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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter6 - MTL

2008-08-19T15:14:56Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter Six: Sortie */ Vusentaar to Varsenda

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===Chapter Six: Sortie===

The end of the year, first week of Wynn's moon, Man's day of the week became a day that was imprinted in the history of Halkeginia.

The next day of the void, when two moons that hang in the sky overlap, during this day when Albion continent will be at the closest point to Halkeginia, a large fleet of Tristania and Germania united army of 60,000 soldiers for the Albion invasion will sail off from La Rochelle.

Tristania, and more or less Germania, have 500 ships. Only sixty of them are battleships while the rest carries soldiers and supplies.

Queen Henrietta and Cardinal Mazarini were in La Rochelle port, standing on the top of the worldwide tree pier, watching the fleet sail off.

All ships going up into the sky at the same time was surely an amazing spectacle to behold.

“It is as if they all are seeds carried away by the wind” Cardinal shared his thoughts.

“Seeds that will repaint the continent.”

“There’s no such seed that would repaint a white country into blue.”

The flag of Tristain’s royal family - white lily on the blue background.

“It’s possible that we will be defeated.” Mazarini muttered.

“I do not intend to be defeated.”

General De Poitiers is a great commander who has both boldness and carefulness. He is likely to do it.” Henrietta knew that calling him a great commander was stretching a lot, but there were no other generals with more talent than him. Generals who were superior to him existed only on the other side of the history.

“I wonder why we have to fight though.”

Mazarini muttered in a barely audible voice.

“Why are you saying such thing?”

“We could have made an Albion’s blockade to make them starve. With careful planning it could be a very successful idea.”

“We will march.”

Henrietta muttered without changing the expression

“Don’t say so. Courage is not necessary to settle it once and for all. Well maybe I am just getting old.”

Mazarini patted his whitening beard.

“If we were to be losing, would you use ‘void’ in this war, Your Majesty?”

It was a highly secret matter to discuss. Only a few pople knew that Louise was a ‘void’. Henrietta, Cardinal… and a few royal generals.

“I should be burned... with pleasure I would burn as a retribution for my sins.”

Henrietta muttered silently staring into the emptiness.

“Calm down. Your Majesty won't go there alone. Hopefully my old bones are good enough for that.”

Henrietta entrusted generals of the ‘void’ knowledge only as the trump card.

After hearing about Louise’s ‘Void’ General De Poitiers did not even try to believe it in the beginning. But it is not impossible either. Just because ‘Void’ is considered to be legend, he could not believe in its existence.

However, after being reminded about military results in Tarbes, with much effort, the general believed in it.

Obtaining the legendary element of Void, redoubled his courage and he promised Henrietta a sure victory.

Henrietta to ensure the victory in the firs battle, gave him a permission to control the ‘Void’.

Henrietta sighed about her own sinfulness.

This war…against country, people.

It was nothing more than letting one's personal grievance out on them.

The war was only a mean to calm down lover's enmity.

How many humans did I send away to death for this?

It even included her childhood and best friend, too.

In such war, there is no victory or defeat, it cannot make one’s crimes to disappear, Henrietta thought.

Despite knowing this, I still declare the patriotism for the sailing off troops, I will burn in hell for this, she thought.

A trickle of blood ran down the edge of her lips as Henrietta bit them, screaming out

“Viva Tristain!”

The sounds of queen’s cheers sounded in the sky.

Officers line up on the upper deck, saluting to Henrietta, who was seeing them off, and shouted following the queen.

“Viva Tristain! Viva Henrietta!”

These shouts, accompanied with a chorus of the rest of 60,000 men that joined in, roared the sky.

“Viva Tristain! Viva Henrietta!”

The chest piercing repetitive cheers only intensified Henrietta’s awareness of her crime…

<center>* * *</center>

At that time, in the academy of magic…　

To use ‘flame’ by himself peacefully, Colbert finally reached the ‘power’ at last. The power of the heat…that is converted into the movement power somehow.

Though steam based mechanisms made up for it in some measure, it wasn’t enough for Colbert, who wanted to change it into the Zero fighter’s engine ‘power’.

Colbert concentrated on the analysis of this ‘enjin’.

Though he wanted to assemble something close to it by repeating trial and error method… but it was impossible to learn to assemble the internal combustion ‘enjin’ of the equal accuracy.

First of all, the metallurgy technologies were low in Halkeginia.

Iron that composes the ‘enjin’ cannot be manufactured. Even with square class spell ‘Alchemy’ it would be difficult to create such advanced iron manufacture. Peron’s magic technique mixes with impurities anyway.

Secondary, the processing technology.

To assemble a high quality ‘enjin’, you would need to make a lot of identical parts. Considering the technology of Halkeginia it was nearly impossible.

In Halkeginia, the conception of an entirely identical thing doesn't exist.

For instance, even the gun, which is mostly made from advanced craft goods, there still aren’t two completely identical ones. Bullets and the form of a gun looks identical, but the details are different. Even parts are not really compatible.

Even if Colbert tried to make zero fighter’s machine gun’s ‘bullets’, he knew that it was impossible. Though one can create a brass frame, but it still had too many identical details for ‘Alchemy’ to deal with. Even though it was hard to create brass frames, the production of the liquid ‘gasoline’ was entirely different matter.

Thus Colbert finished ‘New liquid container’ putting the technologies to use.

In front of the laboratory in Academy of Magic, Colbert, who with much effort finished obtaining all the equipment for the zero fighter, with a deep sigh, watched his single-handed work.

During half of a year, though the new weapon was finished, he wanted to accomplish more wonderful technologies, but his research results were settled there.

<center>* * *</center>

Seeing Saito, who showed up in front of the laboratory, Colbert spread his hands.　

“Ooh, Saito-kun, you are leaving?”

Saito just finished preparing for the journey ahead. He carried goggles, which were Siesta's grandfather's keepsake, on his neck. Derflinger was tied on his back, and a leather porch attached to his waist. Various livelihood tackle were placed in there.

“Yes” Saito nodded.

“Very well. Will you head directly to the ship? Can you land this thing on the ship safely?

This morning, the fleet sailed towards the Albion.

The ship that should have taken zero fighter with, already sailed with other ships, and waited for them ahead. It was a special warship built to carry wind dragons, now will carry zero fighter as well.

The new and powerful ship, which belonged to the newly found ‘Dragon Carrier‘ class, was named ‘Varsenda’.

Not only that, but Colbert, using the Earth element magic, placed gasoline enough for five flights within the ship as well.

So Saito only needed take Louise into the zero fighter and land on that ship.

“Well, with a lot…One cannot be completely safe, right?

Saito said while turning around. Louise has not appeared yet.

“Because of this haste, I didn’t had the time to explain you how the new weapon works.”

“Is that so…”

Saito found an iron pipe hanging under the zero fighter’s wing. What on earth is that tube for? But, there was no time for the detailed explanations now.

[[Image:ZnT06-159.jpg|thumb]]

“But before you go, here is the manual I wrote for you.”

Colbert handed Saito a small notebook. Though Saito cannot read it, Louise can. Will read it later, he thought.

“Thank you.”

Then Colbert, looking hesitant weather to say or not, opened his mouth.

“To tell the truth…”

“Eh?”

“To tell the truth, I do not want my student to ride a vehicle used for war.”

He said bitterly.

“Student?”

“Aah, how to say, well, though you are not a noble I still think of you as one of my students. You don’t mind, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t mind that…”

Saito felt shy.

“I do not want to use ‘flame’ power for the murder. I…”

Colbert declared clearly.

“Why? Everyone is saying that flame element is the most suited for the war. Oh well, I do not know the magic so well.”

“That’s right… flame is the element of destruction. Flame user’s are of a great value… However, I do not think so. I think that the using flame ‘Destruction’ is lonely. “

Reminiscing the words, Saito hung his head, embarrassed.

“Oh yes, this flying machine is called ‘Phoenix’ by royal army, right?

“Yes, when I was attacking Tarbes battleships with it, someone said ‘This is the legendary Phoenix!’…”

“I see! That Phoenix!”

Colbert shouted delighted.

“Teacher?”

“Phoenix is a legendary being. Phoenix… firebird god, a symbol of destruction…and a symbol of ‘Rebirth’.”

“Rebirth?”

“It's a reincarnation.”

Saito wondered why Colbert looked so pleased. Then, Colbert entered into the world of his own.

“That’s right… Rebirth… indeed…it’s a symbol right?.. Really?”

Then, Colbert noticed Saito who was watching him in amazement.

“Ah, aah! Sorry!” he bowed his head.

“No, it’s all right. I’m used.”

Colbert put on a serious look.

“Hey, Saito-kun… By the way, that…”

“What?”

At that moment, Louise showed up.

“At last.” Saito muttered.

“It can’t be helped! Girl has lots of preparations to do!”

“We are going to war. What kind of girl preparations are there.”

“Hmph!” Louise turned her face way, and ignoring Saito, climbed up the wing and entered the cockpit. One month passed after they had returned running away from Louise's family.

Since then, things were like this.

Lifting up a rear bulletproof plane glass Louise sat down in the seat.

“Well, errr, teacher, what were you saying just now?

“N-no…it’s nothing. Yes.”

Saito boarded the zero fighter.

Then Colbert’s magic cranked the propeller, starting up the engine.

As it was a second time, it was possible to operate calmly.

Colbert helping again, created a strong wind.

Saito put on the goggles and rolled the muffler around his neck.

Colbert shouted through the roaring noise of engine.

“Saito-kun! Miss Valliere!

Saito waved.

“Do not die! Do not die! Even if it is hopeless! Even if you’ll be called a coward, do not die! Never die! Return safe and sound!”

Through the roaring of the engine the voice was not heard. However, Colbert's words reached somehow. Even though he could not hear them, they reached his heart.

“Ok!” Saito shouted opening the throttle.

The zero fighter starts sliding and bit by bit it started lifting.

Gradually it grew smaller, until it faded in the sky.

Even though the zero fighter disappeared in the sky, Colbert quietly kept on watching.

<center>* * *</center>

After flying for two hours following the course, a small break in clouds could be seen. It grew bigger while approaching, until tt became a fleet buried deep in the sky. Saito was reminded of the race of the balloons seen on the television at one time.

From 50 mails in the total length, to 100 mails in size, many hundreds of ships were queued up, making it a grand and a beautiful spectacle to behold.

“Incredible…”

Saito gave out the voice of admiration.

“Hey, Louise, look. Huge fleet!”

“…”

However, Louise turned away, puffing her cheeks.

Louise mood did not improve. Lately, after returning home, she always was like this.

Saito tried to figure out the reason behind Louise’s bad mood.

After confessing my love (which made Louise somewhat angry), Louise looked like accepting it for a moment.

Normally, a couple would be expected get closer after that.

But I interpreted Louise’s reward “Touch one place that you like“, as permission to touch everywhere, which made Louise angry (Saito thought).

And after Siesta’s ‘Unbuttoning’ remark, Master, who has a very strong monopoly desire, got even more angry (Saito thought).

From Louise’s perspective, flirting with other girl, is similar to serving two masters at once – Saito misunderstood it greatly.

Actually, Louise was just jealous.

Flirting with other girl’s after confessing his love to her and kissing her was something she could not forgive.

And, even though for a moment, she was ready to surrender her chastity for this familiar, such her own thoughts were inexcusable. Until marriage it was definitely not good. Even three months after marriage it was definitely not good. Being swayed by his actions – that’s what she was so angry about.

Because Louise kept being silent like that, Saito gave up.

Now, they needed to find that warship, to land on, and dragon knight’s came up flying. Surrounding Saito’s zero fighter they started waving. Saito waved back. Seems like they were going to guide him to the ship.

Following the backs of dragon knights, at the limit speed of the plane, Varsenda came into view.

The ship deck was flat and big in order to carry the large amount of dragon knights. The sail math was about 6 meters tall, everything must look like a small bugs from up there. It wasn’t equipped with cannon, as this ship’s sole purpose was to carry dragon knights.

It was a perfect place to carry zero fighter, or perhaps one should say that it was impossible for other ships to do that.

But even though ‘Varsenda’ deck was long and wide, the distance on the deck was still short for zero fighter to land on.

How can he land there?

Derflinger asked from his back.

“Partner, bring this airplane closer to the ship. Seems like they are going to catch us.”

Many mages could be seen on the deck.

And, the ropes began to be put on the deck. The soldiers grabbed each edge of the ropes and placed them right and left across deck.

Seems like with the ‘wind’ element spells and ropes across the deck, the zero fighter will be able to land. Pretty rough, he thought, but there were no other way.

Saito's right hand moves throw up a hook to the ship. The hook wired up zero fighter with the carrier, where it was fastened to.

Colbert who noticed the hook, was likely to have told to the crew of Varsenda to stretch out the ropes across the deck to help zero fighter land.

They approached Varsenda.

Then other hooks from the warship followed, fastening wings and tail. The flap was lowered.

Saito carefully approached from the rear side towards the ship.

Meanwhile, Louise didn't give an eye to that sort of spectacle, and thought quietly.

Of course, at that time on the boat.

When she was pushed down by Saito…

How it would have ended, if neither her family, nor employees would have spotted them, Louise thought.

“…”

This made her cheeks to flush in deep red. She suddenly felt angry on Saito who, rocked in security, was handling the land, and started to beat him.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“Why did you chose that place?! That place!”

Louise shouted.

“There’s no other place to land!”

And so, they both completely misunderstood each other.

<center>* * *</center>

As soon as Saito and Louise landed on Varsenda and got off the zero fighter, they were greeted by the officer, who was accompanied by the guardians.

“Deck officer, Kuryuuzurei.”

“Where are we heading now?“

Though he was asked, the officer guided them both without answering. Where could he be taking them? In the Henrietta’s instructions only the name of the warship that they should face was written, nothing else. And the instructions of higher-up were always like this. Telling to one subordinate, they think that they already told all. A noble’s subordinate must lead a long and tough life, Saito thought. Henrietta seems not to be an exception.

They are so confident, because that’s the way things are.

Through the narrow main deck’s passage they were lead to a private two-man cabin. Though very small, it was still a private room. Within this cabin, there was an extremely small bed and table. Once Saito and Louise placed their luggage, they were urged by the officer to follow him again.

After going in a zigzags though a narrow passage of warship, they finally stopped in front of a certain door.

When the officer knocked, there was an answer from the inside. The officer opened the door and let Saito and Louise in.

They both were greeted by generals sitting in a line. Golden mail laces shined across their shoulders. They must be important higher-ups.

Dumbfounded Louise and Saito, took seats offered by the soldiers. Louise sat on the chair, and Saito after her.

The general in the most top seat, opened his mouth.

“Welcome to Albion invasion command headquarters, Miss Void.”

Louise felt nervous. This general with a beard looked around 40 years old…

“Supreme commander De Poitiers.”

Quickly, the general described his colleagues.

“This is a chief of the general staff Wimpffen.”

A small man with a deep wrinkles sitting on the left of the general nodded.

“This is commander of Germania army, marquis Harudenburg.”

The general with handlebar mustache that wore steel helmet, nodded solemnly to Louise.

Apparently, this dragon mothership was also general headquarters.

After that, the general introduced Louise to the staff and generals, gathered in the conference room.

“Now then, gentlemen. This is the trump card that our Majesty kept, I introduce you the ‘Void’ user.”

However, every one in the conference room didn't even rise an eyebrow after those words. They just stared suspiciously at Louise and her familiar.

“In the battle of Tarbes, she was the one who gave the blow to Albion’s fleet.”

Only after these De Poiters words, generals looked with an interest at them.

Saito poked Louise.

“What?”

“…is it all right to be exposed like that?”

“If not, it would not be possible to cooperate with the army.”

It may be right, however… though Henrietta ordered Louise to keep silent so much, she herself revealed it with an ease, he thought.

Though Henrietta kept on saying that Louise was important, somehow her actions contradicted that. Thoughts about the queen, made Saito sad.

Then he remembered Henrietta’s tremble at that time, impossible, he thought.

Anyway, he was completely sure about her.

Generals smiled to Louise. Fake smiles.

“You may think it is hasty chosen headquarters. Sorry no. This ship ensures absolute security. You see, this warship which is specialized in carrying dragon knights is not packed with cannons. It can be troublesome if enemies aim at us. ”

“Ha, haah…then why you made such a warship into general headquarters?”

Whole room burst in laughter as Louise questioned in a very cute, confused voice.

“In normal ships there is no space for such conference rooms. They are stuffed with cannons.”

Indeed. For a flagship, that controls a huge army, information processing ability is more necessary than offensive power.

“Enough with the chat. Let’s continue with the war council.” said general of Germania. Smiles disappeared from generals faces.

<center>* * *</center>

It was a tough war council. 　

Making 60,000 soldiers land on the Albion was a secondary problem.

The main one was powerful enemy air force fleet. Even though during the battle of Tarbes, the 10 lines of Albion Air forces warships with the Lexington, were destroyed, 40 lines of warships remained. Though Tristain and Germania had 60 lines of ships, because it was united fleet of two countries, directorial confusion was to be expected. When you take into account that Albion fleet is said to be superior to the 1.5 times over them, the war potential difference was canceled.

Secondarily, the selection of the landing point.

In Albion’s continent there were only two places where the large army of all 60,000 soldiers could be landed. .

Capital Londinium’s southern air base Rosais, or the northern port - Dartanes. .

Because of the port size, Rosais was still preferable, however… aiming straight there, their large fleet would be discovered at once and that would give enemy the time to prepare defense.

“Wasting a soldiers in the assault would put the capture of Londonium castle under the risk.“

The chief of staff calmly analyzed the forces and informed everyone. It should be kept silent. What kind of assault would that be with enemy resistance.

Allied forces needed a ‘Surprise attack’.

60,000 soldiers want to land in Rosais without receiving the enemy's resistance.

Thus the needed to deceive the large enemy army and drew their attention from Rosais’s landing point.

In a word, the Tristain and Germania united army of 60,000… needed a cheating strategy to deceive enemy into thinking that they would ‘Land in Dartanes’.

It was the second trouble.

“Can we hope for miss ‘Void’s’ cooperation in either of the two?”

The noble who applied the staff badge said while watching Louise.

“Could you blow Albion fleet off , the way we blew off 'Lexington' in Tarbes?”

Saito watched Louise. Louise turned around and shook her head.

“It is impossible…I do not have enough of willpower stored to cast such strong 'Explosion'. I don’t know how many month’s or years would it take.”

Staff officer shook his head.

“Then such unreliable ‘weapon’ can’t be called our trump card.”

Such words made Saito respond.

“Hey, Louise is not a weapon.”

“What? It’s not for familiar to talk.”

Before it turned into fuss… general De Poitiers interrupted.

“We’ll take over the fleet. Let’s have Miss ‘Void’ undertake the feint. Can you do it?”

“Feint?”

“We discussed it before. We only have to convince the enemy that we would land not in Rosais but in Dartanes. It should be simple for legendary ‘Void’, right?”

Louise thought.

…Was there such spell?

Saito muttered quietly from the back.

“…Didn’t Derf say that it can be read when the right times comes?”

Louise nodded.

“Tomorrow, I’ll look for the spell that can be used.”

General De Poitiers gave a hopeful smile.

Hence, urging Louise and Saito to leave the room.
　

<center>* * *</center>

“Great” Saito nodded.

“Those people, I think that they see me only as a given horse.”

Saito tapped Louise's shoulder.

“These are the great generals? This way we won’t win the war this year.”

But, it might be a correct idea during the war.

The fighter is more than just boarding by the warship, it is also indispensable.

However, while thinking absent-mindedly, his shoulder was tapped from behind.

When he turned around, five-six nobles where sharply staring at Saito. They all seemed to be teenagers rather than men. They looked similar age to Saito. They were wearing leather hats and clad in blue tunics. Like soldiers, they were wearing rapier looking wands at their waists… yet it looked considerably shorter.

“Hey, you.”

Being addressed to, Saito turned.

“What?”

