Zero no Tsukaima:Volume16 Epilogue

Epilogue

In the chapel, a silver haired girl held her hands together in prayer, facing the delicately carved Founder statue and praying in silence.

This person gave others the appearance of a pure maiden like from a dream.

Under the long hair that shined like finished cotton sateen, her eyes that were brimming with admiration for one person were closed tightly. Her unwavering appearance was exactly like a beautiful statue.

Through the magnificent stained-glass windows, the rays of light that shined into the chapel enveloped the maiden with a heavenly glow. A respectively beautiful statue.

From the looks of her petite body that was wrapped in nun’s robes and her youthful face, her age seemed to be around 15 or 16 years. Different from the zealous prayers of dedicated believers, there was not even a single word of prayer coming out of her mouth. For her, this was merely as if breathing, a peaceful, gentle prayer. Gazing out from the chapel windows, there was a vast expanse of open ocean.

Here was the Saint Margaret monastery, located outside of northwestern Gallia on a protrusion of land the area of two square li (1 kilometer), on the pointed end of a thirty square li (15 kilometer) or so peninsula.

The whole peninsula was almost entirely situated on a rocky cliff.

The monastery did not have a road connecting to the outside world, and if someone wanted to leave here they would need the assistance of a boat or a flying beast, so to speak.

This was even more than just ideology, and even if the monastery was isolated from the world, about thirty nuns were living there. (!)

When the chapel doors were pushed open, several maidens dressed in the same style of nun’s robes walked inside. After they saw the silent, silver haired girl praying, one person among them spoke in a loud voice.

“Sigh, meeting time has not even started, yet Sister Josette has already begun to pray.”

Like as if they discovered an extremely amusing quirk, the maidens started chattering and making noise. This is also no wonder, since in a monastery disconnected from the rest of the world, it can be said that there was not much else to do. From being confined to this peninsula, it was hard for the maidens to find anything that didn’t seem ‘out of the ordinary.’

“Do you know what she is praying about?”

After a maiden was done speaking, a gleam flashed on the eyes of the red haired girl next to her.

“Do I have to say it? Of course she’s praying for someone to come here!”

“Goodness, if the abbess finds out it could be disastrous!”

The maidens all laughed.

“Why? This is not something that should be criticized, after all, since that guest is Romalia’s high priest, and he can bring us guidance, and he is one to be respected, right? There is nothing wrong with Sister Josette hoping for him to come, and among us, she is the one who knows him best.”

Upon hearing this, the peacefully praying Josette could not tolerate it, and she opened her eyes.

“Don’t speak of this matter so impolitely.”

“This isn’t good, Sister Josette heard us.”

Of course it was hard not to hear such loud talking, they spoke loudly on purpose to entertain themselves.

“That Dragon Knight (飞龙哥哥) is a kind-hearted person. So, he brings to us bored-to-death women news of the cities and towns and all kinds of snacks. That’s all. Thinking that he has some special attachment to me is really rude.”

“Hey, hey, hey? Sister Josette, no one said anything about having a ‘special attachment’ to you, I only said ‘she is the one who knows him best.’”

Josette’s face quickly flushed a deep red. “Sister Josette turned into an apple! And she happens to be freshly picked, a red, sweet apple!”

The maidens laughed another round. The embarrassed Josette firmly held onto the holy relic necklace that hung on her neck.

This sacred silver relic . . . from since she could remember was always with her.

According to the abbess, when she was abandoned at the front door of the town shelter and in a box crying, that relic was already with her. The abbess found her by chance, and unable to hold back her pain, she brought Josette back to the monastery.

This holy relic . . . Josette never had taken it off even once. Bathing, sleeping, no matter what she was doing she was not permitted to take it off, this was the abbess’s command.

It was not just Josette alone, all the maidens who lived in the monastery had to abide with this rule.

If they did anything like that . . . then they would immediately lose the Founder’s trust, and once that happened then their life would be terminated ---- this was what they were told.

