Zero no Tsukaima:Volume3 Chapter1 - MTL

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Chapter One: Lineage of Zero

Tristain’s royal palace was situated on the end of Bourdonne's Street. In front of the royal palace gates, members of the magic guard were standing on duty, carefully watching. The rumor that the war was coming started spreading in the town two or three days ago. The aristocrat faction 'Reconquista', that suppressed neighboring country Albion, was rumored to be invading Tristain too.

Therefore, the soldiers guarded the surroundings attentively. The ships were banned from flying in the sky above the royal palace, and people who passed the gates where checked thoroughly.

Tailors, confectionery shop employers, traders had to endure a strict physical inspection, to prevent a mage pretender from getting in, with the “Enchant” spell help, so everyone was searched through.

Because of that, there was always one wind dragon with a mage-soldier on his back, on guard above the royal palace.

Mage guardians union consists of three corps. All those three corps interchangeably guard the royal palace. When one group is on duty, the others that are off duty are training and eventually replacing the working one. Today it was Mantis Koa corps guarding. A Mantis Koa mage, riding a horse, noticed a wind-dragon up in the sky, heading in the royal palace direction. There were five figures on the wind dragon's back. Furthermore, a huge mole was held in wind-dragon’s mouth.

The Royal Mage Guards loudly reported that this was a no-fly zone, yet the wind dragon ignored the warning and landed in the courtyard of royal palace.

It was a pink-blond beautiful girl, a tall woman with burning red hair, a blond boy, a small girl with glasses and a boy with black hair. The boy carried a long sword over his shoulder.

Mantis Koa members surrounded the place where the wind dragon landed. They all at once pulled out rapier shaped magical canes. Spells were prepared to cast, and a commanding officer with a rough looking bearded face loudly ordered the suspicious intruders.

“Throw away your canes!”

Instantly, the intruders facial expressions changed to angry, but the short girl with blue hair shook her head at them and said.

“Royal palace.”

The party reluctantly nodded to those words, and, as ordered, threw their canes to the ground.

“For now, there is a flight ban in the sky above the royal palace. Didn’t you know?”

One person, a girl with pink-blond hair, lightly jumped off the dragon, and introduced herself in a firm voice. 　 “I am Duke de la Valliere’s third daughter, Louise Françoise. I am not someone suspicious one. I request an audience with her highness, the princess.”

The commander twisted his moustache, while watching the girl. He knew about Duke and Duchesse de la Vallière. They were famous nobles.

The commander lowered his cane.

“Duke de la Vallière’s third daughter?”

“Indeed.”

Louise confidently looked straight into the commander's eyes.

“That’s right, I see you have your mother’s eyes. Well, what is the purpose of your request?"

“I cannot tell. It is a secret.”

“Then you cannot see Her Highness. Such a request, without telling the purpose, will be denied.”

The Commander said in a worried voice.

“It’s a secret. We cannot tell it, I guess there is no other way.”

Saito jumped off the wind dragon and said.

The commander, measured Saito, who interjected, with his eye, while frowning. Unfamilar clothes, lowering nose and yellow skin. And a big sword on his shoulder.

Though it wasn’t clear from what country he was, one thing was certain – he wasn’t a noble.

“What a rude commoner. That’s not the way a servant should talk to a noble. Be silent.”

Saito narrowed his eyes, and turned to Louise. He got angry at being called a servant. It was true, though he wasn’t a servant, just a familiar, he still hated such disdainful way of speaking. Saito gripped the handle of Derf over the shoulder and asked Louise.

“Hey, Louise. Can I beat this guy?"

“What a bluff. Defeating Wardes made you too conceited.”

Hearing Saito’s and Louise’s words, commander’s eyes popped up. Wardes? Wardes, as in, that viscount Wardes, the commander of the Griffon corps? Knocked down？ What does it mean?　

‘Defeating Wardes’ is not something one could overlook. The commander set up the cane again.