“Stop it” Louise muttered quietly, pulling his sleeve.

The boy in the middle with a long jaw-line seemed to be their leader.

“Come.”

What what, with suddenly agitated imagination, Saito, holding Derflinger, walked towards them.

They come to the upper deck where the zero fighter was placed. All zero fighter’s parts where tied with ropes that were fastened to the deck. Not able to understand, and still trying the figure out the meaning behind this, irritated Saito pulled out Derflinger.

“Is this thing alive?”

One noble boy asked embarrassed, pointing at zero fighter.

“If it is not so, then what is that. Explain.”

Another one requested for the explanation with a serious look.

Saito felt dumb-struck.

“No, that is not a living thing, however…” He muttered.

“Hurray! Haven’t I told you! I win! Everyone give one ecu!”

The fattest boy began to roar. Everyone sulkily took out gold coins from their pockets pocket and hands them to the boy.

Seeing Louise and Saito with their mouths agape, boys gave awkward smiles.

“Were you surprised? Sorry.”

“Yes.?”

“No, we were having a bet. Over that thing.”

A noble boy pointed at zero fighter.

“We thought that it was alive. We thought that it was a dragon.

“There is no place where such dragons could exist!”

“There might be! The world is wide after all!”

They started to quarrel again.

Seeing that, Saito recalled the classroom in his hometown. During the break, they also had such foolish discussions to fill the time…

“It is a flight machine.”

He said, and the noble boys were interested immediately and listened attentively to Saito's explanation. However, they seemed not to be able to understand, that flies over the sky using the power other than magic.

<center>* * *</center>

“We are Dragon Knights.”　

When the explanation of the zero fighter ended, the boys guided Saito and Louise to dragons inside the deck. The Dragon Knight corps suffered a lot of damage and were almost completely annihilated during the battle of Tarbes, that’s why the dragon knight apprentices were incorporated into the army as true knights.

“Under normal circumstances, one more year of training would be needed though.”

Said the shyly smiling plump boy, who had won the bet before. He said that he was a commander of the Dragon Knight secondary division. He was the one that had guided Saitos zero fighter to the warship.

The dragons inside were all grown up dragons. They looked twice as big as Tabitha’s Sylphid. Their big wings seemed to be created for speed.

“It must be very tough to become a dragon knight.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Having a dragon as a familiar is not that simple. Not everyone can do it. Dragon familiars are hard to please, difficult animals, because they will only allow only those riders to ride them whom they accept.”

“Does being a dragon rider need not only skills but also magic powers? Intelligence too? To see through that sort of thing and never let his or her guard down?”

Seems like dragon knight boys were elite, and had a considerable owner’s pride too.

“Can I straddle it?”

Saito asked, they nodded.

Saito tried to straddle it, but was thrown off quickly. Boys burst into laughter, holding their sides. Since Saito’s competitive spirit is strong, he took the challenge again. The result was the same. Even a small girl like Tabitha was able to get on it with a cool face…this was mortifying for Saito, so he took the challenge many times.

Louise watched that sort of spectacle from far away. Saito and Dragon Knight boys were getting along well, he made noise and screamed like one of them.　

The boys looked happy, and she envied them for a moment. Why are they getting along so well and so quickly?, Louise thought while she sulked.

I mean, what do dragons have that your master doesn’t? You did that in the boat, the other day. Yet now he plays screaming with dragon knights?

Don’t we have a battle in the sky tomorrow? Isn't there a chance we will die tomorrow? Is this how you decide to spend the time?

Louise thought, while glaring at Saito.

I am insecure and scared, I’d like you to hold me tight, she thought

But I’ll never say it aloud, she thought. 　

And…, she sighed.

The feint operation.

It was necessary to convince the enemy that a united army of 60,000 were landing not in Rosais but in Dartanes… What spell would suit? She had not a slightest idea.

“Hey, you. You.”　

Dragon knight boys noticed the looks Louise was giving to their direction, as she idly swung her legs leaning against the wall, and asked Saito.

“Is she your master? Is it ok for you to leave her alone?

“Uuh! Damn!” Saito turned pale. Louise was left alone. She’ll hit, hit and complain later for sure. However, he did not want to look so pathetic in front of his new friends. Boys are inexperienced beings, and a new mate should not show weaknesses. Saito was strong.

“I-it’s all right if it is her. Leave it.”

“Oooh”

Applauses erupted.

“That’s the spirit. To oppose your master in such manner! You are not an ordinary person.”

Louise, who got angry at Saito's such attitude, approached.

“What did you say?”

“No, nothing…” the moment when he shut his mouth, Louise kicked him between the legs. And once she turned to go back to their room, dragging him with her, the commanding officer called for them both.

“What are your plans for tonight?”

For some reason Louise’s cheeks turned red.

“Nothing…” Saito replied, Louise kicked him in the stomach.

“In that case, how about having some drinks tonight for our acquaintanceship?”

He carefully suggested.

“By no means, if we were to slip out of our rooms in the middle of the night, we would be instantly found out by patrolling ship officers.”

Everyone started to worry. They wanted to escape ship officers anger from being drunk. It would be discovered by tomorrow anyways.

Pin, Saito who had an idea, put out his finger and said.

“How about making jackstraws? Make straw bundles and placing them in beds.”

“Lets do so!” Dragon Knights laughed.

However, Louise alone did not laugh. She bit her nails, as if thinking about something.

“What’s wrong?”

Conversely they asked.

“…You. What did you say just now?’

“Eh? Well…Making jackstraws?”

“That’s right. Jackstraws. We just have to make 60,000 jackstraws.”

“Huh? 60,000? The number of members here is smaller.

“First of all, making such number of straw bundles would really be problematic, right?“

One dragon knight asked with a serious expression on his face.

“Bundle of straws? Use magic!“

Saying so Louise ran out.

“What, she?”

Dumbfounded Saito watched Louise leaving. Once again they were not understanding each other.

Louise jumped into the private room given to them, and opened founder's prayer book.

For a moment she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. With the mind totally focused on founder's prayer book, she carefully paged it.

One page began to shine… Louise smiled.

<center>* * *</center>

Academy of Magic where the time of classes ended, a group of riders appeared. It was a day when Colbert watched Saito and Louise leaving.

Entering through the gates were Agnes musketeers.

Girls who stayed behind in the school, were surprised by the appearance of household troops who rode horses. What’s the matter, they wondered. Old Osman, the school director, came out to meet Agnes.

“Welcome, Musketeer Commander Agnes. What brought you here?”

“Just doing my work, thank you for your patronage.”

Old Osman muttered something in his beard. In his heart, he had subtle thoughts. She probably came here to take the remaining girl pupils for military training?

Last night he received a report.

Apparently, Henrietta’s royal government recruited majority of nobles for war. The way it turned out - schoolgirl also were recruited as preliminary officers, if the officers were consumed in the Albion war. Old Osman doubted the methods of the Royal government.

That’s why Old Osman did not took part in La Rochelle ceremony, saying farewell to the army.

Schoolgirls attendance was similarly prohibited too. As a result, Royal government decided to stimulate things by itself.

“Even though this war is inhuman?”

“The royal government at this moment is calling this was a ‘All-out War’.”

“All-out war. There is no plausible name to call it. The war that takes women and girls, what kind of righteousness it could ever have?”

Agnes watched Osman with cold eyes.

“Then what righteousness does a war where only noble men and soldiers die have?”

Old Osman was at a loss of words.

“The death is equal. It chooses not if it’s a women or a child. Nothing else.”

Agnes determinately headed towards the tower.

<center>* * *</center>

At that moment, the classes were done in Kirche's and Montmorency's classrooms. Because male teachers went to war, the number of classes decreased a lot…

“However, there is an exception." Kirche muttered watching a man fully engaged in teaching.

It was Colbert.

He keeps teaching as always. Somehow the school girl’s face was not calm at all.

“Ehm, look. Because of the flame’s high temperature the color brightens.

He was roasting a metal stick on an open flame.

The heated stick was bent as he kept on explaining.

“Well, there are a lot of metals that cannot be manipulated if the flame is not hot enough. Therefore, when using ‘Fire’, controlling the flame’s temperature is fundamental.”

Montmorency suddenly raised her hand.

“Do you have questions, Miss Montmorency?”

Montmorency stood up.

“The country is in the middle of a war. How… can you give classes with such carefree attitude?”

“Leave your worries at school… I am your teacher, and you are my student.”

Colbert settled down, and answered without changing the intonation.

“But… all classmates… even teachers, face the war.”

“And your point is? We should learn even more, because its war. Learn to use it in war, it is necessarily to learn to use ‘Fire’ for the destruction. Study now, so you would have something to share with the boys that will return from the war. “

Colbert said and looked around the classroom.

“You are just afraid of war”

Kirche declared in a slightly thready voice.

“Indeed.” nodded Colbert.

“I’m afraid of war. I am a coward.”

From the schoolgirls throats escaped gasps of amazement.

”However, I feel no guilt.”

When Colbert clearly asserted it, a group of people rudely barged into the classroom. It was Agnes and her people.

They were wearing chain hemps, and long swords with pistols at their waists. Schoolgirls got slightly noisy, seeing women entering in such exaggerated attire.

“Y-y-you, w-what…”

Agnes, completely ignoring Colbert, ordered the students.

“I am Her Majesty's musketeer. I order you all in the name of His Majesty to discontinue all classes from this point. Dress up and lines up in the courtyard.”

“What? Discontinue the class? Don’t joke.”

After Colbert’s words, Agnes turned her head

“I had enough of babysitting… This is an order.”

Schoolgirls began to stand up grumbling.

Colbert blocked Agnes way in panic.

“Hey! hey!. The class is not over yet!”

“It’s a direct order from Her Majesty. Haven’t you heard?”

Agnes said in an unpleasant voice.

“Following Her Majesty orders, I am teaching right now. 15 more minutes, the time given to me by Her Majesty to make the student learn. It cannot be ordered by you. All of you! Return to the classroom! For another 15 minutes I will teach! You can go playing war after that!”

[[Image:ZnT06-185.jpg|thumb]]

Agnes pulls out the sword and pointed it at Colbert's throat.

“War game you say. Are you going against us? Mister, this is not for a mage to decide, do not go too far.”

“N-not at all…”

Watching the sword pointing to his throat, Colbert dropped into cold sweat.

“Are you a ‘Flame’ user? It always reeks of burnt taste, an unpleasant smell that wafts from under the robe. Teacher, I hate mages, specially the ones that use ‘Flame’.”

“Huu…”

Colbert's legs began to tremble. He had to support his back against the wall.

“Listen, do not obstruct my duty.”

Agnes looked at trembling Colbert as if looking at the garbage, and walked away, placing the sword back into the sheath. Schoolgirls, with a similar scorn on their faces, passed Colbert by.

Left alone, Colbert buried face in his palms… and gave out a deep sigh.

----

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| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume6_Chapter5|Back to Chapter 5]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Return to Main Page]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume6_Chapter7|Forward to Chapter 7]]
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter2 - MTL

2008-08-19T15:07:04Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter Two: Cattleya */ (Eleanor to Eleonore)

{{Template:PREVIEW}}

===Chapter Two: Cattleya===

Noon, two days after leaving the academy...

Saito and the rest reached the la Vallière territory. However, by the time they would reach the la Vallière's mansion it would already be late at night. Upon hearing the words “late at night”... Saito turned pale. He realized that this “territory” was nothing more than a courtyard.

However, after half a day spent traveling, he could not possibly understand how something this big could be a residence’s garden.

By Japanese standards, Louise’s territory could be called a middle-sized city. A city... Saito had never heard of somebody possessing so much land before. These Upper Nobles are truly intimidating.

Louise’s status as a noble was truly displayed once they entered her territory.

They decided to take a break at an inn…

Once their carriages stopped, Siesta, who arrived just a bit earlier, quickly got out of her carriage. Having been trained as a maid, she went to open the coach's door for Louise.

“Uwaa, I can’t believe Siesta just did that... without any protesting”, thought Saito as he walked towards Louise’s carriage. But before he could get there, he was knocked down by a crowd of villagers running from the inn.

The villagers removed their hats in front of Louise, who had just stepped down.

“Miss Eleonore! Miss Louise!” they cried while deeply bowing down.

The villagers thought that even Saito, who was now lying in the dirt, was a noble. They quickly helped him up apologizing for their terrible manners.

“No, I’m not a noble…” Saito nervously tried to explain.

“Even so, you must be Miss Louise’s or Miss Eleonore’s attendant. And we cannot disrespect that.”

Plain looking farmers said while nodding.

They went on saying things such as “Let me carry your sword for you,” and “It must have been a tiring journey to get here, huh?” as they treated Saito with the utmost kindness.

“We will be resting here for a moment. Please inform the family of our arrival,” commanded Eleonore.

A young boy quickly jumped onto a horse and rode off in order to report.

They walked into the inn. Once Eleonore and Louise approached the table, chairs were immediately pulled out for them to sit on. The two sat down as if it were second nature. Saito tried to sit next to them only to be given a demeaning glare by Eleonore.

“Saito-san! Saito-san!”

Hearing Siesta call, Saito turned around.

“Commoners are not permitted to sit at the same tables as nobles.”

That reminded Saito. Recently he had been sitting next to Louise without worrying. Yet this was a strange thing to do in this world after all. Actually, Louise made Saito sit on the floor at first too.

Louise opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a glare from Eleonore. Louise could do nothing but sit in her chair like a good girl. Saito stared wide-eyed – it was the first time he saw Louise in such a state. She really looked naturally obedient in front of her older sister. However... she must be a really scary elder sister... to make Louise look so weak.

“Oh how Louise has grown!"

"She’s growing more and more beautiful!”

The villagers were chattering around them.

“It seems Miss Eleonore has been engaged, right?” someone muttered.

“SHHH! Don’t talk about that!” came the scolding.

Eleonore’s eyebrows started to twitch and her expression darkened. The atmosphere in the inn took a plunge. Apparently, speaking of Eleonore’s engagement was definitely something to be avoided…

The commoners, feeling the murderous intent coming from Eleonore, didn’t dare speak another word. Saito and Siesta exchanged glances. Then Siesta quietly got close to Saito and grasped his hand. She was afraid.

Not noticing the change in her elder sister, Louise spoke.

“Eleonore. Eleonore nee-sama...”

“What…”

“Congratulations on your engagement!”

The face of every commoner fell, and a deep sigh escaped them.

Louise had completely misread the atmosphere once again. All of a sudden, Eleonore’s eyebrows shot up as she pinched Louise’s cheek.

“It hwwuuuurrtsss!! Waaahhhhh! Nee-shammaaa!! Whhyy?! It hwurts it hwurts it hwurts!!!”

“You don’t know? You speak of it even though you know you shouldn’t!”

“I won’t whoh wah ur alking awout!!”

“The engagement has been canceled!! C-A-N-C-E-L-E-D!”

“W-why?”

“Who knows? Why don’t you ask Earl Burgandi? He said something about reaching his limit. I can’t understand why.”

Saito completely sympathized with that Earl Burgandi. Yes. Anybody who listened to her would soon reach their “limit”. Eleonore was much more fierce and abusive than Louise. The Earl must have thought he didn’t have the stamina.

In the end, unhappy with the marriage cancellation, Eleonore just vented all of her anger on Louise…

And so, the preaching started. She scolded Louise for blowing the roof of the carriage. Louise’s stretched cheek became angry red and swollen by then. Naturally, Saito felt sorry for Louise.

However, this reprimand didn’t last very long because suddenly the door opened and a flow of pink blew in.

A girl, wearing an elegant dress around her slim waist and a wide rimmed hat with a feather on top, had entered. Under the hat was a flow of silky pink blond hair – exactly the same as Louise’s.

Surprisingly, a lovely face popped up from under the hat.

Although from the first look it was obvious that she was older, she looked very cute. Such a beautiful face was beyond description. Her eye color and the way her eyes sparkled was the same as Louise’s as well. Noticing Eleonore, the girl stared with wide eyes.

“Ah! I’m so glad I noticed the strange carriage outside and came over here to take a look. I didn’t think I would meet you! Eleonore nee-sama! You’re back?”

“Cattle...ya...” Eleonore muttered.

Noticing the sudden guest, Louise looked up. Seeing Louise, Cattleya’s face radiated a happiness which was mirrored on Louise’s face as well.

“Big sister!”

“Louise! No way! You are not my chibi Louise anymore! You came back as well!”

Louise stood up and launched herself into Cattleya's chest.

“It’s been so long, big sister!!”

Unable to control their excitement, the two hugged with a squeal.

Seems like Cattleya was Louise’s sister. She had the same hair color, the same eye color – it was like looking at Louise. However, Cattleya’s face seemed to have a more calm and placid look than Louise’s. This aura of complete calmness and tenderness coming from Cattleya made Saito’s heart race.

She was like a matured Louise, with added gentleness. Besides, her beautiful figure and breasts well matched Saito’s taste.

Cattleya's mouth half opened as she finally noticed Saito.

“Ah, ah, ah , ahah!”

While Saito was wondering what this ‘Ah’ might mean, Cattleya approached him and gazed at his face.

“W-w-what’s wrong?” Saito asked nervously.

Cattleya began to gently stroke Saito’s face. Saito almost fainted from these sensations.

“You... are Louise’s lover, right?”

“Huh?!”

Siesta's, who was standing right next to Saito, eyes suddenly turned cold. She stomped down on his foot. Hard. Saito jumped up.

Louise blushed furiously.

“He’s just my familiar! Not my lover!”

“Ah, is that so?”

Cattleya giggled and tilted her head with a sweet smile.

“I’m sorry, I got it wrong. Don’t worry about it.”

<center>* * *</center>

Everybody got onto Cattleya’s chariot for the remainder of the ride to the La Valliere household. Eleonore showed obvious discontent of having to sit with a commoner and a familiar. But when Cattleya jokingly said - “The more the merrier right?” Eleonore, though still not uttering a single word, reluctantly consented.

However... Saito and the rest weren’t the only passengers in the large carriage.

It was just like a zoo inside the carriage.

In front of the seats, a tiger was lying sprawled, yawning. Louise sat down next to a bear. Various kinds of dogs and cats were scattered here and there. A huge snake, which was hanging down from the ceiling, appeared right before Siesta’s face, making her faint. While looking after the fainted Siesta, Saito muttered.

“But what a wonderful carriage…”

“Big sister loves animals,” said Louise.

Though he thought that the limits of love had been exceeded, Saito did not say a thing.

“I recently picked up a thrush.”

Cattleya said in a happy voice.

“Show me! Show me!” Louise was frolicking like a child.

Eleonore and the others took a collective deep sigh.

This was a life of three beautiful La Valliere sisters. Saito took a deep sympathetic bow towards Louise’s older sister. 　

Louise and Cattleya continued having a long chat between them.

Seems like the second eldest sister, who was wearing those lovely clothes, was considerably good friends with Louise. When you see two people getting along like this, even tedious time doesn't feel so very uneasy either. Siesta was already sleeping peacefully in his lap. On the left of the coach, hills stretched. On the right – cultivated fields extended. As the rye harvest was ending, here and there mass of straws were piled up. When looking at such tranquil scenery, it was impossible to believe that war was going on. Leaning into the window frame, adjusting Derflinger behind his back, Saito took a deep yawn.

　
<center>* * *</center>

Late night...　

Eleonore took the pocket watch out of her pocket and confirmed the time.

A castle came into the view right behind the hill. Because there were nothing around it, it actually looked bigger than Tristain‘s royal palace.

"Could that be?” Saito whispered, Louise nodded.

It looked like every castle. Surrounded by high walls and deep canals. Pinnacles were towering above walls. A splendid, big, true castle indeed! Elegant building.

Siesta, who was sleeping up till now, woke up and, noticing the castle, stared with wide opened eyes.

“Wow! Amazing!”

At that moment, a large owl leaped in through the window and landed on Saito’s head.

“Welcome home, Eleonore-sama, Cattleya-sama, Louise-sama.” Owl bowed greeting them.

