===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 3===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 4===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 5===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 6===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Extra
::*Author's Word

===Volume 7===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Pause
::*Author's Word

===Volume 8===
::*Pause
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Chapter 8
::*Pause
::*Chapter 9
::*Pause
::*Chapter 10
::*Chapter 11
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 9===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 10===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 11===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Pause
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 12===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 13===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue (after)
::*Epilogue (before)
::*Author's Word

===Volume 14===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 15===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Author's Word

===Volume 16===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Rental Magica|Main Page]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

[[Category:Registration Page]]

User:Amazing Buffalo

2011-06-23T18:19:17Z

Amazing Buffalo:

I'm working on Rental Magica right now. I plan on putting up some Kino no Tabi chapters too.

I don't have internet access at the moment and probably won't for a while. I'll still be translating in the meantime though.

My light novel collection:

Shakugan no Shana 0-21 + S1-S2

Kino no Tabi 1-14

Durarara!! 1-4

Baccano! 1

Rental Magica 1-14

Mimizuku to Yoru no Ou

Suzumiya Haruhi 1-10

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 1

Welcome to the NHK

Kara no Kyoukai

Kami-sama no Memo-chou 1

Saredo Tsumibito wa Ryuu to Odoru 1

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 1

2011-06-10T14:39:17Z

Amazing Buffalo:

__NOTOC__
{{TOCyears|startyear=1|endyear=4}}

==Chapter 1==

===1===

'''Well then, let us begin a story of magic.'''

 

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

Iba Itsuki screamed, almost fainting.

Falling on his bottom in an alleyway late at night, the pain coursed through him. A plastic bucket next to him tipped over, splashing the pants of his school uniform with kitchen waste.

"Ah... ah... ah... ah..."

However, completely ignoring that, Itsuki looks up with a dazed expression, pressing the eye patch over his right eye against his face.

He was a boy who looked a little younger than his actual age.

As if to display his personality, his hair was short and wasn't dyed or gelled, and even though it was a holiday, he wore his school uniform. The one exception to his bland appearance was the eye patch covering his right eye like a pirate; though for a young boy to wear it, it came off looking quite ridiculous.

Now, this boy had a serious reason for pressing on his eye patch.

With his left eye, he couldn't see anything.

If someone else had looked around, they wouldn't see anything to be afraid of. In that dark alleyway, they wouldn't see the shadow of anything other than the young boy.

If they were a normal human that is.

"..."

However, Itsuki could ''see'' something with his right eye.

Through the eye patch, through the palm of his hand, he could ''see'' them clearly.

... Red eyes.

The blazing red eyes glared at Itsuki from three meters above. There were six eyes in all—two on each head.

It was a fearsome, massive, three-headed dog.

It was several times taller than Itsuki; had stiff black skin; hellish red eyes—not to mention the three heads that almost spanned the whole width of the alleyway. Each of the heads had a stirring demonic presence, as if even just looking at it would cause your soul to be snatched away.

... ''It perfectly matched the figure in the reference documents.''

"... A-Ah, um..."

''"GARAAAAAAAA"''

Burning hot breath emanated from the right and left heads. Just the passing wind of that breath made Itsuki's hair stand on end. Any hotter and he'd have been burned to a crisp.

... Naturally.

It was like a fusion of its ancient ancestor who guarded the gates of the underworld and the Black Dog that strode through Europe. According to the numbers in the reference documents, its breath's maximum temperature was somewhere around two or three thousand degrees. No matter what, any human would be turned to ash in an instant. Such was the nature of magical beasts.

However, if we were talking about a human with a magical eye, perhaps there was one method of resistance...

... Immediately after.

Itsuki waved his outstretched hands in front of his face with all his might.

"No... um... I-I don't really taste good!"

With all of the desperation of a grade schooler being extorted by a middle schooler, Itsuki vigorously shook his head.

... Correction.

As a matter of fact, he had no way of resisting at all.

''"GRYY~I?"''

''"JRY~I?"''

''"ZRY~I!"''

The three heads examined Itsuki from several angles.

It looked like they were arguing over which one would get to eat him. Or maybe they were just trying to decide how to cook him.

"Uh, uh, ahahaha...!" Itsuki spoke through a dry throat. Responding keenly to his voice, the three heads violently bared their fangs.

They laughed.

With a twisting sound, something cold grabbed onto Itsuki's back.

"Awaawaawwawaa!"

As he let out an incomprehensible scream, Itsuki flailed his arms and legs.

At the same time, the demon dog jumped.

It was unbelievably nimble. Even though it seemed to rub against both walls of the narrow alleyway with each step, it jumped straight up and landed behind Itsuki.

"Wh-Wha~a?"

His eye opened to the size of a dinner plate.

He had no time to be astonished. Within a moment, Itsuki's field of vision was enveloped in pure red.

That was: a pure red, burning, terrible-smelling...

chin.

''*Lick!*''

"..."

''*Lick, lick, lick, lick...*''

"... Huh?"

He opened his eye.

Itsuki's vision awash in sticky saliva, he saw the demon dog panting and wagging its tail. The dog seemed to be so happy he couldn't bear it. With all the eagerness he could seem to muster in one lifetime, the dog wagged his tail.

"Wawawawawa!"

The three heads licked Itsuki's face over and over with feverish energy.

From behind, Itsuki heard a jolly voice.

"Oh, as expected of you, President, being first to arrive."

"... Hey, Nekoyashiki-san."

Itsuki, covered in slobber, turned around. He saw a young man holding a folding fan.

He was a head taller than Itsuki. He had bleached, white hair and long, thin eyes that stretched to the bridge of his nose. He seemed to personify the word "beautiful." However, his Heian-period style ''haori''<ref>A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haori#Accessories_and_related_garments Haori] (羽織) — a type of traditional Japanese over-robe.</ref> and folding fan dispelled any notion of beauty.

And also, just as his name implied<ref>Nekoyashiki (猫屋敷) means (猫 : ''cat'') (屋敷 : ''mansion'')".</ref>, they were protruding from his ''haori'' here and there...

''"Meow"''

''"Meorw"''

''"Mrrow"''

''"Me~oww"''

... four cats: white, spotted, black, and calico.

"Mm... yes, yes, yes. I was a bit caught up with feeding these children, so I ended up coming late. Cats are good, they are. Treasures of humanity. Treasures of earth. No, no, space... space-time; no, the treasures of ''alaya-vijnana''<ref>The Buddhist concept of "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaya-vijnana Eight Consciousnesses]," or the consciousness forming the base of all human existence.</ref> they are! A thousand gold pieces for a cat is stingy! As for myself, Nekoyashiki Ren, ten thousand, no, a hundred million!"

"Uh... rather than discuss cats, what the heck is with this dog!?"

The demon dog's rough tongue engulfed almost all of Itsuki.

In contrast, the man festooned with cats placed his folding fan against his mouth and tilted his head to the side.

"Hm? What is this? You did see... it said he likes people, right?"

"Likes... people?"

That kind of went without saying. Rather, does he like people, or does he like ''to eat'' people?

"Oh, President. Looks like you only skimmed the reference docs once again. This time it's a pet search...?"

"P-Pet?" Itsuki parroted involuntarily.

"A subspecies of descendants—be that as it may, it makes an ideal familiar. It ran away during a walk. It looks like we've finished our request, haven't we?"

"..."

Itsuki said nothing.

However, there was a visible change in the demon dog.

''"GRY~?"''

Suddenly letting go of Itsuki, the dog let out a howl, wary of the man and the cats. It heaved its body around.

"My-my, Ultros-san!"

It had incredible agility.

Ultros, the demon dog, rushed down the alleyway faster than Nekoyashiki could even shout.

''"—Cleanse, purify—"''

This time, a lisping but cool and clear voice echoed down the alleyway.

''"Cleanse, purify. Amidst woven pattern of rock and cloud, blade of the wise great god, disperse all misfortune, the Buddha in Heaven..."''

An evergreen branch adorned with white strips of paper—a ''tamagushi''<ref>A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagushi tamagushi] is a traditional Shinto implement</ref>—moved in the darkness. As it waved, the demon dog jumped far back, returning to where Itsuki stood. It hung its head and whimpered as if discovered while making mischief by its master.

"Huh?"

Itsuki blinked.

At the other end of the alleyway stood a girl with pigtails. Actually, she looked about eight. Rather than a girl, she could more correctly called a ''little'' girl.

Her clothes looked a bit like Ren's. She wore a pure white, crane design ''chihaya'' and a crimson ''hakama''. That is to say, a ''miko'''s<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miko Miko] (巫女) are traditional holy women of the Shintou religion.</ref> outfit. She had a red schoolbag on her back and she had apparently come directly from school.

"Enough, Nekoyashiki-san. Didn't you hear that this one gets timid when it senses other monsters' spell power?"

Puffing out her cheeks, the little girl stood with her arms akimbo.

She had said her name was Katsuragi Mikan. A third year elementary school student, she was an employee-under-contract in the ''Shintou''<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shintou Shintou] (神道 ''lit: way of the gods'') is the popular mythological tradition of Japan.</ref> department. That is to say, this was her part-time job.

"Ahaha. An honest mistake."

With that, the young man called Nekoyashiki Ren let out a relaxed laugh. He was the acting senior managing director and head of the ''Onmyoudou''<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onmyoudou Onmyoudou] (陰陽道) is a traditional Japanese occult system of thought that mixes ideas from many Asian philosophies.</ref> department. He was said to be the main force behind and leading <Astral>.

"Well then, shall we leave the last part to our President?"

"Eh, me?"

Itsuki's eyes were still spinning as Nekoyashiki handed him three seals. Complicated symbols danced across the surfaces of the slips of Japanese paper. If you showed them to someone even slightly versed in calligraphy, their eyes might have flown wide in amazement. However, Itsuki's eye was already wide open.

"So... you've gotta stick them to its heads. If I go any closer, it'll get scared and run."

"..."

Itsuki held his breath.

He looked several times from Nekoyashiki to the demon dog and back again. He thought of asking Mikan to do it, but she was on the other side of the dog.

"U-Under-Understood."

With a completely pale face, Itsuki nodded like a puppet.

"Good luck, President ''Onii-chan''," Mikan said, smiling.

"Ah... ahahaha." Itsuki let out a dry laugh as he stepped closer and closer to Ultros.

''"GRY~Y?"''

"I-I-I-It's alright. I won't hurt you..."

''*Pat*''

The first one.

With that, the left head drooped and fell comfortably asleep.

''"JRY~Y."''

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I'm not doing anything... just sticking some seals here..."

''*Pat*''

The second one.

''"ZRY~Y!?"''

"...!!!"

Just as he affixed the third one, Itsuki lost consciousness. For real this time.

"''O-Onii-chan'', President ''Onii-chan''?"

''"Me~eorw?"''

Itsuki felt as though voices were calling him from far off.

Bye bye. See you later. Thank you.

===2===



"...!!!"

Itsuki opened his eye.

For a moment, he didn't know where he was.

He looked around. It was red.

He was in the classroom at sunset.

One of his classmates was looking at him with a tired face.

"Hey, Ibaitsu?"

Yamada tried calling him from the seat next to him. Yamada was the ''goban''-faced<ref>i.e. his face looks like a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_equipment#Board Go Board].</ref> "hope" of the physics club. Incidentally, he was called the "hope" because he had won the physics club fighting game tournament during the new student welcoming ceremony without a single loss.

"Of course, you finally wake up after sleeping straight from the beginning of first period to the end of supplementary lessons. Have you ever considered that you might be possessed or something?"

"Wow... I was out of it for that long?"

"Yeah, you were making some amusing moans all through class. No one felt like touching you." Yamada goggled his ''sanpaku''<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanpaku Sanpakugan] (三白眼 ''lit: three whites eyes'') refers to when the iris is small, with white showing between the iris and lower eyelid.</ref> eyes at Itsuki. "You were talking about a three-headed, monster dog or something. Did you wander out at night after watching a horror film? Something like 'Terror! Flying Killer Tomato V.S. Ed Wood?'"

"I don't think there was a dog in that one."

"Forget about it. You always faint during horror films anyway."

"Isn't that natural? They are kind of scary..."