“Who the hell are you? Anyway you cannot talk with Her Highness."

The Commander said in hard tone. The talk seemed to become more and more confusing. Louise stared at Saito.

“W-what?”

“If only you haven’t said that unnecessary remark we wouldn’t have been suspected!”

“But that’s because this beardy fellow was so saucy.”

“Shut up, you should have stayed silent!”

Seeing such strange conversation, the commander blinked in surprise. Everyone from the Royal Mage Guards, that surrounded the party, set up their canes again.

“Arrest them!”

Under the commanders order, all members were about to utter an incantation all together…

But unexpectedly, a person clad in a purple mantle appeared from the palace gates. They started to run up panicking once Louise, surrounded by the Royal Mage Guards, was seen.

“Louise!”

Louise's face, after seeing rushing Henrietta, shined like a spreading a rose.

“Princess!”

The two people embraced inside the Royal Mage Guards circle.

“Aah, you came back safely. I’m glad. Louise, Louise Françoise…”

“Princess…”

Tears started falling from Louise’s eyes.

“The letter in question is safe.”

Louise, quietly showed the letter from the breast pocket of her shirt.

Henrietta nodded vigorously while stiffly grasping Louise's hand.

“Really, you are my best friend.”

“Your words are too kind, princess.”

However, Henrietta’s face, once noticing that Wales wasn’t in the group, became clouded.

“…As I thought, Prince Wales, sacrificed himself for the kingdom.”

Louise shut her eyes and quietly nodded.

“…But what about viscount Wardes? I can’t see him. Did he take another route? Or… by no means… he fell by the enemy's hand? That, only that viscount, so…”

Louise's expression became cloudy. Hesitatingly Saito informed Henrietta.

“Wardes was a traitor, Princess.”

“Traitor?”

A shadow crept upon Henrietta’s face. Then, noticing the curious Royal Mage Guard’s stares, Henrietta explained.

“They are my guests, sir commander.”

“I see.”

Hearing Henrietta’s words, the disappointed commanding officer removed his cane and ordered his troops to do the same.

Henrietta turned to Louise again.

"What happened on your journey?.. Anyway, tell the story in my room. Others, take separate rooms and have some rest please.”

Leaving Kirche, Tabitha and Guiche in the waiting room, Henrietta brought Saito and Louise to her own living room. Henrietta sat down on a small and delicate chair with relief, her elbows placed upon the desk.

Louise explained the situation to Henrietta.

To the point where Kirche and others joined. 　 About taking a ship to Albion, and being attacked by pirates.

That pirate leader was Crown Prince Wales.

Even though escape was offered to Prince Wales, he refused it.

And… holding the wedding with Wardes, and not leaving with the ship.

That in the middle of the wedding Wardes changed suddenly…killed Wales and tried to plunder the letter from Louise…

However, the letter was regained. Ambitions of ‘Reconquista’… to unite all Halkeginia, an outrageous ambition of regaining the sacred ground from before.

However…peace and defense of the alliance between Germania and Tristain, is the lifebuoy, to Henrietta’s sorrow.

“That viscount was a traitor… It’s hard to believe, that the traitor was one of the Royal Mage Guard…”

Henrietta, gazing at the letter that she herself wrote to Wales, started crying.

“Princess…”

Louise silently clasped Henrietta's hand.

“It is as if I myself killed Prince Wales. It was I who chose the traitor to be the messenger…”

Saito shook his head.

“The crown prince was going to stay in that country to begin with. It is not because of the princess.”

“Louise, did he, at the very least, read my letter?”

Louise nodded.

"Yes, princess. Crown Prince Wales read Your Highness's letter.”

“Then, Prince Wales didn‘t love me.”

Henrietta shook her head lonely.

“But, still... you recommended the crown prince to escape the country?”

Henrietta nodded while watching the letter sadly.

Louise recalled Wales' words. He stubbornly kept saying “Henrietta didn’t tell me to escape”, denying it. Looks like it was a lie, Louise thought.