“O-o-owl talked and bowed! B-o-w-e-d!” shocked Siesta fainted again. Though coming from a different world, Saito seemed to be not surprised by the talking owl and did not move. Saito was not surprised by such things anymore.

Cattleya smiled.

“And mother?”

“Mistress is waiting for everyone in the dining-room.”

“Father?"

Louise asked anxiously.

“Master hasn’t returned yet.”

Because the most essential member was missing, Louise frowned in displeasure. Coming here to obtain father's permission to participate in the war was pointless without him.

One could see gates behind the canal.

When the carriage stopped, sounds of chains, holding the drawbridge, being loosened could be heard from both of the gigantic statue-shaped gateposts.

Each stone statue was at least twenty feet tall…. Though these golems were created only as gate ornament, they made the whole drawbridge look spectacular.

Once the drawbridge finished lowering, the carriage began to move again, crossed the drawbridge and advanced into the rampart.

<center>* * *</center>

Saito’s surprise about the luxuries of Louise’s family was renewed again. It was a large noble‘s castle.

Saito and the others arrived at the dinning room which was generously decorated by much luxurious furniture. Though Siesta at once went to the servant quarters, Saito, as Louise’s familiar, was allowed to accompany them for the dinner.

However, he was made to only wait behind Louise's chair. So Saito stood guard behind Louise, watching the table that was about 30 feet long.

Though it was just four people that sat on seats during this supper, 20 servants were queuing up around the table.

Though it was midnight, Louise’s mother, the duchess La Valliere was waiting for her daughters to arrive to the dinning table.

The duchess, who occupied the top seat, looked over at her arriving daughters.

Saito flinched from that power. What one can say, though Eleonore possessed a violent, high-handed aura, which pressed Saito, Louise's mother was impressive as well.

And it was just a mother’s hospitality towards her daughters.

She seemed to be around fifty years of age. However, this guessing was made by calculating elder sister's age, in reality she didn’t look over 40. Her look was very sharp. Seems like Louise’s and Cattleya’s pink hair color came from their mother. The duchess had tied her charming pink hair together on the head. This person was wearing a commanding aura around her, Saito felt pressed.

Louise, despite meeting her mother after a long time, was acting tense. Seems like Louise trusted only Cattleya.

“Mother, we returned just now.” Eleonore greeted, and duchess La Valliere nodded.

When the three sisters seated themselves, waiters carried the appetizers and the dinner started.

For Saito, who was standing behind, the time was passing slowly. No words were uttered. Compared with this, even a formal dinner in the Academy of Magic seemed like a happy play. The only sounds coming from the dining room were the sounds of silver forks and knives.

Breaking this silence, Louise said.

“T-that… Mother-sama.”

The duchess did not answer. Eleonore did.

“Mother-sama! Tell Louise! This foolish child said that she wants to go to a war!”

Bam! – Louise stood up hitting the table.

“I am not a fool! Why I am a fool for applying to Her Majesty’s military forces?”

“Aren’t you a girl?! War is men’s business!”

“That’s very obsolete! Now is the age when women and men are given equal position! Therefore, if position would be arranged only to boys in the Academy, even you, older sister, would not be able to become a chief researcher at the Academy!”

Eleonore shook her head in amazement.

“Do you know what kind of place a battlefield is? It is not where woman and children like you should go.”

“But, Her Majesty trusts me…”

“You are trusted? You – the ‘Zero’?!”

Louise bit her lips. Henrietta is taking me to the battlefield, because I am necessary. I am the ‘Void’ user… However, I cannot tell to the family that I am the ‘Void’ user. Therefore, Louise was not able to say anything at all and fell silent.

Eleonore tried to continue preaching, but was cut by the duchess who quietly stayed silent up till now. She commanded in a haughty voice.

“Eat, Eleonore.”

“B-but Mother-sama…”

“We’ll talk about Louise tomorrow, when father comes back.”

And so the story ended.

<center>* * *</center>

Saito, in a room prepared for him, was lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling.

In this storage room, a broom was leant against the wall and a dust cloth placed upon the bed. Saito learned anew about the difference between his and Louise’s status. Recently they slept in the same bed, they lived in the same attic and they ate from the same table, yet he could not feel any difference in their status…

But when you meet her family, it all starts feeling like groundless fantasies.

Louise is beautiful. Rich. Noble, so to say. Great noble miss.

Also, Saito recalled that they did not speak with Louise once they left school. Louise lost her nerves against Eleonore and did not talk much. In fact, she took all preaching of her family like servant from master – for some reason, she hid her true self.

He felt pity.

He was no one, he had nothing to do with this world's class system.

But… after seeing such a dinner in this castle – you just can’t help but wonder about it, right? He thought.

He felt like he learned the majestic difference between his and Louise’s positions.

Like that, he was feeling down…

There was a knock at the door.

Who would be coming to this storage room? He thought while opening the door, just to be greeted by the shy smile of Siesta, who stood there.

“Siesta?”

“W-well… I couldn’t fall asleep, so I came here.”

“Eh? Eeeh?”

While Saito was panicking, Siesta entered the room.

“Even so… how did you know where to go?”

“I asked servants where Saito-san is staying.”

“Is that so…”

Siesta sat down on his bed, idly swinging her legs. For some reason her face was red. When Saito tried to pass her, Siesta grabbed his arm and pulled him to sit next to her. Then , she rested her head against his shoulder, just like in the carriage a while ago.

“Siesta?”

Hearing him ask, Siesta looked up at him innocently.

“I, it was a first time I came into such a wonderful castle. This castle is a real maze.”

“It’s great.”

“A friend at the academy kept saying that La Vallliere family is one of five most distinguished families in Tristain. Living in such a castle. Haa, titles, riches and good looks… Miss Valliere can only be envied.”

“Is that so?”

“It is. That’s a very secure life, one can get, whatever one wish for, like….”

Then Siesta looked into Saito’s face.

“…Saito-san.”

“I, I am not her property. I am her familiar…”

“I understand.”

Siesta said slowly.

“Eh?”

“The way Saito-san looks at her, I understand. I do not have the winning chance. She is rich, she is noble and she is beautiful… And such big castle as a home. Hiccup.”

Siesta turned her face down, looking lonely. Trying to understand what was just said, Saito became silent as well.

“Hiccup, hiccup.” Siesta sounded like she was sobbing. Was she crying?

While Saito was at a loss what to do, Siesta suddenly stood up

“Siesta…”

“On the other hand.”

“Eh?”

“I too have something.”

“Siesta?”

Looked like situation changed. With a new resolve ‘I won’t give up on Saito-san!’ Siesta turned around.

“My b-b-b-breasts definitely beat Miss Valliere’s! Hiccup!”

“Sh-sh-shieshie?”

Shaking with anger, Siesta continued talking.

“N-n-noble family, so what?! I am a maid. A maid! Hiccup!”

“Y-yes. I know.”

Siesta continued hiccuping many times over and over again. Saito noticed that.

“Siesta, could you be… drunk?”

“Made dinner alone. And they can’t say ‘You had a long journey, thank you, please take some rest’. Hiccup!”

Not only her face was brightly red, but also she smelled of alcohol. Saito was dumbfounded. It was the first time he saw Siesta drunk.

Indeed, she is a servant here being a maid. Siesta had to entertain and to serve alcohol in this castle. Drunk, Siesta took out a bottle of wine from the crevice of her shirt

“W-where did you get the bottle from?..”

Siesta brought her face close to Saito.

“Shtole it.”

“I, I see.”

Siesta drew out the cork and immediately drank from the bottle. Wide-eyed Saito stared at her gulping it down.

“Phua!” Siesta separated her mouth from the bottle. Her face became even more red.

“Hey, Saito!”

At last she was calling him informally.

“Ye-yes?”

“You also must drink.”

“Cheers.”

Knowing that if he disobeyed, the mood would change to bad, Saito took the offered wine. And tried to take it down in one gulp, and “Buaagh” spit out. W-what was wrong with this wine? It was really strong stuff.

“S-siesta. This wine…”

“It was on a kitchen table.”

Seems like Siesta was the type whose mood increased after one glass of wine, and one gulp from the bottle on the table was enough to make theft look okay. Siesta was an indescribably bad drunk. Surprisingly one-sided.

“That, you shouldn’t have taken it without permission…”

“Hey! Saito!”

“Y-yes?”

“Whatever, drink.”

“C-cheers.”

Because the mood might change to a raging one if he would refuse, reluctantly Saito drank the wine.

<center>* * *</center>

Meanwhile.　

In Cattleya’s room, Louise had her hair combed by her older sister.

Cattleya's room was an elegant mix between a botanical garden and zoo. Potted plants placed all around, a lot of poultry baskets were hanging from the ceiling, puppies were running on the floor.

Cattleya gently combed Louise’s hair.

“Louise, little Louise. Your hair is so charming, such a beautiful color.”

“Big sister, you have the same hair.”

Cattleya laughed happily.

“Oh well. Your same hair – I like it.”

Louise pouted and muttered.

“Big sister’s Eleonore’s blond hair color is the same as father’s, I trow.” 

“Well, I asked big sister Eleonore about that. She was offended.”

“Right. I don’t think big sister Eleonore matches her fair hair.

“Ara, why?”

“She is mean. She is different, older sister. For a long time, she keeps on bullying me.”

“It’s because you, Louise, are so cute. So cute that it makes one worry. Therefore it is her way of caring. “

“That’s not true.”

Cattleya slowly embraced Louise tightly from the back.

“It is true. Everyone in this house loves you, Little Louise.”

“Saying such a thing, big sister.”

Cattleya buried her face in Louise’s hair… and closed her eyes.

“However, I'm so glad, Louise, because I thought that you would become completely depressed…”

“Why?”

“Viscount Wardes. He was a traitor, right? Half a year ago, Magical guard leader Wardes's mansion was attached to our territory. When the engagement reached that point, didn’t that hurt you?”

Louise shook her head.

“Not really. I am not a child anymore. Don’t confuse a childish crush for love."

Cattleya smiled when Louise said so firmly.

“You are reliable. You have grown up, Louise.”

“Right,” Louise muttered to herself.

“I am not a child anymore, therefore I want to make decisions for myself.”

“Then, if father were to oppose it, would you go to war without his permission?”

“If possible, I want him to agree. I want everyone to understand me.”

“However, I do not feel admiration for the war either.”

“Our mother country is in crisis. And, princess… no, Her Majesty, needs my powers. Therefore…”

“It is useless to say that to me. It is difficult to understand for your elder sister who always shuts herself up in the castle. “

Cattleya gently patted Louise's head. Then, she had a strong coughing fit.

“Big sister! Are you all right?”

Louise watched Cattleya with a worried expression. Louise’s second elder sister’s body was weak. She hadn’t gone out of La Valliere’s territory more than one step.

“Did you call a doctor?”

Cattleya nodded.

“The local doctor was called, though he tried to cast powerful ‘Water’ spells many times…Magic is useless against this sickness. Nothing is good for such a body. Touch of water flow is useless.”

The cause of Cattleya’s sickness was unknown. Even if you treat the sickened part of her body with medicine or magic, another part starts to degenerate. Eventually, all doctors fail against such a cycle. Her symptoms had been relieved by various medicines and magics now.

Despite that, Cattleya still smiled. Louise felt pity for her elder sister. Because of her condition, Cattleya could not get into the magic academy either, though she can cast magic. She cannot marry, though she is so beautiful.

“Are, why such long face? I lead a rather happy life everyday. Look!”

Cattleya pointed at the bird cage.

There was a bird shut inside. A small bandage was rolled around the wing.

“Look, it is the young bird that I talked about in the carriage a while ago, I picked it up recently.”

“C-cute.”

“This young bird was hurt badly. Her wing was wounded. When I was passing by, I heard the pain in this young bird's voice, I stopped the carriage and picked it up.”

Seems like Cattleya, in the forest, brimmed over with birds, heard the call of broken winged one, stopped the carriage and picked it up.

“Big sister! It is just a bird!"

“Don’t you feel the same about your familiar?”

Cattleya smiled knowingly. Louise’s cheeks flamed up in an instant. I do not understand what I feel about Saito. Is it because he is a human?

“So you understand me. This young bird is the same.”

Cattleya said pointing

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m happy, you already reached the age of falling in love.”

Even Louise’s ears turned red.

“What are you talking about?! I didn’t fall in love!”

“It is useless to hide it from me. I understand everything.”

“I am not in love, really!”

Very embarrassed, Louise shook her head, on the verge of tears.

“Don’t make such a fuss, I understand everything. Then, shall we sleep together after such a long time?”

Still blushing Louise nodded, biting her lips.

<center>* * *</center>

On a soft bed, Louise, with her clothes taken off and only in her underwear, drew closer to her elder sister. Cattleya, in her nightclothes as well, embraced Louise tightly, like a kitten.

Louise placed her face next to Cattleya's chest and gave out a deep sigh.

“What's wrong, Louise?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

After Cattleya’s words, Louise mutters hesitatingly.

“I wonder if mine will grow as big as big sister’s.”

“Pfft,” Cattleya giggled. Then, she started groping Louise’s chest.

“Hyaah!”

Louise screamed. Not paying attention to that, Cattleya kept on touching.

“All right. Don’t worry. It will grow big soon.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I was like you at first too.”

Louise tried to remember. Cattleya is surely 24 now… so she was sixteen eight years ago. And I was eight. Did Cattleya look the same at that time? She could not recall it well because she was too young then.

Come to think about that, Cattleya always embraced her when they slept, during those old times. As I couldn’t stand being left single and couldn’t fall asleep alone. Carrying her pillow and going to Cattleya’s bed, while listening to elder sister's stories and breathing in her scent… she always calmed down and fell asleep.

In Cattleya’s embrace her eyes closed by themselves…

Various thoughts started coming to her head.

Henrietta.

War against Albion.

Possible death.

Coming home to ask permission for what may end up being her death. A heavy load on her shoulders.

The cruel and valuable lessons, that she learned day by day.

And, when thinking about her familiar, for some reason, Louise’s cheeks started to burn. They hardly talked today. Because she was being scolded by Eleonore, they could not talk. But now when she started to think about these things, she could not fall asleep at all.

She started squirming restlessly…

“What’s wrong? Can’t fall asleep?”

“Ye-yes…” she muttered embarrassed.

“Ufufufu. You cannot fall asleep next to me already. Whom are you thinking about, child?”

“N-no one! Really!”

“Is it the boy that you brought with you a little while ago?”

“Wrong! He’s just a familiar! I don’t love him!”

“Ara. I didn’t say that you loved someone.”

Louise hid within the futon.

“I hate you, big sister.”

“Oh dear, now I am hated.”

Cattleya laughed happily.

“But it’s all right. If a child cannot sleep next to the elder sister, then it is not a compliment for the sister, in fact, she should be embarrassed instead.”

“Uuuuuh…” Louise groaned.

“See you soon. Your today’s whereabouts change.”

<center>* * *</center>

Louise, rolled up in a blanket, walked through the corridor. On the way, she asked servants where was the storage room that Saito was staying in. It was at the end of an adjoined corridor behind the guest room, it was a place where cleaning tools were stored.

She took a deep breath once she found the storage room. It is not because I want to meet him – she tried to persuade herself. I am a mage. If the familiar is not around, I just become insecure. Really, nothing more. We haven‘t talked all day long today. And if you do not talk even a little, the familiar will feel bad, she thought.

“Really, nothing else.” Louise muttered opening the storage room doors, her face dyed bright red.

However, it was Siesta who sat there on the bed.

“Ara. Miss Valliere.”

Her cheeks were crimson red. And in hand she held a bottle of wine.

“W-w-what are you doing in here?”

Confused Louise asked.

“Came here to have fun.” Siesta answered.

Then she saw Saito behind the bed. He let out a loud “Guah.” Seems like he got drunk, collapsed and fell asleep.

“Get out of my room.”

Louise said, emanating all her pride.

“It is not Miss Valliere’s room.”

Siesta answered back.

“It is my house.”

Louise indomitably glared at Siesta. They both stared at each other not backing off. Both ready to burst into a flaming rage.

Drunken Siesta is very strong-willed and daring. She can snap back even to Louise. Alarmed and agitated, she declared to Louise.

“I am a housemaid employed by the school. I am not employed by Miss Valliere. Besides we are on vacation anyway. It is up to us on how we use this free time. So please, do not disturb us.”

It was absurd. Louise rudely approached the bed, and tried to drag sleeping Saito by gripping his ankle. Then, Siesta grasped his other foot..

“Let go!”

“You let go!”

“Well excuse me, but this fellow happens to be my familiar. In other words, he is mine.”

Siesta glared at Louise with eyes full of hostility. Seems like she wasn’t listening to what Louise said.

“…are you disobeying a noble?”

Suddenly, the air in the room became tensed.

Siesta, with a jerk, drank more wine.

And muttered in a small voice.

“Noblenoblenoble, shut up.”

“Haa? You l-l-lout….”

The moment when Louise shouted…Siesta brought her face next to the young noble.

“It's love isn’t it? In short, you are just jealous. Despite you being a noble, how ridiculous!”

“Wha-wha…”

At once the resolution was washed away and Louise panicked.

“Have you confessed? Are you just jealous of my love? Then, bringing along today…”

Siesta continued pressing Louise into corner

“Ah, auuh..uuh…”

Blushing, mumbled Louise.

“What? You haven’t confessed? Coward.”

“Uuh…”

Strangely powerful now, Siesta made Louise to retreat completely.

“But the most important is Saito-san…”

“Wha-what?! What are you talking about?!”

“He likes girls with big chests.”

This made Louise to stop at once… at a complete loss of words.

“And when you think about it – you don’t have much of a bust.”

Siesta primly poked Louise's chest.

“B-breasts.”

“Let’s call things the way they are – you are a board, board!"

“Uuh,” Louise let out a strangled cry.

She remembered Saito’s glances. Weren’t that stupid familiar’s glances always aimed at the valley of the breasts?

“Saito-san said it himself. Miss Valliere breasts’ size is the same as a kid’s.”

With drunken bravery, Siesta declared an unexpected thing.

Firmly biting her lips, Louise dashed out of the room.

After making sure she left, Siesta laid down next to Saito and fell asleep.

<center>* * *</center>

Cattleya was surprised seeing Louise coming back to the room in tears. 　

"Oh, what’s wrong Louise? What happened?”

“Fueh…” Louise threw herself into Cattleya's chest.

“It’s all right, why are you crying?”

However, Louise just kept on sobbing, not saying a word.

“Fuuh,” Cattleya sighed deeply.

Just like during old times, Cattleya kept on patting Louise’s head till she fell asleep.

<center>* * *</center>

Saito woke up and was instantly surprised. It was because Siesta had been sleeping next to him.

“Uuhn, uuhn,” she seemed in pain in her sleep. Siesta, why she is next to me… he wondered, but, after seeing a bottle of wine lying on the floor, he remembered.

“No, I got drunk and what happened after that…”

I was made to drink a strong, distilled liquor by Siesta and collapsed in a dash.

“Siesta, Siesta,” he lightly tapped her cheek.

However, she didn’t wake up.

“Uuh, uguu, mguu.”

It made Saito worried as she was holding her chest as if choking. She was wearing a shirt too small for her. Had she borrowed underwear from someone in the castle? Really, when you wear a shirt whose size doesn't match your body and you also have a hangover, you must feel very bad. Saito loosened a button on Siesta's shirt.

Thereupon Siesta slowly opened her eyes. Saito hastily removed his hand from her shirt.

“Go-*yawn*-good morning…”

Siesta muttered with a still half asleep face, but in a dash it turned into a blush once she noticed her surroundings.

“S-Saito-san, why? That! I!”

Hey hey, weren’t you the one who broke into my room all drunk in the first place? Saito smiled wryly.

“No, Siesta last evening got drunk…”

Saito said, increasing the blush on Siesta’s face even further.

“Eh? I got drunk?”

“Yes. Look!”