"Heh, I still remember you swooning during 'Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld.'<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemon:_Nobita%27s_Great_Adventure_into_the_Underworld A Doraemon movie]</ref>"

"Ack!"

Oh, the trauma.

Ever since elementary school, every time he went out he ended up in some unfavorable situation. Just half a month after he entered this school, the whole class knew he was a scaredy-cat thanks to Yamada. Even the neighboring classes knew him as "The Guy Who Fainted from Watching Doraemon."

"Keheheheh!" After laughing like a demon for a while, Yamada asked, "So, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, you've looked a little funny since last week."

Yamada lowered his eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"F-Funny?"

"Yeah. You're normally out cold, but recently you've been doing it a lot more. Have you taken up some kind of weird part-time job or something?"

"Mm... sort of..."

Giving an ambiguous laugh, Itsuki rubbed his cheek.

"Well, whatever. I thought you were gonna go with your Uncle Kusakabe to America, weren't you?"

"I can't do that. I've got to hold down the house here and I don't want to cause him that much trouble..."

"Well it's too late for that now. And after you guys had been living together for several years..."

"Well, just go with what's logical, I guess."

Yamada sighed at Itsuki's words.

"Man, you're a good guy in a weird place. I don't really much care about that, but at least visit us once in a while. ''Aneki'''s<ref>Yamada's Older Sister – More about [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics#Familial_honorifics Familial Honorifics]</ref> always saying you should show your face more."

"Yeah, thanks," Itsuki said meekly.

Yamada dropped his shoulders tiredly. However, he suddenly tilted his head.

"Oh yeah, I heard from ''aneki'', your father's case has been wrapped up, right? A lawyer sent some kind of letter. So they found your dad after all?"

"Uh..."

Seeing that Itsuki was having trouble putting his thoughts into words, Yamada tapped the back of Itsuki's head.

"Hm, I guess that was asking too much. Well, if you really want to know, then just call your sister."

Yamada was totally shameless.

Itsuki shook his head, giving a wry smile.

"It's okay, I don't really mind. Since it's already been seven years since he went missing, I've just thought of him as dead."

"... I see. That bad, huh?"

"I really don't have any feelings about it, though. I've been living with Kusakabe since before he went missing, after all."

"Yeah, you've really got nothing to complain about there... Man, if I could live with Yuuka-chan..."

"Hush, lolicon."

"You shut up, greenhorn!"

As they were talking, Itsuki's cell phone started rumbling in his pocket.

When he saw the caller ID, Itsuki's heart lurched.

"Ack!"

"Hm? What's wrong? Take it if you need to."

"Y-Yeah..."

Gulping down a huge gob of saliva, he pressed the talk button.

The moment he did...

"Oh, President!"

"Huh?"

Yamada's ears perked up.

"Hey... Nekoyashiki-san, what is it?"

"Along with the succession procedures I told you about, we've got a new employee coming in. Can you swing by here tomorrow, President?"

"Uh, yes... I understand, but..."

"Also, I need you to sign the documents confirming the capture and return of Ultros the other day."

"Y-Yes... Understood. Well, see you later."

As he cut the call, just as he expected, Yamada was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Ibaitsu... did someone just call you... 'President'?"

"N-No... it was just a wrong number."

"And you answered it?"

"That's, uh... s-sorry. I have to go home now!"

"Wait up, Ibaitsu!"

Standing up in a panic, Itsuki grabbed his school bag and ran away.

When he left the classroom, it was already evening.

People who have disappeared are dealt with as deceased after seven years, according to the law.

Iba Itsuki knew this because of a particular letter he had received.

"Oh... it's about dad."

Printed on a pretty, white envelope that seemed like it would be a waste to throw out was, "Regarding the Inheritance of Iba Tsukasa's Assets".

Though it was kind of cold of him, Itsuki hadn't even thought about his father until receiving the letter. Since his father had gone missing a long time ago, when Itsuki was still too small to remember, he had been given to his uncle and his uncle's wife to be taken care of. Since they had treated him just like family, Itsuki pretty much considered them to be such.

Itsuki's uncle had raised him perfectly well.

He gave both Itsuki and his real daughter, Yuuka, the same amount of affection, and even though he knew that Itsuki could see things like ghosts and monsters, he didn't fear Itsuki or give him any flack for it even once. Rather, saying it was for self-defense, he gathered lots of reference and information books for Itsuki. To Itsuki, who was often chased by monsters because of his weak appearance, the reason he was able to live for so long was thanks to his uncle.

— As a result, aside from occasional bouts of fear and bullying, Iba Itsuki led a decidedly peaceful and average life.

But now...

For the first time, Itsuki resented his father and uncle a little bit.

That's not to say that such resentment was undeserved. After all, there must have been a reason why he was given to his uncle. When the letter came, he refrained from speaking about it to his uncle (who was now in America) out of concern over the issue.

However, it was still totally unexpected.

''... Man, Uncle, you're no fair!'' Itsuki lamented in his heart. ''To think that Dad was president of some magician company, and Uncle didn't even say anything about it! Not once!''

Not to mention that he would have to succeed his father as president once he died!

After eating ramen for dinner on the way home, Itsuki stopped in the nearby park and made a phone call.

"[Good morning]<ref>Written in English in the original text</ref>... oh, Itsuki ''nii-san''<ref>Informal for ''Older Brother''</ref>? What's wrong?"

It was Yuuka. Thanks to the time difference, her voice was sleepy. It couldn't be helped. Nine in the evening in Japan was still early morning in New York.

"Um... hey, is Uncle there?"

"He's on a business trip. He flew off somewhere to the Great Lakes. He hasn't been calling regularly either, so Mom's pretty mad."

"I see..."

"Hey, hey, when are you coming to visit, ''Onii-san''?"

He heard the sound of rubbing against a blanket on the other end of the line. It seemed like Yuuka had just gotten out of bed.

"It's no use until summer break. High school is too much, right now."

"I wish you could come to school here..."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not so good with English, unlike you."

"You'll get used to it in a month!" she assured him cheerfully. There was a difference in their mental abilities that Itsuki wished she would consider.

"... Yeah, yeah... Say, Yuuka, have you ever heard anything about some company called <Astral>?" he tried asking suddenly.

"Huh? What?"

A puzzled voice came back to him. But then Yuuka's tone turned serious.

"''Onii-san''... did you see something again?"

''Ack!''

Bull's-eye.

"N-No, it's not anything like that...!"

"Re~ally?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm going to go. International calls are expensive!"

"Talk to you soon, then!"

Cutting the connection, Itsuki took a deep breath. Yuuka was pretty perceptive. If he talked to her any further, he'd definitely be found out.

"... Of course I can't tell her I've been made a company president..."

Itsuki had a far-off look on his face.

He sat on the swings, kicking back and forth against the ground weakly.

Ruminating over the conversation at the mansion the week before, Itsuki heaved a sigh.

--The mansion.

That was the office of the magician dispatch company <Astral>.

It was a very small mansion, hidden among several other buildings, and you wouldn't notice it unless you already knew about it. After receiving the letter about his inheritance, Nekoyashiki gave him a big nod and handed him several documents.

There was a Transfer of Management Contract, an Inheritance Rights Contract, and several other papers with difficult-looking contents; but that wasn't the problem. He was uncertain about his father's appearance and past, which he was just beginning to learn about.

However, when he was handed the business card, the world turned upside-down.

On a card embossed with a crystal watermark, the title, "Nekoyashiki Ren - Onmyoudou Department Head" was printed along with the following in sepia-colored letters:

'''<Magician Dispatch Company ・ Astral'''

'''— We rent magicians to meet your needs>'''

''"..."''

Itsuki simply sat speechless for several seconds.

''"... Um, what exactly is this?"''

''"Can you read? We support customers with magicians from all around the world, versed in magic arts from ''kokkuri-san''<ref>Fortune-Telling game, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokkuri_%28game%29 Kokkuri], rather like a Ouija board</ref> to voodoo, to fulfill their requests. Though, we're a bit shorthanded right now."''

Smiling, Nekoyashiki fluttered his folding fan.

''"So, I want you to succeed to the position of president of this company."''

''"President-san, President-san~!"''

Itsuki's eye shrank to a dot.

''"—Hey, wait a second! I'm a high school student! I don't remember anything about my father at all, and what exactly does 'magician dispatch' entail?!"''

''"It's not a problem. So long as there's a guardian, even a high school student can manage a company."''

Holding a teacup in his hand, Nekoyashiki gave a flawless business smile and nodded. If he weren't covered from head to toe in cats, he could pass as an exemplary model of a businessman.

''"But why do I have to inherit anything?! Why don't you become president, Nekoyashiki-san? I'll sign whatever contracts or anything I need to in order to pass it on to you."

''"The fetters of industry don't really appeal to me."''

Nekoyashiki put on a cheap smile.

''"We got an order from the <Organization>; a strong recommendation that the head of the association—that is, the position of president—be a blood relative. If we ignore what they say, we can't do business, and tomorrow we'll all be wandering the streets."''

''"Bankruptcy? Restructuring? Bad debt?"'' Mikan said in a worried voice, looking up at Itsuki.

Then, the cats began to exert wordless pressure. Itsuki couldn't find the words to go against their adorableness.

''"Uh, um..."''

No words.

The floor under his feet began to rumble with a strange moan. If he refused rashly, the floor would surely break open and unleash some kind of horrible monster.

''"I... I can't use magic or anything..."''

''"Don't worry about it. It will be enough for now if you simply sign and stamp here."''

Nekoyashiki smiled and nodded.

Itsuki's avenues of escape were vanishing one by one.

Suddenly, Mikan grabbed the armrest of the sofa. Latching onto it with her small hands, her mouth formed a へ shape.

''"..."''

Wordlessness.

''"..."''

Silence.

''"..."''

Stillness.

Itsuki finally cracked.

[[Image:Rental Magica v01 pg37.jpg|thumb|''"Al-Alright..."'']]

''"Al-Alright..."''

He gave the slightest nod.

''"That's wonderful, President!"''

''"Onii-chan's a president~!"''

''"Meowowow! Meeeow!"''

Cheers came from all sides of the office.

Washed away by the sound of the cheers, Itsuki was crushed by despair.

"... A~ah..."

Heaving a huge sigh, Itsuki unsteadily hit his forehead against the swing's chain. Lowering his head, he looked like an old man on the verge of death.

''This is bad! This is really bad!''

No matter how he looked at it, it was bad. By some mistake, the class fool had become the president of a magician company. Even more of a mystery was his employees.

''"Along with Mikan and me, our board director, Hazel, is off touring Europe, and we've got a new employee coming in soon. We've also got three or so freelancers helping us part-time,"'' Nekoyashiki had said.

Since then, ten days had passed. Furthermore, in the days leading up to today he had gotten involved in a monster capture. Going home with heavy steps, it was natural for him to stop in the park.

It was a small park.

It was near his house and he would flee here often ever since kindergarten. It was in a dead zone formed by the school district, so almost no one came through. Occasionally, he would hide in the earthen pipe tucked away in the shadow of a tree and finally be able to sleep soundly.

"Even if I hide, nothing will change..."

He looked irresolutely at the earthen pipe. He struggled over whether he should really hide in it. Even if he went to America like Yuuka said, it wasn't likely that Nekoyashiki would give up on him.

— But, at a time like this, the earthen pipe was a place where he could ball up his misfortune.

After heaving his fifty-sixth sigh, Itsuki got up from the swing.

''Ping!''

Suddenly, it felt as though a hot, iron spike had pierced his right eye.

"--gh!"

It was just a hallucination, right?

Right?

Actually, it was a sensation like approaching death. Heck, it felt like death itself. Something had turned the park into a veritable hell in just a moment.

... He couldn't turn around.

No matter what happened, he couldn't turn around.

But he did. And there...

"You are the president of <Astral>, yes?"

"Uwa~ah!"

Itsuki jumped upon hearing the voice from behind him.

There shouldn't have been anyone else in the park. There were only two entrances and he hadn't seen anything pass through either of them.

Nonetheless, a girl stood before him.

[[Image:Rental Magica v01 pg41.jpg|thumb|I am called Adilisia • lenn • Mathers.]]

Like destiny, like a nightmare, she was chuckling.

"...ah."

Itsuki couldn't speak. Stuck on his butt, he simply flapped his mouth open and closed.