“Yes. I didn’t want him to die. I loved him.”

Then Henrietta absentmindedly muttered.

“Was honor more important than me?”

Saito thought differently. Wales remained in Albion not because he was trying to protect his honor, but because he didn’t want to trouble Henrietta… and the royal family in Halkeginia, to show that they are not a weak enemy under the rebel's power, he remained in Albion.

“It isn’t so Princess. The prince remained in that country because he didn’t want to trouble Tristain. That’s how I heard it.”

Henrietta looked up at Saito blankly.

“Because he didn’t want to trouble me?”

“His escape, as he said, only would have given a perfect excuse for rebels to attack our kingdom.”

“If Wales didn’t stay, they would have attacked us, and attacking would seem justifiable. If they did not attack, peace can be kept. At the cost of his life, he prevented war from rising.”

“...still, he did not want to trouble me. Surely.”

Henrietta, gave a deep sigh, and then looked outside of the window.

Saito remembered the words and slowly said.

“He fought bravely, and bravely died. That’s what he asked me to say.”

Henrietta’s lonely smile was the answer. When a beautiful princess was acting as a fading rose, even the air seemed to be filled with melancholy. Saito became sad.

Henrietta, who looked like a beautiful sculpture cut from marble with her elbows on the table, sadly asked.

“To fight bravely, to die bravely. That’s the privilege of men. But what should the woman left behind do?”

Saito had no answers to that. Silent, looking downwards, he awkwardly started poking the floor with the tip of his shoe.

“Princess… If only I would have persuaded Crown Prince Wales more strongly…”

Henrietta stood up and clasped the hand of Louise who muttered guilty.

“It is all right, Louise. You did splendidly what you were asked for, and regained the letter. You should not worry about anything. I myself hadn’t told you anything about telling him to escape.”

After that, Henrietta laughed with a smile.

“Because of your actions behind the scenes, the things that started disturbing my marriage were prevented beforehand. Our country will be able to step into the alliance with Germania safely. If this happens, they will not be able to attack Albion easily. The crisis has passed, Louise Françoise.”

Henrietta said it as brightly as possible.

Louise took out from the pocket the Water Ruby Henrietta gave her.

“Princess, here, I return this to you.”

Henrietta shook her head.

“I give it to you. It’s the least I can do to express my gratitude.”

“I cannot take such expensive gift.”

“Loyalty should be repaid. It is all right, don’t be shy.”

Louise nodded and put it on her finger.

Seeing this, Saito remembered the ring that he took from the prince’s hand. Then he took it out of the bottom of his jeans’ pocket, and handed it to Henrietta.

“Princess, this is a keepsake from the Crown Prince Wales."

Henrietta, receiving it, stared with astonishment.

“This is the Wind Ruby. From the crown prince Wales, for me to keep?”

“That’s right. The prince entrusted this to me right before passing away. To give it to the princess.“

Saito didn’t tell the truth, that Wales was already dead when he pulled it off his finger.

He did so because he wanted to cheer up Henrietta’s thoughts.

Henrietta put the Wind Ruby on her finger. Because it was suited for Wales, it was very loose on Henrietta's finger… But when Henrietta muttered the ‘decreasing’ spell, the ring became narrower and narrower, and soon it fit perfectly.

Henrietta patted the ruby dearly. After that, she turned to Saito, with the shy smile on her lips.

“Thank you, kind familiar.”

However it was also a lonely, sad smile, a smile of gratefulness for Saito. Saito was so struck by the beauty and nobleness of the smile that his mouth could only mumble incoherently.

“He died bravely, just like he said, right?”

Saito nodded.

“Yes. It is so.”

Henrietta, watching the Wind Ruby shine on her finger, said.

“Then I… I will live bravely.”

* * *

On the flight from the royal palace to the Academy of Magic Louise was silent. No matter how Kirche tried to find out what was written in the regained Wales’ letter by questioning Louise and Saito, talking about this and that, they both kept silent.　