Saito pointed at the bottle of wine lying on the floor.

“You brought it with you.”

“I drank wiiiiine?!”

“Ye-yes…”

“Which reminds me, during dinner, I drank one glass. But it seems like I took more than just one sip. Auu, what to do…”

Saito was surprised by Siesta’s worry.

“Siesta?”

“I..I really did it, didn't I?”

“Y-yes.”

“Too much, that, I’m not very good at drinking wine.”

Averting her face, Siesta muttered awkwardly. Indeed, ‘You drink too’ was it, Saito consented. Seems like this maid inclined to drunken frenzy.

“After drinking all that wine, I don’t have any memories of last night. Was I rude, Saito-san...?”

“No, not particularly…”

Saito shook his head.

That moment… a sound of someone running noisily through the corridor could be heard. *Bam* The door opened and one of the castle’s housemaids jumped in.

“W-w-wha-!” Saito shouted.

“No time! Master arrived! We need to keep the castle sparkling…” she shouted, and with an armful of cleaning tools, she ran out. Soon another employee came and dashed out with a mop and bucket. It was a storage room after all. Though there are a lot of cleaning tools, they are almost never used. However, it all changes when master returns.

Master? Siesta and Saito looked at each other.

In short, Louise's father had returned.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter6 - MTL

2008-08-14T08:12:38Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter Six: Sortie */

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter1

2008-07-12T09:25:46Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter One: Homecoming */

===Chapter One: Homecoming===

"Traveling is exciting!"

Siesta shouted and pushed her big chest against Saito's arm.

“Maybe I should say it is more “touching” than “exciting””

With a flustered head, Saito gave a short nod.

Inside of a carriage, Saito and Siesta were sitting next to each other on a small seat.

Siesta’s appearance was a dark green one-piece dress with lace up boots.

And also she had a small straw hat, which altogether made for a bit of a nice appearance.

When black haired, sweet and innocent Siesta had that appearance, overall she seemed almost too cute.

More than just being cute, it was hard to hold anything back.

''Damn you, putting me in this condition.''

And the worst part is that, while making such an oddly audacious move, that cute Siesta was still radiating a sweet innocent atmosphere.

[[Image:ZnT06-013.jpg|thumb]]

When she sat next to Saito, she hugged one of his arms to her and squeezed her breasts against it.

“S-S-S-Siesta, when you get so close to me.. . your breast is touching my arm, touching me and…and such…like…” Saito said half crying, becoming incomprehensible...

“Ah, I meant to do it!”

Siesta said with a totally carefree, smiling face.

“L…Like that, on purpose, That is… At a place there is a person, like that, hey, you…”

Saito who couldn’t stop talking, in order to sooth his own conscience, just protested like this.

“You don’t have to worry about the coachman. He’s a golem.”

The young man sitting on the coachman stand was a puppet(Golem) which moved somehow or other with the use of magical power.

Now that you mention it, its eyes are like glass beads emitting light.

Consequently, this made Siesta even bolder. She placed her cheek on Saito’s shoulder and her mouth near his ear, mixing sighs with her voice.

“…doing it like this, just the two of us…it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“Y…Yeah”

“I think I heard it sometime, but during summer break, what did you do with Miss Valliere?”

''I can’t tell her that.''

''I can’t say that I asked Henrietta for a shinobi mission.''

''Though it was mostly like washing dishes and such, it is a secret.''

“Uh, umm, that is…, I worked at a bar. Louise worked in the castle so….what she did, I don’t know,” Saito lied about Louise. Saying the truth about himself is probably alright, he decided.

“Oh! A bar! Saito is! Why again?”

“Eh, uh, that is…I don’t have any money”

“If it’s something like that, a money thing, just tell me and I will be happy to help!"

“You will?”

“Yes, it isn’t much but, I scraped some wages and saved.

As expected of a reliable village girl. Instead of squandering money, she is quite frugal-like.

Siesta’s kind proposal made Saito glad.

“It’s alright. Somehow, I managed!”

“Really? But, if at times you are in need, please tell me without holding back."

''There is no way I can borrow even a little bit of money from this admirable girl who is scrimped and saved like this.''


“I cannot borrow money from Siesta-san!”

“Aye! Why? As long as it is for Saito-san, money is not important for me!” When she finishes speaking, the girl lowered her shoulders.

“Ah, right, you mean you are really not interested in using my money right?”

“It is not the reason why!”

“You must hate me!”

”No, it is nothing like that!”

“Really? But Saito-san is always so cold to me”

“I am? Why?”

“I am sitting next to you, and you are not making a move.”

As Saito sweated around in a panic, Siesta hmmed a little, and moved her lips to his neck. This kind of feelings can make a person melt, which surprised Saito to no end.

Siesta moved her lips upwards, finally nibbling Saito’s ear.

Our hero’s brain felt like it was on fire, and the moment the air seem to solidify, his spinal cord felt like a boiled hot chopstick, Saito straighten his back, and shakily squeaked, “Si-Si-Siesta san..”

In the instant he said it, something blew the top of the carriage away.

Well, blown is not the right word, it more appear some hidden explosive sent the whole thing flying. Saito and Siesta’s carriage in that moment suddenly changed from an enclosed carriage to an Sky-light carriage.

Trembling from fear Saito turned around with a creak.

Only to see a carriage nearly twice the large and far more luxurious, pulled by two horses.

Sensing an killing intend emulating from the carriage, Saito became not only afraid, but very, very afraid. When we arrive at the destination, It look like I am going to die.

The luxurious carriage released an overwhelming Aura of death.

“Wa…Wa…the roof of the carriage!” Siesta wailed while latching on to Saito.

“Si-Siesta san!”

“What, What is happening?”

“If you don’t want to die, I think we should sit apart.”

But that only made Siesta cling on to Saito even tighter.

“I don’t know what is going on, but my heart is pure!”

She screamed and push Saito down. On one end Saito is very happy and excited about her feelings, while another kind of messages flashed through his mind, “Haha, this is the end of my life, It is really too short, I hope I could at least return to Japanese soil..”

<center>* * *</center>

As we speak about the second carriage behind Saito…..

Louise poke her head out, waving an Tea-colored wand, with angry energy emulating from her shaking body. The top of Saito and Siesta’s carriage was blown apart by Louise with her void magic “Explosion.”

Because of the window behind the carriage, Louise could see everything going on.

Watching Saito and Siesta hugging each other, and with Siesta kissing Saito’s neck, Louise was shaking inside the carriage. Once the housemaid’s lips reached Saito’s ears, the rage finally reached an explosively climax, she absolutely will not allow her familiar to be kissed in that fashion.

As she watch the top of the carriage getting blown away, and watch Siesta clinging to Saito, Louise’s eyebrow instantly stood up. Just as she was about to spell the happy couple’s doom, someone pulled her legs.

“OUCH!”

Before Louis finish screaming, she found her cheek stretched for several inches.

“Painful! Ouch! Ouch, Ahhh! It hurts!”

The prideful and haughty Louis getting her face pulled in such a manner, but unable to say a single word in anger. If Saito was able to see this scene, his eyes would likely pop out in shock.


----

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| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume6_Illustrations|Back to Color Illustrations]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Return to Main Page]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume6_Chapter2|Forward to Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume5 Story3 - MTL

2008-07-12T07:12:51Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter Three: Tristania's Holiday */

===Chapter Three: Tristania's Holiday===

{{Template:PREVIEW}}

'''1'''
　

The bell of San Rami‘s temple rang eleven o‘clock.

Saito was running towards a central plaza of the De Chikutonn street.

As to why he was running... well, that‘s because he was late for a date. He elbowed his way through the mass of people, barely making it to the central plaza, and saw the one who was waiting for him pouting.

“H-hey.”

Seeing Saito, Louise, who was sitting at the fountain, puffed out her cheeks.

“What‘s up with you?! You're late!”

“No...when I was about to leave I was caught by Scarron.”

“Just ignore him!”

“I can‘t, for the time being, he is my employer...“

Nagging, Louise urged Saito. ''Aah, I should have saved my head and not came to the date if she is angry like this.''

Louise was dressed for the occasion. She was embarrassed, because even though she looked gorgeous, her clothes were still not suitable for a noble… She was dressed in a recent trend, popular between town girls – black beret and black dress with a plunging neckline. The pendant that Saito gave her was hanging on her neck. In these clothes she really looked like a true town girl. As one would expect from a girl in her pubescence, it was hard for Louise to acquire a suitable dress in town.

Aah, when silent, she really looks pretty charming. With her arms folded and tilted chin… the young girl looked across the street intensely. Her pink-blond hair shined vividly in the rays of the sun. Her big hazel eyes were an obvious sign that she was from another world. Aah, his lovely master looked very cute right now, furiously tapping her feet.

“Hey, lets go! Before the play starts.”

Louise said, still sounding little shy.

Saito nodded and started to walk. However, Louise remained standing in her place.

“What is it?”

“Muu! Escort me properly!”

“Escort?”

“Right. Hey!”

Louise pulled Saito's arm.

[[Image:ZnT05-173.jpg|thumb]]

“Kuh?” He looked dumbfounded at their united arms.

Holding hands! It made Saito very awkward. Though she had used his hands as pillows to sleep on lately, he still wasn’t used to them walking while holding hands in the middle of town. Saito felt nervous. Then she stepped on his foot.

“W-what?!”

“During our Void day off you should lead me. Why won’t you say something? Uuuuh!”

Louise groaned.

“W-well, this is our Void day. H-how about going to the t-theater?”

Louise shook her head while sighing, and then pulled his arm dragging him after her.

“Muu! Useless escort! This way! Here!”

And so, walking in a way that it still wasn’t clear who escorted whom, the pair went down the streets of Tristain, bathing in the sunlight of the summer.

<center>* * *</center>

Well, as to why the couple went to see a play…　

Toady was the day of Rag and the inn was closed. “I want to go to the play,” Louise had said early in the morning, when she was having her breakfast (though it actually was a dinner, because they went to sleep late yesterday) with Saito in the attic.

“Play?”

“That’s right.”

Louise muttered somewhat ashamed.

“You like things like plays?"

“I don't like them, but I want to see one.”

“See it?”

Louise nodded. When you think about it, she grew up in a different environment. Louise was strictly disciplined at home, so she probably never went to the town’s theater.

Thinking this way, Saito suddenly felt pity for Louise.

“All right, but why do you want to see a play now?”

“Jessica told me that today there is a very popular play on stage.”

Louise was a girl, after all and fashionable things attract her just like any other.

And…

Louise for some reason insisted this to be a date.

“It doesn’t feel right just going there. The mood is important! Therefore let’s meet each other!”

“Meet?”

“All right? Meet me in front of the fountain, in the central plaza.”

“Bothersome.”

“Not bothersome. Hence, lets go to Royal Tanaijiiru Theater.”

“Fuu~n.”

And so, they met.

<center>* * *</center>
　

Royal Tanaijiiru Theater was indeed majestic, a splendid theater of gorgeous stonework. The lined up columns made it look like a temple.

Gentlemen and ladies fashionably dressed up gathered up in the theater.

Saito followed them as well.

After buying a surprisingly cheap ticket from the box office, Saito headed towards the seat. A thick curtain was dropped over the stage, and it was gloomy around it… indeed, Saito was getting excited by the mysterious atmosphere.

Seats were marked by the numbers and it was written on a ticket where one should sit, however agitated, Saito, without noticing, sat down in a different seat.

When he and Louise waited for the play to start, a good looking middle-aged noble with beautiful silver hair tapped his shoulder.

“Listen, pal.”

“Y-yes?”

“This is the seat I have had reserved for some time. Isn’t your seat different?”

This being said, the number of the seat was confirmed. It was as the man said. Hastily Saito, being urged by Louise, stood up.

“Muu! You have no shame!”

Louise complained shaking her head. Searching for the seat, Saito asked Louise.

“What was the play again?”

“…Tristania’s Holiday.”

“What’s the plot?”

“Princess of a certain country and the prince of a certain country come to Tristania secretly. The pair meet each other hiding their identities, however once they fall in love… they learn each other’s identities and separate. Sad story.”

Such a story shared a great popularity among the young girls. And indeed, the theater was crowded with young women.

After he found his seat, with much effort, the curtain rose. The play started. Music played and… it sounded beautiful in the theater.

“Amazing.”

Louise watched the stage with absorbed interest.

Saito, who saw a Helkeginia play for the first time, at first, gazed at it attentively as well. However… he got tired soon.

The scenario wasn’t so bad – he thought. Yet, the actors were unskilled. Though Saito was not very interested in plays, he still saw various movies back on earth and saw some school plays as well.

Compared to that… these guys were ham actors. Occasionally the voice turned inside out and singing scenes were executed in tone-deaf manner. Was that really a royal opera?

Yet Louise was still deeply moved by it, laughing ‘Ha!’ and sighing weakly. ''Waa, I should just enjoy the play like them,'' Saito thought.

However… the play still seemed to be no good. He looked around yawning, watching the visitors. There seemed to be some well known faces of society there. However, only young women were intensively gazing at the actors. Guess some things do not change even compared to Saito’s different world.

Saito became sleepy while watching.

Not being able to bare it anymore, he started to snore slightly.

Louise threw an angry look at the sleeping Saito.

''Wh-what?! This fellow…though it is such a special play! I invited him!''

For Louise this was a date. This should have been her memorable first date. Therefore she was so picky about such details as meeting, yet this familiar didn’t notice that.

''More so, he didn't escort me!''

''Did not know where the theater was!''

''I had to buy the tickets!''

''Furthermore, he shamefully mixed the seats!''

''Moreover, he fell asleep!''

Though she chose him to be her long-awaited first date companion, this familiar was reluctant to be his masters date! Reluctantly he chose to do so! Un-for-gi-va-ble! Louise restrained her feelings that she wanted to shout out and stared at Saito, who had started a journey to the dream land.

But… the play was long… and Louise has gotten tired in the course of time too. Then sleepiness took over her and she slowly closed her eyelids.

It was not possible to endure after all and…she leant her head against Saito's shoulder… she started to watch another play in the dream land… Louise began to row the boat

<center>* * *</center>

There was another visitor who wasn’t looking at the play as well. It was the same middle-aged noble whose seat Saito took by mistake. He was sitting next to a merchant and was having a secret talk with him.

This talk's content… were the things they heard from Tristain generals. The extremely secret Tristain’s military was the object of the gossip.

“F-fleet’s construction?”

The merchant asked.

“It will take half a year at least.”

The noble answered.

There were more whispers throughout the talk… In exchange for such secret information regarding Royal matters, the merchant passed a small bag to the noble. The noble peeked inside and saw it was tightly packed with golden coins.

The merchant whispered

“However… why contact each other in the theater?”

“What? To have a secret talk among the crowd of people. It is natural to tell a whispering story here. Therefore – a theater. If you would do that in a small room, one would get suspicious that you are plotting something not good.”

“Haha. I am sure that His Highness Emperor will be greatly interested in lord’s information. He might even give you a medal if you would come above the clouds.”

“This Albion’s person has a cold heart.”

“What, this whole land will be called by this name, sooner or later. Thank you for your cooperation."

Saying so, the merchant tried to stand up. The nobleman stopped him.

“What more?”

“Why don’t you act slowly? Wait till the last minute of the play.”

<center>* * *</center>

Tristain’s Royal palace stony floor echoed the sound of boots as a lone young woman knight walked. She had shortly cut blond hair and clear blue eyes. A protective chain hemp garment with sheet metal parts was wrapped around her body, in addition to a robe with a lily coat of arms painted on it.

Yet there was no wand at her lower waist… but a long, thin sword.

Coming and going nobles mage bodyguards halted and stared at her surprised, as it was unusual to see a fencer in the royal palace.

Mages saw a sword at her waist and the chain-mail that she wore, and started whispering among themselves.

“Fuun! Commoner woman!”

“She needs to have some grand permission to walk in palace dressed up like that… oh dear, different times!”

“Moreover, this woman is a Protestant! Giving Chevalier's title for such an harmful insect… I feel ashamed for our young majesty!”

Despite the impudent glances and rude talks about her, the young woman kept on walking straight, without sparing a single look at them.

At the end of the passage… she headed towards Henrietta’s office. She was stopped at the door by a magical guard member with a royal crest on his chest, not allowing her to visit her majesty.

“Her Majesty is in the middle of a conference right now. Come again later.”

The mage guard declared coldly, not even trying to hide his contempt for the woman knight.
　
“Please tell her that Agnes came. I have permission to visit Her Majesty anytime.”

The guard scowled then opened the door and disappeared into the office. After that, he came back, granting Agnes permission to enter the room.

When Agnes went into the office, Henrietta was in the middle of conference with Richmon from the High Court of Justice.

What is the High Court of Justice? That’s the organization that rules the administration of justice in the kingdom. Whenever the privileged class disagreed… judgement is brought in. They inspected literature works, operas or plays in theaters, or supervised commoner’s markets and frequently took care of conflicts within the monarchic government prefecture administration.

Henrietta who noticed Agnes, smiled with the edge of her lips, and told Richmon to break off the conference.

“But Your Highness…Rising taxes any further will make commoners resentment grow. This will cause disorder. Other countries may use it against us.”

“It’s an emergency. Despite our citizen's poverty…”

“Construction of 50 warships! 20,000 mercenaries! 15,000 expanses on equipping lords army-men! Food expenses to feed officers and men and our allied forces! Where can you get so much money? Building of a scout army and so on, just give it up, please.”

“The overthrow of Albion is now a national priority of Tristain.”

“But Your Majesty, though former Kings of Halkeginia with united forces attacked Albion on countless occasions… they were always defeated. Going into a campaign across the sky has more difficulties than one can imagine.”

Richmon declared, adding a hoity-toity gesture.

“I know. However I also know that finances minister reported that ‘The procurement of these war expenditures is not impossible’. Are you dissatisfied that you won’t be able to enjoy your former luxuries? As a matter of fact, I wonder how much you've saved since you started working?”

Henrietta said, sarcastically looking at the gorgeous clothes that Richmon was wearing.

“I myself prohibited imperial guard knights to wear the chain of silver that decorated the cane to show an example to others. There are no nobles, commoners nor royal family members. We are united now, Richmon.”

Henrietta watched Richmon. He bowed his head.

“You got me with this. I know, Your Majesty. However, the council of High Court of Justice consist of many people and it is not possible that they would agree with this campaign. I would like you to acknowledge it as a reality.”

“We will reach consensus, with the cardinal’s and my own work. I have the confidence that we will be able to persuade the council.”

Richmon watched Henrietta, who declared this with dazzling eyes.

“…Something wrong?”

“No… I just admired.”

“Admired?”

“That’s right. This Richmon, served ten years for Philip the Great, thirty years ago. By the time you were born, I knew more about Your Majesty than Your Majesty yourself.”

“Oh, well.”

“Though you might not remember, but the Emperor and Empress were really happy about Your Majesty’s birth! Though it was scary to lift your tiny body in one’s arms, I was still honored to rock and bath Your Majesty once or twice.”

“My mother said you served well.”

Henrietta said smiling.

“You are too kind. Just a while ago I was giving rude comments not thinking about the mother country.”

“You are a real patriot, I know that very well.”

“Anyway, I’ll say no more. Though Your Highness was such a crybaby before, she became a splendid woman now. There’s nothing for me to regret.”

“I am still…a crybaby. Please lend your power for the mother country, Richmon.”

Richmon bowed, asking for permission to leave the room. Henrietta nodded.

Agnes, who stood next to the door, watched Richmon leave.

Finally Agnes turned to Henrietta, who sat in her chair, and kneeled down, bowing her head.

“Agnes Chevalier Do Milan, welcome.”

Looking up, Henrietta urged.

“Did you finish the investigation?”

“Yes.”

Then Agnes took a letter out of her cleavage and gave it to Henrietta. The Queen took it and looked inside.

This was… Henrietta ordered to this female knight to investigate that ominous night's events. The night where an abductor from Albion…a revived Wales, snuck into the royal palace following someone’s written plan.