"My my..."

At his appearance, the girl smiled from ear to ear.

"Excuse me, but I did not want to intrude on your home, so I invoked a reading to link me directly to your location. First, at least look me in the eyes. I am called Adilisia • lenn • Mathers. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Grasping the skirt of her pure black dress, she made an elegant curtsey.

She looked as though she had been pulled straight out of a western painting. She was beautiful.

Even in the night, her hair was a brilliant gold color, and it was set into vertical curls. Her strong, green eyes looked down at Itsuki. Here and there, complicated patterns of gold and silver thread adorned her dress. She seemed to be about the same age as Itsuki.

"...You-You are..."

As Itsuki struggled to regain the use of coherent speech, the girl smiled and waited.

However, her smile collapsed upon hearing his next sentence.

"... Reading? Are you an employee of <Astral> too? Then you're the new employee I was told would come to teach me?"

"No."

The girl's—Adilisia's—cheeks quickly turned a rosy crimson.

At the same time, another nasty pressure stabbed into Itsuki's right eye.

''Aah!''

With that pain, he knew.

This was spell power.

The origin of all these mysteries, the great "power" itself. That demon dog had been captured thanks to spell power, and it was coming from this girl without her invoking any spells.

"How dare you! To call me an employee of <Astral>...!"

Itsuki's skin began to go numb little by little, and Adilisia's spell power began to swirl. Under his eye patch, Itsuki's right eye seemed ready to explode.

"Uh... Did I say something wrong?"

"—!"

"Uwa!"

Seeing the girl's face freeze, Itsuki grasped his eye patch quickly.

"It can't be... you don't even know?" Adilisia asked in a too-gentle gentle voice.

"... Huh?"

"Are you telling me that you do not know the name Adilisia • lenn • Mathers?"

Itsuki's right eye, and his throat, hurt.

When he gulped, the gob of saliva felt like a stone.

... If he answered carelessly, he thought he would definitely die. He felt the touch of death through his individual hairs, creeping into the pieces of his soul. Thinking only of that feeling, he was like a poor little animal about to be eaten.

Feeling his heart thumping loudly, he desperately nodded his head.

"Y-Yes..."

"... Hmph. I see."

Adilisia's eyes grew dead cold.

"The president of <Astral>, when he hears the name 'Mathers'... does not know who that is?"

''I only just became the president!''

"..."

The girl glared at Itsuki, who simply nodded, unable to say a thing. He felt as if he were a frog being stared down by a snake.

"You aren't lying, are you...? Are you really Iba Itsuki?"

"Y-Yes, I am, but..."

His words caught in his throat, Itsuki looked back up at the girl before him.

Her fearsome spell power hadn't changed. However, the ghastliness about it had slightly diminished.

Between the two of them, there was a tired feeling.

"It is okay. It seems I have not made a mistake in reaching you, President of <Astral>."

Throwing back her golden hair, Adilisia let out a small sigh. She seemed to make all of her movements separately.

Slowly walking forward, she moved to Itsuki's side.

With all the pomp of a queen, she issued an order.

"Withdraw from the next offer."

"Off...er?"

Itsuki boggled his eye at her.

He was utterly un-informed about anything.

''Nekoyashiki-san, you said I would just have to sign and stamp, and everything would be fine!''

"Uh... sure..."

"Wonderful. If that is the case, then there is a way."

Saying this, the girl pulled a sheet of something from somewhere in her dress.

It was piece of parchment.

It was also kind of ominous-looking. The rough surface seemed to have veins of poison running through it, and the red letters scrawled across it looked sort of like human blood.

"Uh... um... this is..."

"Did you not just make your decision? If you do not understand my words, then we can negotiate this through the <Organization>. Everything will be fine with just one signature."

Adilisia smiled.

It was a flowery smile, but it made Itsuki break into a cold sweat.

"Sign...?"

"Yes, if you just pull out of the next job, everything will be fine."

She spoke in a whisper that could well have been that of Mephistopheles, who had stolen the soul of a philosopher.

However, Itsuki hesitated in taking the quill and parchment held out to him by Adilisia.

"What is the matter?"

"Nothing, it's just..."

Stiffening his face, Itsuki laughed ambiguously. As expected, he had no decision-making skills as president.

Unable to judge his appearance, Adilisia gave a single nod.

"If that is the case, allow me to lend you a hand."

"Huh?"

'''"--Come forth, Botis. Wise earl commanding sixty armies--"'''

A shrieking snake appeared in Adilisia's hand in a flash.

"U-Uwa...!"

In front of Itsuki, who had begun to shout, the snake's eyes twinkled brightly.

In an instant, Itsuki's voice was caught in his throat and his body became petrified.

"Now, let us continue."

''... Hunh?''

His body began to move on its own.

With empty eyes, Itsuki took the quill and parchment and his body obeyed Adilisia.

''Huh--!? This isn't good!''

His body neglecting his will, he took the quill and touched it to the parchment.

"... Yes."

A smile bloomed across Adilisia's face like a flower.

But then...

"That's as far as you go."

A third cold voice fell.

Yes—it fell to the ground.

===3===

Something sliced through the darkness.

With a swift gust, the parchment ripped in half. As the pieces danced through the air, they caught fire and burned to ash.

"Uwah!"

Itsuki reflexively waved his hand. Just as the parchment was destroyed, he regained control of his body.

"— Mistletoe Spear."

Picking up the small twig thrown at her feet, Adilisia looked up at the sky.

"Honami!"

Another character had appeared, floating in the night sky.

She sat horizontally on an old broom with her back to the moon. Her chestnut-colored hair was tied back with a ribbon. She wore a surprisingly large, pointed hat. Her fingers wrapped around a twisted oak rod.

— Yes, she had the appearance of a witch straight out of a fairytale.

However, the one thing about her different from a regular witch was that she was wearing a sailor uniform. It was surprising to see an innocent girl of about fifteen or sixteen wearing a pointed hat and a dark cape.

And though it was unrelated to the situation, Itsuki thought she was pretty.

If Adilisia was a magnificent jewel; then this girl was a single, painstakingly raised, blue rose. She didn't have the brilliance of a gemstone but her figure was unparalleled. She wasn't a sure winner but there was no counting her out of the race just yet.

"Aren't you overdoing things a bit, Addie? I think summoning one of the seventy two demons is going a bit too far."

From behind her thin-rimmed glasses, her ice-blue eyes smiled.

"Do not act overly-familiar with me, addressing me by such a name!"

Adilisia waved her hand widely.

She took on a belligerent demeanor, as if all her previous elegance had been a lie.

Anger flared up in her eyes. She seemed to be looking at an irreconcilable enemy.

"I have already explained. According to the <Organization>, the next <Night> is going to be rather significant. It is no time for <Astral> to butt-in!"

"Okay," the girl called Honami gave a disinterested assent. "But still, for 'rather significant', <Goetia>'s youngest leader in history came all the way out to this Far-East back-country?"

"That is none of your business. I take on the work that I wish to do. That is all."

"Well then, I suggest you stop making passes at our president."

Honami shrugged.

Itsuki, watching from the side, could tell how much Adilisia had vested in whatever she was talking about. The pain in his right eye that he had forgotten about suddenly returned in full force.

Even so, the witch on the broom lightly brushed off Adilisia's words.

With that, he could tell that this person was of the same level or higher than Adilisia.

''...gh''

Finally realizing what was going on, Itsuki held his breath.

''Does this mean... that this is a magician showdown!?''

And of course, he was wide open in the middle of it. Not only was his life at risk, his soul was too.

However, he couldn't escape.

The spell power in Adilisia began to amass in far greater amounts than it had before. Once that power exploded, a magical battle of unimaginable proportions would begin.

Itsuki felt as though a drill was boring through his eye patch straight into his right eye.

More than the pain, though—he felt a horrible sensation that something was encroaching on his eye, as if it were being invaded.

Finally, the park itself seemed to turn into an alternate world...

"... Let us stop this. Tonight is not the time or place for this," Adilisia said, lowering her arm. "Since we are contracted to do the same work, we will unfortunately be in conflict. That is when we shall weigh our relative merits."

"Whatever."

"—!"

Adilisia bit her lip at Honami's blunt response.

However she immediately turning her head and chanted, '''"Come forth, Bathin, powerful duke commanding thirty armies..."'''

A pale, phantom horse was immediately summoned to her side. Then, as the night wind blew through the park, Adilisia's figure disappeared.

"A Solomon demon that transports people instantly? There's quite a crowd of them, aren't there?"

Giving a small sigh, Honami looked down at the park.

"This little spell power probably won't disappear quick. What was she planning to do if that turned into spell wave pollution...?"

Pushing up her hat while making a troubled face, she tossed a thin twig into each of the four corners of the park.

"Ah..."

Itsuki raised his voice.

The pain in his right eye disappeared in a flash. The spell power that remained in the park had just been wiped out with a cleansing ritual.

"That'll do it, probably."

The witch on the broom dusted off her hands.

She then lowered her gaze to Itsuki.

"Is your right eye alright?"

"Ah... ah, yeah."

Since it looked like she had been worried for him, he nodded quickly. Not a bit of pain remained.

"I see. That's great, then," she said nonchalantly. She slowly floated down and stood in front of Itsuki.

Standing right in front of him, the witch seemed even lovelier. Her chestnut hair mixed with the color of her eyes was probably because she was of mixed race.

Blood began rushing to Itsuki's head.

Walking up to him to the point that he could feel her breath, the witch held out a hand to Itsuki's cheek.

"Uwah!"

"You're bleeding."

She wiped a white finger below his eye patch. It was soft, pleasant, and smelled good.

She slid the finger softly across his eye patch.

"..."

The witch's eyes grew slightly narrow.

"Wh-What is it?"

"— Nothing. It's pretty sensitive, so you could have lost your eyesight from that spell power. Be careful. Also, take this. Nekoyashiki-san asked me to give it to you."

She pressed a small badge into Itsuki's hand. From the silver mirror decorated with a pentagram, it seemed to be a company badge.

"A company badge... so, I'm guessing you're an <Astral> employee?"

Not responding to his question, Honami turned her broom diagonally. It should have fallen over, but it floated in the air merrily while supporting the witch's petite body.

"— Honami Takase Ambler."

"Huh?"

"That's my name. We'll get to know each other for real tomorrow. Don't get seen going home like this, okay? ... President."

Smiling faintly, the witch's shape flew off somewhere into the sky.

The badge in Itsuki's hand sparkled, reflecting the light of the moon.

===4===

The next day.

Itsuki examined the badge as he sat at his desk in the classroom. He was, of course, unable to sleep at all last night and ended up going to school early.

''I wonder if there really isn't any way to get out of this.''

Itsuki began to worry again.

He felt almost disembodied. In regard to the demon dog incident and the park the night before, he felt as though he had died and come back to life. He had been involved in supernatural incidents before, but nothing like what was happening now.

''No, there's only one way.''

Holding onto the badge, he ran his hand across his eye patch.

He thought of when he had to start wearing it.

He didn't remember very well, but it was probably around kindergarten. He had been chased by a monster and he took a huge wound that could have cost him his right eye. His right eye was completely useless for a week and eventually became unable to tolerate light, requiring the use of an eye patch.

''... Though I can still see monsters with it, even though the patch is over it.''

Itsuki sighed. No matter what he thought, it was bad luck that he couldn't sell back. Rather, they were having a bargain on hemorrhages.

He tapped the badge on his desk, making it ring like a wind chime.

''I wonder if that girl's going to be at the office today,'' he suddenly thought, becoming glum again.

Nekoyashiki had told him to come to the office after school. However, wasn't that just stepping deeper into the swamp? At this point, the best he could come up with was calling Yuuka and flying off to America.

"What's that badge?" Yamada asked from behind him.

"Ack! Uh, it's nothing."

Flustered, Itsuki waved his right hand. He had apparently been lost in thought for a while. When he looked around, he saw the usual boisterousness that preceded homeroom.

Cutting through two or three meaningless conversations, the bell signaling the start of class rang.

The door rattled.

"—"

... Itsuki was frozen solid, right down to his individual brain cells.

In contrast to Itsuki's reaction, cheers began to echo across the classroom. Eighty percent of the male students and all of the female students were speechless, their eyes popping out.