“Wha-at? Even though I helped, I cannot know what the duty was? Besides, though you say that the viscount is a traitor, I can’t see the reason."

Kirche looked at Saito with a feverish glance.

“However, darling attacked him?”

Saito, having glimpsed Louise's face, nodded:

“Y-yes. But he escaped…’

“Still it's wonderful! Hey, what on earth was that mission?”

Saito lowered his head. Louise was even more silent, and neither spoke.

Kirche puckered up her brows and turned to Guiche.

“Hey, Guiche!”

“What?”

With an artificial rose in his mouth, Guiche, who was spacing out, turned around.

“Don’t you agree that we should know the contents of Her Highness princess Henrietta’s letter that we were ordered to regain?”

Guiche closed his eyes saying:

“I do not know much as well. Only Louise knows.”

“Louise the Zero! Why don’t you tell me?! Hey, Tabitha! What do you think? Well, I think that I am held for an idiot!”

Kirche shook Tabitha who was reading the book. Though being shaken, Tabitha shook her head.

Because of Kirche raging that way, the wind dragon lost balance and suddenly slowed down. Due to this, Guiche, who was sitting on the wind dragon's back, lost his balance and fell down. “Gyaaaaaa” he screamed while falling, but since it was Guiche no one was worried. He pulled out his cane and stopped the free-fall with 'Levitation' spell, thus escaping death.

Louise lost her balance as well, but Saito softly reached out and held her waist with his hand, supporting her body. Louise blushed feeling the hand move around her waist. This morning, when running away from Albion, Saito kissed me. That time I was pretending to be asleep.

But why? Why did I keep on pretending to be asleep?

It might be love… However, I do not want to admit this thought, because Saito is my familiar; moreover, he is not a noble.

Loving a person who is not a noble was hard even to imagine. The nobles and commoners are different human beings… As Louise grew up with those words, her uneasiness turned into puzzlement. Anyway, whether these feelings are true or not, that should be left to find out later.

So after all, having felt the hand move around her waist, Louise said in an angry voice:

“S-such a familiar way of touching is making me mad!”

“You seemed to be falling down. Like Guiche.”

Saito said while blushing too.

“It’s all right, even if Guiche falls - it is Guiche.”

Louise, who for some reason turned from puzzled into angry, said.

“T-that’s, even if he falls he will be all right. I would be worried if you’d fall though, because you cannot use magic.”

“Is this familiar’s habit to insult his master?”

Louise averted her face. However, she did not seem to be that angry.

“Besides you are somehow overly-familiar. Let me go. Seriously.”

Though Louise grumbled and complained, she didn‘t try to shake off Saito's hand. On the contrary, she leaned her body closer, snuggling against Saito. Yet, her face still remained averted. Saito stole a quick glance at Louise‘s face.

Her white cheeks were faintly dyed with pink and she was slightly biting her lower lip cutely. Though Henrietta was beautiful... Louise was still incredibly cute, he thought. The hand on the waist pressed closer. And felt how her waist and thighs pressed further into him.

With them so stiffly cuddling close together, Kirche turned around and muttered.

“You, what are you doing there?”

Louise became aware of her position, ha! And, furiously blushing, pushed Saito away with all her strength.

“What are you doing! You fool!”

Saito's scream trailed behind as he fell, but before he smashed into the ground, Tabitha, who was reading a book, dully swung her hand, and put a 'Levitation' spell on Saito.

When Saito softly landed on the ground, Guiche, who fell before, walked up to him with a bitter face. Making way in this grassy plain.

Then Guiche stopped and addressed Saito in his usual snobbish manner.

“You fell too, right?”

Saito answered in a tired voice.

“I was dropped.”

“T-they are not coming back, are they?”

Saito looked up into the sky. In a blue sky a wind dragon was gradually disappearing.

“…seems so.”