“So the guide wasn’t guided alone…as I take.”

“Exactly, he had help getting inside, the bolt was pulled up, and he could go unnoticed into the royal palace as he was alone.”

“To hide, once the group that tried to entice me entered.”

Henrietta said with painful look in her eyes.

“Yes. In only five minutes, Your Majesty.”

“Once found out, he insisted that it was a coincidence. However, he could not explain from where he had the money…”

The man whose name was written there, was the one that she gave a position to herself, and assumed him to be faithful, but was bribed by the sum of…

“70,000 ecu… This amount of gold is higher than the total amount of his pension.”

“It is as you say.”

Kneeling down, Agnes agreed.

“Though we were able to capture the informant who worked for the money… The number of people going over to Albion’s side has increased recently.”

“That employee…”

“I could not contact him yesterday. Perhaps, he sensed that he was found out.”

Henrietta sighed.

“Snake on one’s chest.”

“Reconquista’s nobles reach and hear beyond the national borders.”

“Might of money. A man with dreams turned into a man with gold lust. For the money… he tried to sell me and the country.”

Agnes kept silent. Henrietta gently put her hand on her shoulder.

“You did well. Thank you.”

Agnes looked at the crest on her surcoat. Crest… lily, the sign of the Royal family.

“I dedicat myself to Your Majesty. Your Majesty gave me the family name and the position.”

“I cannot trust people that use magic anymore. Except for a few old friends…”

Henrietta said in a sad voice.

“In Tarbes, nobles are similar to military. Therefore, this is what makes you a real noble.”

“You are too kind.”

Henrietta shook her head gently.

“You… had it tough in royal court, Agnes.”

“I was born the way I was born. And no sneers matter.”

“Though you are not noble by birth, you are a noble by soul. Foolish people.”

Agnes muttered a question.

“And what will you do about that man’s case?”

“Not enough evidence. It is hard to prove a crime.”

“Then…” Agnes continued in low voice.

“I am just newly established Queen… I will leave everything to the ‘Musketeer Corps’.”

After commander Wardes' betrayal, war of Tarbes and the recent annihilation of the Griffon corps, magic guard, that ought to protect the royalty, crumbled. The griffon corps were under the command of the Mantei Koa troops now, thus only one unit was still on duty.

To supplement the lack of guard, Henrietta newly established the ‘Musketeer Corps’ led by Agnes. As its name suggests, it uses new force of musket and sword, instead of magic. Because of mage shortage, the only members are commoners… For the sake of the personal safety of Henrietta, who is a woman, the guard is also made of women.

Because it interferes to negotiate with other corps when the commander is not an aristocrat, Agnes was exceptionally awarded a noble title. She became a ‘Chevalier’ and a fictional family name was given.

Henrietta’s exception made the national military power increase due to numbers of joining commoners. Though, nobles were naturally repulsed by this idea, Henrietta suppressed it.
Though it looked like the way they allied Germania, it was actually different. Henrietta, thanks to the kidnapping that deeply damaged her confidence… was unable to trust mages anymore.

“We are the way the royal court says – born without fineness. After all, it is impossible to become a noble.”

Henrietta shook her head.

“Who said that you are not a noble? You are a commander of the corps of the imperial guard knights that I myself admitted. The commander of imperial guards is different, as your position can only be rivaled to that of a field marshal.”

Agnes deeply bowed.

“Have pride. Walk tall. ‘I am an aristocrat’ – tell that to yourself in front of the mirror. If you do so, you will gain the fineness eventually.”

“As you say.”

“You just follow our former plan and watch over the man’s actions. If we are correct, the criminals will surely expose themselves tomorrow.”

“We won’t let them go free?”

“Surely. I won’t forgive anyone who is related to that night’s incident…Countries… People… Anyone. Yes. “

Then Agnes deeply bowed and left the room.

She was eternally grateful to Henrietta. Not because of the position or family name... No, because she was given a chance for revenge.

'''2'''

　
Saito was lying on the floor. Towering above him stood a roughly breathing Louise. It was the kitchen of the 'Charming Fairies' Inn. the inn just opened, but it was already noisy inside. Louise, with her arms crossed, looked down at Saito.

“Tell me, big brother.”

Louise still called him big brother. In here, Saito pretended to be Louise’s elder brother. No one believed it, as everyone in the inn already knew that Louise was a noble, yet she continued calling him ‘Big Brother’ anyway. Really stubborn character.

“What, little sister?”

Saito asked in a voice feeble and strained from Louise’s harsh beating.

“What were you doing before I called you?”

“Cleaning dishes.”

“Don’t lie. You were looking away.”

“A little.”

“Not a little.”

Louise pointed inside of the inn.

“You were ogling that girl’s thighs, this girl’s breasts and that girl’s bottom…”

Then, Louise angrily pointed at Jessica.

“You were watching the valley of Jessica’s breasts too.”

“A little.”

“Hey, big brother...”

Louise stomped on Saito’s face with her feet.

“Yes?”

“Isn’t it bad for you not to look at me? Isn’t your master gathering information from drunkards? If your cute master is endangered, you ought to protect her, right?”

“I'm sorry.”

“Sorry is not enough. You looked at me only twice. Yet I counted. You looked at this girl and at that girl four times. You looked at Jessica’s cleavage twelve times. You looked away, ignoring your Master. I c-c-c-cannot p-p-permit that!”

“Hey, I wasn’t looking!”

''Pardon me. I’m seeing Louise everyday. Her sleeping face too. It is love. Aah, master is cute. However, I want you to permit looking at other girl’s. It is man's nature. You cannot fight it even if looking away. Therefore, it is not necessary to get angry so much…'' Saito misunderstood her anger.

But, he would never say aloud such an excuse. Saito had learnt how to deal with Louise already.

“What if the moment when you look away, I am attacked by a strange man? Do you understand? You are willing to put me in such danger?"

“No… Wouldn’t that be alright? Ugh!”

“Why?”

“Master is not that appealing really. A tiny body has tiny popularity.”

Saito said what he was thinking. Louise spread her hands, sighed ‘Fuuh’, and started warming-up for another physical exercise.

“Really? I see. The dog can only be taught physically. Nnshotto.”

She went back to her vigor exercise.

While Louise was warming-up, Saito quietly slipped towards the back door. He had enough punishment a little while ago. Ten minutes. He needed to run away and have some rest.

Saito gripped Derflinger, who was rolled up in a cloth. Due to the recent accident, he was always carrying Derflinger with him. Reluctantly, he decided to carry it around, even though he knew how obstructive it could be.

The moment when he opened the back door and stepped out into the alley, he saw a hooded woman running in short steps in his direction.

Don! The woman knocked up against Saito, who just opened the door and fell on the ground. This made Saito flurried.

“S-sorry...Are you all right?”

The woman hid her face with her hood and said in panic,

“…That, is there a 'Charming Fairies' inn somewhere around here?”

[[Image:ZnT05-193.jpg|thumb]]

“Eh? That’s here…”

Muttering Saito noticed that woman’s voice sounded familiar. The woman became aware of the same thing at the same time as well. Quietly, she lifted an edge of her hood and stole a quick glance at Saito's face.

“Princess!”

“Shh!” she said, covering his mouth. Henrietta, wrapped in the lobes of gray hood, hid herself behind Saito, to avoid being seen from the Main Street.

“Search there!”

“Maybe she headed to Bourdonne Street!”

From the Main Street the rough voices of soldiers could be heard. Henrietta put the hood back on again.

“…Is there a place where I could hide?”

Henrietta looked so tiny.

“There is attic here where we live…”

“Please guide me there.”

<center>* * *</center>

Saito quietly brought Henrietta to the attic. She sat down on the bed and breathed out deeply.　

“…Safe for now.”

“It is not safe. What was that about?”

“I just sneaked away for a minute…and such uproar happened.”

“Huh? Weren’t you kidnapped the other day? No wonder it turned into a fuss!”

Henrietta became silent.

“Princess, aren’t you a ruler now? And you still act so selfish?”

“That not it. It’s because I have important business… And I heard from reports that Louise is here… I’m glad I could meet you at once.”

“A-anyway, I’ll call Louise.”

Louise after noticing that Saito disappeared would surely go ballistic, but this might help to ease her up a bit. Louise’s behavior was easy to predict. Like always.

“Don’t.”

Henrietta stopped Saito.

“W-why?”

“..I do not want to speak with Louise.”

“What?”

“I do not want to disappoint that girl.”

Saito sat on the chair and stared at Henrietta.

“Then, what else? Sneaking out of the castle without permission is not a good thing to do.”

Then Saito realized.

“But, if you didn’t come here to meet Louise, then what did you come here for?”

“I came to borrow your power.”

“M-me?”

“If it’s all right, I want you to guard me till tomorrow.”

“W-why me? Aren’t you the Queen? You have many soldiers and mages to guard you...”

“For today and tomorrow, I want to blend in with commoners. And, naturally, I do not want anyone from the palace to know that. So…”

“What?”

“I trust only you.”

“That’s… don’t you have anyone else?”

“Yes. I know you are good, and I, myself, am almost lonely in the palace. Many people there do not like me as a young queen…”

And after a moment of hasitation added,

“… and as a traitor.”

Saito recalled Wardes. Asking Louise, who is her best friend after all, to travel incognito – there might be something that cannot be spoken even to Louise.

“I see. Only because it is princess' request I will do it, but…”

After that Seito watched Henrietta’s face.

“It’s dangerous isn’t it?”

Henrietta veiled her eyes down.

“Yes.”

“Really? Then princess, do not tell that to Louise about going through danger. Please promise me.”

“All right.”

She nodded.

“Then it is good, but…”

“Then, let's leave. I cannot stay around here forever.”

“Where are we going?”

“We won’t be leaving town. Please calm down. For the time being, I want to change clothes…”

Henrietta looked at the dress under the robe. It was a white, clean and elegant dress, hiding behind the robe would be too noticeable. Even a noble couldn’t complain about this attire.

“These are Louise’s clothes but… She bought them to make her look as a commoner.”

“Please, lend them to me.”

Saito pulled the box from under the bed and took out Louise's clothes. Then Henrietta turned her back to Saito, not worrying about him looking! Saito started to panic once she took off her dress. He accidentally caught a glimpse of Henrietta’s chest from behind. Though it was not as big as Kirche’s, it was still bigger than Siesta’s. After all, she was a queen, so her breasts must be Queen-like as well. But then he realized.

''Can she wear Louise’s shirt?''

It was just like he thought.

“The shirt… is rather tight.”

Not ‘rather’. The shirt was bought following Louise’s size, and it could not match Henrietta’s breasts. The more she strained, the more buttons flew off.

“Mhm. Very.”

Saito said while holding his nose.

“Mh, good?”

Good! Nothing else one could expect from the queen. Henrietta should not worry about that. “I hope it won’t be too flashy if I do this,” she muttered as she unfastened her top two buttons.

It only emphasized  the valley of her breasts - this was as if there were no shirt at all to begin with. Though it may be embarrassing walking next to a man in such attire, this also made one forget that she was queen for once and made her look like a woman.

“Let’s go.” Henrietta urged Saito.

“We cannot go yet.”

“Eh? Really?”

“You should at least change your hairstyle.”

“Then, change it.”

''Henrietta is similar to Louise after all, what an inexperienced princess,'' Saito thought while fiddling with Henrietta's hair. Even changing clothes could not mask that…

He lifted her hair up into a ponytail, the way that he occasionally did for Louise too.

This changed the atmosphere a lot. Then, Saito put some light make-up on Henrietta, using Louise’s cosmetics.

Wouldn’t they need make-up in the inn? Saying so Saito bought it… But because Louise did not use it, there was plenty of it left.

“Fufu, this way you look like a town woman.”

With a light make-up and in the front open shirt… She certainly looked like a cheerful town woman.

Because she came forth to the attic, it seemed like they would not inform Louise about anything. Saito felt uneasy for a moment. He guessed he’d have to talk with her later. It couldn’t be helped, as it was the Queen’s wish.

Saito and Henrietta quietly sneaked through the back door to the alley.

The alerted state about the Queen’s disappearance seemed to have increased… The exit to Chikutonne was heavily guarded again.

“They placed a cordon.”

Saito reported things that seemed like a police drama in his world. Somehow understanding the meaning, Henrietta nodded.

“What now? Would it be all right not having your face covered?"

“Hiding it would be even more suspicious. Drop your hand over my shoulder.”

Saito held Henrietta’s shoulder as he was told. They approached the place where the guards stood. The tension rose and thier pulse quickened. Henrietta muttered in a hard tone,

“Pretend to lean into me. Like a lover.”

Eh? Giving him no time to think, Henrietta clasped Saito’s hand that he was holding her shoulder with, and led it to the crevice of her open shirt. Feeling Henrietta’s soft and smooth hills of flesh along his finger, Saito panicked.

“Don’t squirm.”

Henrietta drew her mouth next to Saito’s ear and muttered tenderly, with a fake smile on her lips.

Saito passed through the guards doubly nervous.

Though the guard accidentally saw the couple… But he had only seen the Queen's face at a distance. Besides even in his wildest dreams he could not imagine the Queen walking with a commoner, allowing his hand to touch her skin in such way. He turned his eyes away at once and called another woman to stop.

Henrietta, walking out to the Main Street, laughed

“Princess?”

“No… I'm sorry. Because it was such a funny moment. However, a pleasant one.”

“…Eh?”

“I put on rough clothes, changed my hairstyle… put on only a light make-up and no one could recognize me. “

Certainly… Henrietta seemed to merge with the scenery of this night. Saito felt that she was a different woman.

“However, we were seen by a person who barely knows your face, Princess.” 

“Shh!”

“Eh? Eeeh?”

“Don’t call me princess in public. Call me ‘Ann’ in short.”

“Ann, then.”

“Yes.”

Then, Henrietta inclined her head to the side in doubt.

“Tell me your name.”

Being unknown to the Princess, Saito answered sadly.

“Saito.”

“Saito, unusual name.”

At that moment, Henrietta muttered leaning to Saito in a town woman’s way.

“Y-yeah, Ann, it’s unusual.”

“Be more rough.”

“Understood, Ann.”

Smiling, Henrietta entwined her arm around Saito’s.

<center>* * *</center>

Because night came slowly, the couple went a hotel for the time being. It was a plain, cheap lodging house. They were led to a worn-out room on the second floor that made even the attic at “Charming Fairies” inn look heavenly.

The futon of the bed was strangely damp, though it was unclear for how many days it has been left to dry, and a small mushroom was growing at the corner of the room. The lamp, even after wiping off the soot, was still really black.

“Well, for so much money, it's not that great a room.”

But Henrietta said while sitting on the bed.

“No, the room is fantastic.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes. Here at least you do not have to worry… about venomous snakes sleeping on your chest.”

“And no weird bugs either.”

“Right.”

Henrietta smiled.

Saito sat on the chair standing in the room. The chair, as if protesting, made a strange, creaky sound. For some reason, he wanted to keep the distance between him and his honorable partner as far as possible. Finding it difficult to keep talking, Saito asked.

“Is it really such a nice room?”

“Yes. It is exciting. Because it has the taste of the imprudent, ordinary life of citizens…”

She empathized that by a cute gesture. Henrietta acting like that, created a slight feeling of intimacy.

Because the room was pitch dark, they decided to light up the sooted lamp. He could not find any matches, though he looked around carefully.

“They don’t have matches here… I’ll go down and bring them.”

Henrietta shook her head and took out a crystal wand from her bag. She swung it and ‘Posh!’ the lamp's wick set alight.

Henrietta sat gazing at the lamplight, holding her chin with her hand.

Saito, feeling dazzled somehow, turned his eyes away.

Seeing Henrietta relaxed like that… though she still had that sense of intimacy around her, she was still a princess. No, she was a queen now… a very young queen still. The word princess suited her more. Unrivaled grace and dignity. Though it was a similar feeling with Louise… but Louise could be so childish when unhappy, while Henrietta was still calm and composed. She had an aura of a grown up adult around her. Even through the gaps of her shirt one could smell her womanly charm.

This was an indescribable charm of mixed noble pride and danger.

“What now?”

She asked Saito in an innocent voice. Such a princess was really beautiful, thought Saito while mumbling something.

“Is Louise all right?”

Henrietta asked Saito from the other side of the lamp. Mysteriously, Henrietta’s presence made this worn-out place look like a royal palace bedroom. Henrietta had the power to change the surrounding air that way. Even at night time it felt like it was a bright day.

“Yeah. Well, she, that, she said she would accomplish her job for the Princess…”

As for Louise, she always scolded Saito for failing to gather information.

“She is all right from that aspect.”

“Eh?”

“That child has sent me a precise report through the carrier owl everyday.”

“Is that so?”

If you think about it, she probably wrote those while Saito was sleeping. What a serious fellow.

"Yes… She exactly informed me everyday about every rumor… Every single one. Without a single complaint. She certainly blended with commoners, not worrying when it will end. Because that child is highborn… Thus, I worry if her health is all right.”

“She is all right. She does everything energetically.”

Saito nodded.

“I'm so glad.”

“But, is the information that Louise gathers really useful?”

“Yes. It is useful.”

Henrietta smiled.

“I myself want to hear citizens' real intentions. I want to hear the true opinion about the politics I do. If they inform me directly, they change some things. They would not be comfortable for me to hear… as they are with others. I want to know the truth. Even the things I don’t like.”

A sad smile appeared on Henrietta’s face.

“Princess?’

“No…It’s just that knowing the truth is sometimes difficult. Though I am called a ‘Holy Woman’, there are harsher names I heard. I am looked down as a greenhorn trying to attack Albion, abusing her power to organize an invasion army, and I am suspected of being Germania’s puppet… Really, not queen-like...’

“Seriously?”

“Is your world also the same?”

“Eh?”

Saito looked blankly.

“Excuse my impoliteness. I asked the Magic academy director Osman. I was surprised to learn that you came from a different world. I could hardly ever imagine that such world existed. So in your world, at war… is the government spoken ill about?”

Saito remembered. Newspapers were flooded with everyday news about the corruption of the politicians at war…

“There is not much difference.”

“It is the same there as well.”

Henrietta muttered, relieved.

“Wars… do you have them?”

“Our country is in a middle of one.”

“No… I mean, besides attacking that flying continent?”

“Why would you say so?”

“A little while ago, you said an invasion army. Did similar invasions happen here, too?”

“Oh well. In that case, this war is endless…These are the things that should be left unsaid. It’s not a thing to talk with you about. Please forget it.”

Still, hearing Saito being silent, Henrietta looked up.

“Do you hate war?”

“I guess I do not love it.”

“But, you saved a king at Tarbes.”

“I did so to defend an important person.”

“Then, that night…”

Henrietta turned her face away and muttered hesitatingly. Then Saito… recalled that ominous night.

The night that Wales, who was thought to be dead, revived and tried to kidnap Henrietta. He remembered seeing his corpse. But he couldn’t recall much.

“I am sorry.”

Henrietta said in a tiny voice.

And then…

It started raining. As small raindrops beat against the window. They could hear people in the streets shouting “Che! Rain!”, “Out of nowhere!”.

Henrietta started to tremble.

“Princess?”

Henrietta muttered in a tiny voice. In a voice that seemed to vanish.

“…can you do something for me?”

“W-what?”

“Hold my shoulders tightly.”

The wand fell from the trembling hand of Henrietta and made a dry sound hitting the floor.

“What's wrong?”

“I’m afraid of rain.”

After those words… Saito remembered that on that night it started to rain as well. Henrietta and the revived Wales used that rain to create …… a huge tornado that tried to swallow Saito and the others.

[[Image:ZnT05-209.jpg|thumb]]

Saito silently sat down next to Henrietta and held her shoulders. Henrietta kept on shaking.

“Princess…”

“Because of me…everyone died… I killed them. I don’t understand. I do not understand. Can I ever be forgiven?”

Saito thought for a while and said.