It was because the homeroom teacher was leading in an unfamiliar girl.

No... correction...

There were ''two'' girls.

"Uh... I don't know if you've all heard or not, but these two transfer students will be joining our class from now on. First, introduce yourselves."

Itsuki didn't hear the teacher's sleepy voice at all. Probably because his ears wanted to refuse what he was hearing.

"I am called Adilisia • lenn • Mathers. I will only be here for a few months. But for now, it is a pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm Honami Takase Ambler. Nice to meet you guys."

Amidst the applause echoing through the room, Itsuki could clearly hear the sound of something shattering.

It was the sound of his peaceful life being smashed and scattered across the floor.

<center>*</center>

Scene change.

Later that evening, a single man stepped into a certain park.

It was the park where Itsuki had first seen Honami and Adilisia the night before. There were no children left in the park and against the backdrop of the deep crimson sky, the rusty swing swayed forlornly in the wind.

"Looks like this is the place after all."

The man slackened his blank face.

He was a hard man to judge in a single glance. His delicate looks suggested he was in his twenties. And he wore a business suit with no peculiarities. He was about medium height. The length of his nose, the thickness of his lips, the size of his eyebrows, the deepness of his eyes—they all seemed to be about average.

It was as if his characteristics defied any attempt to characterize him.

There was one thing that didn't follow the rule: the L-shaped wires he held in each hand.

The two parallel wires occasionally twitched left or right and the man followed their direction precisely, as if he were remote-controlled.

This was the magical art of dowsing.

It used a person's subconscious to find hidden treasure or a source of water. It was one of the old magical arts well known in England.

"Yes, yes."

Nodding, the man stopped as the wires crossed each other between the jungle gym and the monkey bars.

As he did, the man touched a red pen to his tongue and made a notation on his small map.

It was a municipal map. It was a 1/300,000 scale reduced map with several X marks and small annotations scrawled across it.

"— Spell wave pollution class six to seven. It looks like someone tried to clean it up, but it seems to have revived afterward. The Ley Line<ref>Referring to the spiritual and metaphysical meaning of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ley_Lines Ley Lines].</ref> waves are all according to the calculations. The <Night> is near. Now, the participants..."

Folding up his map, the man took out a notepad.

He let out a sigh.

"<Goetia> and... <Astral>. Those are a couple of nostalgic names, eh?"

He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Even so, his eyes did not smile in the slightest. Only his lips stretched to either side of his face. It looked almost as if his mouth was a gaping slash.

The man's red, unpleasant shadow seemed to contaminate the ground of the park.

<hr/>

<references/>

<noinclude>

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| Back to [[Rental_Magica_Volume_1:_Prologue|Prologue]]

| Return to [[Rental_Magica|Main Page]]

| Forward to [[Rental_Magica_Volume_1:_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]

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</noinclude>

Rental Magica: Registration Page

2011-06-08T21:20:06Z

Amazing Buffalo:

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here." Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

==''Rental Magica'' Registration==

===Volume 1===
::*Prologue - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 1 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]] - '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 5 - [[user: Amazing Buffalo|Amazing Buffalo]]
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 2===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 3===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 4===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 5===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 6===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Extra
::*Author's Word

===Volume 7===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Pause
::*Author's Word

===Volume 8===
::*Pause
::*Chapter 6
::*Chapter 7
::*Chapter 8
::*Pause
::*Chapter 9
::*Pause
::*Chapter 10
::*Chapter 11
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 9===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 10===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Chapter 6
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 11===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Pause
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

===Volume 12===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 13===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Pause
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Pause
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue (after)
::*Epilogue (before)
::*Author's Word

===Volume 14===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Author's Word

===Volume 15===
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Author's Word

===Volume 16===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Chapter 4
::*Chapter 5
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Word

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
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</noinclude>

[[Category:Registration Page]]

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4

2011-06-08T17:40:50Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician==

===1===

This is what he saw in his right eye.

There was a basement.

Without even a millimeter of deviation, the walls spread in four directions, making a rectangular room.

It was a dark, quaint magician's workshop.

The air was saturated with the ether of mystery, and there were old magic squares drawn all over the floor. Flasks, beakers, and pentagram goblets were arranged on the shelves. In the nooks and crannies of the room, "innocence" was being dispensed so the ether didn't become contaminated by noxious gas. There were also dolls and picture books that had been scribbled inside of.

Entering the workshop were two people.

A brazen, young girl with golden hair, and an old man wearing his black robe as usual.

"Father, what are you going to evoke today?"

"Hey, father, tell me about the magic you used earlier."

She had a lively voice.

The girl happily followed the old man wherever he went. She jumped with surprise at his familiars, and her eyes sparkled at even the most trifling of divinations. She had memorized the old man's techniques in an instant.

The man narrowed his eyes every time. His daughter only became more adorable as she grew older. The old man delighted in her great genius, and instructed her in all of his own secret techniques without regret.

"Addie, when you evoke Shax, you must use the triangle of Solomon. It's because he likes lies. Regarding the symbolism of the triangle..."

"Addie, before that, place the doll and purify it. If you are not pure in mind and spirit, you will contrarily be used by the demon..."

He had a stern, low voice.

However, it was gentle.

The small basement workshop was filled with a simple happiness befitting of magicians.

Until that day.

''......?''

Suddenly his vision changed.

It was a night where the moonlight from what was probably a full moon seeped into the mirror-affixed lighting window.

"What's that...?"

The girl tilted her neck.

In the faint light, the old man deformed his hollowed cheeks and made a crude smile.

"It's a seed."

"A seed?"

"It's a seed I've been seeking for a very, very long time."

His eye color was unusual. The girl pretended not to notice, but they were a bleary color, seemingly possessed by something.

In the palm of his wrinkly hand was a tiny, crimson seed.

''A pure red... seed?''

"A catalyst?"

"Yes, there is a certain magic I want to try. With this, I can finally realize that."

As far as the girl knew, the old man was the greatest magician in the world.

Of course, if there is one type of magic, then there is another that can overcome it, but in the practice of the summoning of Solomon's Seventy-Two Demons, there was surely no one greater than the old man. At the same time, there couldn't be any way for him to improve in the magic arts of Solomon.

Special Magical Ability.

To be good at something is to be lacking in something else. No magic was omnipotent. As long as humans remained human, limits would stand in their way.

However.

Taking a deep breath, the old man made a curt, bizarre statement.

"I--want to become magic."

And time flowed again.

''--!''

The workshop was stained with the same color as the seed.

Red.

Crimson.

Torn apart, being torn apart, crushed, being crushed, arms, legs, chest, scattered around the workshop.

Blood, and blood, and blood, and blood, and flesh, and blood, and blood, and blood, and bone, and bone and teeth and blood and blood and blood and blood and hair and blood and blood and blood and blood and blood and blood and nails and blood and blood and blood and blood and lips and blood and blood and fingers and blood and blood and blood and blood and intestines and blood and blood and blood and ears and blood and blood and blood--were painted across the four walls of the workshop.

And then.

He saw what tumbled into the bounds of the magic circle.

The old man's freshly severed head.

''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa''

''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah--!''

The shock only managed to call his conscience back into his paralyzed body.

There was a sound of dragging.

He felt that he was being pulled along by someone.

The floor seemed to be concrete. He felt pleasantly cool, but slightly in pain. It seemed like he was being pulled along by the collar, his ankles occasionally scraping across the ground.

His vision was still dark. He couldn't move his body at all.

Nevertheless, his right eye reflected a complex picture. The pentagram of Solomon he had learned about from Honami, and a ring in the shape of a bay laurel used for warding off demons both flickered before his eye near his collar.

He understood.

These were Adilisia's fetishes. 

''Huh? Why can I see those sorts of things?''

His thoughts were desultory.

He was dragged a little further.

Apparently they had reached their destination. Adilisia was breathing heavily, even though she didn't seem to have moved a very great distance. She was definitely lacking exercise. Her physical strength was more like a normal girl's.

A soft hand lightly touched his face.

"... Why."

Adilisia's voice sounded like she was crying.

"Why... do even you enter here?"

Her words seemed to be accusing him of something.

He couldn't understand.

But he was glad that he seemed to be alive.

Once again--this time completely--Iba Itsuki lost consciousness.

<center>*</center>

"President! Addie?"

{I, i, it's no use! If you foolishly approach it and those ripples come out again, you'll be going for wool but coming back shorn!}

The white cat, panicking, restrained the witch rushing at the ocean surface.

"I, I know, but..."

Honami extended her white neck and gritted her teeth regretfully.

She stared at the pure white sea.

Yes, it was white now.

After Itsuki and Adilisia were sucked in, the ocean surface froze all of a sudden. The hundred square meter ocean had turned into white frost.

One could feel the cold air across the bridge of the nose to the cheeks, causing the walls of the nostrils to become paralyzed.

It was a change that was difficult to believe, but that was the scene of the reality they now faced.

{I don't know what this means, but I have a feeling it's turning into an excessively large-scale ceremonial magic art. Since it devoured <Goetia>'s demons, they can't have done this...}

Byakko-kun narrowed his eye. The cold air had reached the broom, and it made the white cat shiver, blowing through his long hairs.

{For the time being, let's pull back and regroup. Other <Goetia> members are probably also here, so if we can get to them, we might be able to go over the situation with them.}

"..."

{Er, Honami-san?}

"..."

{Honami onee-chan!}

Mikan's voice came through.

"... I understand. I can't just jump in recklessly."

She stayed quiet for a long time, and then placed her hand on the brim of her pointed hat.

"Since I can't jump in, it'll be alright. ... Rather, if we don't look into this further, we won't be able to get the president back," she said in a low voice, her face hidden by her large hat.

Byakko-kun nodded, and directed Honami away, standing on the end of the broom.

Following him, Honami ran her finger across the broom.

"... I'm sorry, Icchan."

With that, Honami gave a small sigh.

Mikan and Nekoyashiki were waiting in the middle of the frozen ocean.

At the tip of the frozen ocean that gave off the impression of a polar ice cap, a hole of about eight meters in diameter was open. It was the remains of Mikan's spirit barrier. Honami took Mikan and Nekoyashiki out separately on her broom.

First, they got out of the cold--from a thicket on Mt. Nyuu that the <Night> didn't reach, they looked down at the frozen ocean.

"Yeesh, it was cold down there. It's like a refrigerator, isn't it? I thought I was going to freeze to death."

Inside the thicket, Nekoyashiki, wrapped in his four cats, breathed into his hands and rubbed them together.

Honami's eyes glinted at his words.

"He'll be alright in there, right...?' she asked.

"Hmm. It depends on the style of spell, but I don't think the coldness would reach the inside of the ocean."

"Why?"

"To have frozen right as both <Goetia>'s leader and our president fell in, it's like it was carefully aiming and then froze at that moment, right?" Nekoyashiki answered, pointing at the frozen ocean. "That is to say, can it not be considered that the magician who spread this <Night> was waiting specially for those two?"

"You mean he was expecting president onii-chan to fall in?" Mikan interjected, looking up at Nekoyashiki.

"No, our president probably had nothing to do with it. He was a completely normal person until just recently, after all. --However--and I mentioned this a bit earlier--<Goetia> tried to obstruct us from doing this offer a little too obsessively, didn't they?"

"..."

Honami closed her mouth at Nekoyashiki's words.

She remembered what happened in the park a week earlier.

"Fighting us normally at full power, <Goetia> probably wouldn't lose. That makes the fact that they tried to obstruct us even stranger. For all that, their reason was... because they didn't want this to be seen?"

That wasn't logical reasoning.

If you thought about it even a little, that was common sense. At the end of the day, the question of "What could this be?" didn't lead to a single answer.

"What are you thinking of, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"<Goetia>'s leader wanted to hide this situation. However, before we get to that..."

The sleeves of Nekoyashiki's haori fluttered as if they were dancing.

As he turned around, a single white paper flew out from that sleeve.

It was a seal.

He affixed it to a tree behind the group, and in an instant it exploded from the inside. It was as if the trunk had hollowed out and filled with blasting powder.

"... Do you plan on coming out now?"

"My goodness. That's quite a greeting."

A relaxed voice flowed through the air.