"Indeed. Then, I will walk. Oh dear, it’ll take half a day on foot.”

With a depressed air around him, Guiche started to walk. Saito suddenly felt closer to this guy.

“By the way, you… That, well… What was the reason behind all this?”

Guiche asked Saito, while fiddling with the artificial rose.

“Huh?”

“About her highness princess, that, were the rumors true? Is it true, that she’ll reward me after the mission, with the letter where the secret date was promised…”

For a moment Saito felt pity for Guiche. Because Henrietta didn’t even mention the letter ‘G’ from Guiche's name in that conversation.

“Let’s go.”

Saito, pretending not to hear, began walking quickly. Guiche ran after him.

“Well, is the rumor true?"

“Come on, walk. It’s good for the health.”

“Wha-at, Her Highness princess, I…”

Warmed by the shining sun, the two people kept on walking towards the Academy of Magic.

* * *

Fortress of Newcastle, once known as a great stronghold, presented a tragic sight to behold. Though it withstood the despair, it became a disastrous scene.

Castle walls, having been repeatedly attacked by spells, were turned into a pile of rubble, and cruelly burned corpses were scattered around.

Though the siege was short, the rebels - no, because Albion lost its king, the rebels 'Reconquista', became the new government in Albion - suffered damage that was impossible to imagine. Three hundred royal army soldiers for two thousand killed rebels. And four thousand wounded. Seeing these casualties, it was hard to understand whether it was a victory.

Because the fortress was located on the very edge of the floating continent, it was possible to attack it only from one direction. Before the 'Reconquista' forces managed to push away the guards, they were repeatedly shot with magical cannons and received a lot of damage.

However, they won by the force of numbers in the end. Once behind the castle walls the defense was fragile. The king's army mages were left to guard against soldiers. But the mages' number was insignificant to 'Reconquista' soldiers; they were gradually killed and all fell, one by one.

Though the damage given to the enemy was great… the price was annihilation of the king's army. Literal annihilation. Because the royalists fought up to the last soldier.

In a word, the final decisive battle of civil war in Albion, siege of Newcastle’s fortress, fighting against 100 times or larger opponent, in a battle with damage that was worth ten such armies… became a legend.

* * *

Two days after the civil war had ended, under the blazing sun, between the corpses and pebbles, a tall aristocrat was inspecting the old battlefield. His hat was pushed to the side and he was dressed in an unusual way for Albion, the uniform of Tristain’s Royal Mage Guard.　

It was Wardes.

A female mage with a hood over her eyes stood next to him.

It was Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt. She escaped to Albion with the ship from La Rochelle. Last night, in the capital of Albion, she joined Wardes in the bar of Rondei Nium, and now came to the Newcastle’s battlefield.

Around them, soldiers of 'Reconquista' were diligently hunting for riches. A loud cheer came from the treasury nearby, as a band sought for golden coins.

A mercenary with a pike on his shoulder was turning corpses over, then pushing them into a pile near rubbish as a decoration for the garden. When he found a magic wand he cried out from joy.

Fouquet, who was watching the scene disapprobatory, clicked her tongue in disgust.

Noticing Fouquet's expression, Wardes laughed thinly.

“What’s wrong, jewelry thief Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt, aren’t these your colleagues? Wasn’t your work to rob the nobles?"

“Don’t compare me with them. I do not have a hobby of robbing jewels from corpses.”

“A thief with a thief’s ethics.”

Wardes laughed.

“I’m not interested in that. I only steal valuable treasure, because I love the feverish look on noble’s faces. And these fellows…”

Fouquet looked at the corpse of a royalist mage guardian with the corner of her eye.

“All right, all right, don’t be mad.”

“I guess Albion’s royal nobles are your enemies. Haven’t you, under the name of the royal family, disgraced your own family?"

Hearing Wardes exaggerated words, Fouquet, regaining her composure, coldly said with a nod.

“Oh well. Accidents happen.”