“No one can forgive that. Indeed…”

“That’s right. I…I have no forgiveness for what I did to you or other people… When I hear the rain, I can only think about such things.”

Henrietta closed her eyes and drew her cheek to Saito’s chest. Her hand firmly gripped Saito’s. At the sound of the rainfall, her shivering grew stronger. She was not a queen, not even a princess… she was just a lonely, weak girl now. A girl who fell in love with a prince from a foreign country. Maybe this person, was weaker than anyone. She cannot do a thing, without someone next to her. Yet she was forced to put on a crown. She was forced to grip the scepter that commands the war.

He thought unhappy thoughts.

'''3'''

Louise was watching the falling rain and pouting. Where had Saito gone to in a middle of such rain? Louise finished warming-up a while ago and when she turned around to her familiar for some chastisement… Saito was gone.

Though she searched the inn inside out, he was nowhere to be found. Though at first she thought he went back to attic and hid himself there, but no one was there. However… her commoner clothes, that she had bought to blend in, had disappeared as well.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Louise left the attic. When she returned back to the inn, Scarron and others looked worried.

“No good, rain… Customers will stop coming because of this rain.”

“However, it's quite noisy outside. Did something happen?”

Indeed, as said, one could hear outside the sound of rainfall mixing with the roar of palace guards. Louise opened the door and stepped outside. She approached a soldier with a sword and called him out.

“Hey, what happened?”

The soldier shot a short glance at Louise’s camisole and declared in annoyed voice.

“Eei! Shut up! It is not bar woman’s business! Return back to your inn!”

“Wait.”

Louise still called him to stop and took Henrietta's authorization papers out of her cleavage.

“Though I look like this, I am Her Majesty's court lady.”

Popeyed, the soldier looked at Louise then at her authorization papers and then back at Louise again, and stood upright.

“F-f-forgive my rudeness!”

“Just speak.”

The soldier in a tiny voice explained Louise.

“…We finished inspecting Champ de Mars, but when we returned back to the royal palace, Her Majesty disappeared.”

“Is it Reconquista again?”

“The criminal’s objective is unknown, but he was certainly skillful… Suddenly a mist came out of her carriage…”

“Were you on guarding duty at that time?”

“It was a newly organized corps.”

“I see. Thank you. Do you have a horse?”

The soldier shook his head.

“Useless!”

Louise began running towards the royal palace through the rain. At such a time, where the heck Saito has gone to? She clicked her tongue angrily. ''Really, just when you need him the most he is not there!''

<center>* * *</center>

Agnes pulled the horse that she was riding on to a stop in front of a certain large residence. It was the Richmon’s residence… here, during the day, she conferred with Henrietta.

It was the corner of an upscale residential area where often lords reside. Agnes looked at a huge and wide two-storied residence and crooked her lips. She painfully well knew that Richmon lived here for 20 years and used any possible method to build this luxurious mansion.

She knocked against the gate, loudly announcing her visit. The gate window opened and a page stuck out his head.

“Who’s there?”

“Please tell Richmon that Her Majesty’s Musketeer Agnes arrived.”

“At such hour?”

The page said in a suspicious voice.

Indeed, it was around midnight.

“Urgent message. I need to convey it by all means.”

Inclining his head, the page disappeared inside. After a while, he returned and removed the bolt of the gate.

Agnes gave the bridle to the page and headed towards the residence.

After a while, when she passed the living room, she finally saw Richmon sitting at the fireplace, dressed in his nightclothes.

“An urgent message, huh? It better be good to wake me up so abruptly.”

Richmon muttered, not trying to hide his lofty contempt towards Agnes.

“Her Majesty disappeared.”

Pikun! - Richmon’s eyebrows shot up.

“Kidnapped?”

“It’s under investigation.”

Richmon looked doubtful.

“Big incident indeed. However, is it similar to the other day’s kidnap case? Is Albion involved again?”

“It’s under investigation.”

“That’s not the way guardians should talk! Under investigation! Under investigation! Yet you cannot do a thing. You always bring trouble to the law academy. What units were on duty?”

“Us, musketeers.”

Richmon stared at Agnes unpleasantly.

“It just proves your incompetence as a newly established unit.”

Richmon declared in a voice loaded with sarcasm.

“To clear our name, we are doing the best we can at investigating.”

“That’s why I said! Swords and guns are children toys against magical wands! A whole unit of commoners cannot replace a single mage!”

Agnes watched Richmon quietly.

“Grant the permission of military acts… I would like to get the permission to block highways and ports.”

Richmon rejected the cane. He grabbed a pen that flew towards him through the air, wrote something on a parchment and handed it to Agnes.

“Do your best to find Her Majesty. If you are not able to find her, all members of musketeers will be hanged by the war tribunal. Think about it.”

Agnes turned to leave but halted in front of the door.

“What? Is there anything else?”

“Your Excellency…”

In a low, anger filled, stifled voice, Agnes began to squeeze out words.
　
“What?”

“There is hearsay about the incident you were involved in 20 years ago.”

Hauling the string of memory, Richmon closed his eyes. Twenty years ago… a revolt that shook up the country and he remembered the suppression.

“Aah, so?”

“Your Excellency was involved in the ‘Slaughter of Dangle Tail’.”

“Slaughter? Don’t call it so ill. Weren’t the commoners in distant provinces planning to overthrow the nation? That was a rightful duty of repression. Anyway, it’s mostly a legend.”

Agnes left.

Richmon watched the closed door for a while… Would he be given the pen and the parchment again, he might change his decision, as he felt that a vicious force had been unleashed just now.

<center>* * *</center>

Agnes, who left the residence, took the horse from the page. She took out of her saddle bag a black robe and put it over the chain hemp garment, placing the hood over her head. Then she took out two pistols and carefully reloaded them, watching that the gunpowder would not get wet from the rain. Then she checked the fire grate, percussion hammer and shut the gun barrel. It was a new, flint type gun.

Then she placed her sword in a sheath and straddled the horse, finishing up the battle preparations. But then… someone ran out through the rain. The girl could be seen coming from the Chikutonne Street, who, after noticing Agnes straddling the horse, ran up to the female knight. Because she was running through the rain she looked poorly. Her white camisole was dirty due to mud and barefooted as she had taken off her shoes since they were too uncomfortable to run with.

“Wait! Wait! Please wait!”

Wondering, Agnes turned around.

“Lend me your horse! Hurry!”

“I refuse.”

Saying that Agnes tried to turn her horse away but the girl blocked the way.

“Move aside.”

She said but the girl did not listen. She took out some parchment and pointed it in front of Agnes.

“I am Her Majesty's court lady! I have the authority to use police powers! Your horse is requisitioned in Her Majesty's name! Dismount it at once!”

“Her Majesty's court lady?”

Agnes looked doubtful. The girl looked like a woman from the bar. However, though she was all dirty from running in the rain, her noble features could still be recognized. Agnes hesitated for the moment.

Louise, finally losing her temper because Agnes didn’t dismount her horse, pulled out her wand. Mimicking Louise’s movements, Agnes pulled out her pistol at once.

Two people went still aiming wand and gun at each other.

Louise said in a trembling low voice.

“…Though I am still not well accustomed to my magic. Yet, it is still more powerful. Give up.”

Agnes replied, with her finger on pistol’s percussion hammer.

“…from such distance, a pistol will be more accurate.”

Silence settled over.

“Introduce yourself. You have a wand, thus you must be a noble.”

Agnes said.

“Court lady, directly accountable to Her Majesty, De La Valliere.”

La Valliere? That was a familiar name. In the conversations with Henrietta, she heard that name on countless occasions.

“Then, you…”

Agnes withdrew the gun. This trembling girl with her wand set up… is rumored to be Her Majesty’s best friend. This young girl with disheveled pink hair…

“You know me?”

Louise, with a blank expression on her face, put down her wand as well.

“I often heard about you. I am very honored to meet you at last. You can share a horse with me. Let me explain the circumstances for you. If you were shot, it would cause her Majesty’s to hold a grudge.”

Agnes stretched forth her hands to Louise. Agnes easily pulled up Louise with a strength that was hard to imagine for such a delicate woman to posses.

“Who are you?”

Louise straddled behind Agnes.

“Her Majesty's musketeer. Commander Agnes.”

This made Louise, who heard about the ‘Musketeers’ from the soldier before, enrage.

“What on earth were you doing?! Were you sleeping while forgetting your guard?! Her Majesty was shamelessly kidnapped!”

“Therefore I said, let me explain the situation. Anyway, Her Majesty is safe.”

“Whaat?!”

Agnes spurred on the horse and it started to run. With the rain falling hard the two people disappeared within the darkness of the night.

<center>* * *</center>

On the bed of the cheap lodging house, Henrietta was sitting with her eyes tightly shut and Saito’s arms around her, trembling. Saito couldn’t find words… so he just sat and held Henrietta’s shoulders.

When the rain finally changed into drizzle, Henrietta calmed down a little and forced a smile.

“I am sorry.”

“No…”

“I brought you to this useless place. Yet, I was helped by you again in the end.”

“Again?”

“It is so. On that night, I… I could not think straight, I was manipulated and tried to leave with Wales… You stopped me…”

“Yeah.”

“You said at that time. If you go I will cut you. I cannot permit you to lie to yourself even if you are madly in love, you said.”

“I s-said so.”

Embarrassed, Saito turned down his face.

“Still, the foolish me did not awake. I tried to kill you. However, you stopped the foolish tornado that I myself unleashed.”

Henrietta closed her eyes.

“By the way, at that time… I felt relieved.”

“Relieved?”

“That’s right. Even I noticed that it wasn’t the same Wales whom I loved. The truth was different. I... in the bottom of my heart, wanted for someone to say those words and stop the foolish me.”

Taking a deep as if painful sigh, Henrietta continued to talk. In a withdrawn voice.

“Therefore, I ask you, Familiar-san. If I were to do something foolish again… if I were instigated again… Would you stop me with your sword?”

“Why?”

“At that time, I was ready to kill, not holding back. Even though I was asked by Louise, that gentle child, I could not stop. Therefore…”

Saito said in a surprised voice.

“I can’t do it! Really… you can’t be weak. You are the queen. Everyone obeys your will. Don’t talk like this, Princess. You would not be alive after all this if you were not brave. Was that all a lie?”

Henrietta looked down.

Then…

Don, don, don!

Someone battered against the door.

“Open up! Open the door! It is royal police! We are searching for run away criminals hiding in this inn! Open up now!”

Saito and Henrietta looked at each other.

“They do not seem to be searching for me.”

“…Let them go away. Stay silent.”

Henrietta nodded in agreement…

Meanwhile, the knob began to turn. However… it was not possible to open because of the lock. Clank-clank! The knob shook violently.

"Open up now! It’s an emergency! Or I will break it!”

Bam! One could hear the sounds of sword against the door knob, trying to open it.

“Not good.”

Henrietta, with determined face, unfastened the buttons of her shirt.

“Princess?”

His surprised voice was cut short as Henrietta captured Saito’s lips with her own. The kiss was sudden and intense. Locking her arms around Saito’s neck, Henrietta pushed him down to the bed. Seemingly undisturbed, Henrietta had her eyes closed and with a deep sigh, pushed her tongue into Saito’s mouth. It could take one’s consciousness away, so intense was the kiss.

Simultaneously with Henrietta pushing Saito down to the bed, the soldier, who was trying to break the door knob, kicked the door open.

What the pair of solders saw… was a young woman, lying on top of a man, intensively kissing his lips. The woman did not pay any attention to the soldiers and kept on going crazy. Sighs of affection were escaping from the opening of the pair of lips.
　
The soldiers watched the spectacle for a while… then one murmured to the other.

“…T-they seem to be just sheltering from the rain, and enjoying it a lot.”

“Damn, lets finish up checking the others.”

Thud! The door was closed and they disappeared down the stairs. Since the doorknob was broken, the door opened up, slightly squeaking.

Henrietta separated herself from his lips… but, even though the soldiers were already outside the hotel, she still kept on watching Saito with moist eyes.

Saito was completely surprised by Henrietta’s behavior at that moment. When the time comes, she could sacrifice her own body, like tonight, just to keep the secret. She was really strong.

With flushing cheeks, Henrietta kept quietly watching Saito.

“…Princess.”

Henrietta said in a strained voice.

“I already told you to call me Ann.”

“But…”

Not waiting for him to finish, she pressed her lips against his again. This time, it was a gentle… emotional kiss. In the dingy lamplight… he could see Henrietta’s white shoulders that he held just a while ago.

With Saito strongly confused, Henrietta’s lips started to trace the shape of his face.

“Do you have… a lover?”

In a hot voice Henrietta whispered into his ear. He felt like melting from that sound. Then, Louise’s face popped up in Saito’s head. Louise was not his lover. But…

“I don’t, however…”

Henrietta started to nibble Saito’s earlobe.

“Then, treat me as your lover.”

“W-what?!”

“It’s all right, only for tonight. I am not telling you to be my lover. But, please, hug me… and kiss me.”

That moment - time stopped… this way, a few minutes passed.

Moisture filled the room thanks to the rain. The mixed smell of futon and bodies drifted in the air.

Saito watched Henrietta's eyes. Even in such dirty room… Henrietta’s beautiful face was dazzling. No, maybe it dazzled because of this dirty room.

He was almost inadvertently drowned in these charms. But… he could not go beyond Henrietta’s kiss… Louise would never forgive Saito. Not only would she never forgive him but also she would be saddened, because Louise respected Henrietta the most.

He could not do such a thing.

He could not pretend to be lovers and kiss with a person… that his important person held important. Henrietta was just lonely. There must be another way to comfort her.

Therefore, Saito lightly patted Henrietta's chestnut hair.

“I cannot become a prince.”

“I’m not asking to do such thing.”

“Remember? I am not a person from this world, I am from a different world. I can't… substitute someone.”

Henrietta closed her eyes and drew her cheek to Saito's chest.

After that… when the heat gradually vanished… Henrietta muttered, embarrassed.

“…You must think I am a shameless woman. Even though I am called a queen… I am still a woman. And at night I still miss someone’s warmth. "

For a while ……, Henrietta didn't say a word and just laid there, pressing her cheek against Saito's chest. Inside a cheap lodging house, that might be the cheapest in town, the noblest woman of the country trembled like a child in his arms. Saito smiled wryly at this somewhat absurd situation.

And… felt uneasy.

“Princess.”

“What?”

“Please explain to me slowly. What on earth are we doing here? Secrets… everyone looking hard for you. And… you are trying so hard to hide yourself. It cannot be just one of those capricious things, right?”

“…Oh well. I guess I need to tell the full story.”

Henrietta voice regained her usual dignity.

“It’s a fox hunt.”

“Fox hunt?”

“Yes, you know that clever animal, the fox? Even with dogs at it, even with beaters, it is not easy to capture one’s tail. Therefore… I set a trap.”

“Trap?”

“Yes, and the bait is me. Come tomorrow… the fox will leave its nesting hole.”

Saito looked at her.

“And who is the fox?”

“Albion’s spy.”

<center>* * *</center>

Agnes and Louise were riding the horse down the alley leading to Richmon’s mansion. Though the rain eventually turned into drizzle… it was still cold. Agnes gave Louise her own mantle to wear.

“W-what are the circumstances?”

“Rat hunt.”

“Rat hunt?”

“Yeah, they not only damage a kingdom's granary… but also try to betray the master in the middle of the hunt.”

Uncomprehending, Louise stared at her

“Explain it in full detail.”

“There is no time to explain it any further now. Nha! We arrived.”

The gate of Richmon's residence opened and a young page appeared before Agnes’s horse. It was a 12 or 13 year old boy with red cheeks. Holding a torch, he looked around restlessly before starting to lead his horse again. The page started to gallop while holding a torch. Agnes smiled thinly and began to chase after the horse, following the light of the torch.

“…What’s going on?”

“It has started.”

Agnes answered briefly.

In the night air, the page continued galloping the horse at full speed. Seems he was told beforehand by his master to hurry. The boy was surveying his surroundings while desperately clinging to the horse's back.

Agnes, keeping the distance, followed him.

The page's horse passed the upscale residential area and stoppped at a suspicious district. In the surroundings of the night one could hear the Queen's search party drinking and having fun.

Omitting going through Chikutonne street, the horse disappeared into a secluded alley.

When he disappeared at the entrance of the alley, Agnes descended the horse and looked into the alley.

Leaving the horse at the stables, Agnes turned to the hotel once she made sure that the page entered there. Jumping off the horse, Louise asked while running after her.

“What, what is happening?”

Agnes did not answer any more.

She entered hotel and elbowed her way through the mass of people at the bar in the front till she saw the page going up to the second floor. She followed.

From the staircase, Agnes confirmed the door through which the page had entered.

Two people had expected visitors for a while there.

Agnes whispered to Louise.

“Take off the mantle. Start leaning over me in a bar woman's way.”

Not understanding, Louise did as Agnes said and took off her mantle. Then she pretended to be a fizgig flirting with the knight. She saw such scenes often during the hustle at the bar and had them imprinted in her mind.

“Good.”

Agnes said to Louise without averting her glance from the second floor. Though her voice was still womanly, when keeping silent she left an impression of an honorable knight, probably because of her short hair. Louise’s cheeks started to blush inadvertently.

The page walked out of the room at once.

Then Agnes drew Louise to her. Ah, and snatched a kiss.

Though Louise tried to wriggle out in rage, Agnes suppressed her with strong power, and she could not move..

The page gave a short glance at Agnes and Louise kissing, and turned his eyes away at once.

A kiss between a knight and a bar woman. Just like in the painting that hangs on the wall of the residence, an ordinary spectacle.

Then the page went out through the exit, straddled a horse just like the time he came here, and disappeared into the town of the night.

Agnes finally let Louise free.

“W-what are you doing?!”

Blushing Louise shouted. If her partner were a man, she would have pulled out her wand and blown off this place already.

“Relax. I do not have such a hobby. This is duty.”

“Neither do I!”

Then Louise recalled the page who left.

“You won’t follow him?”

“It is does not matter anymore. That boy doesn't know anything at all. His role was only carrying the letter.”

Agnes not making a sound with her footsteps, silently approached the front of the door in the guest room that the page entered. Louise asked whispering.

“…You aren’t a mage, right? You can’t blow this door off.”

“…you still can break it with enough strength.”

“… it is surely locked. There is nothing you can do. With all that rattle he might run away.”

Louise pulled out the wand that was attached to her thigh, took a deep breath, and muttered the spell of 'Void', aiming the wand at the door. Explosion … the door exploded and was blown off into the room. In no time, Agnes pulled out a sword and jumped inside.

A merchant was there, standing near the bed with a surprised expression on his face. He was holding a wand in one hand. A mage.

The man seemed to be a considerably good magic user, as he quickly pointed his wand at Agnes, who had jumped in, and muttered a spell. A mass of air blew Agnes away. When he uttered another spell and threw Agnes into the wall… Louise entered.

Louise's explosion hit him. The explosion hit straight in front of him, the man fell on the ground holding his face

Agnes stood up and hit the wand out of the man’s hands with her sword. Louise picked up the wand that lay on the floor.

Agnes pointed at the man's throat with the tip of her sword. It was a middle aged man. Though he looked like a merchant, the light in his eyes was different. He probably was an aristocrat.

“Do not move!”

Still pointing her sword, Agnes pulled out handcuffs from her waist and locked the iron circles on the man’s wrists. Then put a gag of torn sheet in his mouth.

What is happening at such time? – visitors of the hotel started gathering and looking into the room.

“Do not make any noise! Just arresting a sneaky thief! ”

The scared hotel people withdrew their faces.

A letter that page gave to the man must be somewhere inside, Agnes thought. With a smile on her lips she rummaged through the man’s desk drawers. She found lots of letters and documents and began to slowly read them one by one.

“Who is this man?”

“Albion’s rat. He pretended to be a merchant and lurked in Tristania, gathering information for Albion.”

“Then, this fellow… is an enemy spy. Isn’t it great?! We caught him!”