From the other side of the scorched tree, a man gave an exaggerated bow. Seeing his usual unreadable, expressionless face, Mikan clung to Honami's waist.

"... Kagezaki oji-chan."

"It's been about half a day, hasn't it?"

Kagezaki lightly patted his dirtied suit.

His horribly average appearance didn't fit the surroundings.

He was an employee of the <Organization>.

Honami didn't know any more than that. He was in contact with various organizations, and Honami had seen him several times since she was in the institute in England, but she had no idea what kind of magical arts Kagezaki specialized in.

Because he was so average, he contrarily got carried away in his normalcy--you could say that he was an uncanny existence beyond atypicality.

"Were you watching us?" Honami asked, menacing.

In contrast to her, Kagezaki gave a thin smile, handling his words gently.

"Not at all, I have to be here too to assess the 'job.' Moreover... there are rumors floating about that <Goetia> has violated a taboo, so I've come to confirm or deny that."

That simple, carefully aimed word carried a special meaning.

More than Honami or Mikan, Nekoyashiki's conscience was focused on Kagezaki. Perhaps startled by the change, even the cats wrapped around Nekoyashiki turned toward Kagezaki.

"... A taboo, you say?"

"Yes." On his bleach-white face, another surface-only smile floated as Kagezaki slowly continued his words. "Oswald ・ lenn ・ Mathers--the original leader of <Goetia> and the father of Adilisia ・ lenn ・ Mathers--is believed to have, during his lifetime, attempted to become magic."

===2===

Itsuki felt a soft touch on the back of his head.

It was incredibly comforting, and the hand smelled good. He felt as though he wanted to simply vacillate forever like this.

He felt something tickle his throat, and when he opened his eyes, he saw golden hair and a pair of emerald eyes.

"Eh...?"

"Huh...?"

Their eyes were less than a finger's distance apart.

For several moments, the two simply stayed like that, petrified.

"Eek..."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Itsuki shouted with great vigor. In that moment, he tumbled from his knees, the back of his head slamming hard into concrete.

"Ow!"

Thanks to the pain, he fully regained consciousness.

Seeing the blonde girl sitting in front of him, he blinked his eyes several times repeatedly.

"--A, a, Adilisia-san?"

"... I, if you are that surprised ahead of me, then I will not have any time to be surprised, you know. Is that also one of <Astral>'s negotiation methods?"

"No, that, it wasn't anything like that... what were you..."

"I just intended to measure your temperature. It would not be strange for there to be some strange residual curse in your body after falling into an ocean tainted to such a degree with spell power, would it?"

"I, I guess you could say that, but..."

Then, he finally noticed his surroundings.

"Ah, that's right. Are you alright, Adilisia-san?"

"I don't know."

Her face turning deep red, Adilisia turned away.

"No, I didn't mean anything weird; are you injured?'

"Huh...?"

The girl frowned, puzzled.

"Say, those tough-looking demons were destroyed, right? Are you going to be okay, Adilisia-san?"

Adilisia gave a small sigh and smiled at Itsuki's words.

"As usual, you know absolutely nothing, do you? Unlike simple demons with ether bodies, mine are flesh and blood. They would not disintegrate from something so simple as spell power interference."

In high spirits, she pointed to the chest of her jet-black dress.

She was the same old Adilisia. It was as if the weak face she made the moment they fell in was a lie.

Itsuki was somehow happy at her behavior.

"So... where are we?" he asked.

He turned his head several times, looking around.

For now, they weren't in the sea of the <Night>. They were in the corner of a room with naked concrete walls. They were in a large space like a parking lot, and there were several sharp-cornered pillars standing. The dust-covered floor was cracked, and there were rusted, suspicious machines scattered about. What little light there was came from a white lamp affixed to the ceiling.

"Is that... by any chance..."

He strangely recognized the area.

He felt that he had seen this on the reference documents before coming here. That is to say, it had appeared from time to time on Furube City's regional TV before.

''... Is this... the goblin factory?''

It suddenly hit him.

.......

................

"... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

In that instant, a scream ran from his fingernails to the top of his head.

"------! Wh, what on earth are you..." Adilisia protested, covering her ears with both hands.

"B, because it's... I didn't think this could be the goblin factory! I, if you think about it, then from those strange stains, they look as though ghosts might come out of them like in the TV programs..."

The girl looked at Itsuki incoherently explaining things with a curious expression.

"You... for someone who was not afraid of my demons, what reason is there for you to be afraid of childish tricks?"

"I, I guess you could say that, but..."

Repeating the same phrase that he had said earlier, Itsuki then grumbled about how they weren't the same thing.

He was genuinely not above such shame.

He was a loser who took the concept of manliness and slapped it, crushed it, tossed it in the garbage, and finally disposed of it in space.

"Well, I suppose that is like you."

Adilisia lightly shook her head. Her golden curls shook elegantly as she did.

"... Now that I think about it... we're not wet?"

"Somehow."

"But I thought we fell into the sea... There's even air down here, what's the deal?"

"My my. You are unexpectedly direct about the workings of your mind."

As if confirming something, Adilisia clapped her hands together and nodded as she said, "This will do."

"What will?"

"First, see the current situation with your own eyes. It'll be faster than if I explain things, I think."

Standing up, the girl approached the window.

It could be called a window, but it was crude, with a broken shade draped over it. The sash and the glass had disappeared long ago, and a rusted frame and the shade were all that remained of what was once a window.

Adilisia lowered the shade.

"------!"

Itsuki's jaw dropped.

Outside of the window stretched a frozen ocean.

Of course, a tattered factory like this couldn't support so much ice. Plus, even though it was ice, not the slightest bit of cold air could be felt.

"This is... the bottom of that ocean?"

"Yes. The <Night> has not ended yet."

Adilisia, closing her eyes, nodded again.

Itsuki tried to arrange his thoughts.

''After getting assigned the 'job' by the <Organization>, we came to erase this <Night>. This meant that we had to fight with <Goetia>, who also took the offer.''

''However, a sudden, unusual change occurred in the <Night>.''

''The ripples and the whirlpool emitted from the sea destroyed the demons that Adilisia called out. This interrupted the fight. I then fell with Adilisia-san into the <Night>. Finally, it looks like the sea froze after we fell in.''

What happened?

''... What a relief,'' he thought absentmindedly.

To a high school student who could just see ghosts, such things weren't under his control, or rather, he didn't have the strength to do anything anyway. This was only the third magician-like work he had taken on since becoming a president, and it was the first full-blown job of those.

He drooped his head glumly and heaved a sigh.

"What is the matter?" Adilisia asked from beside him.

"Well, it's just... I was thinking if we couldn't escape somehow."

"If that is the case, then you may do as you like. I have something to search for. After going to all the work of entering inside the <Night>, even if I were alone it would be fine."

Instantly sliced in two.

If he impeded her, she would probably abandon him in an instant. Or rather, she seemed like she would be a willing suicide assistant if he were to get in her way.

The girl crouched down over the concrete and scraped something out with a scrap of metal. It looked like a magic circle. Inside the large circle, there were several pentagrams and squares intertwining with one another. And then, as if to enclose those shapes, she bit her pinky finger and wrote out letters in blood.

Itsuki gulped at the act of self-mutilation, but suddenly asked,

"... You're looking for something?"

He tilted his neck.

"..."

Adilisia's finger stopped.

She had a face that bluntly said, "Damn it!"

"You mean it's in this <Night>? So you tried to stop us from taking this offer because you were looking for that?"

"... I, I will tell you, but..." The girl curled her hands into fists and raised her face. "This is a state of emergency, thus it cannot be helped that we are together. I will not give you any more information than is needed."

"Ah, y, yes. Understood!"

Flashed at by Adilisia's emerald eyes, Itsuki immediately bowed.

However, he was a bit late, as Adilisia tapped her magic circle, seeming regretful.

"... It's no use."

"Wh, what's wrong?"

"My fetishes are insufficient. The equipment I have now and this impromptu magic circle are lacking spiritual significance, even though I tried compensating for it with my own blood."

Irritated, she bit the nail of her thumb. Under normal circumstances, they were at a complete loss for anything to do.

''A fetish...''

"Say, how about this?"

Itsuki unclipped the badge on his collar.

In an instant, the color of astonishment filled Adilisia's eyes.

"L, lend me that, right now!"

The girl leaned forward.

However--in a rare move, Itsuki pulled that badge away from her.

"H, hold on a second."

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to just give this to you for nothing."

"... Are you asking, that I help you to escape? If that is the case then, I will simply take it from you by force."

There was an extraordinary murderous intent lurking in the tone of Adilisia's voice. It was a scale of absolute zero that seemed to freeze Itsuki to his fingertips.

"N, no, just listen! If you have something to search for, then I'm fine with that. If so, I'll even cooperate. In return, what do you say we help each other get out of here?"

Adilisia glared as if evaluating him.

"... You say you will cooperate with me?"

"Yes! It's not unheard of, stuff like this. 'Bitter enemies placed in the same boat give and take?'"

Spouting out a four-character kanji compound<ref>Refers to the phrase "goetsudoushuu" (呉越同舟 ''Bitter enemies in the same boat'') that Itsuki just used</ref> that made little sense in the current situation, Itsuki's heart raced wildly. Itsuki was obviously no match for Adilisia in magic, and he wasn't confident that he could even beat her in a fistfight. As such, his life was on the line in this negotiation.

"..."

Adilisia took a single breath, as if perplexed.

"However, there's still a problem."

"Is it by any chance that you have to keep what you're looking for secret?"

As Itsuki turned toward the water, the girl fell silent. Looks like he hit the mark.

"You know, I'm still a president. If there's a secret you have to keep, I'll never tell anyone. I'll keep it a secret from Nekoyashiki-san, Mikan-chan, even Honami! ... Or is even that not enough?"

"Are you telling me to trust you? Without even forming an official geis between magicians?"

"You were the one who was handling me like a normal person, right? Couldn't you at least trust me that much?"

Finally, somewhat weakly, Itsuki placed his hand on his cheek.

The golden-haired girl lowered her shoulders.

"Are you talking about, equivalent exchange?"

"Ah, wasn't that one of the basics of magic that Honami talked about?"

"Yes, of course it has a simple meaning in transactions, but it also means that what you have and what you do not have are of the same value. In this situation, you are saying that the fact that you are not a magician has the same value as the fact that I am."

"Er, what do you mean?"

Itsuki goggled his eyes at her.

"You are telling me to believe you because you are not a magician, correct? ... That is fine then."

"Huh?" he replied again.

Adilisia's face turned slightly red, and then she turned away.

"I said that I would trust you! So, lend me your badge."

"A, alright."

Adilisia wrenched the badge out of Itsuki's palm, and placed it in the center of the magic circle.

Then,

"With a polished silver pentagram of this caliber, there will be enough spiritual significance. Using the mirror, it can be made into a symbol of amplification as well. --Hmph, anyhow, it seems like that Honami is your company itself, president."

"Ah, speaking of which, do you know Honami? I was wondering because she called you 'Addie.'"

"We were classmates in an English institute. She was famous for having revived the lost Celtic Magic."

"Is that... something amazing?"

"Originally, there were a large amount of poems and gardols that were only transmitted by mouth and took twenty years to memorize."

"T, twenty years..."

"In the later part of its history, there was the Ogam script, but in the beginning and the middle of Celtic Magic--the druid's method of learning was entirely oral. That girl did fieldwork in England and patched together various oral traditions. Thanks to that, the pile of papers from the report she presented reached the ceiling, but just the face of our teacher at that time was enough of a sight."

"..."

Remembering the desk buried by the contract documents from last week, Itsuki made a glum face.

''So she was totally serious when she said, "Why can't you do this much in just a day?"''

It's no wonder than that she looked at him so blankly.

He felt that it was harmful to have an overachieving student as a teacher.

"... Shall I begin the ceremony? Using the pentagram, I will evoke a demon with an impromptu ceremony. You might get possessed by the demon if you are too close, so please move away a bit."

"Oh, r, right."

In a flurry, Itsuki retreated back.

Making a surprised face at his appearance, Adilisia spun her words.

'''"--I do invocate and conjure thee."'''

Her voice was slow and quiet.

'''"--I do invocate and conjure thee."'''