And then Wardes turned. The upper part of the left arm had been cut off. The uniform’s sleeve was loosely fluttering in the wind.

“It was a severe battle for you.”

Wardes answered in an even voice:

“An arm in exchange for Wales' life, I think, is a rather cheap trade.”

“He must be great, that ‘Gandalfr’. So swiftly cutting off an arm of a square mage is something, right?”

“I lowered my guard, because I thought he was just a commoner.”

“Don’t say that. He destroyed my Golem. However, even he couldn’t have survived in this castle.”

When Fouquet said so, Wardes smiled coldly.

“He is Gandalfr after all. The corps that attacked the castle didn’t report to have fought against such person. In a fight against me, he wasted a lot of strength. Perhaps, he was confused with a commoner. Probably the soldier, who killed Gandalfr, didn’t even notice that it was a legendary familiar.”

Fouquet, not convinced, snorted. An image of Saito, a strange looking boy, floated in her mind. Could he really die so easily?

“And where is that letter?”

"Somewhere around here."

Wardes pointed to the ground with the cane. This place here, two days ago, was the chapel. The place where Wardes and Louise tried to hold the wedding, the place where Wales lost his life.

However, now it was just a pile of pebbles.

“Hmm, that la Vallière lass… your former fiancé, the letter was in her pocket?

“Correct.”

“You let her die? You didn’t love her?”

“Loved, didn’t love, I’ve already forgot such feelings.”

Said Wardes in an even voice.

He drew the cane and chanted the spell. A small tornado appeared and started scattering around the rubble.

Gradually, the floor of the chapel could be seen.

Wales’ remains were laying between Founder Brimir's image and the chair.

“Look, isn’t it dear Prince Wales?”

Fouquet said in a surprised voice. Fouquet, who was once one of Albion’s nobles, remembered Wales's face.

Wardes didn’t cast even a single glance to the remains of Wales whom he had killed and looked only for Louise’s and Saito's corpses.

However… Their corpses were not found anywhere.

“Did they really die here?”

Muttering so, Wardes began to search the surroundings carefully.

“Hmm… Look, isn’t that George de la Tur’s ‘Founder Brimir's Visit’?”

Fouquet took the painting that was lying on the floor.

“I think it is a reproduction. Mm, come to think of it, this castle’s chapel must have been built to worship him… Hmm?”

Fouquet, having picked up the painting from the floor, discovered a widely gaping hole under it, and called Wardes.

“Hey, Wardes. What is this hole?”

Wardes, with puckered up brows, squatted down and looked into the hole that Fouquet indicated. He realized that the hole must have been dug by that huge mole, Guiche’s familiar. On his cheeks Wardes could feel a cold wind, blowing from the hole.

“Could it be that through this hole both Vallière’s youngest daughter and Gandalfr ran away?”

Fouquet said. It must be so. Wardes' face twisted in anger.

“Should we get inside and run after them?”

“It is useless. The wind that blows, surely comes from the sky.”

Wardes said in an unpleasant voice. Seeing him like that, Fouquet grinned.

“Seems like you can also make such face. And I thought that you were a man without feelings like a gargoyle… Why, oh why do such feelings appear on your face?”

She said mockingly. Wardes stood up.

From the distance a person appeared while they talked.

He said in a cheerful, limpid voice.

“Viscount! Wardes! Have you found the letter in question? That love letter which Henrietta wrote to Wales… the one that would prevent the union between Germania and Tristain, did you find it?”

Shaking his head Wardes answered the man who showed up.

The man was in the middle of his thirties. He was wearing a round hat and a green mantle. From the first sight one could tell that he was a clergyman. However he also slightly resembled a soldier with his long aquiline nose and intelligent blue eyes. From the edges of his hat, curly blond hair peeped.

“Your Excellency. Seems like the letter slipped off through the hole. It is my mistake. I am sorry. Please, give me any punishment."

Wardes kneeled down bowing his head.

The man called ‘Excellency’, with a friendly smile on his face face, approached Wardes and tapped his shoulder.