“It is not finished yet.”

“Why?”

“The parent rats still remain.”

Then Agnes found one sheet of paper, she gazed at it quietly. That was the rough sketch in the building. Notes written at some places.

“So that’s how it is… you damned ones must have planned to contact in the theater, right? This letter arrived some time ago, saying to meet at the same place as usual tomorrow. As it looks from this rough sketch, the place must be a theater, huh? I am sure of it.”

The man did not answer. He became silent and quietly looked the other way.

“Answer me… Noble’s pride.” 

With a cold smile on her lips, Agnes pinned the man's foot to the floor with her sword. With the mouth gag still on, the man writhed in agony.

Agnes pulled out a pistol from her belt and pointed it at his face.

“I’ll count to two. Choose. Pride or life.”

The man’s brow started to sweat. Gachink… The sound of Agnes lifting the percussion hammer echoed in the room.

'''4'''

Down was breaking, morning. Central plaza, San Remi's temple of Confucius rang the bell. 11 o'clock.

A single carriage stopped in front of Royal Tanaijiiru Theater. Richmon stepped out from it. He looked up at the theatre proudly. The page who sat on the driver's box, tried to come down and follow him.

“It’s all right. Wait with the carriage.”

Richmon shook his head and entered into the theater. The ticket salesman bowed once he noticed the noble. Not buying a ticket, Richmon went forward. It was because play inspection was one of his duties as a censorship director, this place was like his personal villa.

The theater visitors were only young women, who had started to arrive six minutes ago. At first it was a popular repertoire, but because the acting of actors was horrible it was severely criticized by critics. It was likely they had lost business as a result.

Richmon sat down in his private seat and quietly waited for the curtain to rise.

<center>* * *</center>

Agnes and Louise had arrived at the front of the theater just a while ago. Louise could not understand why they had to stalk in the alley near the theater all this time. Only when a certain carriage showed up did Agnes let them leave their hideout. 　

Louise was tired and spent.  She hadn’t slept last night. Besides, Agnes did not explain a thing. She said it was a rat hunt, all right, but whenever she asked who was that rat… Agnes became silent and stopped talking.

Before Louise’s eyes, who was patiently waiting in front of a theater, dearly known figures passed.

It was Henrietta escorted by Saito, who had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. Though Henrietta put on a robe and commoner clothes, those Louise had bought earlier, and wore her hair in a town-woman’s way... Louise was certain she was not mistaken.

Agnes spotted the two people earlier as she had sent a report with the mail owl and kept her eyes open for them coming.

“…Princess. Saito!”

What started as a small mutter turned into a loud yell as she ran up to the pair.

“Louise…”

Henrietta embraced her tiny body closely.

“I was so worried! Where had you disappeared to?”

“I borrowed gentle familiar–san…and hid myself in town. Forgive me for not telling you. I did not want to drag you into this. So, when I was informed this morning by Agnes that you were acting together, I was surprised. Yet, you are my best friend, so I guess we were destined to run into each other sooner or later.”

Then, Agnes who stood silently nearby, knelt down.

“Everything is ready, waiting for your orders.”

“Thank you. You really did well.”

And the last spectators that arrived in front of the theater…

Were Mantei Koa unit, Mage Guards.

Everyone watched surprised as their commander, who had a fantasy beast with a lion's head and snake's body on his coat of arms, approached in an angry manner.

“Hey! What’s the big idea, Agnes-dono?! I came here flying after receiving your letter, but Her Majesty is not here!”

Then Mantei Koa commander noticed Henrietta and ran up to her in panic.

“Your Majesty! We were worried! Where were you? We were searching for you all night!”

On the verge of tears, commander raised his voice.

What was with these magic guard units? Spectators started to gather, wondering. Because of such an uproar, Henrietta pulled down the hood of her robe again.

"I am sorry for causing anxiety. I will explain later. For now, Commander, just follow my orders.”

“What are they?”

“With the corps under your command, please encircle Royal Tanaijiiru Theater. Do not let even a single ant out.”

The commander, though he had a suspicious expression on his face, bowed at once.

“As you wish.”

“Then, I’ll go in.”

“I’ll follow.”

Louise shouted. However, Henrietta shook her head.

“No, you must wait here. This is something I should finish myself.”

“But-“

“It’s an order.”

Hearing such decisive words, Louise bowed with bad grace.

Henrietta, alone, disappeared within the theater. Agnes, having some other secret things to do, mounted her horse and rode off somewhere.

So… only two people, Saito and Louise, left.

Louise pulled Saito’s, who watched Henrietta leave with a blush on his cheeks, sleeve.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“What, what happened?”

“I was told this is a fox hunt.”

“I heard it was a rat hunt.”

“It’s the same, anyway.”

After that, they both stared blankly at each other.

“Somewhat, it is a duty…”

“Yeah.”

“Guess we both were just supporting role fillers.”

Saito nodded.

Louise noticed a certain smell and brought her nose close to Saito's body.

“Wh-what-”

With a dangerous expression on her face, *sniff sniff* Louise started sniffing Saito’s body smell with her nose.　

“H-hey, what the-“

“This smell… It’s the smell of the princess' perfume!”

“Eh?”

Saito was startled.

“You… you didn’t do anything strange to princess right?"

Louse stared at Saito menacingly. Saito turned pale. Surely… he could not tell her about the kiss. He could not betray Henrietta. For the honor of the princess, he must not tell this. Besides, even if he told, Louise would not believe him anyways.

“Idiot! I didn't do anything!”

“Really?”

Louise kept staring at Saito.

“It must have attached from the escort a while ago.”

Louise grabbed Saito’s ear and pulled him closer. Then she buried her nose in the scruff of his neck.

“Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff. Then why does it smell in such place? Why there is perfume on the scruff of your neck just from being an escort? Hmm? What kind of perfume is that?!”

“No, that… that must be from turning in bed while sleeping. Faces must have gotten close. Nothing else.”

“It’s all right. I’ll hear everything from your body!”

Louise, still holding Saito’s ear, dragged him into the side alley.

Saito’s scream echoed in the empty lane.

<center>* * *</center>

The curtains rose…the play started. 　

Because the play was for women, the spectators were only young females. Surrounded by loud cheers, on the stage, gorgeously dressed actors started to play a story of sad love.

It was the play that Louise saw before… ‘Tristania's Holiday’.

Richmon puckered up his brows. But it wasn’t because of the actors laughter or posing, not because of impudent and jarring cheers of young women. It was because an expected visitor did not show up at a promised time.

In his head, various questions turned round and round.

Was the queen’s disappearance an Albion plot that I was not informed of? If so, what is the reason? If not, then maybe a third power exists inside Tristania that he was not aware of? Either way, it was troublesome - Richmon muttered to himself.

Then… a spectator sat next to him. Was it the expected visitor? He threw a side glance. That wasn’t him. It was a young woman with a hood on her head.

Richmon whispered.

“Excuse me. This seat is already taken. Please sit in another place.”

However, the woman did not try to stand up.

This young woman… With an angry expression Richmon turned to face her.

“Haven’t you heard me, Mademoiselle?”

“Spectators should watch the play, Richmon-domo.”

Richmon’s eyes popped out once he recognized the hooded face. It was a person he was sure to have disappeared… Henrietta.

Henrietta, looking straight at the stage, asked Richmon.

“This is the play for women. Are they having fun watching it?"

Richmon settled down, regained his composure and leaned back into the seat.

“I am looking over such a trivial play only because of work. Anyways, Your Majesty, there is a rumor that you have hidden yourself…Is it for safety reasons?”

“Indeed. I am discreet with my contacts. It’s a good place to secretly meet with my mistress, right?"

Richmon laughed. Yet, Henrietta did not laugh. She squinted like a hunter.

“If one can get everything, it is useless to wait. I was standing in the ticket line. You went watching a play without buying a ticket, such an act is a violation of the law. I would like a royal palace judge to follow the law.”

“Ho! When did ticket sales became the royal family's jurisdiction?”

Henrietta sighed, breaking the string of the tension.

“Now, let's stop with this nonsense. The secret messenger of Albion, whom you came to contact today, was arrested last night. He talked about everything. Right now he is in Cherunboog prison.“

Henrietta drove Richmon into a corner.

However, as if knowing everything should be this way, Richmon didn't loose his composure. He smiled broadly in a fearless manner.

“Hoho! My relation is well hidden, you can’t beat this strategy of mine!”

“That’s right, royal palace judge.”

“I won’t dance on Your Majesty’s palms!”

“I really did not want it to turn…this way.”

Richmon never showed a malice behind his smile. He never showed a bad attitude, Henrietta remembered in a sore displeasure

“Because of my disappearance, you decided to come into contact with the secret messenger. ‘The queen was enticed by hands, other than ours.’ For you this was nothing more than just an affair. You are calm and did not panic. A careful fox, that doesn’t show his tail…”

“Well, since when did you start suspecting?”

“I was not sure. Besides you, there were many suspects. However, the person who was to inform about my disappearance that night, must have been the criminal. And that person was you.”

Henrietta continued in a sad, tired voice.

“I did not want to believe. You were such… Royal Palace Judge, who should defend the authority and the fineness of the kingdom, assisted a plot of such treason. During childhood you were always the one who cherished me… and now sold me to the enemy.”

“Your Majesty, for me you are still a girl who doesn't know a thing. Being ruled by Albion is still better than by an ignorant girl on the throne.”

“Was your love for me a lie? You looked like such a gentle person. Was it a lie too?”

“Affability for lord’s daughter does not descend to vassal.  You can’t understand that. Because you are such a child, that’s why I did it.”

Henrietta shut her eyes. Whom should I believe? Why it is so hard to be betrayed by a person whom you trusted? No… I was not betrayed. This man cheated me only for the sake of his career. I cannot understand such a thing, maybe I am, as Richmon says, still a child.

But, I cannot be a child any longer.

I should gain… eyes that see the truth.

To see the truth despite the heart.

Henrietta said in a decisive tone.

“In the name of the Queen, you are stripped off the title, Royal Palace Judge. Surrender yourself quietly.”

Richmon didn't move at all. Moreover, he pointed to the stage and declared in a tone as if Henrietta would be a little idiot.

“Do not say such inelegancy. Let the play continue. It just started. Leaving before the play is over is an impoliteness towards the actors.”

Henrietta shook her head.

“At this moment, outside, the Magic Guard has encircled the building. Now, show the nobles bravery and hand me your cane.”

“Really… such an inexperienced lass… Whom do you think you are arresting?”

“What are you saying?”

“I am only saying that you are 100 years too early to set a trap on me, that’s all.”

*Pon* Richmon clapped.

Then, actors who had been performing the play up till now…, about six men and women, pulled out their wands hidden in their trousers or jackets, and aimed them at Henrietta.

Young women started causing an uproar.

"Silence! Watch the play silently!”

The angry voice of Richmon… revealing his true nature, resounded within the theater.

“Anyone who makes a noise will be killed. This is not a play.”

Suddenly, the whole building was wrapped up in silence.

“You were really unlucky coming here, Your Majesty.”

Henrietta… muttered quietly.

“Actors… were your partners.”

“Yes. This is not a bluff. They are first class casters.”

“And terrible actors as it seems.”

Richmon clasped Henrietta's hand. Henrietta got goosebumps from his repulsive touch.

“My scenario is far reaching. Your majesty, I am going to take you as a hostage. Then, I’ll arrange a ship to Albion. Your persona will be my emigration gift to Albion. The end.”

“Indeed. This play’s scenario is yours. The stage is Tristain and the actor is Albion…”

“And you’ll be the heroine. So, take part in this comedy.”

“Unfortunately, only tragedy suits my taste. I can’t take part in such a monkey show.”

“Sadly, in this life, no one acts against my scenario.”

Henrietta shook her head. Her eyes shone with confidence.

“No, today’s play scenario belongs to me.”

“Your management is bad. Sadly, as a chairman, I can’t allow you to destroy the play.”

Henrietta, not loosing her composure… pointed her wand towards the mages, impersonating actors.

“The bad ones are the actors. They are ham actors. One cannot help but notice.”

“Don’t say such extravagant things. Sooner or later they will be celebrated actors in Albion."

“Now, leave the stage.”

Up till now, noisy and frightened women….

After Henrietta’s words, they changed their looks completely and pulled out their guns at the same time

Richmon’s subordinate mages, who were pointing wands at Henrietta, surprised by the spectacle, delayed their movements.

Doon! Sounds of tens of gun shots melted into one big sound.

Because inside of the theater the sound was multiplied, it felt like a thunder roar.

When the dark thick smoke cleared up… Albion mages who were impersonating actors were riddled with bullets, all of them were killed on the stage before casting a single spell.

All theater spectators… were members of the musketeers. Naturally, even suspicious Richmon could not see this through.

All the musketeers were young commoners…moreover – women.

Henrietta informed her neighbor spectator in an icy tone,

“Please stand up, Richmon. The play is over.”

<center>* * *</center>

Richmon stood up with much effort.

He laughed loudly and pulled out the dagger at the same time.

Continuing to laugh loudly like a madman, not afraid of the swords pointed at him, Richmon went up to the stage slowly. The musketeers surrounded him. They were prepared to skewer him if he were to make even one suspicious movement.

“Know when to give up! Richmon!”

“I am glad with the success! Cannot become a splendid scenario written by Her Majesty! So much for my play scenario…”

Richmon watched the surrounding musketeers in a hoity-toity way.

“Your Majesty… The last advice from someone who served Your Majesty since the day of your birth.”

“Speak.”

“Though it started a long time ago, Your Majesty…”

When Richmon stood up in the corner of the stage… and *Don* hit the floor with his foot. Then, just like pitfall, the floor opened.

“It ends up short here.”

Richmon fell straight through it. Though the musketeers ran up hastily …the floor shut and did not open though they pushed or pulled. Apparently, it was controlled by magic.

“Your Majesty…”

All members watched Henrietta anxiously. Mortified, after biting her fingernails, Henrietta looked up and bellowed,

“Search for him at the front gates! Move it!”

<center>* * *</center>

The hole led to an underground passageway. Richmon made this loophole for a rainy day.

To stop from falling Richmon used ‘Levitation’ and, putting a light spell on his wand, began to walk through the underground passageway while illuminating the ground under his feet. The passage ran to Richmon's residence. He needed to return there. He was going to escape to Albion after collecting his money.

“However… the one that led to this was the princess…”

On the day of his escape, he was going to apply to the Cromwell for one troop regiment. Then he’ll return to Tristain again, catch Henrietta, and after repaying for today’s humiliation many times over, he’ll rape and kill her.

While walking and imagining such things… he saw a shadow in the light.

A moment passed.

The face that surfaced from the darkness was… the face of Agness, the musketeer.

“Oh my, it’s Richmon-dono. Taking another way home?”

Agnes said with a smile. Her voice echoed in the narrow, gloomy and damp passage.

“You…”

Smiling in relief, Richmon answered. Indeed, they might have found out about this secret passage and might have seen his theater plans… but this was not a mage, just a fencer who ambushed him, this should not be hard. He, like most mages, looked down on fencers.

[[Image:ZnT05-249.jpg|thumb]]

“Move out of the way. There is no time to play with you. It’s too bothersome to kill you in a place like this.”

After Richmon’s words, Agnes pulled out her pistol.

“Checkmate. I have already uttered an incantation. I’ll only have to release it on you. Bullets can’t get past my twenty layer mail. Your obligation to Henrietta doesn’t include giving your life. Because you are a commoner.”

Richmon continued talking in a bored tone.

“An insect's pay is not worth going against a noble’s spell. Leave.”

Agnes squeezed out the words.

“I will kill you not for the loyalty to Her Majesty, but for my personal revenge.”

“Personal revenge?”

“Dangle Tail (angle province).”

Richmon smiled. Come to think of it, the other day, before leaving my residence…this fellow asked me about it. That was why, Richmon, finally understanding the reason, laughed.

“I see! So you are that village’s survivor!”

“You were responsible for that crime… my hometown was destroyed without even knowing why.”

Agnes declared, biting her lips. A stream of blood ran down her lips.

“Romalia’s heresy, ‘Protestant Hunt’. You blamed ‘Protestantism’ to be a rebellion and crushed my town. How much did you earn from Romalia’s religion agency in return, Richmon?”

The edges of Richmon’s lips turned up.

“Amount of money you ask? You want to know? I’d like to tell, but I cannot remember the sum of the bribe.”

“Is money all you believe in? Miserable man.”

“The way you trust in god, I trust in my money, is there any difference? The way you regret about relatives that passed away, I yearn for money, is there any difference? Tell me. I would like to know.”

“I’ll kill you. Spend your savings in hell.”

“Though it is wasteful to use a noble’s spell on the likes like you… this is the fate.”

Richmon muttered releasing the spell.

A huge ball of fire appeared on the tip of the wand and flew towards Agnes.

He expected for Agnes to shoot the pistol that she was gripping in her hand… yet, she threw it away.

“What?”

She covered herself with the mantle and received the fireball. Though the mantle blazed up in a moment… the water bag beneath it evaporated absorbing the impact of the fireball. However, it did not disappear completely. It knocked against Agnes body, incandescing her chain hemp garment

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

However, Agnes endured it not falling down. Fearsome willpower. Enduring the pain of having all her body burned, pulling out her sword, she rushed towards Richmon.

Richmon, in haste, shot another spell trying to counterattack. The blade of wind attacked Agnes. Though it tore through the chain hemp garment and sheet metal armor, it prevented her from suffering a mortal wound. While receiving innumerable cuts on her body, Agnes still rushed on.

The moment when Richmon tried to recite another spell, Agnes crashed into his chest.

“Uoo…”

Not the spell escaped Richmon’s mouth…but his red blood. Agnes pushed her handle plunging the sword deeper into Richmon’s chest.

“M…mage to a commoner…a noble like me…to a fencer like you…”

“…tell me, are a sword and gun still toys for you?”

While having her whole body burnt and cut, Agnes twisted the sword slowly scooping Richmon's chest out.

“They are not toys. They are weapons. Unlike you nobles, we have at least polished fangs. Die from those fangs, Richmon.”

*Gop* Richmon vomited especially large amount of blood.

And slowly crumbled down.

Silence returned to the vicinity.

Agnes picked up the lantern that she dropped earlier, and, supporting her shoulder with the wall, staggeringly started to walk. The cuts on top of burns hurt so much that Agnes could fall down at any moment.

Still, Agnes walked.

“…Cannot die here. Still, still…I need to kill.”

Slowly, step by step, using her sword as a cane, and still bleeding, Agnes headed towards the exit.

The nearest exit of the secret passage going under Tristania’s soil was…the drainage trench on the Chikutonne street. As Agnes crept out of there, pulling her body through , townspeople started to scream. Looking up at the dazzling sun… feeling lucky to be alive, Agnes fainted.

<center>* * *</center>

Three days later…

In the kitchen, Saito was washing plates as usual. *Don* Louise bumped against his back. Almost dropping the plate, Saito complained.

“Be more careful! Don’t make me break the plates!”

Grrr, Louise glared at him. Feeling relieved, Saito turned his head. Since that day… Louise hadn’t talked to him.

Louise criticized him, as eventually Saito told her everything that happened while hiding with Henrietta in that cheap lodging house. Except one thing…the kiss.

She was only pouting now, but she would get really serious if she were to find out about the kiss. Anyhow, Louise’s desire to monopolize was very strong. She raged whenever her familiar Saito got distracted by other girls, the kiss with her highly valued Henrietta would be even worse.

She would kill him if she knew.

Therefore, no matter what, Saito has to make sure she doesn’t find out.

“…D-don’t be so angry.”

“I am not angry.”

“So why are you not talking? The princess and I embraced each other because we had no choice. We didn’t want to be found out…”

“…You didn’t do anything else?”

“O-of course not!”

Saito started to whistle while washing the plates.