Again, she whispered the same spell, holding the pendant of Solomon on her chest.

'''"--I do strongly command thee, by Beralanensis, Baldachinensis, Paumachia, and Apologle Sedes: by the most Powerful Princes, Genii, Lichide, and Ministers of the Tartarean Abode: and by the Chief Prince of the Seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion--"'''

"..."

Itsuki gulped down a gob of saliva, gazing at the scenery that hid a bizarre feeling of tension.

There was a slight pain in his right eye.

''... What was that?'' he asked himself, holding his eyepatch.

Just before he was about to fade away, a voice sounded in the back of his head. However, even though it seemed like he would normally lose consciousness at times like this, he strangely felt a slight sense of fear.

''Slight...?''

No. It wasn't slight at all. In that instant, there was a rumbling, and his fear was completely shattered. Instead, the emotion he felt when he heard those words was a rising, uplifting feeling.

''I feel like I've always heard that voice before...''

His thoughts continued on without him.

''That is...''

He remembered.

--When he was in kindergarten.

--He was in the <Ghost Mansion> being chased by a monster.

--A hallway covered in dust. A tear-stained kindergarten uniform applique. The one he saw when he fell over 

--"Icchan! Icchan! Icchan!"

He heard the crying voice of a girl from far away...

"Follow me!"

"Ah..."

From that one order, he returned to reality.

To the ether body floating in the center of the magic circle directly above the badge, Adilisia was holding out the pentagram of Solomon.

'''"--Behold the Pentacle of Solomon which I have brought here! Therefore, in the name of the king, thou must follow my order!"'''

An ether body like white smoke quivered.

Finishing off, the golden-haired witch continued.

'''"Come forth, Eligol! Firm knight commanding sixty armies!"'''

"!"

Eligol.

The strongest knight, and the last demon that Adilisia had evoked in the fight above the sea. When Itsuki had seen him, he had mentally prepared himself for defeat like an unbreakable spirit of one who died at war.

But.

--Poof!

Eligol appeared on Adilisia's shoulder.

"Poof?"

Of course, that's not really what it sounded like, but that was the mimetic word that came to Itsuki's mind. However, it was very fitting.

Eligol's armor shone in the light of the white lamp. He had his heroic crimson flag. He had his sharp lance and the green snake wrapped around his arm.

It was the exact same silver knight as before.

... However, he was palm-sized.

"Wh, wha, what is that?"

"P, please do not laugh! It cannot be helped! It took me a year to call out that Eligol from before. Evoking him so suddenly, of course he would only be a shadow of his true form."

"Ah... ha, ha..."

His mouth hanging open, Itsuki nodded.

Special magical ability.

Each magical art had its strengths and weaknesses.

The demons that Adilisia could summon with her Magic of Solomon were extensive, all-purpose, and very powerful, however to call out the true form of those demons required an enormous amount of time and preparation.

When those things were lacking, results like this occurred.

"... gh"

"I, I will tell you beforehand, his nature as a demon has not declined in the slightest despite his size. He will not be any use in battle, but he will be useful enough for now!"

"I, I got it. I won't laugh. Since I won't laugh, please don't let him stab me with that spear."

Running from Eligol, who was poking his spear in Itsuki's direction, Itsuki held his head and made a wish.

<center>*</center>

Meanwhile.

A single crow fluttered down to a point halfway up the mountain, similar to the position of Honami and the others.

It was as dark as night. If it were a genuine bird, it shouldn't have been able to fly.

Stopping the crow in his arm, a black-clothed person made two, three large nods.

"--It seems like our leader has evoked Eligol again," he notified a young man next to him.

They were the magicians of <Goetia> that had accompanied Adilisia. After Adilisia and Itsuki were swallowed by the frozen ocean, they scattered secretly among the mountain.

"Alright, we will stay on standby as long as our leader lives. If, by any chance, there is some kind of disturbance from <Astral>, we will eliminate them individually. --It was outside of our predictions that our leader would be captured by the <Night>, but we cannot let any word of this situation escape these grounds."

The young man pointed out some directions.

Then, once more, the crow took to the sky.

If a crow could have the intelligence of a magician, it might be surprised.

Several magic circles appeared on the area halfway up the mountain, focusing on the center of the frozen ocean.

That is--using one mountain as a stage, ten individual magic circles intertwined to form one giant, complicated magic circle.

<center>*</center>

"A taboo..."

Nekoyashiki's voice paused.

The normally airy, lighthearted onmyouji's face stiffened like a stone. The hairs of all four cats wrapped around him stood on end.

Mikan, who was shying away, and even Honami, with her cape being held onto by Mikan, swallowed their breath at the gravity of the word.

"No way... seriously?"

"No, it's just a suspicion. I haven't found any evidence."

Kagezaki shrugged, his appearance as usual as ever. It was a movement like a doll's, as if it were a lie.

"However, so long as you have suspicion, you can launch an investigation. You all know how much of a sin it is for a magician to become magic, correct?"

"..."

A silence fell.

As if taunting the three, Kagezaki continued to speak.

"Spell power is an incredibly easy energy to manipulate. The control of that manipulation is called magic. Depending on the spell power that has leaked out, spell wave pollution can occur. Normally, spell wave pollution doesn't last long, and its scale comes to light. Even a large-scale spell wave pollution, such as this <Night>, will disappear without a trace with the dawn."

Self-purification was at work, even in spell wave pollution.

Just as a river flows into the sea, as an animal's corpse changes into earth, spell power as well sooner or later flowed and then disappeared. That was the truth of nature.

Kagezaki's lips became twisted.

"However, in the case that a magician has become magic, none of this applies. Yes, you could say it's like the difference between fire and nuclear power. A magician that has become magic expels spell wave pollution simply by existing. Furthermore, in this case, the spell wave pollution is not purified by nature. Remaining like in cryogenic stasis, nearby soil and animals--and occasionally humans are 'infected' along with it. Some different species like mermaids and werewolves are born in such a manner. In modern terms, perhaps you could say it's like radioactive waste?"

With a smile like a noh mask, Kagezaki finally whispered,

"--Of course, in exchange for all that, you can gain power incomparable to that of plain old magic."

The reason that magic was kept away from the public at large was not because it was some huge secret.

It was because it was dangerous.

Otherworldly power lures magicians very easily, and in exchange for that, corrodes reality very easily.

What the <Organization> did was largely for that reason. That is to say, the associations within it watched each other so as to prevent the violation of a taboo. It was a conviction agency for the purpose of restricting and erasing magicians who have violated a taboo.

That's why everyone was afraid of it.

Kagezaki--was a magician who punished magicians.

"I know all that." Going up against Kagezaki's cruel smile, Honami flashed her Ice Blue Eyes. "So what are you telling us to do?"

"No, no, I'm just confirming things. If <Goetia> really has broken a taboo, there is a need to add a fitting penalty from the <Organization>."

His words had a formal sound to them.

Then, a high-pitched voice interrupted the two staring at each other.

"--Ho, Honami onee-chan?"

"What, Mikan?"

"Um, is president onii-chan going to be okay like this? Because if president onii-chan is 'infected' with spell wave pollution--"

"Ah..."

Honami became speechless.

If it was normal spell wave pollution, then anything bad that happened would heal in a number of days.

And then, even if this really was spell wave pollution born of a taboo, a magician could possibly be saved from a worst case scenario.

However, Itsuki was--.

''I have to get back to Icchan--''

"--?"

Honami, biting her lip, put her hand to the collar of her sailor uniform.

"Honami-san?"

"Right now, the president's badge is--"

For a moment, she felt her badge as if entranced by it, and then suddenly stiffened.

"Nekoyashiki-san, we might not make it in time."

"What do you mean?"

"The president!"

As Honami spoke, she ran off toward the frozen ocean. In a panic, Nekoyashiki and Mikan followed her.

"... Make it in time, huh?"

Kagezaki gazed at the backs of the three with empty, soulless eyes.

<references/>

Rental Magica Volume 1: Chapter 4

2011-06-08T17:32:13Z

Amazing Buffalo:

==Chapter 4 - Taboo of the Magician==

===1===

This is what he saw in his right eye.

There was a basement.

Without even a millimeter of deviation, the walls spread in four directions, making a rectangular room.

It was a dark, quaint magician's workshop.

The air was saturated with the ether of mystery, and there were old magic squares drawn all over the floor. Flasks, beakers, and pentagram goblets were arranged on the shelves. In the nooks and crannies of the room, "innocence" was being dispensed so the ether didn't become contaminated by noxious gas. There were also dolls and picture books that had been scribbled inside of.

Entering the workshop were two people.

A brazen, young girl with golden hair, and an old man wearing his black robe as usual.

"Father, what are you going to evoke today?"

"Hey, father, tell me about the magic you used earlier."

She had a lively voice.

The girl happily followed the old man wherever he went. She jumped with surprise at his familiars, and her eyes sparkled at even the most trifling of divinations. She had memorized the old man's techniques in an instant.

The man narrowed his eyes every time. His daughter only became more adorable as she grew older. The old man delighted in her great genius, and instructed her in all of his own secret techniques without regret.

"Addie, when you evoke Shax, you must use the triangle of Solomon. It's because he likes lies. Regarding the symbolism of the triangle..."

"Addie, before that, place the doll and purify it. If you are not pure in mind and spirit, you will contrarily be used by the demon..."

He had a stern, low voice.

However, it was gentle.

The small basement workshop was filled with a simple happiness befitting of magicians.

Until that day.

''......?''

Suddenly his vision changed.

It was a night where the moonlight from what was probably a full moon seeped into the mirror-affixed lighting window.

"What's that...?"

The girl tilted her neck.

In the faint light, the old man deformed his hollowed cheeks and made a crude smile.

"It's a seed."

"A seed?"

"It's a seed I've been seeking for a very, very long time."

His eye color was unusual. The girl pretended not to notice, but they were a bleary color, seemingly possessed by something.

In the palm of his wrinkly hand was a tiny, crimson seed.

''A pure red... seed?''

"A catalyst?"

"Yes, there is a certain magic I want to try. With this, I can finally realize that."

As far as the girl knew, the old man was the greatest magician in the world.

Of course, if there is one type of magic, then there is another that can overcome it, but in the practice of the summoning of Solomon's Seventy-Two Demons, there was surely no one greater than the old man. At the same time, there couldn't be any way for him to improve in the magic arts of Solomon.

Special Magical Ability.

To be good at something is to be lacking in something else. No magic was omnipotent. As long as humans remained human, limits would stand in their way.

However.

Taking a deep breath, the old man made a curt, bizarre statement.

"I--want to become magic."

And time flowed again.

''--!''

The workshop was stained with the same color as the seed.

Red.

Crimson.

Torn apart, being torn apart, crushed, being crushed, arms, legs, chest, scattered around the workshop.

Blood, and blood, and blood, and blood, and flesh, and blood, and blood, and blood, and bone, and bone and teeth and blood and blood and blood and blood and hair and blood and blood and blood and blood and blood and blood and nails and blood and blood and blood and blood and lips and blood and blood and fingers and blood and blood and blood and blood and intestines and blood and blood and blood and ears and blood and blood and blood--were painted across the four walls of the workshop.

And then.

He saw what tumbled into the bounds of the magic circle.

The old man's freshly severed head.

''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa''

''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah--!''

The shock only managed to call his conscience back into his paralyzed body.

There was a sound of dragging.

He felt that he was being pulled along by someone.

The floor seemed to be concrete. He felt pleasantly cool, but slightly in pain. It seemed like he was being pulled along by the collar, his ankles occasionally scraping across the ground.

His vision was still dark. He couldn't move his body at all.

Nevertheless, his right eye reflected a complex picture. The pentagram of Solomon he had learned about from Honami, and a ring in the shape of a bay laurel used for warding off demons both flickered before his eye near his collar.

He understood.

These were Adilisia's fetishes. 

''Huh? Why can I see those sorts of things?''

His thoughts were desultory.

He was dragged a little further.

Apparently they had reached their destination. Adilisia was breathing heavily, even though she didn't seem to have moved a very great distance. She was definitely lacking exercise. Her physical strength was more like a normal girl's.

A soft hand lightly touched his face.

"... Why."

Adilisia's voice sounded like she was crying.

"Why... do even you enter here?"