Although in the remote Saint Margaret monastery the rule was not strictly enforced, as that was the only rule set up in the secure monastery located at the national border, and it was followed. (!<--! 在虽然位置偏僻对戒律要求却并不严格的圣•马尔加利特修道院里，只有那条规定就像是建设在国境的要塞一般，被牢固的坚守着。-->)

Her hands tightly closed around the sacred relic that resembled herself, Josette then breathed slower and more calmly. Turning a blind eye to the clamorous ladies next to her, she walked out toward the outer chapel. (!)

Next to the chapel were the dormitories built from stone. The chapel and the dorms were all that there was. This was a small, insignificant monastery.

Beyond the walls that protected against wind, was the vast ocean. Looking from one side to another, in between the gaps of the rising and falling rocks, were several cleared plots of land for small-scale farming. There were kekanaiba (柯卡奈巴) rice plants that were certainly resistant to the dampness and wind, carelessly swaying in the sea breeze. Other than the rare visit from the priest the monastery supported a nearly self-sufficient way of life.

Compared to the rest of the world, this place was a tiny . . . tiny, negligible place.

Josette gazed up at the sky.

Her life obviously similar to a prisoner’s, an innocent smile appeared on her pretty face.

As she knew absolutely nothing of the outside world, she did not have much freedom with what she ate and with social interactions.

Besides . . . the way she was now, she finally learned the “joy” of waiting.

Twirling her fingers, Josette tried to figure out when he would arrive.

Once, twelve days ago . . . he said, probably tomorrow or the day after they could meet again.

Thinking and speculating, a new kind of feeling welled in her heart, a restless and anticipation filled her up.

From the ocean surface a strong gust blew at Josette’s cloak.

Her silver hair was floating on the wind, gradually blending into the breeze.

Two weeks later, a wind dragon descended upon the monastery’s courtyard. Alone in the narrow courtyard, it space already became tight. From the dormitory, an elderly abbess came out to welcome the guest.

“Long time no see, Mama.”

The young person wearing the priest robes of Romalia . . . no, his face simply still showed the remnants of the radiance of youth. Although he had light golden hair that dazzled and sparkled, his eyes that were both different colors, called “moon eyes,” brewed an unsafe aura.

It was Julio.

After having respectfully lowered his head as a courteous act, the abbess took on a bewildered expression.

“Reverend Cardinal Deacon.”

When he was called by the rank that the palace of Romalia had bestowed on him, Julio laughed and looked at the abbess.

“What is it?”

“Even though you have just graced us with your presence, but please forgive my boldness, we do not welcome foreign visitors.”

“But I am the high priest of Romalia,” as if suggesting that this answer was enough, Julio said. Considering their positions in the monastery, Julio was a far cry from this abbess. Furthermore, Julio was not an ordinary Cardinal Deacon, but a priest that served the Pope.

The priest of the right hand of the Pope was not going to let an abbess deny his existence.

“It has to be this way, seeing how you are related to the Founder’s most respected servant then we are at a complete loss. As you know, this place is isolated from the secular world, a religious establishment in order for the orphaned maidens to get closer to God and the Founder . . .”

The abbess’s voice was mixed with a hint of dread. She had no knowledge of Gallia’s current events. Romalia’s war, King Joseph’s death, as his niece Charlotte succeeded the throne . . .

Rumor had it, that Charlotte was only Romalia’s puppet. With Romalia’s priest had having such a complicated identity coming to visit . . . surely something unsettling was going to happen, and the idea of it was reasonable.

“Please do not worry, there is nothing that will happen that would disturb you in any way. I am just following the Pope’s orders, to express profound gratitude for your pious and life’s sacrifice, and also for faithful friendship.”

Julio, who was finished speaking, took out a leather bag and handed it to the abbess. It was crammed with sparkling gold coins. One side had a hand-carved (while in the air?) holy seal, and the abbess accepted the leather bag. (!)

At the same time, she could not help but shudder a bit.

“Please be sure to pass on to the Pope my deepest gratitude. I am old and weak and of the ignorant generation, and because I pity the orphaned maidens, so I try to encourage them to serve god(s) together with me . . .”

“I understand, I understand completely, Mama!”

As if wanting to comfort the old abbess, Julio patted her shoulder.