Though from the side it looked like a quarrel between lovers… they both thought otherwise. Saito viewed Louise’s jealousy as a desire to monopolize her familiar. And Louise being Louise did not admit her feelings to herself. So altogether, both their relationship were still going in parallel lines. Would it stay so all the time? Yet for now, they were parallel lines.

Then, in the place where two people’s relationships were complicated as usual, the door opened and two visitors showed up. They were wearing hoods.

“Hello. Can I help you?”

When Louise went to take an order, one of the guests quietly lifted the hood and showed their face to Louise.

“Agnes!”

Agnes whispered to Louise.

“Please prepare the room on the second floor.”

“If it’s you, then…the other…”

“…is me.”

Henrietta’s voice.

Louise nodded and prepared the guest room on the second floor.

<center>* * *</center>

“Now then…Louise. First of all, let me express my gratitude to you...”

Henrietta said looking at everyone who sat around the table.

Louise, Saito, Agnes…

Though Agnes was badly injured, with Henrietta’s, who was a water user, ‘Recovery’ spell help, she was almost completely healed. However, she still couldn’t wear armor. Therefore today she was wearing a padded undershirt and plain trousers with boots.

“The information that you collected is really useful.”

“I-is it really useful for you?”

It wasn’t only political topics that the town’s gossips were about. It was also citizen’s opinions and criticisms. Even though she couldn’t think all of them through, they were useful for Henrietta…

“This way I can see without pretending myself how I really look to others. I want to hear the true words. Even if they are painful for the ear…”

Anyway, there are a lot of criticisms regarding Henrietta. Though Louise did not agree, she reported everything as it was. That’s why she was glad.

“I am still a greenhorn, thus I should accept the criticism, because it is necessary for future improvement.”

Louise bowed.

“I also need to apologize. I am sorry for borrowing your familiar-san without permission and not explaining the circumstances.”

“Indeed. It was cruel to ignore me.”

Louise said dully.

“I did not want you to get too much involved. I needed to do a dirty job of setting traps… for the betrayer…”

“The Royal Palace Judge was the betrayer…”

Though Henrietta tried keep it a secret…such secrets always seemed to leak somewhere. Richmon being an Albion’s spy was already a popular rumor in town.

Louise reared her head.

“However, I am not a child anymore. I can keep princess–sama’s secrets. From now on, all ways tell me.”

Henrietta nodded.

"I see. Let's do it that way. Anyway, the only the people whom I am able to trust from the bottom of the heart… are the ones in this room.”

“Familiar too?”

Louise wondered. Henrietta and Saito's eyes met for a moment. After that, a light blush appeared on both their cheeks, and they mutually looked down.

“Y-yes… Naturally. Ah! That’s right! We still have not had a formal introduction!”

Henrietta, trying to change the topic, held out her hand towards Agnes.

“This is my trustful Musketeer Commander, Agnes Chevalier De Milan. Though she is a woman, she uses a sword and gun as skillfully as a man. She also punished splendidly the betrayer who was trying to run away. Without fear she stood against a mage with just a sword… A hero.”

“I am not a hero.”

Agnes brushed off the statement and returned to her cheerful expression again. Then she said in a smooth voice.

“Her Majesty, we don’t need the introduction. With Miss La Valliere, we already had a relationship overnight.”

Louise blushed, remembering the kiss.

“I-it wasn’t like that!”

“That was an unforgettable night, right, Miss La Valliere?”

Agnes said laughingly. Which made Louise blush even more.

“Unforgettable night?” Henrietta asked.

“Nothing, to trick the enemy's eyes we pretended to be lovers. We kissed! That was so funny! Ahahahaha!”

Agnes laughed happily.

Louise blushed more and more. She expected Saito to start making fun from her that she was kissed by a woman. However, he did not laugh.

Somehow awkwardly, he averted his eyes.

Louise glanced up at Henrietta. She as well was twining her fingers hesitatingly.

Besides, a little while ago when the eyes of these two met, they turned their faces down. A strange doubt… crept inside Louise.

“W-well then, since there are a few more things to do, we should get ready to leave, Agnes.”

Henrietta stood up.

“Eh? I thought we were going to have toasts all night long?"

“I’m worried about your wounds… Well then, Louise, I ask you to continue.”

Henrietta hurriedly left the room. Agnes, who seemed to be completely lost, followed.

Saito also stood up and tried to go out.

“There is no need to rush.”

Louise detained him. Feeling a dreadful premonition, Saito’s face turned pale.

“No, well, dish-washing…”

Saito said looking straight ahead. His voice trembled.

Louise smiled, however.

“Mm, sit. It is alright. Stay here until morning.”

She pointed to the bed. Slowly, Saito sat down. What happened, did she find out? Princess’s kiss… No, surely not… She would not be so calm, right?

T-that’s right. If she were aware, Louise would not take such an attitude. She would be countless times trampling on Saito’s face and saying,

‘You kissed the princess didn’t you?’

Yet she was smiling. Maybe she really, without any ulterior motive, wanted to show appreciation to Saito’s misery.

“W-what is it? You are strangely gentle.”

“No, thank you for your hard work lately. I just want to express my gratitude. Really.”

Louise gave Saito a cup and poured in some wine.

“T-thank you.”

“Look, I…was just upset that the princess did not need me. These two, no, three days I was in a bad mood…over this and that. But now I am back in high spirits! It’s alright again!”

Seeing that, Saito felt relieved.

Aaah, he just worried too much... I'm so glad…She really seems to have recovered her good humor.

“Was it hard to guard the princess?”

Louise grasped Saito's hand.

“T-to some extent.”

Why is Louise so gentle? Aah, who cares, I haven’t felt so good in ages.

“As one would expect from my familiar! I am so proud!”

Saito started to boast.

“T-that was… a piece of cake. But we did it together…"

"Still, it was wonderful. The way that no one was able to find you, you must have really tricked the chasers, right?"

“T-that’s right.”

“Drink, drink. I’ll be doing the duty of a caring master today. I’ll be the waitress.”

Saying so she refilled the cup with wine. Being flattered by Louise in such a way, Saito’s confidence gradually grew.

“Saito is so wonderful! When he was suddenly walked in, he quick wittedly pretended to be the lovers and deceived them, right? You should have become an actor! You could have been Royal Tanaijiiru Theater’s main performer!”

“That’s right! Easy victory!”

Louise continued in the same way.

"Saito’s wonderful! Did he kiss the princess?”

“That’s right!”

At that moment, the air froze.

Saito noticed that he was splendidly tricked. If you want to draw something out from the partner, first of all, you need to make him feel relaxed. The technique that Louise picked up in the bar! She used it!

Louise was using it every day, so her skills grew.

“L-Louise, this… Y-you…that…”

The tension in the room rose.

Then Louise stood up and locked the door.

Turning back, Louise said in a bright, even voice.

“Hey, dog.”

Dog.

In one breath the giddiness from the wine was gone.

Saito began to tremble.

Why is that dark aura emanating from Louise’s shoulders?

What is this dark aura?

“Dog, what’s wrong? Answer me!”

“W-woof!”

Tonight, ‘Dog’ surely sounded different. It was different. The presentiment of doom pierced through Saito's numb body. The taste of bitter despair filled his mouth.

“Excuse me. With magic or foot, which?"

“E-either seem painfuuuuul.”

“Sorry, it has to be painful. Now, make your decision, hurry.”

''And so… it was going to be a long night.

Really long. And a long daybreak.

Assuming, that I can survive tonight…''

''And I should beware of all girls serving alcohol from now on'', Saito thought.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter7 - MTL

2007-08-09T14:47:32Z

78.62.80.162: /* Chapter 7 - The Prince of a Dying Country */

== Chapter 7 - The Prince of a Dying Country ==

'''
This is a preview script.
Please be aware that the degree of translation error may be higher then usual due to the translation speed.
'''
----

Saito was caught and imprisoned by the pirates. It seems like Mary Galante's (?) crew has helped to take over the ship.

The sword was taken up from Saito, and canes were taken up from Wardes and Louise. Therefore, their hands and feet were not confined. Without canes mages, just like weaponless Saito, were harmless. Though same cannot be said about Louise.

In the background, one could see wine barrels, cereal sacks and gunpowder casks disorderly thrown around. Heavy cannonballs were piled up in the corner of the room.

Wardes explored such cargo with a great interest.

Saito sat down in the corner of the hold. He was frowning because of pain in his injured arm.

Louise looked with worried expression after seeing Saito's such state.

"...What. As I thought, the injury hurts after all."

"It's nothing."

Saito said snappishly.

"It's not nothing - show me!"

Louise forcefully gripped Saito's arm and tucked up clothes.

"Kya！"

It looked really awful. Due to Masked Man's lightning spell the severe injury going from shoulder to wrist was inflicted on left arm. More so, it seemed to be getting worse.

The shoulder was under an awful convulsion.

"Is that not awful burn?! Should I feel relieved now?!"

Louse shouted. She stood up and started knocking on the door

"Somebody! Somebody come!"

Guardian stood up.

"Eh?"

"Water! Is there a mage? We need water mage! There is an injured person! Need to heal him!"

"There is no such thing."

"Lies! It is so!"

Wardes who was taken back with a surprise, watched Louise dumbfounded. Saito gripped Louise's shoulder.

"Be obedient. You are the prisoner here."

"No！　I won't, you are injured!"

"Stop saying that!"

Saito shouted. Louise cringed because of Saito's threatening attitude. Louise's pupil started getting moist. However, Louise gulped down saliva and tried to fight back the incoming tears.

"D-do not cry."

"I am not crying. There is no master who would cry in front of her familiar!"

Saito turned his face away.

"I see."

"I would never cry in front of you."

Louise walked to the other wall and sat down , facing away from Saito. Her body was shivering. Saito headed towards Wardes and tapped his shoulder.

"Please comfort her"

"Why?"

"Aren't you Louise's fiancé?"

Wardes nodded and turned towards Louise, and hugged her shoulders her from behind, comforting her. Saito collapsed on the ground, averting his eyes from Wardes and Louise. The pain in arm kept on getting worse. It was Saito's fault for preventing Louise from helping him.

It is a suitable punishment for such a worthless being like myself.

"My punishment... Doesn't hurt that much. Uwaa"

His muttering was interrupted by the opened door.A fat man with the plate of soup entered.

"Rice."

When Saito , who was near the door, tried to take it a man suddenly lifted the plate up.

"Only after you answered few questions."

Louise, whose eyes looked puffy, stood up.

"Ask."

"What business you have in Albion?"

"Traveling."

Louise said in a decisive voice, putting her hand on the waist.

"Traistain's noble, why would you travel to Albion? Why would you be sightseeing in such place?"

"I do not have to tell you such things."

"Still pretending to be tough, despite being scared and crying?"

Louise turned her face away, when the pirate started laughing. She grabbed a plate with soup and water to throw at him, but

Saito took it from her.

"Hey!"

"I cannot eat a soup made by such people!"

Louise faced away again.

"It's not healthy to stay hungry."

When Wardes said so, Louise took the plate of soup with the pouting face.

Three people ate the same soup from one plate. Though in normal circumstances that would never happen.

Wardes leaned into the wall with tired expression on the face.

Louise tore up the sleeve of the shirt and soaked it in water, trying to cool down Saito's wound with it.

"It's alright."

"It's not alright!"

Louise stared firmly at Saito with her puffy eyes.

"Because, you are my familiar, you have to listen what I tell you!"

Saito averted his face. Louise, who was treating his arm softly, looked up at him.

"What is it?"

"You have more important duties to care about."

"It is so, but injury is also very important! Clear?!"

Saito kept on looking away, before noticing the barrels with gunpowder.

"We could escape by using that."

"Eh?"

Louise suspiciously followed Saito's look. Saito opened the barrel and filled the plate with gunpowder.

Wardes muttered tiredly.

"And where would you run? Only emptiness surrounds us."

Saito sat down again with a thump.

"...but, sitting like that and doing nothing..."

At that time, door opened again. This time it was a thin pirate standing before them. Pirate looked at them three with a piercing eyes and asked.

"Good evening, are you the aristocrats going to Albion?"

Louise did not answer.

"Oi oi, judging from silence its truth. Though we do not look like that we repect nobles. Thanks to the aristocrats our business goes well."

"But, isn't this a warship of rebels?"

"No no, though we are employed, we cooperates in the fifty-fifty relationship with each other. We are related to both fractions. So how is it? Are you nobles? If it is true, then you will be let go free in the closest port."

Saito felt relieved. Since Louise is an aristocrat everything can be settled peacefully then. Also, they will be taken to the closest port.

However, Louise did not nod her head in agreement, instead, she kept on glaring at pirate's forehead.

"How dare you have anything to do with those dirty rebels? Do not disregard Albion nobles. I myself am one of the noble families. The Albion is still a kingdom, as the royal family is still a legitimate government in the Albion. Because I am an aristocrat who comes here on behalf of the Tristain, I am ,in other words, an ambassador. Therefore, I demand the ambassadors treatment from you."

Saito widely opened the mouth and muttered.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Who are you calling an idiot? The idiot is you! For trying to act cool while being injured so badly!"

Louise angrily turned to Saito and shouted.

"But! You should choose time and place for your straightforwardness better!"

"Shut up! You are my familiar and should listen to what I say! Anyways, show your arm! Hey!"

Surprised Saito clasped his arm. While Louise tried to pull Saito's arm with a jerk.

The pirate laughed after seeing such scene.

"Honestly, you should stop doing that!"

"You are wrong, I can't let you be hurt so carelessly."

Louise asserted.

"Eh?"

Saito said in a surprised voice.

"It's because you are my familiar... t-that's why..."

"I'll go to report to the boss then."

The pirate left laughing.

Saito was so surprised that he wasn't able to reply Louise properly.

"Arm, show it."

"Don't act this way. Aren't there more things to be concerned of? Like our present situation."

Louise said decisively.

"I won't let such things to take me down, as far as we have a slightest chance to survive."

Louise stood up straightly. Though the thought about marrying Wardes made her feel funny at the start, it wasn't so strong anymore.

"…… In any case, you lied to them."

"Don't talk nonsense. Are you seriously think that lying to such people is a bad thing?"

Saito sighed tiredly. Wardes came near, and tapped Louise's shoulder.

"Don't say such things Louise, you are still my bride."

Saito looked away dejectedly. Louise face showed mixed feelings, as she looked down.

The door opened again, it was the same thin pirate who said

"The boss calls. "

---

The aisle passed up the narrow stairs and took three people to a splendid room. It was build on the upper part of the deck.

Boss... He seems to be the chief of the pirates.

As door opened one could see a gorgeous dinner table and one pirate sitting at the end of it. He was playing with cane that had big crystal attached on top of it. Seems like he was a mage himself. Boss room where very differently from what one wouldexpect from a pirate.

He looked intensively at Louise who entered the room. The thin pirate who brought Louise here poked her slightly from behind.
　
"Hey、you, you are standing in front of the Boss so greet him properly."
　
However, Louise just stood there glaring at the Boss, who smiled at her.

"Ah, I like a strong willed woman, you are not a child at all. "

"I demand the treatment of the ambassador."

Louise, not paying attention to the words of Boss, repeated her demand.

"And what would be that message you are trying to give?"

Boss said ignoring Louise's words.

"And did you say royal?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you go to [Nanashi]? They will be gone tomorrow."

"I won't tell you."

But Boss said to Louise in a joyful voice.

"Are you willing to betray nobles? Otherwise, even if you are a mage I might not guarantee your safety even for considerable fee."

"I'd better be dead."

Saito poked Louise, at that time he noticed her body trembling. She was scared. But even if she was scared, she kept on looking straight into the eyes of the Boss.

Saito remembered his duel with Guiche.

I was scared at that time. I thought I was going to die. But I haven't bowed my head down. I think that Louise today resembles me at that time. She stands against a scary opponent but is able to withstand because she has something important in her mind, just like me.

This Louise looked really amazing.

"I'll ask you again. Are you willing to betray the nobles?"

Louise looked up straightly. She applied her arm to the waist, and put out the chest.
　
However, Saito interrupted her earlier before she opened her mouth.

"She told he answer already."

"And who are you?"

The Boss looked at Saito with piercing glare. The eyes that seemed to see the deepest secrets. But Saito looked straight at the Boss, just like Louise did.

"A familiar."

"Familiar?"

"Seems so."

The Boss started laughing. He laughed loudly.

"I knew that Tristains nobles were weird but not so helplessly. Oh my, my stomach hurts."

Boss said so while standing up laughing. Saito and others were puzzled by the sudden change of atmosphere and looked at each other.

"Oh, I am sorry. As noble I should properly introduce myself as well."

The pirate who was laughing loudly suddenly stood up straight.

He removed his black curly hair from his head. It seemed to be a wig. He also took of the the black eyepatch, and also removed his fake beard. Before them now was standing a young person with blond hair.

"I am general of the Albion royal air force. Also the commander of our country fleet. Though to tell the truth this warship named "Eagle" is the only ship in our fleet. A powerless fleet. Oh dear, even people from street could easily beat it."

The young person bowed while introducing himself.

"I am prince of Albion's Kingdom, Wales Tudor."

Louise mouth opened wide, Saito also couldn't take his eyes from the surprising appearance of young prince of Albion. Wardes watched prince with great interest.

Wales smiled with a charming smile and moved a chair for Louise to sit.

"Welcome to Albion, Ambassador. Now, lets talk about your message."

However, Louise were still speechless. She just stood there dumbfounded, unable to move.

"Why do I dress up as a pirate? To hide myself? No, the rich rebels sent a lot of support to rebellion, and it is a basic war tactic to cut enemy's supply line. Even if I have to do that in such an undignified way as to dress myself up as a dirty pirate."

Wales said laughingly.

"No, it was really impolite to treat ambassador like that. But you have to admit you don't look much like one of royal messengers yourself. And I never thought about support from other country's nobles. Yet I still should apologize."

Even after Wales words, Louise's mouth still opens and closes without a single sound. She wasn't mentally prepared to meet the prince so suddenly.

"We brought a secret letter from her highness princess Henrietta."

Wardes said while gracefully bowing.

"Ohh, from her Highness. And you are?"

"Captain of Tristain's Griffin Knights, viscount Wardes."

After that, Wardes introduced Louise to Wales.

"An this is her highness sent ambassador from de la Vallière family and her familiar, Your highness."

"Indeed! Such a splendid noble. And I only have my ten bodyguards to greet you, such a miserable greeting. Then, do you still have the secret letter?"

Louise panicking took out Henrietta's letter from her clothes.
　
However, she stopped before giving it to Wales. After few moments of hesitation she opened her mouth.

"B-but..."

"What?"

"Excuse me, but are you really a prince?"
　
Wales laughed.

"Oh dear, you won't believe me even if I showed you my true face. I am Wales. And I am really a prince. I will show evidence then."

Wales said after seeing the water ruby ring shining on Louise's finger.

Louise's hand was taken and the ring that shone on a finger was removed. Prince brought it close to his ruby ring. Two rings reacted to each other, shining with a bright light.

"This ring belongs to Albion royal family, the ruby of the Wind, while that one belongs to Henrietta from Tristain royal family and is a ruby of the Water. Right?"

Louise nodded.

"Water and the wind make the rainbow. Rainbow that forms between royal families."

"True, I am sorry for my impoliteness."

Louise handed Wales the letter and bowed.

After looking at the letter lovingly, Wales kissed the signature. Then, the seal was carefully removed, the paper inside was taken out, and Wales began to read.

For some time he kept on reading it with serious expression.

"Is the princess marrying? That beautiful Henrietta. My beloved... cousin."

Wardes bowed silently, with an affirmative expression. Wales dropped the glance to the letter again. And smiled when the last line was read.

"Understood. The princess is informing me with this that she wants you to return that letter. It's the most important. Princess also hope that I will get the chance to read it. Seems like it."

Louise face beamed up with pleasure.

"However, I won't give it for now. I will properly give it with my answer in Newcastle, instead of this ship."

Wales said laughingly.

"So, even though its troublesome, please come with me to Newcastle."

The end of Chapter 7.