Her words seemed to be accusing him of something.

He couldn't understand.

But he was glad that he seemed to be alive.

Once again--this time completely--Iba Itsuki lost consciousness.

<center>*</center>

"President! Addie?"

{I, i, it's no use! If you foolishly approach it and those ripples come out again, you'll be going for wool but coming back shorn!}

The white cat, panicking, restrained the witch rushing at the ocean surface.

"I, I know, but..."

Honami extended her white neck and gritted her teeth regretfully.

She stared at the pure white sea.

Yes, it was white now.

After Itsuki and Adilisia were sucked in, the ocean surface froze all of a sudden. The hundred square meter ocean had turned into white frost.

One could feel the cold air across the bridge of the nose to the cheeks, causing the walls of the nostrils to become paralyzed.

It was a change that was difficult to believe, but that was the scene of the reality they now faced.

{I don't know what this means, but I have a feeling it's turning into an excessively large-scale ceremonial magic art. Since it devoured <Goetia>'s demons, they can't have done this...}

Byakko-kun narrowed his eye. The cold air had reached the broom, and it made the white cat shiver, blowing through his long hairs.

{For the time being, let's pull back and regroup. Other <Goetia> members are probably also here, so if we can get to them, we might be able to go over the situation with them.}

"..."

{Er, Honami-san?}

"..."

{Honami onee-chan!}

Mikan's voice came through.

"... I understand. I can't just jump in recklessly."

She stayed quiet for a long time, and then placed her hand on the brim of her pointed hat.

"Since I can't jump in, it'll be alright. ... Rather, if we don't look into this further, we won't be able to get the president back," she said in a low voice, her face hidden by her large hat.

Byakko-kun nodded, and directed Honami away, standing on the end of the broom.

Following him, Honami ran her finger across the broom.

"... I'm sorry, Icchan."

With that, Honami gave a small sigh.

Mikan and Nekoyashiki were waiting in the middle of the frozen ocean.

At the tip of the frozen ocean that gave off the impression of a polar ice cap, a hole of about eight meters in diameter was open. It was the remains of Mikan's spirit barrier. Honami took Mikan and Nekoyashiki out separately on her broom.

First, they got out of the cold--from a thicket on Mt. Nyuu that the <Night> didn't reach, they looked down at the frozen ocean.

"Yeesh, it was cold down there. It's like a refrigerator, isn't it? I thought I was going to freeze to death."

Inside the thicket, Nekoyashiki, wrapped in his four cats, breathed into his hands and rubbed them together.

Honami's eyes glinted at his words.

"He'll be alright in there, right...?' she asked.

"Hmm. It depends on the style of spell, but I don't think the coldness would reach the inside of the ocean."

"Why?"

"To have frozen right as both <Goetia>'s leader and our president fell in, it's like it was carefully aiming and then froze at that moment, right?" Nekoyashiki answered, pointing at the frozen ocean. "That is to say, can it not be considered that the magician who spread this <Night> was waiting specially for those two?"

"You mean he was expecting president onii-chan to fall in?" Mikan interjected, looking up at Nekoyashiki.

"No, our president probably had nothing to do with it. He was a completely normal person until just recently, after all. --However--and I mentioned this a bit earlier--<Goetia> tried to obstruct us from doing this offer a little too obsessively, didn't they?"

"..."

Honami closed her mouth at Nekoyashiki's words.

She remembered what happened in the park a week earlier.

"Fighting us normally at full power, <Goetia> probably wouldn't lose. That makes the fact that they tried to obstruct us even stranger. For all that, their reason was... because they didn't want this to be seen?"

That wasn't logical reasoning.

If you thought about it even a little, that was common sense. At the end of the day, the question of "What could this be?" didn't lead to a single answer.

"What are you thinking of, Nekoyashiki-san?"

"<Goetia>'s leader wanted to hide this situation. However, before we get to that..."

The sleeves of Nekoyashiki's haori fluttered as if they were dancing.

As he turned around, a single white paper flew out from that sleeve.

It was a seal.

He affixed it to a tree behind the group, and in an instant it exploded from the inside. It was as if the trunk had hollowed out and filled with blasting powder.

"... Do you plan on coming out now?"

"My goodness. That's quite a greeting."

A relaxed voice flowed through the air.

From the other side of the scorched tree, a man gave an exaggerated bow. Seeing his usual unreadable, expressionless face, Mikan clung to Honami's waist.

"... Kagezaki oji-chan."

"It's been about half a day, hasn't it?"

Kagezaki lightly patted his dirtied suit.

His horribly average appearance didn't fit the surroundings.

He was an employee of the <Organization>.

Honami didn't know any more than that. He was in contact with various organizations, and Honami had seen him several times since she was in the institute in England, but she had no idea what kind of magical arts Kagezaki specialized in.

Because he was so average, he contrarily got carried away in his normalcy--you could say that he was an uncanny existence beyond atypicality.

"Were you watching us?" Honami asked, menacing.

In contrast to her, Kagezaki gave a thin smile, handling his words gently.

"Not at all, I have to be here too to assess the 'job.' Moreover... there are rumors floating about that <Goetia> has violated a taboo, so I've come to confirm or deny that."

That simple, carefully aimed word carried a special meaning.

More than Honami or Mikan, Nekoyashiki's conscience was focused on Kagezaki. Perhaps startled by the change, even the cats wrapped around Nekoyashiki turned toward Kagezaki.

"... A taboo, you say?"

"Yes." On his bleach-white face, another surface-only smile floated as Kagezaki slowly continued his words. "Oswald ・ lenn ・ Mathers--the original leader of <Goetia> and the father of Adilisia ・ lenn ・ Mathers--is believed to have, during his lifetime, attempted to become magic."

===2===

Itsuki felt a soft touch on the back of his head.

It was incredibly comforting, and the hand smelled good. He felt as though he wanted to simply vacillate forever like this.

He felt something tickle his throat, and when he opened his eyes, he saw golden hair and a pair of emerald eyes.

"Eh...?"

"Huh...?"

Their eyes were less than a finger's distance apart.

For several moments, the two simply stayed like that, petrified.

"Eek..."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Itsuki shouted with great vigor. In that moment, he tumbled from his knees, the back of his head slamming hard into concrete.

"Ow!"

Thanks to the pain, he fully regained consciousness.

Seeing the blonde girl sitting in front of him, he blinked his eyes several times repeatedly.

"--A, a, Adilisia-san?"

"... I, if you are that surprised ahead of me, then I will not have any time to be surprised, you know. Is that also one of <Astral>'s negotiation methods?"

"No, that, it wasn't anything like that... what were you..."

"I just intended to measure your temperature. It would not be strange for there to be some strange residual curse in your body after falling into an ocean tainted to such a degree with spell power, would it?"

"I, I guess you could say that, but..."

Then, he finally noticed his surroundings.

"Ah, that's right. Are you alright, Adilisia-san?"

"I don't know."

Her face turning deep red, Adilisia turned away.

"No, I didn't mean anything weird; are you injured?'

"Huh...?"

The girl frowned, puzzled.

"Say, those tough-looking demons were destroyed, right? Are you going to be okay, Adilisia-san?"

Adilisia gave a small sigh and smiled at Itsuki's words.

"As usual, you know absolutely nothing, do you? Unlike simple demons with ether bodies, mine are flesh and blood. They would not disintegrate from something so simple as spell power interference."

In high spirits, she pointed to the chest of her jet-black dress.

She was the same old Adilisia. It was as if the weak face she made the moment they fell in was a lie.

Itsuki was somehow happy at her behavior.

"So... where are we?" he asked.

He turned his head several times, looking around.

For now, they weren't in the sea of the <Night>. They were in the corner of a room with naked concrete walls. They were in a large space like a parking lot, and there were several sharp-cornered pillars standing. The dust-covered floor was cracked, and there were rusted, suspicious machines scattered about. What little light there was came from a white lamp affixed to the ceiling.

"Is that... by any chance..."

He strangely recognized the area.

He felt that he had seen this on the reference documents before coming here. That is to say, it had appeared from time to time on Furube City's regional TV before.

''... Is this... the goblin factory?''

It suddenly hit him.

.......

................

"... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

In that instant, a scream ran from his fingernails to the top of his head.

"------! Wh, what on earth are you..." Adilisia protested, covering her ears with both hands.

"B, because it's... I didn't think this could be the goblin factory! I, if you think about it, then from those strange stains, they look as though ghosts might come out of them like in the TV programs..."

The girl looked at Itsuki incoherently explaining things with a curious expression.

"You... for someone who was not afraid of my demons, what reason is there for you to be afraid of childish tricks?"

"I, I guess you could say that, but..."

Repeating the same phrase that he had said earlier, Itsuki then grumbled about how they weren't the same thing.

He was genuinely not above such shame.

He was a loser who took the concept of manliness and slapped it, crushed it, tossed it in the garbage, and finally disposed of it in space.

"Well, I suppose that is like you."

Adilisia lightly shook her head. Her golden curls shook elegantly as she did.

"... Now that I think about it... we're not wet?"

"Somehow."

"But I thought we fell into the sea... There's even air down here, what's the deal?"

"My my. You are unexpectedly direct about the workings of your mind."

As if confirming something, Adilisia clapped her hands together and nodded as she said, "This will do."

"What will?"

"First, see the current situation with your own eyes. It'll be faster than if I explain things, I think."

Standing up, the girl approached the window.

It could be called a window, but it was crude, with a broken shade draped over it. The sash and the glass had disappeared long ago, and a rusted frame and the shade were all that remained of what was once a window.

Adilisia lowered the shade.

"------!"

Itsuki's jaw dropped.

Outside of the window stretched a frozen ocean.

Of course, a tattered factory like this couldn't support so much ice. Plus, even though it was ice, not the slightest bit of cold air could be felt.

"This is... the bottom of that ocean?"

"Yes. The <Night> has not ended yet."

Adilisia, closing her eyes, nodded again.

Itsuki tried to arrange his thoughts.

''After getting assigned the 'job' by the <Organization>, we came to erase this <Night>. This meant that we had to fight with <Goetia>, who also took the offer.''

''However, a sudden, unusual change occurred in the <Night>.''

''The ripples and the whirlpool emitted from the sea destroyed the demons that Adilisia called out. This interrupted the fight. I then fell with Adilisia-san into the <Night>. Finally, it looks like the sea froze after we fell in.''

What happened?

''... What a relief,'' he thought absentmindedly.

To a high school student who could just see ghosts, such things weren't under his control, or rather, he didn't have the strength to do anything anyway. This was only the third magician-like work he had taken on since becoming a president, and it was the first full-blown job of those.

He drooped his head glumly and heaved a sigh.

"What is the matter?" Adilisia asked from beside him.

"Well, it's just... I was thinking if we couldn't escape somehow."

"If that is the case, then you may do as you like. I have something to search for. After going to all the work of entering inside the <Night>, even if I were alone it would be fine."

Instantly sliced in two.

If he impeded her, she would probably abandon him in an instant. Or rather, she seemed like she would be a willing suicide assistant if he were to get in her way.

The girl crouched down over the concrete and scraped something out with a scrap of metal. It looked like a magic circle. Inside the large circle, there were several pentagrams and squares intertwining with one another. And then, as if to enclose those shapes, she bit her pinky finger and wrote out letters in blood.

Itsuki gulped at the act of self-mutilation, but suddenly asked,

"... You're looking for something?"

He tilted his neck.

"..."

Adilisia's finger stopped.

She had a face that bluntly said, "Damn it!"

"You mean it's in this <Night>? So you tried to stop us from taking this offer because you were looking for that?"

"... I, I will tell you, but..." The girl curled her hands into fists and raised her face. "This is a state of emergency, thus it cannot be helped that we are together. I will not give you any more information than is needed."

"Ah, y, yes. Understood!"

Flashed at by Adilisia's emerald eyes, Itsuki immediately bowed.

However, he was a bit late, as Adilisia tapped her magic circle, seeming regretful.

"... It's no use."

"Wh, what's wrong?"

"My fetishes are insufficient. The equipment I have now and this impromptu magic circle are lacking spiritual significance, even though I tried compensating for it with my own blood."

Irritated, she bit the nail of her thumb. Under normal circumstances, they were at a complete loss for anything to do.