“What are you saying? Viscount! You did remarkable work. You killed the enemy army’s brave general single-handedly! Hey, isn’t that over there, our dear crown prince Wales? Be proud! You brought him down! He was loathed a lot… but seeing him like that, I can feel some sort of friendship to him. Aah, that’s right. Everyone becomes your friend once they are dead.”

Wardes’ cheeks flinched slightly, as he noticed the sarcasm at the end of the speech. After that he became serious, once again repeating the apology to his superior officer.

“However, Your Excellency trusted me and I failed you in the duty to obtain Henrietta's letter. I was not able to meet Your Excellency's expectations.”

“Do not worry. Killing Wales was surely more important than alliance obstruction. Steadily, step by step, we will achieve our dream.”

Then, the man in the green robe, turned to Fouquet.

“Viscount, please introduce this beautiful woman here. Being a priest doesn’t mean one can ignore a woman, right?”

Fouquet watched the man. Before her eyes, Wardes bowed deeply to the man. However, she didn’t like him. He had a strange aura around him. A sinister feeling was radiating from the gaps of his robe.

Wardes stood up and introduced Fouquet to the man.

“Your Excellency, this is Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt, before whom all Tristain nobles shudder.”

“Oh! I heard the rumors! I am honored to meet you, miss Southgott.”

Hearing him say her noble name that she had abandoned long ago, Fouquet smiled.

“Did Wardes tell you this name?”

“That's right. He knows everything about Albion nobles. Genealogy, coat of arms, land property… it is hard for an aging bishop to remember everything. Oh, let's not delay my introduction.”

The man with widely opened look, put a hand on his chest.

“'Reconquista' first general, Oliver Cromwell at your service. You see, originally, I was just a mere bishop. However, due to the votes of the baronial council, I was appointed to be the first general, and I need to give my best. Though I am a clergyman who serves Founder Brimir, it is all right to ‘guide’ us through the dark times, right? If necessary, using faith and power for the better.”

“Your Excellency, you are not a freelance first general anymore, you are now Albion’s…”

“Emperor, viscount.”

Cromwell laughed. However, the laugh didn't reach his eyes.

“Certainly, I really wished to prevent Tristain’s and Germania’s alliance, however, there are more important things. Do you understand me, viscount?”

“Your Excellency's thoughts are so deep, that an ordinary man like me cannot measure them.”

Cromwell opened his eyes wide. Then, he raised both hands and began talking with exaggerated gestures.

“Unity! Unity of steel! Halkeginia is us, an union of chosen nobles, that will get back the sacred land from those ominous elves! It is a mission given to us by Founder Brimir! ‘Unity’ is our number one duty. Therefore, viscount, I trust you. There is no blame in such a trifle failure.” 　 Wardes bowed deeply.

“For this great mission, Founder Brimir gave us the power.”

Fouquet's eyebrow rose. Power? What kind of power they are talking about?

"Your Excellency, what power has Founder Brimir granted Your Excellency with? If it is all right, I would like to know.”

Cromwell continued in a slurred tone.

“Do you know about the four great elements of magic, Miss Southgott?"

Fouquet nodded. Every child knows such thing. Fire, Wind, Water, and fourth – Earth.

“In addition to the four great elements, there is another magical element. The element that Founder Brimir used, element of zero. Really, it was the first element of all things.”

“Element of zero… Void?”

Fouquet turned pale. The lost element. The magic of nothingness, that, as dark legends tell, disappeared. Does this man know something about the element of zero?

“That is the power that Founder Brimir granted me with. For this reason, the Baronial Council agreed to make me the emperor of Halkeginia.”

Cromwell pointed at Wales' corpse.

”Wardes. I wanted to make Crown Prince Wales my friend. Instead, he became my greatest enemy, thus he had to die. Do you think otherwise?"

Wardes shook his head.

“He should have never resisted Your Excellency's decisions.”