''A fetish...''

"Say, how about this?"

Itsuki unclipped the badge on his collar.

In an instant, the color of astonishment filled Adilisia's eyes.

"L, lend me that, right now!"

The girl leaned forward.

However--in a rare move, Itsuki pulled that badge away from her.

"H, hold on a second."

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to just give this to you for nothing."

"... Are you asking, that I help you to escape? If that is the case then, I will simply take it from you by force."

There was an extraordinary murderous intent lurking in the tone of Adilisia's voice. It was a scale of absolute zero that seemed to freeze Itsuki to his fingertips.

"N, no, just listen! If you have something to search for, then I'm fine with that. If so, I'll even cooperate. In return, what do you say we help each other get out of here?"

Adilisia glared as if evaluating him.

"... You say you will cooperate with me?"

"Yes! It's not unheard of, stuff like this. 'Bitter enemies placed in the same boat give and take?'"

Spouting out a four-character kanji compound<ref>Refers to the phrase "goetsudoushuu" (呉越同舟 ''Bitter enemies in the same boat'') that Itsuki just used</ref> that made little sense in the current situation, Itsuki's heart raced wildly. Itsuki was obviously no match for Adilisia in magic, and he wasn't confident that he could even beat her in a fistfight. As such, his life was on the line in this negotiation.

"..."

Adilisia took a single breath, as if perplexed.

"However, there's still a problem."

"Is it by any chance that you have to keep what you're looking for secret?"

As Itsuki turned toward the water, the girl fell silent. Looks like he hit the mark.

"You know, I'm still a president. If there's a secret you have to keep, I'll never tell anyone. I'll keep it a secret from Nekoyashiki-san, Mikan-chan, even Honami! ... Or is even that not enough?"

"Are you telling me to trust you? Without even forming an official geis between magicians?"

"You were the one who was handling me like a normal person, right? Couldn't you at least trust me that much?"

Finally, somewhat weakly, Itsuki placed his hand on his cheek.

The golden-haired girl lowered her shoulders.

"Are you talking about, equivalent exchange?"

"Ah, wasn't that one of the basics of magic that Honami talked about?"

"Yes, of course it has a simple meaning in transactions, but it also means that what you have and what you do not have are of the same value. In this situation, you are saying that the fact that you are not a magician has the same value as the fact that I am."

"Er, what do you mean?"

Itsuki goggled his eyes at her.

"You are telling me to believe you because you are not a magician, correct? ... That is fine then."

"Huh?" he replied again.

Adilisia's face turned slightly red, and then she turned away.

"I said that I would trust you! So, lend me your badge."

"A, alright."

Adilisia wrenched the badge out of Itsuki's palm, and placed it in the center of the magic circle.

Then,

"With a polished silver pentagram of this caliber, there will be enough spiritual significance. Using the mirror, it can be made into a symbol of amplification as well. --Hmph, anyhow, it seems like that Honami is your company itself, president."

"Ah, speaking of which, do you know Honami? I was wondering because she called you 'Addie.'"

"We were classmates in an English institute. She was famous for having revived the lost Celtic Magic."

"Is that... something amazing?"

"Originally, there were a large amount of poems and gardols that were only transmitted by mouth and took twenty years to memorize."

"T, twenty years..."

"In the later part of its history, there was the Ogam script, but in the beginning and the middle of Celtic Magic--the druid's method of learning was entirely oral. That girl did fieldwork in England and patched together various oral traditions. Thanks to that, the pile of papers from the report she presented reached the ceiling, but just the face of our teacher at that time was enough of a sight."

"..."

Remembering the desk buried by the contract documents from last week, Itsuki made a glum face.

''So she was totally serious when she said, "Why can't you do this much in just a day?"''

It's no wonder than that she looked at him so blankly.

He felt that it was harmful to have an overachieving student as a teacher.

"... Shall I begin the ceremony? Using the pentagram, I will evoke a demon with an impromptu ceremony. You might get possessed by the demon if you are too close, so please move away a bit."

"Oh, r, right."

In a flurry, Itsuki retreated back.

Making a surprised face at his appearance, Adilisia spun her words.

'''"--I do invocate and conjure thee."'''

Her voice was slow and quiet.

'''"--I do invocate and conjure thee."'''

Again, she whispered the same spell, holding the pendant of Solomon on her chest.

'''"--I do strongly command thee, by Beralanensis, Baldachinensis, Paumachia, and Apologle Sedes: by the most Powerful Princes, Genii, Lichide, and Ministers of the Tartarean Abode: and by the Chief Prince of the Seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion--"'''

"..."

Itsuki gulped down a gob of saliva, gazing at the scenery that hid a bizarre feeling of tension.

There was a slight pain in his right eye.

''... What was that?'' he asked himself, holding his eyepatch.

Just before he was about to fade away, a voice sounded in the back of his head. However, even though it seemed like he would normally lose consciousness at times like this, he strangely felt a slight sense of fear.

''Slight...?''

No. It wasn't slight at all. In that instant, there was a rumbling, and his fear was completely shattered. Instead, the emotion he felt when he heard those words was a rising, uplifting feeling.

''I feel like I've always heard that voice before...''

His thoughts continued on without him.

''That is...''

He remembered.

--When he was in kindergarten.

--He was in the <Ghost Mansion> being chased by a monster.

--A hallway covered in dust. A tear-stained kindergarten uniform applique. The one he saw when he fell over 

--"Icchan! Icchan! Icchan!"

He heard the crying voice of a girl from far away...

"Follow me!"

"Ah..."

From that one order, he returned to reality.

To the ether body floating in the center of the magic circle directly above the badge, Adilisia was holding out the pentagram of Solomon.

'''"--Behold the Pentacle of Solomon which I have brought here! Therefore, in the name of the king, thou must follow my order!"'''

An ether body like white smoke quivered.

Finishing off, the golden-haired witch continued.

'''"Come forth, Eligol! Firm knight commanding sixty armies!"'''

"!"

Eligol.

The strongest knight, and the last demon that Adilisia had evoked in the fight above the sea. When Itsuki had seen him, he had mentally prepared himself for defeat like an unbreakable spirit of one who died at war.

But.

--Poof!

Eligol appeared on Adilisia's shoulder.

"Poof?"

Of course, that's not really what it sounded like, but that was the mimetic word that came to Itsuki's mind. However, it was very fitting.

Eligol's armor shone in the light of the white lamp. He had his heroic crimson flag. He had his sharp lance and the green snake wrapped around his arm.

It was the exact same silver knight as before.

... However, he was palm-sized.

"Wh, wha, what is that?"

"P, please do not laugh! It cannot be helped! It took me a year to call out that Eligol from before. Evoking him so suddenly, of course he would only be a shadow of his true form."

"Ah... ha, ha..."

His mouth hanging open, Itsuki nodded.

Special magical ability.

Each magical art had its strengths and weaknesses.

The demons that Adilisia could summon with her Magic of Solomon were extensive, all-purpose, and very powerful, however to call out the true form of those demons required an enormous amount of time and preparation.

When those things were lacking, results like this occurred.

"... gh"

"I, I will tell you beforehand, his nature as a demon has not declined in the slightest despite his size. He will not be any use in battle, but he will be useful enough for now!"

"I, I got it. I won't laugh. Since I won't laugh, please don't let him stab me with that spear."

Running from Eligol, who was poking his spear in Itsuki's direction, Itsuki held his head and made a wish.

<center>*</center>

Meanwhile.

A single crow fluttered down to a point halfway up the mountain, similar to the position of Honami and the others.

It was as dark as night. If it were a genuine bird, it shouldn't have been able to fly.

Stopping the crow in his arm, a black-clothed person made two, three large nods.

"--It seems like our leader has evoked Eligol again," he notified a young man next to him.

They were the magicians of <Goetia> that had accompanied Adilisia. After Adilisia and Itsuki were swallowed by the frozen ocean, they scattered secretly among the mountain.

"Alright, we will stay on standby as long as our leader lives. If, by any chance, there is some kind of disturbance from <Astral>, we will eliminate them individually. --It was outside of our predictions that our leader would be captured by the <Night>, but we cannot let any word of this situation escape these grounds."

The young man pointed out some directions.

Then, once more, the crow took to the sky.

If a crow could have the intelligence of a magician, it might be surprised.

Several magic circles appeared on the area halfway up the mountain, focusing on the center of the frozen ocean.

That is--using one mountain as a stage, ten individual magic circles intertwined to form one giant, complicated magic circle.

<center>*</center>

"A taboo..."

Nekoyashiki's voice paused.

The normally airy, lighthearted onmyouji's face stiffened like a stone. The hairs of all four cats wrapped around him stood on end.

Mikan, who was shying away, and even Honami, with her cape being held onto by Mikan, swallowed their breath at the gravity of the word.

"No way... seriously?"

"No, it's just a suspicion. I haven't found any evidence."

Kagezaki shrugged, his appearance as usual as ever. It was a movement like a doll's, as if it were a lie.

"However, so long as you have suspicion, you can launch an investigation. You all know how much of a sin it is for a magician to become magic, correct?"

"..."

A silence fell.

As if taunting the three, Kagezaki continued to speak.

"Spell power is an incredibly easy energy to manipulate. The control of that manipulation is called magic. Depending on the spell power that has leaked out, spell wave pollution can occur. Normally, spell wave pollution doesn't last long, and its scale comes to light. Even a large-scale spell wave pollution, such as this <Night>, will disappear without a trace with the dawn."

Self-purification was at work, even in spell wave pollution.

Just as a river flows into the sea, as an animal's corpse changes into earth, spell power as well sooner or later flowed and then disappeared. That was the truth of nature.

Kagezaki's lips became twisted.

"However, in the case that a magician has become magic, none of this applies. Yes, you could say it's like the difference between fire and nuclear power. A magician that has become magic expels spell wave pollution simply by existing. Furthermore, in this case, the spell wave pollution is not purified by nature. Remaining like in cryogenic stasis, nearby soil and animals--and occasionally humans are 'infected' along with it. Some different species like mermaids and werewolves are born in such a manner. In modern terms, perhaps you could say it's like radioactive waste?"

With a smile like a noh mask, Kagezaki finally whispered,

"--Of course, in exchange for all that, you can gain power incomparable to that of plain old magic."

The reason that magic was kept away from the public at large was not because it was some huge secret.

It was because it was dangerous.

Otherworldly power lures magicians very easily, and in exchange for that, corrodes reality very easily.

What the <Organization> did was largely for that reason. That is to say, the associations within it watched each other so as to prevent the violation of a taboo. It was a conviction agency for the purpose of restricting and erasing magicians who have violated a taboo.

That's why everyone was afraid of it.

Kagezaki--was a magician who punished magicians.

"I know all that." Going up against Kagezaki's cruel smile, Honami flashed her Ice Blue Eyes. "So what are you telling us to do?"

"No, no, I'm just confirming things. If <Goetia> really has broken a taboo, there is a need to add a fitting penalty from the <Organization>."

His words had a formal sound to them.

Then, a high-pitched voice interrupted the two staring at each other.

"--Ho, Honami onee-chan?"

"What, Mikan?"

"Um, is president onii-chan going to be okay like this? Because if president onii-chan is 'infected' with spell wave pollution--"

"Ah..."

Honami became speechless.

If it was normal spell wave pollution, then anything bad that happened would heal in a number of days.

And then, even if this was really spell wave pollution born of a taboo, a magician could possibly saved from a worst case scenario.

However, Itsuki was--.

''I have to get back to Icchan--''

"--?"

Honami, biting her lip, put her hand to the collar of her sailor uniform.

"Honami-san?"

"Right now, the president's badge is--"

For a moment, she felt her badge as if entranced by it, and then suddenly stiffened.

"Nekoyashiki-san, we might not make it in time."

"What do you mean?"

"The president!"

As Honami spoke, she ran off toward the frozen ocean. In a panic, Nekoyashiki and Mikan followed her.

"... Make it in time, huh?"

Kagezaki gazed at the backs of the three with empty, soulless eyes.

<references/>

Rental Magica:Updates

2011-06-08T17:24:49Z

Amazing Buffalo:

*27 April 2011
**Volume 01 chapter 1 complete
*24 May 2011
**Rental Magica teaser project started

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