Cromwell laughed with a smile.

“Well then, Miss Sauthgott. I will show an element of ‘Void’ to you.”

Fouquet watched Cromwell’s movements with her breath caught.

Cromwell pulled out the cane that was attached to his waist.

A low, silent aria escaped Cromwell's mouth. These were the words Fouqout never heard before.

When the aria was completed, Cromwell gently lowered the cane and aimed at Wales's corpse.

Then… suddenly, Wales, whose body was already cold, opened his eyes. A chill ran down Fouquet’s spine.

Wales slowly sat up. In a moment his wan face regained the color before death. As if a fading flower that suddenly started blooming again, Wardes vigorously started catching up breath.

“Good morning, Crown Prince.”

Cromwell muttered.

Revived Wales returned Cromwell’s smile.

“It has been a long time, Archbishop.”

“So rude, I am an emperor now, dear Crown Prince.”

“That is so. I apologize for that, Your Excellency.”

Wales kneeled taking the posture of a vassal.

“I think I’ll make you my personal bodyguard, Wales.”

“With pleasure.”

“Then, let’s be friends.”

Cromwell began to walk. Wales, who didn’t look like he was just dead, walked behind him. Then Cromwell, as if remembering something, halted and turned around saying:

“Wardes, feel relieved. The alliance may be made. In any case, Tristain is helpless. There is no change in plans.”

Wardes bowed.

“There are two ways of diplomacy - the cane and the bread. Let’s give a warm bread to Tristain and Germania for the time being.”

“As you wish.”

"Tristain is a necessary area to add. That royal family has the Founder's Prayer Book. I need to have it in my hands in order to retrieve the sacred ground.”

After saying this and nodding approvingly, Cromwell left.

* * *

　

After Cromwell and Wales were out of sight, barely able to think, Fouquet opened her mouth:

“That is void..? It revives the dead. That’s silly.”

Wardes muttered.

“The void element manipulates life… That’s what His Excellency said, seems like he was right. Even though I cannot believe it as well, after I've witnessed this - I have to believe.”

Fouquet asked Wardes in a shaky voice.

“A while ago you were acting very similar to this, perhaps you were affected by void’s magic too?"

Wardes laughed.

“Me? I am different. This is a result of a sorrowful life that I had since the birth."

After that, Wardes looked up at the sky.

“However…many lives were given for the founder’s sacred ground… what if they all would be revived by the element of ‘Void’?"

Frightened Fouque put a hand on her chest. She felt a light heartbeat. Suddenly she needed to confirm that she was still alive.

“Don’t look that way. It’s just my imagination. You may call it a fantasy.”

Fouquet sighed, feeling relieved. Then she glared at Wardes..

“I was just surprised.”

Wardes said, while patting with his right hand the vicinity of the lost left arm.

“However, I don’t want to know if this is just a fantasy or reality. I think that the answer surely lies in the sacred ground.

* * *

Three days after Saito and company returned to the Academy of Magic, the marriage between Tristainian princess Henrietta and Germanian emperor Albrecht III was officially announced. The ceremony would take place next month, before the conclusion of military alliance.

The alliance conclusion was done in Germania’s capital Vindobon, where the agreement sentence was signed by the prime minister Cardinal Mazarin from Tristain.

The next day after the alliance, a new Albion’s government was officially established. In an instant, tensions sparkled between the two countries, but the first Albion’s empire’s Emperor Cromwell sent a special envoy to Tristain and Germania at once, in order to sign a nonaggression pact.

As a result, both countries had a conference. Even with the combined two countries' power in the air, they could not oppose Albion’s fleet. Though the non-aggression pact felt more like a dagger pointed to the neck, the two countries didn’t have much to choose from, and this offer was the best they could hope for.

However…peace was established in Halkeginia only on the surface. Politicians could not sleep day or night. It wasn’t only nobles, the commoners too waited for next day tensely.

Tristain’s Academy of Magic was no exception either.